"Are we nearly there?" A light voice asked from inside the carriage. Sat in the front were Janette in her dress and hood and Felix with a hood of his own. Hoods were worn by all four of them in fact, something Janette insisted not just for KuliKuli so that the Nekomata could disguise her cat ears without anyone getting curious about her. Back in the cabin, the group had washed up and settled down, with KuliKuli being the first one to try out her new uniform. Norowa Reta was the second one to fit into her dress, appreciating the extra details Janette added to make the clothes appeal more to her unique culture, although it brought into light how Felix himself had neglected to pursue more about this. He felt a twitch of pain in his chest when that happened, he noticed the way her eyes lit up when she recognized the familiarity of the design. It would seem that Janette had taken some time to study up on Reta's culture, investigating the way her people would dress and finding a sort of compromise in the middle. It was the first time he saw Reta smile sincerely, like a fire had sparked inside and brought warmth in the cold inner walls of a once desolate home. Well, it was the first time he saw her smile without including sex that is.
He thought to himself about that during his time with Janette in the front, idly listening to the small talk the girls would have in the carriage. Or rather, not to say there was any small talk since it was mostly his Nekomata barraging poor Reta with questions and silly games about guessing what she would spy with her little cat eye. He felt the air shift around him once they arrived at the crossroad path and Janette steered the horses to turn right, bracing himself for the journey that lies ahead as this would be the first time in a long time that he didn't continue forward. For the destination was no longer the Farmer's Den but someplace bigger, more populated, and 'exciting' as she would say. Janette was familiar with Kershin Market, she mentioned that during their conversation in their current travel. It was a place where her parents use to establish a shop and trade their values, making deals with other food shops in a way that benefits both sides with more sales and profit. It was hard for him to follow as she went on and on discussing what it was her parents did, but he could tell the apple hadn't fallen far from the tree. Janette was the kind of person who sought a profit where there was to be drawn, such as the mention of the apple tree at there front doorstep. She commented that they could use the seeds to plant more tress around the land, take care to grow them properly under the right soil and water them plenty so that they would grow large and reward him with baskets of fruit for them. He saw the value as more rations for them to add to their diet, while she saw them as more stock under her belt to sell or trade with.
It's not a life he understood but one that he did respect. She was good at that to a degree, though he noticed that she would hardly boast or gloat about her own accomplishments. Which isn't bad on its own, if she didn't dismiss her own feats when he would ask.
"Wait wait wait, so how long have your parents been doing this? They started this whole thing on their own?" He asked, entertaining the conversation with intrigue much to her delight.
"Janette nodded, "More or less, it was my mother who had a knack for gardening. She had quite a green thumb, people said she would produce the sweetest tasting fruit they ever had the fortune of savoring. Dad would say that one bite is all you would need to be hooked, it was like she casted a spell on you and now you were left wanting more. That's how they met, he was looking for a way to change his lifestyle and get out of the typical laboring jobs he could find, and she was a woman with a passion for her plants and trees. He claimed he was the first to fall under her spell, but it wasn't the fruit that did it for him. It was the way she spoke about her work, how she tended to her plants and memorized the names and what kind of soil was right for each. He would often find himself up early in the morning to help her move her potted plants, and it was later on when he had the idea of selling her fruit to make a profit at the Kershin Market. That's the place you go to to make some easy coin, find something to offer and convince people that they need it, then bam! You have a customer."
Janette sighed and leaned back, resting her head with a smile. "He was the salesman, always found a way to talk to others. A stranger is just a friend I haven't met yet, he would say. Everyone loved him, couldn't say no to the guy. He was persistent and found a way to turn trash into money, and when he and mom got together he proposed the idea of selling her fruits after a year of helping her plant her trees. She was reluctant but agreed, I think she blames the way he looked at her too. Guess he was too convincing even for her, just couldn't find a way to say no and break his heart. Not whenever he gave her that look with the eyes and the smile, it would just cause her to melt into his arms."
"So when you took over, you're in charge of everything they left now?"
"Of course. I've been doing okay, Mom and Dad taught me a lot about the business when I was growing up. I'm older now and still live alone, so I've nothing but free time to sell and think about how to grow my trees and produce more to sell."
