Unlike the line outside, the inside of the ship hustled despite that the ship had not even taken off and would not for a while. Rocket and Sa’Loane stayed close together---both uncomfortable with the sudden change in pace, and both unwilling to admit it. Still though they continued on, their quiet nerves off set by the ruckus that surrounded them. The faces that passed by them were those of the experienced and those of the wary; and after a while the crew members of the ship seemed to blend into the background despite their quick movements. The two(2) travelers went up and down the different halls, doubling back a few times after realizing their original course was the wrong direction.

“This sucks,” Rocket said finally, after turning around again.

“Be patient.” Sa’Loane replied, her tone as calm as ever.

“At this rate we’ll land on Earth and take off again before we find the common area.”

Sa’Loane sighed and pulled a cigarette out of the air, and an orange smoke chased her breath as she exhaled.

“Look, there it is.” Sa’Loane nodded toward a large room. At first glance Rocket would have assumed it was a ballroom of some kind, but as she looked closer she realized that it had been converted into a cafeteria. All along the far wall were vendors of all kinds, selling anything that one could imagine across the known worlds, and then some.

“This wasn’t what I was-” Rocket stopped, noticing that Sa’Loane was no longer beside her. She frowned, and made her way into the crowd, hoping that Sa’Loane was nearby.

She was not.

Still, she continued through the crowd, searching every corner she could manage and still, Sa’Loane was nowhere to be found. Perhaps she had left Rocket here. Well, the ship hadn’t taken off yet, so she may as well leave; after all it’s not like she had lost anything...or maybe she should stay. This ship would take her to Earth, probably. If it didn’t? If it didn’t she could always get onto another one, or maybe not, she wouldn’t have to tell her family she failed. Rocket shook her head and focused on her surroundings. She had passed several vendors without even giving a second glance. She should at least look at them, maybe Sa’Loane had seen something she hadn’t.

The nearest shop was covered by a dark curtain, and though she felt a strange vibe surrounding it she approached anyway. Rocket pushed back the curtain that felt strangely like velvet, and when she did no outside light entered the room. Rocket stepped inside, and still it seemed like there was nothing but in a way she was convinced she could feel that there was. Slowly she turned her head toward the exit, looking through the sliver of opening that the curtain provided. She stared for a moment, watching as people walked by---suddenly she looked behind her, turning her head as quickly as she could but still there was nothing. Again she turned toward the opening and then looked behind her. She did this several more time but still nothing. Just as Rocket was about to leave the shop someone ran by and in their wake the curtain moved, momentarily forcing the room into complete darkness. In that moment something illuminated behind her. When the sliver of light returned to the room it faded, with a frown Rocket tugged at the curtain, and once again a light behind her burst to life. Rocket turned, and single candle floated in front of her.

Strange.

She reached for it, the light reflecting off the golden choker necklaces that she wore. The candle gave off no warmth, the only indication that the candle even real was that her hand began to blister. Rocket didn’t pull her hand back out of sheer awe that she felt no pain from it. Suddenly the candle disappeared and reappeared right a little further away from her. She followed it as it led her further and further into the shop---much deeper than it appeared to go on the outside. As Rocket went on the passage of time began to slip from her, and she soon found that she no longer knew how long or short she had been in that one room, nor did she care. In what seemed to be another blink of a moment she found that the candle did not reappear, but instead the entire shop unfolded before her eyes. There weren’t many customers, but each and everyone of them had on an expression as if they had recently lost something. Those behind the counter were without that look and were instead brimming, looking as if something had been gained. Rocket swallowed, wondering if she too was wearing that look.

Rocket was drawn into a section that held bright lights in the shape of jars, potions that look like their own planets, elixirs that sang and so much more of the like. It wasn’t the first time she encountered a shop like this, although every time she did it was clear to her what she would be getting into. This time however, everything felt strange in a way that she couldn’t quite place, strange above the typical uneasy feeling Rocket was used to. Still, why waste a chance like this? It’s not like her mother was there to stop her, not this time.

“Something I can help you find?” Came a voice behind her.

Rocket turned, putting on her most confident face as she often had before---only to have it waiver when she met glowing silver eyes. Eyes that stared back at her from not only the demons face but also from their chest and shoulders. They smiled down at her, standing at least four(4) feet taller. Their copper colored horns (which added a few more inches) spiraled up and formed a V shape; and as she continued to stare she noticed that there were pieces of real copper embedded in them. Each copper piece was formed into a hexagon shape adding a faint, but beautiful design on the demons horns.

“I’m not---I don’t study magic so I’m just looking.”

“You don’t need to study magic to buy it!” They exclaimed, brimming with excitement, “I’m Isadore.”

“Rocket,” she replied, allowing Isadore to nudge her toward a different section.

“Now this,” Isadore continued as they took a few steps ahead of her, making a grand gesture toward the wall. There were many different types of scrolls, necklaces, rings, boxes of all shapes and sizes; all of which were unique in their own way, clearly hand crafted.

