The Magic Shop

by Justin Swapp

  And then she started crying.

  Mirella turned the box over, and the wisps faded to blue. “It is you,” she managed as the magic turned purple. Then,she looked up at Anabell, an angry shadow passing over her tear-streaked face. “All these years, Anabell, lost, because of you and your sinful family!”

  She screamed something primal, something that came before the courtesy of manners and the dignity of magic. She dropped the box and charged ferociously at Anabell.

  Marcus heard the terrible shriek he had only heard once before. Pain began to sear his ears, and he dropped to one knee. Mirella collapsed as if she had been tripped; diving face-first into the ground, both of her hands, which had become claw-like in her pursuit of Anabell, were now cup-like, and held defensively over her hears.

  Then, as if someone had put headphones in his ears, the pain subsided, and became bearable somehow. He heard something else— not the debilitating shriek of the phoenix, but something melodic and wonderful. The humming seemed faintly familiar, and Marcus realized a moment later that it sounded like a lullaby.

  Ellie lowered her hands from her ears as her confused eyes met his for a long moment. Then she jerked her head toward Anabell, who had run ahead of them, and waved at them to follow.

  Listening to the music in his mind as they scrambled after Anabell, Marcus and Ellie made their way to the spot where the first Phoenix had burned to ash. Anabell was already on her knees, sifting through the pile of ash.

  Marcus and Ellie joined her on the ground and began to go through the remains of the magnificent bird as well. Anabell tapped Marcus on the arm, and indicated that he should watch her. She grabbed a handful of the ash and spit on it several times. Ellie looked disgusted, but watched on as Anabell rubbed her hands together until the ash became a kind of clay. She rolled it into two small balls, and then placed the clay in her ears.

  Marcus repeated these steps and placed the clay in his ears. As soon as he did, the lullaby stopped.

  “That’s better,” Anabell said in their minds, “Isn’t it? Now, let’s find that arrow. That old bat won’t be down for long.”

  Marcus nodded and stood up, stepping back from the pile of ash. He wanted to get a better perspective on the scene. They had definitely found the pile that the Phoenix left behind, but he noticed something strange.

  While most of the ash was gathered together in one pile, there seemed to be a trickle of ash, almost a small trail, which led behind a very large tree.

  “Hey, come look at this,” thought Marcus as he followed the alternating spots of ash leading to the tree. The others got up and joined him.

  As they rounded the corner, Marcus felt his stomach bottom out. On the opposite of the tree was a large hole with something odd inside it. Some ten feet or so into the dark tree, Marcus saw two large eyes blink at him from its hiding place. Marcus slowly took a step inside and let his eyes adjust to the dark. The hands belonging to the creature with the large eyes were holding the two things Marcus wanted more than anything else he could think of right then: the bird skull and the feathered arrow that was sticking out of its eye socket.

  22

  Gnarligut Mines

  It ran.

  Marcus turned to Anabell, wondering where this little creature could possibly go in the trunk of a tree that he had just walked around, but go it did.

  “Did that thing have the arrow?” Ellie asked. “Or was I just seeing things?”

  “And a skull,” Marcus said, smiling. “I’m pretty sure.” He could hardly contain himself.

  “Really?” Anabell asked, her countenance changing completely to reveal a new excitement coming out of her. “I shot it?”

  “Well,” Ellie said, “go after him already then, duh.”

  Marcus turned and ran blindly after the little creature, not knowing what it was or where either of them was going. His leg collided with something, and he sent several unknown objects crashing and clanking to the ground.

  In the dark, he heard a sharp, mischievous laugh from somewhere in the distance.

  “Why, you little…” Marcus said, frustrated, but not sure what to do.

  He reached down to rub his leg, sure that it was going to be bruised in the morning. Then, Marcus felt something there—his brim! How silly could he have been?

  Marcus pulled out his trusty sphere, and instantly the room took on the faint blue hue of his trapped magic.

