12. Black Market

“And I PAID the farmer for his barn, AND his cow, AND his horses, IN FULL!” Adjusting his hat, “POINT being that I happen to KNOW the Verrdrä.”

CHOICES is the first book in the Chronicles of a Hero fantasy series. This is the story of Wendell P. Dipmier, who I’ve been writing about since 1990. I hope you’ll join me on this new adventure….as I tell the honest, complete story of this amazing 17 year old, exclusively on Life of Fiction.

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CHAPTER 12

During your travels through life, you may have experiences which seem random, crazy, or near impossible. It might be a look, a comment, or even someone you recognize. Some will tell you this is ‘déjà vu’. Others will dismiss the experience altogether.

I’m starting to believe that the Universe is talking to us. It comes through every look and every experience we have; leading, guiding, and prompting us along our path.

It is when we fail to recognize those gentler prompts that the Universe is forced to reach out to grab our attention. 

When I was told about this ‘Black Market’, naturally I assumed it was a place where people sold illegal things. That’s why it would seem natural for folks to keep its location a secret. But it wasn’t until I was standing at the entrance that I understood why no one knew where the market actually was. The entire enterprise wasn’t in a hidden cover or secluded village…in was an underground cavern.

At first I thought we’d come out the side of a mountain. The emerging from the tunnels was a deposit into a giant valley. At first glance, you’d honestly think you were staring into the clear night sky. Far from it.

All we’d done was to pass from a smaller cave into a much larger one.

Scattered lanterns and fires poked through the haze of smoke, bioluminescent snails feasting on stalactites overhead, bringing a dim light from the ceiling above. Through the haze, it looked like thousands of stars in a distant sky.

The Black Market’s private universe.

I stood on the edge of a shallow bowl, the wide path under my feet sloped downward, branching out to weave through the hovels and shacks of an overpopulated city. The dim light and smokey atmosphere cloaked the details of the market in secrecy, just waiting to be explored. I inhaled deeply and smiled to myself. You could taste the air, it was so thick. It clung to your flesh and clothes with its meaty, earthy flavor. Everything moved to the rhythm of a rumbling. Holding still, I cocked my head to the side and listened with my whole body. I could feel it through the soles of my sandals. The muffled sound of an underground river met the distant but clearer twang of a blacksmith’s hammer.

“Move along, kid,” a guard barked. “You’re in the way.” He pushed me with the flat side of his drawn blade.

“Sorry, sir,” I squeaked and quickly joined Chuck and a glaring Dax.

“Rule four, kid; Don’t tick off the Sentry,” he growled. Nodding towards the guards. “They don’t give second chances.”

I ignored his complaining. This was unlike anything I had ever seen, or could imagine. Before long, I had stopped again, staring at the new arrivals, especially those with animals. These patrons drove their livestock towards a large building with a worn sign that said: Exchange.

“Exchange what?” I asked. When my companions look at me confused, I nodded towards the people in line with chickens, pigs, sheep and the like.

“The Market deals in two currencies,” Chuck said, “Gold and crystals. The Gypsies will trade almost anything if it’s valuable enough, but gold and crystals are the hard currency. Everyone will accept them. Food is scarce down here, so animals fetch a fair amount of coin. That’s why any farmer, if he can get a hold of a port key, cane make a good living selling exclusively to this community.” Chuck gave me a nudge. “Welcome to the Black Market, son.”

Men and women laughed, calling out to one another, passing briskly by with loaded baskets or pulling small carts. People of all types and unusual character buzzed around us, buying, haggling, and selling. Robes and slacks, turbans and hats, clean shaven and woven beards accented with silver and gold. The societies of the world had collided together in friendship, or at least in a mutually beneficial business transaction. All the while, children with dirty faces and unkempt hair raced through the streets. They dodged through grown-up legs, laughing as if nothing in the world existed except the games they played.

If I had any doubt about how many people knew Chuck, or how popular a personality he was, it was quickly put to rest. He was noticed at every turn. A woman, covered in shawls and jewelry, bowed as she passed. The wizard tipped his hat in return, then bowed politely to an elderly couple after her. The man leaned heavily on his walking stick, hunched under the burden strapped to his back. The couple paused to smile and warmly greeted Chuck before hobbling on their way.

Dax, all the while, bobbed his head from side to side and as if looking for something. Ever-ignoring and ever-growing at the normal interactions of the day.

Chuck was right. The market didn’t look scary at all. Again, for the most part, the patrons seemed…normal.

Well, almost.

There were dwarves who looked like they’d just stepped out of the movies with their long, braided beards woven into their shoulder-length hair or tucked into belts around bulging bellies. Chain mail armor chinked as they strode with pride, wielding giant hammers and glistening axes. Merchants flocked to them, offering items to cut, carve or mold. Many knelt, balancing their goods in open chests and boxes for the dwarves to consider. They grinned behind dirty faces as they inspected raw crystals and rough-cut gems in the candlelight. 

I couldn’t help but stare.

“Kutollum,” whispered Chuck over my shoulder, “The common tongue call them dwarves. Brilliant craftsmen and artisans…though I’d never want to see a female enter a swimsuit competition.” He shuddered. “It’s bad enough the men have backs like hairy goats, if you know what I mean.”

I was about to laugh when several tiny people slammed against me as they ran passed. At first I thought they were children, but did a double take when one in their party stopped and turned. He had a full beard across a face that looked no older than eight. He winked at me.”Pardon us, boy," he blurted out in a deep baritone. “So sorry. In a hurry. In a hurry.”

My jaw dropped as I watched them vanish into the crowd.

“Gnomes,” the wizard grinned. “Lovely people. Clever as they come.”

Luckily, the market seemed giant-free. The further we ventured in, the less worried I was. In fact, I didn’t see a single blue person, or anything he would qualify as a monster. I also noticed people varied to extremes when it came to dress. A few appeared wealthy, with bright colored drapes, headdresses and jewelry. Some, like the Kutollum, wore armor which I imaged didn’t come cheap. Others wore dirty, worn clothing, often hanging on lean frames — but most ranged between the two. Simple woven cloth, leather, bland colors, all orchestrated in varies styles of display. Regardless of the dress, people smiled, spoke respectfully to one another, and exchanged goods and coin openly. 

Dax was wrong. That made me smirk. For someone so intense about what was going to happen to me, I was relieved to discover the opposite. No matter how uncomfortable I had felt, my outfit fit in here. No one looked oddly at the wizard, and no one laughed or even batted an eye at Dax’s boxer shorts or the fact that he walked about bare chested.

Weird. 

We pushed our way past haggling groups of women and merchants striving to get the best deal on goods or services.

Well, I had to push anyway.

The sea of bodies seemed to flow around Chuck, being both aware and unaware of his presence at the same time. Dax danced around legs effortlessly, always at the wizard’s side. I was jostled and bumped every few steps. No matter what, I tried it darn near impossible to keep the same pace as my companions. The worst part was nearly being run over by a flock…or herd…whatEVER they’re called…of whining sheep and goats making their way towards the holding pens. 

Women impatiently excused themselves as they moved around me with clay pots on their heads or poles with hanging flasks of who-knows-what. Then I had to move aside for a small handcart clattering with swords, knives, and shields…then a second close behind, crammed with bolts of coarse cloth and blankets. As long as I followed directly behind Chuck, I was just fine. The limited view just irritated me.

Rounding a set of tents, a small crowd of children forced us to stop short.

“What now?” Dax grunted, irritated.

The children were ooohing and aahhhing, clambering and bouncing around an old man, naked to the waste. He was dark-skinned with scars down both back and arms. Draped over his shoulders was a lean, virtually glowing, yellow lizard. It’s long, slender tail wrapped around the man’s chest.

The creature swayed its narrow, horn-crowned head forward and hissed at the small grasping hands, bearing its needle teeth and flexing its…

…wings? I gawked. It was another dragon! A real dragon that….didn’t want to eat me! I’d dreamed about dragons when I was a kid. Something in me always wondered what it would be like to own such a mythical beast. A best friend to keep me company, protect me from the bullies at school, and to share my loneliness. All my best dreams that I could remember growing up contained dragons. 

This one was a bit small to ride off into the sunset, but…oh, she was so beautiful. I took a step closer to the ring of youth to get a better view. Torch light danced off the serpent’s scales, its emerald green eyes glowing brightly in the dim light.

So beautiful. So perfect.

I reached for my coin pouch.

Chuck patted my forearm. “Dragons are not an impulse item, son.” He smiled then. “Those beasts are an exceedingly rare breed. To trifle with its life without being able to commit your time, attention and love as the serpent deserves? You might as well end its life and serve it up as soup.”

“Ew,” I said, face scrunched.

“Exactly. It’s simply not natural, son. Neither would it be natural for you to own such a beast.” He smiled again. “They are meant to be free.”

It made sense, and I wasn’t going to argue, but I stared longingly at the dragon.

Without warning, the beast turned from the children’s attention altogether and looked directly at me. As our eyes met, a warm tingle went down my spine, front he base of my head, all the way to my tailbone.

Tha-Thump-Thump.

She stretched forth her head, slightly cocking it to the side.

It’s almost like you want me to pet you, I thought to myself.

The dragon shook her head.

Did you…? Noooooo. That almost looked like you heard me.

