A Ride of Peril(36)
"I'll start looking for horses. You boys get some food and supplies for the rest of the journey," she said, disappearing into the crowd.
I looked around and was surprised by the diversity. Short creatures with thick, wrinkled skin wobbled from one stall to another with large pointed ears and crooked noses. I assumed that those were the imps Bijarki had told me about. They talked quickly and cursed a lot, forcing people into buying things rather than actually selling their merchandise.
There were plenty of incubi moving around, many of them putting distance between us and themselves at the sight of Bijarki's military attire.
"They think I'm from an incubus army, and most of them are defectors and rogues," the incubus said. "I make them wary, which is good. We don't want them asking any questions anyway."
We moved through the stalls, and I watched quietly as Bijarki purchased a variety of nuts and breads for the rest of our trip to the River Pyros. He haggled with the imp in charge until we got an extra bag of nuts on account of the incubus's uniform.
"Those are Bajangs." Bijarki pointed at a group of three males and one female.
They were similar to the incubi and succubi, beautiful by default with pale skin that shimmered golden in the fading sunlight. They didn't have horns, and their eyes were a vibrant yellow with wide black pupils, reminding me of a cat. The males' hair was rich and black, while the female wore hers in ginger and white braids.
"I can see some small differences between your kind and theirs," I mumbled, careful not to be heard as they walked past us.
They wore leather garments and sharp blades hung on their belts. They gave me and Bijarki a sideways glance that was anything but friendly. The female hissed at me, and I stilled as I watched her shift into a large, orange feline with white stripes. She darted through the crowd as one of the males cursed under his breath and picked her clothes and sword up off the ground where she'd left them.
The same male frowned at me and ran after her, followed by his two companions.
"I guess we made her nervous," Bijarki replied, amused.
"Okay, scratch what I said earlier. There are obviously some major differences between your kind and theirs," I added. "They turn into cats? Seriously?"
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He shrugged. "They've been like that since before we've had a recorded history. They're usually solitary creatures, and they live in our cities, sleeping wherever they can and eating whatever they catch. Sometimes, they befriend incubi clans and live with them. They can be very useful in feline form."
I could only imagine what useful meant to Bijarki. All I could think of was that the rodent problem was taken care of and fur balls would permeate the house. The female's antipathy suddenly made sense, though. She had most likely sensed my wolf blood. Cats and dogs and all that.
We found a jewelry stall further down the aisle. I recognized the old woman as a fae. Her dress was large with glimmering purple ruffles. She sat back in her rocking chair and played with a violet flame between her fingers. The moment she heard us she sprang to her feet, putting the flame away, and smiled.
"Welcome, fine travelers," she greeted us with arms open. She stood behind a large table loaded with precious gems and metals. There were earrings, bangles, necklaces, collars, bracelets, pearls, rings, and pendants. "What a pleasure to have you here!"
Bijarki nodded politely while scanning the table.
"You're a fae, aren't you?" I couldn't help asking.
"Indeed, I am, young man. And you're not from around here, are you?" She grinned, revealing two rows of perfect white teeth.
She'd aged very well, with just a few fine lines and a cascade of white hair pouring down her back. From what I knew about the fae, she was most likely several thousand years old. I shook my head in response.
"Neither are you, for that matter," I replied.
"No, I am not, young man. I take it you know my kind?"
"I do. I was a guest of Sherus," I said and immediately watched her smile drop. "You know him?"
"Oh, I do indeed. You might not believe it, but he was once my protégé." The old fae sighed. She ran her fingers over the precious gems on the table, absentmindedly moving them around.
"What happened, if you don't mind me asking? How did you end up here?" Bijarki interjected, suddenly interested in our conversation.
"I was here on a diplomatic mission, many centuries ago. I was betrayed by someone close to me and found guilty of a crime I did not commit. They left me behind as punishment. Sherus, unfortunately, believed others instead of me. I've been here ever since, before Azazel even began his bloody conquest," the fae replied.