by Travis Bughi
Emily and Nicholas nodded again.
“Actually, it’s probably better if you don’t touch anything, talk to anyone, or leave our side at all.”
“Awww,” Emily and Nicholas whined.
“Look, it’s very dangerous inside the city if you don’t know your way around. If you do want to check something, ask us first, and we’ll let Abraham take you to see it.”
Emily and Nicholas agreed to that, not that they had much choice. They would rather go with Abe anyway.
The sun set low, and in the last throws of daylight, the Stout family finished tying down for the night. They curled up in their blankets underneath the stars and closed their eyes.
Emily barely slept at all. The excitement of seeing Lucifan kept her blood flowing fast, and she had to resist the urge to twitch, toss, and turn every five seconds. Nicholas had the same experience, but the previous night’s lack of sleep and the day’s long toil wove powerful spells. Before Emily knew it, she was knocked out cold with everyone else until daybreak.
Paul was the first to wake, followed by his wife, and then finally the children. Emily and Nicholas didn’t need much rousing and were already packing up their few belongings before Abe was out of his bedroll. The two even had the unicorns brushed and hitched to the cart by the time Paul broke into the morning’s breakfast. Their eagerness was to be expected, though, and hardly a word was shared as the family prepared to travel the short distance left to the city’s market. With anxious eyes, Emily followed the cart as it was led down the steady grade toward Lucifan.
It wasn’t a steep hill, but the declining earth made for a potentially costly hazard. If one of the unicorns made a wrong step, there was nothing the Stouts would be able to do except put it out of its misery. The cart was heavy enough to do that kind of damage, and no one was going to buy an injured unicorn on a hillside. So they took their time despite how little patience the two youngest had.
The sun was rising up out of the ocean and caused the long shadows of the buildings to cascade over their arrival. Other families were joining theirs, people from all over the Great Plains come to sell their goods in the city. Like Emily’s family, they awoke with the sun and descended down the steady slopes with whatever they’d come to sell. Emily saw more unicorn-drawn carts; some were loaded with behemoth meat like theirs, but others had more practical goods, some clothes here, furniture there—and some carts came empty, showing who was here to buy rather than sell. Emily took in as much as she could before their descent caused her to lose her sweeping view of the city, and now she could only see the buildings in front of her and the silhouettes of the tall buildings beyond those. Lucifan was, Emily thought, even grander to see in this fashion. The large, close-set buildings looked like a giant permeable wall guarding the treasures of the world.
The outskirts of the city were the residential quarters. People lived in tiny houses scattered around the city and harbor like the wheat fields surrounded Emily’s home. As the family neared the city, Emily could see people leaving their homes and locking their doors behind them before joining the growing throng of travelers on the streets. Emily blinked at what she saw, only just now realizing her home’s doors had no locks. The Great Plains were too open to worry about thievery, not to mention there was hardly anything in her family’s home worth stealing. Emily thought it was a real shame that the people of Lucifan had to live in such fear.
Emily’s family, like most of the other travelers, avoided most of the residential quarters and took the main road that led into the city. It was clearly marked as the ground was trampled dead and flat, providing a lone yet wide road straight toward the open market. That was where Emily’s parents were heading, and they were hurrying now, because Lucifan was stirring awake.
As the cart of behemoth meat crept through the streets, shops began to open, and people began to fill the streets. Carts were being hauled out and set up alongside the road, and voices began to fill the air. There were shops for cups, plates, tools, animals, weapons, food, drinks, labor, flowers, jewelry, clothes, and so much more. Emily felt bombarded by everything she saw, her head constantly twisting and arching to get a view of one thing, only to be vastly distracted by another. A flashing necklace here, shining armor and swords over there, a beautiful gown hung high overhead; it seemed Lucifan had a store for everything. If it existed and could be sold, one could surely buy it in Lucifan. The only exception to that was slavery, something the angels would never allow.
Like the shops, the people were a flood as well. They gathered in the streets, moving about quickly to bring in merchandise or purchase goods. There were so many people—more people than Emily had ever seen, let alone met. She was shocked by the number of bodies that flowed around her. There was every type of being imaginable, too, from every class and status she could think of. There were poor in the streets, begging for money in tattered clothes covered in dirt and soot. There were fearsome warriors for hire, flexing their muscles and sharpening their blades. There were the wealthy, the rich men and women, easy to recognize in their unicorn-drawn carriages. Even beyond that, they were easy to see with their extravagant clothing that covered their entire bodies in a vibrant display of color. The wealthier men wore pants and coats that looked as if they’d never known dirt, and the women wore dresses that were so wide and colorful that Emily could not imagine how they moved.
Emily also noticed their hair. Every girl she saw grew her hair out long, way past her shoulders. One woman had her hair grown out so long that a servant followed behind her and carried the load. Emily and Nicholas had laughed at that until their mother gave them a stern look.
They continued on, and the buildings began to rise around them. The streets also became wider, and more people flocked about them.
“This way,” Paul said.
They had, at last, reached the market square. It was an open lot near the center of the city designed specifically for people to stop and sell their goods, or so Abe had told her. Paul led the unicorns off to the side of the busy highway and onto an open patch of dirt.