The old man was chastising a child, completely unaware as the dragon flicked her long tongue through the air, bobbing its chin, almost unnoticed.

But I haven’t said anything, I’m just thinking! Which means I’m just imagining this, right?

The dragon gently shook her head.

“Coolness!” I squeaked out loud, clasping my hands together.

Dax glared up at me. “It’s just a stupid lizard.”

Coughing, I grinned wider, but I didn’t turn away. “Yeah. Sure.” Then, …You CAN hear me, in my thoughts?

The dragon swayed his head from side to side with the bouncing of its master’s shoulders, then nodded once at me.

AWESOME!!

At that very moment, I’ll be honest and tell you…nothing in the world seemed to matter to me. Not being on this world, not being stuck, not having a huge gem sticking out of my chest…and not even having Dax as a guardian. After a lifetime of dreaming and wishing, hoping that dragons could be real, here I was, face to face with and TALKING to a dragon.

“Can we GO now?” Dax complained.

“Oh, for goodness’ sakes,” hissed the wizard, “let the boy have his magical moments, monkey. I recall a young evolu who wanted to touch and taste everything that existed once upon a time.”

Dax snorted. “We if he’s gonna eat that thing, fine, but…”

Chuck thumped his companion on the head with his staff. “Zip it.”

Dax rubbed his scalp and grumbled.

For long moments, the dragon and I stared at one another, frozen in time. I didn’t know why, but all I could think of at that moment was being controlled. My body felt…constricted. My fingers went to my wrists and scratched. Then I pulled at the collar of his tunic, swallowing hard. I felt…trapped.

“All you alright, son?” Chuck asked.

“Uh,” I said, but stopped, gasping for breath.

No, it wasn’t me. The dragon was captive. She wanted to be free. I could feel her sorrow. My throat hurt. It burned. My shoulders ached and I could feel the bruises along my back and legs. I remembered…the bite of the whip.

Trapped. Chained. Alone.

Shaking her head, the dragon blinked, breaking eye contact. The head withdrew and turned away, pulling her wings and tail in closer to her body.

“They are a noble race of creatures.” 

The admiration was so strong in Chuck’s voice, the dragon’s spell over me was broken.

I took a shuddering breath, eyes blinking, but they still lingered on the creature draped over the human’s shoulder.

“He beats her,” I whispered.

“I have little doubt,” the wizard replied in a solemn tone. “Such is the way with trappers and handlers in most of the world. There used to be a time when those with true skill won the affections of the beasts they sought to control. It was about friendship, confidence…and trust.”

The handler yanked on the thin chain binding the serpent. “And now?” I asked.

“Now,” Dax sighed, “it’s mostly through fear’ n’ pain…and repetition. No class, if ya ask me.”

Chuck sighed heavily. “This wouldn’t have happened back when the Verrdrä roamed free.”

“The Dragon Lords?” I asked, rubbing my temple. A tinge of pain trickled down the back of my skull to my spine.

“You’ve heard of the Dragon Lords?” Chuck asked. “I’m impressed!”

“The High Elder told me all about them right before.” I made a jabbing motion with my hand towards the center of my chest.

Chuck nodded slowly. “Annnnnd now I’m less impressed.”

“What? Why?”

“As wonderful as they are as a people, the Iskari lack personal reference. They have worlds of knowledge hoarded in their libraries, stored up for generations. Most of it is collected information from other people’s records. When you lack the reasons behind a thing, your data, no matter how much you have, doesn’t always come out accurate. It’s a context over content thing. Without the context, you’re often spewing perspectives. Well…I’m a hands on type of guy.”

Dax snorted. “You call blasting someone on the opposite end of a field of battle with hailstones on fire ‘hands on’ old man?”

Chuck frowned. “Well, no, but…and that only happened ONCE! The wind was shifting, so it doesn’t count.”

The evolu smirked.

“And I PAID the farmer for his barn, AND his cow, AND his horses, IN FULL!” Adjusting his hat, “POINT being that I happen to KNOW the Verrdrä.”

“BWAHAHA!” burst Dax. “You met one of them….once! What, now yer sayin’ ya BBQ together? WhatEVER!” 

“So why not…buy her and set free her, then?” I asked.

The wizard whipped his head back to the conversation. “What was that?”

I nodded towards the dragon. “Why can’t we buy her and then take her into the wild and set her free? Wouldn’t that be better than her suffering here?”

Chuck gently bit his bottom lip and considered. “We could, but we don’t know where she’s from, son. We don’t know whether she even knows how to care for herself. If she doesn’t know how to hunt, we could be the cause of starving her to death. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

“Of course not,” I said.

The wizard nodded. “Of course not. Neither would I, which means it’s probably better to leave her where she is, for now.”

What he said made sense, but I didn’t have to listen. There were resources in my pocket. I’d already poured out a fortune from that money pouch. Probably enough to hire someone to take the dragon and maybe even teach her how to hunt. That could be a solution, couldn’t it?

But that wasn’t the answer, and I knew it.

Alright, I didn’t exactly know what my job was, yet, but I knew it wasn’t saving small dragons from animal trainers.

That didn’t make this any easier.

I’m so sorry, I thought, giving the dragon a last glance. If there was something I could do, I would. Really. 

The dragon nestled her head to her side and pulled her wings around her body tightly. My body shuttered with a wave of sadness.

Reluctantly, I turned to follow the wizard away.

Once past the initial shops and the large, self-contained booths, the market opened wide. Streets where vendors behind carts swarmed like bees around honey. It smelled like a cooking competition had violent seizures. There was not a single scent I could identify. The first street vendor we came upon had many colorful jars in his small cart, shaded by a crude canopy strung up overhead. He was a gaunt, graying man in worn clothing. He smiled brightly as they stopped, dispelling the shadows of countenance, and waved his hands over the selection.

“Could I interest you good sirs, in a snack ?” he said. “Maybe fried Setana? It’s very fresh.”

Wendell looked at Chuck. The wizard shrugged, pulling a funny face, but then he nodded approval.

“Uh, sure,” I said, and leaned over the cart, wanting to get a better look at the unusual food. It wouldn’t hurt to try a few new things, would it? I’d not considered getting sick in my new home world. I guessed that with the Ithari, I wouldn’t need a doctor, but how adventurous could I be with food? It looked safe enough, kinda like popcorn, but…green.

“I gotta see this,” Dax chuckled, pushing up to my side. Reaching into the waistband of his shorts, he handed the man a coin. “This one’s on me, kid.” 

“Thanks,” I said, and smiled half-heartedly as I took the folded paper with the small green pieces of…"What is this called again?"

“Setana,” Dax said. And he just grinned.

At home, I prided myself on having a strong constitution and usually enjoyed trying new foods. If it weren’t for Dax making such a stink, I probably wouldn’t have thought much about this.

I picked up one bit and inspected it. It looked fine, other than being a sickly green color. It really smelled a lot like popcorn. Buttered popcorn. Glancing down at Dax, bulging yellow eyes staring at me expectantly. So I popped it into my mouth. 

As I chewed, a faint crunching sound escaped.

It was…interesting. Salty, a little bitter, more substantial than popcorn and actually, it tasted a lot like shrimp. I liked shrimp. A lot. So I gave Dax a wide smile and popped another piece into my mouth.

Dax stood there, watching me with absolute disgust. “I don’t believe it. You…actually like that?” Sticking his tongue out, he made a hacking noise. 

The wizard snickered.

“Setana is a young sun snail, chopped up and then dropped into hot fat until they burst.” Dax grinned mischievously, pointing to the stars shining above them. As if on cue, one of the small creatures fell from the ceiling and bounced off the cart. The vendor quickly picked it up and placed it in a wide mouth jar, pushing down more than a dozen glowing snails trying to escape.

I paused mid-chew, looked down at Dax and shrugged. “Whatever,” I mumbled and continued chewing. “It’s not bad at all.” Turning to the vendor, “Thank you, very much, sir. It’s very good.”

The vendor smiled and nodded gratefully. “Thank you.” He gave a respectful bow to Dax. “And thank you, sir!”

Chuck shook his head, laughing. “There are many street foods I love, but escargot was never my thing. Upsets my delicate constitution.” He glanced around him, then leaned closer to me and whispered, “…and truthfully, it makes my poop glow.”

I cringed, revolted. 

Dax snorted. “I got somthin’ else I wantcha to try, then,” and he dove right into the crowd.

For being so short, it was amazing how fast the evolu could maneuver through a dense crowd. “I guess we’re following him?” I asked.

Chuck smiled reassuringly. “Let’s humor him. Just this once.”

Wherever we walked, I was eventually shuffled aside so people could greet and talk with Chuck. The wizard seemed to be on friendly terms with everyone. What made it even more interesting was that Chuck not only remembered everyone’s name, he asked about family, mutual friends, illnesses they had gotten over or troubles they’d navigated.

The old man truly cared about those he interacted with.

…and so did Dax.

Oh, I probably know what you’re thinking. How could I possibly come to that conclusion? I got to see a completely new side of Dax in the market. While my guardian snapped and was constantly critical and judgmental with me, he smiled at and laughed with most of the people here. People greeted him happily, many of them excited, kneeled down and hugged him. One man, hobbling on one leg, laughed heartily with Dax, then gifted him a small bundle of cigars. When Dax refused, the vendor seemed hurt…then pushed the gift back and smiled.

