Chapter 38: An Unexpected Meeting

John sat at the usual desk at the back of the store sipping tea. Across from him was neighbor Leroi.

Leroi was an alchemist that lived next door to John. He was the only one in the neighborhood that would come visit John every once in a while. The man was short and stout with a thick gray beard and a bit of a gut.

They originally didn’t meet on the best of terms when they first met, but they both got over that and became good friends.

John: “So how’s business?”

Leroi: “It’s been OK. I’ll get by.”

John: “Always been meaning to ask, but how many customers do you have?”

Leroi: “More than you that for sure.”

They both chuckled at Leroi's comment.

John: “But, seriously?”

Leroi: “Like I said, I have enough customers to get by. It’s not a lot, but the few alchemists that come to my store buy some expensive things. After all, alchemy is not cheap, and selling expensive alchemical tools allows me to make some profit.”

John: “That’s good to hear. Oh, right. Here's that coffee you ask for,” he said as he pulled out a tin of ground coffee and handed it to Leroi.”

Leroi: “Thank you. I wish you would tell me who your supplier is, or at least let me pay you for it.”

Coffee wasn't native to this world and John was only able to get it by manifesting it in this store. So, he couldn’t really tell anyone who was supplying him, or how he was getting it.

John: “Nonsense, I don’t charge friends. Your company is payment enough.” he said, trying to deflect from Leroi's comment.

It didn’t cost John anything to get a hold of coffee, so he didn’t really feel right charging for it.

Leroi: “If you say so. Anyways, that's the end of my lunch break. I best get back to work. Take care, John,” he said before departing.

Once alone, John's thoughts began to wonder about recent happenings.

It had been a little over a week since Cid had come to talk to him about his infestation problem. John was noting that he seems to run into his customers more frequently lately. He was used to going months without seeing anyone during store hours. Especially since Adam stopped coming around for game night with Fenny. He missed playing games with those two.

Although, the frequency of his customers he saw this month has mostly been Cid, coming around just to talk and partake in the treats he would manifest. John didn’t mind. During the hours his store was open, he didn’t have much opportunity to converse with anybody. So, he appreciated Cid's presence.

As he was sitting there thinking about recent happenings, he heard the familiar ring of the front door bell. He straightened his posture and looked up to greet the person entering. He expected that it was Cid again visiting, but as he saw who entered, his happy demeanor quickly changed to that of apprehension.

The person that entered the store was an older gentleman sporting a cane with a skull pommel. His clothing was black and dapper with his gray hair tied up in a ponytail. He had red piercing eyes that John was all too familiar with.

The “person” that entered his store was Onyx. The thing from twenty years ago that took on this form and had asked John to name him for some reason. This was “someone” that he almost didn’t expect to see ever again.

Onyx: “Fine day to you, John.” he said with a smile, that obfuscates some alien intent.

John: “W-why are you here?” he nervously asked.

Onyx: “Huh? I did say that I would check in on you from time to time.”

John: “T-that was twenty years ago, when we first met. I-I haven’t s-seen you since then. It’s been so long, I-I thought that you forgot about me.”

Onyx: “Is that a long time? I must apologize. Never really got the hang of the perception of time. That aspect of reality always seemed so pointless to me. Always acting as if one minute of time is any different than one thousand years of time.”

John: “W-well if this is a check up, then i’m fine. You can go back to doing…whatever it was you were doing.”

Onyx: “Would you like to know what I'm doing?" the older appearing man said with a smile.

The creature with a human looking face of an old man, tapped his cane on the floor and a nearby chair pulled itself out and in front of John's table, seemingly by an unseeable force. Onyx then took a seat right across from John. S~eaʀᴄh the Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

John swallowed his saliva nervously while cold sweat was starting to form on the back of his neck. He never wanted to see this “thing” again. It had been so long and so many years since when they first met, it gave him a false belief that Onyx would never show up again. John wanted nothing more than to put everything involved with this “thing” behind him. He was content with the current day to day affairs, and Onyx being here ruined them.

From John’s side, he could hear a whimper. Turning his head, he saw Lunar looking up at him with his big blue eyes with the ears down. Lunar could always tell when John was upset and was quick to go over to him to help calm him down.

John reached down and petted Lunar’s head and the dog’s tail started wagging excitedly. Just having his furry friend with him here and throughout these years, calmed him down and helped in those moments of loneliness. He felt he would be Ok as long as Lunar stayed by his side, even in the face of indescribable horrors.

John took another deep breath and calmed down as he scratched lunar ears. Any visible sign of his nervousness receding.

John: “No, I already have accepted my situation and have long concluded that I’m just better off not knowing,” he said while continuing to pet his dog.

Onyx: “Then I'll tell you just the basics. Since our last meeting, I've been in the eastern continent. Basically, doing the same thing over there that you're doing here.”

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John: “You're running a store too?”

Onyx: “I’m giving out ‘salvation’. Although, it is annoying. Humans are always crying for help and want to be saved, yet at the same time they don’t want to let go of the things hurting them. For example, in the west you have a civil war in Gix and a religious war in the dragon empire of the east. In both places most don’t want these wars, yet those same people participate in it anyway. I know they are fickle, but I really still don’t get it. I wonder if you have any insight into this. Why do humans hold onto the thing that hurts them if they don’t want it?” he asked.

John looked down at the table in front of him in deep contemplation. He was trying to draw upon his last twenty years of experience to give Onyx a proper answer to the question. After a few seconds of thinking, he looked back up at Onyx and spoke.

John: “In the case of war, that can be forced onto people regardless of what they want. But, you're right. Humans are fickle like you say and can cling onto their pain, but that is because they are complicated. Most people don’t want pain in their lives, but sometimes there is something more important attached to that pain that they can’t let go.”

