by Eric Vall
The rest of us turned our heads upward to follow her gaze. The dense fog not only wrapped around Jallah, but it surrounded the island in such a way that it stretched upwards into the air to block out the sun and sky altogether. It was no wonder there were so many torches lit on the island, there was no other source of light.
“How very odd,” Annalíse said as she squinted upward at the swirling mists. The sight did indeed contribute to the already ominous aura of the island, but there was something else at work here, something strange, an air of foreboding. Even the water within the wall of fog had a darker, sinister hue.
As the ship drew closer to the island, the makeup of the land became clearer. The island was covered in overgrown dead brown grass that moved stiffly in the wind. Blackened decayed trees sprouted up all over the land, and their naked spindly branches curved outward like gnarled bony fingers. Everything here looked to have been plagued by death.
I expected to hear a myriad of lively sounds when the Sarpedon finally docked at the village’s small port, the usual noises that were heard when arriving in a town. But there were no such noises, only the wind blowing and the resulting crackling of the bare tree branches, and the other passengers onboard talked amongst themselves in nervous hushed tones as the preparations were made for docking. They whispered about how positively eerie this place was and whether it was wise for them to leave the ship.
“All ashore that’s goin’ ashore!” one of the crewmen suddenly cried out, and several of the passengers jumped in response. “If you’d like to purchase goods, need apparel for the glacial continents, or just want to get off the ship for a while, you’ll have about one hour. Be back before then or you’ll be left behind.” The sailor glanced uncomfortably at the island before he quickly shuffled away along the deck.
“Did you see that?” Rana gestured to the departing crewman. “Did you see his face? Even he doesn’t want to be here. I vote for staying on the ship. We can stock up on goods when we make the next stop.”
“Yes, but we’ll have need of winter clothing before then,” Annalíse pointed out. “The temperature already dropped when we approached this island. The cold will only get worse as we continue our journey. Trust me, you’ll want to have adequate apparel before the cold weather really hits.”
“You guys might need to be outfitted, but I’ll be fine.” Rana folded her arms as she swished her tail. “In case you might have forgotten, I was born with a built-in fur coat.”
“We haven’t forgotten,” I said as I turned to her. “You made it a very well known fact in the desert.”
“Even you would find the climate bitter.” Annalíse shook her head. “There is a fair amount of fox folk on the glacial continents, and even they wear winter clothing. No one is spared from the elements there.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” the curly-haired woman said under her breath.
“Everything will be fine,” I said calmly. “Remember to stay together. That means no wandering off.” I momentarily shifted my gaze to Carmedy.
“I promise I won’t,” Carmedy said with a nervous glance at the village. “I’m not sure if I’d want to wander around in there, anyway. It looks so spooky.”
“I never thought I’d live to see the day when Carmedy didn’t want to run rampant around a new town.” Rana snorted but the uneasiness still brimmed in her blue eyes.
“Think of it this way,” I said to the cat and the fox, “you’ll have an opportunity to buy some nice new clothes. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”
“Ooh, you’re right.” Carmedy clasped her hands together excitedly. “Shopping will definitely make me feel better.”
“I’m not so big on clothes shopping, but sure, if you say so.” Rana shrugged.
With that settled, my minions and I made our way to the ramp that had been set in place so that we could disembark. We didn’t have to wait long for our turn to get off the ship. There was no crowd of passengers pushing and shoving to go ashore as was typical. The majority of the passengers not only stayed onboard but went below deck.
No doubt they thought they’d be safer there.
As soon as my feet touched the shore, they sunk into the wet earth with a soft squish, and they continued to do so with each step as we made our way to the edge of the nearby village. There appeared to be no cobblestone roads in Jallah. They were not only made of dirt, but they had turned muddy as though there had been recent rainfall.
“Ugh,” Rana said with a look of disgust as she struggled to dislodge her bare fox feet from the mud. “How am I supposed to get around like this?”
“Maybe you should start wearing shoes, Rana,” Carmedy said with a giggle.
