It's a day much like any other at Aaron Lightfoot's Apothecary. Occasionally, business consists of a cluster of rushed apprentices who spent too much of their free time yesterday goofing off, and collectively realized that they need some component or another to complete a rushed, last-minute project for classes today. And then, there is the occasional mage passing through and checking the job board for leads.

While "Wrong Way" Wynona Windcaller, the Air Mage, reads the job board for openings (quietly sniffling to herself now and then), a lupine Earth Mage by the name of Iona brings her purchase for the day up to the counter: some orange chalks of an appropriately earthy shade, and a packet of fertilizer that, according to the label, purports to be especially for Earth Rituals … not just any old bag of fertilizer!

The chimes at the front door jangle to herald the entrance of an old male Jupani in a beat-up, patched-up hide jacket that might be as old as he is, and baggy, ill-fitting, drab clothes probably bought at the Bazaar for a few shekels. He curiously sniffs about, then makes his way over to the first shelf in the store with books on it, and starts looking at the titles, one by one.

A familiar and disagreeable acidic smell begins building.

The Jupani up at the counter wriggles her nose at the disagreeable odor. "What is that stench?"

The Eeee over at the jobs postings wiggles her nose as well … and then breaks into a sneezing fit!

The shopkeeper, Aaron the Lapi, covers his own nose and quickly checks the seams of the special fertilizer bag. "I'll light an incense candle in just a moment, once I find the cause… "

The source of the biting chemical odor pours itself into the shop, the door-chimes ringing again. A pallid Rokuga pauses in the doorway to peer about the shop for a moment from beneath his broad black hat, before sliding toward the listing board in a leisurely manner.

It looks like the bag isn't the culprit. Besides, fertilizer usually doesn't smell the least bit like embalming fluids.

The Lapi lights one of the fat candles kept on the countertop, in hopes that the fragrant smoke will at least keep Wynona from sneezing, then glares at the Spirit Mage. "Don't you at least shed your skin every so often, if not bathe?"

The Eeee sneezes all the more as the Rokuga gets closer to the board, then stops for a moment, daubing at watery eyes with an extra handkerchief. "Guh. Di … di deed do geb fbesh aih." She makes a rush for the door, dodging around the Rokuga, and almost colliding with the old Jupani.

Aaron sighs as Wynona flees, and hurries to finish checking out the Earth Mage, apologizing profusely. "Really, your next purchase will be ten percent discounted… "

The female Jupani at the counter slaps down some shekels. "I'm … in a hurry."

The old Jupani looking at the books takes a brief moment to look at the Rokuga … and to get out of his way. "Pardon me," he says, ducking to one side.

"You are forgiven," Qing replies to the Jupani. He gives the Eeee a level glance, but without the chance to reply, doesn't bother trying. Instead, he occupies the spot beneath the board that Wynona vacates, studying the tacked-up cards.

The old Jupani raises an eyebrow at the Rokuga, then smirks as he goes back to looking at the books.

"Here you go." Aaron smiles as he hands over the Jupani mage's purchases. "Please come again."

Qing's arms occasionally appear from beneath his mantle to thumb notes of minor interest on the board. From time to time, he mutters to himself, or flicks his tongue.

Aaron frowns at the back of the Rokuga's head, and says, "Qing, please don't fondle the notices unless you've washed your hands."

The female Jupani nods her head, and quickly heads for the door with the fertilizer and chalks … taking the long way down one of the aisles to keep well clear of the Rokuga. The chimes on the door jangle, and the female wolf is gone, leaving just the Lapi, the Rokuga, and the old oddly-dressed Jupani (the latter not really looking like much of a mage, truth be told).

"You've nothing to fear for your precious papers, stock boy," replies Qing semi-absently. He eyes one card in particular, going so far as to lower his smoked spectacles to get a better look at it. Raising his glasses again, he points out a card with the Temple seal on it. "Would you happen to know if many mages have responded to this query here?"

Turning to Qing, Aaron replies, "If it's still posted, then there are still positions to fill. Perhaps even one in some nice dank graveyard you could qualify for, since I know that a few mages have decided the opening wasn't worth their while."

Qing turns a hand over dismissively. "It is, evidently, a low-magic and hazardous area… likely too much for them."

The old wolf, meanwhile, pipes up, "Hey, you got any new old books in? Old new books, that is? Eheh … New arrivals of old books, I mean?"

The Lapi starts to light and place a few more incense candles around the store (but none too close to the possibly flammable fumes coming from the Spirit Mage), and uses the task to get close to the strange Jupani. "Ah, good day sir! Is there any book you're looking for in particular this fine day?"