Felix leaned in. "I get how fruit can be sweet, but how did you parents make a living out of selling apples?"
This made Janette scoff and snicker in return. "Felix, it was more than just apples. Add oranges, peaches, pecans, grapes, grapefruit, and watermelon to the list. We sell a lot of natural sweets, not just apples. Those were just the beginning, and you would be surprised how Dad sold them. People use fruit in a lot of things, not just for a healthy snack. They can also be ingredients for all sorts of pies like apple pie and pecan pie, or mixed into salads as well. Ingredients for adding a fruity taste to medication, or necessary components to some herbal remedies. Even in drinks like ale for example, fruits are added to those beverages for a more addicting aftertaste. We've quite a few deals with some of the local taverns around as proof of that, deals that have been around for a decade."
Felix shook his head in awe thinking about her claim. "You did all of that?"
"Oh I manage, Mom and Dad were the one's who made it happen. I'm just getting lucky I guess."
"Still, you must be doing okay to manage everything on your own." He raised a point as he continued, "And without any partner to help either. But why then do you still work at Farmer's Den?"
"Oh I visit all of the shops I have open, I manage them for a day or two just to double check the produce, how much we sell, and to get out of the house myself. Work wouldn't work well if you didn't check on it yourself from time to time, or else people begin to take advantage. You just happened to catch me on a boring day, thanks for that." She grinned.
"For what?"
"For picking my shop to ask for help, and for letting me know you guys. Life has been busy busy for me and it get's lonely when I lack much free time to make friends. And now, I've got plenty." Janette expressed that with a wide smile, showing her teeth and giggling in the process. It made Felix feel warm inside, he was beginning to understand why she was doing a lot for them. He wondered if she viewed life as one big project where even in her spare time, her mind would still be busy at work. The way she spoke so highly of her parents accomplishments, and guessing that she was a lone child, it left some big steps for her to fill under their presence. Perhaps then the importance of making friends was something that resembled some normalcy into her hectic schedule while finally giving her people to talk to and destress with.
"Then I feel I owe you an apology, I have misjudged you. I treated you harsh at times when I should not, and I was not sure about this friendship of ours before. But I am now, and I would like this to continue."
Janette laughed and held her side, shaking her head side to side. It left him feeling hot in the face as he wondered if he had said something wrong, but that changed when she pushed his arm in a playful manner.
"Felix, it's fine! I can tell you're new to this too, remember? You can be so awkward about this whole friendship thing, stop being so serious. I figured after that night in the cabin you would start to loosen up more." She teased with a nudge to his elbow. He meant to respond when she looked ahead and gasped. "We're here!"
"Really!?" KuliKuli poked her head out the door window, shocked as she spotted the torch lights illuminating their destination along the road. The horses huffed and continued walking down the path, entering the large city. This are was quite peculiar, the surroundings had been a plain empty valley around them with several trees here and there, but nothing too active. The hills were mainly around where their cabin had been, with forests following past their backyard. But here, the mountains that once seemed like shadows standing far off in the distance were close enough for them to climb upwards, in fact the city was positioned in between. Yes, at the crevice or gap where two large mountains would join stood Kershin Market, acting like the gateway through the ravine. In fact, this place was a ravine as KuliKuli held on tight to her seat once the dirt path ended and the carriage walked over a swaying wooden bridge, wide enough to fit a parade through and back with plenty of rope as their support beams. Suddenly, Felix cursed his gift of sight in the darkness as even though the sun had set an hour ago, he could see how far down the ravine sunk with a glance below. The sound of rushing water crashing and echoing below also hinted at how far down the fall would be should someone be unfortunate enough to lose balance or sway off the bridge. His fingers dug into the side rail of the front seat, Janette noticed with a glance before staring ahead.
"Try not to think about it, you get use to the height after some time. Trust me, when I was little I would be sobbing in my Mother's chest holding her tight and refusing to open my eyes until we crossed through."
He nodded and looked around, spotting the numerous houses hung alongside the ravine up high. He wondered how some people would have the courage to sleep peacefully while they hung off the edge of a deep pit such as this one, but he did note how peculiar those buildings were in appearance. Not your typical cottage but rather clay structures with circular windows as if they were crafted from the earth itself. They had wooden ladders that swung from one house to the next below, all chain linked further down as far as he could see with some holding docks at the very bottom where the raging waters crushed through. It seemed fishing wasn't impossible down there, so long as one has faith in their wooden structures holding fast against the current.
