Isha
Days have passed, and the three begin to feel restless as Mido and Augustus fail to appear. Lumi has continued to attempt to communicate with them, as he had done with Aleyna. Lumi has sworn that though he could not communicate, he can feel their presence drawing nearer.
Sitting on the edge of the well in the town commons, Lumi gazes up at the perpetually gray skies of Hermon’s Well. He kicks his feet back and forth, barely reaching the ground with his new boots. Thanks to a skilled tailor, they were able to put together thick woolen clothing for Lumi. Though his parka stands out, it provides more warmth than anything he’s ever worn before. The edges of the fur lining tickle against his bare skin as he tugs the woolen wraps further up his thighs, relishing in the comforting embrace of warmth.
Khimi taps his foot next to Ennui, his impatience showing with a scowl. We can’t just leave them, Khimi, Lumi thinks as he watcheshim adjust the collar of his woolen tunic to block the chill. Ennui sighs and crosses her arms. Back in dark leathers and wrapped in a black cloak, she appears just as Khimi had always seen her.
“Lumi,” Ennui begins as she gives Khimi a knowing look. “We can’t wait around forever… I didn’t steal enough damn coin for us to sit around. And if you just held onto that damn bag… Khimi.”
“Ennui… they’re close, I can feel it,” Lumi says, his eyes trained on the entrance to the town. “And… it’s my fault that Khimi lost all of our coin anyway.”
Khimi hangs his head and glances at Lumi, “You’re right, I could have just let you float away…”
Ennui snorts and chuckles, “His head is empty enough he’d probably float,” she says as her tail whips behind her with delight.
Lumi hangs his head, hiding his reddening cheeks as he stands from the edge of the stony well. “Shut up,” he croaks as he walks past them both and towards the entrance of the palisade walls.
“Where are you going?” Ennui questions as her laughter fades.
Lumi points ahead as his tail flicks behind him. “There is a wagon approaching,” he whispers.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Khimi mutters as he and Ennui follow Lumi to the gates.
Khimi quickly catches up to Lumi, for every step he takes, Lumi takes two to match his stride. As they approach the gate, the covered wagon approaches and several guards descend from the guard towers to meet it. The driver, wrapped in heavy clothes, meets the guards and allows them to take a look through the back.
Lumi cannot help the smile which forms across his lips as two sets of feet hit the ground at the back of the wagon. As they walk around the back of the wagon, a smile crosses Khimi’s lips. Mido and Augustus are both wrapped in lengthy gray cloaks. Their usual clothing had been replaced with something more suited for the chilly northern weather. Mido’s ears stand up on point as their eyes meet, his short-cropped tail suddenly wags behind him as Augustus lets out a whooping cheer. Relief washes over Lumi, and he feels his worry melt away.
Khimi and Ennui maintain their distance as Lumi breaks across the distance and manages to embrace them both at the same time. The guards look at them strangely as the youthful guard from their own arrival makes his way towards them. Almost immediately the two are put to the question before Ennui convinces the guards to grant them entry into the town. Both Mido and Augustus seem to have fared much better than Khimi and himself. They do not have a spot of muck about them and their clothing is nearly spotless besides the bit of mud that clings to their boots.
“Where have you two been?!” Lumi shouts as they begin their slow pace to the center of the small town.
Mido tilts his head down to Lumi and offers him a hint of a smile. “Well… we weren’t on the mainland. So we got lucky and had a ferry take us to some crossroad town,” he whispers with a glance about the area.
“Lucky?” Augustus chokes, crossing his arms beneath his gray cloak. “We almost died.”
Mido smacks his lips and shrugs playfully, “He almost died.”
Lumi looks at their group, “Do you know if any of the crew managed to survive… ?”
Ennui sighs and pushes her hair back. “When I arrived I had heard only bodies washed up among the wreckage… they thought there may have been treasure,” she mutters.
“We’re happy that you both managed to make it… I admit I was growing worried. But Lumi said he knew you were both going to come,” Khimi admits with a sigh as they draw near the inn.
