The outfit that Patricia gave me was not flashy at all. A pair of lightly colored breeches and tan boots, paired with a white tunic and a darker tanned vest to accompany it. She had also given me a sage cloak in the event I felt cold. I was lucky in a way my hair was naturally blonde, it blended in well with the outfit overall. Regardless of how beautiful it was, I kept the amulet tightly tucked under the vest as per Patricia’s warning.
Corvu kept his word. He took me to a place with a painted blue wooden sign that read ‘The Dragon's Keep’.
“This place is also an Inn.” He says to me as he opens the large wooden door to a bustling tavern. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I was about to be welcomed by the innkeeper to begin an adventure or quest.
“Welcome!” I jumped, not expecting the bartender’s voice to be so loud. I noticed that he wasn’t quite human but pretty close. He was a lot taller than Corvu and had a much wider face, his mouth stretched widely and opened fully when he spoke to reveal every tooth of his to be thin but sharp and pointed like most felines. Corvu must have noticed my discomfort as we sat down at a wooden carved table. There was one chair, which I sat on, and Corvu pulled over a small empty barrel he sat on the edge of.
“They’re called Saberteeth.” He says, gesturing towards the barkeep I couldn’t help but stare at. I look at him, his eyes glowing from the half-melted candles on the middle of the round table. I could almost confirm there was no electricity around here, since there was no evidence of light switches or telephone poles anywhere. I was lucky I was more concerned about where I was and didn’t ask to borrow someone’s phone, or I would have panicked a lot earlier and probably never bumped into Corvu. “I figured since you were staring you’ve never seen one.” He was spot on. As I try not to stare and look around, I note that it’s now completely dark outside through the small hole in the wall which represented a window. That was a quick sunset.
“No.” I whisper, clearing my throat to make my next words louder. “There are very few creatures around here that are familiar to me, but only because I’ve heard about them in myths.” Corvu holds up his hand toward the barkeep, signally for two drinks.
“We’re not myths. We’re very real.” He chuckles.
“I can see that now.” I respond sarcastically. It’s not that I wasn’t fully aware of what was happening around me, but I just didn’t expect to have to face it so head-on. “I only know about satyrs and centaurs, they were identifiable. A lot of the others look a little unusual to me.”
“So, you don’t know what I am then?” He asks, grinning to the left, revealing the short yet very pointed fang he had. A few of the patrons near us had got up and moved away once they turned to see our table. I guess humans are really unusual and no one wants to be near them.
I take a wild guess based on the point of his ears. “An elf?” Startled by the waitress placing the drinks in front of us I hear her laugh,
“Oh honey bear,” She starts, her voice squeaky. I took a good look at her at this time, her body was very small, however her head was quite large. Reminded me of what I always imagined a pixie to look like, her large bug-like eyes looking down at me with extremely dilated pupils. “, you’re lucky he’s such a sweet thing or you’d be running with your tail between your legs.” Out of fear I had grown a tail, I swiftly checked behind me, but all was normal. “What’s wrong with this one?” She asks Corvu, nodding in my direction.
“She’s just not from around here.” He smiles. “We’ll take two plates of whatever you are cooking. It smells good.” She nods and walks off, where I only just notice her feet were more like tiger paws. What was this world? “She’s a Clawhop. Don’t ever make one angry and don’t try to outrun them.”
“I feel like I should be writing these things down.” He nods and leans to the side, pulling something out of the large hidden pocket he had down his leg.
“I assume you know how to use a book and inkhold?” Tearing out the front pages he hands me a small hardcover book, bound with leather and rope, as well as what reminded me of a pen but I had to assume it was a modified bird feather, similar to how people used quills, just without the ink in a pot or the fluffy touch. Funnily enough, I don’t hesitate to take it and start writing notes about some of the things I have heard about today.