“We’ll set up shop here,” he said. “This is one of the busier sections of the city, so we should be able to sell all of the meat. We’ll see plenty of minotaurs, too, so we shouldn’t have much trouble hiring one.”
Emily and her family began to unpack their load. They stacked the crates up against the cart and tied their bedrolls together to make a cheap awning over their shop. They seemed to have arrived just in time, for as soon as they started to offload their meat, other groups were rolling through the streets to select their sites. One group of merchants with a cartload of skins glared at the family, and Emily assumed that this was their normal location. The merchants moved on without a word, though, and Emily’s parents began to sell.
“Fresh behemoth meat!” Molly yelled. “Killed not two days ago! Very fresh! Already rubbed with salt!”
Others began to yell, too, and suddenly the square turned into a thunderstorm. The low murmur of chatter in the busy streets increased when all the vendors started trying to yell over each other.
“Leviathan meat! Fresh from the sea!”
“Griffin claws! Sure to cure your illness! Very rare! Only two left, folks! Get them now!”
“Get your gems! Lovely rubies from Savara’s tombs and dwarven diamonds mined from Khaz Mal!”
Emily looked around at the buildings that surrounded the market square. Some were small, like the houses, but others were larger—much larger. One particular building had a cascade of steps leading up to its entrance and thick columns of stone that supported a grand entrance. Emily stared at it long enough to catch Abe’s interest.
“Do you know what that is?” he asked.
“Of course not,” she smiled. “I’ve never been here.”
Abe shrugged at the obvious and walked over to his sister.
“That’s one of the banks,” he said. “People who have too much money store it there.”
Emily’s eyes widened at th
e concept. So much money you had to store it in another building? Not even the richest family on the plains, who hired multiple gunslingers, needed to store their extra money somewhere else. Emily couldn’t even imagine such wealth.
“And look on top,” Abe pointed. “Those are gargoyles.”
Emily looked on the roof of the bank and saw a couple of stone statues. They were grotesque looking creatures with featherless wings that wrapped around them. They squatted on two long, skinny legs that ended in talon-like hooks. Even their hands looked more like claws, and their arms were just as long and skinny as their legs. The gargoyles looked nearly starved, and their thin figures added a deathly look to their already gruesome features. But nothing was as frightening as their heads. Their skin was pulled tight over their skulls making their eyes appear larger than normal. Their pointed ears didn't even look strange next to their other features. Some gargoyles had their mouths open in a screech, others had twisted smiles, but all had a mouth full of razor sharp teeth that interlocked in a viscous fashion.
Emily shuddered at the sight of them.
“Don’t worry,” Abe said. “They turn to stone during the day. It’s only at night when they come to life. The owners use them as guards.”
Emily shook her head and pitied the poor soul that attempted to steal from that bank at night. Emily wondered if the gargoyles were still conscious when they turned to stone, or if they slept like humans in a deep slumber.
“How do people guard their buildings during the day?” Emily asked.
Abraham shrugged.
“Some hire ogres, some hire ex-knights. There are minotaurs, too. Some owners are fierce enough to guard their own merchandise during the day.”
“Abraham!” Molly called. “This man wants three crates of meat. Please help load them into his cart.”
Abe turned to leave, and Emily took another look at the bank and at the fearsome gargoyles.
Just then, she stumbled. At first, she wasn’t sure what she’d tripped over, but then the earth moved again, and Emily realized that something was shaking the ground. She looked around for a behemoth but then realized she was in Lucifan. Behemoths didn’t travel this far north. The ground shook again, and she looked up.
Over one of the small buildings, Emily caught a glimpse of a colossus walking through a nearby street. Its huge stone arms swung slowly as it strode over the buildings, and its feet made a thud that accompanied its quaking steps. Not even the biggest behemoth that Emily had seen could make that sound with one step. She watched until it passed out of sight behind more buildings, but still she felt its every step. The buildings in Lucifan must have been built with remarkable skill, Emily thought, to survive the passing colossi day after day.
Emily let the feeling of marvel pass over her before she looked back out to the market streets. The square was being crammed with yet more people, and Emily had never seen so many in all her life, especially not all at once. There were more than just humans, too. She saw a group of minotaurs trudging through the streets—calm in their expressions and strides—letting their thick cords of muscle show on their towering, hairy figures. Minotaurs were like men, but much taller and covered in shorthaired fur, which could be any shade of brown, though Emily had heard that white and black ones did exist. Their heads had the snout of a unicorn, and their feet were hooved. Also, all male minotaurs sprouted two large horns just above their ears that twisted up and then forward, making the curved shape of a pistol. They had a tail, which was as long as a human’s arm but did not appear so due to their size. If minotaurs didn’t wear clothing and walk and speak like humans, they might be mistaken for livestock. However, they were solitary creatures and rarely spoke unless pressed to. When they did speak, their voices were deep and their speech slow. They had a reputation as being expensive to hire, but the muscle a minotaur could provide was worth the extra coin they charged and the short temper they had. If Emily’s family made enough money from selling this meat, they’d hire one for sure.
