Chapter Summary: Caduceus finds a very nice bookshop owned by an even nicer former-wizard.

Chapter Three:
In a Bookshop (ft. Caduceus)

The bookstore was called The Friendly Cat, which was a strange name for a bookstore. However, when Caduceus pushed inside, heralded by a bell on a silver string, the first thing he saw was a handsome, spotted feline who sat on its haunches and chirped at him. "Well, hello," Caduceus greeted. "You must be the cat."

The cat gazed at him with eerie perception; however, before Caduceus could decide whether there was something uncanny about him, a voice from within called, "Close the door, please."

Caduceus did as requested and made his way farther into the rambling shop. Shelves of books stretched upward, there were niches with cushioned chairs, and desks with lamps for those who wanted to study. Overhead, the ceiling had been painted the color of the night sky, complete with pinprick stars, and hanging from delicate threads was an apparatus made of rings and spheres, rotating around one another as though by magic. Caduceus cocked his head, puzzled by the beautiful contraption. He continued, stopping at times to touch a spine or lift a tome. In truth, though, it was the atmosphere of the place that had drawn him more than the books.

In the back he found the proprietor, reading a letter as he leaned over the counter. "Hello," Caduceus said again.

The man who raised his head was a human in his late thirties or early forties. His plaited hair was the color of autumn leaves, and someone had gone to the trouble of weaving in tiny blue flowers that matched his eyes. It was a little messy, but it went well with his freckles and with the soft, hesitant smile tugging at his lips.

"Can I help you?"

Caduceus drifted closer. He liked his man instinctively. "Not with anything in particular. I was just enjoying your shop. It has a nice feel to it."

The man pinked beneath his glasses. "Oh, well, I'm pleased you like it. It was my dream to own a shop like this. Not my first dream, but one that came later and stuck closer."

Caduceus nodded with understanding. "I get that. My own destiny has gone a little haywire since I met a strange group of people and decided to travel with them. That was some time ago now."

The bookstore owner hummed with interest. "Are you an adventurer, then?"

"Oh," said Caduceus, thinking over their expeditions, some of which he was proud to recall, others dubious and full of pain. "Something like that. How about you?"

"Hm," the man said, and his eyes shifted to a display case farther down the counter. The top was made of glass, and inside Caduceus could see a shattered stone lying on a bed of velvet. "I've already had my journey. A very long and painful one. I sacrificed much for it, but in the end I achieved the things that were most important. Now it's done."

Caduceus smiled. "Then you're lucky. It isn't easy to find the end of things."

The man gave a short laugh and stretched out his hand. "Just so. My name is Caleb, and you have an interesting feel to you, too, Mister –"

"Caduceus Clay," he answered. "You have an interesting smell. Like ash and cloves. And molasses?"

Just then, the bell over the door tinkled, followed by the patter of dashing feet. Caduceus caught a glimpse of a child-sized figure just before she launched herself at the counter, pulling herself up so she could give Caleb a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"Welcome home, Nott," said Caleb. He nudged her with the letter. "Günter and Captain Leeta send their love."

She put her weight against his shoulder and glanced at his offering. It was familial, the action of a person who needed no invitation to draw near; however, the pressure seemed to cause some discomfort, because the muscles in Caleb's face leapt. Nott frowned. "If you're hurting today, you should use the tincture."

With noticeably stiff movements, Caleb shifted. "It's nothing. A twinge, is all."

"Caleb," Nott said, and the disapprobation in her voice did not sound like a child talking to an adult. Caduceus couldn't put his finger on exactly why, but for some reason he thought of his mother.

Caleb cleared his throat. "Perhaps later. At the moment, we have a customer."

The girl who faced Caduceus had almond-shaped green eyes, set in a face that was even more densely freckled than Caleb's. Her complexion was darker, however, and her hair, which was plaited far more neatly, was brown. She scrutinized him. "Weird."

"Nott," Caleb chastised.

"Caleb, he's pink! And a cow."

"Firbolg, actually."

Caleb and the girl shared look. What exactly it meant, Caduceus didn't know, but it was apparent these two had a long-standing ability to communicate without words. Finally Nott huffed, sliding off the counter. "Fine."

Caduceus watched her wander off. "I'm sorry about that," said Caleb. "Nott is eccentric, but she doesn't mean to be intentionally rude."

"Kids are like that."

An odd expression passed over Caleb's face. "As a favor, please do not call her that within earshot."

Caduceus rubbed his hands together until they radiated a dim glow. "If you're in pain, Mister Caleb, I could try something. I'm very good with old wounds."

At first, Caleb didn't answer. Then he said, "It's kind of you to offer, but I am afraid this is a bit beyond healing. But please do not worry. It's normal for me."

Caduceus couldn't stop his nose from wrinkling at the idea of a hurt beyond healing. Then he sniffed. Caleb had a cup resting beside his knuckles, and it smelled even nicer than the man's hair. "Is that tea?"

Caleb set down his letter. "Would you like a cup?"

