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 stares up at the ever-gray skies of Hermon’s Well. His feet swing back and forth, barely brushing the ground in his new boots. The cold weather has brought out the best in the local tailor, who pieced together thick woolen clothing for Lumi. Though the parka he wears stands out, it’s the warmest thing he’s ever owned. The fur lining tickles his skin as he pulls the woolen wraps higher up his legs, savoring the comforting embrace of the heat.
Khimi stands beside him, wrapped in a navy parka accented with delicate gold threading along the sleeves. Beneath it, a woolen tunic and trousers ward off the chill, though they do little to temper his mood. His new leather boots tap against the stone in restless rhythm, his scowl deepening with every passing moment. We can’t just leave them, Khimi, Lumi thinks, his gaze drifting over to him as he adjusts the collar of his woolen tunic to block the chill. Ennui sighs, crossing her arms. Dressed in her usual dark leathers and wrapped in a black cloak, she looks exactly the same as ever. It was thanks to her that they had managed to get anything at all. She had worked the locals with a silver tongue, speaking in a curious language Lumi now knew as Halluish. Her knowledge of the area, her charm… they had disarmed everyone. Maybe she isn’t so bad—
“Lumi,” Ennui snips, glancing knowingly at Khimi. “We can’t wait around forever. I didn’t steal enough damn coin for us to sit around doing nothing. And if you’d just held on to that bag… Khimi.”
“Ennui… they’re close, I can feel it,” Lumi replies, his eyes locked on the town’s entrance. “And… it’s my fault that Khimi lost all our coin anyway.”
Khimi slumps his shoulders, glancing at Lumi. “You’re right. I could have just let you float away…”
Ennui snorts, chuckling. “His head is empty enough, he’d probably float,” she quips, her tail flicking with amusement.
Lumi, his cheeks flushing red, lowers his head as he rises from the stone well. “Shut up,” he mutters, embarrassed, as he strides past them and heads toward the gates.
“Where are you going?” Ennui calls, her laughter trailing off.
Lumi points ahead, his tail flicking with anticipation. “There’s 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, his longer stride easily matching Lumi’s faster pace. The wagon draws closer, guarded by several figures descending from the towers. The driver, wrapped in layers of heavy clothes, lets the guards inspect the back.
Lumi can’t help but grin as two sets of feet hit the ground from the back of the wagon. Mido and Augustus, swathed in long gray cloaks, step into view. Their usual attire replaced by something more suited to the northern cold, they look every bit the part. Mido’s ears perk up at the sight of Lumi, his tail wagging as Augustus lets out an exuberant cheer. Relief floods Lumi, and he feels the weight of worry lift.
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 exclaims as they slowly make their way toward the heart of the town.
Mido tilts his head down, offering a faint smile. “Well… we weren’t exactly on the mainland. Got lucky with a ferry to some crossroads town,” he whispers, glancing about.
“Lucky?” Augustus scoffs, crossing his arms beneath his cloak. “We almost died.”
Mido smacks his lips and shrugs playfully. “He almost died,” he says, pointing at Augustus.
Lumi glances between them, concern flickering in his eyes. “Do you know if any of the crew survived?”
Ennui sighs, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “When I arrived, the wreckage was littered with bodies. They thought there might be treasure,” she mutters, her tone darker than usual.
“We’re glad you made it through,” Khimi admits, a sigh escaping him as they near the inn. “I was starting to get worried. But Lumi said he knew you’d both come.”
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—”
“Ennui,” Khimi interrupts, chiding her with a shake of his head.
Mido’s ears droop, and he looks at the ground. “We did our best… and I know that—”
“Shut up,” Augustus cuts in, laughing as he slaps Mido on the back. “You did everything you could. Sure, we couldn’t find the crew either. When we were on the island, we only found the captain’s body and one other. Then, when we hit the crossroads town, the majority of the wreckage was there. No one had heard of any survivors—except you two. Though,” he taps his lip thoughtfully, “they sure remembered your description,” he adds, a grin tugging at his lips as he looks at Ennui.
