It didn't look like it was going to be a bright week for the gas mage. He was out all day at the beach yesterday seeing as the weather was spectacular for a workout. He not only worked on his training, but also managed to drop down for a swim at the ocean. He woke up with sore arms and a sore throat. Looks like someone is about to catch a cold. Ace, like most people, wasn't really into getting sick and spending days in slurping on hot chicken soup; especially not in this nice spring weather.

He was woken up by his new companion Anax. The young growlithe slept on the boy's bed and nudged him to wake up fairly early in the morning. "Really??" he whispered as the canine wouldn't let him go. His small hand rubbed off the head of the orange furred creature as he forced his way out of bed. "I guess we might as well go look for some medicine while we grab some breakfast". He got dressed and headed out wrapped in a few more layers than usual. Anax playfully jumped around the young boy as they walked into town. Magnolia was such a big city and it wasn't going to be that hard to find a shop where he can grab some off the shelf medication. He went into the first store and asked the man for some cold and flu pills. The old man at the counter seemed nice enough to Ace. "Listen here young one, you take these pills and go over to someone called Khalash just at the end of this street, he should be able to enhance their effect with some of his magic. He's known for these home remedies of his" the old man at the counter said with a gentle smile. "Thanks a lot for your help" Ace stated after he paid the man. "Khalash..." he thought to himself. The name was very familiar. Where did he come across it before. Ace shrugged it off as he walked out of the store to reunite with his young canine, "Lets go A. Top of the street should be a man who could help us".

Just a few minutes of walking down the usually busy market street of Magnolia, the afroed boy spotted Khalash's store. He was instantly reminded of the ild bearded man. That was the same guy he'd done a couple quests for a few weeks back before he left to Era. This man always wrote his requests in a handy efficient way. Ace was very fond of the old man even though he barely got to see him most of the time. He pushed the door open as the small bell's ring resounded throughout the shop. This time around he held the door for his little companion as he signaled him to come in after him. The growlithe quieted down as he walked in the shop.

"Khalash, right?"

The young gas mage's question was directed at the old bearded man over the counter. "It's about time!" the old man shouted, "You're here with my request again aren't you?". With a puzzled look on his face the young mage looked at his bag and said "Not really. I've got a cold and I was told that you could make me a remedy with these pills". The old man stared with a plain disappointed look in his eyes. "Nonsense! You have to take good care of the shop while I'm gone, then I'll make you the remedy when I come back... You know, you can never be sure who'll come in and try to steal something" he said with a spark in his eyes. Ace was basically being forced to do the job for the man. Not that he didn't want to take it, but he wasn't in his best form. "I'm still getting paid though", the afroed boy's eyebrows lifted up as he asked the man rhetorically. "Ugh yeah sure". The man didn't seem like he even knew what he was agreeing to. He snatched his bag in a hurry and dashed out of the shop, "See ya later kid!". This old man always wanted the easy way out of things, which reminded Ace of his grandad. That was probably part of the reason he liked the man as well. Ace was left to do the job with his companion. He carried the small dog-like creature and walked out behind the counter. Ace took a seat on Khalash's chair. Unfortunately he wasn't able to see anything over the counter so he grabbed some of Khalash's books and placed them on his seat. "Alright, now lets see how long this old man's going to take..." Ace said as he let out a deep cough. He woukd have much preferred if the old man gave him his medicine before he bolted out, but there wasn't much he could do now.

A few hours into passing bags of herbs to customers in exchange of jewels, the gas mage encountered a group of teenagers who walked into the shop in attempt of 'having fun'. They were basically loud and reckless. The moment they saw Ace they walked up to him. With them being a couple years older than the twelve year old they probably thought they might as well bully the kid for the laugh. "Hey nerd" one of them shouted out as the rest giggled. The brave Anax stood up for Ace loyally. His name wasn't given to him by Ace for no reason. The young king growled at them as his teeth got engulfed in flames. "Calm down King... We don't want to cause a mess of the shop" he stated with his eyes sharply pointed at his companion. It was his fist time seeing his baby growlithe using his fire based magic. He thought it wasn't fully developed yet, and that was the only real explanation as he could've used it to try saving his mother while he could have. Over the two weeks he's known Ace he had grown by a lot. His friend was pushing him to train with him, and it seems like he developed a bond with him from when Ace tried saving his mother. Ace rubbed his companion's head softly, "Its alright calm down". The teenagers just walked out without Ace paying much attention to them. He was too engrossed with Anax's ability.

Later that night, after the shop ran smoothly for a couple hours, Ace met Khalash at the shop again as he handed him and Anax their reward. He kept the kid from going home before he brewed up his medicine with the crushed pills. "Mind yourself kid! And you better be back to take care of the shop again!" he yelled as Ace walked out the shop. "Yeah yeah yeah... Thanks for the medicine" he quietly murmured under his breath the further he got away.

~EXIT~
1155/1000