His mind was far off somewhere, deeply centered upon a little trinket behind a pane glass window. He didn’t know what about it was so appealing, but, when it caught his eye, he couldn’t help himself but stop and stare at it. Although he wished to go in and inquire about the price, he knew he couldn’t afford it. Besides, he was supposed to be here with his friends.

Wait, where were his friends? His eyes, wrenched away from a shining prize locked just out of reach by a dime store’s window, turn up to the world around him and he suddenly sees his friends. They are nearly fifty feet away now, walking away in their group as if they hadn’t seen him.

With his mouth open, Kory turns and immediately barrels up the sidewalk so not to get left behind. His friends seemed to always do this, not even notice that he was there. Then again, he’s usually so quiet that they don’t often don’t even know that he’s there in the first place.

“Hey, hey you guys, wait up!” Kory cried out as he runs up the sidewalk.

He watched his friends turn to look at each other. Rita, a girl that he is with, laughed and smiled to a taller man named Steven that seemed to lead the group. Cooper, a shorter teen that Kory is closer friends with, looked over his shoulder and then stopped. As the guy stopped walking, his friends did the same. Only Steven seemed reluctant to even do that.

Kory rushed up the sidewalk, pushing through a group of people to get there, and finally stopped his panicked run just behind his friends. Only as he leaned forward on his knees did he notice that he had almost pushed over several people on the way there. He looked up, still breathing hard, and smiles to the others.

“You guys almost ditched me again.” Kory told his friends.

Cooper, a younger guy with normal suburbanite clothes on and shaggy blonde hair, shrugged and then crossed his arms.

“Sorry, man, we didn’t try to.” Cooper told him. “In all honesties, it’s hard to tell that you’re even there when you’re quieter than a church mouse.”

Rita made the same shrug and then just smiled gently. She nodded her head in agreement, shaking up and down her brown hair and then crossed her exposed arms as if without thinking. Her pink, purple and white shoes tapped against the ground as she moved her feet about.

“Yeah, we’re really sorry.” Rita told them. “You must have stopped to look into one of the windows and we just kept walking. Sorry.”

“Sorry,” Steven suddenly exclaimed, “you’ve gotta be shitting me.”

Steven, a tall kid who thinks he woke up as John Bender, stepped forward and turned his back to Kory. With his cheap, new-age biker jacket covering most of his body, only revealing a cheap white t-shirt beneath, he looked down at Rita and Cooper. His short, red hair and light skin only intensified his angry light eyes as he stared down at his friends with contempt.

“The only reason that I let this little crap run around with us is because you two like him. I’m tired of you standing up for him like he’s some innocent little child! He’s not a child!” Steven angrily yelled. “He’s just a little midget who gets lost in the crowd because he can’t see over baby strollers.”

Rita lifted one side of her upper lip and then took a step back. She obviously didn’t like the way that Steven was treating her friend. Cooper looked up at him, his eyes nothing more than slits, and then put his hands down into his pockets.

“Enough, Steven, watch your mouth.” Rita told him. “I like having him with us because he’s my friend.”

“You really use the term ‘friend’ lightly.” Steven suddenly responded. “The only reason this little prick likes to be seen with us is because he thinks it makes him look cool. It’s to compensate for his stunted growth.”

“Hey,” Kory yelled.

He stood up, his mouth still ajar as he took in several cool cleansing breathes. His arms were held out at his sides, as if were about to fight, but he knew he couldn’t win. In all honesties, there’s no way that he could fight Steven and win. Kory was barely five feet tall and Steven was 6’ 6”, easy.

“What is ‘stunted’ supposed to mean?” Kory yelled.

Steven licked his lips and then looked over his shoulder and down towards his shorter companion. Biting his lip, Steven slowly turned around and then turned his head almost all the way down to emphasize how much height he had on Kory. But Kory didn’t back down, not yet.

“I’m saying that I’m sure other things are just as short as you are, Shorty.” Steven angrily said.

“Don’t even suggest that.” Kory said, angrily but not yelling. “And don’t call me that, I hate being called that.”

Steven smiled a bit, not in the way somebody would smile if they enjoyed a joke, but in the way he knew how to get Kory’s goat. He chuckled a bit, checked over his shoulder and then looked back at Kory. Leaning forward, he quickly dropped the smile and stared down at his opponent.

“It’s not my fault that you have to ask Mommy and Daddy to get you your juice from off the counter.” Steven said in a mock sympathetic voice.

“And it’s not my fault that you’ve busted your watermelon head open when going through a tunnel.” Kory said, through gritted teeth.

Steven stood up, his eyes wide open, though his dirty long hair covering up them up slightly. His mouth pulled down as far as it could in the corners and he tightened his fists as he drew in a breath. Kory did the same thing, though he took two wide steps back to make sure that Steven couldn’t hit his mug right off the bat.

Glaring down as hard as he could, Steven took a step forward. As he sucked in another deep breath through angry teeth, he swung his arm up over his shoulder and then readied himself to strike down upon the person who he had just argued with. Suddenly footsteps filled the air and from up the sidewalk came a man, running as fast as he could.

“Enough of this you two; stop this now!” The man yelled before getting close.

