Will of a Prince

Instead of protesting or interrogating Slimo, Lidia simply embraced him gently.

"You can tell us when you’re ready. We trust you."

Slimo hugged her back tighter. After a short while, they unlatched from each other. Slimo looked at Enki once more.

"What do you need from us? How do we get out of here?"

"If you ask me, we are desperately lacking information. The only thing I know for sure is we are stuck in a moment of time, but everything else I have said was pure conjecture and speculation. If you can gather enough information for all of us, I may be able to craft some charms that will help us escape."

Lidia pressed forward.

"We have many others who came here with us. We need them to escape as well. Does that sound like a possible thing to do?"

"I can do anything. I’m the world’s greatest enchanter by leaps and bounds. I can make a charm that cures any sickness with one arm and both my eyes closed!"

Everyone looked at him doubtfully.

"... with some minor preparation of course. Now are you all going to buy charms from me or not?! I was promised customers, not comrades... even though I welcome both!"

Slimo sighed heavily and started skimming the shelves with everyone else. Enki ran over to them with four bracelets and handed one out to each of them.

"Here. You’ll need these to read what the charms are and what they do. If you want my personal recommendation, I will go for the ones towards the back of the shop."

Lidia studied the bracelet and moved it around her wrist. Immediately, the shop seemed to spring to life. Multiple glowing patterns shot above each item. Lidia walked towards the back and found a small crown that caught her eye. The charm read:

Item: Suber Crown!

Description: This wonderful crown made by the even more fantastic, Enki (from Enki’s Suber Charms located just in front of the main gate of Chrono kingdom, make sure to tell your friends about it!) provides the wearer with the ability to store energy from the sun. Worry no longer about needing food during the daytime.

Drawback: Severe amnesia, random combustion, unstable in hot climates, and breaks after a single use.

Lidia’s jaw opened wide reading the drawbacks.

"What the hell are you trying to sell us?! These items are more like cursed charms!"

Lidia looked at Slimo’s glasses.

Item: Suber Glasses!

Description: These marvelous, perfect glasses hand-crafted by the famous enchanter, Enki (from Enki’s Suber charms located in Chrono kingdom just south of the main gate, please I need customers) are capable of reading everything about a user someone needs to know. There are no limits to the knowledge these glasses can extract.

Drawbacks: The wearer cannot harm anyone while the glasses are on their face. During the nighttime, the glasses struggle to read more information. The wearer cannot read any information about Enki. No refunds.

Lidia sighed.

’I guess it only makes sense for such a useful charm to come with a variety of drawbacks.’

Even after being heavily disappointed, Lidia continued searching for something that may peak her interests. Finally, she found a silver ring with intricate swirl patterns across the tops of it.

Item: Suber Ring!

Description: It’s just a ring. I don’t remember what enchantment I put on this. Sorry my dear customer!

Drawbacks: When someone wears this ring, they are unable to lie.

Lidia stared at the drawback curiously. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"I’ll take this ring. How much is it?"

Enki looked at the ring.

"Oh. I forgot I made that. You can just keep it. It’s practically junk!"

Lidia pocketed the ring without questioning him. Slimo slowly walked up behind her.

"I couldn’t find a single item that didn’t have a crazy drawback! What kind of shop is this?!"

Enki looked at Slimo with a mean face.

"Don’t you dare talk about my charms like that. If you want to make powerful charms, they have to have some powerful drawbacks."

"I understand but look at this."

Slimo held up a small helmet.

Item: Suber Helmet!

Description: This helmet is impenetrable. (This item was made and similar items available at Suber Charms located in chrono kingdom just by the main gate.)

Drawbacks: Uncurable brain cancer.

"Brain cancer? Really? And what’s with these stupid names for all the items? Can you seriously not think of anything else?! Also, why do you keep advertising your stupid store in every single charm? There’s no way anyway is going to read that!"

"I’d like to see you give enchanting a shot pretty boy! You have no idea how hard it is to make those!"

"Clearly not that difficult if this what you’re using your ’great talents’ for."

"I ought to turn you into the guards, you criminal!"

Slimo threw a fist at Enki to try and hit his head, but some magical force seemed to stop his blow before it landed. Enki looked at the fist and made a teasing face at Slimo.

Lidia got in between them before the fighting could continue.

"Could you two stop it already?! You’re acting worse than my own kids!!"

Slimo crossed his arms and stood by the entrance of the shop. Squabee and Sarah seemed to be done looking around. Neither of them found a charm worth buying themselves, especially after seeing all the drawbacks they carried with them.

"Some customers you brought me here, Sarah. I haven’t made a single coin!!"

Slimo reach in his pocket and threw a gold coin and Enki’s head.

"That’s for the information that you told us about this place. We’ll make sure to come back once we gather enough information. In the meantime, I need to request a certain enchantment from you."

"Oh, so NOW you want to be nice when you NEED something from me? I see how it is, pretty boy."

"Just shut up and listen to me."

Enki crossed his arms, looking up at Slimo.

"I need you to make an enchantment that suppresses hunger. I need you to make it as strong as possible. If you can, I also need a way to determine how far along someone’s mastery is of their Zalo."

"What do you need all that for?"

"Because Squabee isn’t the only world-ending threat among us."