"Remember... Go easy on him," Gale murmured to his girlfriend when their adoptive son was at the check-out window of the hospital. "This is punishment enough."

Gadalik had stayed there for the three days it took the doctors to make sure there was nothing else besides the bruising and cracked rib that he sustained from a poltergeist who had thrown and crushed him, but they would heal on their own with help from the compression wraps. He spent that time learning more about spooks' capabilities from Janna, who was still recovering from that same fight.

After he finished the form and received a prescription for pain-relievers, he went to his parents. Both the darker-skinned man and the purple-haired woman seemed at a loss for how to treat him after they had found Gadalik still in a fit of rage, whaling on the bloodied basement floor of the resort after he had annihilated the spirit–instead of saving it–for the first time in his career as a spook. A career he had promised them to put on hold for their stay at the beach. A promise he had broken.

"You ready to go home?" his mother asked him gently.

Gadalik shook his head. He owed them the rest of their vacation after the mess he caused. "Can we stay a few days longer?"

Glacia and Gale glanced at each other. "Sure," she replied, "if that's what you want."

"It is," the teen answered honestly. Between his breakdown nine days ago and his rampage just shy of a week after, all he did lately was cause them worry. The spook needed to get himself on the right track so he wouldn't hurt them any farther, and until his encounter with the ghost, their getaway had him more unwound than he'd been in a long while. They all needed some downtime. "Unless you don't want to...?"

The couple exchanged another uncertain look. Then the bounty hunter smiled. "I'm game."

"Uh... Yeah...! We've still got places around here we haven't been to yet," Glacia agreed. "Like the docks. You used to love watching the boats go by, remember? We can go there later--after we get your medicine."

"That'd be nice," Gadalik said. He still did enjoy the view from the pier; it made him wonder about others' travels across the world.

The trio headed to the pharmacy in town. The spring flowers were blooming along the sidewalk, their vibrant colors standing out against the gray shops lining the streets, some matching the roofs and the flyers along the walls, the majority of the latter being advertisements for local events and discounts that green-haired teen didn't pay much attention to. Gale stopped to inspect the only grayscale photo print on the building next to the drugstore.

"You coming?" Glacia called to the swordsman.

"...Yeah, go on ahead. I'll be right there," he answered.

She shrugged, then walked inside with her son. Gadalik went to the refrigerated section first so he could buy a few bottles of water along with the medicine. The persistent aching in his back was tolerable albeit a nuisance when bending or reaching, or even just lifting the water. He didn't mind the rib fracture so much, although any deeper breaths or the slightest bit of pressure on it aside from that of the wrap was excruciating. Still, he carried himself as he normally would and hoped not to worry anyone.

"Here you are, Gadalik. Take it every four-to-six hours, but never more than six times a day," the pharmacist instructed as he traded the money for everything.

"Understood," he said. "Thank you."

"Better take one now," Glacia told him. He acceded.

"Got everything?" Gale asked as he came in, opting to carry the plastic bottles aside from the one the spook was drinking from, to Gadalik's relief. The teen nodded.

The three left together. "So what were you doing out there?" she wondered.

"Oh, just looking at a wanted poster."

Curious, Gadalik gazed toward the one his practical father had read, puzzled when he didn't find it on the next door building where it had been. Odd... Maybe Gale took it down to keep.

On their way to the harbor he got a hunch that there was a spirit nearby. More experienced spooks like Janna would be able to rely on such feelings to tell the difference between the dead and the living without the need of their staff, but Gadalik wasn't quite there yet. When he noticed someone a year or two older than him standing outside of a hex shop, he gently tugged the light blue sleeve of Glacia’s kimono-like outfit and discreetly pointed a thumb at him.

His mother understood that motion and followed his gesture with her eyes. "Red hair, blue bandanna, black eye-patch, sword at his hip?" she reported. He nodded. "Yeah, he's alive."

"Do you need something from the shop?" Gale offered his son.

Gadalik gave it some thought. "I-I could use more spell tags... Just in case."

"There's no stopping you from working even when you're injured and on vacation, is there?" she commented. "You and Gale are just alike."

The spook had forgotten he was injured; he felt normal. He thanked the medicine and tried to remember how long it had been since he'd taken it. Almost an hour ago, at nine. So around thirteen- or fifteen-hundred hours is when I might need it again.

They passed the older red-haired teen whose blue eye glanced their way for just a moment before casually stepping out of their path and returning his attention to the paper he was holding. Despite his neutral expression, he seemed too focused for Gadalik to be convinced that he wasn't troubled. Even though he's alive, maybe I can help him out.

The spook slowed to a stop inside. Janna's words to him echoed in his mind: "The sooner you realize you're not a perfect little hero capable of saving everyone, the happier you'll be." He gingerly placed a hand over his bandaged chest. She's right. He's most likely fine on his own, anyway.

"...Does it hurt?" Glacia fretted. "If the medicine isn't working, we could go back to the doctor and tell them--"

"Oh, uh...no--it's working. I feel fine. Honest. I was just thinking..." He shook his head dismissively and surveyed the shop. Most of the items were out of stock. He went to the spook's section and looked at the tags, which thankfully were still readily available. He chose to get a few of each: stun, disfigurement, shield, and... Gadalik hesitated. Then he reluctantly selected ones for confinement and exorcism. He went to pay.

"What happened here? This place is almost empty," Glacia said to the cashier.

"We were robbed a couple nights ago," the worker explained. "The thieves made off with a lot, but the most valuable one they stole was our enchanted compass."

Gadalik couldn't stop himself from prying, remembering his hunch. He still had the feeling a spirit was close. "Did anybody die...?"

The employee looked at the spell tags he was buying. "I'm not supposed to say, but since you're a spook, maybe it wouldn't hurt to let you know. Our manager Sheila was staying late at the time, and she was killed trying to protect the shop. Knowing her, she won't move on until there's justice."

Gale approached her. "The criminals... What did they look like?"

"From what I heard, it was a man with brown hair, and a blond woman, both in their thirties. There was an older guy with them; he fought with Sheila while the first two ransacked us."

"Must be Jim Culler and his two accomplices...."

"Y-yes. But please don't do anything reckless; they're a dangerous bunch, and we personally don't have a bounty for him...but if you do happen to bring him off the streets, the compass is yours to keep as payment."

"Thanks for the info. Stay safe," Gale replied. They paid and exited. No sooner than they walked out the door did a woman phase up through the ground. Gadalik stumbled backward with shock. She had dark skin and long wavy red hair in a high ponytail and wore a purple uniform shirt matching that of the hex shop's employee.

