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It had been an unusually slow day for Xithian's magic shop (potions, poisons, and items, mind you, not cheap tricks). Besides it's supremely chosen location and his competitive prices, he hadn't had a single customer all day. He'd only had browsers. He hated browsers. They never knew what they wanted or NEEDED for that matter; they just figured he had a cute little shop with harmless nicknacks. "How ridiculousss," the snake-like man sighed as he placed his head in a hand and leaned on the front counter. There had been no one even remotely in the shop for a couple hours now, well, no one but himself and Caelen. If he had any workers, he'd definitely see this current time as losing money rather than making it. Good thing it was just him and Caelen. Speaking of the little half devil, where was he?

Xithian sighed again, pulling himself from his slumping posture on the counter. "Caelen?" he called, sounding more bored than concerned. "What're you doing?"

A couple seconds later, the little hooved boy known as Caelen trotted out of the back. "Noffin', papa." A devious little grin was plastered on the child's face. If Xithian didn't know any better than that was Caelen's actual grin, he'd think he'd been up to something. "Watcha want, papa?" The long, whip-like tail of Caelen wagged back and forth vigorously. He was always happy to be were his papa (and anyone) could see him.

"Jussst curiousss where you were, that'sss all," Xithian managed to smile as he strolled over to Caelen and picked him up. The spawn boy giggled as he was placed on a cleared-off section of the counter. His father often set him there when there were customers about. They always had something nice to say to him, and he enjoyed the attention. Though, sometimes it got a bit boring, sitting in one place.

"Where's evewyone?" Caelen looked about, a little upset that he wasn't getting any viewers right now.

"Good quessstion," Xithian sighed as he slouched back on the counter.

The store itself was rather small, but the space was used to its maximum capacity without it looking crowded. There were potions along one wall and poisons along the opposite, stocked like a far-too-elegant grocery store. The center space was reserved with tables of various objects that he had acquired through either bartering or... other means. The smell of the place might remind someone of an apothecary, if you've ever been to one. The air even seemed to even have a light haze to it.

Caelen practically bounced off the counter when she saw someone come in. And the gentleman brought in a kid! And she kind of looked like she might be from the Seven of Seven labs! Caelen's long tail flopped about excitedly as his normal, devious-looking grin popped onto his face. "HI!" he blurted, waving frantically so that they were sure to see him.

Xithian's reaction was far less animated, though as soon as he had spotted the pair approaching, he stood up straight and made himself look presentable. "Greetingsss," he waved an elongated hand to Vilyum. "Isss thhhere sssomethhhing I can help you find?" He stepped out from behind the main counter, picking the bouncing Caelen up as he seemed to glide around. He was quite elegant, though that was probably the snake-like blood he had coursing through his veins.

Setting Caelen down (about as easy a task as trying to hold the squirming toddler), Xithian sized up the man that had arrived. Despite the initial thought that he was just a human, the Yuan-ti man could sense something magical about him. But it was not his place to pry. Prying never got anyone anywhere except in trouble. He did see this man as a potential sale, however, so he was going to give him every courtesy possible. Besides, no one else was in the store. The same hand he had previously waved to Vilyum was now extended to the man, a simple smile gracing Xithian's angled face.

The hooved child toddle as he was set down, nearly falling over out of his own energy. "HI!" he spouted again, at the same volume. "I'm Caelen! Wha's your name?" His tail trashed about as he waited for a reply from the girl whom he now stood directly in front of.

Caelen giggled with immense glee as Áróra complimented his tail. It was a pretty fantastic tail. His excitement, coupled with the happiness that he'd just received, caused him to dance, his hooves clacking on the tile floor. "Yeeeeeheheheheh," he tittered, "Dass mah daddy, he's in charge! I he'p him wots, doh!" Caelen's big grin was hard to miss.

"Yesss, he helpsss," Xithian agreed as he looked to Áróra and Caelen briefly before returning his attention to Vilyum. "I can mossst sscertainly check my back room for anythhhing of thhhat nature. In the meantime, feel free to browssse. Potionsss are on thhhe left, poisssons on thhhe right. Thhhey are all home-made. Thhhe objectsss in the sscenter are from my variousss journeysss." He gestured to each respectively then turned to go to the back room. The way he walked gave the eerie impression that he was slithering back there. As he slunk through the curtain that parted the front from the back, a cloud of purple smoke wafted through and dissipated into the already hazy air.