The Jupani grins. "I saw you had a bunch of old books here … but … ah … nothing I can quite fathom. What's this here? What's this one about?" He points at an apparently random book up on the display.

Aaron reads the book's spine, "The Life Mage's Guide to Foul Humours of the Brain." The rabbit glances at the Jupani's face to see if that's what he was interested in.

The old Jupani blinks a few times, then squints at the book, then looks back to the Lapi. "Dirty joke book?"

"Ha!" The Lapi can't help but laugh, but at least tries to muffle it with his paws. "Well, maybe to Life Mages. It's been gathering dust on this shelf for so long, I'm sure it's apocryphal."

Deciding that nothing else on the board looks to be of much interest, Qing rotates his upper half to begin making his way toward the books, as if spending some idle time. His lower half eventually follows. "Not quite, though I consider Life Mages to be a foul enough joke. The tome likely concerns injuries and afflictions of the brain." He flicks his tongue. "The gray organ in your skull that you use to (presumably) think with."

The old wolf reaches up to scratch at his head … though it's a vain effort, seeing as most of his crown (probably balding underneath) is covered by an odd leather cap with a couple of straps dangling down to either side, and holes for his ears to poke through. Some oversized spectacles are perched on the cap, over the wolf's forehead … though he obviously isn't bothering to use them right now. Considering that the lenses don't look particularly clean, they might not have been used for quite some time. "Eh. Magery stuff." He looks around. "Oh. Right. This is a magic shop. Eh. Got any funnies by any chance?"

Aaron makes a flourish, "I must bow to one of such a learned nature, who no doubt has many brains in jars in his pantry."

Qing nods in a perfectly serious manner. "A fair number of specimens set aside for after autopsy. For research."

The Lapi sizes up the Jupani again, wondering if perhaps he's really a small Titanian. "You mean picture books? I've got something like that… well… it has lots of drawings and the words don't make much sense anyway."

The wolf smiles. "Ah! Yeah. Picture books. I can settle for that."

Aaron reaches over to pat Qing on one of his upper shoulders, "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find a replacement for the one you have if you just keep looking."

Qing parries the rabbit's arm with one of his own, and gives him a baleful look. Gathering his coils up, he slithers for the door, pausing for a moment to stick a small piece of paper to the doorjamb before he leaves.

"Hmph," says the wolf. "Not a pal, is he?"

"Come right this way, then, good sir," Aaron says to the Jupani, and goes back behind the counter to find an oil-cloth wrapped bundle. "Oh, he tends to leave messes behind whenever he thinks he's doing something important. And for a Naga, everything is important, if it involves him."

The wolf follows along. "Uh … yeah … I don't rightly know too many of them folk. Especially not with six arms like that. Not that I haven't seen stranger, of course."

Aaron whispers, half to himself, "Maybe Wynona will come back now, and can clear the air a bit." Unwrapping the bundled up book, he asks, "Ah, been traveling the surface a lot then?"

The wolf shakes his head. "Not really. Not recently, that is." He smiles. "Once I came up here, I found it was a bit more to my liking. Indoor plumbing, especially." He grins.

Aaron turns the book so his customer can see it right side up. At least, the Lapi thinks it's right side up. The text is faded, and the image embossed onto the cover is too weird to really be a guide; some sort of cruciform shape that appears to be flying.

"There are lots of drawings in here," the rabbit says, "and while not hilarious, they are pretty funny looking I think."

The wolf's jaw drops. He makes a wheezing noise, and staggers back, almost knocking over a display of enchanted balls.

"Whoa!" Aaron leans over the counter to try and steady the Jupani, despite the lupine outmassing him enough to make another Lapi.

The Jupani recovers, steadying himself on the counter. "How much you want for it?"

Aaron's black ear lops into his face as he tries to make sense of the wolf's reaction. "You haven't even looked at the pictures yet. Can you read this gibber- err… ancient code?"

The wolf reaches out to the book and rotates it around, so that it's now upside-down, according to the Lapi's reckoning. "Ah … that's a mighty nice picture on the cover … but … ah … you have a point." He opens the cover, and starts flipping through, humming to himself. There are other illustrations inside, some of them showing different versions (or perspectives) of the cruciform shape doing odd things like pointing up, pointing down, rocking from side to side, and other actions, as denoted by arrows drawn onto the pictures here and there.

"It almost looks like instructions," Aaron comments, "for casting a ritual with some sort of magic talisman. Doesn't it?"

The Jupani scratches his leather-capped head again. "Ah … maybe … Couldn't say, really. But very nice pictures. Haven't seen anything quite like this … here … before. So … how much?" He reaches over into a pocket and pulls out a few coins, and counts them in his paws.

