Larissa was bored. Her parents had dragged her with them to Chekiku City on a shopping trip, but the blonde-haired child had nothing to do but stand by and wait for them to finish. Her fingers, wrapped tight around the wand she was carrying, twitched in anticipation. She had found the wand of the Great Sorceress Sesrina; she could be doing so much more important things right now!
So while her parents were distracted, she decided to wander off, looking to see what the merchant town had to offer. Maybe there was something interesting to look at, some adventurers she could meet, or even somewhere she could go to practice using her wand.
Eventually, her exploring took her to a quieter side of town, where she found a small shop seemingly removed from the rest of the city. A wooden sign out front read "Sanry's Weapon Shop," and her eyes lit up with curiosity. It couldn't hurt to take a quick look, right? So she hurried up to the door, and pushed it open.
The inside of the shop was dimly lit, save for the light coming in from the windows. An assortment of sharp, dangerous-looking weapons lined the wall, only further accentuating the eerily serene atmosphere inside the room. At the counter sat a black-haired man, who had been sharpening a dagger when the child walked in, but paused briefly to glance at her questioningly.
"Aren't you a little young to be buying weapons?" he asked.
"Huh? No, I'm just looking around," Larissa insisted, glancing up at a row of halberds on the wall. "So you sell weapons here?"
The man—Sanry, presumably—chuckled at this. "Only the finest weapons in all of Curissya." He twirled the newly sharpened dagger in his hand, turning to look at her. "If you're here to look, may I suggest... the..."
If Larissa had been paying attention, she would have noticed the man's eyes widen, staring incredulously at the wand in her hand. However, by the time she had noticed his sudden silence and turned to look, Sanry's expression had shifted to a faint scowl.
"...Excuse me, but..." he asked slowly. "Where, exactly, did you get that wand?"
"This?" Larissa smiled proudly, holding up the wand for him to see. "It's Sesrina's Wand! I found it in the Ancient Cave, just like the legends said."
Sanry was silent for a few tense moments, and Larissa started to worry. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say? However, before she could say anything else, he spoke again.
"...I see." His voice was eerily calm, as he set down the dagger and stood up. "Listen, dear girl... what is your name, now?"
"It's Larissa, sir."
"Dear Larissa. That wand you are carrying... it is a priceless artifact, you see," he told her, stepping around the counter and approaching her. "An item of great renown, rumored to possess great power. A child such as yourself playing with it... well, I'm afraid that's rather dangerous." He stopped in front of her, looking down at her with a pleasant smile. "Perhaps I can help you find a safe place to put it?"
Larissa frowned, pulling the wand away from him. "I found it. That means it's mine."
"...Er, no, that wand belongs to the sorceress Sesrina." Sanry was still smiling, but now it took on a significantly more unsettling edge. "What would you think about placing it in a museum? You could still go down in history as the one who found it."
"No, because then someone would steal it," Larissa insisted.
Finally, Sanry's smile faded. "That wand is dangerous. It must be kept safe."
"I'm keeping it safe! Because it's mine!"
"I'm warning you, girl..."
"You don't even want to put it in a museum, do you?!" Larissa accused him, now practically hugging the wand protectively. "You just want it for yourself! Well, I won't let you have it, you big meanie!"
With that, Larissa turned and stomped off toward the exit. Sanry was silent at first, stunned by the accusation, but then his scowl darkened.
"...You ignorant girl," he hissed. "You are making a terrible mistake. You do not understand the wand's true power! It's utmost significance!" By the time Larissa reached the door, the man was shouting. "Do you hear me?! I WILL NOT LET YOU TAKE AWAY WHAT BELONGS TO ME!"
Larissa broke into a sprint, trying to get as far away from the weapons shop as possible. She knew she was getting a bad vibe from that man, but now there was no doubt in her mind that he was bad news. He was going to take the wand, and he was going to do something terrible, and she had to get away.
"Larissa!"
For once, the voice was like music to her ears. Larissa smiled, hurrying after the voice and catching up with her parents. Her mother gave a sigh of relief, wrapping her arms around the girl.
"Oh, thank goodness you're safe! I was so worried," she said. "You shouldn't run off like that!"
Larissa decided not to respond. "Can we go home now? The people here are scary."
"Yes, of course, we'll be going home soon enough," her mother told her. "And don't worry—you'll be safe as long as you stay with us."
Larissa nodded, glancing back toward the weapons shop one last time before following after her parents. There was no sign of Sanry, which was good. She must have lost him.
But that was not the last she would ever see of the weapons merchant.