Kory looked over his shoulder as Steven held his arm, they watched as a man rushed quickly towards them. He seemed to be some kind of tourist because he didn’t seem to have come from any place around where these teens lived. The man appeared to be in his early twenties with a hard face and shaggy, slightly unkempt brown hair.

His clothes, which consisted only of a thin Hawaiian shirt, unbuttoned over a plain white t-shirt, and ratty old jeans, seemed worn, old and venerable. The only thing that seemed young on him was a gold-plated belt buckle which shone in the light of the late afternoon.

The man slowed his approach as he neared and then came almost to a full stop immediately behind the shorter of the two combatants. He lifted up his hands and spread his fingers wide and began to push them forward and backwards as his excited eyes darted back and forth between the two.

“You don’t want to do this, not now.” He pleaded. “There must be a better way to resolve this than by primeval strength.”

“No, stay out of this you bloody git.” Steven commanded the man. “If you get between us, I’ll ruin your face too.”

Suddenly Steven turned back to Kory and immediately swung down without much hesitation. As Kory threw his arms up in front of his face to protect himself, Rita screamed and then everything was silent. Kory was surprised to find himself unharmed and Steven was even more surprised to find his attempt foiled.

Steven looked down to see that this strange man had suddenly stepped forward and caught his punch with an open hand. The man shook his head, took a deep breath and then pushed the arm back towards its owner. But the man didn’t stop there, he quickly pushed Steven’s fist back into his own chest and then looked the aggressor directly into his eyes.

“Now, I’m giving you a chance to end this in a way that will let you both stay with your bones intact and your skin uncut.” The man said. “What do you say?”

“I say let me go!” Steven yelled. “This has nothing to do with you! I’ve given him too many stupid chances in the past! I’m not about to let him one more!”

Steven swung up again, this time at the man, but he quickly found out that this action was weak and futile. The man caught this punch as well and then walked him backwards and off of the sidewalk. Going into an alleyway between two storefronts, the man threw Steven on the ground and then walked out of sight, between the buildings.

Kory stood straight up and then sidestepped to be with his friends. His eyes were on the edge of the building that hid Steven and the man from him. But then his eyes turned onto the shadows that played upon the opposite wall. At first there were two definite figures there, but, then things seemed confused.

“Now, listen to me, you belligerent prick.” The trio heard the man say. “I gave you a chance to end it differently. You’ve brought this on yourself and you’ve no one else to blame but yourself and your own decisions.”

“What is this?” Steven said loudly. “Who do you think you are? What . . . what do you have? What-what are you doing?”

There was a loud scream and suddenly a banging around like somebody struggling on the ground. The shadows were confused and strange and didn’t really reveal too much of anything to the three watching. After a few seconds, Rita stepped forward, but, Cooper threw his arms up and stopped her. She bumped into the arm and then stopped, taking a deep breath, wondering what’s going on. Kory seemed both pleased and ashamed by exactly what was going on.

Suddenly, after about fifteen seconds, or what seemed an hour, passed by, the three of them heard footsteps running away from them and disappearing into the warm summer’s day. A few seconds after that, the strange man cleared his throat and stepped from the alleyway. He was fixing his hair up and tucking away something strange into his open shirt that seemed to disappear into the rolls of the thin material.

“What did you do?” Rita asked the man as he approached them.

He continued to fix his hair and looked to her with a smile.

“Well, I taught him a lesson, a very valuable lesson.” The man informed her. “He won’t try something like that again, I promise you.”

“Oh . . . ugh, alright,” Cooper said, not sure exactly what to say. “Anyways, who are you and why did you do that?”

“I’m just somebody trying to do something good and I did that because it seemed like the two of you wouldn’t have.” The man said.

Rita and Cooper looked to each other with sullen smirks upon their faces, chuckling as they begrudgingly accepted that he was right. When they looked back to this stranger, he lowered his hands from his head and clasped them together over his stomach. He smiled and looked from face to face, seemingly just happy to make new acquaintances.

“Well, who are you, anyways?” The man asked.

“My . . . my name’s Cooper.” Cooper told him and then looked to his friends. “This is Rita and the poor chap you saved from a whupping is Kory.”

“Hello to you all.” The man told them with a smile on his face and bright, happy sea blue eyes wide as dinner plates.

They all waved to him, sort of stupidly, as if they just met him and then laughed a bit at their own actions. When they all placed their arms back at their sides, they looked to the man and then waited. Finally, Rita sighed and knew that she probably was going to have to be the one to speak up.

“What about you, who are you?” Rita asked the man again.

“Oh, yes, me, well, my name is—”

“Daren, there you are!” A voice suddenly rose from behind.

The three of them looked beyond the man and saw a feminine figure rushing up the lonely main street sidewalk towards the four of them. Her loose white and black shirt fluttered in the breeze as she rushed forward on new sneakers. As she neared him, the man turned around and looked to her.

At first he seemed a bit confused but when he finally saw her, he smiled widely and threw up his arms to meet her. She rushed into his arms and quickly embraced him for a second, squeezing his upper body as if it were something to be crushed. Then, after a loving embrace, she stepped back and looked at him, directly in the eyes, whilst holding his face with hands on opposite sides of his head.