Judging by his parents' reactions, the spirit turned visible to say, "A spook and a bounty hunter? I'm in luck!"

"Sh-Sheila?" the blue-eyed teen asked.

"Yep. Sorry for the scare. I knew I'd come across another spook if I stuck around here long enough."

"Hold on there," Glacia butted in. "Firstly, he's off duty. Secondly, he is hurt something awful. Thirdly, the last thing he needs right now is more stress." She shoved three fingers through the ghost's intangible face. "He's in no condition to help with anything right now!"

Her son looked away, a feeling of uselessness creeping through him.

Sheila backed out of her reach. "He won't have to do much. I only need him to use his staff and disfigurement tags."

"Don't you sell those in your shop? Use them yourself!" The living woman shooed her.

"She can't," Gadalik defended the spirit. "The instant she touches a tag, it will activate--using the tag on herself."

"Well what do you need those for anyway? That gang isn't made up of ghosts."

"Maybe so, but I suspect they've disguised their hideout somewhere with magic," Sheila mused. "If they truly are able to use what they've stolen from me, I can't find it on my own." She glanced toward the store. "I'll make it worth your while. Alongside the compass that can locate anything, I'll personally give you something that will benefit a spook."

"Sorry, but you'll have to find someone else. Regardless of his injuries, I don't want him involved in any stressful situations. He's been through enough of those recently."

"I see. The only other spook I encountered had a horrible gash in her leg... She could barely walk."

Janna... He froze, remembering the bestial poltergeist readying an ending blow against the bloodied woman...an attack that, if blocked by her staff, would have exorcised that spirit the second before Gadalik showed up, if only he hadn't. His involvement merely prolonged the battle, making it worse for everyone. Maybe Glacia's right. I should stay out of this...

"Gadalik isn't in good enough shape to help...but I am," Gale announced. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Sure. Being dead has its perks: I can search through walls and without being seen. But I can't ask living people for clues; they get frightened. That's where you'd come in. The more people searching, the better."

"I'm on it," the bounty hunter declared.

"I'll help any way I can," Gadalik offered. It was all he could do to rid himself of the worthlessness eating at him. "Talking to people won't be dangerous," he added to his mother before she could protest. "Besides, you'll be with me."

"W-well... Should we join you, Gale?" she confided in his practical father.

"Fine with me," the mohawked swordsman answered. To the spirit, he stated, "We'll meet you back here in a few hours."

"Sounds good. I'll keep looking, and I'll find you first if I need you." Sheila turned invisible even though Gadalik could still see her as she flew off.

"If those ruffians target my son, I'll dump you on the spot," Glacia threatened him.

"Easy, now. I won't let anyone get hurt," Gale replied. "We'll have a nice tour and shop some as we ask around. It won't make a difference for us."

She sighed. "Fine. Whatever. But the second things get hairy, we're leaving! No more ghosts, no more crooks, and no more stress."

"Yes, dear," he concurred, starting to leave but twisting slightly to kiss her cheek as he passed her. He smiled as she blushed while she tried to stay assertive.

Gadalik laughed, the two close behind him. He was grateful for Gale's presence. The bounty hunter never usually stayed for this long at a time, so that was one good thing that came out of the hospital trips. He held the other male true to his word.

The family traipsed farther into town, visiting hardware stores, boutiques, and gift shops, among other places. They had started conversations with workers and customers alike. Most people got antsy when Jim Culler was brought up, but some had things to say.

"That Chuck guy who's with Jim is known for getting into buildings no matter how tight the security. He only really comes out when it's dark, and his sight is the best. I heard he recently went after that little magic store." "It's confirmed that a woman named Linda is part of the trio, but not many have seen her. Some say she suddenly gained the ability to move faster than the eye can see..." "Jim has been coming out of hiding more frequently, but even still nobody can track him down."

"That girl with him is the devil!" An unkempt elderly man had approached them on the street. "She blew my entire home into smithereens and made off with my pocket watch!"

"W-what? Where do you live?" The thought of someone capable of such destruction made Gadalik uneasy.

"Did you see which way she went?" Gale added.

"All of that damage for one little watch?" Glacia muttered skeptically.

"I live right behind you!" he exclaimed, gesturing wildly.

They turned around to see a house in perfectly good shape. Then they faced the elder again with an awkward silence.

"Uh... When did all of that happen?" the bounty hunter spoke up.

"Yesterday! And she headed south."

Glacia wasn't buying it. "...Are you sure that's your house? It looks fine to me."

"It is fine now, but trust me, she used the devil's work to obliterate it! Nothing left of it but ashes at the time!"

"So...what. It just magically repaired itself? And out of everything you owned, she only stole a watch?"

"Yes! That watch has been in my wife's family for generations! Why, my great grandmother-in-law was a legendary hero in her time, able to defeat any foe in the blink of an eye! She carried that watch everywhere..."

"O-kay, then," she talked over him when his ramblings had no indication of stopping. "Thanks, but we gotta go."

Around noon they settled at a diner.

"You're looking for Jim?" said the waitress after she wrote down their orders.

"We are," Gale affirmed. "Him or his partners."

"Good luck finding him. My older brother saw Jim and his lackeys outside the bar just south of here yesterday evening. They got in a car and drove off. He followed them from a distance but he lost sight."

"And you're sure he didn't see which way they went?"

"No... He told me it was like they vanished into thin air."

"Oh... Well thank you. That's something to go on."

"...First the codger, and now this girl's brother?" Glacia huffed as they left. She drew a circle around her ear.

"Hey, it's worth looking into, at least," Gale said.

"It better be. The more I hear about this gang, the more I want to knock their blocks off when we find them, just for wasting our time!" She marched ahead with her fists clenched as if to punch whoever would stop her.

"Yeah. But, um...the bar is that way," the spook corrected her, pointing.

His mother stiffened, then spun around on her heel. "Right. Got it. Let's go!"

By the time they reached it, Gadalik's back started bothering him again. They'd been walking almost nonstop for hours since morning, and sitting at the restaurant had given a chance for exhaustion to catch up. Being completely out of pain for the first time had made him aware that his shoulders were also in bad shape when it began to return.

The crowned woman sat with him outside while Gale talked with the bouncer. She noticed the former's expression. "Don't worry; we're gonna nail this guy."

Gadalik nodded halfheartedly. He needed a break, but he despised the thought of slowing them down, especially if they were getting a lead. Maybe I should call it quits and let them go without me... Gale was already doing all the work, regardless. The spook propped his forehead in his hand and closed his eyes.

"Gadalik?" she pressed.

