Page 209 of Axis of Fire

She pointed farther down the street.

“That’s where we need to go.”

She pulled me toward a two-story building built from deep burgundy brick.

The window frames.

The fence.

Even the smallest decorative details.

Everything was gold.

Near the entrance, I noticed a sign.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t understand a single word.

Everything was written in Urpis.

Maybe I should ask Airis if he could teach me at least the basics of the language.

Inside, the building looked more like a jewelry boutique than anything else.

Unlike the stores I was used to in Vuduarus, though, none of the jewelry was locked behind glass display cases.

“Welcome to Madame Croix’s shop,” a slender woman greeted us as we stepped inside.

The moment I looked at her face, I nearly froze, desperately trying not to let my shock show.

Her skin had a bluish-green tint.

Delicate traces of fish scales shimmered across her cheeks.

And instead of hair, long octopus-like tentacles cascaded over her shoulders.

“We’ve just received talismans from the newest collection,” the shop assistant continued, thankfully ignoring my reaction. “They’ve been especially selective about their owners lately.”

With smooth, graceful movements, she led us toward several display shelves and gestured toward them with a hand adorned by long, slightly curved nails.

As I stepped closer, dozens of pendants set with different gemstones came into view.

Every single one had its own unique design.

No two were alike.

“At the moment, we offer talismans connected to the magic of each of the eleven worlds,” the woman explained.

“And how exactly am I supposed to know which one belongs to my magic?” I asked.

“They’ll react on their own.”

She smiled.

“A talisman always chooses its owner.”

Stasia had already told me that.

Meanwhile, she was carefully studying every pendant.