“Lord, Daren, you aren’t causing any more trouble, are you?” She teasingly told him.

“No, no, I wasn’t, Mother.” He replied with the same teasing voice. “I just stopped a fight from ever occurring.”

“Another fight; not again, Daren.” She demanded of him.

Before she or he could go on any more, Rita stepped forward and placed a gently wrapped fist to her mouth. Making a fake clearing-the-throat sound, she looked to them and waited. After a few seconds, the two turned to her with genuine interest in what she desired from them.

“Who are you people?” Rita demanded from them.

The man smiled and then the two stopped hugging each other and stood shoulder to shoulder. He rubbed the back of his neck and then looked to her as he chuckled, knowing that he forgot entirely to introduce himself and his companion.

“I’m sorry and I apologize for entirely ignoring you.” The man said. “Anyways, my name is Daren Crevan. This is Zelda Crevan.”

“Oh, so you’re married?” Rita guessed.

“No.” The two suddenly said in unison.

“Then you’re related?” Cooper said.”

“No, the last name is simply a coincidence.” Daren told them and then chuckled with pure amusement. “We’re simple travelers. We’re trying to travel the States, enjoying the scenery and the people along the way.”

“We’re on holiday.” Zelda added near the end. “Well, at least we’re trying to make it like holiday. It seems that we get side tracked whenever we stop for a relaxing evening.”

“What do you mean?” Rita inquired.

Daren began rubbing the back of his neck again and Zelda quickly looked away. They both seemed sort of reluctant to explain, or neither of them knew exactly how to explain it. Finally, Daren puts his hands down on his hips and then looks to Rita.

“Well, it seems we have a nose for trouble.” Daren began. “Every city we would tumble through, we would get ourselves involved in something that we would have to resolve. Like the fight here in your little town.”

“I understand.” Rita replied.

“How long are you going to be here?” Cooper asked.

“Not long, I’m afraid. In fact, I think we should be moving on before too long.” Daren replied quickly.

“Actually, I think we should get ourselves in gear right now. Come on, Daren before you step into something else.” Zelda said.

She turned quickly and began to march away. Daren looked over his shoulder and watched her go, smiled, shrugged and then began to walk backwards.

“Well, I suppose this is goodbye.” Daren tells the three. “You stay out of trouble now!”

“I think you should tell yourself that, Mister!” Cooper yelled in return.

The happy man waved to them and then turned around fully on heel. Daren ran forward to catch up with Zelda and soon they were almost out of sight, rounding a corner at the end of the street. When the peace had returned and the day around them came back fully, the three looked at each other and sighed.

“Well, come on, let’s get moving.” Rita told the others. “I want to get some shopping done before the sun goes down.”

The three turned around slowly, reluctantly, and began walking up the sleepy sidewalk as if nothing happened. Cooper walked with his arms up behind his head while Kory sunk both hands down into the pockets in the front of his jeans. Rita swung her arms lazily as her eyes scanned over the front of the old storefronts that have occupied this street for decades.

Several stores ahead and several windows that seemed to pique nobody’s interest, Cooper sighs and then looks up to Rita. He dropped his arms and began to swing them in the same way that she was, in an attempt to gain her attention. When that didn’t seem to work, he simply rolled his eyes and walked forward.

“What are you looking for anyways, Rita?” Cooper inquired.

“I’m looking for a toy for my nephew.” Rita replied, looking directly at him. “I remember him saying a while back that he wanted to expand his plushy collection. I remember there was a store here on Main that sold that kind of stuff.”

“I know the store you’re talking about.” Kory said. “I think it’s a couple of doorways up.”

He pointed ahead and both of his two friends followed his arm to a store that seemed smaller than a bathroom. But, without waiting, Rita quickly rushed forward. The two boys watched her run forward for a few seconds and then bolted forward themselves, at first racing, and then just trying to catch up with her.

As they came into view of the store, they slowed their pace up. First it was Rita, whose eyes turned up to the sign hanging above the single glass door and small bay window looking out on the street. When the two boys stopped running and resumed their position at her shoulders, they looked up at the sign as well.

“Hey, Rita, I can’t spend much time in here.” Cooper said and looked to Rita. “In fact, I don’t think I should go in at all.”

“Why?” Rita asked him in response.

Cooper raised his left hand and tapped the glass face of an old plastic watch that he’s been using forever. She then made an ‘oh’ with her mouth and then nodded her head. He shrugged and sighed, as if he wished to go into the shop. In fact, he wouldn’t have minded wasting some time in there, but, he just didn’t have that time to waste.

“It’s getting pretty late. If I don’t get home soon, my ass will be grass and my dad will be the lawn mower.” Cooper said and then began stepping away. “Good luck anyways. See you later!”

“Alright, see you later.” Rita replied to him.

Kory and Rita watched him go up the street, running for awhile and then slowing to a normal pace. Soon he was out of sight, up the street and rounding a corner heading for home. Finally, Kory and Rita looked to each other and sighed and shrugged. Rita turned and stepped forward towards the door to the tiny shop, which took up a space wide enough only to have once been an alleyway.

