Chapter 11: Big City Shopping

"I hope you are treatin' these fine ladies well. They are hand-picked students of the academy afterall, we wouldn't want them getting scared off on the first evening!" Captain Crans said as he began wandering around the store.

"O-of course, Captain Crans. You should know that I treat all of my customers with the utmost respect." The vendor Corks replied. He was nervously fidgeting with his thumbs and flinched as Captain Crans picked up a strange orb from one of the dozens of shelves surrounding them.

"Well, that's true. I ain't never heard of anyone complaining about how you treat them," Captain Crans agreed with a knowing nod as he set down the orb, "Y'see, what I'm more worried about is your business practices. For example." Captain Crans approached Miriya and snatched the expensive bow that Corks had been leading her towards, his stature making it look like a toy in his grip.

"Trying to convince a brand new student to buy a bow that even a Captain such as myself would have a hard time pulling back sounds like your exact type of connin,'" he said. He put one hand around the handle of the bow and drew back the string with his other. Zel could see the muscles in his arms ripple as he dragged the string back towards his head. Once he had it fully extended, Corks interjected, sounding terrified.

"Alright Crans! Just let it go carefully, I understand I'll leave 'em be!" He said. Captain Crans looked at him out of the corner of his eye and let out a single laugh before releasing the bow string.

A tremendous crash echoed throughout the small shop as the string whipped through the air back into its natural position. The shockwave rippled through the building, causing various items and weapons to fall down, raining over Corks, Crans, and the three girls, who covered their heads to protect themselves. Once things had calmed down, Zel lifted her head up to see that Captain Crans was tossing the bow back into Corks' arms, giggling to himself as he did so.

"O-okay, okay, Crans. I get it. These ain't no marks. Just, go on and get outta here!" Corks said, his whole demeanor, even his voice, transforming suddenly. Any vestige of the salesperson they had been talking to was suddenly gone, as Corks pointed aggressively towards the door.

"That's a right fine idea, Corks! Finest thing that I've heard you say since I met you! We'll go ahead and get on out of here." Crans said, turning towards the door, " Why don't you three come and take a walk with me real quick. I might be able to show you a thing or two about these here shops."

The group of three looked at each other nervously as the Captain beckoned them to follow him to the door. Exiting the now disheveled shop, they were again immersed in the hoards, their brief reprieve from the outside having been rather short-lived. Captain Crans stepped forward into the crowd, undeterred. His height was a blessing that the three girls did not have, as the sea of people seemed to part easily before him, and the girls were able to easily tuck in behind him.

"Dream Squall is a wonderful city!" Captain Crans yelled over his shoulder after the three did their best to follow him, "people come from all over to sell all sorts of different things. It makes for a real cluster, but I think there's something beautiful about all these people comin' together to one place."

"But with the beauty comes the dirty," he continued, "and if you don't know what you're lookin' for or who to talk to then you're sure to get burned." Captain Crans didn't even seem to be looking where he was going, but was having no issue plowing through the crowd regardless

"Captain Crans," Miriya said, ever curious, "You said that guy was trying to con me, right? Was there anything wrong with his stuff?"

"Nah, that ain't it," Crains said, "That's what I can't stand about old Corks. He makes amazing stuff, some of the coolest and most useful equipment that you've ever seen, but he tries to sell it to people that can't handle it. Dream Academy, more specifically me, approached him with a contract years ago. We wanted him to be a direct supplier for Captains equipment, ain't no shortage of archers and ranged specialists in our business. But he doesn't trust big organizations, just wants to do his own shady thing, that's how he grew up, I think. A shame really. He wasn't lying about that bow, if I were the type to use such a thing then I would be hard pressed to find a better weapon in this entire city. But instead, he tries to load it off onto people who can't handle it." Captain Crans sighed and shook his head. He seemed genuinely disappointed. It was the first time that Zel had seen him

"You'll find lots of people like that in this city," he continued, "those who are just trying to part you from your hard earned coin, regardless of whether or not you need what they're sellin'. But it ain't all bad. Teaches you what to look for and what to look out for. Who knows, maybe a couple years down the line you'll find yourself in Corks storefront once more, 'cept actually able to handle what he makes."

"How did you find us anyway?" asked Zel. She had been wondering this from the moment the Captain walked through the door. She thought that it may have been a chance meeting, but it felt a little too convenient for that.

"I just happened to see you walk through Corks' door." Captain Crans explained. "I was in the area, lookin' to buy some new equipment for a friend of mine that's been out on a mission, too busy to shop. Thought I would come to make sure that everything was alright, now I'm glad I did. Why are you three out and about? Don'tcha have to be up early tomorrow for your class selections?"

Zel didn't know what response she expected, nor did she understand why she felt suspicious of the Captain. There was no reason to be, at least none she could remember. She wrote the thought off in her head.

"Well, Jammy and I were hoping to visit a dress shop that we saw here earlier, but we also wanted to explore the town a bit to get more familiar with Dream Squall," Zel Said.

