Alek sensed the inevitable showdown in the back of his store getting closer and his anxiety grew. Maybe if he could deal with this himself, then the menacing man with the axe could leave and they could get back to their normal lives. Alek was never a fighter, but his ability to turn into animals and some mythical creatures made it something that would give him the upper hand in this situation. Alek thought for a second before turning into a bat and almost instantly detecting the thief. He flew over to him until he was flying around his head and he turned into a large snake, coiling around him. If he can manage to hold him until he can think of what to do next, he may just be able to deal with this himself.

"It's ah....just something I made while experimenting with different flavors. I really don't think you'd like it." This was kind of awkward, Adrian couldn't just come out and say 'there's blood in the wine' as the reason why Bri couldn't have any. "It's just something I made in my freetime and I'd be really embarrassed if anyone else tried it." He laughed and tried to past it off as some silly experiment. He flashed her one of his charming smiles, "You understand, right?"

"Yeah, I do." Bri smiled, and went back to arranging the wine. "Come on, boss." Red wine was Bri's favorite, but she shrugged it off. After a few minutes of arrangement, Bri noticed the cross necklace on her neck drooping down low into the box. She looked at it for a few seconds, then went back to loading the box near the door, for later. "I still don't remember how I got this... did you give it to me, Boss?" she asked, curious.

Adrian looked at the necklace and shook his head, "No, you didn't get it from me." He thought for a moment, "You were one of the new residents in the town that got teleported here with that strange stone, right? Maybe it's something from your forgotten past?"
Adrian thought it was so strange how so many people had suddenly appeared in the town with no memory of how they got there.

"Hmm, I guess... Whatever. It's no something to get worried about!" Bri smiled, and helped Adrian get the last of the bottles packed. "I guess that's all? I don't see anymore wine for shipment." Bri was just about to stand up leave the room, but she had something on her mind. "Boss, do you want to go out? It's night and all, and I never see you go out at night..." Bri then thought about what she just said, and then blushed a little. "I-I didn't mean a date, but... if you're fine with one, I am."

"Oh? Is little Miss Bri asking her boss on a date?" Adrian playfully teased. "Well as fun as your offer sounds, I still do have some work I need to do. I have to file the rest of the paperwork. You are free to go however if you wish." Adrian started stacking the boxes, "Oh and actually it's still light out. I know it feels like it is later being in this dark cellar." he added with a laugh.

________________________

Amelie walked around the plaza. It sure is busier than it has been in a long time. she thought to herself, taking note of all the people around shopping. It was both a good and bad thing to Amelie. It was good because more people in town meant better business for the local shops; including the Inn, but it was also a bad thing because all these people made it hard for the locals to enjoy the nature beauty of the town.
Amelie came to the large tree in the center of the town. This was the Spirit Tree. The tree was rumored to have once been the home to little spirits that kept this town alive and well but it had been destroyed in the earthquake a long time ago. She walked around the tree, wondering what it had looked like back in its prime. She almost didn't notice the man sitting under the tree until she nearly stepped on him. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't see you there!" she took a few steps back, "Are you an actor of some sort?" She noticed his clothes were kind of strange, not something most people would wear everyday.

Tiffany could only blink at the boy's response. He didn't seem upset or freaked out or anything. "U-Umm..." she stammered, absentmindedly putting the gold pieces away. "Y-Yea. I'll be more careful". Technically this wasn't her fault, but she wasn't about to explain to this guy how her cat spilled glow potion onto her head. "Thank you for your patronage! We hope to see you again!"

In the back of her mind, she was panicking over the accident in the storage room. That was a whole week's worth of product that shattered into glass and puddles. She very visibly shivered at the thought of what kind of punishment Venelope would give her when she got home. All she knew is that it was going to be bad.