The bell above the door rang as Rita pulled it open. When she plunged into the air conditioned space of the storefront, she sighed with a bit of relief. Kory did the same as he climbed the single concrete stair and went inside. The door swung shut behind the both of them as they proceeded past a counter and register on their left.

Kory’s jaw went ajar as he stepped forward and looked around. His eyes immediately went up to the ceiling and swung from side to side. Inside, the building seemed to be larger than any Wal-Mart he ever had the privilege of wandering for hours through. But outside it was only large enough to put three refrigerators and a couch in.

“Does something here seem . . . off.” Kory asked.

Rita nodded but didn’t look to her friend. Her heart seemed to pound as she began forward.

“Yeah, there is definitely something wrong here.” She admitted.

Kory stood still, looking over the shelves that filled this monstrosity of a physics defying building. They were filled with plushys and memorabilia and knick-knacks that included animal-shaped plushys, mythical-creature apparel, rings and collars and all sorts of other strange yet exciting stuff. Rita began forward, intent on finding what she needed here.

As they stood, staring in awe at the whole thing, a man appeared nearby. Standing upwards from behind the small counter near the door, he leaned across it and propped his head up on his hand and elbow. With long, shaggy black hair and a thin, tall face, he smiled and looked to the two. He seemed to be amused at the fact that they had no clue as to his presence.

“Hello, hello, hello,” the man said in a mockingly stereotypical Fleet Street accent, “what’s all this, then?”

Both Kory and Rita swung their heads around, started by this man’s sudden appearance. Rita stopped dead in her tracks and even lifted her hands up as if to strike somebody who was about to harm her. The man, though, simply leaned against the countertop, his brown jacket sleeve falling down his propped arm to reveal a 90’s black watch wrapped around his wrist.

“Where did you come from?” Rita demanded, still startled. “You gave us both a scare; you shouldn’t have done that.”

The man simply smiled and then stood up straight. With a little smile on his face, he cocked his head to the side and then sunk down his hands into his pants pockets. All the while his brown jacket falls to his side, smoothing over where patches have been sewn onto the elbows.

“I was in the library, miss, and I do apologize for startling you.” He replied with a less stereotypical accent, more serious, instead.

“We didn’t see you come in.” Kory said. “So how could have been in the library?”

“I mean mine, little mister, the one in the back.” The man said and looked down at Kory.

“The one in the back,” Rita asked. “How can there be one in the back? This building is barely big enough to put a decent sized bathroom in!”

“Well, it looks that way from the outside.” The man said, tapping the side of his nose.

“But how is it so big on the inside?” Kory added.

“They say certain paints make rooms look bigger.” The man said.

He looked down to the pair and then smiled as wide as he could. Lifting his hands from his pockets, he wrapped them around his upper torso and then laughed heartily while Rita and Kory just looked at him as if he were crazy. After a fit of laughter the man took control of himself before he wiped his eyes and then looked down again.

“I’m just kidding.” He admitted. “But this place is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Now, that isn’t just different, it’s something of pure wonder. This entire building is filled with Athrú technology.”

The two just looked at him with the same cock-eyed appearance and then nodded their heads together as if just simply accepting the story of a lunatic. The man saw this, frowned and then leaned down upon the countertop again, his lips pursed.

“You don’t know what Athrú is, do you?” He asked them.

As the pair shook their heads, the same disapproving look still painted on their faces, he sighed and then stood straight again. His eyes turned upon the ceiling and then he raised his hands up into the air. As if about to give a wondrous speech, he held them there and then took in a deep, audible breath.

“The Athrú were one of the mightiest beings in the entire universe!” He announced as if to an audience of a thousand. “But being one of the mightiest races in the universe invites competition and soon there was war. This war was something of a monster, raging for years and years before finally it consumed both the belligerent groups and half the universe itself. Only bits and pieces of fragments of technology belonging to one race or another survive. Fortunately, I happened to come into the possession of a small freckle of technology, which, bob’s your uncle, allows me to bend physics to fit my store anywhere I damn well please.”

Lowering his arms, he looked to the two and then leaned across the countertop with one arm reaching for the far side. Crossing his arms, he smirked as if he’s just won some sort of argument and looked to Rita and Kory through narrowed eyes. His eyes turned upon Kory and he smiled a bit wider.

“You’re a bit short for your age, aren’t you?” He commented, half thinking before saying it.

“And you’re a bit crazy for how old you are.” Kory quickly snapped back.

Rita sighed and then stepped forward, shaking her head and waving her hands in front of her body. The shopkeeper looked to her and then smiled widely, as if waiting for her to admit that he was right.

“That’s all fine and dandy, but, that’s not what we’ve come here for.” Rita relayed to him.

“Oh, and, what did you come here for?” The shopkeeper asked.

“I’m just looking for a little plushy toy for my nephew’s birthday.” Rita told him, obviously a bit angry that her time was being wasted here.

“A birthday,” The shopkeeper suddenly hollered, “why didn’t you tell me it was a birthday?”

“Yes, yes, I’m just looking for a cheetah plush for him, alright?” Rita told him.