Once they had crossed the bridge, they had settled back to land where they could spot shops along the sides with a dense population swarming left and right making the passage difficult to move through. Janette had to slow the horses down to making small steps, with most of the crowd making way just a few feet ahead of them. KuliKuli and Reta had sat back inside, peering through the glass windows and spotting the many different species around them. Felix raised his head, spotting a strange looking child covered in mud and rags scurry out onto the road chasing after a frog. Once he caught it in mid hop, he looked up and Felix gasped when he realized this child wasn't coated in mud, rather those were his scales. His yellow eyes and slit-like pupils were natural for his kind. Felix held his breath and nearly shouted for the kid to move when a large robed figure snatched the child away just in time, Felix turned around to spot the large figure looked similar to the kid with a different tone of color for their scales as they knelt down and scolded the boy.
"Kobolds." Janette explained as she kept her eyes steady, "Guess that one is your first time seeing one."
"I wouldn't have guessed that they would migrate here." He remarked, still in awe.
Janette shrugged. "Some do out of choice, others do by force. The rumor is that some are here because their forests were burned down and it is speculated if the cause of the fire was natural or by an invasion of another species. Can't be from another tribe, it would be stupid to waste all of those resources when they need it just as well."
KuliKuli looked over at Reta as she sat in silence, her eyes watching all the numerous people walk by. She wasn't looking out of curiosity though, and the Nekomata wondered if the fact that none of the people seem to be from her tribe could contribute to why she seemed unamused. The cat girl couldn't hide her own excitement, she was looking forward to this event for days now, but now that she had arrived she felt her stomach was doing flips inside.
"It's a lot of people." She commented, hoping Reta would say something back.
She shifted in her seat and leaned back. "Yes, but none of them are my own."
KuliKuli could feel her cat ears sink down under her hood, she moved out from her seat and sat next to her friend to comfort her. Reta moved her face away, ignoring her attempt but not removing her paw over her leg.
"Damn, there's a lot of people around here." Felix mentioned as he grew bothered by how often they were forced to stop when some crowds refused to make way.
Janette chuckled. "It's not this dense around here, I think we both know why that is. There!" She pointed out into the corner atop a few tall structures. A bit off into the distance was a few shining lights waving into the night sky, something he had never seen before in his life.
"What the heck kind of magic is that?" He asked in bewilderment. "Lights in the sky? Are the stars moving?"
Janette laughed. "No silly, that's not the stars. But if that's enough to catch your eye, then I'm glad I brought you here."
"Kebabs! Get yer Kebabs 'ere!" A hoarse voice cried out up ahead, belonging to a short man half their size waving several kebabs in his thick hands while standing outside his little shop. When they passed by, admittedly Felix was drew in by the delicious smell of meat roasting under a nice fire. The sizzling sound of peppers and onions heated in a pan was embedded into his ears, and he almost fell under a trance as his stomach began to growl. Janette gave him a look as he shrugged and smiled back, and soon they had stopped besides the man with Janette peering over Felix to talk to the seller.
"How much for four?" She hollered, having to raise her voice so that he could hear through the crowd.
"Aye, it be four silver pieces each!" The bearded man answered back, handing a pair of kebabs over while Janette dug into her dress and counted out the coins in her palm. Felix noticed this man really is short, barely taller than a child and yet his broad chest, bald head and the wrinkles in his face showed his age. His arms seemed thick and full of muscle with hair on his fingers and forearms, yet he wore a stained white shirt with an apron over him. Glancing into the shop, Felix spotted a few other men similar to his size, one busy turning and roasting around the kebabs while another held a cleaver in hand and was busy chopping up more slices of meat.
"Thank you!" Janette called out, shaking his hand as he tipped his head and smiled back.
"Aye, is a pleasure!" He turned around as they began moving ahead once more, with Felix knocking against the window behind. KuliKuli pushed the door open and he passed them two kebabs much to her delight, though if Reta hadn't noticed the cat might have eaten them for herself. Felix looked back to see the short man return to calling out and advertising to the other travelers behind them, some in carriages or on horseback and others walking by on foot.