He reopened them to acknowledge her, then spotted the same teen from outside the hex shop slowly walking away, still concentrating on the paper, and almost seeming a bit more frustrated than before.

With his back now to Gadalik, the spook could glimpse what was on the front side of the poster, and recognized it as the missing one Gale had looked at earlier: a colorless illustration of a heavyset man with a scraggly beard and crooked grin revealing some missing teeth.

Wanted: James 'Jim' Culler; male; born March 12, 1910 (age 47)

Accomplices: Charles 'Chuck' Idiom; male; age 30

Linda Baywing; female; age 34

"Excuse me," Gadalik called, approaching him. Glacia stayed seated as an onlooker. He pushed aside Janna's warning as it replayed in his head. If he does want help, then I can help him. I won't know unless I try. "Do you need anything?"

The red-haired man faced him with one eyebrow lifted. "Everyone needs things, matey," he replied as a matter of fact. There was a slight British accent in his lighthearted tone.

"Uh... That's true," Gadalik said, a bit embarrassed. "I just couldn't help but notice the poster you're holding..."

His eye narrowed, the smile dropping into a more neutral frown.

"...Have you seen him?"

"Sure I have...on the poster," he answered with a small huff of laughter that Gadalik suspected wasn't genuine.

"Heh. Same here. My name is Gadalik. I may not look like it in these clothes, but I'm a spook. That gang on the poster... They murdered someone, and her soul won't rest until they're not a threat anymore. If he's wronged you, too, then we're on the same side. Maybe we can help each other." He offered his hand to shake.

The stranger didn't even glance at it. "Eh. I think I can manage on my own."

"...Oh. I understand." The younger teen tucked his thumb into the belt-loops of his pants as if to disguise his failed handshake. The female spook's words invaded his thoughts: '...You're not...capable of saving everyone...'

Gadalik tensed, feeling a slight tightness in his chest that wasn't from his fractured rib. He attempted to take a slow, deep breath, but that caused his injury to act up.

"Gadalik, come on," his mother called to him. "Gale says he knows where Jim was last seen!"

That got the older teen's interest.

Gadalik gazed absently at the ground. His lung burned worse the more air he struggled to inhale, although outwardly he barely expressed any discomfort. Why bother telling me this? Why bother letting me join the search? I can't help them--they don't need my help--I'll just make things worse--

"Hey, did you hear her?" Gale stepped in, placing a hand on the spook's shoulder. "I'll find him. Count on it. Let's just go."

"Wait," said the sailor. He was eyeing the sword on the bounty hunter's hip. "If yer plannin' on takin' him down, I might be of assistance."

"And who exactly are you?" Glacia asked, standing beside her boyfriend.

"Gentri."

She squinted suspiciously at him. "And? How do you plan to assist us?"

His blue eye looked to his own sword as if in answer.

Gadalik was too sore to stand for much longer, and his purposefully inadequate breaths made him lightheaded; he leaned slightly backward onto his father. Normally he could endure it but it felt so much worse when compared to no pain at all.

Gale caught him, mildly surprised, and held him more securely. "I think we could all use a break first. Gentri, you're welcome to join us."

"It's one in the afternoon. That's four hours. You need the medicine now," Glacia said to her son.

Gentri observed the scene before him. His expression was hard to read, though he appeared more curious than concerned. Gale helped his son to the table and sat him down. The spook obeyed Glacia but didn't improve right away. He brought his left leg onto the chair and wrapped his hand around his scarred ankle, consciously substituting a bad habit that had recently resurfaced since childhood.

The bounty hunter supervised it for a few moments to make sure it wasn't harmful. "You want something to eat?" he asked Gentri. "My treat."

"Aye," he accepted.

Glacia pursed her lips. "So what's your deal? You have a vendetta against that crook Jim or something?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Touché. Nothing personal for us; we were roped in by a victim of his. At this point I just wanna see that thug get what's comin' for him. So, what, did he take something from you?"

"Not exactly."

"'Not exactly'? What does that mean? It was a 'yes' or 'no' question."

Gentri didn't elaborate.

"I'm sure he has his reasons," the blue-violet-haired man spoke for him.

"Then why doesn't he tell us?" she muttered. "There's something fishy about him."

"Of course there is. He's a sailor," Gale joked. That got a smile out of the new guy.

Glacia groaned. "Did he tell you anything, Gadalik?"

Her son barely heard them, getting lost in his own head. He snapped out of it when she tapped his arm.

"Are you alright...? If you want, we can call this whole thing off. Sheila can get Gentri's help instead of ours."

"N-no, I'm fine," the spook stammered. His parents were both very motivated; he didn't want to take that from them. Besides, I promised to help. Then his eyes narrowed. But promises didn't stop me from annihilating that spirit... His fingers curled, the nails resting atop his lower calf. He caught himself and quickly sat up straighter, both hands above the table and both feet on the ground. "Just a little sore, that's all. B-but I'm already feeling better--we can keep going! What did you learn, Gale?"

"Slow down; Gentri hasn't eaten yet. I can show you after we rest," the older man said. "We should pay a visit to our hotel rooms first as well, to drop off the things we bought and to prepare to face him--if he really is there. Just to be safe."

"Alright. So we meet with Sheila, show her where Jim's at, then she and you swordsmen can take him down," Glacia summarized. "Sounds easy enough."

"Nothin' easy about dodging bullets," the sailor disagreed. "Ol' Jim's got a six-shooter."

He has a gun? The younger teen and the woman both shifted their focus to Gale, who turned away slightly at that news. Gentri seemed the least bit addled.

When the bounty hunter noticed, he took a step back with one hand slightly out, palm facing them. "It's nothing I haven't faced before," he reminded his family. "But it may be safer if you two stay out of it."

"Sure. Safety is most important... That's why I don't want you going, either."

"...What?" Gale was simply confused.

"Didn't you want to see Jim get pummeled?" Gentri remarked.

"Yeah, and I still do!" she said. "But our only agreement is to tell Sheila where he's at so she can take him out. She's a ghost; she can't get hurt."

"...Some enchanted items, like a spook's staff, can be used to hurt ghosts..." Gadalik had used his weapon to tear at the otherworldly monster until there was nothing left of it. He quailed.

She covered her mouth with instant regret of her insensitivity. "Oh... B-but they don't have a staff like that!"

"...They did rob a hex shop...so there's still a chance Sheila might be at risk."

"In that case at least one of us should act as her backup. A living person has to be there, regardless, to turn Jim in even if Sheila doesn't need us," Gale insisted.

"That's what Gentri's for." She waved him off.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

The spook flinched. "You don't want anyone to die, but you're fine with Gentri risking his life alone?"