Augustus scoffs, “At least one of you had faith in us,” he says in a voice of mock disbelief. “Perhaps now you will never underestimate us again.”
“The two most poorly suited adventurers I’ve ever me–”
“Ennui,” Khimi interrupts, shaking his head as looks over Mido.
Mido’s ears droop and his eyes look down at the ground. “We did our best… and I know tha–”
“Shut up,” Augustus croaks, “You did everything you could,” he laughs with a clap on the back. “Sure I mean… we couldn’t find any of the crew either. On the island we were there was only the captain’s body and one other. Then when we got to the crossroads town… that was where the majority of the wreckage was. No one heard of any survivors of the wreckage or you two. Though,” he taps his lip thoughtfully. “They certainly remembered your description,” he says to Ennui, a smile forming behind his finger.
Ennui closes her eyes and places a hand on her hips, “I tend to leave impressions everywhere I go these days.”
“I thought you were famous for being a ghost,” Khimi mutters as he edges Lumi forward onto the inn porch.
“A ghost just needs to disappear when someone comes looking,” Ennui replies, eyeing Khimi with a smile. “Anyway, there are some rooms available, but we don’t have the funds and I don’t intend for us to tarry long.”
Lumi’s tail shakes behind him, “I wanna get all this business over with… the north is cold.”
Mido looks at Lumi and chuckles, “We’re not even in the north yet, Lumi…”
“We’re… getting there,” Ennui offers with a tilt of her head. “Expect to be moving out in the morning. Cochon is a two-day march to the north on foot or a day by horseback. We don’t have any horses though… unless w–”
“No,” Khimi says with a shake of his head. “We’ll have to walk it… I’m not stealing horses from these people,” he offers under his breath.
“Augustus managed to win a bit of gold in that crossroad town… we could probably buy horses if we needed,” Mido suggests as he holds out his hand, showing them the collection of coins from his leather pouch.
Ennui carefully places her hand over Mido’s and curls his fingers over the coins, “Don’t show your wealth in public,” she whispers, tapping his fist and smiling. “No matter how nice you want to believe the world is, it isn’t.”
Lumi places his hand on top of Ennui’s hand and smiles. “And besides… we can all catch up on the walk to Cochon. It won’t be so bad.”
“And we could use the coin for provisions anyway… since we lost everything,” Khimi finishes under his breath.
Lumi relinquishes a long sigh, “The spear Rashid gave me got swept away… I couldn’t hold onto it.”
Mido pips up and pulls the cloak around his shoulder, “I lost my shotel… but managed to keep this,” he says as he holds up the small tome. “It’s the only thing I could hold onto.”
Augustus pushes past them into the warmth of the inn and laughs, “I managed to keep absolutely nothing,” he groans as he lifts his head to the air. “Hells, it smells here… is that cabbage?”
“Cabbage and pork,” A tall lupo woman says from behind. She places her hand on Augustus’ shoulder, “What’s a capital whelp doing out on the coast?” She questions, her voice biting and sharp.
Augustus nearly jumps at the woman’s touch and turns to her. “Not here intentionally, I’m afraid,” he says with a playful smile. “Seems the gods had plans for us to cross through your little town. How’d you know I’m from the capital?” He asks, pursing his lips in thought.
“Your accent gives you away,” She mutters before she nods at Ennui. “Are you staying another night, Missus, or shall I vacate your things?”
Ennui clenches her jaw and looks at Mido and Augustus, “Well boys, would you rather get on the road tonight? Or do you want to spend your hard-earned coin on a meal and bed?”
“We can pay if you’d like…” Mido offers as he begins to lift his hand, only to have it slapped back down by Ennui. “But we’re fine getting started on the road,” he finishes with a curious look at Ennui.
Lumi looks up at the woman, “We’ll grab our stuff then…” he mutters and brushes past her, turning suddenly before he enters the hallway. “Can we eat before we leave?” He asks with a pleading look in his eyes.
