Prompt 1
[1,643 words]
Galena sighed, holding her head up with a paw as she fiddled with a precious stone on the otherwise clean glass case. Work had been slow as of late; even slower than normal. Bigger businesses and jewelers out in the towns and cities had always been stealing her customers away, but these past few weeks, it was just about dead at her little store. And while her son's father had agreed to a rather unorthodox arrangement - Galena advertising his soda shop and Carnelian giving away free samples, and Fonta suggesting her shore to his customers when they came in for a drink - it just didn't seem to be working. Though she'd joked about having to sell the store before, it was really getting hard to keep up with the bills with no customers.
"Ma, Ma!" Carnelian called, running up from the back room of the store and struggling to carry a stack of plastic cups and a two-liter bottle of orange cream soda with him. "Ma, the date on this pop is in a couple days. I don't want it to go to waste! Do you want any?"
Galena laughed lightly and ruffled his fur as he came to a stop by the counter she was leaning up against. "That's alright, kiddo. You can have some now, I'll probably pour myself a glass later."
"Oh, okay! Thanks, Ma!" He smiled brightly, flicking his ears and sitting down to pour himself a cup of the fizzy drink. He mostly succeeded, aside from a small spill of foam from popping it open, and he dashed back off into the other room to grab some paper towels to wipe the mess up with.
When he was out of sight, Galena allowed her smile to drop. Carnelian... He was such a good kid. Even being a little kit, he loved helping out with her work, and yet...
Without the shop, she wouldn't even be able to take care of her son.
When Carnelian rushed back in, balancing a whole roll of paper towels on his head like the goofball he was, Galena grinned again, her smile only half-genuine.
Keep up the facade for him, she thought. He didn't need to worry about things like that, not yet. He was still so young. She watched him wipe up the fizz and foam, then took a moment to place the gem she'd been absentmindedly playing with back in the case.
"Hey, 'Nelie, do you mind watching the store for a few minutes?" she asked. "I think I'm going to head outside for a quick break."
Carnelian's eyes lit up. He'd never had to help a customer on his own during one of his mother's breaks, but it was always an exciting prospect. "Oh, okay! Should I give you a shout if someone drops by?"
She doubted that would be happening any time soon, but she played along anyway. "Yes, that'd be good - Just give me a shout if you need anything. I won't be far, just need to step out for some fresh air. And if someone shows up, you can go ahead and pour them a glass of soda on the house while they wait." She lowered her front half back down onto the floor and pressed her forehead against his. "You'll do great, I'm sure. You've always been a people Kalon. Love you, kiddo."
Carnelian rolled his eyes. "Love you too, Ma."
And Galena pulled her head back and stepped outside.
She sat leaning against a tree near the center of the small village, not far from her shop, and that was when she first heard tell of the attacks.
"-lokairi's been having demon troubles, apparently."
"Supposedly they're feeding on the life forces of the residents there."
"I heard even the castle got taken over, and they've made it their stronghold."
"Apparently the people there are so weak from the enemy forces sapping their strength they're seeking help from the mainland to combat the darkness."
"D'ya think there'll be riches for the guys who go to help?"
"Seems likely to me. Their economy's been booming since they got out of that depression. Lots of gold, I'll bet."
"Gold and gems, no doubt. The country's known for the big crystals that crop up in the coves and swamps to the south."
Galena's ears perked up. Gold and gems, did they say? Those... Those sounded like the exact sort of things she was always on the lookout for. As the group chatted, she pushed herself up and wandered over. "Hey, guys. Hope I'm not intruding or anything. I was just on my break when I heard you talking about some country being attacked. I haven't heard much about them, myself - Mind if I ask what it's all about?"
"Oh, Galena, hey!" One of the Kalons, blue with a golden, diamond-shaped shine waved her over. It was one of the few Kalons she ever saw visiting her shop with any frequency - Fay, the manager of a thrift store in a nearby town and an avid cosplayer, who dropped by seeking jewelry for her outfits every few weeks or so. "Yeah, apparently the Kalokairi Kingdom to the south has been having, uh...