"I didn't realize dwarves were that short." He mentioned in a low voice as Janette chuckled and nudged his arm. One right turn and suddenly they found themselves surrounding by shops advertising rugs, blankets, and clothing. Now it was populated by familiar, more recognizable faces with Felix feeling somewhat at home as these people were like the ones he saw at the Farmer's Den. But their language wasn't all the same, some of them spoke in different tongues or perhaps that was just an accent or two intermingled with the shouting and shrieks of laughter all around them, he couldn't tell. Even with his enhanced hearing, it was hard for him to make sense of what most of them said. He raised his eyes when he spotted a few beautiful looking slender figures dressed in fine green robes before spotting their pointed ears, one of them locked eyes with him and winked before flashing a smile. He blushed and sunk into his seat as the elf giggled with their crowed and began to gossip amongst their friends.
"I can't tell if that was a man or a woman." He admitted much to Janette's delight, she was enjoying his reaction with how often she held her side from laughing. "How long until we get there?"
"If you looked up into the sky rather than the streets, you would know that we just arrived." Janette answered, pulling them into a stop.
"Oh my-" He looked up, finding this giant... strange looking tent that was large enough to fit fifty houses inside. Compared to the rest of this city with their cobblestone roads and gray and brown buildings illuminated in yellow torch lights, this red and white striped tent was held down by numerous ropes supporting the exterior and nailed into the floor, with a large white flag at the center top waving in the night sky. There were lights waving left and right making it impossible not to notice them, with a strange chorus of music coming from within. Now that they had stopped, Felix saw that most of the crowd around them were following their direction with the same goal in mind, as many people were entering the large tent through a line at the entrance. "What in the name of the gods is this?"
"Don't be so dramatic, it's called a grand chapiteau." Janetted explained as she carefully stepped down and went to greet the girls in the carriage. "Are you girls ready?"
"Am I ever." KuliKuli replied, seemingly breathless as she was the first to step outside. Gazing up into the large tent, she reached out and held onto Felix's arm. No words were exchanged, but the two could sense each other's nervousness as they looked up into this imposing tent before them. This thing looked like an entire castle draped in a striped tent, as if some sort of comedic attempt to hide the surprise from some royal family before unveiling their new kingdom before them. It seemed almost too much, it was not just one large towering over but rather two tents acting like large pillars, guarding the widest tent at the center which looked big enough to swallow a colosseum. That's what it was, four towers surrounding the grand tent in the center, each structure with a flag at the top expressing a smiling face with a funny hat and mustache.
"Alright everyone, this is it!" Janette seemed ecstatic as she led the way before holding Felix's hand. "Be sure to hold hands, it's easy to get lost in crowded areas."
Reta hooked her arm around KuliKuli, trailing at the back of their group behind KuliKuli, Felix, and Janette in that order.
"I hope you know your way here." Felix whimpered as they made their way to the back of the entrance line.
"Hm, never been here before. It's a first for me too." Janette explained much to his shock. "These guys just up and appeared out of nowhere, some sort of traveling performance show entertaining people where they can."
"Oh dear." He muttered to himself, "I feel a lot better now."
"Cheer up, it's going to be fun." Janette replied with a smile as they stepped up to the entrance booth. All three of them tilted their heads and stared in confusion as a man stood inside a red booth surrounding him with only a window presenting him from his waist up. He was a tall looking man with a deep voice and wearing a weird white suit with dark suspenders down to his belt and pants. He looked as if he had seen all the world has had to offer him, and that he came out of it looking the least bit impressed with a blank stare and sunken in eyes. His mustache was thick enough to cover his lip, it wrinkled when he wiggled his nose as he glanced down and spoke to them in an intimidating tone.
"Tickets."
"For four, please." Janette responded in kind, slipping four golden tickets with fancy cursive writing through a slot in the glass. The man counted them and gestured for them to pass, with Janette looking back at her friends and beaming with joy. She pointed up at the sign above them arching over the entry with flashy lights that read: ENJOY!
"You guys ready? Let's go!" She called out, dragging her friends inside.