“Oh, yes, miss, dreadfully sorry for wasting your time!” The shopkeeper happily and excitedly told her whilst smiling as wide as he could. “I’ll find what you need in half a hair of time.”

He pushed away from the countertop and then bolted off into the store. The sound of footsteps echoed through the building until they reached the very front. Rita and Kory looked at each other with confused looks until Rita smiled and chuckled to break the heavy moment.

“Don’t move!” The shopkeeper cried. “I’ll be right there!”

The two looked through the long, wide aisles that populated the gigantic store. They were all filled to the brim of bursting with both familiar and strange items. Plushys of all shapes and sizes, and probably prices, looked at them from their shelves. Items that were definitely related to some strange fandom populated other aisles.

On the other side of the small aisle leading out of the front door was a glass cabinet-counter, which, similar to a jeweler’s cabinet, held rings, necklaces, pendants, earrings and other jewelry. Rita noticed this and then stepped up to the cabinet and then leaned forward, resting her palms on her thighs. Kory turned and looked in as well, but didn’t find any interest in it like she did.

“Ah, look at all the jewelry.” Rita said to Kory. “It’s all so beautiful.”

“Hey, Rita, the madman’s coming back.” Kory replied to her.

She stood up and looked over her shoulder to watch as the shopkeeper appeared from down the aisle with a pretty bag in his hands. The bag was already colorful and covered with bows and filled with confetti, ready for the party. As he walked behind the counter, he placed the bag on the counter and then waited.

“Well, I believe I’ve found exactly what you need.” He told her.

She stepped up to the counter and looked down at the bag and smiled. All the while, the shopkeeper looked to Kory and smiled again, this time leaning, once more, over the counter to look at him.

“My word, you’re tiny.” He said without thinking. “I feel like I could push you down and hit a golf ball off your head. I bet it would improve my swing.”

“Hey,” Kory bit back, “what’s your problem?”

The shopkeeper dropped the smile and then shook his head. He seemed to have little control over what he said, as if just popped out of his subconscious and he spit it out unintentionally. He sighed and then placed his hand down onto the countertop, palm upwards, but with his fingers clenched shut.

“I’m sorry, I do that sometimes. Just say things, you know, without filtering them first.” The shopkeeper says. “Tell you what; I’m going to give you a gift because of my accident. What about that?”

Kory looked to him and smiled, but, raised his one eyebrow, unsure of what the man was offering. The man smiled and looked down to his clenched hand. Then, suddenly, he unclenched his fingers and revealed a shining ring that looked like a curled up dragon with its triangular head forming the rock on its surface.

Kory’s eyes widened and he stepped forward. Nodding his head, he lifted his hand up and the shopkeeper dropped it directly into his palm. Kory closed his fingers and then felt and looked it over.

“I have to warn you, though,” the shopkeeper suddenly said, “everything in this building has been brushed by Athrú technology. A little known fact is that the Athrú loved to shape shift. It was their favorite game and their favorite weapon. All of their technology often revolved around this coveted skill. I’m afraid that, maybe, some of that power may have rubbed off on some of my merchandise, so, please, watch out.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mister, this ring is beautiful.” Kory said and looked up at him. “Thank you.”

“Mister . . .” the shopkeeper said suddenly with a smile, “Oh, please, where are my manners today? First I’m insulting my customers and then I’m ‘Mister’. Anyways, my name is Undecim Medicus, shopkeeper extraordinaire. And who might you two be?”

“My name is Rita Curare and the kid you’ve insulted twice today is Kory Draconis.” Rita said before Kory could open his mouth again.

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you both and I do hope you come back soon.” Mr. Medicus told them. “I always love having customers whom I know on a first-name basis. It’s more fun than anything I know. Anyways, before the sun sets again, the total today will come to exactly thirty dollars and twenty-nine cents.”

Rita looked down to her pocket and then sank her fingers into it. A few seconds later she pulled out her little wallet and from within drew a twenty. Looking up to the counter, she placed the bill onto it and then turned her face to Kory.

“I figured I wouldn’t have enough money.” Rita told him. “Can you spot me?”

“Sure,” Kory responded without hesitation, “it’ll probably cover for the ring anyways.”

Kory pulled out money from his front pocket, another twenty, and placed it on the counter. Mr. Medicus took the money quickly and then popped open a bronze cash register after pressing several loud buttons and knocking the huge contraption on its side with a strong fist. Finally, the register made a loud ding noise and showed the change in hundred-year-old script.

“Here’s your change, young sir.” Mr. Medicus told Kory and handed him the change. “And I do hope you enjoy the birthday party, little miss. Your nephew will certainly cherish the toy for ages.”

Kory tucked the money away into his pocket as Rita took the bag from on top of the counter. Mr. Medicus resumed the same relaxed position leaning across the counter and watched as the two teens turned towards the front of the store. As they walked, Kory continued to play with the little ring, feeling over the dragon’s head and the metal band with his one finger.

“One more thing,” the shopkeeper said before they got too far, “remember what I told you today. Don’t blame me if something accidentally happens to you, like, say, growing a tail. Remember the Athrú technology of transformation.”