“He’s really not a terrible fellow, you know.” Chuck leaned against the cart next to me. We watched Dax buy sugar treats and hand them out to the street urchins. “I’ve known the boy for over 600 years and I wouldn’t change a thing about him.”

I shrugged. “Not sure I can endure that long to find out.”

The wizard chuckled. “It won’t take long. You might not notice it yet, but he likes you already.”

“Likes me?” I snorted. “Did you slip somewhere back there and hit your head? Dax can’t stand me.”

“Bah. He’s grumpy and strict with you because he cares. You two have a lot in common. Stranded, without a home,” he grinned, “stuck with me.”

“Ohhh,” I groaned, “That’s right. Stuck with the kind old wizard that everyone respects. Help. Someone save me.”

We laughed.

“Oopah!” Chuck coughed, popping upright. “Excuse me, son — be right back.” He dashed across the lane to engage a portly vendor. They shook hands, then huddled closer, avoiding those who walked past them.Twice, the wizard glancing over his shoulder at me, before taking small vials and placing them in his bag.

Staying I Dax’s line of sight, I stopped at the window of a shop, my eye caught by a delicate, gilded silveen blossom. It hung on a whisper of golden thread. Chuck rejoined me, and I was about to ask about it when an unnatural hush descended around us. The surrounding market went still, people halting mid-step, cutting off conversations in mid-sentence.

Heart thumping, I held my breath.

Please don’t be a vallen, I thought. Please, just be a fluffy buddy or a really ugly person everyone’s staring at.

Using the reflections of the glass, I caught a glimmer of what was happening. 

Their graceful movements flowed, barely rustling their identical green robes. Firelight glinted off the gold embroidered leaves at their necks, wrists and hem, accenting the radiating light from their porcelain complexions and long golden hair. 

Mesmerized by the eloquent posture of the strangers, Chuck caught me staring at the reflection in the glass. “Evolu,” he whispered, “though some call them……”

“Elves,” I whispered back in awe.

Patrons melted from the elves’ path, heads low and few making direct eye contact. The three moved with obvious grace, but I was disappointed. Their manners left much to be desired. Not one of them hid their disdain from the humble merchants. Those who bowed deeply and held out their wares to be considered.

“Grumpy, stuffy things, those pointy-ears,” Chuck grumbled. “Hard to get mot of them to look over the end of their noses or step down from their influential societies nowadays.” The wizard’s forced tone seemed almost out of character. “Their progenitors would be ashamed of such conduct. This is a generational problem, if you ask me.” He nudged me with an elbow. “Nothing a good spanking couldn’t fix.”

A small leather ball sailed over a booth and struck one of the Evolu in the chest. It fell to the ground, leaving a perfectly round dingy stain on his bright robe.

The surrounding merchants gasped.

A tiny girl, wrapped in tattered clothes and a bright white smile, ran giggling around the carts. Her bare feet carried her to the ball, where she noticed uncommonly large golden shoes standing next to her toy.

She looked up to find blue eyes aflame in a contorted face.

Her smile vanished.

The air around the child popped, and Dax was…there. A shield between the child and the adults foreigners. I thought I’d seen Dax angry, but I was wrong. He was crouched between the child and those of his own people. One hand kept the girl behind him, while the other supported an odd crouch. His snarl was feral, his expression…

Unhinged.

“Try it,” Dax growled. “Please.”

The evolu stock a single step back to join his companions.

Dax spat at their feet.

For several moments, all I could hear was the low rumble of Dax’s growl. At one point, the little girl stood up on her tippy toes to look at her aggressors. Bright eyes smiled up at the evolu, over the head of her protector…and she waved.

Then something strange happened.

One by one, the evolu gave a single bow of their head to Dax. Without a word, and in one singular motion, the three turned and walked away.

“That was SO tense!” I gasped. 

“That’s a Monday for you,” Chuck sighed.

I watched Dax give the child a hug and send her on her way. Merchants shook his hand and gave thanks. When he looked over, I couldn’t help it…I gave him a similar bow of respect the evolu had done. 

Surprisingly, he smiled and gave a half nod back.

Yeah, this relationship was going to be something new. Gratefully, I felt pretty sure it was going to be better than I feared.

“Ah, Morphiophelius, my opulent friend! My, my, my — what have we done to receive such an honor, I wonder? Here to seek out the best charms for the most measly of purposes, no doubt!”

A short, frumpy looking gentleman in a red robe and turban came bursting out of his shop. He waved his hands above his head as he approached. The little man spoke hastily in the worst Indian accent I’d ever heard, and I tried not to laugh. Especially since I doubted there were ‘Indians’ on this planet. The huge sign overhead said Cassell’s Curious & Cunning Charms.

Chuck smiled, clasping the man’s hand firmly. “Good day to you, Grazia! May I introduce you to my young friend, Wendell?”

Grazia smiled broadly and bowed deeply. “Pleasure, my dear sir. Any friend of the finest sorcerer is always welcome in my humble hovel.” He looked from me to the wizard, “My, my, my, so you’ve finally upgraded from short and green to tall and pink, I see. Not a terrible choice.” Then he leaned forward and whispered to me, “I don’t even know you and I know I like you better!”

I laughed.

Dax grunted. “Nice.” With a tug on Chuck’s robes, he added, “While you talk to Mr. Cheap Goods, I’ll be back.” Then he wandered off.

“Would you care to purchase a most useful item?” Grazia perked up, grinning brightly at me. “I see you noticed my notice charm.”

I looked between the shopkeeper and the wizard. “You’re what?”

“Notice charm!” he pointed through the window at the golden necklace. “Place that around the neck of any person, no matter how plain, unsightly, repugnant or deformed he or she may be and they will be the LIFE of the party. OH yes! EVERYone will fawn over them, like the Queen of Asheeabakaman!!”

I looked at Chuck, again confused. “Who?”

The wizard whispered, “The Hottest monarch in history, son,” and then out loud, “Grazia is known for unique items imbued with clever enchantments.”

“Would you like it, my young friend?” Grazia asked, waving his hands at the window display. “A handsome young man must be the hero of a beautiful lady’s heart.”

“Uh, no,” I hesitated.

Grazia winked. “Then perhaps an eye on one NOT so beautiful? Though I have a charm bracelet to fix that as well.”

“No thank you,” I tried not to laugh. “It sounds wonderful, but…I don’t…have anyone I could give it to.” I took a scant breath, “or to impress.”

Grazia shrugged. “Shame. But that is good. I am a businessman, yes, but would loath to be parted from this item. Besides, to sell it would ruin my entire display. You noticed, did you not?”

“We certainly did,” concluded Chuck. “Thank you Grazia. I’ll convince him to come back at another time. Perhaps to look through your ‘unique’ collection?”

The merchant put his hands together and bowed ever so slowly. “I would be honored, my friend. May peace find you when you least expect it.”

The wizard imitated the shop keeper’s motions, “…and the answers to troubles in the hands of friends.”

Grazia stood in the street, smiling and waving at us until we disappeared from view.

“That is one friendly guy,” I said, still grinning as the accent sounded in his mind.

“He’s also a brilliant enchanter and one of the few honest people in this Market,” added the wizard.

“Here,” Dax said, as he flopped up to us with three small sticks. Each had smooth, round chunks stuck on the end, a thick purplish glaze clung to the mystery treat as well as the skewers.

“Try it,” he grunted, shoving one up into my face. Dax held a second out to Chuck, but the wizard politely declined.

Suspicious, I had to ask. “What is it?” I sniffed. It smelled like BBQ ribs. Sticking out my tongue, I licked the sauce. It tasted a lot like BBQ.

Amazing BBQ.

Dax’s face was too occupied to give an answer, chomping away with a grin on his face.

Closing my eyes, I quickly bit all three chunks off the stick.

…and instantly regretted it.

Like a sausage, the casing was a bit tough. I felt like a spectacle trying to rupture each piece. The inside was firm, juicy and sweet at first. Tasted like barbecued liver. Not one of my favorites. I just couldn’t get past the congealed texture. Then it burned. Not fiery burn, but like a hundred habaneros shoved down my throat and up my nose, kind of burn.

Whimpering and with eyes watering, I turned my head away.

“Whaddya think?” asked Dax.

“Never could get used to the thought of eating rotisserie bat-gut, myself,” said Chuck. “Oh, don’t worry, though, they stuff it with peppers and spices to kill the parasites.”

I gagged and spat onto the side of the road. “Parasites? That was revolting!” Wiping my mouth with my hand, I tried not to gag. I scowled down at Dax, who just laughed, pleased with himself. It left an oily coating on my tongue and the burning lingered in my sinuses. “Laugh, buddy. It won’t happen again.” My anger just spurred more laughter.

“Yes, well, it’s not for everyone,” said Chuck. 

I glared after my ugly green babysitter and resolved to let it roll off my back, just like Evan would tell me to when we were in school. Dax is just another bully, that was all. You can do this, Wendell. No matter what happens, you can last longer than he can. 

“This way,” Chuck said. “Almost there.”