"Are we nearly there?" A light voice asked from inside the carriage. Sat in the front were Janette in her dress and hood and Felix with a hood of his own. Hoods were worn by all four of them in fact, something Janette insisted not just for KuliKuli so that the Nekomata could disguise her cat ears without anyone getting curious about her. Back in the cabin, the group had washed up and settled down, with KuliKuli being the first one to try out her new uniform. Norowa Reta was the second one to fit into her dress, appreciating the extra details Janette added to make the clothes appeal more to her unique culture, although it brought into light how Felix himself had neglected to pursue more about this. He felt a twitch of pain in his chest when that happened, he noticed the way her eyes lit up when she recognized the familiarity of the design. It would seem that Janette had taken some time to study up on Reta's culture, investigating the way her people would dress and finding a sort of compromise in the middle. It was the first time he saw Reta smile sincerely, like a fire had sparked inside and brought warmth in the cold inner walls of a once desolate home. Well, it was the first time he saw her smile without including sex that is.
He thought to himself about that during his time with Janette in the front, idly listening to the small talk the girls would have in the carriage. Or rather, not to say there was any small talk since it was mostly his Nekomata barraging poor Reta with questions and silly games about guessing what she would spy with her little cat eye. He felt the air shift around him once they arrived at the crossroad path and Janette steered the horses to turn right, bracing himself for the journey that lies ahead as this would be the first time in a long time that he didn't continue forward. For the destination was no longer the Farmer's Den but someplace bigger, more populated, and 'exciting' as she would say. Janette was familiar with Kershin Market, she mentioned that during their conversation in their current travel. It was a place where her parents use to establish a shop and trade their values, making deals with other food shops in a way that benefits both sides with more sales and profit. It was hard for him to follow as she went on and on discussing what it was her parents did, but he could tell the apple hadn't fallen far from the tree. Janette was the kind of person who sought a profit where there was to be drawn, such as the mention of the apple tree at there front doorstep. She commented that they could use the seeds to plant more tress around the land, take care to grow them properly under the right soil and water them plenty so that they would grow large and reward him with baskets of fruit for them. He saw the value as more rations for them to add to their diet, while she saw them as more stock under her belt to sell or trade with.
It's not a life he understood but one that he did respect. She was good at that to a degree, though he noticed that she would hardly boast or gloat about her own accomplishments. Which isn't bad on its own, if she didn't dismiss her own feats when he would ask.
"Wait wait wait, so how long have your parents been doing this? They started this whole thing on their own?" He asked, entertaining the conversation with intrigue much to her delight.
"Janette nodded, "More or less, it was my mother who had a knack for gardening. She had quite a green thumb, people said she would produce the sweetest tasting fruit they ever had the fortune of savoring. Dad would say that one bite is all you would need to be hooked, it was like she casted a spell on you and now you were left wanting more. That's how they met, he was looking for a way to change his lifestyle and get out of the typical laboring jobs he could find, and she was a woman with a passion for her plants and trees. He claimed he was the first to fall under her spell, but it wasn't the fruit that did it for him. It was the way she spoke about her work, how she tended to her plants and memorized the names and what kind of soil was right for each. He would often find himself up early in the morning to help her move her potted plants, and it was later on when he had the idea of selling her fruit to make a profit at the Kershin Market. That's the place you go to to make some easy coin, find something to offer and convince people that they need it, then bam! You have a customer."
Janette sighed and leaned back, resting her head with a smile. "He was the salesman, always found a way to talk to others. A stranger is just a friend I haven't met yet, he would say. Everyone loved him, couldn't say no to the guy. He was persistent and found a way to turn trash into money, and when he and mom got together he proposed the idea of selling her fruits after a year of helping her plant her trees. She was reluctant but agreed, I think she blames the way he looked at her too. Guess he was too convincing even for her, just couldn't find a way to say no and break his heart. Not whenever he gave her that look with the eyes and the smile, it would just cause her to melt into his arms."
"So when you took over, you're in charge of everything they left now?"
"Of course. I've been doing okay, Mom and Dad taught me a lot about the business when I was growing up. I'm older now and still live alone, so I've nothing but free time to sell and think about how to grow my trees and produce more to sell."