“Bloody Hells,” she grumbles under her breath. “Sure why not? Already feeding all the others from Cochon for free anyway. It’s just cabbage and pork anyway…”
Ennui claps Lumi on the back and smiles as she leans against him, “Good job,” she whispers as she pushes him further into the inn. “Now go grab your things and meet back here.”
With the laughter and conversation of the group at his back, Lumi pushes the door open to the small bedroom. Fine memories had been formed on the uncomfortably small bed, floor, and against the wall in the tiny room. As he crosses the room, he remembers how desperate and hungry he had been for Khimi, how their bodies melted together as one. He rests on the bed and presses his nose against the scratchy sheets. Their mingled scent still clings to the cloth and Lumi brushes his cheeks against it, visualizing their nights together. With a final sigh, he grabs the massive fur-lined jacket and their ragged clothing from the shipwreck. Strapping the waterskin over his shoulders, he turns back to the door only to gasp.
Eyes like burning steel bore into him. A youthful girl, roughly the same height and age as himself peers into his soul. Whispers echo from the past fill his mind, and yet the girl does not move. Her dark hair hangs just above her eyebrows. A braid, half the length of her body, hangs over her shoulder. Her jaw and nose are sharp with black lines tattooed along her cheeks above raised scars just beneath her eyes. The crimson tunic wrapped around her reminds Lumi of the merchants from Dolmas.
“Your conviction to our cause remains to be seen,” the girl says, her voice deeper than Lumi expects. “While Y’sol has laid your claim and proclaimed you chosen, you’ve yet to impress me, little sun,” she says mockingly.
Lumi’s first instinct is to call for help, to run past the figure and shout. Yet he remains still, his hand tight on the jacket. “Y’sol told me to grow stronger… that’s what I am doing…”
“Drowning is not growing stronger,” the girl replies with a cold smile. “Dying is not growing stronger.”
Lumi’s mouth opens as the realization hits him, “It was you… that was your voice?”
“I was watching… watching you drown.”
Lumi growls and closes his eyes, his fangs nearly biting into his lips. “You could have helped us! All of those men died!”
The girl tilts his head up and holds both of her hands out with their palms up. “It is not our responsibility to interfere with the other gods’ wills. You managed to find yourself at odds with the Gods of Chaos… what happened to you was in their hands. You’re lucky… truth be told. They could have killed you easily if they wanted.”
“Why’re you here?” Lumi asks, tilting his head in confusion. “To tell me I did something wrong? Do you have a message?”
“A warning,” the girl’s lips pull into a smile that does not touch her eyes. “You’re about to enter into a world far different from your own. The north is no friend of the Gods of Light and Flame… let it be known they will be no friend of yours. I come bearing that warning to you. The dark skies linger over the land, the light does not kiss Talmus here and so darkness dwells and makes its mark. If you do not show strength in the days to come then you will fail. Your journey will reach an abrupt end and you along with those you call friends will perish.”
“W-we survived the ship,” Lumi says as he looks down at his feet, his whip-like tail wraps around his leg.
“Chance and luck,” she says sternly as her hands drop to his side. “While I come with a warning, I also come to you with an offer of friendship.”
Lumi’s body shivers. Friendship? “What do you mean?”
The girl steps forward and reaches out, grabbing Lumi’s hand. “If things grow dark, you may call upon me. Say my name and whisper the words. Lend me your vessel and I shall be yours,” she whispers, her words soft and impassioned.
“Say your name?” Lumi mumbles softly.
As Lumi stares back into the burning eyes, the boy whispers his name, “Isha.”
“Isha…” Lumi whispers back. “Y’sol asked for my vessel… but I could–”
Ennui’s laughter from outside of his room cuts off his words and with a loud creak, the door opens wide. As the light touches Isha’s form, she fades with a smile on her lips. Ennui’s shoulders against the door with a wooden bowl in her hand.
“What in the Hells is taking you so long? Not like you had much to grab? Did you take a wee in the chamber pot?” Ennui inquires rapidly, smiling more with each of her questions.