Ennui rolls her eyes, hands on her hips. “I tend to leave impressions wherever I go these days,” she says, unbothered.
“I thought you were famous for being a ghost,” Khimi mutters, guiding Lumi onto the inn’s porch.
“A ghost just needs to vanish when someone comes looking,” Ennui replies, casting a playful glance at Khimi. “Anyway, there are rooms available, but we don’t have the coin, and I’m not planning on staying long.”
Lumi’s tail flicks restlessly. “I want to get this over with… the north is cold.”
Mido looks at him and chuckles. “We’re not even in the north yet, Lumi…”
“We’re… getting there,” Ennui adds, tilting her head. “Expect to head out in the morning. Cochon’s a two-day march north on foot or a one-day ride by horseback. We don’t have horses, though… unless we—”
“No,” Khimi says, his tone severe. “We’ll have to walk it… I’m not stealing horses from these people,” he offers under his breath.
“Augustus won a bit of gold back at the crossroads,” Mido offers, pulling a few coins from his leather pouch. “Might be enough to buy horses if we need them.”
Ennui places her hand over Mido’s, curling his fingers over the coins. “Don’t flash your wealth in public,” she murmurs, tapping his fist with a knowing smirk. “No matter how nice you want to believe the world is, it isn’t.”
Lumi rests his hand atop Ennui’s and grins. “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 instead,” Khimi adds, his voice edged with frustration. “Since we lost everything.”
Lumi lets out a long sigh. “The spear Rashid gave me got swept away… I couldn’t hold onto it.”
Mido pulls his cloak tighter around his shoulders. “I lost my shotel… but managed to keep this.” He lifts a small, leather-bound tome. “The only thing I could hold onto.”
Augustus pushes past them into the warmth of the inn, groaning, “I managed to keep absolutely nothing.” He lifts his head and sniffs the air. “Hells, it smells like ass in here… is that cabbage?”
“Cabbage and pork,” a sharp voice answers from behind. A tall Lupo woman steps forward, placing a firm hand on Augustus’ shoulder. “What’s a capital whelp doing out on the coast?”
Augustus nearly jumps at her touch, turning with a forced smile. “Not here intentionally, I’m afraid. Seems the gods had plans for us to pass through your little town.” He tilts his head, lips pursed in thought. “How’d you know I’m from the capital?”
“Your accent gives you away.” She nods toward Ennui. “Are you staying another night, Missus, or shall I clear out your things?”
Ennui clenches her jaw, glancing at Mido and Augustus. “Well, boys, do we want to get on the road tonight? Or spend that hard-earned coin on a meal and a 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…” His voice trails into a pout as he brushes past her, turning abruptly before he enters the hallway. “Can we eat before we leave?” he pleads, eyes shining.
“Bloody hells.” The woman grumbles under her breath. “Sure, why not? Already feeding all the others from Cochon for free anyway. It’s just cabbage and pork.”
Ennui claps Lumi on the back, leaning against him with a smirk. “Good job,” she whispers, nudging him toward the dining area. “Now go grab your things and meet back here.”
With laughter and conversation fading behind him, Lumi pushes open the door to the small bedroom. Fine memories linger in this tiny space—on the uncomfortably small bed, the floor, against the wall. He crosses the room, recalling the hunger, the desperation of those stolen nights with Khimi, the way their bodies had melted together. Sitting on the bed, he presses his nose into the scratchy sheets. Their scent still clings to the fabric. He rubs his cheeks against it, visualizing their nights together.
With a final sigh, he gathers their belongings—a massive fur-lined jacket, the tattered clothes from the shipwreck. He straps a waterskin over his shoulders and turns toward the door—only to stop, breath catching. Burning steel eyes bore into him.