Felix leaned in. "I get how fruit can be sweet, but how did you parents make a living out of selling apples?"
This made Janette scoff and snicker in return. "Felix, it was more than just apples. Add oranges, peaches, pecans, grapes, grapefruit, and watermelon to the list. We sell a lot of natural sweets, not just apples. Those were just the beginning, and you would be surprised how Dad sold them. People use fruit in a lot of things, not just for a healthy snack. They can also be ingredients for all sorts of pies like apple pie and pecan pie, or mixed into salads as well. Ingredients for adding a fruity taste to medication, or necessary components to some herbal remedies. Even in drinks like ale for example, fruits are added to those beverages for a more addicting aftertaste. We've quite a few deals with some of the local taverns around as proof of that, deals that have been around for a decade."
Felix shook his head in awe thinking about her claim. "You did all of that?"
"Oh I manage, Mom and Dad were the one's who made it happen. I'm just getting lucky I guess."
"Still, you must be doing okay to manage everything on your own." He raised a point as he continued, "And without any partner to help either. But why then do you still work at Farmer's Den?"
"Oh I visit all of the shops I have open, I manage them for a day or two just to double check the produce, how much we sell, and to get out of the house myself. Work wouldn't work well if you didn't check on it yourself from time to time, or else people begin to take advantage. You just happened to catch me on a boring day, thanks for that." She grinned.
"For what?"
"For picking my shop to ask for help, and for letting me know you guys. Life has been busy busy for me and it get's lonely when I lack much free time to make friends. And now, I've got plenty." Janette expressed that with a wide smile, showing her teeth and giggling in the process. It made Felix feel warm inside, he was beginning to understand why she was doing a lot for them. He wondered if she viewed life as one big project where even in her spare time, her mind would still be busy at work. The way she spoke so highly of her parents accomplishments, and guessing that she was a lone child, it left some big steps for her to fill under their presence. Perhaps then the importance of making friends was something that resembled some normalcy into her hectic schedule while finally giving her people to talk to and destress with.
"Then I feel I owe you an apology, I have misjudged you. I treated you harsh at times when I should not, and I was not sure about this friendship of ours before. But I am now, and I would like this to continue."
Janette laughed and held her side, shaking her head side to side. It left him feeling hot in the face as he wondered if he had said something wrong, but that changed when she pushed his arm in a playful manner.
"Felix, it's fine! I can tell you're new to this too, remember? You can be so awkward about this whole friendship thing, stop being so serious. I figured after that night in the cabin you would start to loosen up more." She teased with a nudge to his elbow. He meant to respond when she looked ahead and gasped. "We're here!"
"Really!?" KuliKuli poked her head out the door window, shocked as she spotted the torch lights illuminating their destination along the road. The horses huffed and continued walking down the path, entering the large city. This are was quite peculiar, the surroundings had been a plain empty valley around them with several trees here and there, but nothing too active. The hills were mainly around where their cabin had been, with forests following past their backyard. But here, the mountains that once seemed like shadows standing far off in the distance were close enough for them to climb upwards, in fact the city was positioned in between. Yes, at the crevice or gap where two large mountains would join stood Kershin Market, acting like the gateway through the ravine. In fact, this place was a ravine as KuliKuli held on tight to her seat once the dirt path ended and the carriage walked over a swaying wooden bridge, wide enough to fit a parade through and back with plenty of rope as their support beams. Suddenly, Felix cursed his gift of sight in the darkness as even though the sun had set an hour ago, he could see how far down the ravine sunk with a glance below. The sound of rushing water crashing and echoing below also hinted at how far down the fall would be should someone be unfortunate enough to lose balance or sway off the bridge. His fingers dug into the side rail of the front seat, Janette noticed with a glance before staring ahead.
"Try not to think about it, you get use to the height after some time. Trust me, when I was little I would be sobbing in my Mother's chest holding her tight and refusing to open my eyes until we crossed through."
He nodded and looked around, spotting the numerous houses hung alongside the ravine up high. He wondered how some people would have the courage to sleep peacefully while they hung off the edge of a deep pit such as this one, but he did note how peculiar those buildings were in appearance. Not your typical cottage but rather clay structures with circular windows as if they were crafted from the earth itself. They had wooden ladders that swung from one house to the next below, all chain linked further down as far as he could see with some holding docks at the very bottom where the raging waters crushed through. It seemed fishing wasn't impossible down there, so long as one has faith in their wooden structures holding fast against the current.
