Heir of Dust and Wind

Chapter 4 - An Impossibility

It was the thud of Ava's book hitting the ground that broke the spell.

Hurriedly she picked it back up, checking it for potential damages. Remembering that she had a job to do, she put the book on the counter and went to stand behind it in an effort to regain some professional composure. 

Had poor old Mr Anderson gotten himself involved in some kind of extortion? Presumably with a gang that used reptile contacts to scare their victims? If so, it certainly worked on her.

Realising the ridiculousness of this train of thought, she shook her head slightly. The most logical explanation was him being a customer and her overly tired eyes playing a trick on her. 

She really should check that book on traumatic experiences.

"Welcome to Anderson's", she said. "How may I help you? Or would you just like to look around?" 

She looked up at him trying - and failing miserably - to smile when she looked back up and realised that his unblinking reptile stare was still fixed on her. He looked vaguely incredulous, she thought.

Stepping fully into the shop and closing the door behind him, he made a couple of steps towards her. It took all of her willpower to not back away from him. Somehow it felt as if he was radiating power.

That's just his height she told herself in an unsuccessful effort to calm down her racing pulse.

The stranger stopped and stared again. He took in a deep breath, flaring his nostrils, almost as if he wanted to take in her scent.

"Sir? May I be of any assistance?", she tried again, proud that her voice sounded much steadier than she felt.

Instead of answering, the stranger made another step toward her, reptile eyes watching her intently, nostrils still flaring.

Now Ava was really starting to feel panicked. Despite all her efforts to convince herself that he was simply a customer, if an eccentric one, his behaviour no longer seemed to sustain this theory, which admittedly had been hard to believe in the first place.

Wrecking her brain how she could escape the situation, she thought of options explained to her during a self-defence class that Tina had insisted on. 

Fleeing was not an option. Both doors were behind the stranger and with his long legs, he would be able to catch her in no time.

"Stop!", she said quietly, recalling the instructor's words from back then.

The stranger made another step and had now almost reached the counter.

Ava felt like a proverbial rabbit facing - in his case a quite literal - snake. Balling her hands into fists, she felt heat pooling within her, just like in the night of the accident. She fought to keep her rising panic contained.

"You need to sound sure of yourself", the instructor had said before explaining that this simple sentence ought to make the perpetrator pause. 

Even though Ava had been sceptical then and didn't feel sure of herself now, she inhaled deeply, channelling all the strength she could muster, she tried again.

"Sir, I want you to stop! Stay where you are!"

With every word, the feeling of heat drained from her body, making her feel a little less insecure about her situation.

Much to her surprise, the stranger halted mid-step, almost as if her words had frozen his movements. If he had looked mildly incredulous before, his face now showed genuine surprise.

*****

This was not possible. 

Trygve had barely been able to believe his eyes when he entered the shop being prepared to find Alistair and give the standard speech that he had given to all the novitiates before him. Instead, he had found this.

A young woman, small and delicate-looking, had glanced up at him from a book. While he knew that she was an absolute impossibility, the signature was clearly hers, pulsing, vibrating from her in a constant flow and filling the small shop.

Dazed by the fact that this one was undoubtedly female, he had stared at her for quite some time. Likewise, she had stared back at him, assessing at first, taking in his appearance. When her eyes had moved to meet his stare, she had visibly paused, her surprise turning into something more fearful. Almost as if she had taken a peek at his second nature, shying away from the creature that lived beneath his human appearance.

If it hadn't been for the book she had dropped, their staring at each other might have continued for some time, he thought. 

Instead, she had tried to regain control of the situation by resuming her post behind the counter of the shop.

Still unable to believe what he had found, Trygve had needed to reassure himself by taking in the signature once more. Walking towards her and taking it in had clearly scared her, but he didn't care. He needed to be certain that his worsening condition hadn't compromised his senses.

She was saying something, but he couldn't hear her, engrossed by the allure of the strongest signature he had ever found on his many missions. However, when she spoke again, her words seemed to be seeping into his muscles, his bones, the core of his being.

"Sir, I want you to stop! Stay where you are!"

He froze on the spot, unable to finish his final step towards her. He looked at her incredulously.

Without any training or even the first of the seven oaths of allegiance, she had just magically compelled him to obey her order. Despite his recent state, given his age and rank, this was beyond impressive.

While they were staring at each other once again, Trygve realised that despite the odds of her being a petite female, he might be looking at his ticket to freedom after all.

Just as he opened his mouth to finally address her, the jingle of the shop's door announced that they had company.

***
Image by SarahRichterArt from Pixabay.