by R. E. Butler
We walked all day again, along an unkempt dirt road, and at least this time they allowed us to stop frequently. In the distance, towns were visible. When I asked why we were walking and not using something like a horse to make the travel easier, they told me that they had been unable to leave horses in the forest while they came to get me, so we would have to travel several days on foot before we reached the horses they had left behind.
We stopped for the night in another tiny hut, home to a short man. I cleaned up in a round tub, filled with ice cold water, using a bar of soap that smelled like aloe. I changed into another pair of jeans and a long sleeved top, and after a hot meal, I passed out on a straw covered mattress in the corner.
The third day, we were going to pass through the first town. When we got to the outskirts, the sight before me was something out of medieval times. Wood and stone buildings lined the main street where stalls were loaded with wares and food. Men and women bustled around, buying and selling. We ate kebobs made of a cow-like animal called a grunde and drank a sweet fruit juice called farla. While we stayed to the street as we moved through the town, the Dire Wolves were in their human form, scattered around us as we walked, always watching for danger.
"What the hell is that?" I asked, stopping in my tracks as I saw a long wooden stage set up to the right, just outside of the market area of the main street. Men and women of differing species were chained by their wrists to an overhead beam, many of them entirely naked, while a man in a dark suit called out their attributes to a few standing in front of the stage.
"It is an auction." Tyrant said in my ear, giving me a gentle shove.
"A slave auction? Are those humans?" My mouth fell open in shock. I'd never seen anything so barbaric.
The men looked at the stage, assessing the three females and five males. "Two maybe are human, the others are different species. Come, princess," Rysk said, giving me a harder nudge.
"But it's wrong. Slavery is wrong," I hissed angrily and a few in the crowd turned to look at me.
This time they didn't just nudge me, they locked their big hands under my arms and towed me the rest of the way out of town. When we were far enough away, Rysk said, "Those people, as you called them, are slaves for a reason. Either they are debtors and could not pay what they owed, or their families or owners sold them, or they are being punished for breaking the laws of the kingdom."
"Families sell their own into slavery? What the hell for?" I glanced backwards, seeing the Dire Wolves gather to move with us.
"For money, princess. This place, this realm, is not like yours. Slavery is alive here, and many of those people were born into slavery with parents as slaves, and they will die with their chains." Tyrant said.
Fury stole over me, combined with something I wasn't used to: impotence. I had absolutely no control over what was going to happen to those people, and I knew that storming over there and punching the man in the dark suit in the nose wouldn't help those people.
"Does the prince keep slaves?"
"He does. It is our way. But the prince takes care of his slaves and treats them well." Rysk promised.
I wanted to argue that no matter how well someone was treated, if they were owned by another it wasn't right, but I kept my mouth shut. I mentally kicked the images of the slaves into the corner of my mind, determined to talk to the prince about the practice when I got to his castle. Right was right, and there wasn't anything right about keeping people in slavery.
Time eeked by as we followed the well traveled road. What had just been a mild ache in my feet when we began walking that morning, turned into acute agony by the time we were halfway to the next town. The town we had just left called Dran was populated mostly by traders, who were used to traveling through the Meadowlänz and tended to be of less than reputable character. It sounded like an entire town full of pirates.
The town we were headed to was called Cholas, one of the largest towns in the kingdom. I asked about Cholas, and the sort of town it was, and they assured me that it was a safer place than Dran, but the peace the town knew was an uneasy one. The town was shared by not only various forms of nymphs, nearly extinct shifters, and various monsters that sounded like the stuff of nightmares, but the two major groups were the Centaurs and the Vehsi. The Vehsi were a human-like race that considered themselves the law and order in the town and treated the Centaurs like chattel.
"Why do they hate the Centaurs so much?"
"An old feud, between one of the Centaur leaders and the Vehsi king, many years ago. The Centaurs are a warrior race, but they strive for peace and will only raise a weapon to defend and protect. They would have put the feud aside eons ago but the Vehsi have long memories and prefer to try to drive the Centaurs from the town." Rysk said, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of sweetgrass.