We passed dozens of small campfires scattered between low, squat buildings that looked as weary and dirty as the people hiding in their shadows. The wood and stone shops felt crowded, each looking as if it had been wedged into place. It was here that I could see the people sitting huddled along the pathways and alleys, completely ignored. Cold and wary eyes stared out from black-stained faces, watching each step I took.

“Do they live there?” I asked stiffly. The sunken faces and outstretched hands called to me, but Chuck held me back.

“Don’t be fooled, son,” he warned. “Some of those Gypsies are the eyes and ears of the Sentry. They’re paid well to play their part. Don’t worry, the Gypsies take good care of their own.”

“But why would…”

“There’s nothing in this place they don’t know about,” Dax chimed in. He took his cigar butt and flicked it into a small group of beggars, who scrambled to snatch it up as soon as it hit the ground. “You can’t hide down here, no matter how dark the shadows are, kid. Justice is a biiiig deal to these folks. Doesn’t matter what you’ve done up top, they’ll forgive you — but put your toe over the line down here and you’ll lose your whole foot.”

I gulped loudly and repositioned myself to keep the wizard between me and the vagabonds. “Isn’t that extreme?” I asked.

Dax snorted and pulled out another cigar from his waistband. He lit it up. “Depends on who ya ask, I guess. Considering this is one of the safest places on the planet, I don’t think you’ll find too many that complain.”

I couldn’t believe that scenes of such destitution and hardship were an act. I looked over my shoulder just in time to see several pairs of eyes avert themselves.

The tap, tap, tap of the wizard’s staff rung out with each step across the cobblestones underfoot. “I was here when they laid the first stone.” He glanced at me with raised eyebrows. He grinned. There was a particular spring in his step. “My port key was one of the first charmed and given to me by Iyl-Tandril himself. That’s the leader of the Gypsies. ‘Iyl’ is a form of ‘sir’ in the old tongue, which is only used by leaders. These are good people, this lot, regardless of the reputation the world has given them.”

“Are they not liked?” I asked.

“They’re despised and hated,” sneered Dax. “That’s why they’re trapped in here.”

“They’re not trapped, monkey,” corrected Chuck. “They have simply chosen to stay hidden from those who would harm them.”

“Which is everybody.”

The wizard frowned. “Oh poo. Everyone doesn’t hate the Gypsies.”

“Really?” Dax challenged, “Name five groups of folks who wouldn’t like to take these folks and either lock ‘em up or wipe ‘em out.”

Coming to a halt, the wizard pondered. “Well, there’s you and I and the boy here.” Turning, he gave me a stern look. “You don’t want to harm the Gypsies, DO you, boy?”

“I don’t want to harm anybody!” I squeaked.

“Right then, that’s a no.”

“We don’t count,” Dax snorted.

Chuck puffed up his chest. “You’re wrong. I do so count.” Holding up his empty hand, he raised each finger in turn. “One. Two. Three — Four — Five. See?”

Dax sighed. “Fine. Four to go.”

“The Iskari would never harm them.”

“Doesn’t count either. They’re cousins. Of course they’re not going to harm the Gypsies!”

Chuck snorted then. “You have siblings that want your head on a pike.”

“Alright!” Dax snapped. “That’s two.”

“Then there’s Bobby-boy…”

“He puts them in jail and isn’t allowed down here.”

“The Evolu.”

“Gypsies aren’t allowed to step foot in their homeland.”

“Kutollum?”

“Blamed for the Red Plague.” Dax smirked, “The humans won’t allow them lands to establish themselves, the Gnomes think them barbaric demons, the giants feared them as bringers of death and the Vallen, Therrin and Tauku kill them on sight. Did I miss anybody?”

Chuck scowled. 

“What about the merchants?” I jumped in, “They’re not all Gypsies.”

“Most are from the outside,” replied Chuck. “Many with prices on their heads for crimes committed. They find their way down here and start businesses. As those business grows, many live above their shops. Some strays from the outside find a place here, where they can belong, or sometimes just to hide. It’s a safe place, away from a world that rejects them.”

“Or hunts them,” added Dax with a sneer.

“So this is a community of criminals?” We passed two men who squabbled over a piece of food. Within moments, it became physical.

“Something like that,” continued Chuck. His staff clacking on the stones of the road as he walked. “You never really know, do you? People like to point fingers at one another, accusing, assigning blame, justifying this and that. The reality is, we don’t know much about one another, do we? We THINK we do, but our views are always tainted by the glasses we wear. Some are colored, some are scratched…and no two are exactly the same. The Gypsies accept anyone willing to adhere to their laws, regardless of their past. Think what you will about them, but I admire that kind of acceptance upon condition.”

That was a good point. The world I came from was prideful and selfish. People pointed fingers and blamed one another, rarely taking responsibility for themselves. It was all about victimhood and making sure you had leverage against others. As imperfect as this community might look from the outside, this was a living, breathing, second chance.

As we came upon a narrow passage between two shops, a fierce roar erupted from the darkness.

Tha-THUMP-Thump!

Tha-THUMP-Thump!

Tha-THUMP-Thump!

I stumbling backwards, grabbing my chest. Fingers scratched the burning skin around the gem. My heart pounded furiously as I collapsed to the ground.

I knew that sound!

Tha-THUMP-Thump!

Tha-THUMP-Thump!

Tha-THUMP-Thump!

Vallen!

Dax jumped in front of me, becoming a short, but rather aggressive looking barrier, bearing a full set of teeth. When nothing happened, he slowly tilted his head, listening.

“He cradled it, mole-eyes! Watch his hands!” yelled a voice.

“Call it fairly or I swear I’ll bring the Sentry in on this!!” threatened another. The noise died down at the obvious threat, spoiling the excitement.

A rat ran across my foot, squeaking as it dashed from the alley.

Dax shook his head. “Rule number one, kid. Get up.” Patting the waistband of his shorts, he grinned. Thick fingers pulled out a few coins and then gripped them tight.“Looks like our luck is about to change for the better, boys!”

He turned to sprint into the alleyway, Chuck’s staff caught Dax around his nearly non-existent neck.

“ACK!”

“Oh, no you don’t!” the wizard snapped. “No unsavory activities. We have a child with us!”

“Hey, I’m not…”

The wizard glared fiercely, nostrils flaring. “Maybe you’ve forgotten the last time you played Bloodsticks?”

It was strange to see Dax look up sheepishly. He shrugged his shoulders. “Kinda,” he muttered, barely audible. There was a short pause, then he jutted out his chin and narrowed his eyes. “NO. No I haven’t forgotten.” 

Chuck placed a fist on his hip, his expression stern. “Don’t you look at ME like that, young man! I didn’t bet the shorts off my body, now DID I!?!”

Dax’s expression fell away to a hard scorn of frustration. His arms quickly folded across his chest. “Fine.”

“It’s one thing to find you in a garbage bin, covered in your own yuck after a night out on the town,…”

“Fine!” Dax snapped.

“…but I will never chase you through these streets with you drank AND naked again, do you hear me? You do your intoxicated streaking on your OWN time!”

“FINE! FINE! FINE!” Dax shouted. The two stood there, breathing heavily and fuming at one another.

Chuck gave a last nod of parental satisfaction, then turned to me. “Best not get hooked into gambling, least of all around here. Bad for the pocketbook AND the skin, if you know what I mean.” He nodded in Dax’s direction.

The wizard kneeled beside me. “You alright?”

The thumping in my chest had stopped, but stared back blankly. “I…think I’m having a heart attack.”

Chuck rapped me on the head with his staff. “Nonsense. Get up. Time to face some fears, son.”

Dax frowned at me in disgust. “Ya boob.”

I scrambled to my feet and brushed myself off. My chest truly hurt. Not sure why the Ithari wasn’t taking care of this, but I needed to be strong. Act like everything was fine. It was probably my imagination, but that black alleyway looked a great deal like an open maw. 

“Are you sure we have to do this, Chuck?”

He looked at me and grinned. “It’ll be fine.”

Dax started laughing.

…and they both vanished down the hall.

“You know this is a stupid idea,” Doubt whispered.

“I completely agree,” I whispered back.

Slowly and timidly, I followed Chuck and Dax into the alley.

Garbage littered both sides of the alley. Piles of gray and black muck lay against buildings, moisture seeping up the walls. It reeked heavily of rot and mold, giving the air a thick texture that made my nose itch. I held my sleeve over my mouth. A group of giants, easily head and shoulders taller than me, kneeled in a half-circle against the wall.

I froze.

There was more than one.

Glowing shells set in a ring lit the ground. The only source of light made the giants even more intimidating under its haunting glow. Their massive size, hunched over, and their protruding canines jutting out from their bottom jaws, didn’t help. The shadows cast by their cheek bones — gaping holes where eyes should be — gave them the appearance of the undead. My heart pounded, knees trembled, and I wanted to run.

Vallen.

One by one they sniffed the air and looked, glaring at the newcomers.

Oh please, don’t pee. Just keep it together. Don’t pee! All I wanted was to disappear. Yellow eyes, tracking my every movement, and I found myself chanting silently to myself. “Silmuh Ikmon, …Sylmin …Ikaman ….Sullmah …Inackaman” Crap, crap, CRAP! How do you SAY that!?? Breathe Wendell, stay calm, you’re just a regular here, they don’t know you. Shifting my gaze from meeting any of their stares, I forced myself to take a slower breath, trying to ignore the giants.