Once they had crossed the bridge, they had settled back to land where they could spot shops along the sides with a dense population swarming left and right making the passage difficult to move through. Janette had to slow the horses down to making small steps, with most of the crowd making way just a few feet ahead of them. KuliKuli and Reta had sat back inside, peering through the glass windows and spotting the many different species around them. Felix raised his head, spotting a strange looking child covered in mud and rags scurry out onto the road chasing after a frog. Once he caught it in mid hop, he looked up and Felix gasped when he realized this child wasn't coated in mud, rather those were his scales. His yellow eyes and slit-like pupils were natural for his kind. Felix held his breath and nearly shouted for the kid to move when a large robed figure snatched the child away just in time, Felix turned around to spot the large figure looked similar to the kid with a different tone of color for their scales as they knelt down and scolded the boy.
"Kobolds." Janette explained as she kept her eyes steady, "Guess that one is your first time seeing one."
"I wouldn't have guessed that they would migrate here." He remarked, still in awe.
Janette shrugged. "Some do out of choice, others do by force. The rumor is that some are here because their forests were burned down and it is speculated if the cause of the fire was natural or by an invasion of another species. Can't be from another tribe, it would be stupid to waste all of those resources when they need it just as well."
KuliKuli looked over at Reta as she sat in silence, her eyes watching all the numerous people walk by. She wasn't looking out of curiosity though, and the Nekomata wondered if the fact that none of the people seem to be from her tribe could contribute to why she seemed unamused. The cat girl couldn't hide her own excitement, she was looking forward to this event for days now, but now that she had arrived she felt her stomach was doing flips inside.
"It's a lot of people." She commented, hoping Reta would say something back.
She shifted in her seat and leaned back. "Yes, but none of them are my own."
KuliKuli could feel her cat ears sink down under her hood, she moved out from her seat and sat next to her friend to comfort her. Reta moved her face away, ignoring her attempt but not removing her paw over her leg.
"Damn, there's a lot of people around here." Felix mentioned as he grew bothered by how often they were forced to stop when some crowds refused to make way.
Janette chuckled. "It's not this dense around here, I think we both know why that is. There!" She pointed out into the corner atop a few tall structures. A bit off into the distance was a few shining lights waving into the night sky, something he had never seen before in his life.
"What the heck kind of magic is that?" He asked in bewilderment. "Lights in the sky? Are the stars moving?"
Janette laughed. "No silly, that's not the stars. But if that's enough to catch your eye, then I'm glad I brought you here."
"Kebabs! Get yer Kebabs 'ere!" A hoarse voice cried out up ahead, belonging to a short man half their size waving several kebabs in his thick hands while standing outside his little shop. When they passed by, admittedly Felix was drew in by the delicious smell of meat roasting under a nice fire. The sizzling sound of peppers and onions heated in a pan was embedded into his ears, and he almost fell under a trance as his stomach began to growl. Janette gave him a look as he shrugged and smiled back, and soon they had stopped besides the man with Janette peering over Felix to talk to the seller.
"How much for four?" She hollered, having to raise her voice so that he could hear through the crowd.
"Aye, it be four silver pieces each!" The bearded man answered back, handing a pair of kebabs over while Janette dug into her dress and counted out the coins in her palm. Felix noticed this man really is short, barely taller than a child and yet his broad chest, bald head and the wrinkles in his face showed his age. His arms seemed thick and full of muscle with hair on his fingers and forearms, yet he wore a stained white shirt with an apron over him. Glancing into the shop, Felix spotted a few other men similar to his size, one busy turning and roasting around the kebabs while another held a cleaver in hand and was busy chopping up more slices of meat.
"Thank you!" Janette called out, shaking his hand as he tipped his head and smiled back.
"Aye, is a pleasure!" He turned around as they began moving ahead once more, with Felix knocking against the window behind. KuliKuli pushed the door open and he passed them two kebabs much to her delight, though if Reta hadn't noticed the cat might have eaten them for herself. Felix looked back to see the short man return to calling out and advertising to the other travelers behind them, some in carriages or on horseback and others walking by on foot.