Kory and Rita both looked over their shoulders and smiled at him and returned a small wave that he gave to them. Then they stepped forward, Rita threw open the door, and they stepped down into the warm evening sun. As the door rang shut behind them, Rita chuckled and swung the bag at her waist.

“That guy has too many screws loose in his noggin.” Rita told Kory.

“You’re telling me.” Kory responded and chuckled.

“Do you wanna cut through the park on our way home?” Rita asked.

“Sure.” Kory replied.

Rita laughed and then bolted forward, rushing across the desolate town street before any cars could decide to use it. Kory watched her go for a few seconds and then immediately began to follow. After crossing the black macadam street, he stepped up onto the sidewalk and then followed Rita as she ran along the high iron fence that rang the park. They ran into the iron gate several hundred feet up and then bolted through the park, laughing like idiots as they went.

Halfway through the park, Rita slowed down and looked around as she waited for Kory to catch up. She looked over a large building that stood at the center of the park, which was a restroom and maintenance facility rolled into one. The new building was made to look old with red brick, wooden doors and a black shingle roof.

It stood adjacent to the ultra modern playground made of plastic and brand new, colored stainless steel. With huge slides, plastic buildings and fake wood bridges, the playground stood half a foot deep in some kind of rubber-like material, not the mulch that most people remember playing in. The largest thing there was a line of swings that actually looked like remnants from the fifties but with new chains and seats.

Surprisingly, sitting in two of the swings were Daren and Zelda. They were looking at each other as if lost in each other before suddenly Daren blinked and looked up to the two walking through the park. He smiled, rose from his seat and then started walking towards him. Zelda rose and began to follow.

“Hello.” Daren said to them as he neared. “It looks like you’ve gotten your work for the day done.”

“And it seems you haven’t gotten into any fights either.” Zelda added.

“It also looks like you haven’t had to fix any problems other than ours.” Rita replied.

“What’s in the bag?” Zelda asked.

“It’s a plushy for my nephew.” Rita replied. “Kory got a ring too because the shopkeeper insulted him and quickly made amends.”

Kory held up the ring, showed it to them and then went back to playing with it, feeling it over with his fingers.

“The shopkeeper kept telling us that these things could transform us into stuff.” Kory said without looking up. “He seemed like three cookies short of a baker’s dozen.”

“Really,” Daren asked as he cocked his head to the side, placing a few fingers on his chin. “Would you mind proving him wrong?”

Kory looked up to him and saw both Daren and Zelda staring at him with a bit of interest, eyebrows raised and pupils pinned upon him. He looked at Rita and saw her purse her lips and shrug, figuring that there can be no harm done by it. Kory looked down to the ring and smiled.

“With pleasure,” Kory said, determined.

He dropped the ring onto his one finger and suddenly a jolt of energy seemed to shoot through him. At first there was nothing at all, just the ending of that same bit of energy. But after awhile he began to feel nauseated and he lowered his hands to his sides. Licking his lips, he closed his eyes and shook his head from side to side.

“See,” he asked, “nothing at all happened.”

But before he could fully finish his thought a deep pain shot through his stomach and up into his heart. Suddenly his eyes were drawn down to his hands and he could see something happening. His skin dried out until it felt like paper rather than his own body on top of his muscle. The paper skin suddenly began to turn black, like somebody had spilled ink all over his hands.

The water-like black substance came from beneath the ring and spread upwards like it had a mind of its own. Wrapping around each finger, it quickly engulfed both of his hands and spread up towards his torso. He didn’t know what to do other than stand still, quiet and watch with amazement.

A bit of pain stemmed from his fingers as they seemed to grow out into pointed, knife-like claws. Flipping his hands over, he saw purple-colored pads form on his hands and on the bottoms of his fingers. With each gasp he felt a new pain rock his body, although he was able to keep standing upright.

The black, tar-like substance disappeared up and under his favorite t-shirt, but he could still feel its magic being worked even out of sight. It appeared seconds later out of the neck of his shirt and began working its way up over his head. Kory instinctively shut his mouth and closed his eyes, drawing in all of his breath through his nostrils, as if it mattered.

The black substance covered his face quickly, leaving purple and black marks everywhere forming strange swooping, sharp and ornate decorations. He closed his eyes, frightened at what pain the black magic could possibly cause to his eyes. But it didn’t seem to matter to the goop. It covered his face and began to change him just like it did the rest of his body.

A terrible pain clenched his face and his ears as the blackness repositioned and changed them both. A pulling and tearing sensation filled his mind while a cracking and snapping sound filled his ears. The pain in his ears didn’t last long, but the pain in his face definitely did.

He couldn’t breathe for but a few seconds near the end, but, when he was unable to do so, he noticed it. He threw his head around in a frightened way until his mouth was loosened again and he gasped for fresh breath. The new mouth and nose felt strange with long teeth and a thin tongue and lips. But, his mind could hardly focus there long enough to even figure that out.

A strange pain began to bother him at his feet. But he did not just feel the pain; he could hear it as well. Cracking and snapping sounds filled the air and he knew that it was his bones as well as his favorite sneakers. He cried out a bit in pain before he gained control over himself once more. He hugged his body and tried to bear it, which seemed impossible.