“This,” they said again, pulling a long box off one of the shelves, “this would work for you.” Isadore opened the box to reveal ah, nothing. Isadore frowned, and for a moment said nothing before excusing themself and promising to be back.

Rocket grinned a little and waved them off, hoping that whatever in was wouldn’t cause them too much trouble. Rocket took a closer look at the wall and she could see just faintly that like most things in here even the wall had runes carved in. The runes pulsed with soft blue light, each box reflected the lights and creating the same blue pulse throughout the room---though no one else seemed to notice, or maybe they were just used to it. Rocket picked up one of the necklaces, its chain was (uncomfortably) warm but the charm itself was cold and it looked at her. Not with eyes, no, no but she could feel it look at her in a way that was much more jarring as if it had begun to peel at her.

“Can you see my bones?” Rocket asked, feeling as though it could.

“Nothing in here can see your bones---well maybe some customers could.” Came Isadore’s voice from beside her. Rocket jumped, flinging the necklace into the air with ease Isadore grabbed it out of the air.

“Sorry,” Rocked said quickly, clasping her hands in front of her chest.

“Careful,” Isadore replied teasingly, “this could be cursed.”

“Is it?”

“No of course not,” they replied teasingly “but it could be.” They handed it back to her, a twinkle in all of their eyes.

“What does this do?” Rocket asked.

“So it looks at your bones,” Isadore said, a grin breaking out on their face.

“And when it looks at my bones it gets cold”

“Yeah for sure,” they chuckled, “no so it senses if anyone or anything will put the wearer in danger. It gets warm when that happens and its eye opens.”

“Neat,” she replied, putting it back on the shelf.

“Now this,” Isadore repeated, presenting the box and opening it once again to reveal a pair of bracers. They looked like wood, intricately carved with a heart in the middle.

“Can I touch?” Rocket asked.

“Try them on,” Isadore gingerly took them out of the box, careful to make sure that their long claws didn’t pierce into her skin as they handed the bracers over.

When she put the bracers on they were a little big, but they changed before her eyes to fit her. Right where the heart design was her skin beneath it began to itch.

“How’s it feel?” Isadore asked, tilting their head to the side.

“Itchy.”

They hummed, “seems like these belong to you.”

From Rockets chest a light appeared in the form of a red line, and when she looked down the line moved in rhythm with her heartbeat. When it began her heartbeat was steady, but as she went on looking at it its rate increased as she realized anyone in the room could see it. Which did nothing to help keep her heart rate down.

“These guide the wearer toward their hearts desire, whether they know what that is or not.” Isadore explained brimming with excitement.

“So like love or something?”

“I suppose, usually it’s something better though.”

“Like?”

Isadore shrugged, “I’m just a seller,” at this they looked a little disappointed, clutching the box they held a bit tighter. Isadore took her hand and pressed two(2) of their fingers against her palm. Surprisingly their hand was rough like a turtle, with claws that were rounded just enough as not to scratch Rocket.

“If you let them,” Isadore lowered their voice, “you can see others too.”

“I could see you before I put these on.” Rocket looked up at them, and out of the corner of her eyes she could see that two(2) smaller lights appeared across their chest. Isadore’s smile dropped for just a second as they looked into Rocket’s eyes; their beat increasing rapidly and their grey skin growing lighter. Isadore smiled again, removing their hand from hers and taking a few steps back. Their heart trail faded, leaving a

“Are you okay?” Rocket asked, watching as they shied away.

“Rocket!” On the other end of the store was Sa’Loane. Her ears were flat, tail fluffed much more than usual and even from here Rocket could tell that her claws had gotten just a bit longer. Sa’Loane marched toward them, smoke trailing after her in clouds of yellow.

“Where did you go?” Rocket asked, but not before giving Isadore an apologetic look.

“Where did you go! Why are you in here?” Sa’Loane demanded, coming to a harsh stop in between the two(2).

“It looked cool,” Rocket admitted, “and I made a new friend.”

Sa’Loane glanced over her shoulder, and Isadore despite their previous eccentric nature they suddenly looked nervous. Isadore gave a sheepish wave and excused themself again this time with a slight bow. Rocket watched as they walked away, and settled in behind a counter; when they noticed her staring they began to wave only to stop and look away when Sa’Loane looked back at them.

“Don’t wander off.” Sa’Loane gave an exasperated sigh, and the yellow that surrounded her turned pink.

“Don’t disappear. I thought you just left me here.”

“Come on,” Sa’Loane muttered and immediately beginning to walk away.

“Other way,” Isadore called, pointing in the opposite direction.

Sa’Loane huffed and went the way she was told, leaving Rocket to trail behind. Rocket followed, if not her mother it was Sa’Loane who seemed to be against Rocket visiting a place like this; perhaps it was for good reason but nevertheless Rocket was still bitter. She took one last glance around the room, the energy from it now radiated calm well, except for the space that Sa’Loane was in. Just as she was about to leave, hand gripping the curtain Isadore approached her, their voice barely above a whisper. They beckoned for her to lean in close and when she did they said in a wavering voice.

Don’t believe in those who deal in death.