Jack enjoyed the 15 minutes it took to get into the center of town from his home. He found it both a enjoyable, and refreshing little walk.He wondered where he would start his inspection of the town, although he had no particular order in which he would go about observing the place. He wondered if there would be any new good restaurants open, which got him on the thought of food ... he spent the best of 10 minutes thinking about food, walking about in a random direction. He soon found himself in a large plaza like place ... 'busier than I remember' he thought to himself as he noticed the crowds. His face frowned, he didn't like crowds. He walked on the sides of the empty space, attempting to avoid the other people as much he could. He looked up at the tree from the other side of the plaza; still unhealthy as usual, nothing new. He figured it would be proper of him to visit it, as it was important to the town, or so it was believed. He braved the people going by, and after much awkward walking, he reached the tree. He took in a deep whiff of it, and noted the smell. The same as usual, it had this tree-like smell, mixed with a little something else he couldn't quite identify. He always had figured it was just the scents of people walking by, but doubted that was entirely true. He gave the tree a good pat, "Still here, good to know" he said firmly. With that little ceremony he left. After all, he couldn't spend all his time on just one tree when the whole town needed to be revisited.

The girl turned and left the counter, probably to repair whatever was damaged in the back room. Martyn left the shop and started back towards the shop. Sure, he would have preferred to wonder around town more, but one can't do that when they're employed and expected elsewhere. He was almost to the tailors shop when he bumped into someone(Jack), spilling his belongings all over the place. He said a quick sorry and hurried to pick up the rolls of cloth and potions that thankfully didn't break.

Jack let out a slight grunt as the child walked into hiim. 'This is why I don't like crowds' he thought, and frowned. He looked down at the boy, who was picking up various items. "Need a hand there?" he asked politely, looking down at the scene before him. This boy ,.. the first impression Jack got was that he was clumsy, although this was probably not true. He was curious at the items that he had dropped, although didn't inquire about them, as he figured it wasn't his problem.

"Yeah, thanks," Martyn said gratefully. After they finished picking the things up, Martyn said, "Sorry about that. I'm Martyn, I work for Sage in the tailor's shop. That's why I have all these assorted rolls of clothe."

Alek could feel the thief struggling against his tight wrapping. Being a snake had always been a weird sensation for him. Going from human to animal, not to mention that animal has no arms or legs. It's days like these that make him feel like he should quit his job and move to the forest where he would live off the land peacefully. Alek slackened his body to allow the man to breathe then slowly began to slither away before turning back to his normal self. "Could you please leave my store?" He asked. "I won't press charges if you leave me alone." Suddenly he had an idea. He grabbed a large sack and began filling it with freshly baked bread and pastries. "Here, take this and leave." He ordered shakily. He turned to the large man. "Thank you for helping me out but I should be fine from here onwards. If you want anything from my store it's free of charge?" he asked. He didn't know if he could handle giving up all this food but it would be worth it if they would leave again.

Before Oradi could say or do anything, it appeared that the kid had done something and was now bribing them both with food to leave him alone, a strange acumen for a shop keep - but at this point, his hunger was outgrowing his confusion at this point, lowering his ax he walked up to the shop keep and grabbed a couple of cakes - quickly eating them. He turned to leave before feeling his pockets for something, and something he found - it was a stone with a strange marking on it - not knowing what he was gently threw it to the floor in the direction of said shop keep.

"By the way, do either of you two know where this is?" at this point he was half leaning on his ax as he looked on the two others in the back room, confusion partially crept over his visible features "How did you get over there anyway?"

"No, I don't need your charity," Vince told the kid. In truth, Vince felt warmed by the kid's reluctance to simply turn him in. But he was already abashed and had a façade to maintain. Moreover, Vince already had a few loaves in his satchel.

Without responding, Vince pulled himself up and nodded at the shopkeep in an impassive demonstration of gratitude.

Oradi propelled the mysterious stone onto the floor. "By the way, do either of you two know where this is?" he said.

After a few seconds of staring at the stone, something vague popped into Vince's mind. "I've seen one of those before," Vince averred. "Somewhere…"

It had been months Since Jax, Black Claw and Talon had awoken by the woods near this town. No memory of how they got there, or even who they were. Though they weren't sure if they wanted to remember. Both he and Black claw were covered in blood, some there own but there was two much for it to be their's alone. An arrow was in Jax's shoulder and there ware gashing wounds over that great dire wolves right eye and they smelled of smoke and fire. Jax would wake up screaming from nightmares, but the instant he was awake he couldn't remember his dream at all. Even Claw and Talon shared these terrors in the night. Yes they were quite sure they didn't want to remember.