His bones in his feet seemed to elongate, stretch and shift in a way that focused all his weight upon the toes. The sneakers that covered his feet snapped almost in two when his feet outgrew them quickly as well as sent sharp claws protruding from the toes. When his weight suddenly shifted, his lower leg shrinking and equalizing with what used to be the bottom of his foot, he stepped backwards and out of his shoes.

Opening his eyes again, Kory looked downwards and saw that what he felt and heard was right. His feet were now paws, scaly, black paws with sharp claws and ornate decorative patterns. Moving his toes around, he clacked the claws against the ground. But he had little time to examine his new body because the rest of his body began to change as well.

His jeans stretched out as something protruded from behind. It was terribly painful, especially when it lacked a place to expand into, but Kory didn’t have time to shed his jeans. This new growth literally pushed through the cloth and continued to sprout like a magical tree growing directly into adulthood.

Seconds later it slapped to the ground and then swung around where Kory could see it. It was a tail, a long, black and purple tail with little ridges running up the back. He could hardly believe it, but, there it was! He drew in several choppy breaths and then looked up and around before he cringed and felt his final pain of the evening.

Like the earlier growth, something began to sprout from behind. Bones shifted and cracked and moved about and then something protruded against the back of his shirt. Two large growths expanded out like little arms growing larger. Kory moaned and groaned, trying to keep any signals of his discomfort to himself. But it didn’t matter to this strange magic, it continued to grow whether it caused him pain or not.

Kory’s shirt ripped moments later as this growth refused to be confined to his clothes. Letting strips of the cloth fall to the ground, two big, black extensions of his body grew towards the sky. Nearing five feet in length each, if not more, two arm-like growths extended until they could extend no more and then froze.

Kory gasped for breath and waited as the pain began to shrink back into his body, focusing directly on this new growth. A strange sound hit his ear and then he knew that it is nearly over. These new growths began to make a skin-like material between each finger of each arm. The same black and purple colors of the rest of his body, they grew until they made perfect wings, perfect bat-like wings on his back. When they were completed, it was over.

Kory gasped for air and then looked up and around. Staring down the dragon’s snout, he turned to Rita, who faced him fully and even took several steps backwards. Her arms were out at her sides, one hand weakly holding the bag of a gift that she just bought. Her mouth was hanging open in pure surprise, unlike Daren and Zelda who just looked at him like a Monet.

“My God, Kory, you’re a dragon!” Rita exclaimed. “Look, you’ve even got wings like one!”

“It was painful, strange and painful.” Kory responded. “How did this happen?”

“I wonder . . .” Daren began and then stepped forward.

He strolled forward, casually, his arms swinging at his sides, until he reached the spot where Kory first began his transformation. Kneeling down, Daren reached to something that was sitting directly between Kory’s torn shoes and socks. Fragments of metal, of what used to be the ring on his finger, laid there. Daren picked up the dragon’s head and then looked it over, feeling it with a finger or two.

“Look at this, Zelda.” He said and held the ring up.

She stepped towards him and then stared directly at his find. Crossing her arms and focusing her weight on only one foot, she shook her head and sighed.

“That can’t be one, it’s impossible.” She said. “Where on earth could two children possibly get one of those?”

“Kory, Rita, where did you buy this?” Daren barked, looking up at Kory.

“We got it from the same store where we got my present.” Rita said. “The shopkeeper gave it to him because he insulted him.”

Suddenly there was a strange sound that filled the air. It sounded like the bending of metal between the teeth of a terrible machine, like a car crusher. It even sounded like there was a man welding something into place, bending and breaking the piece off while he welded. And just as quickly as it came on, the sound was gone into thin air.

The bathroom door opened up and a man strolled out. He was wearing a brown coat, matching bottoms and similar old-time shoes. The man wiped his hands and then turned towards the four people. He smiled at first, looked directly at Kory, and then frowned. It was Mr. Medicus, suddenly appearing out of thin air, like he did in his own shop.

“I warned you what the power of the Athrú could do to you!” Mr. Medicus said, dropping the paper towel.

Daren stood up and quickly turned to face this man that he had never seen before. Zelda did the same thing, giving him a distrusting, unfriendly look.

“Who are you?” Daren demanded.

“That’s the shopkeeper from that store!” Rita exclaimed.

“This is the man from the store?” Daren asked and pointed to him

Rita nodded her head and so did Kory. Daren clenched his fist and then turned back towards Mr. Medicus.

“Tell me, now, where did you find this ring?” Daren demanded, not angrily, but impatiently.

Mr. Medicus stood upright, properly, and placed a single hand on his chest as he clicked his shoes together. His lifted his lower lip and look down at Daren as if he had just had an attempt on his honor made.

“I own a delightful store that sells such items.” Mr. Medicus says. “I sell rings and similar jewelry as well as plush toys and other fun things that may, or may not, transform itself or the person.”

“You let a kid be transformed by some ring because you own a store that sells this stuff?” Rita demanded of him.

“Well, I informed the both of them of the risks of buying things from a store powered by Athrú technology.” Mr. Medicus defended himself.

“Did you say . . . Athrú technology?” Daren asked, seemingly confused by what he heard.

