“Hello, adventurers. Welcome to my shop. My name is Barton Vess. All my friends call me Bart.”

  That's a demon, a straight-up demon, Jason thought, his heart pounding.

  What stood before him was a humanoid being standing over six feet in height. His skin was a vibrant red, and he had two horns—although one had been cut off.

  “Ah, two Forerunners,” Barton said. “First time seeing a Tiefling, I see. Good to meet you Jason.” Barton raised an eyebrow. “And good to meet you Maggius, a unique name for a human.”

  A flush spread across Maggy’s cheeks, her grip tightening on her staff. “How did you know we were Forerunners?”

  “Do not worry, I wish you no harm,” Barton said, eyeing her staff. “I have an Identify skill. It is a useful ability for a merchant, would you not agree?”

  Barton Vess

  Race: Tiefling

  Class: Survival Outfitter

  Level: 25

  Grade: F

  Jason looked to Maggy, who gave him a nod and a shrug.

  “Hello, Bart. My name is—”

  Barton cut him off. “My friends call me Bart. Barton will do.”

  “Ah… okay, Barton, as you know already my name is Jason and this is my companion who goes by Maggy.” Jason said, gesturing towards Maggy.

  Barton gave Maggy a slight bow.

  “Good to see some friendly faces in a time like this. What can I do for you?” Barton asked.

  “We were hoping for some shelter from the Thermal Burnout. Barton, do you have anything to help with the Thermal Burnout?”

  “Yes, yes,” Barton waved. “Follow me.”

  “You’re lucky. A merchant passed through here a week ago and dumped these worthless potions on me. Like what Tiefling would need such a thing? And if an adventurer did come, they couldn't possibly be stupid enough to..." He trailed off as they reached the eastern corner of the shop. “This should help.”

  Barton handed Jason a vial. Jason nearly dropped the vial as it burned his hand, dealing some minor damage.

  Thermal Burnout Blowout (Common) — Drinking this tincture will prevent the status effect of Thermal Burnout. This tincture will cause 10 points of damage upon consumption. Will prevent Thermal Burnout for 12 hours. Cost: 15 Razian coins.

  Jason raised an eyebrow. “Is this really the only thing you have?”

  Bart nodded. “These three tinctures are all I have to combat Thermal Burnout. Please look around at the other wares I have to offer while you recover.” Bart turned and walked back to the counter.

  Jason looked over the 'shop' — the other wares were mostly spoiled or withered away.

  The stale stink of burned wood and old smoke clung to the broken walls, and ash fell through the open rafters.

  Spoiled Burning Ox (Common) — Once a delicious and nutritious meal but left to rot. Now an inedible pile of diarrhea-inducing slop. Cost: 5 Razian coins

  Jason recoiled from the meat. He found several potions that had similar messages.

  One item caught his attention, however.

  Sewing Box (Uncommon) — Brought to you from the sewing guild of the Needle Heads. This box repairs any non-magical gear; just place the item in the box and watch the magic happen. This box can be upgraded to repair common-uncommon gear. Cost: 124 Razian coins.

  Jason glanced down at his tattered shirt and pants. “What do you think?” Jason said, holding the Sewing Box.

  “Is that a microwave?” Maggy asked, brows furrowed.

  “No, it's a Sewing Box. It just looks like a microwave.”

  Her eyes unfocused for a moment as she read the prompt, then she looked him up and down before replying, “Yeah, I think it would be for the best.”

  Jason carried the Sewing Box as well as the three potions to the counter.

  “Did you find everything okay?” Bart asked.

  “Yes, we did, thank you,” Maggy said. “Can you tell us how to reach the castle?”

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Bart waved his hand before pointing. “Quite simple: walk about thirty minutes in that direction, and you will be at the entrance.”

  As Bart started to tally up the total, Jason noticed a bookshelf behind Bart.

  “Do you have any spellbooks on that shelf?”

  “A few. You are welcome to peruse them if you’d like.”

  Tome of Self-Ignite (Common) — Ignite yourself on fire, deals fire damage to everything that is within a 10-meter range. Cost: 30 Mana. Damage: 120 self-inflicted damage, 50 area damage. Cost: 75 Razian coins.

  Jason side-eyed the tome. Why would anyone want this?

  The rest of the spellbooks were similarly convoluted. When he was about to give up, a book caught his attention.

  History of Arathius (Uncommon) — A brief history of the legendary mage Arathius. Cost: 20 Razian coins.

  “Scraps,” Jason muttered as he reached out for the book. As his fingers touched the book, his gut tightened.

  “Are you a historian? That book does not offer any type of survival or combative knowledge.”

