Mysterious Chime (Book #1)

C H I M E 7

⁷| THE HORUS

With my mind still on Kylie, I stepped away from the ladies section to find Axel. I frowned when I didn't find him for he ensured that he would be at the sixth stall. Standing there for about five minutes I decided to make a visit inside. Throwing a swift glance at the store's name that read 'Blood Era Store' with Cursive, bold fonts --- I contemplated whether its wise to go in or not since it gave me chills.

Making my way in I called out to Axel awkwardly. The first thing I noticed was the fact that this shop was nothing close to what's modern: statues, porcelains, coins, jewels, trading cards,golden lamps, bronze bracelets and accessories and artifacts of all sorts were what laid there in sight. Earning a clear of throat my way I was relieved to find only the owner of the store around the age of early 60's--- now looking at me with a worried look. "Young lass,you want any help? Lost someone deary?" My mouth was shut closed. Something was off with this place as I found it hard to concentrate on one thing in particular plus the feels made me light headed. Say something for once!

"I'm sorry but have you seen a guy around my age walking somewhere in this area or perhaps this shop?" My hands were out, moving frantically to explain but felt dumb at the same time because guys usually come and go, not that he keep tracks of them. It's a mall, Nora.

"Oh your boyfriend I guess?" Without giving me time to clear his assumption, the old man with rimmed glasses that showcased his widened eyes and the grin-worth teeth added,"he walked directly towards the 'Ancient Egypt' section. Young lad so engrossed by it." So different histories are divided into sections as well? What a weird store.

Thanking the old man either-ways- I walked towards the 'Ancient Egypt' section. Passing the first two aisles I found a figure- half bending giving a thorough check to the shelf. I recognized it was Axel right away as a grin etched its way towards my mouth. But what was he going through so much?

A sudden childish warning bell rang in my head as I silently laughed imagining the consequences. With my lips tugged harder along by my teeth, I tiptoed behind Axel. Indeed he was engrossed by the antiques. I prayed the lord above to not abolish the plan or make any movements in Axel to notice what I was up to. I guess my past self was never good at sneak attacks because I sensed it yet it's still worth the try.

I slowly leaned towards him and screamed "Boom!" causing Axel's jumpy figure to knock his head harder in the compartment above in process making some wooden objects to fall along with him to the cold floor, simultaneously.

"Ow Fuck!" He cussed groaning slightly. He tried getting up but failed miserably when a wooden cube fell onto his head. Ouch!

"Ah you bloody little toys!" he moaned in pain again.

My hands flew to my mouth as I found it hard to control my laughter when Axel's startled position kept on playing in my mind.

Axel who was now standing crooked looked directly at me with a slight irritated look as I giggled sheepishly. "Oops."

"Nora you little-" he started advancing towards me but stopped when the store owner made his way to where we were. Once he stopped he shifted his eyes from me to Axel scanning us from head to toe then towards the fallen objects. "Is everything alright?" He asked.

I turned to Axel feeling guilty but the smirk he gave told me that he's not going to support me in this matter. Wrapping his arm around my shoulder Axel pulled me closer. "Yeah my friend here got too excited after spotting me that she had to jump on me. Hence the chaos. My apologies, sir." No he didn't support me infact he ruined me. My face was full on red like a tomato.

"Young kids..." the old man shook his head and walked to where he came from but paused before saying "make sure to arrange them back."

"Look what you made me do No-Ra," Axel raised his brow suggestively but I shut him down by nudging him in the rib.

"You really had to do that Axel?"

He shook his head and with a cheeky grin he collected the fallen ancient articles, stacking them back in the shelf.

"You sneaked on me,"he reasoned.

"But I didn't expect you to react like some girl who's seen a spider just meters ahead." Finding it both surprised and funny, he chuckled my remark away and stepped back after re-establishing the objects from the mess. As though an artist was admiring his final touch, Axel was wandering his eyes all over but then it stopped at me--or rather at the clothes that were inside the store bag I had dragged in with.

His face glowed with excitement at the sight of jt. "Oh! finally someone has come down to earth. Thought I'd have to force you inside the trial room myself." I blushed at his unobservant blabber but covered it off with an eye roll.

"Axel what were you searching for earlier?" Feeling both curious to know what got his mind absorbed so much that he was caught off guard and the need of changing the subject I questioned.

"It's something valuable," he stated the obvious. Anything that's ancient costs an arm and a leg which isn't rocket science.

"Well did you find it?" Ignoring his short answer I asked again.

Flashing a giddy smile Axel walked towards a chair which had something small canopied in a brown cloth. Uncovering the material he turned to me,"Yes."

"Woah!" It was a small wooden box with Egyptian carvings. Even though the box appeared small and light from outside, it felt hard and heavy when I held it in my palm. It was ancient but a true beauty indeed. My eyes grew wider-mostly filled with amusement,I brushed the softness of my fingers against the harder covering. For some weird reason I felt as though I was in a real Egyptian framework.

"Beauty isn't it?" My imagination disappeared when Axel whispered next to me.

"Does this have a name of some sort?" I asked not breaking my eye contact with the squared box in my palm that seemed to radiate with power.

"It doesn't have a name in particular according to what I know although I'd call it the Horus,"Axel shrugged with an admiring smile.

My interest piqued as I asked, "What does it mean?"

"According to ancient Egypt, Horus is a god in the form of a falcon who had his right eye in the sun or morning star and the left eye in the moon or evening star. The eye of Horus symbolises health, protection and restoration."

The things he know.