Toni
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Episode One Hundred and Eighty-Three: Snowstorm
🕑 Added 2025-10-07 14:00:10 +0000 UTCAll three sets of eyes pivoted to stare at Indigo.
“Dragons are good luck,” whispered the guy from near the door.
“Well, we can use that luck with the snow storm.” Lorena set the brand new mug on the counter.
“Just a black coffee, or something with milk and sugar?” I asked, wiping the inside of the mug out with a rag.
“Oh, something sweet with chocolate would be delightful.” A big smile came across her face, though her eyes kept flicking back to Indigo.
Indigo ignored them, poking the Lorestone in various locations like she was testing it for soft spots. She mumbled something under her breath, but it didn’t respond to the woman.
“One mocha, coming up,” I said with a grin, then glanced at Nisha. “And for you?”
She bit her lower lip. “Hmm.”
I ground the espresso beans for the mocha, and snuck a look at the Cat.
He sat on the counter watching the guy next to the door. His tail lazily moved across the counter.
“Can I get the same thing as Lorena?” asked Nisha.
“Of course. Do you want a mug, or a simple to-go cup?” That made things easier, not that I didn’t mind making whatever she wanted.
Her eyes went wide as she glanced back at the table full of mugs.
“Get a mug,” said the guy, even though he kept staring out the window at the swirling snow.
She hurried to the table and picked out a deep purple one before bringing it back to the register.
By this point, I’d completed Lorena’s drink and already had the espresso ready for her. I pushed the wooden lid onto her mug and moved it closer to Lorena.
I liked those lids, and needed to check them out later. While Betty kept my mug always warm, they’d make a fantastic gift for my family members that coffee.
Within minutes, both drinks were done.
“How much for both and the hat?” asked Lorena.
I strolled to the register, but before I reached it I pushed out with my magic, trying to figure out what I needed to do. The golden outline stretched between Nisha and the guy. Yet, spikes of the power flickered toward Lorena.
“It’s clearing up,” the guy said, peering out the window. It fogged up as he spoke.
“That was fast,” I mumbled, trying not to rush ringing them up. I needed to figure out what had to happen here. My heartbeat sped up as I put the order in.
“I’m going to go out and check,” he added pulling the hat he picked up earlier on.
“Take Nisha with you,” ordered Lorena.
Golden light sparkled between the two of them before twisting into a rope.
Nisha’s eyes went wide, and she grabbed the mug with a lid. She bowed to Lorena then hurried to the guy’s side. Both headed out as the bells jingled.
“This has been one productive trip,” added Lorena with a sly smile, watching the door close. “A safe place to hide from the storm, a warm drink, and a match made.”
I added everything up and, to my shock, it wasn’t a weird currency. The card reader beeped.
She tapped something on her wrist to it, and it sent an approved message my way.
“A match?”
Lorena chuckled. “Those two have the makings of a strong bond. I hadn’t seen it before. But, a matchmaker can always tell.”
Relief trickled through me. The gold bond made sense now.
“Oh, that is a lucky day.” Was that really all that needed to happen?
She chuckled softly, picked up her drink and headed to the entrance.
“Thank you for being right where we needed you to be.” Then she swept out the door, with the bells ringing behind her.
“Wait, Cat, she knew?” I twisted around searching for him.
The Cat wasn’t on the counter anymore. He sat next to Indigo, speaking to her in some way I couldn’t follow.
The small dragon huffed, then leaped off Betty and landed on the counter.
“I can’t figure the magic out, and it won’t answer any more questions,” she added while her cheeks darkened slightly.
My eyes narrowed as I studied her then the stone. “Lorestone, what is the best dragon tribe?”
“The Chromaflame of course. They collect fine works of art, in various forms. Everything from physical media, to recordings of songs that should last through the ages.”
“Thank you, Lorestone,” I added as he finished his sentence. I didn’t want to have him go on and on about the clan.
Indigo stared at the stone with wide eyes, her tail sticking out straight behind her.
“Are you being nice to Lorestone?” I asked, softly leaning closer to the young dragon.
“Lorestone?” she chirped, glancing at me with bright eyes then back to the stone. She bounced slightly on her paws.
“That’s the stone's name…” I let out a sigh as I sat on my stool, mind racing about how to have this conversation. “Having manners is important. Things such as asking someone’s name, or how they are doing.”
“It’s a rock…” she said in a small voice. Her head tilted to one side.
“Yes, but it’s been around a very long time, and has a name.”
Part of me had to admit asking a rock its name wouldn’t normally have come to mind, but Lorestone spoke so clearly in its own voice, and had opinions. It felt like it had a name, so I’d asked.
“But names are dangerous…” said Indigo, shaking her head.
The Cat pounced next to her before I could respond. “They are, but you need to remember Sable is human, and she views things through a human perspective. To her, names are important as labels. Everything needs a name, even if it is only a nickname.”
Indigo nodded slowly before she huffed. “I need to think.”
“Thinking is good,” I added as I studied the Cat. He’d done a good job explaining my thoughts.
Indigo launched herself into the air and flew to her hideaway.
“That was profound,” I said as I reached out to scratch his soft ears.
He purred and moved closer. “She needed to understand where you were coming from. Plus, the bigger issues in the magical world around asking someone their name.”
“Is it rude?” My fingers stopped moving.
The Cat stopped purring. “It isn’t rude, necessarily, but it can be dangerous, or a sign that you want to get closer to someone. There are rules, of a sort. You’d probably call it protocol.”
I had nothing to say to that.
“In the shop you both are safe, but in the wider universe, asking the wrong being its name can be dangerous.”
Instead of asking for examples, I just sat with his words. This meant something to him, since he kept talking about it, trying to get me to understand. The least I could do was think about it.
“If I’m outside the shop, I’ll try to be careful when meeting magical beings.” It wasn’t like that would happen. If I wasn’t in the shop, I’d be at home, and my small town was the epic center of old school boring.
“That is all I can ask.”
I chuckled, thinking about my book on beings of the tree.
“Maybe the books on humans need to be updated to warn about this,” I eventually mumbled.
“I will add it to my knowledge bank,” said Lorestone.
Both the Cat and I turned in that direction. My eyebrows rose slightly.
“Is your knowledge self contained, or are there other Lorestones out there?” I leaned closer to Betty, waiting for the answer.
Images from futuristic movies came to mind where the computers took over. Plus the security risk. We didn’t need a stone passing information from inside the shop to others, no matter how friendly it was.
Comments
Earth Grumble
Exterminate! Exterminate!
Alexander Dupree
“they’d make a fantastic gift for my family members that coffee” presumably you ment “drink” coffee