The minotaurs were obviously looking for work. They walked tall and slow, even slower than normal. Some of them carried large axes, and Emily was surprised to see that. Minotaurs rarely carried weapons on the plains, since their sheer size was often protection enough. The city must be a very dangerous place if even minotaurs had to arm themselves.
Next, Emily saw creatures she at first thought were gnomes but then realized were too tall and not nearly hairy enough. They walked around in cheap suits with top hats and were always followed by a cart full of something. Though some had a cigar in their hand or mouth, they did not appear rich. Unlike the other wealthy men and women she’d seen, none of the short men wore any jewelry of any kind. Not a single one had on a ring, necklace, bracelet or earring. However, that did not stop most of them from entering the bank before heading out into the streets.
“That’s a leprechaun,” Paul whispered to her. “Very rich merchants, and if you’re not careful, they’ll scam you out of everything you own.”
One of the leprechauns approached their cart and looked at their merchandise as if he’d never seen such a pathetic stock in his life. He scowled and wrinkled his nose before clearing his throat, as if the mere action of conversation was a difficult task.
“Is this what passes for behemoth meat on the plains?” the leprechaun stated more than asked.
Emily’s father was not moved in the slightest. He’d spent his entire life haggling crops in the city streets and bet his hunger on every bargain. He scratched his beard but otherwise gave the little man barely a glance before responding.
“Save your breath, leprechaun,” he said. “This meat will sell by the end of the day with or without your purchases. Pay the price or be on your way.”
The leprechaun gave no visual expression, but Emily could have sworn that she saw his eyebrow cock up ever so slightly.
“That’s too bad, farmer,” he said. “I was interested in purchasing your entire stock.”
Without another word, the leprechaun turned and walked away. Nicholas grabbed onto his father’s shirt and gave it a tug.
“Father!” he whispered. “Did you hear that? He said he was going to buy it all!”
“I know what he said,” Paul whispered back, pulling Nicholas’ hand loose. “Trust me. If he wants the whole cart, he’ll come back.”
Emily watched the leprechaun casually stroll back to his cart and clap his hands to someone out of sight. From out of the shadows between two buildings, a monster stepped out into the light towards the beckoning merchant.
It was humanoid and as muscled as a minotaur, though not as tall or big. Its skin had a purple tone and was completely hairless. Its thick arms and legs of muscle and mass ended in finger and toe nails that were either filed to a point or naturally grew that way. Each limb had only four fingers and four toes, and they were all the same length: short and thick. The creature had sunken, yellow eyes that were buried into a wide face with an equally massive mouth. From the lower jaw, two teeth sprung up out of the mouth and over the lips, like upside down fangs. In its hand was a massive blade that looked less like a sword and more like a chunk of metal grinded to an edge. The weapon was short, thick, and dull, and yet none of this seemed to lessen its deadly appearance.
“What,” Emily stuttered. “What is that?”
It was all she could manage to ask, and her mother knew exactly what her daughter was referring to.
“That’s an ogre, Emily,” she said. “They’re like small minotaurs, only without honor and a lot uglier. They don’t kill out of duty like a minotaur, either; an ogre will do it for free and with a smile on its face. Be very careful around them.”
No wonder the leprechauns hired ogres to guard them, Emily thought. She tried to think of the courage, or foolishness, it took to steal from the wealthy in Lucifan. Between gargoyles, colossi, and ogres, surely all the thieves should be dead by now. Yet some must be alive and practicing their trade, for there wouldn’t be so many guards if thievery was not pr
evalent.
Emily felt energized by all the sights, and her hunger for the unknown was fueled by what she’d seen. Fortunately, the city seemed to have an endless supply of visitors from around the world, and all were attracted by the crates of behemoth meat. As more people came to purchase a crate or more, one particular human stood out from the rest when he approached.
“Would you like some fresh behemoth meat, sir?” Paul asked.
The man was dressed in loose, baggy clothes that hung about his figure in a drab fashion. He also had a wide-brimmed hat with an exotic feather sticking out of it. Unlike her father and brother, this man was heavyset and grew out a short mustache, and he’d braided the small beard on his chin into one strand. That strand had a small diamond at the base of it, and that was by far the smallest jewel the man carried. His ears were studded with rubies, and he had rings on every finger. This man was not like the leprechauns; he did not hide his wealth, but brazenly flashed it out for all to see. However, he was certainty no merchant or noble. He carried a wicked, curved blade at his side, and although it also had a handle studded with jewels, the sword looked ready for use. As he leaned over to peer at the meat, Emily saw a hidden dagger beneath his loose clothing. When he straightened up again, Emily saw a pistol at his side. It wasn’t a six-shooter and could only fire one shot, but it was a pistol nonetheless.
The man looked at Emily, and catching his eye, she looked down in embarrassment at his leather boots and saw the very tip of a blade handle sticking out from one of them. He chuckled at Emily’s reaction to yet another hidden knife.
“Cute daughter, farmer,” he said.
“Yes, she is, pirate,” Paul said.
Despite the man’s plethora of hidden weapons, Emily’s father showed no fear. The pirate must have found this attitude something to be admired because he steered the conversation to a friendlier tone.