Tacky Shops and Witches Pt. 1

The crisp autumn air was warm that afternoon, a welcome change from the rapidly dropping temperature. December was only a week away and it would be the last time Cress and Illia would be able to go out without bundling themselves up. Even Illia had started wearing long sleeves and after the fashion show they'd had two weeks before, they'd joined forces to make a small wardrobe for the towering princess.

"Those overalls look good on you."

To celebrate the weather, Illia had decided to wear a pair of light olive drab overalls with a cream long-sleeve turtleneck underneath. It disappointed Cress that Illia was so adamant about covering her neckline. For someone who proudly claimed nudity didn't bother her she got embarrassed whenever she put on anything revealing. When Cress had asked her the reason, Illia had confessed even she didn't know why.

"My attire is nothing compared to your radiance, Cress."

A flurry of fluttering butterflies took flight within Cress and she tried not to blush. Illia had picked up the habit of complimenting Cress regularly, leaving Cress to try and distinguish if it was flirting or just Illia's unique way of praising her.

"I wish you'd stop complimenting like that," Cress said for the hundredth time. "It's embarrassing."

"My apologies. It is just difficult for me to contain my admiration at your enthralling visage."

"Whatever," Cress huffed, looking away. She pulled her pink beanie over her ears and adjusted her silver glasses. "Are you sure about this place?"

Over the past week Cress had taught Illia how to use the internet and basic literacy. Since then Illia had become remarkably proficient in her reading, making Cress question if the visitor from another world could read better than she could.

"She excels at everything she does like the protagonist of a historical romance manhwa. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if she said this was her second life where she has to stop her evil sister from destroying the world."

"I scouted the shop last night. There is a faint trace of mana coming from it. It is the sole source and our only lead."

"Hopefully we find something."

The shop they were approaching was an occult outlet store (whatever that meant) that Illia had found while looking up stores in the city online. While it wasn't the only "occult" store in the city, most of the others had been New Age nonsense selling overpriced crystals, generic tarot decks, and boho clothing. Illia had called them "superstitious nonsense preying on the ignorant", assuring her that the crystals they sold lacked any magical or spiritual essence and were incapable of retaining any due to the harvesting and processing methods.

The store in front of them didn't look much more promising. A tacky satanic circle decorated the glass of the black storefront and there were Halloween style spider decorations on the door that made Cress's skin crawl. Cress didn't miss the look of narrow eyed glare and twitch of the lip and nose when Illia saw the decor. As a "Princess of Spiders", she asserted such imagery was garish and disrespectful and people with such decorations should be "strung up for the vultures to feed on and healed daily". Cress was glad they weren't in Illia's world.

"Decorations like that used to give me panic attacks. It was only a few weeks ago yet it feels like years. I might even be able to withstand a real spider now! Not that I've seen any. It's like they all disappeared at once."

"Welcome to The Lucky Black Cat!" a young woman that reminded Cress of a goth Kirian said cheerfully. "Please close the door behind you so Daemon doesn't get out."

Cress obliged on instinct and a moment later a fat black cat waddled over. Its primordial pouch hung low, rubbing on the floor with each step it took.

"He's so cute!" Cress said, thinking back to the stray black cat that had lured her to her fated encounter with Illia. Daemon would have never survived that cave. "You're a cute little guy, aren't you?"

The cat purred, rubbing against the leg of Cress's lavender jumper. It took a step towards Illia, giving the woman a quiet disgruntled hiss before changing course back to Cress.

"He loves people," the girl at the counter said. "Is there anything I can help you find?"

Closing the fifteen foot gap between the door and the glass display counter with a few paces, Illia set the two halves of the gold lily coin in front of the clerk.

"We seek artifacts bearing this motif," Illia said. Her tone was cold, disarming the smiling woman who glanced at Cress nervously.

Cress merely shrugged, browsing what looked exactly like the New Age spiritual stores only in black with pagan and satanic themes. Even she could tell there was nothing special about the store and she wondered if Illia had been mistaken about sensing mana.

"We have a few accessories with flowers on them. Would you like me to show them to you?"

"I have no interest in your cheap accessories unless they bear this mark," Illia said, clicking her tongue. "Do not waste my time with petty sales tactics, charlatan."

Sensing the growing anxiety of the clerk, Cress stepped next to Illia and nudged her hip with her elbow. Lately Illia had become increasingly irate. Her cheeks had thinned to the point they almost looked gaunt. She insisted that she was fine and just tired, a lie that Cress saw through but couldn't refute.

"Sorry about my friend, she just had a long shift last night and has been stressing about getting her mother a gift. She loves lilies and is superstitious, so we had hoped to find a gift today."

"I-I understand," the clerk stammered. She stepped back to put distance between her and Illia. A reasonable reaction given Illia's mood. "We don't have anything out front like that, but I can ask the owner if she has something in the back."

"We'd appreciate that," Cress said with a polite smile. She flicked her eyes to the curtained area that led to the back of the store to encourage the clerk to slip away. The woman happily obeyed.

"What's wrong?" Cress asked Illia now that they were alone. "You were fine outside. Now you look like you're ready to kill that poor girl."

"Tis nothing," Illia hissed. "Merely frustration at my lack of progress. I had hoped to return home by now."

"Do you really need to?" Cress blurted out the question without thinking. She enjoyed having Illia by her side and the thought of her disappearing like she never existed created a black hole in her chest that was more terrifying to her than any spider.

Illia's eyes flinched at the question, though nothing more. "It would be prudent of me to return. Remaining here would be difficult and staying in this form is… unpleasant."

"Oh." Cress didn't know what else to say. She couldn't imagine how frustrating it must have been to her to be forced to masquerade as a creature she despised constantly. Still, a selfish part wanted to argue and force Illia to stay with her. Illia had turned Cress's barely functioning life into a well greased machine of freedom that she never thought she'd have the opportunity to experience. She felt normal, just like everyone else.

"Cress, I-"

"The owner says she'd like to talk to you," the black clad clerk said through the gap in the black curtains. "I'll bring you to her."

A flicker of hope flashed in Illia's eyes, stabbing Cress's heart with guilt. She had to accept her feelings didn't matter; what mattered was helping Illia. It was a moral dilemma she struggled with as they made their way to the back of the store until they came to a thick planked wooden door with a thick metal knocker hanging from the center. Detailed thorny vines and roses were burned into the door frame that surrounded the door and it looked like a dungeon door straight out of a fantasy show yet somehow felt more authentic.

"She's just through here."

Grabbed the metal ring of the knocker and pulled the heavy door open with ease. It didn't have time to creak or groan like it might have in a show. She flung it open and Cress fought back a smile. It was cute when Illia didn't hide her emotions.

A gust of cold air, chillier than outside blasted Cress in the face, making her hug her arms even though she was wearing a white cotton poncho. The room was pitch dark aside from several small candles that flickered on the other side and Cress could just barely make out the figure of a woman sitting behind a dull crystal ball.

"You can't be serious," she blurted out. "A crystal ball? Really?"

"Hush," Illia said softly. "It is faint, but mana hangs in the air."

Cress frowned doubtfully, but Illia was the only one who could feel mana so she took her word. Still, a crystal ball? The owner would probably make more business setting up a tent at a local fair.

"Enter," a raspy mature voice commanded.