Fable (on hiatsu)

5. Customers and Potions

Our first customer showed up at five, on the dot. It always gave me this odd little shiver when I closed the front doors and, not a minute later, they were opened by someone elsewhere. Our human clients are usually old, wise people who haven't been blinded by the new technologies and constant changes of our planet. Every once and a while, a new face shows up. A kid or a young adult looking for a cure to help a loved one. In Issa-san's shop only the old are allowed to be selfish.

Our customer was a regular. Though I said most of our customers are old, there are people who make their living hand in hand with the Spirits. Cryme-san (I never learned his first name) was a tall man with silver hair. His face was always set like a stone wall and he detested the Beings that lived, or existed in some... immortal cases, in the outskirts of town. Cryme-san was a feared exorcist in his time, but now he lives not by solving cases caused by rowdy Spirits, but by impressing viewers on the television. He swallowed his pride several years ago, when he began to age rapidly. This was caused by the overuse of his spiritual power. Now he has trouble keeping his vital energy within his body.

Because of this, he comes by Issa-san's shop every two days and buys a vial of Restraint Potion. He manages to stay alive because of this, but he would be in deep trouble if he had to use his powers. And so, he tries to stay on good terms with the Beings around town. But no matter what good terms he was on with the creatures of the town, those of the woods filled him with unease.

Issa-san sent T'Ko to fetch Cryme-san's vial. As the man looked around with barely concealed contempt, I peeked a look through the half open door. An electric thunderstorm tingled through my arms and down my back. I was looking, not at the deep forest, but at a calm courtyard that gave on a large, low mansion. I whistled under my breath.

"Jo lives here?" I asked myself. Cryme-san, unfortunately, heard me and answered.

"You are Jonathan's friend aren't you? You are almost too odd to be human, boy..." I frowned slightly, ruffled. I mean, I wouldn't mind being called a Spirit, but the way he said it suggested it was an insult. "Well, you do get along well with the Spirits, it seems. That's quite special, no matter if you posses the Sight or not..."

I didn't have enough time to reply, that T'Ko had returned and handed over the potion in return for a cloth bag that clinked. I lifted an eyebrow; it seems that Cryme-san was one of the very few that gave Issa-san money.

"Thank you, Sage." He said, bowing. He turned to me. "You are welcome to come over whenever you want to see Jonathan. Good day." The man turned crisply on his heels and walked purposefully through the door, closing it behind him.

Not a second later, it opened again. A frail old woman, bent over and resting most of her weight on a cane, inched in. She trekked slowly, but with determination, over to Issa-san's desk. With a breathy sigh, she took seat in a chair I had brought hurriedly in for her.

"Hello, Nora-chan~" Issa-san greeted her warmly. "I have your Youth Potion right here," he produced a pink vial from some hidden compartment in the desk. "Like every time you come here, I must repeat the instructions. Drink only a drop per week, for a month, before drinking the rest on the last day. If you don't get your body used to it before, you'll die immediately."

"I know, Issazawa-sama, this is the twentieth time I've taken it." Her voice was shivery, like an old tree about to lose its last few leaves for winter. But it held resolution. The first time I saw her was a little over two years ago. This is the second time.

She handed the Gryffon a marble and a stick tied with a tattered red ribbon. I could feel the power emanating from the two like one feels a storm in the air. Her price had gotten to its highest. These tools were Ancient artifacts imbued with feelings that grew into Magic.

"This is the last time my potion will work, Nora-chan. When it wears off, however, you are welcome to come here for some Health potions, at the same price as anyone else."

"Thank you, Issazawa-sama, for the offer. I will return if my health allows it." She bowed her head, and for a split second I felt like I could see the young girl Issa-san had known since she was a child.

"All you must do is call my Shop and cross a closed threshold. You may come here by wheelchair if you can no longer walk, you know." He got up and kissed her forehead. "I shall see you again Nora-chan. Be sure of it."

She smiled at him, before getting up painfully and leaving the shop.

That day, we had seven human customers before the shop closed. T'Ko and I said our goodbyes to Issa-san and began a quiet walk back to my house. I think I forgot to say it, but T'Ko sleeps on a tall fir tree we have in the backyard. When I look out my window, on a clear night, I can see his silhouette, sitting on a thin branch, swaying in the moonlight.

Anyway, it was around then -while walking home, happy and tired- that I remembered that Grandma would be coming over for supper. I suddenly began to run. T'Ko immediately matched pace, but not before giving me a look saying "Why did we start running..?". The wind lifted his mask up and I saw his eyes, a deep emerald green, as lush as a forest. Out of breath I gasped:

"Grandma is home tonight!" His eyes widened a bit, before smiling and grabbing my arm.

"Let’s get home faster then!" The Spirit shouted. He had taken off his uniform at the shop and so I saw the long folds of his black kimono stretch into long dark wings and rise above us in a gust of wind. We flew, just above the treetops, the wind in our hair. The sun was setting and the warm air was cooling rapidly.

Our laughs of joy bubbled in the air. Alive.