“I’ll start wearing shoes when you start eating with a knife and fork,” the fox-tailed woman said with a sour expression.
As we continued into the village, I took note of our new surroundings. The muddy road was lined with dilapidated buildings on either side. The one-story structures were crafted from gnarled and splintered wood, and the workmanship was incredibly shoddy. Many of the roofs were broken with mismatched and uneven wood, while others sagged in various places or had gaping holes. Doors hung off their hinges in warped door frames, and most windows were either covered with a jagged series of cracks or shattered with only a few sharpened pieces of glass remaining in the frames. Torches were fixed to the sides of the buildings, and their shuddering flames cast trembling shadows against the walls. Through the damaged windows, we could see the fires lit in the hearths of people’s homes. The quivering orange flames of the fires were however the liveliest and most vibrant thing in this decrepit place, but even so, the glow from the fires didn’t lend any warmth to the atmosphere.
The village was wretched and bleak, and the people looked no better off.
The villagers slowly shuffled along in no particular hurry. They were pale, pitiful-looking people with somber expressions and sallow cheeks, so pale in fact that their veins shone through their skin. Their eyes had an odd, almost lifeless vacancy about them.
That sense of lifelessness was only enhanced by the silence of the villagers. None of them spoke to each other, and none of the vendors that lined the streets called out to offer their goods at reasonable prices. Even stranger were the children. The few that I saw didn’t laugh or play or race up and down the street. Instead, they quietly meandered about, silently drew shapes in the mud, or gazed up at us with sorrow in their big eyes as we passed by.
“What’s wrong with these people?” Rana said quietly as we continued to walk through the eerily quiet village. “Everyone looks depressed. Even the animals look miserable.” She nodded to a rather skinny looking cow that lazily followed behind its owner.
“Yeah,” Carmedy whispered. “They all look like they got some really bad news or something.”
“I’ll say,” Rana nodded, “and they’re all almost as pale as Morrigan.”
“I take offense to this,” Morrigan said blankly. “The skin of high elves has unrivaled radiance and purity. Our skin is flawless, to say the least. These people do not resemble me, they look as though they have been struck by an illness of some sort.”
“No one intended to offend you Morrigan,” I said kindly, before I glanced around at the cheerless people. “Rana was only pointing out that the people were pale. You are right though. The villagers do look sickly.”
“Everything here just looks… dead,” Rana mumbled and then elbowed my ribs. “This is probably your kind of place, huh?”
“Very funny.” I gave the red-headed woman a wry grin. “While I can use necromantic powers, I find this village, and it’s atmosphere and people just as off putting as you do.”
“Yeah right, demon man.” The fox-tailed woman returned my grin.
We continued to make our way through the town until we came upon a shop with a faded sign out front that indicated the sale of winter clothing. It was oddly specific, and I couldn’t help but wonder where the materials came from on such a small island, but be
ggars could not be choosers. I pulled open the large creaky wooden door, and we all went inside.
Like all the other homes and businesses in town, it was quite shadowy inside. The small shop was dimly lit with a few torches fixed to each wall to provide light. At the center of the room were displays of extravagant looking hooded cloaks crafted from various colored furs from shiny blacks, to rich browns, to immaculate whites. The tables along one wall of the room held fur-lined boots, boots with fur cuffs, and others covered in animal hair altogether while the opposite wall was lined with shelves. Stuffed there were folded pants of a thick wool-like material, hats, and other winter accessories.
“Is there something I may help you with?” a soft solemn voice suddenly called out, breaking the unsettling silence of the dim shop.
Carmedy jumped at the unexpected sound, and we all turned to see a very thin, pale woman with long jet-black hair emerge from one of the shadowy corners. She wore a plain grey dress with long sleeves and a crisp white apron tied around her waist. Her hands were clasped in front of her, and her shoulders slumped a bit. That combined with the look on her face made her seem exhausted, as though she hadn’t had a good night’s rest in ages. She looked to be no older than Carmedy or Rana even if her tired eyes and creased wrinkles made her seem twice her age.