“Please,” I pleaded, grabbing hold of the wizard’s sleeves with trembling hands. “PLEASE, Chuck,” I whispered desperately. “Don’t make me go in there with those…things.”

Chuck paused. He studied my face, and his expression quickly changed. “Alright, we can go,” he whispered with a smile. “Perhaps another day,” he suggested, escorting me promptly back into the light of the street. A grumbling Dax followed close behind. Once we were far enough away, I asked, “What were they doing down there?”

“Bloodsticks.” The sound of Chuck’s staff thumped loudly on the stone. “Most popular game of chance around. It’s quite addictive.”

“They play it in alleys?” I asked.

“They’ll play it anywhere they can get five unfortunate souls,” the wizard replied. He shook his head in disdain. “The biggest games are played at The Whipped Mule, a gaming house here in the market — but those who want to run their own games can. Side games like the one back there are usually organized by players barred from the official circles.”

“I could have made some money!” Dax complained.

“Not today, monkey,” rebuked the wizard, “and we’re almost there.”

The two erupted into another argument, oblivious of me. I was still having a difficult time breathing, which caused me to fall behind a few steps.

The further we traveled out from the center of the market, the darker the streets became. The ominous buildings seemed to lean and hover overhead, draping over paths in a weak and sickening way.

Without warning, a withered hand shot out from the dark. Grasping me by the wrist, it yanked me clean into the shadows. It was impossible to pull away. The fingers, cold as steel, held me fast — and I soon stared into the vacant eyes of an old woman. My body shook — the void of her stare piercing my mind and heart. I couldn’t move…

Her wrinkled lips curled between her gums, a lone tooth protruding through, her skeletal face long and sunken. “I see you,” she rasped, pointing a bony finger at my face. “Evil has rooted itself.” I flinched as the pointed finger moved down to tap my chest. “The deed is done! Mahan is here!”

Her broken nails bit into the flesh of my arm.

“You are…” she started to say — then recoiled as if she had been slapped. Blinking rapidly, she searched my face and then shouted, “You are not!”

Tha-THUMP-Thump!

Tha-THUMP-Thump!

Tha-THUMP-Thump!

My chest burned. “I — I don’t understand,” I stammered, afraid of the woman’s stare, but too terrified to look away. Her eyes were wide open, locked on me, but she was looking past me. Through me. “Who are you? What do you want?” I choked, pulling my arm without success. “I have money! You can have whatever you need, lady. Just let go…”

“Darkness rises again,” she hissed, spittle foaming and dripping from her bottom lip. She didn’t blink. 

Why wouldn’t she blink? That wide-eyed stare, cloudy eyes, yellow and distant. 

“Man’s greatest work…for naught,” she wailed, letting her head roll back. Then crying aloud, “We are vulnerable!”

I wanted to run, but my fear held me fast. When her head flopped lazily forward, her eyes rolled upward and once again she looked into my eyes.

…and grinned.

“Weakness in your heart is the enemy of all,” she whispered…which came out as more of a gurgle, choking on them as the words fell from her lips.

She released her grip and closed her eyes.

All at once, she slumped away from me, into a boney heap upon the ground.

Panting, I stumbled backwards and into other hands.

“Are you determined to piss off all the locals?” Dax snarled. “I told ya…to stay within…” He snapped his teeth shut and growled. “…I told ya…..” His hands formed fists. Even under the green complexion, Dax’s face grew red as a beet.

He was obviously frustrated, but what could I have done? It’s not like I could pull away — unless maybe I hurt the old woman. Chuck stood behind the elf, but his attentions on me. His slight shrug said it all…’He cares….just let it go.’

“Didn’t I SAY don’t be stupid? But no, you don’t listen to me. I try to create rules to keep you safe and to give you an advantage around here, but no, you don’t listen. Instead, you go wandering off, say who knows WHAT to decrepit old women!” He slid up close to me, waving an index finger, “Don’t think ya know better, cause ya don’t! I told ya — Rule TWO,” and he shoved me at Chuck. “Your turn!”

Thing was, I wasn’t even paying attention to my guardian’s tantrum. The woman’s raspy words burned into my mind. All I could think of, as I was hauled away, was what did she know? What if she’s right, and I can’t do this because I’m too weak? If I make everything worse for this world, how will I live with that?

Suddenly, I felt exhausted. It was hard enough dealing with his own expectations. It took all my strength just to put one foot in front of another.

“Are you alright, son?” Chuck asked.

My legs wanted to give out. With each step, my insides trembled, but I nodded. It was time to practice keeping secrets, and now was as good a time as any. Keeping my eyes fixed on the cobblestone street as we walked, I focused on the rhythm of my steps. The sway of my hips.

All I could think of was…

What if?

*********

“And here we are!” Chuck said proudly, holding his arms out in a ‘TA-DA’ fashion.

I wasn’t sure if the wizard was referring to the obviously intoxicated merchant perched precariously on the stool, or the funny-looking shop called Leilani’s behind him.

The lopsided, two-story building exhibited a painting experiment gone awry. It looked as if someone couldn’t decide what color to use, then stopped before it was half finished. Bright glowing splat marks drooled down one side, small fragments of shells still on the ground. What bothered me more was the display window.

It was full of female mannequins.

“Here?” I said. My chest was still hurting, though it had lessened noticeably. Something about that creepy old lady and her creepy cloudy eyes had me worried that everyone could tell I was, in truth, a fraud. I mean, who else knew about me? As in, about the ‘hero’ personage that is supposed to show up and save the people?

“Focus Wendell,” Doubt chimed. “You’re here. Be here. You can’t do anything about it now, so stop thinking of the negatives. That’s MY job. You may not be a hero right now, but you can learn.” He paused. “Probably. Maybe.” Another pause. “Okay, it doesn’t really matter to me about you being a hero. Just don’t get us killed.”

When I looked to the wizard, he was obviously excited about this place. I wasn’t sure what the right answer was. I didn’t want to discourage Chuck, so I managed a weak smile. “It…looks like a girl’s shop to me.”

Chuck held the door open for an old human couple, heavily laden with packages, leaving the shop. Oblivious to anything going on above his head, Dax shoved between them and pushed his way inside without so much as an ‘excuse me’.

Though a bit surprised, the couple patiently moved, as most would a headstrong child. Bowing respectfully to Chuck, they smiled at me and left the shop. With a wave of his hand, the wizard grinned at me and we entered the dimly lit establishment.

My eyes hadn’t fully adjusted to the change in lighting before Dax was already growling.

“Make it quick. We ain’t trying to impress anyone,” he snapped. Sniffing the air, Dax slowly turned, taking in the entire shop. Satisfied, he pulled himself onto a tall stool near the door. “I don’t like this place. Something ain’t…right.”

“Oh, poo. You think nothing’s right, monkey,” Chuck said.

Dax growled. “Cause I’m usually right.”

I didn’t see the problem. The shop was overly bright, sure, but it was cheerfully lit by blue globes suspended in silver webs. They were strategically placed at the best vantage points, making the best use of the light they had. What fascinated me was that the globes…were some kind of fish tank. The blue light emanated from a playful, caterpillar-shaped creature, flipping and twirling in the liquid. Thin curls of smoke escaped incense burners throughout the shop, lightly caressing each guest in the scent of what smelled like cedar, cinnamon, and roses. Our footsteps were muted in the vibrant rugs laid out over shiny wood floors.

We seemed to be the only people in the shop.

Sadly, I saw nothing I’d be interested in wearing. Lifelike mannequins carved from wood posed on display tables. Each modeled the clothing folded in neat piles at their bases, but all I saw were robes, dresses and long tunics that looked a little too close to miniskirts. I didn’t want to disappoint Chuck, but this was disconcerting.

Then again, what was I thinking? I was letting Chuck — the wizard who always wore the same outfit that I could tell — and Dax, the underwear zealot, take me to get new clothes? There was no way they were making me wear a dress…even if they called it a ‘robe’!

“May I help you?” said a soft and sultry voice.

“Yes,” said Chuck, turning. “My young friend here needs…” and his voice skidded to a halt.

When I turned as well, I gulped. Hard. Now that I think about it, it was impolite to stare. I found it, once again, difficult to breathe.

Her oiled skin was darker than a moonless night and it reflected the dancing lights within the room. Her green eyes smoldered under silver-painted eyelashes as she patiently indulged in our obvious admiration. She wore a light silver dress with a high neck and long sleeves. The soft material flowed over her buxom figure, gently stressing her feminine curves. The lengths gradually blossomed into a delicate white lace as it brushed across her fingertips and toes.

“Good evening, gentlemen,” she curtsied, ever so slightly. She glanced momentarily to include Dax, who was watching her suspiciously from the corner. She said, in the same sultry voice, “I am Leilani. How may I be of service?”

When I opened my mouth to respond, all I said was, “Uhhhhh,” followed by a tidbit of drool (I think), so I clamped it shut again.

Walking between Chuck and I, her fingers casually blazed a trail of fire up our arms, across our backs, to rest her palms between our shoulder blades. The entire experience sent chills down my spine and raised the hair on the back of my neck. With the slightest pressure, she guided us deeper into the shop with a full-lipped smile. “Which one of you is the ‘young’ friend?”

