Dina backed up, and looked out the window, trying to decide if she was safer outside. As if sensing her fear, the old man spoke and tried to reassure her.
"Don't worry, you are quite safe here. The men following you cannot see this store. And believe me, if they were able to get inside, I would make sure they knew they were not welcome here. You can relax. You are safe here, Dina. " said the old man.
Dina was about to ask how he knew her name, but she could sense the magic all around her. The store obviously had magical properties, and the owner must have had a little magic in him, too.
"Thanks for the help, old man. But why did you do it? You may know me, but I have never met you. Why would you help a stranger like me?" asked Dina.
The old man sighed. "Let's just say, your present predicament has made me feel something I haven't felt in a long time: guilt. I am at least a little partly responsible for your current condition, and I feel that I might owe you something."
"Okay, old man, I'll bite. You said you might have something that could help me. Spill it, what do you have?" asked Dina.
The old man smiled. "Well, in short, everything and anything. My store is filled with all sorts of magical items. You are welcome to purchase one, if you like. I don't let just anyone shop here. It is a rare privilege."
"Do you have something that can make me human again? Something that can give me back my old life?" Dina asked with excitement.
The old man shook his head sadly. "I am afraid not. Your changes are irreversible. What can I say? My work is very good."
Dina pouted. "Well, thanks a lot. I am very happy for you, but a lot of good it does me. How can any of this stuff help me then?"
"Now, now, " said the old man. "Just because we can't reverse the changes doesn't mean we can't work around them. I have all kinds of body altering items. You could make yourself taller, stronger, faster, or even more attractive. You could enhance your current appearance, and look more feline. You could try to look like another animal, but I would not recommend it. Mixing magics like that can be risky, and you might wind up as a Chimera."
"Can you give me something that will affect other people? " asked Dina.
"Ahh, " said the old man. "Thinking of revenge against your former master. I must advise against that. It never seems to work out. You know what they say about revenge: If you seek revenge, you should dig two graves."
"Yeah, yeah. I don't know if you noticed, but I don't have a lot to lose. So do you have stuff like that or not?" said Dina.
The old man sighed. "Yes, I stock items of that nature. But I must give you some warnings. First, you can not use anything from my store to kill or seriously injure anyone. I can see in your heart that you are a good person so it shouldn't be a problem, but you should know that there will be grave repercussions for that kind of behavior. Second, you cannot use anything from my store as a tool to rape someone. Consensual sex is fine, we are all adults here. But forcing yourself on an unwilling person .... well, let's just say that the karma of this magic can be very cruel."
"Okay, old man. Sounds fair. I don't have a problem with that. So, what have you got?" asked Dina.
"Well, as I said everything and anything. The only limit is your imagination. Have a look around, and I am sure the right item will call you to it. Then just bring it up to the counter, and I will tell you how it works, and how much it will cost, " said the old man.
"Cost? I thought you were going to give it to me for free. I don't have much money, " said Dina. "I really don't have much of anything."
"My dear, I am kind and generous, but this is a business, and I do need payment for my services. But I wouldn't worry too much about the cost. I think you will find my items are surprisingly affordable. And you can always work off the difference. Now, get shopping. I don't have all night for you to browse. I do have other customers that are waiting, " said the old man.
Dina began to walk through the store, searching for just the right thing.