A girl stands there, barely taller than him, her dark hair cut just above her brows. A single braid, half the length of her body, drapes over her shoulder. Her jaw and nose are sharp, black lines tattooed along her cheeks, just above the raised scars beneath her eyes. The crimson tunic wrapped around her reminds Lumi of Dolman merchants. Shadows coil and tremble around her, shifting and shimmering as though afraid of her brilliance, yet she stands unmoving.
“Your conviction to our cause remains to be seen,” she says, voice deeper than he expects. “While Y’sol has laid claim to you and proclaimed you chosen, you’ve yet to impress me, little sun.”
Lumi stiffens. His first instinct is to call for help, to shove past her and run—but he stays rooted, knuckles tight around the parka. “Y’sol told me to grow stronger. That’s what I’m doing.”
“Drowning is not growing stronger,” the girl replies with a cold smile. “Dying is not growing stronger.”
Realization strikes him like a thunderclap. “It was you. That was your voice.”
“I was watching… watching you drown. But it was my brother who you heard.”
Lumi growls and closes his eyes, his fangs worrying into his lip. “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 will of other gods.” Her voice is unwavering, resolute. “You found yourself at odds with the Gods of Chaos. What happened to you was in their hands.” She pauses, watching him. “You’re lucky, truth be told. If they had wanted you dead, you would be.”
Lumi swallows, his throat dry. “Why are you here?” His voice wavers. “To tell me I did something wrong? Do you have a message?”
“A warning.” The girl’s lips curl into a smile that does not touch her eyes. “You are about to enter a world far different from your own. The North is no friend to the Gods of Light and Flame… and it will be no friend to you.” Lumi shivers as she continues. “The dark skies linger over the land. Our radiant light does not kiss it, and so the darkness festers. If you do not show strength in the days to come, you will fail. Your journey will reach an abrupt end—and you, along with those you call friends, will perish.”
Lumi’s tail coils around his leg. “W-we survived the shipwreck,” he mutters, gaze dropping to his feet.
“Chance and luck,” she says sternly, lowering her hands. “But while I come with a warning, I also come with an offer.”
Lumi’s stomach twists. “An offer?”
Her smile lingers, unreadable. “A friendship.”
“W-what do you mean?”
She steps forward, her fingers cool as they wrap around his hand. “If darkness threatens to consume you, call upon me. Speak my name. Whisper the words.” Her voice is soft yet fervent, filled with power. “Lend me your vessel, and I shall be yours.”
Lumi’s breath hitches. “Say your name?”
The fire in her gaze burns brighter. “Isha.”
“Isha…” Lumi repeats, the name strange yet familiar on his tongue. “Y’sol asked for my vessel… but I could—”
Ennui’s laughter shatters the moment. The door creaks open, spilling warm light into the room. As it touches Isha, she fades—smirking as she vanishes into the shadows.
Ennui leans against the door frame, a wooden bowl in her hand. “What in the hells is taking you so long? It’s not like you had much to grab. Did you take a piss in the chamber pot?” Her grin widens with each teasing question.
“No!” Lumi groans, gripping his parka tighter. “I got distracted.”
Ennui rolls her eyes, holding the bowl out. “Whatever. Come on—your friends are waiting, and Khimi convinced Valentina to give us some celebratory drinks.”
Lumi takes a final glance over the room before stepping past Ennui, slamming the door shut behind him.
Cochon
The road to Cochon is nearly as quiet and uneventful as the path they took to Hermon’s Well. Their initial excitement wanes the closer they draw to the city. Along the way, wagons and riders on horseback pass them every few hours, each seemingly in a hurry to head south. One of the wagons stops to share unsettling news: the consul—the governor of Cochon—has gone missing, and the city is in turmoil. A curfew has been imposed, forcing civilians to stay inside after sunset.