“That wasn’t at all creepy,” Rana said under her breath.
“We’re in need of some winter clothing,” I said with a quick side-eyed glance at the fox. “We saw the sign that you had posted outside.”
“I see, and I would be happy to assist you,” the little woman said, though her melancholy tone didn’t at all indicate that she was truly happy to help us. “Is there any particular style that you had in mind?”
“I personally don’t have a particular style in mind.” Annalíse shook her head. “I’d simply like something warm and practical.”
“Same here,” Rana agreed. “No need for frills.”
“Oh, you guys, that’s no fun,” Carmedy said as she hooked arms with both Rana and Annalíse. “This is our chance to live a little and buy lots of pretty things. I’m not going to just stand by and let you buy a bunch of boring stuff.”
She turned to the shopkeeper. “Ma’am, please show us your best, most prettiest and most warmest things!”
“Understood, miss.” The thin woman bowed her head slightly. “Please come this way.” She motioned for my minions to follow her as she made her way to the back of the shop, and we began to follow her.
“C’mon, Morrigan,” Carmedy called over her shoulder as she pulled Rana and Annalíse with her. “You’re getting pretty stuff too.”
“Is this truly necessary?” The white-haired woman turned to me. “Can we not just select the apparel that we require to shield us from the elements and be on our way?”
“Go on,” I urged. “Pick out some nice things and enjoy yourself. My minions deserve no less than the best.”
“Very well,” the elf said with a slight sigh and she moved to join the others in the other room.
“Wow!” Carmedy shouted. “I can’t believe the selection back here. How did you get all this stuff?”
“I am glad you are pleased,” I heard the storekeeper say through the thin wall.
“I’m more than pleased!” the cat-girl gushed. “I see something for everyone! Ohhh! This will look great on my favorite princess!”
“Carmedy, I don’t need anything pretty,” Annalíse said with a dissatisfied groan. “The most important thing is that we have warm clothes.”
“And who says you can’t be warm and look cute at the same time?” Carmedy said.
“W-well… I, um…” Annalíse stammered.
“See there, you’ve got nothing to say to that,” Carmedy said triumphantly. “We’re not leaving this shop until you find something absolutely fabulous, okay?”
“Oh, alright, fine, I’ll choose something with a little design or something, but no dresses,” the freckled woman said.
“Wearing a dress isn’t going to kill you, you know,” I heard Carmedy say from beyond the door and I chuckled. The petite cat was certainly adamant when it came to fashion, but Annalíse was stubborn as well in most things in fact. If Carmedy somehow managed to get the tomboyish human into a dress, I would count that as quite the accomplishment.
While I waited for them, I occupied myself with looking through the various male offerings. There weren’t as many items of clothing for men as there were for women, but a wide selection wasn’t necessary for me. I browsed through a few of the fur capes on display and one, in particular, caught my eye. The long hooded garment appeared to be made of beautiful obsidian colored fur that I guessed might have once belonged to a black bear. I reached out to touch the pelt and marveled at how unbelievably soft it felt in my fingers. I took the cape down from the display and draped it across my arm as I walked over to look at the boots and accessories. After I decided on a pair of black boots with a fur cuff that matched the color of my cloak and a pair of black leather gloves, I set my selections down on the shop counter and leaned against it as I waited for the others. From where I stood I could hear them chattering about the clothing that Carmedy had evidently taken upon herself to choose for them all.
“Ooh Morrigan, this color would be absolutely stunning on you,” I heard the black-haired feline say enthusiastically. I didn’t hear Morrigan respond, so I wasn’t sure if that was because she had consented to wear the garment that Carmedy had picked out for her or if the pale elf was giving the cat one of her disapproving eyebrow raises.
“How about this?” Rana’s voice chimed in. “I like this one. It looks comfortable, and the color is nice.”
“Oh, you don’t want that one,” Carmedy responded decidedly.
“Um, I don’t?” Rana returned with a confused tone.
“Of course not silly,” the alchemist replied. “It’s so bland. There’s no oomph, no pizazz. How about… this?”