But they had spent nearly six months, living in the wilderness, wondering in the woods as game seemed far and few between. They would track deer and other wild life for miles, which was fine for them for it kept them fed since it was only the three of them and talon could catch smaller pray with ease. Though they were almost wholly left alone, occasionally they would come across another hunter. Talon had first spotted him as he was hunting down the same deer they where. He was skilled to be sure as they kept there distance, stayed down wind and stalked. He was a bear from the smell of him. They would of watched longer but talon had spotted something and so they left the bear hunter. A few other times they had crossed paths but since they had already attained that he was no threat they simply left him be as he seemed to be simply a hunter from that town they were near when they first woke up here.

Now they stood on the edge of the forest, Talon had flown up a head, circling the town and landing on buildings as Jax looked through his eyes. People going about there daily lives, some thief pick pocketing un knowing patrons of stalls and shops, but he was brought back to him self as he could feel Claw stirring by him and he looked down at him, looking at the scars along his right eye and across his snout. The great Dire wolf didn't like that many humans, as for all he knew Jax is the only human he knew, and even then he and talon were of blood and pack. "Rest easy my brother, they do not seem so bad" he said patting the wolf on the back of his neck, running his hand down that fur to the first spine of bone jutting out from his back. Attached to the wolf was a sled, made from wood and leather, as it was loaded down with countless furs from 6 months of hunting, as Jax didn't know why but he couldn't bring him self to waste any part of anything he killed. They ate every bit of it meat it had, Claw enjoyed the marrow from bones as they used the bones to make new arrows. But it was time they got some answers, why where they here? Where was here? He looked up at the sky, he could navigate using the stars, he had all this knowledge but he couldn't pinpoint where they were.

"We need to do this my brother" he said as the wolf looked at him and shook his head "Do not be that way, nothing will happen to us, It will be fine" he said as anyone who happened to in the town square could hear the loud screech of the eagle as it circled over head and Jax looked "See talon is excited, show more enthusiasm. The wolf shook his head once more as the two started walking towards the town "we will be careful then" He said.

As they walked through the town many people turned there heads to stare, At a height of 6'3 Jax was a tall man, and wearing furs and clothes made of broiled leather he was one to stand out on his own. Not to mention the Beast of a wolf with spines of bone going down his back walking beside him, The massive wolf's head swung from side to side, as people started quickly getting out of the way of the pair. Claw growled as Jax brought a hand down to the back of his neck "Be calm my brother" he said as he looked up, his eyes seemed to dull as he was now looking at them from the view of an eagle, watched as they walked and the crowed parted for them before looking a head getting directions to that square where people seemed to gather to sell, sure he would find a place to unload all those furs and leathers they had.

Ebil Bunny said
"Yeah, thanks," Martyn said gratefully. After they finished picking the things up, Martyn said, "Sorry about that. I'm Martyn, I work for Sage in the tailor's shop. That's why I have all these assorted rolls of clothe."

"I can see that" Jack replied to the child. "Jack Helterson, I kill animals for a living." he replied numerously to Martyn. He wondered what the kid was up to, and he hadn't seen him before. "You new here? I don't recognize you." he inquired. The crowd was starting to bother him, and he started to hope that their conversation would make it possible for them to leave the immediate area,

"Well, I arrived a month ago or so," Martyn replied, then noticed Jack was getting a bit bothered. He wasn't sure if it was him that was bothering Jack, or something else. Maybe he had important business he had to go to, or he didn't like crowds. Martyn had met quite a few people who didn't like being around a lot of people at once.
"Look, if you have somewhere else you'd rather be, I don't want to keep you here. Oh, and nice to meet you, Jack," he said.

As Jax and Claw walked he looked around at the hustle and bustle of the town. Talon had landed in a tree in the cent of town, letting out a loud screech Jax nodded "I feel it too sister" his voice was somber as Claw lowered his head. The the pair of them walked up to the tree as Talon flew down and landed on Jax's shoulder as he placed his hand on the trunk of that weeping tree. Being a skin walker, Jax was very connected to the spiritual world, and all living things. "You hurt" he said rubbing his hand along that three "What causes you so much pain?" he asked the tree. The wind shifted as Jax's eyes shot open. They turned a milky color as he saw through the eyes of a tree. Plants were not like animals, whose lives were short and their memories few. Trees lived for hundreds to thousands of years and held every memory since it was but a sappling. Memories of the trees life flashed before his eyes, most of it nonsense, to much to fast to make any sense of it all. But it stopped, slowed down. Showing a great earthquake shaking the town, destroying buildings as people ran for there lives.