"A dress store? You must mean Kitty's!" Crans said with a laugh, "I'd be willing to bet that you and Kitty would get along well. How 'bout this. I'll take you right over there and introduce you after we give your sister here her archery fixin'? Seem fair?"

"That would be perfect, sir!" Zel said, happy to learn that Captain Crans knew the place she wanted to visit. Thought she was somewhat curious why he would know it, not seeming the type to wear dresses.

As they worked their way through the busy street, Zel saw their next destination. An old and gray building with no defining features, not even a sign, and, even stranger, no salesman prattling on about its wares outside. When they reached it, Captain Crans held the door open for the three of them and they made their way inside.

It was another weapons shop, but immediately it differed from Cork's armory. All of the weapons that were on the wall were normal, no magical glowing, no enchanted writing. In fact, compared to the previous shop there was not a single unique weapon on the wall. What they lacked in uniqueness, however, they made up for in quantity. The walls were entirely coated with seemingly identical weapons stacked in cases, drawers, and even hanging from the ceiling. On the far end of the shop was a burly Splitfolk, bald with massive arms as wide as tree trunks. Zel thought that he looked a bit like Ziek, but he was missing the beard.

Disappointing.

The man was working on something at his counter that Zel couldn't see, the view obscured by his burly forearms,

"Dirk! My good friend, how's the wife treating ya?" Captain Crans greeted the shopkeeper like an old friend.

The man lifted his head, revealing that he was wearing some kind of magnifying glass apparatus, his dark pupils looked like saucers through them from the girls' perspective. He lifted the strange glasses off his face, finally recognizing Captain Crans.

"Ahh, she's just fine, Capn'," Dirk said with no enthusiasm. It seemed to Zel that he wasn't happy to see Captain Crans, which is why she was confused when he continued. "She tell you we got to see the opera last week? That traveling Trailfolk group sure can sing. We were going to try to catch them one time before they leave town, you want to come?"

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

"That sounds right amazing, you tell me what time and I'll be there." Captain Crans said with seemingly genuine enthusiasm, "But right now I'm here on some business, I was hoping that you could take a look at this woman right here. New student at the academy, you see." He grabbed Miriya by the shoulders and gave her a little shake to show who he was talking about. Miriya flinched yet again at the touch of someone unfamiliar. Zel made to separate her and the Captain, but Miriya stopped her with a shake of her head.

"I do see," Dirk said, giving Miriya a quick look up and down. "What were you hoping for?"

"She's interested in some archery," Crans started, "but she has some unique needs. You see this wonderful woman right here happens to have a time affinity." Crans with his hands still on Miriya's shoulders shook them again, more enthusiastically than before. This time, Miriya took the opportunity to worm herself out of his grip as nonchalantly as she could manage. Dirk raised a single eyebrow when he heard Miriya's affinity.

"A time affinity?" He asked. "You sure?"

"Sure as shit!" Captain Crans responded, he pointed at his head as he explained. "Damn near blew my head off with that little slingshot she's got. Couldn't hardly see the pellet at all, it was moving so fast!"

"Still didn't hit you though," Miriya said, in a pouty tone.

"Aw, don't be too shaken up about it," Dirk said, "There might not be anything from here to the peaks of the Cross Mountains that can lay a finger on this man. He's a slippery one, to say the least."

Zel was surprised to hear this. She knew from the exam that Captain Crans was exceptional, but she thought that was just because he was a Captain. perhaps there was even more to this strange man than met the eye.

"Alright, alright," Captain Crans said, bringing the conversation back to the business at hand, "you think you got anything that she can take a look at?"

"Hmm…" Dirk said, contemplating while giving Miriya another once over. For a moment, Zel thought that he were going to put on his strange glasses to get a closer look, but to her slight disappointment he just asked her a question.

"Have you ever used a bow before?" He asked Miriya.

"No, sir. Never had the chance to back home." She said.

"Alright. When you use your magic, that time stuff, Crans said that you use it with your slingshot? What do you do?"

"That's right. I can accelerate the pellet to make it go very, very fast." Miriya said, proudly, "In fact, Captain Crans is the first thing that has ever managed to dodge one."

"Does that include the ones that you missed, like not managing to hit a single Prin in a whole swarm of them when we were kids?" Zel asked, poking a bit of fun.

"Hush, you!" Miriya snapped back.

"Well, you certainly got the trappin's for an archer." Dirk continued while looking at Miriya's arms, "Do you know how long your reach is? Your wingspan?"

"I do not, sir." Miriya said, "Not sure I've ever had to measure it."

Dirk nodded and grabbed a loose measuring tape from behind the counter. He walked around it to where Miriya and held it up to take her measurements, but he stopped.

"Do you mind if I touch you?" Dirk asked. Miriya shifted a bit in place before responding.

"I would rather… you not." She said, looking down at the floor while hugging herself with her arms. Zel noticed Captain Crans goofy smile fade as he heard Miriya say this. He stepped away from them and pretended to look at something in the store as Dirk continued.

