breeze blew, the curtain caught waves of
light and sent an electric light show through the fabric. Just one
more thing Kara could have stared at for hours, had it not been for
Dante.
“Lyllianna. The most beautiful nymph at the
market,” he murmured, as he let go of Kara’s arm. He sketched a
small bow right in front of the booth.
“Master Dante, it is a pleasure.”
Kara stared wordless when she caught a
glimpse of this Lyllianna. Birch-colored locks fell softly on her
shoulder where they floated as on clouds, for they barely moved. In
her hair, she wore a garland of leaves that were as bright green as
the ones on the booth. Emerald eyes gave Kara a brief glance and
then turned back to Dante.
She looks human?
“Here with a friend?” There seemed to be a
tinge of jealousy in her words.
Dante broke out of his momentarily dreamy
state to mumble, “No, this is just a Bedouin friend of Hambone.
He’s off with Grace doing…something…shopping. I don’t know.”
A smile, that magically completed Lyllianna,
formed on her face. “So, since you shook off the dwarc and the
little green speck, you just happened to be close by…” Her words
trailed off and Dante leaned in closer. She took her finger and
pushed him back by the nose.
“I suppose…” The woman said, drawing out the
word in anticipation. “I could squeeze you in. But your friend
needs to wait out here.”
Immediately, Dante dipped down on one knee in
front of Kara. “You stay put. Don’t move or touch anything. I’ll be
back soon.”
“But where are you going? Does she know how
to get back to Faldoa?”
“Shhh!” Dante shook her and looked back up at
Lyllianna who was twirling a finger through her hair. “No one is
supposed to know you are human,” he whispered.
“But where are you going?”
“Don’t worry. You will be fine. Your illusion
still works, so no one will bother you. I won’t be gone long.”
“But…” Panic rose in her voice at the thought
of being trapped here along amongst all these races.
“Oh, Dante…” Lyllianna parted the curtain and
crooking her index finger beckoned him in.
Dante stood up. “Just stay put. You’ll be
fine.” He patted Kara on the head then quickly dashed to the nymph.
They disappeared behind the curtain.
Kara stood there stunned. What just happened?
What did this booth sell? It had no sign. Then again, most of the
booths around here had no placards. When at the village market, all
the shops announced what they offered through signs. Some even had
pictures of their wares. She began to feel uneasy and awkward. Were
people staring at her? How long was Dante going to be gone?
In the booth several other women, just as
beautiful as Lyllianna, were talking to customers. They also wore
garlands in their hair and their long white dresses tied at the
waist with a cream-colored braid of rope. All the customers
appeared to be male, or what Kara could make out to be male from
their long unkempt hair and beards. She had no idea what was going
on. No one from the booth approached her.
“Excuse me?” she called to a woman in the
booth. A blonde haired beauty looked her way, gave a brief scowl,
but floated over.
“Yes ma’am.” The tone was sullen and nowhere
near as charming as Lyllianna had been with Dante.
Now what?
“Um, what do you sell here?”
A laugh escaped the woman, but she quickly
composed herself. “Why, beauty of course.” The nymph continued when
she saw the confused look. “We are beauticians. We groom, pluck,
cut, massage, tone, et cetera., our customers, so that they will
look their best. Males usually need the most work. Excuse me. Duty
calls.” And with a wave of her hand, the beautician glided off to
another customer.
Dante left me alone to get a haircut! Kara felt anger for the first time since she had arrived in the
Territories. Her emotions dictated her actions. She made a move
toward the curtain to pull Dante out of there.
Suddenly, a wall of coarse fur
light and sent an electric light show through the fabric. Just one
more thing Kara could have stared at for hours, had it not been for
Dante.
“Lyllianna. The most beautiful nymph at the
market,” he murmured, as he let go of Kara’s arm. He sketched a
small bow right in front of the booth.
“Master Dante, it is a pleasure.”
Kara stared wordless when she caught a
glimpse of this Lyllianna. Birch-colored locks fell softly on her
shoulder where they floated as on clouds, for they barely moved. In
her hair, she wore a garland of leaves that were as bright green as
the ones on the booth. Emerald eyes gave Kara a brief glance and
then turned back to Dante.
She looks human?
“Here with a friend?” There seemed to be a
tinge of jealousy in her words.
Dante broke out of his momentarily dreamy
state to mumble, “No, this is just a Bedouin friend of Hambone.
He’s off with Grace doing…something…shopping. I don’t know.”
A smile, that magically completed Lyllianna,
formed on her face. “So, since you shook off the dwarc and the
little green speck, you just happened to be close by…” Her words
trailed off and Dante leaned in closer. She took her finger and
pushed him back by the nose.
“I suppose…” The woman said, drawing out the
word in anticipation. “I could squeeze you in. But your friend
needs to wait out here.”
Immediately, Dante dipped down on one knee in
front of Kara. “You stay put. Don’t move or touch anything. I’ll be
back soon.”
“But where are you going? Does she know how
to get back to Faldoa?”
“Shhh!” Dante shook her and looked back up at
Lyllianna who was twirling a finger through her hair. “No one is
supposed to know you are human,” he whispered.
“But where are you going?”
“Don’t worry. You will be fine. Your illusion
still works, so no one will bother you. I won’t be gone long.”
“But…” Panic rose in her voice at the thought
of being trapped here along amongst all these races.
“Oh, Dante…” Lyllianna parted the curtain and
crooking her index finger beckoned him in.
Dante stood up. “Just stay put. You’ll be
fine.” He patted Kara on the head then quickly dashed to the nymph.
They disappeared behind the curtain.
Kara stood there stunned. What just happened?
What did this booth sell? It had no sign. Then again, most of the
booths around here had no placards. When at the village market, all
the shops announced what they offered through signs. Some even had
pictures of their wares. She began to feel uneasy and awkward. Were
people staring at her? How long was Dante going to be gone?
In the booth several other women, just as
beautiful as Lyllianna, were talking to customers. They also wore
garlands in their hair and their long white dresses tied at the
waist with a cream-colored braid of rope. All the customers
appeared to be male, or what Kara could make out to be male from
their long unkempt hair and beards. She had no idea what was going
on. No one from the booth approached her.
“Excuse me?” she called to a woman in the
booth. A blonde haired beauty looked her way, gave a brief scowl,
but floated over.
“Yes ma’am.” The tone was sullen and nowhere
near as charming as Lyllianna had been with Dante.
Now what?
“Um, what do you sell here?”
A laugh escaped the woman, but she quickly
composed herself. “Why, beauty of course.” The nymph continued when
she saw the confused look. “We are beauticians. We groom, pluck,
cut, massage, tone, et cetera., our customers, so that they will
look their best. Males usually need the most work. Excuse me. Duty
calls.” And with a wave of her hand, the beautician glided off to
another customer.
Dante left me alone to get a haircut! Kara felt anger for the first time since she had arrived in the
Territories. Her emotions dictated her actions. She made a move
toward the curtain to pull Dante out of there.
Suddenly, a wall of coarse fur
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