Chapter 59: Buying the First Magical Creature
They followed the saleswoman down a cellar as another man took over her position.
Round and round, they kept going down, stepping over moldy stairs. A thick whiff of rusted iron hit Kai’s nose as the witch took out a large key, puffing for air meanwhile. The metal creaked quizzically when she opened the door.
The noise of a million insects stridulating deafened Kai’s ears.
The sound was so harsh, and yet enchanting, that Kai felt himself losing his mind in search of pleasant dreams.
But when his eyes fell on Petyr, this sensation turned into horror. The character, who hadn’t been affected by anything so far, was blurring in and out of existence like a specter. If he wasn’t standing behind the witch, she would have seen right through him.
"These rascals!" the witch cursed, taking out her wand. "Stop!"
A tap from her wand on one of the wooden crates followed her shout.
Kai felt the fluctuation of Mana and the buzz stopped. Petyr looked pale as if someone had taken a bucketful of blood out of him. He looked at Kai, and Kai understood one more unfortunate incident like this, and the Character would return to the Book.
"Pardon, young men," the witch said apologetically. "I need to store many insects for the Potion-masters."
"I... I understand perfectly well, my lady," Petyr managed to say, though his one hand was still blurry like mist trying to become water. "Insects. Wonderful creatures for the strangest of the Potions. I thank you from all the Potioneering Community."
"Oh..." the saleswoman hid a giggle. "Come. Here, let me light it up. Lumos!"