“No,” Lumi groans, “I got distracted,” he lies as he takes a final look over the room.
“Whatever,” Ennui rolls her eyes and holds out the bowl. “Come’on, your friends are waiting, and Khimi convinced Valentina to give us some celebratory drinks.”
Lumi looks back over the room once again before he slams the door shut behind him.
Cochon
The road to Cochon is almost as quiet and uneventful as the road had been to Hermon’s Well. Their excitement fades the closer they draw to Cochon. Along the way, wagons and riders on horseback pass them every few hours, seemingly in a hurry to travel to the south. One of the wagons had stopped and explained that the consul, the governor of the city had gone missing and that the city was in a dangerous way. A curfew had been put in place and the civilians were forced to stay within their homes after sunset.
The words of Isha linger in Lumi’s mind. ‘Show your strength in the days to come’, How am I supposed to show my strength? Lumi wonders as he walks ahead of the group, holding an orb of flames above his hands. The fire along with the thick wool tights and shirt helps to keep him warm through the rapidly chilling air.
As they walk along the side of the road, the outline of Cochon comes into view. The dark gray skies linger overhead and the first flurries of snow Lumi had ever seen begin to fall. Lumi looks up to the sky, his eyes filled with wonder until the wet substance falls upon his ears. His excitement fades to annoyance as his ears and hair begin to become drenched. Khimi grabs his tattered jacket from his rucksack and throws it over Lumi’s head.
The first houses of Cochon come into view as the snow begins to fall thicker overhead. The wooden houses are made with a wooden cross-beam construction, their slate roofs are high-pitched and laden with a thin layer of white snow. Their walls are built of wooden beams and resemble some of the log homes that they had seen north of Hermon’s Well. For being a large port city, there is very little activity. There is a desolate feeling, almost as if the majority of the homes had been abandoned. This is because of vampires? Lumi questions himself as he peers through the darkness at the demure homes.
Augustus pulls up his fur-lined boots and trudges through a puddle of mud to the door of one of the houses. The wooden home has several oil lanterns lit around the window sills, a warm glow shining out into the yard. Bushes along the front of the house host red berries covered in a veil of pristine white snow. Lumi curiously follows behind Augustus and begins to pluck one from the bush.
Ennui growls and slaps his hand, “Unless you want to shit your guts out, I’d drop it.”
Mido snorts and covers his mouth as he laughs, “Sounds like you’ve had first-hand experience.”
Lumi puffs his cheeks and drops the berry as Augustus begins to pound on the door. “Maybe they can tell us where to go.”
A small wooden peephole pushes open on a hinge as a brown eye peeks through. “Sorry… we can’t let you in,” a meek voice says from behind the door.
Khimi steps up behind Augustus and smiles, “We’re wondering if there is a tavern… or inn around? Somewhere for us to stay for the night?”
The brown eye vanishes and is replaced by a light green eye, a second voice speaks up. “That all depends on what ya got and who ya are,” They say with a thick accent similar to many others around the countryside.
Ennui clenches her fist and seems to bite her tongue. “We’re travelers,” she says, putting on a gentle and ladylike voice.
“Ya’ll look a motley crew. A canis, A devil, A feline, and some humans,” the voice says as if in thought.
“Devilkin,” Ennui announces, correcting the green-eyed man. “You’d know if I was a devil… I can assure you th–”
“Either way, yer kind is gonna have a hard time findin’ a place to sleep with this number anyway. Best ya turn back and head to the next town… or ya can just continue onward.”
Ennui smacks her lips and whispers, “Don’t make me gut you for sacrifice,” she murmurs, causing Lumi and Mido to turn and stare at her. “Oh, it was just a jest,” she chokes, holding her hands up.
Lumi plants his hands on his waist and gives Ennui a knowing look, “Really?”
Augustus looks directly into the peephole and offers a smile to the eye, “I am… from the capital. Surely you could help us out?”
The brown-eyed woman returns to the door and looks Augustus up and down, “Ya certainly look like a capital boy… even have the voice an all, but unless ya can get Emperor Crassi to send us aid or even the Temple of Flames then we don’t want ya here and yer better off gettin’ out.”