“What’s he?” I ask, pointing to the man sitting a few tables away. By man, I mostly mean goat. He reminded me a bit of a satyr except he was extremely short and circular, with more of a snout and two large protruding horns out the two sides of his head that were not only thick but curled.
“Rubusk.” Corvu states confidently as I take a sip of the odd drink I was given, “They have a mean headbutt and back-kick. But that’s a woman.” I almost choke on my drink but managing to keep it together I say,
“How do you know the difference?”
“Rubusk are easy to tell by their size. Anything shorter than you is likely a woman, anything two feet taller than me is a male, regardless of other appearances.” I was going to die here if I kept misinterpreting things. “They also hate cinnamon.”
Snickering I respond, “So do I.” Tapping the pen, or inkhold, against the paper waiting for more, “What else can you tell me?”
Corvu and I chatted for what felt like hours. Long after we finished our meals and snacks afterward. Honestly, the drinks made me feel a little lightheaded so I imagine they contained some level of alcohol. That didn’t bother me too much. Although I don’t even have the time to drink back in the real world, I am of legal age to do so. He taught me about a few creatures, like the ones that attacked me in the alley. Even though I’ve heard of Trolls before, they aren’t anything like the ones I know. Trolls are known for their devilish behavior and ghastly desires, which is why they had asked me for gold and other things. Corvu didn’t want to tell me about himself, which I picked up pretty quickly, so I decided it was best not to ask. Even though there was no clock that I could see, the barkeeper called last drinks, and one by one they left the bar. Asking Corvu if we should also leave he merely shook his head. Turns out, the barkeeper that owned this place let Corvu have shelter here upstairs, and I was welcomed to stay.
The upstairs was not too shabby. In this world, it was clear the common decor was wooden floors, walls, and ceilings. In the corner of this singular room were pillows and blankets piled up on a couple of crates to form a makeshift bed. Corvu insisted I could sleep there, and that he would take place on the opposite side of the room on some remaining sheets. He was kind to me, more so than I could have imagined. He kept a few of the candles burning since he said it would help keep any bugs away until we were well asleep. I haven’t had to share a room for a very long time, but in the orphanage, I only ever shared it with girls, and boyfriends weren’t a luxury I’ve had time to experiment with. I tried not to think about it too hard. Technically, he’s not actually a boy.
For all I knew, when I closed my eyes and opened them again, I would be home.
Day Three I wasn’t. I opened my eyes to the dawn peering through the one window in this attic, which lit the room enough for me to see that Corvu wasn’t there. Hearing faint voices I get up. The stairs nearby were steep and stretched around a corner, where I slowly waited to hear if it was Corvu’s voice so that I could come out. I didn’t want to meet any unexpected people or creatures. “Are you sure, boy?” I recognized that voice as the barkeeper. “Amulet’s like that are dangerous, and using them is just as bad.” “I won’t have to use it,” Corvu’s voice responded, “, have you heard how much Daemonaria are willing to pay for an amulet like that?” “What color was it?” “It was an amethyst.” “Hu
After he teaches me how to build a fire, I tell him about what happened, leaving out some of the details like the amulet, but the kid was smart and figured out that's what it was, he’d heard many tales about it from the elders in his village. He told me if he ever had an amulet with that kind of power, he would take it to a Wizard, because trinkets like that are very dangerous in the wrong hands. Pixies are meant to start living on their own at the age of ten, because they are so used to living in forests and living off nature that provides for them. He told me about the Pixies, how as they grew older they could grow their wings, but only some of them, and no one really knew why but bravery was a key factor. Pixies are one of the few creatures aside from Elves that frequently work alongside humans, as they look so normal they were never part of the war the humans set on the Daemonaria. So I guess after all that, I did make a friend that was will