Caduceus was studying a framed parchment mounted on the wall. There was a faint shimmer to its inscriptions, which had the look of a very complex magical invocation. The parchment itself was ancient and in very poor condition. There were three quite distinct reddish-brown stains, and the entire center was burned away with tendrils of fire damage spiraling from the center. It had attracted his attention because it seemed odd to display something so ruined. He considered asking, but…manners. It really wasn't any of his business.

He and Caleb had settled into two very comfortable plush chairs when the bell over the door rang again, only this time the silvery jingle didn't stop once the door was closed. Caduceus recognized the sound of those chains even before their owner swung around the corner and threw open his arms. "There you are, Caduceus. Making yourself comfortable, I see."

"This is a very comfortable place," Caduceus said, blowing on his tea. The steam tickled his nose. "Good company, too."

"Oh?"

His traveling companion fixated on Caleb, who didn't seem bothered when the tiefling leaned into his space, one hand on either of the armrests. The jewelry on his horns clinked as he gave his most charming smile. "Well, hello there. Mollymauk Tealeaf is the name."

"Ah. Hallo, Mollymauk Tealeaf. I am Caleb. Are you a friend of Mister Clay's?"

"So polite," Molly said, straightening, but Caduceus could tell he was charmed. Molly was a friendly person, but he had a different kind of smile when his feelings went beyond amicability. Caduceus understood. This Caleb fellow – and the girl, too – had a shine to them.

"Were you looking for me because you needed me?" Caduceus asked. "No one is hurt, I hope."

"No, nothing like that. I just got bored listening to the magistrate fawn over Fjord and Beauregard, so I decided to see if you were up to anything fun."

"Books are very fun," Caleb said. "If you'd like, I can help you make a selection."

"Got anything stimulating?" Molly asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Caleb pointed. "It is the section in the back, by the curtain. Though, I warn you, children who touch the shelving get a nasty shock."

Molly's eyebrows flew into his bangs. "Did you just call me a child?"

"Forgive me," said Caleb. "Common is not my first language. There must have been a misunderstanding."

This was obfuscation. Caduceus could tell, and probably so could Molly. However, Mollymauk had an excellent sense of humor, and he just shooed Caleb's hand off the armrest so he could perch there. "I see why you like this place, Cad."

A shriek from the back drew their attention, and Nott shouted, "Caleb, Caleb, come quick!"

Caleb stood. "Excuse me. I should see about that."

Caduceus had a funny feeling he knew exactly what was going on, and if the grin on Molly's face was any indication, so he did. "Oh, I have to see this."

They followed Caleb to the back of the shop where the shelves were closer together. There, amidst haphazardly stacked towers of books turned upside down or opened like window shutters, was Jester. She wasn't moving. In fact, she seemed frozen in place, her muscles bunched with the effort of resisting whatever force held her in place.

"Oh dear," Caduceus said, looking at the mess.

Nott swung around, her face flushed with excitement. "I caught her messing around with the books, turning them all around and ruining everything, so I triggered the glyph. I caught her red-handed!"

"Oh, Jester," said Molly, full of mirth. "Looks like you finally hit the wrong bookstore. Apparently, this one belongs to a wizard."

Caleb asked, "You know this woman?"

"Oh, yes," Caduceus said. "Jester's in our party. She's also a high priestess of the Traveler. Pranks are her religious practice. Usually she targets shrines and temples, but rearranging shops has been a hobby of hers since our early traveling days."

"I see. So she didn't intend any real harm."

"No, she didn't. And I'm sure if she damaged something, she'll replace it."

Caleb's expression turned pensive. "Books are a bit like individuals. They can be valued, but they can't be replaced. Not really."

Before Caduceus could suss out his meaning, Jester protested. "I totally didn't hurt your books, okay? It was just a joke, so can you please let me go?"

"Very well," Caleb agreed and snapped his fingers.

The magic dissipated, and Jester relaxed. "That was a really strong spell, you guys. Pretty cool, Caleb!"

"Ah, have we met?"

"No, but I was tiptoeing around while you were talking to 'Deuces."

"Sneaky," Nott approved. "Unfortunately for you, Nott the Brave was on the case."

"Oh, are you a detective? Because I'm really good at finding out secrets and stuff."

Nott showed immediate interest. "Really? What kind of secrets?"

"Like, did you know that the magistrate of this town wears leopard-spotted underwear? I saw it myself when my duplicate snuck up on him and pulled up his robe. And that dwarf who runs the blacksmith shop down the street – he's dating a bugbear."

"Harold?" Nott clapped her hands to her face. "Really?"

Jester gestured toward Molly and Caduceus. "Don't even get me started on these two. I could tell you the craziest stuff about them."

"Ah, ah," Caduceus said. "You promised Fjord you'd stop eroding the party's reputation by 'disseminating slanderous stories'. And you told me you were going to stop gossiping."

Jester giggled. "Seminating."

"Jester is Jester, Cad. I don't know why you or Fjord have any hope," Molly said. The bell on the shop sounded, and he turned. "Well, speak of the devil."

"You're one to talk about devils," Beau snarked.

He joyfully gave her the finger.

Caduceus meanwhile, smiled at Fjord and Yasha. They were dressed elegantly for the sake of appearances, but Caduceus could tell Molly had been right about their meeting being boring. Though outwardly distinguished as usual, Fjord had a glassy look to his eyes. "Who's this, Cad?" he asked.