“Well, the gods did tell me to come to Coch–” Lumi’s words are cut off as Ennui kicks the back of his knee, causing him to stumble.
“The little one is a bit delusional. We’ll find a place to stay… thanks for your generosity,” Ennui says with a hint of spite.
The peephole closes and Augustus grumbles, “Rude much!?” He shouts at the door.
Khimi helps Lumi up and casts a warning look at Ennui, “You didn’t need to kick him.”
Ennui shrugs and turns her back on the four of them as she begins to walk down the main thoroughfare. “Do you want him to draw more attention than he already has? Everywhere we go Khimi… people will know.”
Mido rushes to keep up with Ennui as she walks with a certain confidence. “Where are you going?” He asks, looking up at her from beneath his traveling cloak. “Have you been here before?”
“Could say that,” Ennui mutters and steps further ahead.
Lumi stares at her as Khimi walks beside him down the abandoned streets. The flagstone streets are covered in mud and snow. A shiver rolls down Lumi’s spine and tail as they continue closer to the pier. “She’s a bit… angry today.”
Khimi places his hand at the back of Lumi’s head and encourages him forward. “Don’t worry about her, she’ll come around. I think this place just makes her uneasy,” he says with a gentle smile. “It looks like you were right.”
“Huh?” Lumi sounds, his eyes fixed on Ennui stomping ahead.
“Everyone was alright,” Khimi replies, his fingertips interlacing with Lumi’s as they walk.
Lumi forces himself to smile but Isha’s words still linger in his mind.
The city is far larger than Lumi had expected. As they round a corner, the buildings descend on a slope down along the coast. From their location they can see the light from the houses spread throughout the area, the soft glow is comforting, the scene unlike anything Lumi had ever seen before. A gentle snowfall over the flagstone streets makes everything seem that much more magickal. He forgets the words grating at his mind and squeezes Khimi’s hand tight within his own. As he stumbles for words, he looks up to Khimi. Khimi’s eyes look about in awe, a look of surprise and awe on his face.
“It’s a lot different than home,” Lumi whispers while their friends begin to descend the hill into the town.
Khimi glances down with a smirk, “Certainly,” he replies as they begin to follow behind as the sun’s last rays fall behind the horizon.
House after house, tavern after tavern, inn after inn they are met with much the same reception. No one invites them in as guests, and none of the inns claim to have vacancies for them to stay. Desperate for shelter from the rapidly increasing snowfall, Ennui guides them to the docks.
Cogs and caravels as well as other fishing vessels sit against the piers, unmoving as if frozen in place. Unlike other docks Lumi had seen during their travels, the docks seem to be still, eerily quiet. A light fog hangs about the area and the few lanterns that are lit from wooden posts barely cast their light through the fog. Ennui knocks on door after door, shouting obscenities as she receives no response or answer.
“Khimi… I’ve tried to do this the right way,” Ennui mumbles, giving him a knowing look. “But it isn’t fuckin’ working.”
“Then do it,” Khimi says with a nod. “I’ve never been to a city without guards… or people.”
Lumi looks up at Khimi, “There is a curfew, remember?”
“Right,” Ennui grumbles under her breath, “The one put in place by the missing consul. Who is probably dead if I had to take a guess.”
“What are you going to do,” Mido asks Ennui softly.
As if to answer his question, Ennui’s boot smashes square below the handle of the door, breaking a thin metal bracket holding the wooden bar in place. Lumi scans the docks, his nocturnal eyes barely picking up the surroundings through the fog. Across the buildings around them and near an alleyway, Lumi catches a glimpse of a pair of green eyes staring at him. He holds his gaze on them until they vanish in a blink.
“Khimi, someone is watching us,” Lumi whispers anxiously as he grabs Khimi’s sleeve.
Khimi does not move but replies cautiously without looking in the direction Lumi motions. “They have been for a while… since we left that last inn.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Lumi mumbles under his breath. “We can catch them… I can probably run them down.”