Isha’s words echo in Lumi’s mind: “Show your strength in the days to come.” How am I supposed to show my strength? Lumi wonders, walking ahead of the group with an orb of flames floating above his hand. The fire, along with his thick woolen wraps and parka, provide a small comfort against the quickly 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. With a chuckle, Khimi grabs his worn kaftan 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, intrigued, follows closely behind Augustus and reaches out to pluck one of the berries from the bush.
“Unless you want to shit your guts out, I’d drop it,” Ennui growls, slapping Lumi’s hand away.
Mido snorts, barely suppressing a laugh. “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 creaks open, and a brown eye peers through. “Sorry… we can’t let you in,” a timid voice calls from the other side of the door.
Khimi steps up behind Augustus with a grin. “We’re wondering if there’s a tavern… or an inn nearby? Somewhere we can stay for the night?”
The brown eye in the peephole vanishes, replaced by a pale green one. A second voice, thick with the countryside’s accent, replies, “That all depends on what ya got and who ya are.”
Ennui clenches her fists but forces herself to keep her tone pleasant. “We’re travelers,” she says, slipping into a gentle, ladylike voice.
The voice hums in thought. “Ya’ll look a motley crew. A canis, a devil, a feline, and some humans.”
“Devilkin,” Ennui corrects sharply. “You’d know if I was a devil, I can assure you—”
“Either way, yer kind ain’t gonna find a place to sleep with that number. Best ya turn back and head to the next town… or just keep movin’.”
Ennui smacks her lips and whispers, “Don’t make me gut you for sacrifice.”
Lumi and Mido both turn to stare at her with incredulous glares.
“Oh, it was just a jest,” she chokes out, holding her hands up in surrender.
Lumi plants his hands on his hips and gives her a knowing look. “Really?”
Augustus, ignoring them, leans toward the peephole and offers his most diplomatic smile.
“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 got the voice an’ all. But unless ya can get Emperor Crassi to send us aid—or the Sun Temple—then we don’t want ya here. Yer better off movin’ along.”
“Well, the gods did tell me to come to—” Lumi’s words are cut off as Ennui kicks the back of his knee, forcing him to stumble into the snow.
“The little one is a bit delusional. We’ll find a place to stay… thanks for your ‘generosity’,” Ennui says, spite evident in the word.
The peephole closes and Augustus grumbles in disbelief. “Rude much!?” he shouts at the door as they walk away.
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. She quickens her pace 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 as she walks with a certain easy confidence. “Where are you going?” he asks, looking up at her from beneath his traveling cloak. “Have you been here before?”
“One could say that,” Ennui mutters and steps quicker.
Lumi stares at her as Khimi keeps pace 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 draw closer to the pier. “She’s a bit… moody 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, his expression softening. “It looks like you were right.”
“Huh?” Lumi sounds, his eyes fixed on Ennui stomping ahead.
“Everyone pulled through,” Khimi replies, his fingertips interlacing with Lumi’s as they walk.
Lumi forces a grin, but Isha’s words still plague 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, the light from the houses spreads throughout the area, the soft glow is comforting, the scene unlike anything Lumi had ever seen before. A gentle dusting of snow 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 seem to glisten in awe, his face painted with surprise.
“It’s a lot different than home,” Lumi whispers as their friends begin to descend the hill.
Khimi glances down with a smirk. “Certainly,” he replies as they begin to follow behind, the sun’s last rays slipping below the horizon.
House after house, tavern after tavern, inn after inn—they are met with the same reception. No one invites them in as guests, and every innkeeper claims to have no vacancies. Desperate for shelter from the rapidly thickening snowfall, Ennui leads them toward the docks.
Cogs, caravels, and smaller 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 thin fog clings to the air, and the few lanterns affixed to wooden posts barely pierce through the mist. Ennui knocks on door after door, shouting obscenities when she receives no response.
“Khimi… I tried to do this the right way,” Ennui mutters, 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 him. “There’s a curfew, remember?”
“Right,” Ennui grumbles. “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 softly.
