Onward

Chapter 10: The Trust Bridge

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"Uh...so where is your magic sword?" Laurel asked Corey as they stepped out of the car.

Corey grabbed her shoulders. "It lies beyond those gates!" She shouted dramatically gesturing towards a pawn shop.

"If we don't leave here with the sword, your boys and their friend are doomed."

...

"There you are." The Grecklin working at the counter said, tossing something on the counter. "One garlic crusher."

"No, Curse Crusher." Corey corrected. "It's a large magical sword."

"Sword, sword, sword. I mean, I got this thing." The Grecian said holding up Corey's sword.

"Aha! That's it!" She exclaimed.

"How much?" Laurel asked.

"Let's call it, uh, 10." She replied in a scratchy voice.

"Great." Laurel said, reaching for her purse.

"Forged of the rarest metals, the only sword of its kind in all the land. Hello, old friend. We shall never part again." Corey spoke to the sword.

Unfortunately, the Grecklin overheard her and placed her hand over the sword.

"Oh! Turns out this sword is the only sword of its kind in all the land. So let's call it 10,000!" She cackled.

"You can't do that." Laurel said.

"Well, I just did." She laughed again.

"Okay, you had better..." Laurel was about to scold the woman before her phone rang and she answered it. "Yeah." It was Officer Bronco.

...

"Hey, I talked to some other officers, and they said they boys were last seen going north." He informed her.

...

"Are they ok?" Laurel asked.

"They're fine."

...

"But the officers said...well, honey, this night keeps getting stranger and stranger."

...

"Do you know who I am?!" Corey shouted.

"Some kind of winged bear-snake lady?" The Grecklin responded.

"Ugh! Winged lion-scorpion lady!" Corey corrected.

"It sure does." Laurel told Bronco before approaching the counter.

"Listen, I need that sword. My sons have a once in a lifetime chance to see their father. Now my oldest son-"

Laurel was interrupted when Corey stung the Grecklin in the neck with her scorpion tail, causing her to collapse.

"Holy son of a...you killed her!" Laurel exclaimed.

"It's ok. She's only temporarily paralyzed." Corey reassured.

"Hey, you can't do this." The Grecklin said from the floor.

"Well, I just did." Corey sassed.

"Grab the sword." Laurel told her.

"Don't touch that." The Grecklin screamed.

"Here you go. And a little something extra for your troubles." Laurel said, tossing money on the counter. "I love your store. Oh, that's so pretty." She flipped the open sign to closed on her way out.