"W-well he's not our responsibility. And, frankly, neither is Jim. This is supposed to be our vacation, for goodness sake!"

"But I'm the one who dragged him into this..." He wrapped his arms around his lower torso as if the added pressure would relieve the sudden tension there.

The pirate shrugged. "Relax, lad. Tellin' me where he's at will suffice. It's not like I wasn't hunting solo before we met. I don't need your help defeating him."

The younger teen hugged himself tighter at those last words. He's right... That's what I concluded when I first saw him. I should've left him alone... I should've left Janna alone. Why can't I mind my own business? And why am I getting...so...stressed over everything? He took a deep breath now that he was able, then winced and coughed from that action.

Glacia handed him some water. "That settles it. We're leaving it to Gentri," she decided.

"I'll catch up with you two later, then," Gale replied.

She glared at her love, somewhat frustrated by his persistence. "Even if you're just on the sidelines, you of all people know the damage a stray bullet can cause."

"Yes... One from an irrelevant fight killed my father. But I defeated his killer and a couple more gunmen since. I'll also win against Jim," he said with finality. "Especially with Gentri and Sheila on my side."

"Sometimes I think you boys have a death wish," Glacia sighed. "But, hey, it's your life. If you're that determined to fight him, I can't stop you. However, that also means you can't stop me from coming with you."

"I...wouldn't recommend it."

"And just why not?"

"I have first-hand experience with these situations. You don't. If you get hurt, that'd be my fault."

"N-no," Gadalik interrupted, momentarily reminded of his own accusation to the storage room's spirit. When his word got everyone's attention, he felt a bit nervous under their unified gaze. "If anyone gets hurt, it's Jim's fault." He sat up straighter, regaining some amount of confidence. "Don't worry, Glacia; I have shield tags that can protect us, so we can be there without endangering ourselves. We can also protect them if things get out of hand."

His mother considered that, not quite satisfied. "Wait," she realized, "if we can get him to waste all his ammo on Sheila, then no-one can be shot!"

"O' course." The sailor's words were sarcastic. "Anyone would waste five bullets on a ghost after the first one didn't connect."

"Don't use that tone with me, boy," she snapped. "I have a plan. Meet with us later."

They were still staying at the formerly-haunted resort. Since the poltergeist had been eradicated, there wasn't any danger left, and thus there was no reason to leave. The elevator was now fully functional, as well, although the green-haired teen avoided it like the plague. Residents had emptied out after the incident which thankfully allowed his parents to switch their room and his to the first floor in the few days of his absence so he wouldn't strain himself by going upstairs.

He went in his for the first time and grimaced at the mess: all of his belongings were piled up on the bed. He immediately began putting them away so he could find something in case of an emergency without having to search. He put on his dark green robe and kept the confinement- and exorcism-tags in a separate inner pocket from the rest for that very reason.

He was glad that Glacia managed to get the red stains out. He could always get another, but his current robe belonged to his blood-mother and it wasn't something he was willing to replace. He headed back out with staff-in-hand, met up with the former princess still crowned and carrying a cloth bag over her shoulder, and his practical father.

"Got everything?" he asked them.

"Flashlights, ropes, snacks, water, you name it," Glacia chimed.

They all rejoined outside the hex shop.

Gentri had waited for them there, along with Sheila, whom the spook could see was invisible thanks to his staff. When she suddenly showed herself, the pirate's hand moved to the hilt of his sword in the blink of an eye. He seemed quick to catch on to who she was, however.

"So, any news on where he's at?" the spirit consulted them.

"Yes. Follow me." Gale led them to a dirt road between buildings leading to a chain-link fence with a barren field behind it. "Jim was last seen going toward this field, in a car after jumping and robbing someone yesterday."

Glacia stared expectantly at the fence. "Uh... It's a dead end, and there's nothing unusual past the fence. Maybe they're all loons."

"Multiple witnesses said he seemed to disappear as soon as they got close. I doubt every single one of them is crazy."

"Perhaps Sheila's not the only ghost here," Gentri kidded.

"Sounds like it, except ghosts can't turn things invisible. I tried," Sheila laughed. "No... There's definitely magic involved."

"Is there anything of use to them in the field?" Gadalik said.

"There used to be a department store there, but they demolished it many years ago. Hm. Now that I think about it, I do know where they might be!"

Gadalik stuck his fingers between the steel wires and closed a fist around them. He looked to the U-shaped latch that stopped the fence from opening on its own. "It's not locked. Why wouldn't they secure it?"

"That's...smart," the spirit credited them. "I get it now. Go ahead, open it."

The spook lifted the handle and pushed. It dragged in the thick dirt at first but it gave. There wasn't anything different when he stepped past it.

"...What happened? He just phased through the gate?" Glacia commented, confused. "That's...impossible. Gadalik, are you there?"

He left it open and came back to them. "Yeah, what did you mean? I didn't phase through anything...?"

"Turn around," Gale answered him.

The robed teen did as told and stared at the fence, which appeared to be closed. "Huh? I don't understand..."

"It's a duplication illusion," Sheila said. "He made a fake copy of the closed fence that stays there even if the real fence is opened. When it's closed, it fits right into the fake so people think the real one is the only one. That, my friends, is pretty clever security. Gadalik, try a disfigurement tag."

He did, attaching it to his staff and touching the speared end to the fake, causing it to dissolve into a cloud that faded away.

Glacia seemed impressed. "How is it even possible to make a copy though?"

"Who knows? It couldn't possibly be from the enchanted items he stole," Gentri replied, the sarcasm surprisingly less than the scornful edge he seemed to direct at the theft itself rather than the crowned woman. She rolled her eyes.

"Spot-on," Sheila affirmed. "They got the illusion tags for it from my shop. Those tags are obsolete so they cost a pretty penny, but back in the older days most people put a copied object over something different to disguise the real thing, so whoever set this up knew a few tricks."

"...Is that what happened to the old man's house?" Gadalik figured. "Fake wreckage?"

"That would explain it," his father said. "Perhaps the watch is something special after all."

"Only one way to find out. Let's go," Sheila prompted.

"Hang on." Glacia withdrew a long black cloak from her bag. "You're going in first, way ahead of us. You'll be wearing this and walking the whole time. Keep the hood up, too. Don't let anyone see you under it."

The spirit tried it on. It was large enough on her that it trailed on the ground even though she was currently floating. "What's this for?"