As if in answer, Ennui slams her boot just below the door handle, snapping the thin metal bracket holding the wooden bar in place. Lumi scans the docks, his nocturnal eyes straining against the fog. Across the buildings and near an alleyway, he catches sight of a pair of green eyes watching him. He locks onto them—but in a blink, they vanish.
“Khimi, someone’s watching us,” Lumi whispers anxiously, grabbing 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. “We can catch them. I can probably run them down.”
“You will do nothing of the sort,” Khimi replies, placing a firm hand on Lumi’s shoulder before steering him inside the building.
The interior is just as cold as the outside. A faint smell of fish lingers on the wooden planks. Lumi glances between the wide floorboards—below, the water beneath the dock lies still and reflective, dark as night.
“Is someone going to… make a light or something?” Augustus asks as he steps into the room, peering through the darkness.
Khimi flicks his wrist, conjuring a small flame that hovers above his palm, illuminating the space. A large, open room unfolds before them—two tattered-looking beds, a table pressed against a wall of wooden cupboards, and a rickety stairwell leading to a second floor, its worn steps broken in places. A cast iron stove sits in the center, a small pile of logs stacked beside it. Lumi, having never seen anything like it before, is immediately drawn to the strange object.
“It’s a burning stove,” Ennui announces with a sigh as she crosses the room and wrenches open the metal door with a loud squeak. “We need a place to sleep for the night, and we’re not in a good spot as it is. I have some ideas for tomorrow, but for now, just try to get some rest.”
Mido shuts the door behind them, moving to the cupboards and drawing the dusty curtains over the window. “Someone’s following us,” he says in a hushed tone, peeking outside.
Augustus squats beside the stove and glances back at him. “Really?” He pulls a dagger from his boot. “Well, I’ve never actually fought with a dagger… but I guess I’ll do my best.”
“It’s just like your sword, but smaller,” Ennui mocks, tossing a log into the stove. “Khimi, a hand?”
Khimi steps forward, lighting several smaller pieces of wood before carefully placing them beneath the logs, watching as the fire catches. “Lumi and I can stay up if you want to get some sleep.”
Ennui motions to the rising black pipe leading into the ceiling. “The second floor is heated too, but we should probably all stay together… vampires are known to be silent. At least, that’s the rumor.”
“That’s fine,” Lumi says, testing the firmness of one of the beds. “We can just bring the bedding down here. It’s not so bad… just a little rough.”
“Do you really think they’d attack a group as big as ours?” Mido asks, tilting his head. “I just feel like we should be safe, right?”
“There’s probably a reason so many people left Cochon…” Lumi murmurs before heading toward the stairs. “I’ll grab the bedding.”
He takes the stairs two at a time. As he reaches the curve at the top, he peeks over the floor—and immediately claps a hand over his mouth. Though there’s no scent of decay, two bodies lie 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, cheeks puffed out as he steps forward cautiously, balancing on the tips of his toes. Vampires? Squatting beside the first body, Lumi passes his fingers over their face.Squatting beside the first body, he runs his fingers over its face. In its current state, he can’t tell if it was a man or a woman, but a wave of remorse washes over him. He reaches to push the dried, crusted eyelids shut—only for them to break apart under his touch.
“Shit,” he coughs, stumbling backward. “I’m sorry,” he mutters to the corpses.
Hastily, he rips the blankets and sheets from the two beds before hurrying back downstairs, tossing the pile of sheets onto the other beds. The rest of the group glares at him from around the stove.
“There are… two dead people upstairs,” Lumi whispers as he sinks onto one of the beds.
Augustus throws up his hands and looks at Ennui. “Wonderful. Look at the fine shelter you picked—full of corpses,” he mocks.
Ennui raises a brow. “Just wait till tomorrow.”
“What’re we doing here anyway?” Mido mutters, sitting across from Lumi on the opposite bed. “Shouldn’t we just be heading further north?”
Lumi pulls his knees to his chest. “The gods believe 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 twitching happily at Mido’s words. “I believe in myself too… I think.”