“You will do nothing of the sort,” Khimi replies as places his hand on Lumi’s shoulder and marches him into the building.
The inside of the wooden building is just as cold as the outside. A faint smell of fish remains on the wooden planks. Lumi looks between the wide planks and down beneath, the water beneath the dock is still and reflective, dark as night.
“Is someone going to… make a light or something?” Augustus questions as he steps into the room and looks around through the darkness.
Khimi shakes his hand and produces a flame above his hand, the floating fiery sphere illuminates the room. A large open space with two tattered-looking beds and a table beside a wall of wooden cupboards. A stairwell across from them ascends to a second floor, the rickety stairs are worn and broken in parts. A metallic stove sits in the middle of the room with a pile of logs at the side. Lumi had never seen anything like it and was immediately drawn to the object.
“It’s a burning stove,” Ennui announces as she crosses the room with a sigh and opens the metallic door with a loud squeak. “We need to sleep somewhere for the night… and we’re not in a good spot as is. I have some ideas for tomorrow, but for now, just try to get some rest.”
Mido shuts the door behind them and walks over to the wooden cupboards, drawing the dusty curtains shut over the window. “Someone is following us,” he says in a hushed tone, peeking outside the window.
Augustus squats beside the stove and turns back to Mido, “Really?” He asks and pulls the dagger from his boots. “Well, I’ve never really fought with a dagger… but I guess I’ll do my best.”
“It’s just like your sword but smaller,” Ennui mocks as she tosses a log into the stove. “Khimi, a hand?”
Khimi approaches and allows Ennui to light several small pieces of wood before she carefully places them below the logs and watches the fire erupt. “Lumi and I can stay up if you’d like to get some sleep.”
Ennui motions to the rising black pipe which goes into the ceiling. “The second floor is heated as well, but we should probably all sleep in the same area… vampires are known to be silent. At least that is the rumor.”
“That’s fine,” Lumi suggests as he tests the firmness of the beds. “We can just take the bedding down here. It isn’t so bad… just a little scratchy.”
“Do you really think they are going to attack us with as large of a group as we have? I… just feel like we should be safe, right?” Mido asks with a tilt of his head.
“There is probably a reason so many people left Cochon…” Lumi suggests and approaches the stairs. “I’ll grab the bedding,” he says, taking the stairs two at a time.
At the top of the stairs, curve in the stairs, Lumi peeks his head over the floor. He claps his hand over his mouth. Though there is no scent in the air of decay, two bodies are on the floor, badly desiccated. Their flesh is pulled taut over their bones as if the meat and blood had been sucked dry. Lumi holds his breath, his cheeks puffed out as he cautiously approaches the tips of his toes. Vampires? Squatting beside the first body, Lumi passes his fingers over their face. In their current state, he cannot tell if it is a man or a woman, but he feels a sense of remorse. He tries to push the dried and crusted eyelids shut only to have them break under his touch.
“Shit,” Lumi coughs under his breath as he stumbles backward. “I’m sorry,” he mutters to the corpses.
Lumi hurriedly rips the blankets and sheets from the two beds before hurrying back down the stairs, tossing the pile of bedding onto the other beds. The other four glare at him briefly from around the stove.
“There are… two dead people upstairs,” Lumi whispers as he drops down onto one of the beds.
Augustus throws his hands up and looks at Ennui, “Wonderful, look at the fine shelter you picked. Full of corpses,” he mocks tauntingly.
Ennui raises her brow, “Just wait till tomorrow.”
“What’re we doing here anyway?” Mido questions under his breath as he sits across Lumi on the opposite bed, “Shouldn’t we just be headed further north?”
Lumi brings his knees to his chest on the bed, “The gods believe that I can be of some help here… somehow.”
“Well… if it’s any consolation,” Mido whispers, leaning forward. “I believe in you… even if I don’t understand everything.”
“Thanks,” Lumi replies, his ears twitch happily at Mido’s words. “I believe in myself too… I think.”