“Are you deaf? That’s what I just said.” Mr. Medicus replied. “It truly is an amazing store and does many amazing things. My store is absolutely amazing, materializing, dematerializing and then rematerializing in other places as well as bending physics and jumping through time.”

“Travel through time?” Daren demanded.

“Of course it can.” Mr. Medicus said with a smile.

Zelda turned to Daren and cocked her head to the side.

“I’ve never heard of Athrú technology that could do that.” Zelda commented.

“Neither have I.” Daren responded, turning to her.

Suddenly a sound began to emit from the Daren’s shirt pocket. He looked downwards in surprise and then reached in to whatever was making the noise. Pulling it out from his shirt, he saw that it was a strange metal rod blinking red and making the terrible, annoying noise.

He held it up in front of his body and then began to swing it around as if it were a dowsing rod. It began to blink faster and faster and beep louder and more obnoxiously as it began to face the west. Finally, Daren lowered it and sighed audibly.

“This is just my luck.” Daren said loudly.

Mr. Medicus’s eyes became wide and he pointed with a single finger at the object which Daren clutched in his hand. His mouth fell ajar and then he tapped through the air at the thing.

“Is-is that what I think it is?” He asked, confused.

“Sure, buddy, whatever, we don’t have time.” Daren said his voice frenzied. “We have to move.”

Daren and Zelda bolted forward, towards the brick restroom. Rounding the corner, they dashed inside, dragging Mr. Medicus along with them. When they were gone, Rita and Kory heard the sounds again, but, this time the sounds didn’t make near as much noise. Soon, everything was peaceful again.

Kory looked down at his hands and claws, moving them about, doubting that they were even his. He then sighed and looked to Rita with his eyebrows fallen down and his head shaking gently from side to side.

“I don’t think my parents would like to see me like this.” Kory said. “How could I even let them see me like this?”

“Well,” Rita said, “you could always sleep over at my place for a little while.”

Kory looked up at her, surprised at the suggestion.

“But, what would your parents say about this?” Kory asked.

Rita shrugged her shoulder and smirked a little.

“Doesn’t matter, they’re out of town for the next week.” Rita replied.

“Oh, well, then in that case, thank you.” Kory said.

“Don’t worry about it, it would be my pleasure.” Rita said. “Come on, we should probably get going before some people see you like this.”

Kory smiled and then began to walk. At first his new claws were really hard to walk on, but, then he got his balance straightened out. He walked along the park sidewalk with Rita for the longest time, just contemplating what could possibly happen. Things had suddenly become really strange. He was just hoping to be turned back to normal and, at the same time, not have people see him like this.

The door to the shop swung open and Mr. Medicus walked out, his arms swinging and his body slumped forward. He seemed tired and bored by the world.

“Well, that flight was very much . . . dissatisfying.” Mr. Medicus commented.

“Well, I’m sorry that you don’t know how to use your Athrú weapons correctly.” Daren quickly responded. “It’s like driving around with the parking break still enabled.”

“I still say that my time could have been better used elsewhere.” Mr. Medicus commented again.

“You’re just jealous because Daren is a little more experienced in this field than you are.” Zelda said.

“Enough, there is no time to argue!” Daren snapped at the two of them and swung around the object he called a TF Scriúire until it made a beeping sound. “We don’t have much time left.”

Daren sighed and lifted his eyes up. Looking around he stared over the old buildings that lined along the main streets in this tiny town. Red brick storefronts, large glass windows and old roads in disrepair. Directly in front of them was the large, long and very tall wrought iron fence that wraps around the park in the very center of town.

By this he could tell that he was on the west side of town. He followed the small beeping device until it directed him up the street. But, before he knew that the machine knew where to go, he could see what he was being drawn to. At the end of the street at the corner was a terrible, gruesome scene.

Daren turned and rushed up the sidewalk with Zelda and Medicus following close behind. After passing several buildings, he jumped down off of the sidewalk and simply rushed to the scene in the middle of the street. There were no cars or trucks to fear being hit by. This town is as sleepy a suburb as any, with all the people at work in a faraway city, leaving the town’s streets relatively bare.

Daren slowed as he neared the end of the street and then closed his mouth and swallowed hard as he came to a stop. At the corner there was a terrible scene of several people lying dead in the very center of the street. Glass was everywhere, shattered all over the place and trailing from a nearby window looking into a diner.

The people, all businessmen that seem to have just come back from their work, lied in pools of their own blood. Their clothes were shot up and ripped, covered with claw marks and gashes. Blood stains the black and gray, making it all seem the same shade of red.

One of the men was holding a strange device that looked like some laser gun out of a cheesy fifties b-flick but blinking red, the same red as Daren’s device. Suddenly they realize that there was still somebody left alive. Standing directly across from them, kneeling down slightly, was a half-human, half-wolf creature, in a condition similar to Kory’s.

He looked up and began to growl as blood covered him as well. He seemed to be a victim of whatever happened here as well, but, as they stood and surveyed the area, he began to stand up. Daren raised the device up from his waist and then began to rub his forearm with the opposite hand while looking away.

“I’m sorry, my friend, I’m dreadfully, dreadfully sorry.” Daren said.

TO BE CONTINUE