CHAPTER 2

Champ was a bit surprised, but by no means reluctant to oblige this patron's request.

"Yeah, of course, I always have time for a story!" Champ said excitedly

“Aye and that's a good thing to have time for, kid,” said the hooded man in an almost dry tone of speech.

“I have but one thing for you, so I do. “

Champ's eyes scanned over the man as he lowered his hood. There wasn't much to notice all things considered. A not-so-well-kept short beard, long brown hair, brown eyes, and a somewhat general sense of unkemptness emanated from the man.

footsteps on the hardwood floor approached behind Champ and his new guest

“Oh thought we closed up dear, we caught a stray?” Champ's mom Bethany, had finished packing up and made her way to the service area of the shop.

“Well, what have you got for us, sir? Not every day we are in the presence of a branded.” She finished politely, and cautiously.

Champ's eyes went as wide as saucers, how could he have not noticed right away? This man bore the mark. Although he tried to hide it, once it was pointed out it was as plain as day. One of his eyes was a different color, the hooded man was trying to hide it with contacts! Champ having noticed how painfully awkward he was being and the slight tension in the air, spoke up

“Mom's eyes are as sharp as ever…the ones in the back of her head are even sharper,” Champ said jokingly

The man, branded as Champ's mother called him, shot Champ a smile from the corner of his mouth

“Aye you speak true miss, I try not to draw attention to it, but you can't escape a mother's watchful gaze.” He smiled and removed the contact from his eye revealing a foggy Blue Grey colored one in its place.

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“My days have been long and my nights longer still, I’ll be out of your hair quickly. It's just one item to appraise today”

Champs shoulders fell upon hearing this again

“But I can almost guarantee it's something you haven’t appraised before, young sir” The branded man sent a wink towards Champ.

Bethany brought the scales over to them and set them on a side table near the door. She brushed her long braid to her back, rolled up her sleeves, and said to the man,

“Alright friend present to the scales if you’d be so kind”

The branded man stretched a hand out to his side as if grabbing an invisible handle in the air, and pulled it in an opening motion. There was a soft, faint tearing noise as he pulled open this invisible door. A strange subtle gust blew from the newly created void in space, bringing along with it a smell of old papers, dust, and lantern oil. The man reached into this shimmering void he created and his hand vanished.

“My brand, what magic I have founded, grants me the ability to reach places. It's convenient.” He said with a smile at both Bethany and Champ's amazement.

Champ watched with bated breath as the man pulled out a small rectangular object. On the front, it had a small silver screen, with rows of what seemed to be buttons below it. Champ's eyes scurried over the object and on the top in some language he couldn't quite discern. Except for a few, he read TI-30XIIS.

Champ noticed that his mother had grown pale and remembered that she’d never been quite fond of witnessing the branded in action. Champ reached out to his mother and took her arm comfortingly. Bethany looked at young Champ, swallowed hard, and nodded. The stranger presented the object out to the scale and it dissolved, not into the familiar silvery light, but into a brackish ichor as the scales began to balance out. A site neither Champ nor Bethany had seen before.

The man peered up awkwardly at both of them, not taking into account their stunned expressions until now. Champ spoke up first, curious and wide-eyed

“What is that thing, mister? some kind of machine?”

“It's a thing of a long gone when and where, young sir" responded the man.

“Anyway, I think the scales have finished. My gracious hosts, I don’t want to keep you much longer” he finished with a soft smile.

Bethany's eyes glazed over in awe and fear at what she had just witnessed, and then all at once, she came back into the present moment with a shake of her head.

“Ah yes, great! The scales have said true and you were right stranger, quite valuable, and unique. 200 rells even, if that will do.” Bethany said slightly bewildered

“We'll call it 150 since I've kept you for so long, thank you kindly” the branded man responded.