"Why don't the Centaurs leave if they're being tormented?"
"Would you leave your home because some unsavory characters came in and tried to push you out?" Tyrant raised a brow at me.
"Well, yeah. I mean, if I had kids to look after, I wouldn't want them to become collateral damage for a feud I had nothing to do with."
Their curious and amused looks told me that I didn't understand why the Centaurs stayed, and that was true.
We drew closer to the town by small degrees, stopping every few miles to sit on the grass at the side of the road and rest our legs. Everyone was fairing better than me, even though I kept my complaints to myself. The closer we drew to the city, though, the more anxious I became. I could feel my bear prowling in the recesses of my mind, eager and demanding I keep walking. I had talked to my mom about shifting, and she said to think of my bear as part of myself, an extra part that few were lucky to have. I closed my eyes as we sat on the grass and opened myself up to my bear. Everything heightened immediately. I could smell the grass around us as if my face were buried in the thick strands. I could scent the dust and dirt of the road and could pick out where the Dire Wolves prowled nearby. I was excited to shift, excited to see if I really was going to be something unique and incredible.
This journey, this incredible journey, was teaching me a lot about myself and it was only a short time in the making. As I cast my eyes towards the city of Cholas, I could feel my bear pacing in my mind with excitement. Something lay in the city that I was meant to find, I was sure of it. What it all meant, I didn't know, but I was learning quickly to take things as they came in this realm where anything was possible.
Chapter 3
When we finally reached the edge of Cholas, my feet hurt so badly that I wasn't sure I could keep going. I very much wished this was a place where cars and buses existed. So far, the only transportation I'd seen since we arrived in the realm were horse drawn carts. I was curious to see the creatures that called this place home, especially Centaurs.
Rysk stopped us and adjusted the cloak around my shoulders, commenting to Tyrant that they should consider getting me appropriate clothing for our travels. Women in this realm seemed to wear either dirty rags or thin wispy dresses. I pointed out my skin color and how they said I needed to remain mostly hidden until we reached the palace, and putting on a skin revealing dress was going to be like putting a sign over my head.
They grudgingly agreed, which I considered a small victory, even as they complained more about my bright white tennis shoes. Well, they were more brown and green with stains from our travels, but they were still mostly, glaringly white.
We entered the town of Cholas and I lost myself in another town similar to Dran but more vibrant. It was larger several times over, the main street bustling with hawkers selling goods, shoppers, and workers of all varieties. I clenched my jaw tight to stop from screaming in alarm at some of the creatures that meandered by, including a dark blue man at least seven foot tall with four arms, and an entirely black fur covered woman complete with tail. The strangest thing I'd ever seen back in the mortal realm was, well, nothing. I'd grown up with were-bears and humans as the norm. Vampires were just undead huma
ns, and other shifters were just like us, but with different fur and claws, or feathers, as it were. But here, in this realm, that woman looked like a black panther and that man looked like a reject from the Blue Man Group. Suddenly, my coppery skin seemed more normal than Rysk and Tyrant's lightly tanned skin. In a city of outcasts, I apparently fit right in.
We stopped at a small cafe that was run by a woman and man with white wings like angels. Rysk ordered for us, always seeming to be the one that made the decisions, and within minutes plates of meat and vegetables were placed on the table. We ate and drank ice cold water in wooden tumblers, and I people-watched. I'd never seen such a strange assortment of people, but even my bear agreed that there was something about this place that just spoke to me. To us. It was almost the same way I felt back in the den, as if this place could be home for me.
"Where are the Centaurs?" I asked, spearing a red potato wedge drenched with sweet butter.
"They live on the outskirts of town," Tyrant said in between mouthfuls, "in a settlement at the base of the hills." He gestured over the buildings that lined the other side of the street and I saw the low hills that he was referring to.
