A
purple glow saw her coming and flew by a flower. It reminded Kara
of a stained glass window in the village cathedral.
Then from behind, someone grabbed her arm,
and pulled her away. Kara almost let out a little scream until she
realized it was Dante.
“Stay close by. This is a big place and you
could easily get lost. Plus, you don’t want anything at that
booth.”
Grace flew down next to her with a chirp and
a shake. The sprite looked to be agreeing with the werefox. Kara
mumbled an okay. With the flowers forgotten, she quickly went back
to taking in every sight and sound.
Down the first main aisle, non-humans crowded
around a weapons booth. Swords and axes hung from the sides of the
booth, while mannequins in chain mail stood in the corners. A half
goat-half man was busy haggling with several people at once. At one
point, the proprietor jumped up on a stool and pointed. “Sold! No
deal! How about twenty? Get lost, ya’ bother me, kid!”
Kara found herself rooted to the spot
watching the spectacle. Hambone tugged on her arm to move her
forward. They huddled in a group just up from the weapons
booth.
“We should split up. Maybe an idea will come
to us about getting Kara back home. Grace, you go with Hambone.
I’ll take Kara. Kara, is that okay with you?” Dante asked, his
voice hardly registering.
She was busy looking back at the booth with
the goat man, his funny voice echoing and baying while he
bargained.
“Kara?”
“What?”
“We’re splitting up. Hambone and Grace and
you and me.”
“Okay,” she said, not caring about whom she
was with but who was around.
After they set a meeting place and time, the
group split. Dante guided Kara by the arm, almost dragging her. He
seemed eager to get somewhere. Kara wanted to stop and look at it
all.
They passed an old woman selling apples. Her
smile revealed a toothless grin. The woman called out to them,
holding her product out. “Apples for sale. “
Dante held up his hand and shook his head as
they passed by.
“Dante, she looks human. Maybe she knows
how….”
“She’s a witch. They resemble humans but are
not quite human. Some can be very powerful in magic, but for some
reason it takes a toll on their body. The older they are, sometimes
the stronger with the gift they are. Best we leave her in peace.”
Dante whispered and pulled her along. Kara stared back at the witch
and the apples, which were so red they made her mouth water. The
witch caught her eye, gave a smile, and then a wink.
A sudden chill went through her. She
knows!
“Dante?” But he ignored her and he pulled her
along. The chill passed and new sights distracted her mind.
They passed a large pig-headed creature that
appeared to be a butcher. It talked in snorts and grunts while it
hacked at something with a cleaver. There were some smaller
creatures that she recognized now as gnomes selling plants and
vegetables. These tiny men reminded her of the ones she first saw
staring into the bubbling caldron.
Next she saw some orcs. Dante identified them
for her, plus they were similar in size and shape to Hambone,
plying crudely made furniture. Two were trying to set out a dining
table that had five legs. A couple of the chairs also looked
mismatched.
Kara wished she could stop and watch
everyone, take it all in, but Dante seemed to have an agenda. Where was he taking her? Maybe he knew of someone who knew a
way back to Faldoa.
Dante slowed, then stopped, and Kara bumped
into him. The booth in front of them looked like the forest itself.
A canopy of intertwining branches sprouted several leaves and one
pink flower ever so many feet, covered the top of the store. Green
vines traveled from the grassy floor to the natural canopy. Kara
watched as these vines moved on their own, caressing and curling
around the supports. Their movement drew her in closer.
Not much could be seen further into the
booth, as a curtain of shimmering silk hid whatever was behind the
curtain from view. As the
purple glow saw her coming and flew by a flower. It reminded Kara
of a stained glass window in the village cathedral.
Then from behind, someone grabbed her arm,
and pulled her away. Kara almost let out a little scream until she
realized it was Dante.
“Stay close by. This is a big place and you
could easily get lost. Plus, you don’t want anything at that
booth.”
Grace flew down next to her with a chirp and
a shake. The sprite looked to be agreeing with the werefox. Kara
mumbled an okay. With the flowers forgotten, she quickly went back
to taking in every sight and sound.
Down the first main aisle, non-humans crowded
around a weapons booth. Swords and axes hung from the sides of the
booth, while mannequins in chain mail stood in the corners. A half
goat-half man was busy haggling with several people at once. At one
point, the proprietor jumped up on a stool and pointed. “Sold! No
deal! How about twenty? Get lost, ya’ bother me, kid!”
Kara found herself rooted to the spot
watching the spectacle. Hambone tugged on her arm to move her
forward. They huddled in a group just up from the weapons
booth.
“We should split up. Maybe an idea will come
to us about getting Kara back home. Grace, you go with Hambone.
I’ll take Kara. Kara, is that okay with you?” Dante asked, his
voice hardly registering.
She was busy looking back at the booth with
the goat man, his funny voice echoing and baying while he
bargained.
“Kara?”
“What?”
“We’re splitting up. Hambone and Grace and
you and me.”
“Okay,” she said, not caring about whom she
was with but who was around.
After they set a meeting place and time, the
group split. Dante guided Kara by the arm, almost dragging her. He
seemed eager to get somewhere. Kara wanted to stop and look at it
all.
They passed an old woman selling apples. Her
smile revealed a toothless grin. The woman called out to them,
holding her product out. “Apples for sale. “
Dante held up his hand and shook his head as
they passed by.
“Dante, she looks human. Maybe she knows
how….”
“She’s a witch. They resemble humans but are
not quite human. Some can be very powerful in magic, but for some
reason it takes a toll on their body. The older they are, sometimes
the stronger with the gift they are. Best we leave her in peace.”
Dante whispered and pulled her along. Kara stared back at the witch
and the apples, which were so red they made her mouth water. The
witch caught her eye, gave a smile, and then a wink.
A sudden chill went through her. She
knows!
“Dante?” But he ignored her and he pulled her
along. The chill passed and new sights distracted her mind.
They passed a large pig-headed creature that
appeared to be a butcher. It talked in snorts and grunts while it
hacked at something with a cleaver. There were some smaller
creatures that she recognized now as gnomes selling plants and
vegetables. These tiny men reminded her of the ones she first saw
staring into the bubbling caldron.
Next she saw some orcs. Dante identified them
for her, plus they were similar in size and shape to Hambone,
plying crudely made furniture. Two were trying to set out a dining
table that had five legs. A couple of the chairs also looked
mismatched.
Kara wished she could stop and watch
everyone, take it all in, but Dante seemed to have an agenda. Where was he taking her? Maybe he knew of someone who knew a
way back to Faldoa.
Dante slowed, then stopped, and Kara bumped
into him. The booth in front of them looked like the forest itself.
A canopy of intertwining branches sprouted several leaves and one
pink flower ever so many feet, covered the top of the store. Green
vines traveled from the grassy floor to the natural canopy. Kara
watched as these vines moved on their own, caressing and curling
around the supports. Their movement drew her in closer.
Not much could be seen further into the
booth, as a curtain of shimmering silk hid whatever was behind the
curtain from view. As the
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