Chapter 17: Anarch Shop

Chapter 17: Anarch Shop

It was behind the chamber of pillars and bloodied steps that a small section was found; a round-built room housing a single, wooden chest within it.

A "treasure room"—a place at the end of dungeons where the main rewards were to be found. It was a concept Finn was familiar with from the games he played.

Walls of blue, chalk-like material made up the section, with accessories that resembled stars and mechanical, celestial bodies hanging from the ceiling.

"Look at this place. It's...interesting," Damian said, looking up as he tapped his finger against a dangling ornament.

"Doesn't look like Raven came back here before we arrived," Finn pointed out, noticing the chest was still kept shut.

The container made of wood was covered with carvings, painted over with a cerulean substance. On the front was an ornament in the shape of a ruby moon.

Finn knelt in front of it, running his hands over the smooth surface, "Alright, ready?"

"C'mon! Stop with all the suspense, I can't take it!" Damian impatiently said,

It took a bit of elbow grease to lift the lid of the chest open. Just as it was brought up, a wave of blue dust breathed out from the inside.

"Hff—" Finn coughed out, waving the invasive particles away.

"Oh, man, that's been closed awhile, hasn't it?" Damian remarked, moving his hand as well.

"That's how it goes in dungeons like this," Finn said, reaching into the chest.

There were some random jewels and such, which went straight into the pockets of the two. What was more important was what was discovered at the bottom of the chest—

"Jackpot," Finn claimed, lifting what he grabbed from within it.

A glass vial containing a bright, golden liquid inside of it. There was no doubt it contained mystical properties going by the glowing state of the substance.

[Divine Ambrosia]

"Careful–I mean, if that stuff can really heal any type of injury...It's worth a million bucks, I'd say," Damian cautioned him, warily holding his hands up.

Finn laughed, tossing it to his friend, "You hold it, then."

"Ah–dammit, don't do that!" Damian said, catching the priceless potion with a sigh.

It was in another room further ahead of the one they were in that another staircase was found, leading further up. The chamber was similar to the one they initially discovered within the Tower; walls of rich marble with peculiar sculptures on display.

"Think it's safe?" Damian asked, looking up, hugging the ambrosia as though it were a fragile infant.

Finn led the way, stepping onto the ominous staircase, "Only way is to see for ourselves."

Their footsteps echoed as the steps were traversed, leading up into a room that was vaguely familiar, though different. A counter was positioned across the chamber of gilded walls, inlaid with stained glass. Fôllôw new stories at novelhall.com

As the counter was approached, as expected, a bell was discovered:

"Wait a minute..." Damian realized.

"It's another Bazaar," Finn said.

"A hundred per guest? I'm guessing there are more benefits than just a soft bed, then?" Finn asked.

The bazaar runner nodded his head, "There are quite a few benefits–such as fresh, gourmet meals prepared in accordance to whatever you request. A warm bath, a nice bed, but most of all–a place where no harm can come to you–guaranteed."

"That does sound tempting," Damian said with a sigh, rolling his shoulders tiredly.

"It would be nice to not have to sleep with one eye open," Finn remarked, finding the idea of a warm meal and a hot bath all too alluring.

The tempting offer was considered, though the thought being sidetracked as something else stole the attention of the young man.

"Hey, look!—" Damian pointed out.

Coming from the corridor that likely led to the third floor of the mystical structure was a stumbling figure. It took a moment for Finn to realize what he was looking at before realizing what it was—

A young woman; wearing a tattered, white uniform with blood staining her body. For a moment, both were left stunned to see another person–it was the first time in days they had seen somebody else still alive, even if hardly so.

"Shit!" Finn let out once realizing, running over alongside his companion.

Just as the bloodied girl stumbled into the room, she coughed out before falling over. While Damian struggled to move quickly with his bulky armor, Finn was able to rush over fast enough to catch her in his arms.

"Hey! Are you alright?!" Finn asked, knowing the answer already though the words rushed out of his mouth.

"I..." The unknown, young woman softly said, attempting to convey something before her eyes closed.

It was hard to make out what was her own blood and what wasn't, with there being so much that it was difficult to make out the wounds.

"She's unconscious–shit!" Finn said, tapping her cheek in an attempt to wake her up. "Give me the ambrosia!"

"Oh–right!" Damian remembered, removing the bottle from his belt.

The cork was flicked off in a single motion before he brought it to her lips, slowly guiding the mystical substance to her mouth.

Damian was in a panic, kneeling down as well as he moved her torn uniform, revealing a nasty gash on her abdomen, "This isn't good...! Is she still breathing?!"

"I don't know—this stuff had better work!" Finn hurriedly replied while holding the unconscious girl's head up.

Both men fell silent as the ambrosia was distributed to the stranger, making sure it was properly swallowed. It was difficult to believe in the validity of an "all-healing potion", though they watched with bated breaths.

"Did it work? How long is it supposed to take—?" The worried, brawny man asked, watching with a gulp.

Finn remained silent, keeping his eyes on the girl as well. As a few moments passed, the validity of the ambrosia seemed to be a hoax—

"Look!" Damian shouted.

From the girl's skin, a radiance began to emit like the twinkle of a star. The blood that stained her skin and clothes evaporated, peeling away as her wounds were reversed by divine grace.

"It's working—it works!" Damian yelled out in glee, grabbing his friend's arm and shaking it in excitement.

Finn didn't care about being tugged around as he felt the same way that his companion did, watching as the recovered girl coughed out.

"We finally did it," Finn said, almost in disbelief. "We saved someone—we found somebody else."

"Yeah, we did," Damian nodded his head with a smile.