"For everyone's protection. You'd be in danger from their enchanted items if they know you're a ghost. If they think you're a living human, though, they won't waste those items on you; they'll try to shoot you instead. So you'll pretend to dodge or get hurt by the bullets until they're out of ammo! No risk to you, and it'd also be making it safe for us to help you out when the jig is up."

"Hm. Pretty solid plan."

"Yeah. It's worth a shot," Gale punned. His girlfriend lightly bopped his arm.

One of the things Gadalik admired about his mother was her will to get what she wanted. In this case, a way they could watch criminals get beat-up. He couldn't help chuckling to himself at how ridiculous that sounded.

Sheila continued, "Afterward I'll turn invisible and fly up to signal Gadalik, so he can let you know when it's safe." At that, she landed and walked past the visibly-open gate.

Minutes passed. Then a half-hour. The spook was starting to worry; it had been silent and he didn't see Sheila anywhere. The hunch he retained of her presence wasn't enough to ease his worries. After an hour with no sign of the ghost, he withdrew a shield tag and headed toward the field, unable to shake his fears that something happened to her.

The others immediately followed him. Gadalik glanced back at them, a bit confused but too distraught to question it. He attached the tag to the staff which created a protective bubble. He concentrated his own power into it and, straining some, managed to widen the shield over all of them. His striped blue eyes darted around the flat grassy area, only seeing a commemorative statue and few trees spaced far apart. There must be one more fake entrance. But where?

"There be her cloak," Gentri pointed out, leading the way toward the statue.

Gadalik matched his pace to keep him behind the barrier. As they neared it the younger male noticed something black in its shadow. "Wow... Good eye."

"That'd be my bad eye, actually," the eye-patched sailor laughed.

"Huh?"

"Nevermind."

Gadalik used a disfigurement tag on the stone horseman; it vanished to reveal a groove in the earth where a real one used to be. In the center lied a cellar door with Sheila's cloak trapped in the frame. He tugged the fabric, the force opening it, then they pried it the rest of the way and went inside.

Glacia shone a flashlight from behind him as they descended. Their footsteps seemed all too loud in the absence of the surface's noise. Once the four of them reached level flooring, the narrow stairway opened up into a room so wide the light couldn't reach the walls from where they stood. They proceeded cautiously, slow enough for Gadalik to hear each of their ten footsteps individually.

...Wait...ten? There should only be eight-- he gasped as Gentri charged past him into the darkness, followed by the sound of clashing steel. Glacia took his place beside her son to literally shed some light, however dim it may be from distance, on the situation.

The pirate had locked swords with an older man who had scruffy brown hair. They seemed evenly matched for a moment before they broke apart and something got their partner's attention.

"Above you!" Gentri warned them.

Gale shoved his family out of the way in time for a blond woman to drop down from the rafters, landing ethereally.

Her green eyes squinted against the light Glacia aimed to blind her, but not before she managed to get a look at the trespassers. "That staff... So you're the one who sent that pest of a spirit after us? I guess I should thank you; she prepared us for more intruders."

"W-What did you do to her?!" Gadalik cried.

"We killed her once... And we killed her again. But don't worry; you'll join her soon enough," she hissed. She retrieved a small round object from one of the many pouches strapped to her legs, then leaped away as she launched it at them.

It exploded against the shield.

"Sheila's been annihilated?" Glacia repeated, incredulous.

"She couldn't have been... I still sense a soul nearby," he denied it.

"You think she's the only ghost in the world?" the blond giggled.

"But...she signaled to you that it was safe, didn't she, Gadalik?" his mother pressed.

That's why they followed me?! He cursed himself for forgetting they couldn't see invisible ghosts--or in this case, a lack thereof. "No... She didn't..."

"Oh, no... That means the gun is still..."

"A shield tag, huh?" the green eyed girl spotted as the smoke cleared and Glacia's flashlight shone through. "No matter. I have a couple dispel tags." The criminal tossed a marked piece of paper that aligned itself to the barrier which caused it to rapidly begin flickering out of existence.

No! Without it, we'll all be... Gadalik shook his head and concentrated. He channeled his own energy into his shield tag through the staff until it regained its solidity. His foe seemed surprised by this. She repeated the process and so too did the spook. The second time drained him of all he had, but he didn't dare show it.

"You're more powerful than I thought. Fine, then. I'll just take out that red-haired punk."

"Argh, it's about time, Linda," the other crook, frustrated, responded, striving to deflect Gentri's blade. "How can this kid track my movements so well? It's like his vision's even better than mine is in the dark... Turn the lights on!"

"On it, Chuck. Brace yourself!" She audibly pulled a switch, and everyone flinched at the abrupt change of brightness, momentarily blinded.

"Gah!" Chuck yelped, followed by the sound of metal landing and scraping on the stone floor farther away. "H-how in the--"

As their eyes adjusted, they saw Gentri standing over the disarmed killer, the point of his sword aimed at the latter's neck. He faced Linda with his blue eye narrowed. "Move, and he's dead."

They stood off. With the room lit for the first time, they could take in their surroundings: an old underground parking lot. There were scaffolds lining the walls, explaining how Linda had gotten to the ceiling beams. A driveway was parallel with the stairs, and there were doors on either of the remaining walls. Gale's attention was drawn to Chuck's sword.

"That eye-patch... It's been enchanted," Linda identified. "I'll bet it lets him see extraordinarily well in the dark. Using only that eye lets his other stay adjusted to the light, so it's no wonder he bested you, Chuck. But he's not the only one with enchanted items..." She took out a pocket watch.

At that motion, Gentri swung his sword to behead the hostage, but in an instant she was between them, already with the former's eye-patch in her hand, and in the next she seemingly teleported back to the rafters with her companion propped next to her out of harm's way.

Gentri's right eye had a scar over it. The iris was a lighter shade of blue than his left. He closed it before the pupil could shrink to the light-level.

"This ought to come in handy for us," she said as she put it on. After phasing in and out of sight for a second, the lights went out once more. Moments of silence passed while she fiddled with her new possession.

"Glacia, keep the flashlight angled at them," Gale whispered. She did. Gadalik heard his father quietly leave the barrier.

"Strange... You, there! How do I activate it?" she demanded the pirate. "I know it's enchanted. So why won't it work?!"

Gentri laughed from down below.

"Why, you little brat! Tell me how to use this, or so help me I'll... Wait...what?" The blue symbol on the eye-patch glowed faintly and then the whole of it disappeared off her face. "My patch! What happened to it?!"

"I wish you wouldn't obsess over magic things so much," Chuck muttered. "Just kill them already."