Chuck laughed and winked at me. “Oh, I like her.”

Leilani placed a soft hand on Chuck’s chest, running her fingers over the worn fabric. “It looks like this poor robe has seen its fair share of wear.” The wizard swallowed nervously at her touch. She continued, “I have a magnificent sorcerer’s robe — high collar, sleeve compartments for vials and spell components.” She ran her index finger around the rim of Chuck’s hat, down his cheek, then twirled it in his beard. “I also have a small selection of distinct hats for discerning tastes.” She flashed her perfect white teeth in an alluring smile.

Pulling her fingers free of his beard, Chuck gently patted her hand. “No. Thank you, my dear. We’re here for young Wendell.”

Leilani glanced at me. “Are we now?” she whispered softly. While biting her lip, her gaze crawled up every inch of my body.

I shuddered.

From out of nowhere, a measuring tape appeared in Leilani’s hand. She slowly stepped behind me, brushing up against my back. “If you would…,” she whispered in my ear, “…just hold your arms out to the side. That’s right. Just…like…that. Mmmmm.”

Butterflies decided to hold olympic gymnastic tryouts in my stomach. She smelled of vanilla, her breath was sweet, and those full lips were….

I winced at the fire in my chest.

What’s wrong with me?

“You’re male,” laughed Doubt, “and you have a heartbeat.”

That’s not what I meaAAN…

Reaching around me with both arms, Leilani snuggled up and measured the circumference of my chest. Her fingers lingered, then dropped to measure around my hips. I tried to hold perfectly still, but this was embarrassing, and I flinched. Grabbing my wrist, she drew the tape up my arm and, inhaling deeply, she ran her face along the cloth of my tunic.

At that time, I flinched hard.

“Did she just…smell us?” Doubt murmured.

Tha-THUMP-thump!

Chuck took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his brow. “I don’t recall shopping being this, uh,” he cleared his throat, “intense.”

Dropping to one knee, Leilani ran her hand along the inside seam of my leg and…Id had enough. Jumping forward, away from her, I held up both palms in surrender.

“O—Okay,” I stammered nervously, “I think that’s good.”

Leilani rose effortlessly from the floor. Folding the measure tape into her hand, she walked behind me, leaned in, and whispered at the back of my neck. “It certainly was.”

That got me spinning on my heels to face her.

Her eyes never left me. “If you’ll follow me. I think you will find something to your liking right over here.”

Chuck stepped between us, a little too late, but I was still grateful for the buffer. He tipped his hat politely and grinned widely. “I think we can take it from here, my dear,” he said. 

“As you wish,” Leilani curtsied, taking the hint. “Please let me know if you require any help, gentlemen.” As she passed me, she ran a single index finger up over my shoulder and winked. “Any help…at all.” She lingered, thoughtfully threaded a loose curl behind her ear — holding my attention as she did so, then walked away.

Oh my GOSH, I don’t understand girls. As in AT ALL! I mean, they can be so nice, and pretty, and goodness they can smell…wow…but what’s with the looks? Something has to be going on in those brains. When guys look at girls, we see pretty faces, lovely smiles, incredible figures and even a great laugh.

Girls? They look at us guys like, ‘Huh. I guess I could work with that.’

I was dumbfounded as I watched Leilani leave. The gentle curls of her hair were woven into a long, loose braid, accented with small white flowers. It hung between the shoulder blades of her bare back. It was impossible not to watch Leilani move across the floor…the sway of her hips, the glistening light off the curves of her cobalt skin. It was hypnotizing and…

“Flawless,” Doubt whispered.

‘I can hear you drool,’ I said to myself.

‘Shut up.’

Grabbing the wizard by the shoulders, I shook him. “Please,…tell me you saw that!?”

He snorted. “Son, only a dead man would miss a woman like that.”

“No, no,” I stammered, “Tell me you saw her smell me!” Then I scratched my chest again. It was burning like a giant bee sting. “Come on, even in this place. That has to be weird, right?”

“I saw it,” Dax said, and I jumped, startled. He looked at Chuck, his expression sober. “…and I don’t like it, I tell ya,” he growled. He shot me a blatant look of disgust and then rolled his eyes.

“What did I do now?!?” I grumbled.

“Nice girl. Very…helpful.” Chuck rubbed his hands together, surveying the merchandise. “So! Maybe it’s wise that we move this along?” The wizard guided me to a display mannequin wearing a puffy white shirt with cuffs and ruffles down the chest. “How about that? It’s…kind of nice,” he said with a cringing smile. “Or might have been nice at one point.”

Dax smirked. “Yeah…and we could get him some girly tights to go with ‘em.”

“No, thank you,” I gulped. The wizard was not deterred.

They looked through the neatly folded stacks of clothing around the tables and racks, drifting from one to another. It was the first time I truly felt I was on another planet. Most of the garments looked like something I’d find from a fairy tale book or Pride and Prejudice movie. I whimpered. There HAD to be something here that I can wear.

“I say we go twinsies with Dax,” Doubt taunted.

Chuck held up a sleek black mägo robe with silver lightning embroidered up the sleeves. “This is PERFECT,” he said with glee.

I cringed.

He gave me a hurt look. “Wendell, you will be the greatest magic user of this generation.” 

I rolled my eyes.

“Ok,” Chuck admitted, “maybe not the greatest — but they’re going to record your name somewhere…” He held out the cloth, insistent. “At least try to look the part. Try it on.”

“I am not wearing a dress,” I said firmly. 

Chuck shook the robe at me. “Aww, come on, son — you’ll be way ahead of your time!” His expression seemed almost desperate, and I felt bad. But not bad enough.

“No thank you,” I said, trying to be respectful.

“Seriously,” the wizard pleaded, “you’ll look cool…like me.”

Dax snorted. “Yeah,…..that’s a motivator,” he whispered.

Chuck frowned, disappointed. “Oh, alllllright. But just you wait,” he said, folding the robe tenderly and setting it back on the table. “Someday you’ll prefer this to anything else.”

After several arguments and declining many suggestions, I reluctantly agreed to try on a heavy leather tunic and a pair of cotton breeches. When I stepped into the dressing stalls, which were nothing more than four curtains on a light metal frame, I hesitated.

“This just doesn’t feel right,” I whimpered from behind the curtain.

“What do you mean?” argued the wizard. “That’ll look great…you’ll fit right in.”

Sliding the curtain aside, I stepped out into the light. “I look like a reject lumberjack. What about that other outfit I chose?”

Chuck frowned. “Not the leather jacket with spikes?”

“Well, yeah. I kinda like the biker look,” I said.

“Trust me, kid — you don’t look like a biker,” mocked Dax, “ — you look more like the biker chick on the back.”

“Say’s the mutant underwear model,” I said.

“What’s wrong with my shorts?” Dax looked to the wizard.

Chuck squinted, giving the troll an evil eye. “They’re clean?”

“Of course they’re clean!” bellowed Dax.

“Then there’s nothing wrong with them.”

I yanked at the wooden buttons, trying to take off the tunic. “What’s wrong with wanting to find something I can feel comfortable in? Something that allows me to feel, I don’t know…”

The wizard smiled brightly, “Normal?”

“Exactly!”

The smile vanished. “Won’t happen.”

“I’m starving!” snapped Dax. “Forget all this. Just wear whatcha came in…and let’s go get some chow.”

Grumbling and frustrated, I tugged harder at the stubborn buttons. I was starting the think Leilani either charmed you into buying something, or you try it on and get stuck. Either way, it was Ka-ching!

I wanted to scream.

Spinning around with a grunt, I tripped over his own feet and sent myself tumbling forward. Unable to catch myself before the damage was done, I plunged through the side curtain of the stall and the one next to it…AND the one next to that. Gratefully, the crashing stopped when something very large fell, to the accompaniment of a million buttons bouncing, sliding, and rolling across the floor.

“Crap, crap, CRAP!” I grunted. Pulling my arms and legs free from the dislodged curtain, I scrambled to my hands and knees, frantically trying to snatch as many runaway buttons as possible. 

…and then saw it.  

The booth had fallen over, the main rod catching on a tarp-like sheet, pulling it free to reveal its prize. Hidden in the very back corner of the shop, underneath a heap of cloth and mismatched display supplies, was a headless wooden mannequin, sporting something I thought he’d never see again.

“Chuck!” I shouted in excitement.

“Oh!” cried Leilani. From the front of the store, she rushed back with her assistant en route. “I am so sorry!! I’ve been meaning to get rid of that.” She turned on the young girl so fast and sharp, the girl flinched. “Clean that up! NOW!”

Leilani helped me to my feet, while her assistant grabbed a blanket and quickly threw it up over the broken mannequin.

“Here, let me…help,” said Leilani. Grinning, her hands lingered as she brushed the non existent dust off me.

“No…wait,” I said. Reaching out, I ignored the shop owner. “Wait! Don’t cover that up!” Barely able to contain my excitement, I grinned at the wizard. “I want that, Chuck.” I pointed at the covered mannequin. “I want what’s on the mannequin under that blanket!”

“Well, there we go!” Chuck said cheerfully. “Let’s take a gander, shall we?”

“NO!” Leilani blurted, followed by, “Really?” Even her assistant looked shocked. “I mean, “ Leilani corrected, gaining her composure, “Of course you do.” She remained silent while I eagerly cleared the area out and exposed the mannequin in full.