  “What can you tell me about Arathius?” Jason asked, flipping the book open.

  “Not much, I'm afraid. I think he is an elf if I remember correctly,” Bart said, hand on his chin. “And no reading of the book until after purchase.”

  Jason dropped 20 coins on the counter.

  As a young elf mage, Arathius traveled from village to village curing all manner of ailments, from a simple cold to helping the lame walk again.

  Jason skimmed page after page.

  Arathius was furious when his wife brought home a magny cat that she had 'rescued.' He had scoffed at the very idea of taking care of such a creature. He could often be found in town complaining about the antics of the cat—from jumping onto the counter to pushing vials off the counter; one in particular held a solvent that ate right through his floor. He had raved about the cat.

  Doesn't seem this cat was all that beloved, Jason thought to himself as he flipped another page.

  The book continued about other antics of the cat as well as achievements Arathius had made, from crafting a healing potion at half the cost of the old to crafting a dome around the city to control weather.

  The author went over Arathius's wife's death, leaving him only the cat that she had loved.

  Jason's brow furrowed as he skipped a few pages.

  The once-beloved mage leveled the entire city he had protected for years.

  Jason turned back a few pages.

  The cat hadn’t come home for several days. Arathius had searched frantically. When he finally found it, it was being tormented in the town square—three teenage boys were kicking it, laughing, calling it names. One of them was the son of the local magistrate.

  When Arathius demanded they stop, the boys jeered at him.

  "You said the cat was evil, didn’t you?" one asked. "We’re just helping it learn."

  Arathius had taken the cat home. Despite his extensive knowledge of healing spells and potions, the cat passed away, and with it, the last living memory of his wife.

  Heartbroken and furious, Arathius returned to the town hall and demanded the boys be punished. The magistrate refused.

  "It was just a cat," he said. "Boys will be boys. We can find you another."

  "I don’t want another," Arathius whispered. "That one was hers."

  Arathius's voice grew darker. “If you do not punish them adequately, I will.”

  The magistrate called in the guards. “Threaten my son again and I’ll have your head on a spike.”

  Arathius did not take kindly to such a threat. He had protected this town from countless disasters, and they had quickly turned on him.

  Author's note: What happened next is unclear. Only a few accounts exist from the event. Most of the accounts are unreliable at best. The most believed theory is he used the spell Ashen Requiem due to the crater in the center of town mixed with ash. Some say he screamed the cat’s name as ash swallowed the sky. Others say he had nothing to do with the town's destruction.

  The only remaining notes I could find are that he traveled to The Verdant Hollow, his homeland, where he disappeared from history.

  Jason’s gut twisted as he reached the end of the book. There was nothing about the Tear — no mention of the Ritual of Rebirth, no clues, no answers. He hadn’t realized how tightly he’d been gripping the pages.

  Items acquired: Thermal Burnout Blowouts x5, Sewing Box, History of Arathius for 219 Razian coins.

  Total remaining: 84 Razian coins

  Jason put the items into his storage. He stared at the History of Arathius for a moment.

  "You're making me think I charged too little for that," Bart said, with a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

  Jason just smiled, barely a whisper. "This book is priceless."

  Bart gave Jason a knowing smile. "I hope you find what you are looking for."

  Jason nodded, slipping the book into his pouch.

  "Do you have any rooms available?" Maggy asked.

  "I have several. Not many adventurers travel these parts anymore," Barton replied, eyes lost in thought of distant memories.

  "Do we have enough time for this?" Jason interjected. He stumbled as he stepped toward Maggy.

  "We need to make time. You look as bad as I feel," Maggy smiled. "How much for two rooms?"

  "Five Razian coins."

  They paid the fee and made their way up the rickety wooden stairs, exhaustion settling in their bones. Jason pushed open the door to his room—once a solid slab of oak, now warped and charred, with only a tarnished brass knob holding it together.

  He collapsed onto the straw-stuffed bed without undressing, the ache in his muscles too deep to argue. His eyes drifted to the pouch at his side, where the History of Arathius rested. He hadn't found what he was looking for… but he had gotten a step closer.

  Hours passed. The sun had set. The blood-red moon cast red light through the burnt-out roof.

  A system alert woke him.

  Soul is fully restored.

  New skills available.

  A smile formed, as he drifted back to sleep. This new power would change everything.

  weirdest microwave you’ve ever seen. Bart’s shop gave us a look at the quirky side of the Games of Raz, but more importantly, it gave Jason and Maggy a brief window of rest (and new gear). And let’s be honest: we all kind of want a Sewing Box now.