Wizard Shop

It's been a few days since Yoni met the cursed boy from the academy. All this time they traveled around the country, in anticipation of a new task. Sometimes the brothers ran into petty criminals. Yomi who crossed the border of the worlds illegally, smugglers and thieves.

— Brother Yoni, when are we going to the city? — Director Anarion wanted us to deal with the local bandits. — I want something tasty, — little Lu sat on his brother's shoulders, not wanting to walk.

— It will rain soon, — the fox lifted his head up a little and sniffed the air. — What would you like, Lou?

— Mmm… Candy and ice cream and cream buns and… And… — The puppy was so aroused at the thought of sweets that he nearly fell to the ground.

— Ha ha ha, alright alright, calm down Lou. I'll buy you whatever you want.

— Hooray!

— Just don't forget to put on the right uniform. — Our clothes stand out too much. — As the elder spoke, his appearance slowly changed. Long graceful curls turned into a black untidy nest, and her eyes darkened. Instead of traditional robes, a regular shirt and pants appeared on the body.

***

Qatar is one of the largest cities in Solia. It is famous for its seaport and incredible market where you can get almost anything you want from all over the world. There were so many people that even an apple had nowhere to fall.

— So many people today. — Lou held his brother's hand tightly.

— Tourist season. — Yoni looked around. There was something else special about Qatar. Here, hundreds of thousands of yomi lived among the people, pretending to be ordinary people.

— I want sesame buns, — Lou jerked his brother towards the bakery, from where the wonderful smell of fresh pastries came from.

— Don't pull me so hard, please. We will all make it.

— What do you want? — a young girl sat at the counter while a woman in her sixties prepared the dough.

— Sesame, peach, strawberry, blueberry, and chocolate bun, please, — Lou said, already anticipating the taste of fresh baked goods.

— One minute, you have twenty-two yews, — the girl handed Lou a full package of buns.

— Keep the change, — Yoni handed thirty yew to the seller.

— Are you sure? — girl timidly smiled.

— Of course, it's a good day, — the fox winked at the girl, from which she blushed like a tomato.

— Thanks a lot. Come again!

***

— You were right, brother, — the puppy looked at the sky covered with clouds.

— Not really, I was hoping it would rain a little later, — the fox snorted in displeasure as the first drop of rain fell on him.

— Here, take this, — Lou held out the bag with the only remaining peach bun.

— Thanks baby.

The rain grew rapidly, turning into a downpour. The streets were empty in seconds, and the tent shops closed to ride out the storm. In just a couple of minutes, the central street of the city turned into a lifeless place.

— Brother, why don't people like the rain? — the boys slowly wandered through the deserted streets of Qatar.

— Not everyone likes to get wet, besides, people are weak and can get sick if they get cold.

— Ah... Look, a store of magical inventions. Can we come in?

— Why not.

The store didn't really stand out from the rest. The display case was littered with various magical items. The wooden door slowly creaked and the bell rang.

— Welcome to Ripley's Workshop. — The salesman didn't even turn around at the sound. — Are you looking for something specific or just decided to hide from the rain?

They were met by a tall man in his thirties. Smeared all over with magic oils, he was fiddling with some kind of wooden rabbit toy.

— Good afternoon, sir. I would like to buy a toy for my brother.

— Choose, — the man pointed to three large racks with toys, — Aiden! We have clients! Please bring a towel for them!

— Brother, I want this one — Lou pointed to the fluffy fox. Toy hot water bottle, so it was written on the tag.

— Sure? — Yoni didn't quite understand why the kid needed a heating pad if they couldn't get cold, but he didn't really mind.

— Yes!

— Dad, I told you...

When the brothers approached the magician, the one whom the foxes least expected to meet came down the stairs. Damn boy.

— You… — Aiden dropped the towels on the floor in surprise.

— Do you know him? — Finally, the owner of the shop paid attention to them.

— He is from school, we talked a couple of times, that's all, — the boy smiled innocently at his father, — can I help you with something?