One Hand Dusts the Other

A new shop had opened up in the old space where the Denmark Fish Emporium used to be. The sign above the doorway immediately caught Cassie's eye. It read The Dead Man's Hand in letters made to look like finger bones. Cassie grinned. Wow. She would have never figured the uptight Acorn Mall Business Association would let a place like this open up. Without a moment to lose she stepped inside.

Cassie had expected shelves full of scrolls and the heads of weird monsters mounted up on the walls, cases full of magic blades, and counters brimming with potion bottles. The inside was actually a little diappointing. Mostly just posters for various role playing games and cases full of collectibles. That is, it was disappointing until she saw what the shopkeeper was dusting off.

"Is that?" Cassie began to whisper before she trailed off in awe. Inside the glass case was a skeleton's hand, a little lick of fire dancing above each fingertip like the flame of a candle.

"A Hand of Glory? Why, yes, it is," the tall, slender shopkeep with the crooked smile nodded and went back to his dusting. Cassie wondered if this guy was the owner. He looked more like someone who used to be an All State High School track star than a sorcerer. His nametag read Herman Mercer.

"Is it for sale?!" Cassie couldn't believe her good luck. She must be the new shop's first customer. Once this was gone there wouldn't be anything left in here worth buying.

"No," Herman went back to dusting, smiling just a little more crookedly at Cassie's glum expression.