Rest doesn’t come easily to the weary. Especially not when it’s disturbed. I awake to Luca yelling at the top of his lungs. Bella must have also fallen asleep because she’s blinking rapidly and pulling out a short sword from the pile of items on the floor. The carriage is halted as she flings the door open. Gecko, who had fallen asleep on my lap gets up, but he’s frightened by what the noise was.I hear the clashing of swords and desperate to make sure Bella was alright I pop my head out of the carriage, only to be very just missed by a flying arrow. Scarcely using the door as a shield I look around. Men with masks were attacking the family, at least six that I could count from the dimly lit lanterns that hung on the carriage and what remained of dusk. It was an unfair number.“Bandits!” Yunda yells, helping his b
This city was nothing like the last one. In fact, I’d almost confuse it with a trip down an old street in the middle of London - at least the ones I’ve seen in movies. The buildings seemed to be made of something that was similar to bricks, plastered, with stained glass windows on every home. The narrow pathway into the main city square proved to be a bit of a trial. The stones that made the ground beneath me were charcoal in color and by no means were they smooth or laid neatly. In awe of the buildings around me, I must have tripped and stubbed my toes a half dozen times. The boots made it a less painful experience.The main square was beautiful. There are garden boxes laid about with colorful flowers, the shapes of which I have never seen. The flowers that glowed a little red reminded me of candles, I almost thought that if I touched it I might get burnt. Giggling at the thought my atte
Day Eight What was that sound? I lean up, creaking in the cot as I do, to try and listen again. It sounded like crashing...and screaming? The candle that Gecko had lit to keep the bugs away was barely surviving in the night, but I was still able to faintly see. I get up and find my way to Corvu, who was sleeping above the blanket. It is a warm night, but I can’t imagine ever sleeping without a blanket myself. I nudge his shoulder gently, “Corvu.” I whisper. His eyes open as if he weren’t sleeping at all and leans up on his elbows. Perhaps I’m a little too close to his personal bubble but the noises concerned me, “I think something’s happening outside.” Without speaking he stands up beside me. Giving him room to go around he walks right up to the window. I’m not sure what he expects to see this l
As we get closer to the next village, I notice more people on the paths. They’re just not heading in any particular direction.“We’re here, we will just stop for food then keep going.” Corvu states. I nod, but looking around I don’t see any walls, gates or guards. In fact all I see is woodland covered completely in moss. The only thing that wasn’t covered in moss was the dirt path which some ago had turned into mostly sand. I watch Gecko riding in front, looking very excited to be exploring new lands. I put a hand to my chest and felt the amulet sitting beneath my tunic. I can’t believe such a small piece of jewelry causes so many problems. “See that boy?” Corvu asks me, pointing into the forest. I couldn’t see what he was talking about at all. “Look at the boulder.” He says. That’s when I see him. The boy in question looke
The ride leading out of the village was quiet, but that still didn’t help me feel uneasy around the Skelly. Every now and then they would stop eating moss and look up at me with their dead eyes. If I grew up in a village like this one, I would have moved the first chance I got. Perhaps that’s why Corvu left. Looking at him beside me I wonder if it would be rude to ask why he left the family that loved him. It isn’t my business, it really isn’t.“Why did you leave that village?” Smooth, Tia. I really don’t know how to just butt out. He is momentarily surprised by the question but otherwise he sighs and responds,“Aside from very few others, I was the only one that wasn’t human. I just wanted to be somewhere else where everyone was different.”
Corvu had spent a little longer than half an hour teaching me how to keep a grip on my sword, but I was otherwise left with more bruises than when I had fallen off that cart last week. I was here for so long already. It meant I had missed a few shifts at work as well, so surely someone would have noticed I was missing by now. It’s not that I expected anyone to come looking for me, I just didn’t want to be forgotten. Maybe I should have tried harder to make more friends. I’d hate to think I’d go completely unnoticed. I do have a good friend, we grew up at the orphanage together. She was adopted though, but we never lost touch. She calls me once a month and visits every few months or so. She lives in New Jersey so the subway ride can be a little long. I miss her.It’s night, and even though we don’t have to worry about Skelly’s anymore I’m still worried a