Once Xithian had disappeared into the back, Caelen took it upon himself to entertain their guests. "Lookit wot I can do!" He held his arms outstretched on either side and paused (for effect). He wiggled his finger a bit, the smile still plastered on his face, then slammed both hands together, making a loud, resounding "CLAP." Immediately after, he had another giggle fit and nearly fell on the floor in his self-amusement. That was the best, loudest clap yet!

On the tables in the center of the store, there were many different objects. All of which had been carefully studied and cataloged by Xithian. Attached to each object was a little tag. On one side it had a price, on the other it gave a brief description of what the object was or did. Most were harmless little trinkets that gave a boost to strength or stamina, or something of that nature. On one table, there was a small, closed black box in a rather large metal cage. The box itself had no markings or adornments on it anywhere and was only about 4" x 2.5" x 2.5". It also look rather silly in a cage. The tag simply read "Mimic; Do Not Remove from Cage" on the one side and gave a price of $500 on the other. If someone didn't know what a Mimic was, then they would definitely wonder why it was priced so high and why it was in a cage.

"Wooooooow..." Caelen grinned and giggled, after Áróra had done her little trick. It was neat, he thought. He especially liked the fact that her wings and face tentacles were synced in their movements. "Das coo'! I wike da way your wings went FWOOSH an' your dentacles went PWOO!" He made various motions with his hands, trying his best to imitate the actions he'd just seen. He even went so far as to hold his hands up to his face and pretend his fingers were like Áróra's tentacles. They reminded him of this one... person that came into his dad's shop from time to time. His dad said that he was an Illithid? Yeah, he was pretty sure that's what he called him. The guy's head kinda looked like a squid. Either way, he didn't like that man much because he was no fun! This girl, however, she was pretty fun, so she couldn't be an Illithid like that one guy!

Caelen giggled again as he put his hands down from his face. He clacked his little hooves on the ground again, now knowing that she approved. Not that her disapproval would have stopped him, though. He liked his hooves... and his tail... and everything about himself, really. And he REALLY liked sharing himself and his talents with others.

"OH! Lemme show you da bitey box!!" Caelen squealed, grabbing a hold of Áróra's hand and dragging her over to the table with the Mimic on it. If it weren't for the noise of his hooves hitting the ground, one couldn't be certain if they actually were. His energy seemed endless. "HERE!" He pointed and then was gone, through the curtains in the back.

"Papa!" Caelen called up to Xithian as the reptilian man was standing on a ladder, going through some of his overstock and inventory. "Can I feed da bitey box? I hasn't today yet! And das my 'spons'bil'ty!" He had a little problem saying the last word, since it was a bit out of his vocabulary, but he'd been practicing it since his father had given him the task of feeding the creature.

Xithian sighed, placing some object he'd been examining back in a box. He wasn't finding anything that might be of use to Vilyum. Most of the things he carried, bought, and sold had a practical use. He rarely carried anything that was just a cutesy trinket. He made his way carefully down the ladder to where Caelen was standing, far from still. "You know were thhhe food isss." Xithian smirked, watching as Caelen sped off upstairs. He chuckled, unable to help himself for the brief moment. Once the child was out of site, though, he sighed again and continued his search for something to sell Vilyum.

The toddler came speeding down the stairs, tripping and colliding with the wall with a "thud." "Are you okay?" Xithian asked absently, as he knew the answer.

"Uh-huh!" Caelen got back up, his hands clutched around something. He seemed no worse for the ware and burst through the curtain. "Gots it!" He yelled to Áróra when he got to her. His devious grin was plastered on his face. "Watch dis!" Climbing awkwardly on some boxes that were placed for him to get to the cage, his hands still clasp tight. He stood on the top box, opening his hands to reveal a black and white mouse. He held on to the mouse tightly with one hand as he opened the top of the cage with the other. He then dropped the mouse in, right next to the box. The box, immediately opened, revealing a sharp-toothed maw that gobbled the mouse right up. Caelen, amused, rather than appalled, giggled profusely.

The smile faded from view as Áróra began to cry. Caelen didn't really understand the concept of death right now, though he could also tell you that the mouse wouldn't be back. But he also didn't understand why Áróra would become so sad. "Wat wong?" He climbed down from his tower of boxes, after he was sure the lid to the cage was closed. "Di' I do somefing?" His face contorted, tears welling up in his eyes. He felt like crying, mostly because Áróra was crying, not because of any real reason. He just felt like he should cry.

Xithian came scurrying out of the back room, something in hand. He had heard the crying of Áróra and was afraid that she'd been hurt. Nothing like an injured child to drive away business. Once he was out of the back room, however, his legs were collided into by a tiny spawn. Caelen buried his face in his father's long robe and began to bawl. As per usual, Xithian sighed and pick the young one up. "Everythhhing okay? What happened?"