"I would but I'll have to wait for the shield spell to time out, first. It shouldn't be much longer--" her sentence ended in a scream as Chuck's sword, thrown expertly by Gale, pierced clean through her armpit and out her shoulder until the hand-guard met her skin, the impact sending Linda up and off her perch as well as forcing the affected hand to drop the pocket watch.

Glacia kept the light on the other woman, then moved it to the bounty hunter as he rushed in and caught her. The watch clattered right next to them, so the purple-haired woman reached out from under the shield and snatched it.

Linda wriggled futilely in Gale's hold. "Chuck, don't just sit there! Help me!"

"How?" Her partner threw his hands out to show they were empty, despite it being too dark to see them. "My sword is stuck in your arm..."

"Well get down here and fist-fight him like a man!"

"But I'm outnumbered!"

While they argued in the background, Gale bespoke the others. "Glacia, you disarm her. Take everything she has even if it looks harmless. Gadalik, if you could please tie her wrists and ankles."

The spook did so while his mother frisked her.

"Don't you dare take my things!" Linda snarled.

"Geez. Get a grip, lady, they're not even yours; you stole them," Glacia grumbled, placing the myriad of trinkets into a separate part of her bag.

"Grr... Chuck, what's taking so long?!"

"I-it's not exactly easy to get down from here," her companion retorted.

"Just drop down, you coward! It won't kill you!"

"N-no, but he might..." Chuck said, referring to Gentri. "I'm defenseless. I'd rather be a coward than dead."

"Too bad...you're both." Gentri's threat sounded from behind him. The patch had replaced itself upon his scarred eye, and he had used it to stealthily climb the scaffolding during the commotion. He drew his blade, then pressed the flat of it into Chuck's throat.

"I--ack--I surrender," the thief choked.

"Good job up there," Gale praised the other swordsman. By the time Linda was dealt with, Gentri had dragged Chuck down, where the latter received the same treatment. The shield spell ran out.

"That's two out of three," Gale announced. "So where's Jim?"

His family exchanged a worried glance. "Uh, you know what? We can come back for Jim," Glacia said with a nervous laugh. Gale raised his pierced eyebrow questioningly.

"...I messed up," Gadalik confessed. "Sheila's gone and Jim's gun is loaded. I'm sorry... I don't know how many bullets it can take, but this should help with some," he said, volunteering his staff and shield tags.

Gale refused it. "...Oh well. Back to plan A."

Gentri approached them. "What did you find on her, lass?" the sailor inquired. "Was there a compass?"

"...Huh. You mean the valuable compass they offered us as payment?" Glacia scooted the bag out of view with her foot. "Nope. Didn't see it."

"Don't be like that," Gadalik sighed. "He's shown himself to be trustworthy by now." He rummaged through it then handed the enchanted item to Gentri.

"No, my compass!" Linda and Glacia cried simultaneously.

"Are you daft? That's our reward!" his mother continued. "I'm not letting Gale do this for free. At least charge the kid something for it!"

"Enough. I'm not stealing it... And neither of us should be paid for a job unfinished. We can use this to track Jim down," the sailor answered. "All I need is an object related specifically to him and it'll direct us."

A door creaked open. "I've got something that should work," said a familiar female voice.

Tears of relief watered Gadalik's eyes as a ghost entered the lot. "Sheila...!"

"Don't scare me like that! Ghosts don't need to open doors--I thought you were Jim," Glacia breathed.

"Ghosts don't, but worldly things do. Including objects like...this!" She held up the revolver, safety on, and twirled it.

"Way to ghost," Gale congratulated her.

"Oof. That was bad, even by your standards," Glacia chuffed.

"This lot was under that old department store I mentioned," the spirit said. "I did get the gun, but Jim drove off with a lot of the gang's collected loot while I was trapped..."

"So he got away. Good; he can break us out of jail later," Chuck said with a victorious smile.

"That just means we can use you to bait him," Gadalik stated. The crook frowned at that.

"Wait--you survived my trap?!" Linda yelled at the spirit.

"Correction: my trap. And yes, I disabled it," Sheila tutted. "I must admit it was set up pretty well for someone who didn't have the instructions, but it was far from how secure it was supposed to be. If you two had paid for these items instead of killing me, you'd know how to use them."

Linda glowered at her but said nothing else.

The ghost turned to Gentri. "Now, the compass, if you will." When he handed it over, she wound up the dial via a flat button on the bottom that she turned with her finger, then she placed it on top of the gun. The dial spun on its own in response, eventually settling on a single direction that moved subtly.

Glacia blinked. "But that's toward the water, isn't it?"

"...He's leaving without us?!" Chuck exclaimed, sounding more hurt than angry.

"The docks," Gentri concluded. Sheila gave the compass back and he raced to the stairs.

"You two stay here and watch the criminals. Make sure they don't escape. I'll be back," Gale swore, following suit.

"'Stay here...'" Glacia mocked him. "Pfft. Who does he think we are? C'mon, Gadalik. We're taking these guys to the sheriff, then we're joining him."

The teen nodded and stood, then staggered slightly, rebalancing himself with his staff. Restoring the shield had used up almost all of his energy.

Glacia noticed. "Hm. We could rest here first..."

"No," Gadalik declined. "You can turn them in without me. Sheila can show you the way. I'll catch up."

"What? Are you telling me to leave you alone here in a murderous thief's hideout? Jim could come back any second and we don't have the compass to anticipate his arrival. I'm not going without you."

"...Why not?" he whispered.

"Hm?"

"Why not?" He raised his voice barely enough to be heard. "All I've done today is slow you down and put your lives at risk... You said it yourself: I'm in no shape to help with anything right now... And...I'm not any help when I'm uninjured, either." He looked away from her. "I should've stayed behind from the start."

"Don't be ridiculous," Glacia chided. "We're in this together. It's all of us, or none of us. Gale's just used to doing his own thing, but we're still a team."

"But it's not just today... I worried you at the mansion; ruined our vacation; and now I didn't wait for Sheila's signal, and--"

"Hey. Everyone messes up sometimes. These things happen even with good intentions. All that matters in the end is how you rectify them... Staying behind doesn't fix anything."

"But none of you need me here to fix this..."

"So? You don't always have to be the one to fix things; that's what we're here for! And we want you with us no matter what--not only for your help, but for your company." She held him steady.

Gadalik faced her as if to argue, and while he couldn't fathom how just being there was good enough for them, he couldn't bring himself to ask. Instead he choked up and tried to wipe his eyes before tears could fall. Too late.

"Oh, it's okay! It's alright. Come here..." She hugged the teen until he was pacified. "Soon as you can walk, we're going together. Okay?"

Her son nodded, his mood lifting after getting that out of his system.