"They work in town. They're incredible craftsmen and sell their wares in stalls down towards their settlement, on the other side of town." Rysk added.
I was stifling under the cloak. I hadn't known the temperature would be so warm here, and the temptation to turn my jeans into cut-offs and my top into a belly baring tank was high, but I kept reminding myself that doing that would only make me stick out further. No, I either needed to suck it up or dress the way the locals did.
What I wanted was a nice cool shower or a dip in a river. That sounded nice. I wasn't much for camping, but there was something that called to a deep part of me that liked this roughing-it. I didn't even miss TV. Well, I missed it, but not like I thought it would. There was so much here to discover. I was only sorry we were passing through and not sticking around.
I mulled over my situation as we ate. What I knew so far was that the wizard needed me for his spell to take over because I was some kind of special bear. The prince was going to keep me safe from the wizard while they hunted him down and destroyed him first before he could destroy them and me.
"How long will I have to stay here?" I asked, finally full.
"We'll be stopping just outside of town for the night, princess." Rysk said.
"No, I mean, how long will I have to be in this realm?"
They both stopped chewing and stared at me. I waited for a response as my heart began to sink. I had a feeling that I wasn't going anywhere outside of this realm, anytime soon.
That was confirmed several seconds later when Rysk managed to swallow his food and clear his throat. "You are here, princess, until the threat against your life and our kingdom is erased."
I let them drop the conversation and waited for them to finish eating. I think I’d known that before I asked, anyway. After thanking the owners of the cafe for their delicious food and good service, we began our trek through town. The short respite for my body disappeared quickly and I found myself limping slightly as I walked. If they noticed, they didn't say anything, perhaps because they couldn't do anything about it.
When we finally reached the end of the market area, I saw the Centaurs. Women were with them, human looking ones, who worked with the male half-horsemen to sell food and clothing and other goods. The men were huge, with full sized horse bodies of varying colors, and their human-like torsos atop the chest of the horse body. Young Centaur children clopped around, their hooves making loud percussion noises on the cobblestone of the street.
The Vehsi were easy to pick out. They looked like trolls, with thick bodies and squished faces, and scraggly long hair. I shuddered inwardly, and turned my attention to a stall that held clothing. I gave Tyrant a nudge in that direction, motioning that I wanted to see the goods there.
"Princess, we are in a hurry." Rysk protested. When I’d first met the two guards, I had found them good looking and exciting. Now, they were acting more like overgrown brothers, and I had plenty of them back home in the den.
I rolled my eyes as I stopped in front of the stall, fingering the hem of a pretty purple dress made of silky fabric. "What's an hour when we're over a week out?" I groused. "You guys are no fun."
"Hello, pretty lady," the woman said behind the stall, moving around from the back to the front. Her body was round with child, and the Centaur male with her came up protectively at her back, resting a large hand on her shoulder and giving meaningful glares to Rysk and Tyrant.
"Hello yourself," I smiled, happy to see a friendly human face. "Your clothing is just beautiful."
"Thank you," she blushed.
I looked up at Rysk. He could certainly make up for his slave-driver mentality by buying me something pretty. I was a girl, after all. And a teenager. I had been pretty genial up to this point, I think, so pouting a little wasn't going to hurt. "Buy this for me."
"Princess," he said with a low tone, casting his eyes up at the Centaur.
"What? You said I stuck out like a sore thumb. This is pretty and I want it."
Tyrant argued, "You're the one who said you wouldn't change your clothes."
"I changed my mind. I'm a woman and we do that."
The Centaur chuckled softly and so did the woman, and Rysk and Tyrant shot them annoyed glances. I folded my arms and cocked my hip, ready to dig my heels in. If I really was a princess in this land, then I could damn well have a pretty dress.
Rysk sucked his teeth in annoyance and then reached into a pouch on his belt and asked how much the dress cost. With a wink at the woman and a triumphant smirk to Rysk and Tyrant, I turned my attention back to the street and the colorful people there. I could get used to this place, which is why it was unfortunate we were nearly out of the market and the main portion of the town.