"I didn't realize dwarves were that short." He mentioned in a low voice as Janette chuckled and nudged his arm. One right turn and suddenly they found themselves surrounding by shops advertising rugs, blankets, and clothing. Now it was populated by familiar, more recognizable faces with Felix feeling somewhat at home as these people were like the ones he saw at the Farmer's Den. But their language wasn't all the same, some of them spoke in different tongues or perhaps that was just an accent or two intermingled with the shouting and shrieks of laughter all around them, he couldn't tell. Even with his enhanced hearing, it was hard for him to make sense of what most of them said. He raised his eyes when he spotted a few beautiful looking slender figures dressed in fine green robes before spotting their pointed ears, one of them locked eyes with him and winked before flashing a smile. He blushed and sunk into his seat as the elf giggled with their crowed and began to gossip amongst their friends.
"I can't tell if that was a man or a woman." He admitted much to Janette's delight, she was enjoying his reaction with how often she held her side from laughing. "How long until we get there?"
"If you looked up into the sky rather than the streets, you would know that we just arrived." Janette answered, pulling them into a stop.
"Oh my-" He looked up, finding this giant... strange looking tent that was large enough to fit fifty houses inside. Compared to the rest of this city with their cobblestone roads and gray and brown buildings illuminated in yellow torch lights, this red and white striped tent was held down by numerous ropes supporting the exterior and nailed into the floor, with a large white flag at the center top waving in the night sky. There were lights waving left and right making it impossible not to notice them, with a strange chorus of music coming from within. Now that they had stopped, Felix saw that most of the crowd around them were following their direction with the same goal in mind, as many people were entering the large tent through a line at the entrance. "What in the name of the gods is this?"
"Don't be so dramatic, it's called a grand chapiteau." Janetted explained as she carefully stepped down and went to greet the girls in the carriage. "Are you girls ready?"
"Am I ever." KuliKuli replied, seemingly breathless as she was the first to step outside. Gazing up into the large tent, she reached out and held onto Felix's arm. No words were exchanged, but the two could sense each other's nervousness as they looked up into this imposing tent before them. This thing looked like an entire castle draped in a striped tent, as if some sort of comedic attempt to hide the surprise from some royal family before unveiling their new kingdom before them. It seemed almost too much, it was not just one large towering over but rather two tents acting like large pillars, guarding the widest tent at the center which looked big enough to swallow a colosseum. That's what it was, four towers surrounding the grand tent in the center, each structure with a flag at the top expressing a smiling face with a funny hat and mustache.
"Alright everyone, this is it!" Janette seemed ecstatic as she led the way before holding Felix's hand. "Be sure to hold hands, it's easy to get lost in crowded areas."
Reta hooked her arm around KuliKuli, trailing at the back of their group behind KuliKuli, Felix, and Janette in that order.
"I hope you know your way here." Felix whimpered as they made their way to the back of the entrance line.
"Hm, never been here before. It's a first for me too." Janette explained much to his shock. "These guys just up and appeared out of nowhere, some sort of traveling performance show entertaining people where they can."
"Oh dear." He muttered to himself, "I feel a lot better now."
"Cheer up, it's going to be fun." Janette replied with a smile as they stepped up to the entrance booth. All three of them tilted their heads and stared in confusion as a man stood inside a red booth surrounding him with only a window presenting him from his waist up. He was a tall looking man with a deep voice and wearing a weird white suit with dark suspenders down to his belt and pants. He looked as if he had seen all the world has had to offer him, and that he came out of it looking the least bit impressed with a blank stare and sunken in eyes. His mustache was thick enough to cover his lip, it wrinkled when he wiggled his nose as he glanced down and spoke to them in an intimidating tone.
"Tickets."
"For four, please." Janette responded in kind, slipping four golden tickets with fancy cursive writing through a slot in the glass. The man counted them and gestured for them to pass, with Janette looking back at her friends and beaming with joy. She pointed up at the sign above them arching over the entry with flashy lights that read: ENJOY!
"You guys ready? Let's go!" She called out, dragging her friends inside.