Chuck broke out in a sob. "I wish Jim cared about us like that... He abandoned us!"

"Ugh. I think I'm gonna hurl," Linda remarked under her breath. "Untie me and I'll turn myself in if it means not having to sit here with these sentimental saps for so long."

"True, it might take a while for him to recover. But maybe it won't if you tell me about this." She brought forth the pocket watch.

"Give that back or I'm not telling you anything!"

"Allow me," Sheila intervened. "It's a legendary time stopper, created during the age before witches were extinct. There are very few of its kind, and without a powerful witch they can't be made. Linda, where did you find it?"

"Some old coot had it. It was wasted on him..."

"Yeah, yeah, but how does it work?" Glacia questioned the spirit.

"Normally enchanted objects like the compass and this watch can be used without magic, but their powers have dwindled over the ages. So in order to make it work, you'd need to channel your own magic into it. The more power you have, the longer you can 'freeze' time around you. It affects whatever else you're touching, too, so long as you have tactile contact with them. But beware...time will still affect you all the while. Therefore using it will cut your lifespan short. If you stop time for two years, you'll resume time being two years older than when you stopped it, for example--not that anyone could stop time for that long at once. But even if you only use it in intervals, it all adds up."

Gadalik swallowed. "Maybe you shouldn't mess with it, Glacia..."

"Oh, she might not be able to use it," Linda sneered. "Not many people have the power to. She should just hand it back over to me, and maybe I'll use it for you."

"As if! And don't act like you know anything about me," Glacia snapped. "I've used Gadalik's staff and spell tags before."

"That doesn't say much about you," she argued. "That magic comes from the tags--more specifically the witches who enchanted the tags--not you."

"Then why did it wear Gadalik out?"

"Not every enchanted item requires magic to use, but magic can enhance them," Shiela reiterated. "He must have boosted the shield spell with his own power."

Linda thought for a moment. "That boy has potential. I've never seen someone win against my dispels before, let alone twice in a row." The criminal addressed him, "Maybe we can work something out. Release me and I'll take you as my underling. I'll even let you keep some of my items! Sound like a deal?"

"Don't speak to him!" Glacia barked. "I won't let you corrupt him, and you've no right to give those items to anybody unless they're who you stole them from!"

"Alright, sheesh, no need to shout."

She harrumphed. "How would I know if I have any power, Sheila?"

"It's mainly by your ancestry," said the ghost. "Witches used to populate this world until the powerless began to fear and massacre them. Presently, those with powers--such as a spook or someone with a witch's blood in their veins--are able to channel their energy into objects. Their genes have been so muddled over the generations, though... That's the most magic can be used for in this age."

"Heh. My ancestors were royalty. Can't get more powerful than that!" She gripped Gadalik by the bend of his arm and stared determinedly at the watch. Nothing happened...at first.

The watch stopped ticking: it was three forty-five. The world became almost still around the two.

Gadalik was amazed. "...You did it!"

"It's working?" She was as surprised as the spook. "I-I mean... Of course it is! Alright...so...we're still aging as we normally are, only the rest of the world isn't?" He nodded. "That's fair. Anyway, rest up. Just be sure to literally keep in touch with me."

"Right." They sat down and he leaned on her shoulder, eventually dozing off.

Later on he awoke from his mother's poor attempts to bite back laughter. Glacia had the chain of the watch around the wrist of her hand that hadn't ceased its hold on his elbow. It read three fifty.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"Haha, look at Chuck!" She burst out laughing at her son's horrified reaction to his deformed face.

"W-what did you do to him?"

"I flicked his nose about ten minutes ago," she managed to say between huffs and chortles.

"And it just now affected him? How long was I asleep?"

She audibly sighed and wiped her eyes to check the normal watch on her free hand's wrist; it was still functioning. "We've had time stopped for almost exactly an hour."

Gadalik divided. "That means time didn't stop; it slowed down. We were here for an hour, and according to the pocket watch only five minutes have passed. That means twelve minutes for us is one for them."

"Sounds about right. Are you feeling better yet?"

"I'm starting to hurt again, but I'm rested," he said with an honest smile.

She gave him the medicine and water from her bag.

"Thank you. I don't know how you managed to do this for an hour! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine," she answered, the least bit puzzled. "Guess we don't need it anymore, though." The slow-motion fastened to real-time.

"Cut it out! That hurt!" Chuck cried. Glacia cracked up all over again.

"...How many times did you flick him?" The blue-eyed male felt sorry for the guy.

She hesitated.

Linda rolled her eyes. "At least twenty."

"Th-that's not important!" she dismissed it. "Let's turn them in and find Gale."

"So you're not even a little tired?" Sheila hovered over Glacia quizzically on their way out of the Sheriff's office. Chuck, the gun, and the stolen goods were taken into custody and Linda was transported to the hospital to have the sword removed. Gadalik told them the general direction Jim had gone in as well. Glacia planned to return the watch to the elder in person, but held onto it until then.

"Not at all," the princess of nothing answered, flagging down a taxi. "Why? Should I be?"

"Either you have a ton of power, or you have great control over how much you use. Perhaps even both. I'm very surprised you don't have more experience with enchanted items. You may be able to enchant things, yourself!"

Glacia shrugged as she and Gadalik got in the cab. Sheila turned invisible but stayed near them. "I'm not really interested in that kind of stuff. It gets too complicated for me."

"That's understandable," Gadalik replied, if only so the driver didn't think his mother was talking to herself.

When they spotted the swordsmen meandering around the warehouses by the water, they paid--Gadalik chipping in for a tip--and regrouped. Glacia jumped at her boyfriend's back and hung from his neck as a greeting.

He spun around and lifted her into his own hug, the couple sharing a peck before he placed her down. "I should've guessed you wouldn't stay put. You didn't leave the gang alone, did you?"

"Of course not," she said. "We took care of them, didn't we, Gadalik?"

"Yep," her son answered, catching up. "Any luck finding Jim?"

"The compass points to this warehouse, but we can't get in," Gentri reported. There were two doors, one being an overhead garage-style and the other hinged to open outward, both securely locked.

"That's no problem for me," Sheila edified them, showing herself. She phased through the wall and within seconds the latter door popped open, her white and wispy form glowing in contrast with the pitch-blackness inside.

Gentri gave her an appreciative nod as he passed. Glacia turned the flashlight on and led the rest of them. Between the many rows of shelves lined with water-damaged crates, there wasn't much space for the living to navigate.

Sheila floated by Gentri, who showed her the compass. She became invisible and Gadalik could see her go through the shelves on the right, returning a minute later. "He's two aisles over," she reported, then covered her mouth when her words seemed to echo in the silence despite how quietly she spoke.

