Akechi chases after Ging. The kimono sash's extended end tails flail in the breeze. Akechi waved her hands as she approached closer.
"Wait!" shouted Akechi, "Ging!"
He turns back to Akechi.
"I'm coming with you,"
"How come?"
"Because I-I want to explore the port town too,"
"Come then," said Ging,
"I will stay as close as possible," said Akechi
They walk side by side on the street. They went around a corner and saw a neat storefront. Gold prints on the large windows, rich brown wooden entrance door with lime blue bricks building. Above the entrance is a neon sign, "Welcome". Ging's hands are tucked in his pocket while Akechi peered through the window shop. When they entered the antique store, a bell rang. Akechi walks away from Ging and browses the cluttered bookshelves of jewelry accessories, fancy kitchenware, and artistic tabletops.
Expensive fine-porcelain vases are on display at each corner of the store. Behind them are hung large rectangle canvas paintings. A couple of round tables have a series of small photo frame artwork. Next to the vase are small buckets filled with roll-up maps.
In the middle of the store is a large square-shaped counter with transparent windows that display valuable products and two cashiers assisting customers. The ladies had fine gold jewelry on their hair, fingers, and wrists. One of the ladies had red hair held up by a decorative bear claw accessory. The second lady had a black hair bun pinned in by a hairpin.
Ging walks up to one of the ladies behind the register.
"Would you know anything about the Buddha ring?" asked Ging.
"No," said the cashier fixing a box of jewelry, "I don't know anything about it,"
Akechi places her hand above the glass counter and admires the box of rare gemstones.
"Excuse me," said Akechi
"Yes, ma'am?" said the cashier lady and turned her attention to Akechi.
"May I look at the blue gem?"
"Give me a second," said the cashier lady and returned the jewelry box on the display. She locked the door and came over to assist Akechi. Uncertain, she glided her index finger on the glass countertop and asked, "Which one is it, ma'am?"
"This one," said Akechi and pointed at the blue gem. The cashier lady pulls out the gemstone display box sets on the countertop. Akechi reaches to the blue gemstone and asks, "May I examine the gemstone?"
"Go ahead," said the cashier lady
Akechi gently pulls out the gemstone and smiles at Ging. She holds the gemstone next to her face.
"Ging, what do you think of this blue gemstone," asks Akechi
"Looks good on you," said Ging, leaning over the countertop.
The cashier lady quietly waits for Akechi's decision. Akechi rolls the sapphire between her fingers and thinks. Next, she applied some pressure on the sapphire, which was sturdy as ever.
"How much?" Akechi ask
"One thousand jennies,"
"I will take it," said Akechi.
She pulled out the jennies from the sash. She gathers the necessary bills to pay forward. Ging left Akechi at the register to explore the store.
"A couple building down there is a jeweler," said the cashier, "he offers custom-made jewelry,"
"How much does he charge?"
The cashier slightly turned her head to the side with her hand under her chin and said, "The prices vary based on the customer's wants,"
"Thank you," said Akechi and looked around for Ging. She spotted him at a corner studying an image of a whale hunt. "Excuse me, I will be going,"
"Not a problem, babe,"
The cashier returns the gemstone box to the display counter. Akechi approaches Ging and stands by his side. They look at the painting of a captain with his sailors on a small boat. One of the sailors held a harpoon aiming for the whale's tail.
"I'm all done," said Akechi
"Where do you want to go next?" asked Ging
"The cashier said there is a jeweler a couple building down the block," said Akechi
"So you want to go?"
"Please,"
"How much are the services?"
"She stated the price varies," Akechi said and held the blue gemstone to her chest, "but it's better to go in person to ask,"
"Lovely," said Ging and walks towards the door entrance. Akechi follows him and turns back to the cashier. She waved goodbye, but then the cashier shouted.
"Go to the left and keep going until you come upon a rusty orange roof with a smoking chimney!"
"Thank you!"
Ging waits on Akecki.
"So, where do we go from here?"
"Go left until we come to an orange roof building with a chimney,"
Ging and Akechi took heed to the words. They made a left turn and stayed on a straight path. A wave of tourists pushed onward on the narrow sidewalk. Restaurants have outside chairs, tables, and umbrellas taking up much space on the sidewalk. A dozen people sat outside, enjoying their meals with a pet companion next to their legs. Some people stop to take pictures of the cafes and restaurants behind them and pose in the photos.
The surrounding buildings slowly change to open-door artistic shops. They saw blacksmiths melting metal and hammering on weapons. Some closed-door shops have windows of a jeweler using a laser to cut a gemstone. There were more artists on the block. Akechi and Ging walked through the release steams from open-door shops. In the distance, a building with a rusty orange rooftop and a smoking chimney. Akechi pointed to the building and tapped Ging on the shoulder.
"Over there!" Akechi said excitedly.
Ging nodded. They hurried to the building. When they arrived at the shop, the door was wide open, and on the right side was a L-shape counter with display merchandise. They heard a loud wiring behind a closed door despite a lack of personnel to greet them. Ging looks at the wall merchandise while Akechi approaches the closed door.
"Hang on!" said a voice from a hidden intercom, "I will be right there,"
Akechi jumps while Ging looks for the source of the voice.
Scare me, thought Akechi. Next, the closed door opens with a small man. He had a pair of goggles on top of the head. He has work gloves in colors of gold and green. He wore a green jumpsuit and gold work boots. The small man closes the door behind him and unlocks the counter door to get behind his L-shape display box.
"Welcome to Connie's Forge," said the small man.