  He looked back and saw Ellie and Anabell entering what looked like a tiny kitchen, complete with pots and pans hanging from the ceiling, and jars of ingredients now spilt on the floor.

  Marcus squinted in the direction the creature had gone, and saw a long, strange hallway. Then he rubbed his eyes.

  “What are you staring at, Marcus?” Ellie asked. “Lead the way already.”

  Marcus continued down the hall. At first, he saw pictures hanging on the wall, encased in bent branch frames. As he continued, he saw a door, which he assumed would be the creature’s bedroom, then the walls changed. They grew darker and dirtier. Then, the walls weren’t even the same walls anymore. Before long, they were surrounded by rock and the dank smells of a cave.

  “What is this place?” Marcus asked as he slowed down to observe a faint amber glow at the end of the cave. He didn’t expect anyone to answer.

  He could hear a faint beat coming from somewhere on the other side of the tunnel. As they neared the end of the passage, Marcus saw a door of sorts through which the warm, yellow light emanated, and he ran to it.

  A wall of heat seemed to be trapped on the other side of the door, for as Marcus poked his head through the threshold, he feel like he put his head in an oven that had just been opened. Apparently their tunnel was connected to a very large cave, alive with activity. He stepped through the passage onto what appeared to be the top level of an underground hotel, for the top of the cave was circled by a floor of doors just like the one he had stepped through.

  He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. There were what seemed like hundreds of small, pale-skinned creatures that wore nothing but a thin coat of animal skins, and some kind of nutshell on their heads. Their large eyes must have helped them see more easily in the poorly lit place.

  Some carried armfuls of crystals, and others hammered away at the walls with small picks, looking for more. Some of the carriers traveled down a spiral path to the center of the cave and deposited their findings, while others used the pulleys and platforms.

  “It’s a mine,” Ellie said, wiping her brow, and looking over Marcus’s shoulder.

  “Where did that little guy go?” Marcus asked. “There’s hundreds of them, and they all look the same.”

  They entered the top level of the cave, and stayed close to the walls. The creatures came and went in and out of their respective homes, each which, Marcus imagined, lead to its own tree with its own little kitchen. What Marcus found curious was that none of them took notice of him or his family. They seemed oblivious, and went on mindlessly about their business.

  At that moment the cave shook, and all of the creatures halted. Above them, Marcus saw a large blob of hot, golden goo that looked like melted metal pass through the ceiling and drip down and splash onto the walls below. Upon contact with the walls, the goo turned into crystal shards that the creatures began to collect.

  “What was that?”

  “I don’t know,” Marcus said, but thought he recognized it somehow.

  “If this is a mine, then what do you think they are collecting? Diamonds?” Marcus asked. “It looks like some kind of rock or crystal.”

  Marcus watched as the creatures trudged up the winding path from the center of the pit with arms full of the crystal shards.

  “I don’t know,” Anabell said, “but we need to find that little critter as quickly as we can. We can’t let anything happen to Caleb.”

  They continued down the passageway, making their way to the other side of the cave, dodging the mindless little creatures as they droned about. At the end of the pas
sageway, the creatures lined up in single file to exit the cave. Marcus noticed a pair of large eyes peering blankly from the passageway the creatures lined up in. Then they disappeared.

  “Over there,” Marcus said, pointing to where the eyes had just been.

  “What?” Ellie asked. “I don’t see anything.”

  “I saw a set of large eyes,” he said.

  “What’s so strange about that?” Anabell asked. “All those creatures do is stare. There are tons of them crawling around this place, acting like a bunch of leg-dragging zombies.”

  “Yeah, but not any that see us. These things are nothing but drones. They haven’t even looked at us. But that one knew we were here, and was watching us. I think we should follow it.”

  “Fine,” Anabell said, “that’s as good a guess as any. Let’s just do something before we run out of time.”

  Marcus and the others rounded the corner of the cave where Marcus had seen the creature observing them. Marcus arrived first, extending his arm so that the others couldn’t pass into the next room.

  “Well, do you have my increased order almost ready for shipping?” a familiar voice said.