"I DUNNO!!!" Caelen screamed, pulling his head back from his father's shoulder long enough to say that much. He then buried his face in his Xithian's shoulder again and continued to cry.

Xithian gave a rather pleading look to Vilyum, hoping the man could explain since both children were currently blubbering too much.

Xithian sighed as he held on to Caelen. He hadn't realized that the other child would have such a reaction. Granted, where he grew up, you were taught to catch your food at an early age so you wouldn't go hungry. So, he was accustomed to death long before what was normal for humans. And since it was normal for him, he saw no fault in showing Caelen the harsh fleetingness of life. The toddler took it surprisingly well, though Xithian had a suspicion that the spawn wasn't grasping the concept. Oh well, that understanding would come in time, no need to completely overload the boy or anything.

"Caelen," Xithian spoke calmly, his voice was smooth and soothing, "Why're you crying, Caelen? Are you hurt? Are you in trouble? Did sssomeone do sssomethhhing bad?" After each question, a muffled "uh-uh" could be heard coming from the spawn as his face remained buried and sobbing into his father's robed shoulder. "Ssso thhhen why're you crying?" A few moments passed as the thought sank in to Caelen's head. His crying slowing and he raised his head from Xithian's shoulder. Xithian smiled at the boy, "All better?" Caelen, still sniffing a bit, nodded. "Do you want down?" Again, Caelen nodded. Xithian set the boy on the ground as the tyke began wiping his nose with his arm.

Ignoring the rather gross, but childlike behavior, Xithian held out a small, glass-looking orb to show Vilyum. "I'm afraid thhhisss isss about all I have to offer." He released the orb and lowered his hand. Contrary to gravity, the orb hung motionlessly in the air. Xithian's expression was less than amused while Caelen stared at the floating ball. "By itssself it'sss ussselesss, jussst hangsss thhhere. If you were to get multiple, thhhough, you can ssset up a perimeter and if anythhhing ssstepsss inssside, thhhe orbsss will make a rather loud and annoying noissse." He grabbed hold of the orb and hold it out on his fingertips. "Thhhere easssy enough to ussse if you are wanting thhhem for thhheir desssignated purpossse. Othhherwissse, thhhey are mere floating orbsss."

Caelen looked from his father to Vilyum, to Áróra. He wondered if the girl was okay. He still wasn't sure why she'd been crying. The thought that she might hate him now never even entered his mind. After all, he was awesome.

Caelen's mouth dropped open when the lights began to flicker. He spun about, checking to make sure it was indeed, all the lights. He however, did not put two and two together. He didn't realize that it was Áróra that was causing the lights to flicker. Trotting about, he looked at each light individually, as close as he could before they all stopped. Once they went back to normal, he remained at the last one he'd been staring at and stood there, with a puzzled look on his face, head tilted to the side. What was that all about? His father did some magical things in the back room, but nothing to cause the lights to flicker.

The reptilian man's slitted eyes slowly looked around his shop as the lights flickered. Before Vilyum even knelt down or gave an answer that it was Áróra, Xithian knew. He was more in tuned with magic than most others were, it was a part of his breed and his occupation. His eyes slowly drifted back to Vilyum when he rose and apologized. "No need to be sssorry, anger getsss the bessst of usss." There was something to his voice, like he was hiding something he knew. Or, it might just be the way he spoke, there was no clear change in his voice from earlier.

"I have more than I care to admit." His face was straight, no sign or a smile like he was making a joke. Clearing his throat, Xithian began to explain the orb. "A sssimple incantation activatesss the orb for one ussser and any the ussser deemsss a friend. Thhheir max range is only a thhhree yard radiusss. Thhhe good newsss isss thhhat thhhey can sssenssse thhhrough inanimate objectsss sssuch as treesss, rocksss, wallsss, and ssso on. Thhhose thhhingsss don't hinder the working ability." Sensing that Vilyum had some magical training, or knew someone that did, Xithian added, "Thhhey are easssily modified, but thhhe maximum radiusss cannot be boosssted, I'm afraid." He spoke from personal experience.

Bored with the lights not flickering now, Caelen came back to the little group. He didn't really care when his father was explaining something to do with the shop, because he couldn't understand it. This in turn made him a little on the fussy side, because he believed he should know everything. So, rather than get fussy while he had someone around his own age (sort of) to talk to, he directed his attention to Áróra. "Yous okay?"