The Mysterious World of Eddy Shade

Chapter 13: Pawn Shops and Oni

     Sara had joined them outside the building. They had sent her to check Xander's place again and she had returned sometime ago, but had decided it was best to wait outside for them. She had reported that at least at the moment Xander's place was not being watched. At first Eddy was relived by this news, until he realized that it probably meant they had learned of the failure of their friends and were probably on their way to tell Swan all about how they had failed at killing him. Eddy did not even want to begin to think about what would be sent after him next. Feeling the coast was clear they decided to stop at Xander's in order for him to pick up some clothes and a few other essentials. 

     After leaving Xander's they had wound their way down several streets under the direction of Xander. After the countless turns Xander had him take Eddy was beginning to think that the drow had no idea where they were going and that they were now lost. Then Xander directed him to pull into a parking lot in front of a run down strip mall and Xander announced that they had arrived. 

     "Arrived where?" Eddy asked as he looked over the cracked pavement with its faded paint and the dingy building. Xander pointed at a shop close to the end of the row with the words pawn glowing in the classic orange neon in the window. "A pawn shop, why are we at a pawn shop?" he asked suspiciously. 

     Xander opened his door and began to get out. "We need to get you something, and this is the best place to get it." Eddy wore a worried look as he got out of the car to fallow the tall man. 

     "It's noting illegal is it?" he inquired. 

     "Of course not" Xander said offended "give me a little credit." He closed the door and began to walk across the parking lot towards the shop. Eddy fallowed after him as Xander pushed open the metal framed glass door to the shop. The door made a jingling sound when it opened as it hit a set of sleigh bells that were hanging from the ceiling to announce the arrival of any visitors. The shop was lined with shelves containing a wide verity of miscellaneous objects. Their contents ranged from decorative plates and porcelain figures all the way up to toasters, microwaves and even a waffle iron shaped like a cats head. Leaned against a far wall stood the larger items, a set of skis, a kayak and its paddle, and an old lighted Christmas tree. Sitting near by were TV's of various sizes, DVD players and old VCR's and even a mini fridge. At the back of the shop sat a low glass counter filled with jewelry and other valuable items. The most eye catching thing in the shop however had to be the man that was standing behind the counter. 

     The man had dark red skin and black hair. The front of the head was balding and shined under the florescent light. On both sides of his forehead, just above the eyebrows were a set of short white horns, a set of two above each eye. The man looked up from the magazine on the counter at them with almond shaped eyes that were a solid lime green. The eyes completely lacked any sign of an iris, leaving the only color variation in them to be the cross shaped pupils. 

     "May I help you?" asked the man in a faint Japanese accent. 

     Eddy leaned over towards Xander and whispered "Xander what is that?" 

     "An oni" Xander whispered back. 

     "What is an oni?" 

     "I'll tell you later." Xander began to walk towards the man at the counter. "Yes, as a mater of fact you can. My friend here is looking for, a particular type of item." 

     The oni gave a big toothy smile revealing enlarged K9's on both the top and the bottom of his mouth. 

     "Oh we have many things. What were you looking for? A VCR, stereo, maybe a nice ring for a special lady?" the man winked at Eddy while waving a hand over the jewelry case in front of him. 

     "No nothing like that" Xander said. "We are looking for items of a more . . . magical variety." 

     "Ah, I see" the man said. He snapped his long nailed fingers and the door locked and the sign hanging on the door flipped around to say closed. "Come, back this way." The man walked out from behind the counter and over to a door with the word privet painted on it. He pushed open the door and motioned for them to come with him into the back. "Sorry I did not realize at first" he said as they walked into the back room "your friend being human threw me. Humans that know about this sort of thing are very rare these days. Not like in the old days. Now what sort of magic item in particular were you looking for?" 

     "A weapon actually" Xander said.

     "Oh I see" the shop keeper said drawing out the "e" as he said it. "We are in that kind of shopping mood today. Well lets see what I have for you." The man walked over to a waist high wooden box that was roughly eight feet long and two feet wide. He reached down and undid a latch before flipping the heavy lid of the box open. The lid squeaked a little before slamming into the side with a loud bang. "Come, come, see if their is any thing you like." 

     Xander and Eddy walked up to the box. Though the box was tall it was in fact not very deep at all. The bottom was raised so that it sat just inches below the rim of the box. The bottom was lined with a loose velvet sheet like what you would see around jewelry displays in a store in the mall. Instead of jewelry however, the box contained a fork, a group of small butter knives of various sizes, a fish hook with the tip cut off that was tied to a short section of fishing line, some paper clips, a popsicle stick and a white candle all laid out evenly spaced. 

     At first Eddy thought the man must be crazy, and then he remembered the items the wraiths had been holding when they had attacked him. He realized that the contents of the box were all in fact anchors to weapons that had been stored in the veil. "Well what do you think" the shop keeper asked with a toothy smile. 

     "May we see their counter parts?" Xander asked. 

     "Of course, of course." The oni waved his red four fingered hand over the contents of the box and it began to glow. The fork changed into a trident, the butter knives into swords of various styles, the fish hook became a sickle shaped blade on a chain, while the paper clips transformed into a set of throwing knives with pearl handles. The popsicle stick became a bo staff and the candle transformed into a white staff with a glowing orange gem at the top. "You like?" Eddy stepped closer wide eyed "I take it by your quiet friends face that you approve" the shop keeper said with a knowing smile on his face. 

     Eddy reached towards a sword with a silver hilt, then paused, looking at the shop keepers face for approval. The man grinned and nodded, giving him the okay and Eddy picked it up. The blade was light and seemed warm in his hand. "What can you tell me about this one?" he asked as he turned it over in his hands to admire it. 

     "Well as you can see it has a silver hilt. The blade is a very old form of folded fairy steel that has been in forged with the element of fire. Do you like it?" 

     "Yes I do" Eddy said, then looked over at Xander "I take it this is why you brought me here?" Xander nodded. Eddy looked over at the shop keeper again "How much?" 

     "Three hundred. No negotiating."

     Eddy agreed and the man waved his hand over the box once again, the action turning the contents of the box back into the mundane items they had been before, including the one Eddy was holding. They made their way back into the main shop where the man rung them up. Eddy slid the little utensil into his pocket as he and Xander exited the store. As they walked out of the shop Eddy looked over at his friend "You know I have no idea how to use this thing right?" 

     "Don't worry. It's just one more thing for Edith to teach you" Xander said with a smile.