After finishing his soda, Marcus tossed the bottle in the nearest bin for glass and deciding that he wanted to do some more research on the Amulet of Zulo, he headed back to the bus stop and waited for the next bus. When it finally came, he boarded and asked for another transfer, figuring that the best place to look for information on the medallion would the internet, where he had found all that he currently had in the way of information when it came to the Amulet of Zulo.
Logging onto the computers, Marcus began to sift through one page after another, never really getting anywhere or finding any answer as to why the medallion had failed to work. In the end, he left the library, figuring that either the whole must be a hoax or that the magick simply did not work the way he thought it did.
As he wandered downtown, deciding that he would go up to the mall for a bit, Marcus let his thoughts wander as he tried to figure what was wrong with the Amulet of Zulo or what he had done wrong. When he reached the mall, headed away from the main doors and instead headed for one of the side entrances that would admit him into one the many department stores. Stepping into the building, letting the cool air wash over him, Marcus asked himself, "What should I try the amulet on," quickly deciding that using it on any clothes for the opposite sex was out of the question.
Heading into the section for teenage boys, Marcus began to browse, his hand absently going up and tracing the outline of the medallion's design through his shirt every so often. After a moment, he looked about and deciding that maybe he could try it on a piece of football equipment, he took the amulet out when it became clear that nobody was near and touching the medallion to the jersey, he waited for something to happen.
To his disappointment, nothing happened and muttering, "Waste of five bucks," he tucked the Amulet of Zulo back beneath his shirt as his thoughts about the medallion grew darker.
Thinking about hucking the thing into the nearest trash bin, Marcus left the department store and made his way toward the food court. Passing several restaurants, he finally settled on a local burger place and approaching the counter, he began to place his order shortly after the attendant greeted him, barely glancing at the back-lit menu as he did so.
As he told the pimple-faced teenage girl before him his order, he paused and after a moment, Marcus stated, "And I want the hamburger rare," as he suddenly realised that what he was really hungry for was something that was either bloody or fleeing from him, "Perhaps, both," he thought to himself.
"That'll be six eight nine," the young woman told him in a board tone and fishing the money from his pocket, Marcus suddenly thought about leaping the counter and just sinking his teeth into the clerk.
Handing the money over, Marcus mentally asked himself what the hell was the matter with him and why it was he suddenly wanted to rip apart some woman at a burger restaurant taking his order. Absently tracing the image of the amulet through his shirt, he asked himself, "Did it perhaps work and I just don't understand the mechanics of the amulet's magick?"
"Number thirteen," a voice called out and realising that it was his order, Marcus took the offered tray and headed for one of the tables.
Sitting down, he began to eat without thinking about what he was putting in his mouth, only that he was so hungry. After putting away a hamburger that hadn't been fully cooked and a large order of fries, Marcus stood and heading back to the burger place, he proceeded to place another order, this one consisting of eight hamburgers, all the cooked like the previous one, five fish sandwiches and twelve chicken sandwiches.
When he received his food, not even caring that it cost him nearly fifteen dollars, Marcus returned to where he was sitting and began to eat, finding that by the time that he was done, his appetite was only mildly sated. Standing, thinking about where else he could get something to eat, Marcus scooped up the packaging paper his food had come in and depositing it into a trash bin, he paused. Suddenly realising that he had just eaten enough to feed a family of seven for about four days, he absently ran a hand over the Amulet and then ran it through his short, black hair.
When his hand came in contact with something in his hair, he gingerly touched the odd growth and thought, "What the hell is going on here," and looking about, he quickly located the nearest toilets.
Making a beeline for the restrooms, Marcus tried to think as to why he had suddenly eaten so much and why it was that he was still hungry, but found himself at a loss for an explanation, figuring that the only logical thing that could possibly right was that the Amulet of Zulo had worked and he was transforming into a dragon.
Suddenly self-conscious about the fact that he might be turning into a mythical creature, Marcus ducked into the men's room quickly, worried what sort of panic might ensue if he did turn into a dragon in a rather crowded place. Stopping before the large mirror above the row of sinks, Marcus looked at his reflection and after a couple seconds, began to twist his head one way, than another, but stopped when it became apparent that he couldn't see whatever was growing out of his head.
Running a hand over them, discovering that there were only two, he noted that they appeared to sitting not quite on top of his head, but also not quite in the back of his head. And then is suddenly came to him what they were as he twisted his head again and made an important discovery.
"I have no ears," Marcus whispered in a frightened and frantic manner. And touching the two growths, he corrected himself and whispered, "I have no human ears," as he turned his head one way, followed by another, taking in the fact that the side of his head was now smooth and rather flat, but he could still hear, if not better than he could before.
Touching the nubs, figuring that they were about the length of the tip of his index finger to the first knuckle, Marcus marveled at how hard his neo-ears felt and after a moment, decided that they had to be hard so that they better protected.
"Especially if I were the type to bash something with my head," Marcus thought as he tilted his head down in an effort to see his ears, but found himself still unable to see them.
Wondering when it was that his ears had vanished and when his neo-ears had grown, and why nobody had said anything, Marcus turned away from the reflective device and started to leave the toilets. As he did, he began to think about the Amulet of Zulo and why it didn't transform him completely into a dragon. Why his transformation into a mythical creature was turning out to be a slow one.
"Maybe it has to do with the fact that I only touched part of the costume," Marcus thought as he arrived back in the food court, contemplating the repercussions of what would happen if he hopped the counter of one of the restaurants and just took what he wanted.
After a moment of staring and salivating, Marcus decided that if he really wanted something to eat he should go home to get it and heading out of the food court, he wondered what was next to change.