His eyes returned to there deep blue hue as he patted the trunk of the tree. "I have no words to express sorrow for your pain old friend." there was something to connecting with things the way he did. Seeing through the eyes of another, feeling there emotions, there pains and there joys. In those moments he was closer to the spirit then any other living thing could be. People were looking at him, seeing as he was talking to a tree though he hardly paid notice. He didn't know why but he got the feeling skin walkers were rare. Something told him that but he wasn't sure what. A voice in the back of his mind, and old man with a tortoise sitting in a chair, the details were hard to make out. He couldn't see a face as it was like looking through thick fog as you could only make out the shape and dulled colors. "We are far and few between my boy, Skin walkers. We live out side of civilization. Such pain and sorrow exist in those places, so much suffering. If the others could feel it they would tear down there great monuments of stone and steel, yes my boy. Be thankful for what you are, for nobody shall ever know the world as you do, the burden we carry. Now go run a long my boy, maybe with winters new cubs you shall find your first spirit brother, or sister."

Jax and Claw looked to each other, they knew that was they day they met, a young boy and a new pup, Sprite brothers. Talon cried out flapping her wings as Jax reached up petting the birds head "Don't be that way dear sister, we can not remember our past. I am sure the tale of our meeting will come soon enough" he said placing his hand on the tree once more. "thank you old friend, We will talk again" he said turning returning to the task at hand. Though the lingering though was in his head, that memory the tree hand awakened for them was a good one. But he still remembered his first day, some horrible event happened. They assumed the trauma from that is what caused them to lose there memories.

Soon as he read signs around him before he found something called a tailor. He recalled somewhat that this was a place to made clothes. A perfect place to sell furs, and maybe some leather. Bushing open the door the bell rang above him as he looked up at it, and he held the door open as Caw walked in with there sled of supplies. Looking about he looked at the clothes...It was all soo..sooo...useless. Fancy designs, no protection, thin materials that would let you freeze even on a warm night. Jax was a particle man, and as such didn't see much pint in useless clothes that only were meant to look fancy. He would rather be naked in all honesty. "Hello?" he called out, his voice was a little rough, as one might expect from looking like him. "I have furs and leathers to sell." He said as he approached some one sitting down, drawing on paper. "our you the owner here?" he asked Directed towards Sage.

Sage was hanging his newest design up in the shop when the door opened. He turned to see a rather strong man come in with an even large wolf and bird. Well, that's something you don't see everyday. Sage thought to himself, eyes wide. "Yes, I am the owner of the shop. I'm Sage Lock, pleasure to make your acquaintance. Now,how may I help you today?" He said, trying to hide his surprise. "Ah selling fur and leather? Well let's just see what you have." Sage walked over to the sled and examined the furs. "Wow, these are very nice. Did you skin these animals yourself? It was done perfectly." He was impressed, a lot of time when people came in to sell him the skin of animals, it was done half-asked. He normally had to have the furs sent to the city to get them cleaned before he could use them for anything. That usually made a huge dent in his profits. "How much were you looking to get for all this?" He was willing to spend a bit more than his normal price because the man had saved him to trouble of having to get all these cleaned.

Jax reached up and scratched his chin, a common trait of his when he was thinking about something. "We did" he stated thinking the hunters, other then the bear, must of been of a poor sort to skin and clean an animal so poorly, as well as seeing it as disrespectful to nature. Their must of been a time in his youth where he was not skilled as he is today. But he had the odd feeling he did not call him self a hunter until he could properly pay respects for the lives he took. Just then Claw shook his head letting out a low rumbling growl as the eagle let out a loud cry flapping it's wings. "Calm your self you two...you will frighten the man." he said looking to him "I am sorry they do not like the smell of this place" he stated as in all honesty neither did he. But finally he smiled looking to the man "I will take 10% more then the standard rate as these are of a higher quality then you are accustomed to." He spoke in a way as if he knew what the standard rate was, in truth he didn't even know what form of currency they used. For all he knew he just traded for 20 chickens.

Though they had little use for money, living as they did, Talon had spotted a bathhouse, and something about the idea of warm water felt, comforting to them , something familiar about the thought. In truth it was because there were hot springs near by where he grew up and his family would often relax in them after a long hunt or day of work. But now it was just something of a feint feeling.