Issues." She twisted up her mouth and shrugged. "Being attacked by shadow creatures, held prisoner by the darkness, apparently it's a real mess over there. The ones who haven't been caught sent word that they're looking for help the other day. Sounds like a real adventure, like something out of a video game." Then she grinned. "Bet it'd be a real good opportunity to see how that Master Sword replica you made for me stands up in actual combat."
"It... It was really only meant for decorative purposes, Fay. I'm not much of a blacksmith, you know that, right? I mean, I can make jewelry, but actual weapons? I don't think-"
"Oh, no, I know! That's why I had someone back in town fix it up! You know, reforge it, polish it, sharpen it up all nice-"
"You did
what." Galena gave Fay a Look. You know the one. "Don't you need a permit to own weapons like that?"
Fay raised a paw to her lips and put one digit up. "Shhh. Don't tell anyone." Then she laughed. "But no, really, it's fine! I have a permit, it's cool." Somehow Galena doubted that. "So, since I have a weapon, I was thinking I'd head on out and see what it's all about! I bet it'll be real cool."
"And
I bet the reward will be massive," muttered another Kalon.
"Oh, you people, always on about
money. What about helping others? What about the thrill of the adventure? What about slicing evil creatures in half with a big, shiny ol' sword and watching them disappear in a cloud of smoke?" Fay huffed. "Buncha True Neutrals, only looking out for themselves and for profit..." Then her eyes lit up. "Actually! Galena, you're in a sort of tight spot financially, right?"
Galena's ears drooped and she groaned. "Do you really have to be so blunt about it, Fay?"
"Okay, but you are, right? And you have access to all sorts of gems and metal. So - Stay with me here - what if you and my blacksmith guy forged a sword together and went with me on an adventure!"
"Fay, I have a kid-"
"He can stay with his dad and his brothers at the soda shop! I bet he'd like that!"
"I don't know, they might be busy-"
Fay reached up and grabbed Galena's face. "Gal. This is not a question. You're gonna go with me on this adventure. You're gonna make yourself a sword or something and you're gonna get on a boat with me and we're gonna go slay the darkness."
"I don't even have money for the blacksmith," she mumbled, barely comprehensible with her face squished between the somewhat bigger Kalon's paws.
"Oh, I'll pay for that! The boat there and back, too. Maybe we can even get some chainmail armor made! And I'll tell you what, in fact - You make that sword a replica of the Goddess Sword, and I won't even make you pay me back with the reward money! You just gotta give me the sword when all's said and done, alright?"
"...I'm not getting out of this, am I?" That said... Well, it had piqued her interest. It might be worth a shot anyway.
"Nope!" Fay let go of her face and grinned. "Tell you what, give you until Thursday to get things set up with Fonta and his kids, then this Friday and into the weekend we can get that sword and armor taken care of, and we'll set off for Kalokairi on Monday!" She put her paws on Galena's shoulders and pushed her back towards the shop. "Go on, then, get ready!"
Galena rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright." And she set back off for the shop.
---
Up in the hills of the nearby woods, a dark green Kalon with eyes, halo, shine and paws glowing blue and yellow sat, pondering. He had overheard this conversation as he crept along the edge of the village, and it... It interested him. Demons, stealing away the life energy of Kalons... He looked down at the enchanted black lantern held by a chain around his neck, flickering with a flame the same colors as his glow. Well, that felt almost like a threat to his livelihood. The demons had chosen
him for this - To do it themselves and take away the strength of the souls
he could be using, feeding on, was traitorous, almost blasphemous. And yet at the same time, the prospect of so many Kalons, all together and already weak, perhaps even too weak to resist him...
Yes... Perhaps that blue and orange duo would not be the only ones boarding the boat that next Monday.