Centaurs milled about on either side of town amongst the Vehsi and other types of creatures. I saw his legs first, sleek black with a solid black tail whipping gently. My gaze traveled across the slope of his back before reaching the human portion of his large body. His skin was darkly tanned and ripped with muscles. Twin swords were strapped at angles across his back, partially hidden by hair as dark as his horse coloring. He turned towards me as if he was aware that someone was watching him, and my gaze dropped unabashedly to the juncture of his horse and human parts. Although blush heated my cheeks at my perusal at him, we were far enough away from each other that I didn't think he could see where I was looking, exactly. I let my gaze linger on his stomach before trailing upwards to his chest and watching him take in a deep breath. My eyes took in the strong jaw and the lush mouth and straight nose, before landing on his eyes and losing the ability to think. Immediately, something inside me clicked and the whole world dropped away for an instant as our gazes clashed and stayed. I had no idea who the dark haired Centaur was, but my bear was clamoring in my skull to cross the street and find out.
I took a step away from Rysk and Tyrant who were waiting for my dress to be wrapped, my eyes glued to my Centaur. Yes, mine. It felt right. A rumbling growl in my chest confirmed my feelings and I took another few steps, completely lost to everything except him.
A loud crash shook me free of his hold and I turned my head in time to see a young Centaur boy stumble backwards from the cart of a Vehsi as baskets of fruit spilled to the ground. The Vehsi roared in anger, surged away from his cart, and caught the boy by the arm, snarling what could only be profanities in a language I didn't know.
Without thinking, I rushed forward, intent to separate the boy from the beast before he was hurt. I had some fighting skills, thanks to my rough and tumble brothers, and I could throw a knife with fair accuracy, but I had no knife and the Vehsi was several times larger than me and he had friends. Even with my accentuated strength from my bear, I was no match for him or the others that were suddenly looming near. But it didn't matter. All that mattered narrowed down to the Vehsi's hand as it grabbed
a whip from a loop on it's belt and raised it high while the boy cried out in fear.
I snarled and lurched forward, knocking the child from his grasp. I raised my arm up to shield myself as the whip whistled through the air and wrapped around my wrist. I shrieked in pain as the whip bit into my skin and burned like it was drenched in acid. The pain enraged the beast inside me and I growled and jerked the whip hard, pulling it right from the surprised Vehsi's hand.
We were suddenly surrounded, Rysk, Tyrant, and several Dire Wolves taking the Vehsi to the ground quickly as the loud sound of hoof beats echoed around us. I felt him before I saw him, and my Centaur reached his arm out and caught me, pulling me up on his back and wheeling around in the street, kicking off fast away from the melee. Rysk and Tyrant shouted after me and the Dire Wolves followed, but I wasn't worried. My Centaur had pulled me free as the Vehsi and Centaurs pushed to where I had been, the Vehsi taking the opportunity to fight and the Centaurs trying to keep the peace.
My Centaur had saved me. I'd never been happier to have been foolish enough to rush into danger.
Chapter 4
I held tight to his back with my legs and carefully unwound the whip from my wrist. The wound left behind was angry and raw, and it felt like several layers of skin had disappeared when I pulled it free.
I held it by the handle, keeping the long length away from his body and put my other arm around his waist, holding myself steady. His hand landed on mine, pressing my palm into his flesh, and I sighed deeply, closing my eyes and resting my forehead against his back, in the small place between the swords.
I didn't understand what was happening to me, but everything about this man felt right. With my eyes closed, I sought out the beast inside me and she was growling contentedly. I took in a slow breath and let the scent of him envelope me, all male and heat and power. It was overwhelming. And I'd been around enough matings to know what it meant. It was the mate-call, the way that bears found their mates. Sight and scent were the big carriers of the mate-call, and my father had described it once as being unable to be separated from my mother when it first happened.