Caleb extended his arm. As his sleeve stretched, Caduceus noticed his hand and wrist were a mass of burn scars. The pink furrows crisscrossed his entire palm, and though they were visible for only a second before Fjord covered them, Caduceus saw the intricacy of their pattern, almost as though an array of arcane sigils had been seared into his skin.

Curious.

"My name is Caleb Widogast, and this is my shop," Caleb said. "From the way your friends talk about you, you must be important."

"Well." Fjord coughed uneasily. "That's debatable. We've gotten a little notoriety. Done a little good, too, I hope."

"That's nice," Caduceus said. It was good to hear Fjord talk that way. He hadn't always been so sure their strange, chaotic group would lean in that direction. It had been very tenuous at times, and there had also been moments when something just felt...missing. Incomplete. Sometimes it still felt that way. But not today. Today was a good day.

"What about you?" Beau asked Caleb.

"What about me?"

Beau cocked an eyebrow. "Please. There are wards all over this place, and apparently you just pinned our battle cleric to the wall. Obviously you pack a punch under that dorky looking sweater you're wearing. So what's the deal?"

"I have never thrown a punch in my life," Caleb said.

"I believe that." She looked with contempt at his skinny arms. "You're a battlemage, then."

Nott had come over and slid under Caleb's arm. The way she looked at Beau was definitively unfriendly. Caleb, however, seemed unmoved. "Actually, I'm a bookstore owner."

"You'll have to forgive Beau," said Molly. "She was born with an overdeveloped sense of sarcasm and the inability to keep her nose out of other people's business."

Beau crossed her arms. "It's my specialty."

"It may be your profession, Expositor Beau," Fjord said, "but curiosity killed the cat."

"And satisfaction brought it back," said both Beau and Caleb at the same time. Afterward, they eyed one another with much less hostility.

Jester giggled. "Look, Beau. You made a friend."

Beau rolled her eyes. "Please. Just look at this guy. Total dweeb."

Nott snarled. It was a very peculiar noise coming from a little girl. "If you can't keep a civil tongue in your head, then leave our store."

"Your store, huh? What are you, nine?"

"I'm thirteen," Nott said. "And fully adult, so don't start."

"Oh, dear," said Caduceus, clapping his hands to cut though the banter. "It's getting late. Perhaps we should head out."

Caleb said, "You're welcome any time. I enjoy hearing stories, and you sound as though you have some interesting ones."

"Are you going to share any?" Beau asked slyly.

Caleb smiled, but not the soft smile from before. This one was rather sharp. "I'm sure I would only bore you."

Nott cackled. "Right."

Caduceus looked at her, and her face hinted at something underneath, something just out of reach of his perception. He caught her eye, and she winked at him. Mm. Mysterious. He considered using detect magic, but decided not to. He didn't want to be rude.

Fjord was looking at Caleb. "Perhaps we will stop by again. Or we could invite you around for drinks. We've just taken a big job, and if you're truly an experienced wizard, we –"

"Not interested," Caleb interrupted.

Molly put a hand on his hip. "In the job or the drink?"

"My days of adventuring are over," Caleb clarified, sharing a look with Nott that was full of meaning. She put her arm around his waist, and they leaned into each other. "We've fought enough battles and come though enough fires for a lifetime. But I thank you for the offer."

Fjord accepted this, though not without a twinge of something. Curiosity? Regret? "Of course," he said. "It was a pleasure to meet you."

They headed for the door, Beau pausing to punch Caleb's shoulder. Jester waved, promising to come disorganize the merchandise again sometime soon, to which Nott retorted, "I'll lay a snare!" Which left Caduceus, who handed Caleb his cup. "Thank you for the tea. It was lovely."

Caleb's smile was genuine. "Sincerely, you are a person I would not mind seeing again. I hope you come back."

"Oh, I will, if there's time. The road can lead lots of strange places at unexpected times."

"That is true," Caleb agreed.

Caduceus waved. "Goodbye. And be happy, Mister Caleb."

"You, too, Mister Clay."

He and Nott walked deeper into the shop, disappearing amidst the shelves of books and strange objects and pleasant smells. Caduceus gave one more appreciative sniff, then opened the door. The little bell on the silver thread jingled, and he left the bookstore owner and the girl wearing a very convincing mask in his shadow.

A cat sat in the window and watched him go.

Author's Note: Hooray! Caduceus has grown on me so much, and his perspective has such a calming vibe. Perfect for a quieter piece like this one, where all the action is in the past. A few notes about applicable game mechanics, because though I don't restrict myself to them, they do inform my choices.

[1] Glyph of Warding – Glyph of Warding can hold a spell until triggered, in this case Hold Person.
[2] Polymorph – No existing polymorph spell is entirely permanent. Even True Polymorph can be dispelled. Thus, to give Nott what she truly wants – a real transformation and not an ongoing magical effect – Caleb would need to create or harness a new (or perhaps very old) magic otherwise inaccessible to other mages. Which, in this story, he did…at a cost. :D