Jim must have heard her; there was a sudden clang. They froze. Gentri gave the compass to the ghost and took off to round the corner with his sword drawn. The sound rang out again, this time coming from the top of the shelf to their right, which creaked and now tilted over them.

Gale used both hands to hold it up, easily at first, then strenuously once it began to cave into a dome-shape above them. Boxes slid out of their places and landed in a plume of dust. "It's too heavy... Go back to the door," he coughed.

"We can't leave you! As soon as you let go to run, you'll be crushed," Gadalik cried.

"Better...one of us than...all of us..." he strained.

"Better none of us," Glacia argued. She tucked the flashlight in her armpit, wrapped the chain of the pocket watch around her wrist, and reached for the two.

"Wait," Sheila stopped her. The ghost reshaped, increasing in size. Gadalik suddenly trembled and impulsively aimed the spear of his staff at his undead companion. Even after she used her newfound strength to easily overthrow the shelf, he found himself glued to the spot, terrified and scarcely breathing.

"Gentri!" Gale called out a warning as the rusty metal racks were collapsing in the direction the sailor had run.

"Waiting on you," the other swordsman replied, a silhouette rim-lit by the sun as he opened the door for them. "The big guy didn't escape in time."

Gale ushered his girlfriend to leave, then turned to do the same to Gadalik. The teen's wide eyes were staring at Sheila as the giant was searching through the wreckage for Jim.

"Don't worry... She can handle herself," Gale soothed, placing a hand on his shoulder and pulling him gently toward the door.

Gadalik jumped away from the touch with a gasp, coming to, then followed him out on shaking legs.

"Is he okay?" Glacia asked the bounty hunter when the two joined them outside.

"He's just shaken, but who wouldn't be after almost getting flattened by a ton of metal?" Gale reasoned.

Gadalik held his peace. He glanced back at the warehouse. After a short while Sheila hauled Jim's heavy and limp--but breathing--body out into the open. He was bleeding from a couple of shallow cuts on his legs, but he was mostly injured from the shelves. She returned to normal; the spook relaxed some.

The police eventually showed up and arrested the crook, rather anticlimactically.

"...Guess that's that," Glacia commented when things settled down. "Now, about those rewards..."

"Right. Besides the compass, I have something that'll help you with your spook's work," the ghost agreed. "The spirit trap Linda used on me is a one-of-a-kind invention of mine. I'll give you that, and the instructions for it."

"...Thank you," he forced himself to say. As much as the spook hoped he wouldn't need to use it, there was a possibility that it might save their lives in the future, so he accepted it.

"That's all?" the crowned woman said.

"They did tell us they didn't have a bounty on him," Gale pointed out. "Sometimes it's more of a duty than a job."

"About the compass..." Gentri began.

Glacia cut him off. "Right, the compass! At least we can sell that, can't we?"

"Its value isn't in money," Sheila regretfully informed them. "Its retail value is low since the average person can't use it. Only those with enough magic can."

Gale leaned on the warehouse. "That counts me out."

"If I can't get money from it, I don't have a use for it," Glacia huffed.

"Then why not let Gentri keep it," Gadalik suggested.

"Whatever," she muttered, complaining to herself. "What a waste of time... Now some mysterious stranger walks away with a useless reward for a pointless quest."

Sheila gave the sailor the compass for the third time that day.

"It's much appreciated, lass," Gentri said genuinely. "This is what I wanted from the start."

"No problem," the ghost welcomed him. To Gadalik, she added, "I'll go get the trap from the parking lot and bring it to you tomorrow." With that, she flew off.

"Why do you care about that thing so much? Is the compass what Jim 'not exactly' took from you?" Glacia almost mocked him, misdirecting her frustration.

He narrowed his eye at the compass, not facing her.

"Hey, lay off him," Gale defended the pirate. "We don't need to know everything. It's his business."

"...Nay," Gentri finally answered. "Someone close to me was taken years ago... With this, there's a chance I'll find him again."

She paused, her anger fading. "...Oh. W-well... Good luck with that, I guess."

"In other words, she's sorry," her boyfriend translated with a smile.

"Am not! He should've said that when we met him. Act suspicious and that's how I'll treat you." Glacia crossed her arms but averted her gaze somewhat guiltily. "L-look... All I wanted was a relaxing family trip and to watch boats sail off from the docks. Can you blame me for getting upset after all of this?"

"Hm... We are by the water...and the day isn't over yet." Gadalik optimistically gestured to their current location. "It's not too late."

"I'll be embarking soon as well," the older teen added.

"It's almost five. What say you accompany us for dinner before you leave?" the bounty hunter propounded.

"...Sure."

That evening they bid farewell to the sailor and watched him depart until his humble ship followed the sun over the horizon. They stayed a while longer until the moon was overhead.

When they stood up to leave, Gadalik noticed the glint of a chain hanging out of Glacia's bag. "Uh... I think we forgot something."

"Hm?" She traced his line of sight. "Oh--the watch!"

"We can give it back tomorrow," Gale said.

"N-no, it's been long enough already... Come on, we're returning it right now!" She led them past the warehouses, the resort, the pharmacy and the diner at a brisk pace, refusing to slow down until she reached the man's door on which she loudly knocked. Nobody answered at first.

The spook yawned. "Maybe he's asleep--"

The door flew open and the old man held a baseball bat at the ready. "Who's there?! Is it that devil woman again?!"

"Easy, there," Gale said. "She isn't a threat to you anymore."

Glacia held the watch out to him by its chain. "We got it back from her earlier."

The old man stared at his watch in awe. "You went through all that trouble for me...?"

"Err...not exactly," she admitted.

"Never mind that... I mainly used it as a keepsake from my late wife. We never had any children, you see, and she was an only child. The generations that watch has been through ends with me, and I don't have many years left." He cupped the watch in his hand, lifting it to Glacia's. "Maybe a younger gal like you can give it to your own children someday."

"I already have a child--"

Gadalik shook his head.

"I-I mean... Are you sure I can keep it?"

"Of course. Any other person would've run off with it, but since you're kind enough to return it, it's yours," the elder assured her. "Now go on home and rest." He shut the door.

"Well, it's not money, but it looks nice on you," Gale complimented her.

"Thanks. Oh, you weren't there when Sheila told us it was magic, were you? I found out I can use magic, by the way."

"R-really?"

"Really. Monetary worth aside...unlike that compass, I can use this watch to protect you!"

Gadalik smiled. "Looks like you got a reward after all."