Aaron hmms, "It's a very fine quality. Who knows how long it has lasted, after all? Maybe thousands of years. It may even be one of a kind." He watches the Jupani count his coins, trying to guess at the total himself.

"Naw, only about fifty … er … I mean, probably not even a century, I'd say, or the paper would fall apart, eh?" says the wolf with a grin. "How about a tenner?"

"I'm afraid it cost me more than that just to carry it here from Abu Dhabi," Aaron says, in mock dismay. "You mentioned that you hadn't seen anything like the artifact in the picture here before. Does that mean you have seen something like it elsewhere?"

The wolf's ears flick. "Oh!" He laughs. "You misunderstood me! I meant, I haven't seen anything like this here artifact … in this here picture! How about two tenners?"

Aaron forces a chuckle. "Oh, forgive me then. I had myself half-convinced you were an Exile, and had seen this thing on another world or something. I mean, really, just because you didn't run away from Qing's odor, and dress oddly, and… ask about old books." The rabbit's other ear begins to droop a bit now, as he starts to look more worried.

The old wolf chuckles. "Uh … you don't have an Exile discount or something, do you?"

The Lapi's jaw is the one to drop this time. "Are you joking? Are you really an Exile that's been to strange worlds… with indoor plumbing?"

The wolf's brow furrows. "Uh … no … no strange worlds but this one. How about three tenners?"

Aaron sweeps his ears out of his face and thinks for a moment. "Well… I might be willing to part with it for that much," he says, looking at the book, "if I had something to replace its conversation-piece value. Are you sure you don't know what this thing on the cover is? You seemed awfully shocked to see it, after all."

"Uhh … urrr … " The wolf's ears droop. "All right, all right. So maybe I've seen it. And isn't three tenners enough to get yourself another book?"

"These sorts of books don't usually sell for cash," Aaron comments, then looks hopeful. "So, what is it? Some ancient Inner Mysteries do-hickey?"

"Oh … it's no big deal … It's just a type of … airship," answers the wolf. "Except it wouldn't fly here. So it's really quite worthless, if you think about it. I just want it for sentimental value."

Aaron asks, "You mean you were an airship captain … before?"

"Captain? Heh! No, no … just a tail … er … ballista operator," answers the wolf, scratching his leather cap again. "A really long time ago."

Aaron grins, "Well, you must have some interesting tales to tell, then. How about a trade?"

The wolf warily cocks one eyebrow as he puts his coins away. "Trade for what?"

"I get a lot of apprentices in here," Aaron explains, "mostly cubs and adolescents. If you could come by maybe once a week, bring the book and just talk about your adventures, I could guarantee an audience."

The Lapi grins, "Like I said, I'd be willing to part with the book … if I could have a new conversation piece to replace it."

The wolf laughs. "Really? Heh… " He rubs his nose as he ponders this. Then, he nods. "Sounds fair enough to me." He grins wolfishly.

Aaron holds out his hand, and grins. "Gehnoh? I might even be able to get some Technopriests to come. I'm sure they'd love to hear about alien airships." The rabbit winks, "And some of them are pretty cute too!"

The wolf nods, but at the mention of Technopriests he interjects, "Uh … don't need to go to too much trouble to invite Technopriests. Some of them are a bit … uppity when you talk about machines here."

Aaron blinks, then nods in realization. "Oh … right. They like their secrets … at least the older ones. What's your name, by the way? I'm Aaron, Aaron Lightfoot."

"Seagull," the wolf replies, as he holds out a paw. "Jonathan Seagull."

Aaron shakes the wolf's paw, "Well, let me know when you can come around, Jonathan." He smiles widely.

The wolf nods, and reaches for the book. "I'll take real good care of it!"

"I've no doubt of that!" Aaron grins. "Is there anything else you need while you're here?"

"Uh … yeah," says the wolf, as he looks like he just remembered something. "Were there any … other books like this?"

"I've got old books," the Lapi says, "but no others quite like this one. With pictures and airships and such."

"Ah," replies the wolf, as he nods. "But … ah … anything that might have letters on it sort of like this?"

Aaron shakes his head, "They almost look like Standard, but I've never seen it written like that before. All of my books are legible, unfortunately."

The wolf chuckles, and nods. "Well … unreadable books wouldn't sell very well, without any pictures, eh? I only met one other fellow here in the city who could read this, and … well … last I heard of him, can't say as I'm sorry not to get to know him better, really. Have a fine day!" The wolf heads out the door, waving as he goes.

Aaron waves, then realizes too late… One other fellow that could read that?!