  “What are you doing?” Anabell asked. “Let us through so we can get the skull.”

  “Shh,” Marcus said. “Something’s up.”

  Anabell and Ellie peeked around the corner as well, and Ellie had to cover her mouth at what she saw.

  “You must understand,” a man’s oily, sinister voice said, “there has been an inquiry regarding the supply of Uribrim, and I’ve been asked to lead it.”

  “An inquiry?” Mirella asked him, sounding confused. “By whom?”

  “By Elba and some group that follows her around like dogs,” Nicodemous said, his fingertips pressed together. “If you can believe it, there was even a pair of children with her. Now, given this information, I think it would be prudent to—”

  “I don’t care what you think,” Mirella said, throwing up her arms and pacing back and forth. Marcus thought she looked like a wild beast. “We need the shipment of Uribrim as soon as possible, especially now that I have the blood. Now nothing can stand between us and the children.”

  “But I really think that—”

  “You think when I tell you to,” Mirella said, “and that’s the end of it. Now get me the Uribrim.”

  Marcus watched as Mirella stormed off, departing through the back of the cave, and leaving Nicodemous with the creatures.

  “Gnat!” Nicodemous called out, searching the room. “Where are you, you nasty little thing? You had better be beating someone for being lazy.”

  A moment later the little creature that they had been chasing stepped out of the thick shadows of the cave with a shiver, rubbing his shoulders. His head hung down, and he looked guilty.

  “Where have you been?” Nicodemous asked, raising a bushy eyebrow. “Why aren’t you in the pit whipping the rest of the Gnarliguts to ensure proper production? There’s nothing exciting for you to do here in the deposit vault.”

  “Yes,” Gnat said, followed by a mischievous laugh, “whip them.”

  “Need I remind you why you are the only Gnarligut that I have not spelled?” Nicodemous asked. He looked at the creature a moment, and seemed to notice something on the ground near him. Marcus wondered if it had to do with the random blades of grass where the creature had walked. “Show me your feet,” he said.

  “Eh?” Gnat said, turning his head sharply, before mockingly adding, “My feets?” The creature instantly flipped over to one side for a moment, landing in a handstand position, and then flipped back.

  “One at a time,” Nicodemous said impatiently. “You fowl little rodent. So I might see.”

  “You can’t see my feets,” Gnat said, “If I show you one a time.”

  “Have you been outside the mine?” Nicodemous asked in an oily voice. “You know you shan’t leave the mine.”

  “Never leave the mine, commands Master Nicodemous,” Gnat said, “and the mine my feets never leave.”

  “Good,” he said. “Now, your eavesdropping little flaps probably heard my conversation with the lady, so you know we must get the shipment out sooner than we anticipated. There is much at stake.”

  “I will beat and bruise,” Gnat said, saluting Nicodemous, “to the master’s liking.”

  “Good,” Nicodemous said. “See to it.”

  With that, Nicodemeous left the same way Mirella did, leaving the creature to himself in the vault room.

  Once Nicodemous was gone, Gnat’s countenance fell, and he sighed deeply as he pulled something that looked like a short stick off his belt. Suddenly, with a flick of his wrist, a wispy cord that wasn’t there but a moment prior whipped out and struck one of the creatures on the back. The creature shrieked.

  “More crystals, Cintas,” Gnat said, shaking his head before letting the whip fall on him again. “The master requires more Uribrim.” The disdain in his voice was unmistakable. “When he sees you again, he will expect to see the scars. Don’t make me give you scars.” He cracked the whip again. “I’m sorry.”

  “Stop!” Ellie said, breaking free of Marcus’s outstretched arm. “You cruel creature.”

  “What are you doing, Ellie?” whispered Marcus. “Don’t be stupid.”

  Ellie ran around the corner and down the hall so that she stood halfway between Gnat and her hidden companions. “What don’t you fight someone that can defend herself?” she asked, balling her fists. “You little slave driver.”

