I ran into Stupid as I wound my way through the aisles towards the front.

  Naturally, she was riding Workman’s Comp.

  Like a horse.

  I realized I hadn’t seen Workman’s Comp in quite some time.

  “Oh! Hi Beeg -“ she lit up right away, drawing up short and hopping off her steed.

  “Is Beeg ok?” She asked, looking at me with her giant eyes and floppy ears.

  “Hmm?” I responded, mind focused on my upcoming talk with Vaarg.

  “Yes, I’m alright Stupid,” I muttered.

  “Oh, ok!” She chirped, looking at me like she didn’t quite believe me.

  “You just looks so serious, Beeg,” she added, her tiny hands on her hips.

  I smiled a bit. I couldn’t help myself

  “Oh? And what does serious look like?” I asked.

  “Likes you is eating lemons!” She said with a slow nod.

  I blinked.

  “This is for you Beeg,” she said, pulling something from one of her pockets.

  It was a lemon.

  “This is one of Stupid’s Brave Face Lemons,” she said, perfectly serious. “Stupid eats them when she needs to look serious.”

  I took it wordlessly.

  “…Thanks?”

  How did this tiny creature of chaos both break my heart and terrify me at the same time?

  Stupid smiled happily before skipping back to Workman’s Comp, the two careening back down the aisle.

  I looked at the lemon.

  One of the things I don’t want to lose, I thought.

  But I had made up my mind. It was time to talk to Vaarg.

  —-

  I found him at the front counter, sipping his steaming mug of green goo like it wasn’t a war crime.

  He didn’t look up when I approached.

  “I want to talk,” I said.

  “No refunds,” he replied.

  Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

  I snorted, unable to help myself.

  “Vaarg. I’m serious.”

  “I said, no refunds.” He finally looked at me. “Unless you’re returning that attitude. In which case, store credit only.”

  I didn’t laugh. Not this time.

  “I want to know what’s going on,” I said, firmer now. “The rune. The store. Everything. I have a right to know.”

  Vaarg’s eyes narrowed, just a little.

  “Why?” he asked. “So many people think they have a right to something just because they feel like they should, Beeg. Why do you have a right to know?”

  I opened my mouth. Closed it again. Because it’s happening to me? Because I didn’t ask for this? The reasoning sounded weak, even to me.

  “Because it’s too much?” I finally answered. “There is too much for me not to know,” I said, frustrated but also trembling.

  I think I was trembling in excitement. Excitement I was finally talking about this.

  That, or I was trembling in fear. Time would tell.

  “You gave me a rune, Vaarg. I did magic. Right in front of me, you handed me a dream,” I said. “And then we just… don’t talk about it.”

  I paused, breath tight.

  “In a way, that’s okay. But then Evernod comes. And that whole thing happens.”

  I clenched my fists, forcing myself to keep going.

  “Then…then I see the symbol — the one worn by the mage who nearly killed me. Who did kill everyone else I knew…and it shows up while I’m doing a delivery for you.”

  I almost raised my voice at the end, but remembered what the store had done when the last person had yelled at Vaarg.

  Speaking of, the store was oddly quiet right now.

  “I guess… if I can’t have answers, I just need to know if I am right. That I’m not just drawing a giant, insane conspiracy wall in my head?” I looked him dead in the eye.

  He set the mug down with a soft clink.

  “Well Beeg,” he said. “Answer me this. Your name isn’t Beeg. So why do you keep it? Why do you use it?”

  I drew up short.

  “I— I’m not really sure?” I said, uncertain.

  Vaarg leaned back. “Names have power, you know. Especially the ones we give ourselves. Or accept from others.”

  “Once you can answer that question, maybe it will be time for us to talk?” He finished, raising an eyebrow.

  I slumped.

  So much for answers.

  He picked up the mug again, blowing gently on the surface.

  “If you feel like you’re part of something here, Beeg… then be part of it. What you did with that Rune - you didn’t just do magic. You did so much more. We will talk about it when the time is right.”

  I blinked. “That’s it?”

  “That’s all for now,” he said. “Stop pushing so hard for things to happen. When it’s time, you’ll know. That’s when we act—not before. Stop trying to make things happen before their time.”

  He sipped, sighing in contentment.

  Maybe the next question I needed answered was how he enjoyed that poison, I thought.

  I opened the door to leave.

  “Beeg!” Vaarg called behind me.

  I looked over my shoulder.

  “If it helps, I didn’t hire you by accident.”

  I stepped out into the fading daylight.

  I held Stupid’s lemon, a small smile on my face.

  As it turns out, that did help.

  A lot.