An Antique Shop

Their journey was short, with Sindbad fixed on reaching their destination early, his caravan dithered not as they made across the desert. So far, the only hurdle they were met with was some wolves roaming the land, but they were taken care of easily. 

On the morning of their third day, Zarqa woke up to the rays of light filtering through the white cloth of the carriage that served to protect her against the heat. She looked up from her cramped position between the sacks of rice and barrels of oil up at Sindbad who held the hem of the cloth aloft, smiling at her broadly.

" Good morning, sleeping beauty. I thought you might want to take a look at our destination." He beckoned his head forward and Zarqa climbed out of her makeshift bed, poking her head out and her eyes went wide with what she saw. " This is Wadi Al-salam," Sindbad announced, indicating the town awaiting them down the valley they were descending.

It was thrice Al-yamama's size. It extended before her eyes, unbounded. Its buildings towered up over each other, occasionally linked together with vaulted bridges and arches. The streets were paved in contrast to her town's dirt ones. They were bustling with people walking on and about, tending to their errands. Shouting, greeting, bidding, bartering, and mingling altogether, it was like a turbulent flow of humans.

The path to the city's entrance was framed with palm trees on both sides, as if they were welcoming them. It was a strange transaction, the sandy grounds shifted all of a sudden to stones. The dunes disappeared behind tall and carved houses with large windows and semi-circular doors.

Fixing her hair, Zarqa gaped at the structures surrounding them and the people walking around, carrying all kinds of stuff. " We'll be stopping here for a while. We need to do some business after all and get some food and water."

Zarqa nodded her head, albeit not taking her eyes off the wonders Wadi Al-salam had to offer. Sindbad couldn't help a small smile at her reaction, it reminded him of when he was a young boy and set off to trade for the first time. He too was amazed by the big world and its awes.

So far as he knew, Zarqa never saw a market other than that of Al-yamama, and despite how abundant and large it was, it couldn't compare to those of larger cities. 

" Hey," he placed a hand gently on her shoulder, returning her gaze to him. " If you want, you can go and look around."

" I can?" 

" It will take a while to set our stand and sell our goods. You can use that time to explore. The Souks here are way bigger and thriver than Al-yamama's market." In her eyes, there was a glimmer of excitement as she returned her gaze upon the streets stretching further before them. " I'm sure you'll have fun."

The caravan passed underneath a monastery arc, and it was as though someone took a bucket full of dyes and splashed it around. Colorful tapestries and gilded clothes hung off the rafters of shops and stalls, shopkeepers shouted out their wares, trying to catch the attention of those passing by, their stands ladened with all kinds of goods, from fruits and vegetables to jewelry and accessories. People talked, greeted, and waved at each other from the windows. It was a lively city, Zarqa thought.

Sindbad's caravan pulled at the beginning of the Souk and everyone embarked on unloading their stuff, enticing curious looks from those passing them, wondering what could they offer. Zarqa had seen the men trade before in Al-yamama, and she knew Sindbad always took pride in presenting all kinds of unusual wares gathered from around the world. He also had the tendency of dressing up flamboyantly to amaze the buyers and show off his goods, from his unusual sword to his gaudy trinkets.

Zarqa watched them for a while as they settled down before Sindbad urged her to go on her own. He placed both hands on her shoulders and whirled her around so she was facing the bustling market. " You just go and have fun. We'll meet up here at sunset. Now go on."

With a small nudge, Zarqa was shoved into the flow of the Souk, walking among the people and taking in the stands and shops. The further she ventured, the crowdier it became and the brighter the wares shone in her eyes. The main path forked and split around a fountain, leading to multiple other alleys, each dealing with a special trade or craft, clothes, spices, tapestries, pottery…

Zarqa stood by the fountain, swaying on the balls of her feet as she pondered on which one to wade into and unravel its inner mysteries. All of them seemed appealing to her.

Her eyes widened, something flashing before her for a second. A shop, one packed with mysterious wares ranging from china to gold, and filled with the smell of incense. It seemed mystical, as if the open door was beckoning her to delve into its unknown depths.

As though in a daze, Zarqa turned around, her feet moving on their own, down an alley packed with antiques and people performing strange dances, playing with fire, and showcasing their abnormal physical strength. Zarqa's eyes darted from one to another in search of the shop she saw in her vision.

She flinched and took a step back bumping into the one behind her when she was met with a face glaring and snarling at her with an angry expression, its mouth held open in a growl and teeth barred.

The flooding people complained about the ripple in their flow and readjusted, walking past Zarqa. The girl took a good look at the offending face. It was just a face, disembodied. It was also made of wood.

She took a step closer, considering the mask that startled her. It was then that she took notice of all the other ones. Smiling, crying, surprised… they were depicting all kinds of emotions. As she walked past them, a smell caught her attention. She turned to face a rather large open door with curtains draped over it, flanking it were flower bouquets of various colors and types hanging on both sides. 

It was alluring.

Zarqa walked over to it as though drawn by some magnetic force. She pushed away the red gilded curtains and peeked inside.

The shop was rather dark but considerably large. The shelves were laden with peculiar goods and wares. The smell of incense wafted through the air, tickling her nostrils.

Reluctantly, she stepped in, her satchel clutched tightly in her hands. She looked around, the small statues seemed as though staring back at her, following her every move. A rather mysterious glass jar with a snake coiled within caught her eyes. She tentatively tapped the glass with her fingertip, but there was no response from the animal inside, only looking away with white eyes.

" Then…" A voice called. There was another smell mingled with that of the incense.

Zarqa peeked through the shelves and at the other side. There, underneath a lantern hanging off the ceiling, there was a small counter with a woman sitting to it. She had long wavy black hair cascading down her shoulders, her eyes were emerald green and her skin radiant like the sun rays. She held a smoking pipe in her hand, sucking at its end. She looked down at another woman standing in front of her. The woman was clad from head to foot in expensive red clothes, and her voice was barely a whisper as she greeted.

The black-haired woman blew a puff of smoke. " How can I help you today?"

The other woman looked around, as if making sure there was no one eavesdropping. " It's bad, very bad business. Everything had gone bad, all of my new utensils broke, and even my husband started fighting with me. It's her… the new neighbor who moved in a few weeks ago… I caught the way she was staring at me. I need your help."

" So." She pointed her pipe at her, considering her carefully. " You need protection from her."

" From that spiteful woman, yes. She is envious of our life and I can swear she used black magic on us."

The green eyes narrowed slightly as she sucked on her pipe again, taking her time before speaking again. " I have the right thing for you." She disappeared beneath the counter and came around a few moments later, holding a golden antique in her hand.

Zarqa squinted her eyes at it. It seemed like an amulet, a golden depiction of a hand with a blue eye on its palm.

The woman placed it on the counter and leaned forward, breathing out her smoke. " Hang this above your bed, it would protect your everyday life from any envy and jealous prying eyes."

The other woman took it and hid it under the wraps of her clothes before pulling out a string bag and placing it on the counter. She then rounded in her spot and headed to the door from the other side of the shelves, peeking into the street before joining the flow of humans.

The woman at the counter drew a lengthy breath before speaking out loud, her voice resounding off the walls. " You can step out of your hideout, little mouse."...