"That's fine" Dirk said with a smile, "What about one of your friends? Would you mind if she got your measurements?" He continued, pointing at Zel.

"No, that would be fine, thank you." Miriya said, she loosened up after hearing this possibility and let her arms drop back to her sides.

Zel took the tape measure from Dirk. After explaining how to do it, Drik wrote down the measurements and walked into the back of his shop out of sight. Meanwhile, Captain Crans had sulked off into the corner of the store, leaning against one of the only spots on the wall that wasn't covered with weaponry. Miriya noticed and went to go check on him.

"Hey, Captain. Are you doing alright? Is anything wrong?" She asked, a concerned look on her face.

Captain Crans let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his head with one big hand before he spoke.

"Hey, Miriya. Sorry that I had my hands on your shoulders earlier. I, uh, I didn't realize that it made you uncomfortable. Won't happen again." He said in almost a whisper, but it was in a voice that sounded strange to Zel. Miriya didn't seem to notice.

"It's okay, Captain." Miriya said, with her usual chipper smile, "You didn't know, and now you do! Can't know everything, right?"

"Yeah, but I ought to know better," Captain Crans said. "I of all people in the world really should know better. And I, at the very least, can promise you it will never happen again."

"It's really okay, sir. But how about we talk about something else? Like your hat! I don't think I've ever seen anything like it? Where did you get it?" Miriya said, completely changing the subject. Captain Crans' smile returned.

"Oh this thing?" He said, grabbing the brim of his wide leather hat, "it is a pretty funny story how I got it. You see I was out on a mission for the academy…"

Zel couldn't help but smile as well. She was happy that they were able to figure this out without having to go any deeper. Zel knew how much Miriya hated to be touched by strangers, or anyone, really. Zel was the only one that Miriya was always okay with touching her. But something was bothering her.

Captain Crans really sounded different for a moment. Like he was someone else, she thought. She didn't know why this kept happening, but for whatever reason being around the Captain felt strange to her. It didn't seem like anyone else felt the same way, so maybe it was all in her own head. Even thinking about it made her head hurt for some reason.

Luckily for Zel, her train of thought was interrupted by a tug on her arm. She looked down to see that Jammy was pointing at the various weapons on the wall with a gleam in her eye. She pointed at Zel's hand and then at the huge wall of weapons and looked up at Zel expectantly.

"Oh, I've never thought about what kind I would like to use. Maybe a big sword? Do you think that would suit me?" Zel raised her arms and flexed her biceps as she did so, not a particularly impressive sight, but Jammy seemed entertained. She clapped and nodded in agreement and the two of them explored some more of the weaponry around the shop while Captain Crans and Miriya continued their own conversation. After a short while longer, Dirk came back from behind the counter with a shortbow in hand.

"Here's what I'm thinking," Dirk began to explain as the group gathered back around, "You can accelerate some objects, right? That's what you said you could do with the pellets of your slingshot." Miriya, Zel, and Jammy all nodded in unison to his explanation.

"If that's the case," Dirk continued, "It shouldn't really matter what the draw weight of the bow is, at least not for now. As long as it can start the arrow moving in the right direction, you can get your magic to do most of the heavy lifting!" He placed a shortbow on the counter in front of them. He gestured for Miriya to pick it up.

"Is there anything… special about it?" Miriya asked as she lifted it in the air to inspect it.

"Naw, right now it's just a plain ol' bow." Dirk explained. "That's what I do here. I get the customers comfy with something that they like, then we worry about all that fancy stuff later. Don't be shy. Give that thing a pull! I got one that you should be able to draw just fine, even as a beginner."

Miriya pulled the bowstring back and was delighted by the ease with which the string pulled back in her fingertips. She held it up and inspected it further, half expecting there to be some kind of magical carvings in it, but Dirk was telling the truth. It was just a regular bow.

"I like it, I think." She said with the resolute certainty of someone who had never held a bow in her hands before.

"That's good, that's good." Dirk said, nodding "Well then, you can have it!"

Miriya looked shocked. Dirk stared at her unflinching in what he had said, clearly having made no mistake.

"I can have it? What do I owe you?" She asked.

"Don't owe me nothin'!" Dirk exclaimed flatly, "That bow is a training bow for children, but she be just about perfect for using with your magic. It'll be a great start for you to get used to shooting a bow, so just go ahead and take it out of here. Just remember to come back soon as you feel you need something bigger that you can grow into." Zel knew that this wouldn't sit right with Miriya, but before she could protest Captain Crans broke back in.

"Thanks, Dirk! You always know just how to take care of me. Now, ladies. I believe you said you had one more place that you wanted to check out before your night would be complete? Let's head over to Kitty's place and look at some fine garments." Crans paused, "Assuming you guys don't mind me going with you?"

Miriya, Zel, and Jammy all spoke in unison.

"Lead the way."