  “Slave driver?” the creature repeated. His tone was indignant and surprised. Then he charged after her. “Slaves are Gnarliguts, all of us!”

  Ellie retreated. The creature chased after her, enraged, his whip cracking randomly in all directions.

  As Ellie rounded the corner, Marcus caught a look in her eye and a smirk on her face that gave him an idea. He would have to have perfect timing. He listened for the footsteps of Ellie’s persecutor, and counted in his mind, three… two… one…. Then he dropped to his knees, sticking one leg out like a soccer player doing a slide tackle. Just as he did this, Gnat rounded the corner and tripped over Marcus’s outstretched leg.

  Gnat yelped, surprised, and released his magical whip as he skid face-first across the rocky ground.

  Marcus scrambled to his feet and grabbed the whip, and Anabell ran to Gnat and kneeled on him, resting most of her weight on the creature, or so it seemed to Marcus. Marcus had seen Gnat with his whip, and wasn’t sure what he was truly capable of. They couldn’t risk it.

  Breathing heavily, Anabell asked, “Where is the arrow and the skull?” When the creature didn’t respond immediately, she poked him with her finger.

  “Ow,” Gnat said, thrashing and raising his arms to shield himself from any further poking. ”The new collections are mine. Right of the finder, and the luck of loser.” The way he said “loser” reminded Marcus of various fifth grade bullies he had run into before.

  “I think he just called you a loser,” Marcus said, smiling.

  Anabell looked frustrated, and ignored Marcus. “No, that was our property,” she said matter-of-factly. “We need those things to help someone.” She choked up on the last word.

  “Look. Gnat, was it?” Marcus asked, using as polite a voice as he could muster. “We didn’t mean to interrupt your day or anything, but we need to get our things. We have some urgent business to attend to.”

  Ellie balled her fists, and stomped her foot. “We aren’t going anywhere as long as he beats unsuspecting and helpless creatures,” Ellie said. “We can’t just let them be tortured.”

  “We don’t have time for you to be a hero,” Marcus said. “Our uncle’s life is on the line here, in case you forgot.”

  “Maybe you’d me more willing to help these creatures,” Ellie said indignantly, “if you weren’t guilty of letting the skull get away in the first place.”

  “That was low,” Marcus said before turning back to Gnat. He reached into his pocket and removed his brim. As he h
eld the tiny globe, it grew in his hand. “Look, we will use whatever means necessary to get our things back.”

  Gnat let out a sharp gasp, and stared. “Ooo,” he said, reaching out, transfixed by the brim. The wisps dancing inside the orb reflected off Gnat’s large, glassy eyes.

  “What?” Marcus asked. He was not expecting this kind of reaction.

  “Blue magic?” Gnat asked, pointing at the wisps and then retracting his hand quickly, as if he was afraid to get too close.

  “Yeah,” Marcus said, feeling a little mocked somehow, “so?”

  “Blue is new,” Gnat said. “Blood magic is all I see. And your brim is… different,” added the creature.

  “Different?” Ellie asked, suddenly interested in the conversation.

  “The color—that brim was not mined here,” Gnat said.

  “Where else could it have come from?” Marcus asked.

  “I don’t know,” Gnat said. “This is the only Uribrim mine I know of, and I inspect every crystal that leaves this place. That did not come from here.”

  Marcus shook his head. “Enough about this stuff,” he said. “Where did you hide that skull, Gnat?”

  “Hide?” Gnat winced as if he had just swallowed something sour. “Not hide. Show off. All treasures—all collected things—go in the vault.”

  “Okay,” Anabell said, “take us to the vault, and show us where it is.”

  “No,” Gnat said. “This is one of Master’s rules. Only Master and Gnarligut may enter the vault. The vault is for store; the vault is for show. ‘If you allow others, they will steal,’ he says. If they steal, he will spell me again, like the others.”

  Marcus pursed his lips, trying to avoid what he really wanted to say to this pesky creature, but just when he thought he could hold his tongue no longer, Anabell spoke up.