“You’re serious,” said Chuck, pacing in front of the display, fingers combing his beard. “You want…that?” 

My grin reached from ear to ear. “Yes, please.” 

The wizard turned to Leilani. “Why is it back here?”

“To preserve it,” she said confidently, eyeing my reaction. “Until it could be…appreciated.”

Dax laughed mockingly. “In the back of the shop?”

“To protect it.”

“Behind a partition?”

“To thwart unwanted handling.”

“With a sheet thrown over it?”

Leilani growled. “I didn’t know what to do with it!” Rubbing her temple, “It’s the most hideous thing I’ve ever sold.”

“But it hasn’t sold,” Dax grinned.

“Exactly!” Leilani snapped. 

I couldn’t help myself. I stroked the jeans in near disbelief. Blue, stone washed to perfection, and a black t-shirt to go with it? I sighed to myself.

Plastered in the center of the t-shirt was a bold, yellow smiley face, grinning from eye to eye.

Dax stepped closer to examine the outfit. “So what made you make it?”

“Make it?” Leilani scoffed. “Are you insane? I didn’t make that! An old man came in, years ago, offering the finest Mägoweave I’d ever seen.” There was a distant look in her expression. Her intensity vanished, voice softening. “He was a kind man. Offered the entire inventory at a price I couldn’t resist.”

“So it’s the cheap stuff,” Dax corrected her.

“No. He…” she broke off, “…said these outfits were unique…ahead of their time. Unlike other Mägoweave, he said these were special.”

Chuck eyed her curiously. “Special, how?” He ran his fingers over the fabric, examining the fibers.

“I don’t know,” she continued, “he never really said.” She looked between them. “I was so excited to have some quality inventory, I just didn’t ask.” She looked at Chuck longingly. “Mägoweave, as you know,  is so rare and he was offering the finest of its kind for a handful of silver! Who would refuse such a bargain?”

Chuck studied her closely. “Why would a stranger…”

“I know!” Leilani cut him off. “Not that I complained…but I wondered why someone would sell something so rare. I questioned if it was true several times. He even included this mannequin…said it was charmed. Draws the right buyer to the outfit being displayed.” She looked back across her shop, admiring the abundance. “I built this business around the profits I made from that very inventory. I used the mannequin with dozens of outfits. Always the right buyer, always the right price. I have made a literal fortune because of that man.” Her expression quickly faded. “Except with this.”

She sneered at the jeans and t-shirt. “I unpacked one of these outfits and tried to put it on myself. Get it to reveal its true form. It wouldn’t fit, which is odd. Magical cloth is usually one-size-fits-all., but not this.” She waved a hand at the mannequin. “Once I put it on the mannequin, it took shape. I saw what it looked like and I….” she looked at us pleadingly, “Well look at it! It’s ghastly!! No one ever asked about it, not in the years I’ve been here. It just became an eyesore.”

I shot Leilani an excited look. “Wait a minute, one outfit? As in…there’s more than one?”

“Three identical sets.” she folded her arms, huffing in frustration. Her eyes narrowed at Chuck. “I will only sell them as a complete set, by the way.”

“Of course,” he replied.

“This is awesome!” I said, trying my best to keep calm. “I don’t suppose you sell sneakers to go with them?”

Leilani raised an eyebrow. “Sneakers?”

I pointed to my feet.

“He mean shoes, my dear,” clarified the wizard.

She shook her head. “No need. Mägoweave creates the accessories, such as footwear, belts and gloves. Always a perfect match,” she said matter-of-factly. “Another part of the appeal, especially for the ladies. Unequaled in durability, beauty, style and the life of a garment. It is the most remarkable cloth in existence and equally rare.” She stared at the mannequin. “The least of these garments are fit for a king. I’ve always wondered where the man got so many outfits. A person would only need one set for the whole of their life.”

“And there are three,” I almost giggled to myself.

“What enchantments do these pieces have on them?” Chuck asked, leaning down to gander at the smiley face.

Leilani shook her head. “I told you, I don’t know. I never asked. It could be anything at all. Though my guess would be at least the common enchantments.”

“And the cost is…?” Dax asked.

“Very expensive,” confirmed Leilani.

The wizard frowned. “Even if we’re doing you a favor by taking it off your hands?”

Leilani ignored the wizard and kneeled down at the base of the display. Pulling a copper knob, she retrieved a small coffer that looked like a jewelry box. She handed it to me. It was smooth, red wood with an arched lid and a pearl latch on the front.

“What’s this?” I asked, but Leilani only nodded to it. Lifting the latch revealed three square sections inlaid with silk, two of which contained a tiny patch of what looked to be black fabric.

“Those can’t be clothes. These aren’t much bigger than a band aid!” Doubt scoffed. 

“Are these…my clothes?” I asked.

Leilani’s assistant nodded at me.

“This makes little sense.” I peered closer at the cloth cubes and then laughed. “How the heck am I supposed to put this on? Glue?”

Reaching over, Leilani pinched a corner of one square. She paused and…

Is she…sniffing me, again?!?

She grinned at Wendell as she lifted the fabric from the box, shaking it lightly at her fingertips. The square unfolded once, then again…and it kept growing and gaining mass until Leilani held a glistening black robe in her hand. The flowing, dark fabric looked wet, almost like rubber, yet swaying with the slightest movement of air.

My mouth dropped open. It’s a shiny black…robe? Well, that sucks. “But,” I started, “it looks nothing like…I mean,…that’s not jeans and a t-shirt.”

“It doesn’t take effect until it’s on the wearer. If you take off your tunic and try it on, you’ll see the correct shape.” Leilani stepped closer, reaching for my tunic buttons, “Here, I can help you.”

Unexpectedly, Dax slid between us. A low rumbling broke through his lips. “Don’t touch the kid,” he growled.

Eyes wide, I instinctively took a step back.

Shockingly, a feral snarl ripped from Leilani’s own lips, her nostrils flaring. But just as suddenly as her expression turned vicious, it vanished. She looked up at me with a tender smile, as if nothing had happened.

“Here,” and she held out the robe, completely ignoring Dax. “They look plain at first,” she explained in a saccharine tone. “Try it on,” she urged. With a nod, she added, “Just your tunic.”

The whole interaction now had me nervous, and I hesitated, unable to look away from her. The reaction had been instantaneous and vicious…not to mention unsettling. The lines on Leilani’s face smoothed out once more, but I didn’t believe what I saw. There was something more behind that cobalt skin and ravishing smile. My chest continued to burn intensely to the point I had to grit his teeth. My hands were also shaking. 

Chuck quickly stepped up, sliding between the Leilani and myself, taking the robe from her. “Excuse me, my dear, he’s a good, modest boy. You can see how nervous he is, can’t you? Not something I want tainted, if you know what I mean.”

Leilani smirked, nodding gracefully as she backed away.

Chuck handed the outfit to me, then leaned closer. “Good thinking, son,” he whispered, stalling to make sure she didn’t see the Ithari. Quickly now, do you remember the words of the spell I taught you?”

“He wants you to do that now?” Doubt gulped.

I’d been caught up in the cat woman explosion so much I’d completely forgotten about the gem. Taking off my tunic could have exposed not only the Ithari, but myself as the hero! I gulped. Gotta be more careful! Blinking, I then nodded. “I-I think so.”

Chuck grinned. “Go on, then. Quickly.”

Turning my back to everyone else, I opened my tunic wide and placed a trembling palm over the center of my chest. The fear inside me mixed with images of being discovered and taken away from Chuck and Dax. People or creatures from that alley wanting me dead and out of the way. Suddenly, I only hoped to protect the gem and myself from being discovered. With a quick intake of air, I clenched my eyes tight and whispered, “Silmä inakmään.”

The words, surprisingly, appeared in my mind and flowed effortlessly to my lips in a single breath.

A soothing, tingling sensation washed across my chest.

“Awww, modesty. That’s so cute,” Leilani purred. “It’s alright Wendell, I’ve seen a bare chest before.”

Understanding with new clarity, I would not be fooled by her. All I heard were her mocking tones.

“Why don’t you…” the wizard said, but when he glanced at my chest, he grinned. “Well done, Wendell,” he whispered. “Your first successful spell!” Pulling the tunic from my shoulders, he said loudly, “…use the dressing stall, so you don’t make a mess.”

“Oh, he’s perfectly alright,” Leilani sighed. I could feel her eyeing my bare back and…could have a sword. I heard her licking her lips. “I don’t mind.”

Dax growled deeply again.

“It’s okay, I can change right here,” I said. The black cloth felt unlike anything I’d ever experienced. It was smooth, like warm oil massaged over my skin. There was absolutely no friction. Zero. I slid my other arm in and wrapped the cloth around my torso. “This is the most comfortable thing I’ve ever…”

The cloth constricted, hugging my flesh.

“Uh,…” I stammered, releasing my hold on the cloth. “Chuck?” I looked nervously at the wizard. “Is it supposed to do this? It’s…squeezing me.”

“Well, why wouldn’t it?” Leilani giggled.

The robe rippled and shifted across my skin, like dozens of fingers pulling and adjusting. The cloth melted towards the floor, separating at my hips, forming two pieces. Without stopping, the robe wrapped around each thigh, rolling down my legs. The sensation was odd enough, but it also forced the cotton trousers I was wearing down to my ankles!

