Offered to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter-56. Actual shopping

[Ezra]

"And at last..." I mumbled, staring at the building that was structured like a giant skull with two hollow eyes acting like the only two windows and a wide open jaw as its entrance. Chiseled into the giant skull's forehead were words that seemed to leer at passersby-

Bone Voyage: Alive skeletons at your service since the first death in the wheel of time.

Store open for purchase, rental and installments. Price negotiable for young aspiring healers.

The store does not give any guarantee. The skeletons are subject to running away and other risks.

A creepy din of clattering teeth emerged from the entrance of the store as though the giant skull building was vomiting some kind of ghastly, repulsive aura.

"Let's buy you a talking skeleton." I swallowed, peering at Xanthea's back as she stood into the shady frame. The faint red glowing light from the store lined her silhouette.

Xanthea slowly turned around and blankly blinked at me with an incredulous look on her face.

"What happened?" I asked her. "Go. Get your skeleton."

I waved my hands, urging her to enter the store. Meanwhile, I stood almost half a mile away from the store. And although the land post directly stood like a barrier between me and the store, I was clearly not hiding behind it. "Go! Come on. Get going. Go!"

"Alpha. You are a demon lord." She drawled, disappointment dripping from her tone.

"I am! That is why I, the great demon lord, Ezra Xipher, allow you to go on the skeleton hunt all by yourself. If you need me... which you won't and make sure you don't... I'll come," I yelled from across the street, smiling with all my teeth on display.

Thankfully, the store was located in an abandoned street and there was no one around except for one or two cloaked fingers crossing at some distance.

Turning into living skeletons was just one of the many tragic fates immortals met. Being an immortal was not as romantic as mortals perceived it to be. It was far worse because eternal life came with eternal sufferings.

Xanthea gulped hard. Her grip tightening around the pouch filled with gold coins to make the payment because skeletons didn't have a bank account, so they traded only in gold. Mostly, when an immortal turned into a living skeleton, they lost their previous identities, powers. Except for life running in their bones, they were left with nothing, not even enough strength to protect themselves.

So they were captured and sold for medicinal purposes, mostly. They were also used for festive decorations; sometimes they had a rope tied around their cervical bones and hung them on their porch.

Some were used in black magic rituals and sacrifices. Some unique and ancient skeletons, like the ones extracted from ancient ruins and mummies, were showcased as antiques in hospitals and museums. But no matter where those skeletons came from, being around them always gave me icks.

and then at me with her

Don't look in her eyes.

growled at

of my eyes, whistling, and then quickly averted my gaze to

take a deep breath, her heart pounding wildly against her

five minutes since she entered the store and

my left and then to my right

within floor to ceiling glass cabinets all

stacked themselves

to bone. Hahaha!" A skeleton spoke from behind the

see the way she rolled his

can I see, Bony? I have

skeletons chortled and

Brilliant! Brilliant!" Skully cried out excitedly, holding his skull in his palm. "Not everyone is this pro at bone bowling. How long have you been doing this?" "Uh... this was my first time,"

full

discount!" A skeleton yelled

you, young lady," said Skully, fixing his

in the store with bony

I hate that

and then beamed brightly.

miss something?' Odeus asked, comprehending the

of her wins. Even though it's small, I still count it as a

having an ick from

lady," Skully said, walking behind the

that had her laughing and giggling like a child. She looked a lot more comfortable around those skeletons than she was

finger at the skeleton that looked as though it was asleep, even in

I asked, walking closer to

hadn't noticed my presence until

and they flinched in their glass

shrugged, tilting her head as Skully woke that skeleton and dragged it down from

as jolly as the others. Maybe because of a few minor cracks

from her hand and, with a yawn, dived right into