Onyx: “Could you explain?”

John: “How do I explain? Um, take me for example. I still miss my family greatly even after all this time. It causes me emotional pain sometimes. If I would completely forget about my family, the pain would go away, but I would never. Because the memory of them is more important to me than the pain I get from longing to see them again.“

Onyx: “Look at you. Got really good at your role in this place,” he said with a ominous smile, clearly pleased with John’s answer.

Hearing that, part of John wanted to know what it meant by his “role” here, but he reigned in his curiosity. He knew understanding this thing's intention wouldn’t really make him feel better or help him. He was already convinced that if he knew, it would likely just give him nightmares.

John: “Um, thank you,” was all he said.

Onyx: “You're welcome.”

There was an awkward silence between the two of them. Onyx just stared at John with its red piercing eyes with a smile. John didn’t speak up or try to further the conversation. He was hoping that if he was awkward enough, Onyx would want to leave on his own. However, John realized that wasn't going to work.

Onyx nature was just too alien. John wasn't even entirely sure if Onyx could feel uncomfortable enough to leave on his own. Based on what he heard about Onyx’s perception time, he thought it was possible that this creature could sit in this chair for years just staring at him if he didn’t say or do anything.

John then spoke up to break the strange silence that was occurring between them.

John: “Um, if that’s everything, don’t let me keep you from giving out that ‘salvation’ you were doing.”

Onyx: “Actually, there was one thing I really wanted your help with. Would you be so kind as to name this one for me,” he said while gesturing to his left side.

John turned his head slightly and saw a person in a cloak standing off to the side. It was like this person was standing there the whole time, without John noticing.

John might have been surprised about the sudden appearance of a person he didn’t notice, but he was actually quite used to this kind of stuff now. He’s lived in this store for twenty years and things just randomly appearing out of his eyesight was a daily occurrence for him, and the sudden appearance of a person was no different for John.

The person's face was completely obscured by darkness inside the cloak and he couldn’t make out too many physical details about this person. However, looking closely, he could see what looked like wide hips and a large bosom, qualities that he would associate with a woman.

John: “Um, who am I naming?”

Onyx: “That's what we’re trying to figure out,” adding no further details to what he was saying.

John was about to ask for an explanation, but stopped. He reminded himself that he wanted to limit the amount he involved himself with Onyx. He just decided to do what he was told and not ask questions.

He pondered for a second what he should name this new “person”. He was sure this cloaked individual wasn't really human and was something similar to Onyx, but tried not to put too much thought into it. Since he was able to make out some features that remind him of a woman, he decided to just go with a random girl’s name.

John: “Emma. Is that an acceptable name?” he said, directing it at the cloak individual.

There was no immediate response, but after a few seconds, the cloaked “person” turned their head towards John and pulled back the hood to reveal its face. John slightly freaked out for a second, scared that he was about to see a horrific monster, but the face revealed was that of a normal looking woman's face.

“She” had the appearance of middle age and quite a pretty face with light makeup and black lipstick to match “her” violet eyes. “Her” hair was black with bright red highlights on the tips. “She” presented an appearance that reminded John of a goth girl from his original world.

Emma: “Yes, I very much like that name.”

Onyx: “Good, you can now head out to the far west.”

Emma nodded, and left quietly though the front door without a single word, leaving John alone with Onyx.

John: “She's headed to the far west? Does that mean she is going to Gix?” he asked, but then was followed up by immediate regret by asking a question and starting another conversation with Onyx.

Onyx: “Oh no. She’s going much further than that. Across the sea to another continent to do the same thing I'm doing. Since this reality dictates I can't be at two places at once, I needed an additional helper, who you were so gracious to name for me.

John: “Wait, there's a continent across the sea in the west?” he blurted out, unable to contain his curiosity.

From the time John has spent here, he only knew of the western and eastern continent. He’s heard of nothing about another continent across the sea in the west.

Onyx: “Oh yes, there very much is. There are in fact two giant landmass across the sea. Humans in both the west and east don’t know much about it, since they don’t possess a safe means of crossing deep oceans without getting attacked by sea creatures. As a result, people here and in the lands across the sea know almost nothing about each other.”

John: “That's fascinating.”

Onyx: “Indeed. Anyways, don’t worry about Emma. Where she’s going, you will not see her again, and will have no part in the happenings of this continent. That’s for another story.”

John: “Oh, um sure. W-wasn't really asking about her, but thanks.” he said, unwilling to ask any further question about what was just said.

Onyx: “I’ll take my leave now.” it said with a tap of its cane.

John let out a sigh of relief, happy that Onyx was leaving him. The thing with the appearance of an old gentleman stood up and turned to leave the store. As it was leaving, it stopped. This terrified John for a while, afraid of the reason Onyx didn’t keep walking.

Onyx turned around to face and speak to John one last time.

Onyx: “Oh, let me give you some fair warning. There seems to be some trouble brewing at the university here in Graheel. It’s about to… what’s the expression people say? ‘Boil over soon,’ I think it was that. Anyways, some bigger events are to happen in the week. I’m sure you’ll be able to handle it, or maybe not. Maybe you’ll do nothing with this warning, and that’s fine too. Things will progress as they need to regardless.” he said before turning back and exiting.

With the sound of the front door opening and closing, signaling Onyx departure, the tension in John finally relaxed and he slouched back into his seat. Even after so long, it was unnerving to see that ‘man’ again. Just thinking about when that “thing” appeared in front of him that day twenty years ago frightened John.

His thoughts then drifted to the strange warning Onyx gave, and then to the people he knew attending the university.

John sat there for five minutes thinking about what to do with this information. In the end he didn’t know how to get this information to Cid and did what Onyx had said he might do, and did nothing. John only prayed that nothing bad would happen to the people at the university.