“WooOAAAHH!” I blurted, arms shooting out to my sides. “Guys? It’s unDRESSING me!” With a blunt ‘chink’, the small pouch of coins jingled and hit the floor. I flailed, trying to cover myself. Before Leilani or her assistant could get a clear view, I hobbled and dances behind a mannequin to, uh, hide my parts.

“You alright there, son?” Chuck asked, stifling a laugh.

“Oh, for goodness,” Dax grunted, annoyed. “You’re not exposed, kid, just relax. Let the mägoweave do its work!”

“But it feels like I’m naked!” I hissed.

“That’s the brilliance of the magical cloth, son,” Chuck smirked. He gave his own hips a rotation in his dingy gray robes. “Light as a feather, strong as steel..yet let’s you feel free.”

“Ew, Chuck,” I said.

“What?”

“Amazing,” Leilani clapped her hands together, “it’s actually taking to him!” Walking around me slowly, she grinned. “Just relax. It’s an unusual experience the first time, I know, but it’s perfectly safe.”

“It’s changing!” I clamored as the cloth shifted, pinched, twisted, and moved over my skin.

“No,” Leilani shook her head, “it’s learning.”

“It’s what?”

“Learning. About you. About your shape, how you move, where you’re strong and where you’re not. The mägoweave will test the temperature of your skin and adjust the size of the gaps between the fibers to make sure you remain comfortable.” 

The sleeves shrank back from my wrists, up my arms and stopped over my biceps. The warm sensation tickled between my toes, molding around my feet and hardening into shoes.

“Most importantly,” she continued, watching the cloth morph, “the true magic of mägoweave is its ability to know what you want to look like…and obey.”

Before I knew it, the robe had transformed into an identical set of jeans and the black t-shirt worn by the mannequin. 

“Wow!” I exclaimed. “This feels…great! They look just like my clothes back home.” I did a few deep knee bends and twists, then tugged at the shirt to look at the smiley. I even had a cool pair of black and white sneakers in double wide, with arch support. “This is AWESOME!” I looked up at Leilani. “I’ll take it!”

She grinned, triumphant. “Excellent choice.” Pulling the outfit from the mannequin, Leilani neatly folded it. That was the fun part to watch. She kept pushing and squishing it until the cloth fit once more into the tiny box. That whole outfit squished down into a tiny black square. Smiling at me, she fluttered her eyes. “By the way, you look very handsome.”

“Woah!” startled Dax, jumping back. Whipping his hand up, he jabbed a thick finger toward my t-shirt. “Did you see that?”

“See what?” I asked.

“Your shirt—moved!” Dax shot a warning glance at Chuck before looking more closely at me. “Cause that’s not normal, for sure.”

Dax wasn’t kidding. The eyes had gone starry and its tongue was hanging out,…drooling. It was focused on Leilani!

“Well, I’ll be,” whispered Chuck. “It’s an emoticon.” Poking my shirt, he sniffled a laugh. “You lucky dog! I’ve only seen a few of those in the whole of my life. Usually magic put into paintings to make them look alive, but it’s the same principle. Hmmm. Better be careful, though, son. That little guy could give away your secrets if you’re not careful.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

The wizard tugged on the yellow portion of the cloth — the smiley attempting to bite his fingers. “I mean that everything you actually feel will be displayed by this thing on your shirt. See? You frown, it frowns. The trouble is, no matter what you look like on the outside, this emoticon will show the truth of what you’re feeling on the inside.”

I looked over at Dax and the smiley immediately turned red and scowled.

“Great,” Dax grumbled, rolling his eyes.

Shuffling my feet, I spun around and quickly folded my arms across my chest. Suddenly, my face felt really hot.

“Nuh-uh,” Dax was shaking his head. “This is a bad idea. I don’t like it. Take it off. We’ll find something else for you to wear.”

“No way!” I complained. “You brought me here, you said I got to pick, and this is what I want.”

“We’ll take the set,” Chuck announced firmly. Snatching the coin purse from the floor, he corralled both me and Dax to the front counter.

Getting out a ledger, Leilani recorded the sale and leaned forward over the desk, accentuating her voluptuous bosom. “That’ll be 60 gold.” She puckered her lips at me as she said gold.

I averted his eyes, coughing uncomfortably. The smiley face blushed bright red and looked away as well.

“See?!” snapped Dax, nearly swallowing his cigar. “Wait…60 GOLD?! As in COINS?? That’s robbery, lady! We wanna set of clothes, not an entire herd of pixy-dust-sucking sheep to start our own ENTERPRISE!!” But I was already pulling out coins from the pouch and setting them on the counter.

“One…two…three…” I counted. Heh. I didn’t care what Dax said. I was getting those outfits.

Leilani looked at Dax impatiently. “Let me remind you — that you are purchasing three sets! That’s only 20 gold an outfit…and that’s substantially lower than any other inventory!”

“She’s right, my boy.” Chuck ran a finger over the redwood of the small box. “Back in the day, the going rate for the robes I’m wearing now would be 500 gold or more.”

Dax coughed. “We are talking actual COINS here, right? Who in their right mind would…,” but he gave the wizard a single glance and shook his head. “Never mind.” Impatiently, Dax snatched the pouch from my hand and started shaking it upside down.

Nothing came out.

Dax shook the pouch harder. “What the…??” He pulled the string open and looked into the bag. It looked completely empty. Shoving his fingers into the sack, Dax couldn’t feel anything but the cloth of the bag. “What the crap is going on!??”

Leilani looked at him casually. “Is there a problem, gentlemen?”

“Only with your prices,” he grumbled and shoved the bag back at me. “Hurry up.”

Smiling, I casually tipped the tiny bag over and poured a pile of coins onto the counter. Much more than the container should have been able to carry.

Leilani’s greedy eyes lit up, her smile unbecoming.

Dax scowled and shook his head in disgust. “Wizards.” Well, that and something about the wiles of women and the damnable practices of sales people…but no one payed any attention. When the last coin was counted out loud, Dax looked at Leilani bitterly. “Take it, witch.”

Grabbing me by the seat of his pants, he shoved me out the door, the wizard in tow.

As soon as we were across the walkway, I yanked myself free. 

“What is wrong with you?!” I snapped. “What have I done to you, Dax? I’ve listened to your rules. I’m minding my own business and doing what I’m told. Why do you keep shoving me around like I’m some punk?!”

Dax yanked on the t-shirt and pulled my face down to his own.

Struggle as I did, Dax’s strength kept me in place.

A gentle hand rested on Dax’s shoulder. “Force will never work,” Chuck whispered. “Not with this one, Monkey.”

The sudden release of my shirt sent me stumbling backwards.

“Fine. Fine!” Rubbing his temple with broad fingers, Dax took several deep breaths. “I’m sorry, kid. I’m not a babysitter, but I often forget that you got stuck just like me.

I stood upright, brushing myself off.

“Truth is, you ain’t done nuthin’ to me, and…”

“Go on,” Chuck nudged him.

“You’ve been doin’ good on the rules, kid. Takes practice anyway and we’re gonna be together a hell of a…”

“Language.”

Dax glared at the wizard. “You want the apology or the grammar? Cause ya don’t get both.”

Chuck raised both hands.

“We’re gonna be together a long time, kid. That means learnin’ ta trust each other, an I can’t expect ya to trust me if I’m pushin’ you around.” He took a step back from me and raised both palms in surrender. “So I’m sorry, okay?”

I just stared blankly.

“Okay?” Dax repeated.

Honestly, anything I had to say would have made it worse, so I said nothing.

“Fine,” Dax sneered, “Whatever. You be pissed at me, but I’m gonna do my job! First lesson — NEVER flirt with a female in the Black Market, unless you are sure what she is.” Dax sneered back at Leilani through the shop window. The woman was counting her coins, sparing an occasional glance in our direction.

“Are your shorts in a bunch?” asked the wizard, “Because you get ornery when…”

“She’s Tioshian, Chuck. That’s why I’m on edge. Figured it out when the servant girl was lookin’ so worried ‘bout the kid. She played ya both — heavy incense, picking the right one, snarlin’ at me, sniffin’ him like he was dinner?” He glared at the wizard intensely. “She felt him up, too…seeing how much meat’s on him!”

“What are you TALKING about?” I gasped. My stomach suddenly knotted up. The conversation had turned from odd to downright disturbing.

Dax walked up and poked my too-cool shirt. “Crazy cult of broads batting their eyes at chumps like you. That’s what I’m talking about. They find the rich ones, marry ‘em, rob ‘em and then gut ‘em for a BBQ!”

My stomach lurched, and the smiley turned a putrid green. “You couldn’t just let me believe she liked me?”

“Sure she liked ya…for dinner. She’s a cannibal, Wendell. A sexy one, sure…but a killer to the core.”

“C..c..c…cannibal!??” Doubt choked.

I looked back through the front window. Leilani had pulled out a small mirror and was examining her hair and face. She looped strands of hair behind an ear, then pouted her lips. She blinked her eyelashes and finally gave the mirror a full smile for the first time.

As if on cue, she looked up, made eye contact…and licked her rows of pointed teeth.

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