“I don’t know if I-” Rana started to say uncomfortably.
“Oh it’ll look great,” the green-eyed cat interrupted. “I’ll find some things to pair with it in a sec. As for you Annalíse, I think this will do nicely.”
“Ohh, no,” I heard the raspy voiced swordswoman said. “There’s no way I’m wearing that. Those pants over there are more suited to my tastes.”
“C’mon, go outside your comfort zone,” Carmedy insisted. “I bet once you see how it looks on you you’ll change your mind.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Annalíse grumbled.
The women continued to talk amongst themselves and in the end it sounded as though Carmedy got her way. It was a good ten minutes before the back door finally opened and Carmedy poked her head out.
“Ready to see what we picked out?” the green-eyed woman asked excitedly from around the corner.
Annalíse grumbled something from behind the door, but I couldn’t quite make out what she had said.
“Of course.” I chuckled as I beckoned to the feline to come forth. “Go ahead and show me.”
“Okay! I’ll go first,” Carmedy said with a wide grin. She dramatically pushed the door aside and posed with a hand on her hip. “Ta-da!” The cat approached wearing a long cloak of luscious snow-white fur that trailed behind her as she walked. Once she reached me, she spun around a few times for me to see.
The bottom edges of the lovely white garment were trimmed with a silvery leaf pattern. The edges of the hood that she wore were lined with the same dainty silver design, and the top of the cloak was tied around her neck with a turquoise ribbon. After Carmedy stopped twirling, she pulled her other hand from beneath her cloak to reveal a matching white muff, and I laughed as she gleefully placed her hands inside it to demonstrate its use.
“Isn’t this absolutely darling?” the small feline said as she happily spun around once more. “I feel just like a snow queen out of one of those fairy tales!”
“You look wonderful.” I clapped my hands. “It definitely suits you.�
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“Thank you very much,” Carmedy said with a deep curtsy before she moved to the side. “And now presenting the lovely Morrigan,” Carmedy gestured dramatically to the door and made a fanfare noise with her mouth.
Right on cue, the pale elf moved into the doorway and slowly walked into the room with the grace of a goddess. She wore a long dress-like coat of striking scarlet that matched the color of her tattoos and offset her creamy skin. The coat was fitted around the waist and flared out at the hips, its bottom edges lined in light brown and black fur. On top of the coat, she wore a matching shoulder hood of the same colors where Fea and Macha were already comfortably perched. The extraordinarily wide fur-lined sleeves only added to the exquisiteness of the garment as they nearly touched the ground.
“Doesn’t Morrigan look absolutely gorgeous?” Carmedy clasped her hands in awe.
“Indeed, she does.” I smiled.
“Thank you, Master.” The pale elf flushed a bit as she moved to the side.
“Next, we have the ravishing Rana!” Carmedy gestured to the back door.
“I don’t even like this, Carmedy,” Rana called out from the room beyond the door. “I like what I picked out better.”
“No way!” The feline waved her hand. “What you picked out was so boring. Now, come out and show everyone.” Carmedy insisted in a tone that indicated that she wouldn’t budge on the subject and she folded her arms over her chest.
Rana grumbled something to herself before she finally stepped into the doorway, and as she walked out, I caught my breath in surprise. I had grown so accustomed to seeing the fox in her usual oversized clothing that this was quite an unexpected change.
The short dress that Rana wore fit snug around her waist as the sides of the dress curved upward and around the tops of her hips to expose them. The garment had a brown and cream triangular tribal print, the edges lined with a reddish-brown fur that complimented her fiery hair. Beneath the dress, she wore thick black wool tights with two small leather square pouches strapped around the tops of each of her thighs, and I guessed from their shape and weight that they held her elvish daggers. A hooded cape of the same reddish-brown fur was draped around the fox’s arms and shoulders that reached down to her mid-calves. It was quite an unexpected selection, but a very pleasing one to say the least. Despite the fox’s protests, the ensemble looked very becoming on her.