Page 4 of Horn in My Side
Great help you are, ancestors.
“Uh, yeah, okay,” she mumbled, managing to gather her wits.“Please, come inside.”
She led him into the shop, gesturing for him to go first, watching him to gauge his reaction.
Most people who first entered Fantastic Tails were often taken by surprise by its interior.While the façade looked like any of the other shops of Main Street, the inside had been magically renovated into a space that was four times its size.Half the store was dedicated to the various pet supplies—food, toys, beds, cages, leashes, and the like—as they accounted for most of the store’s profits.The other half was where they kept the creatures, two levels of spacious cages, pens, and habitats holding the different pets they had for sale.The lower level had all the landbound and flying creatures, while the second floor was wall-to-wall aquariums filled with all kinds of water and amphibious animals.Vrig had said he’d built the entire thing himself, including casting some of the spells to expand the space.
It was truly a sight to behold, but the gigantic orc simply glanced around and let out a grunt, seemingly unimpressed.
Jasmine pursed her lips, waiting for any other reaction.When none came, she went to the register, as if the massive counter was a shield protecting her.
“Uhm, Mr.Mal, I’m sorry for what—”
“It’s fine,” he said, tone dismissive as he waved a massive hand.“And it’s just Mal.I’m here to settle Vrig’s affairs.”
And where have you been all this time?she wanted to say, but she bit her lip before the words tumbled out of her mouth.“Oh, I see.”
“I travel a lot,” he began.“Took the administrator a while to get a hold of me.”
“He didn’t leave a will or anything.And they said they couldn’t find any contact information of relatives in his home or belongings.”
“Vrig didn’t have any close relatives, only me.He was my father’s older half-brother.”
“Did you know him before he retired?”Before Vrig came to Dewberry Falls to open the shop, he had been in the Orc Division of the Army Corps of Engineers.
“Not really.Met him a few times when I was a kid before my dad died.”
“Uhm, still, I’m sorry for your loss.”
He shrugged.“It’s okay.”
“He went peacefully.”Her chest tightened as she recalled the events.“The night before he died, he’d seemed normal, though he mentioned that his arthritis had been acting up so I told him to go home early.The next day, when he didn’t show up at all, I went over to his house with some soup.He didn’t answer and the locking spell prevented me from going inside, so I called emergency services.TheEMTs said he’d passed away in his sleep the night before.”
“It was his time.”
That’s what many of their neighbors had said when they came to offer their condolences.Still, guilt filled her.If she had checked up on him that evening, maybe she could have donesomething.At the very least, if she had stayed with Vrig, he wouldn’t have died alone.
An awkward silence passed between them before she managed to swallow the lump in her throat.“Do you want anything to drink?I have coffee and tea.”
He shook his head.“No, thank you.I just want to settle things and get going.”
“Of course,” she said through gritted teeth.Calm down, she told herself.He didn’t really know his half-uncle, so she couldn’t expect him to grieve a near-stranger.
“The administrator mentioned you’ve been keeping things running around here while they were looking for me, even though you didn’t have to.”
She gestured to the wall of cages and glass cases.“I can’t exactly just lock up the doors and walk away.”
“I get that,” he said gruffly.“And don’t worry.I don’t plan to inconvenience you further.Please don’t feel that you have to stay.”
She’d known this day was coming.Had run the scenarios in her head, about what she would do once Vrig’s kin were found, where she would go, her next steps.But to actually have to face it head on now was a punch to the gut.
“Of course,” she managed to say, despite all the air leaving her lungs.
“Depending on your employment contract and the shop’s finances, I’m sure I could offer you some kind of severance.”He frowned.“How did you manage to stay on without Vrig?”
“What do you mean?”
He glanced around.“Running a place like this has to be a headache for accounting.”
