《Individual Routes V1》 Introduction to World and Characters Prologue: The Beginning Haunted Caverns Burned Region, Ganghe, Drande Kingdom WAH!!! WAAHHH!!! WAHHHHHH!!!! ¡°Good grief what is causing all that racket.¡± Complained a woman from nearby a cookpot. ¡°No idea, Lark, you want to go look?¡± Damaris Rendon glanced at his wife. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. we shouldn¡¯t even be stopping here. Tis bad luck and misfortune, mark my words.¡± Lark puckered up at him. He grunted in disgust. ¡°Always the same words, but nothing happened in the past.¡± Damaris frowned into the darkness. There was something out there all right, but it was harmless. ¡°I¡¯m going to go look.¡± He decided and rose from where he crouched next to the fire. ¡°Chime, watch the fire and put logs in when it grows dim.¡± He instructed the girl standing by. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Chime took his place without complaint. Lark just shook her head. ¡°Trouble.¡± She muttered angrily at his back. Damaris ignored her. He¡¯d long since grown used to her attitude. It didn¡¯t mean he appreciated it, but tolerated it because there was nothing else, he could do right now. Instead, he focused on following the noise to the origin. He took up a lantern and began walking. ¡°You¡¯re really going to go look?¡± Another man called. ¡°Yes, I am, Arch.¡± Damaris ignored the snorts of other men. ¡°I have a feeling that something will change for the better tonight.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Dunno why, but that is how I feel.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come along, then.¡± Arch followed in his footsteps. No one else did. They thought it was a fool¡¯s errand and wanted no part of garnering Lark¡¯s wrath. Several minutes later, Damaris came to a halt. He frowned at the pile of rocks that partially blocked the opening to a cavern and sighed. ¡°What is this?¡± Someone else came to his side, but not Arch. Instead it was a boy of unknown age and origin. He studied the odd markings. ¡°It is a warning.¡± He stated. ¡°Says to keep out. Forbidden magic was used here and anything going in and out will become cursed.¡± Hmm, a dilemma because Damaris believed in his gut. Not strange markings from a species he¡¯d yet to view. ¡°I¡¯m still going in.¡± He didn¡¯t bother looking back as he clambered over the rocks. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot, Damaris.¡± Arch sighed, but he followed the leader¡¯s path. ¡°So am I, but someone needs to keep track of him.¡± The boy laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll stand guard.¡± He added. ¡°For what its worth, I believe leader Damaris¡¯ gut is onto something inside of there. Even I can tell that what radiates from within holds good luck.¡± Curiosity gleamed in dark blue eyes. A few steps within and Damaris began doubting the wisdom of walking forward. Before him lay skeletons of all kinds of species, not just human either. He identified several weapons he wasn¡¯t about to lay finger on. Those things, he thought would be the cursed items and the victims who¡¯d foolishly entered with plundering in mind. This time, Damaris was more curious than anything else. ¡°I think I found the source of the noise. This is unbelievable.¡± Dark grey rocks towered in uneven piles around Damaris Rendon as he held a lantern casting warm light five feet from where he stood. Earlier, he¡¯d heard crying and wen to investigate the source. Typically, he ignored that kind of thing, but this time, gut instinct made him heed it. Now he hoped he wasn¡¯t a total fool in wandering around what was essentially banned territory of Felines. Now that he stopped looking, he found the source of the crying. A swaddled child that began blinking at him in the pool of light. Big feline ears poked out from the mostly bald head. There was something on the infant¡¯s throat, but he couldn¡¯t quite see what it was. ¡°Damaris Rendon, what are you looking at?¡± Someone called from the mouth of the cavern. After a moment¡¯s study, Damaris called back with a basic assessment. ¡°An abandoned child. Looks about a year in age. Clearly of mixed species. A feline of some sort.¡± He knelt closer but didn¡¯t touch the baby that was now quietly watching him. ¡°A female, and already shows awareness of her surroundings.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Arch walked the rest of the way in and paused in shock at the surrounding mess. ¡°This is horrifying.¡± He shook his head and ventured further in to see what Damaris found. ¡°Yep that is a baby female all right.¡± His nose wrinkled at the funk rising from the swaddling cloth. ¡°Hasn¡¯t been cleaned in a while, I¡¯d say.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Damaris shrugged and handed the lantern to Arch. ¡°Hold this while I pick up the basket. I¡¯m taking her out of here.¡± He didn¡¯t care about warnings of arcane curses. This child didn¡¯t deserve to die abandoned in this creepy place. ¡°Whatever you say, boss.¡± Arch carefully looked around before providing space for Damaris to move. Then he led the way back to the front. Soon as natural light indicated their arrival to the front, neither man knew what to do about getting back out. ¡°Just go in front of me.¡± Damaris directed. ¡°Once you reach midway, I¡¯ll raise the basket to you.¡± ¡°If you say so.¡± Arch didn¡¯t want anything to do with the smelly thing but didn¡¯t defy Damaris either. He was startled when the boy from earlier appeared with hook-end apparatus in his hands. ¡°Ah the cavalry has arrived.¡± Damaris commented. ¡°Thank you, boy.¡± He focused on raising the basket to Arch. Arch frowned at him in disbelief but obeyed the order to raising the basket higher. That¡¯s when the boy spoke calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll brace it while you two climbs out of there.¡± He offered. ¡°I heard some of the conversation echoing as did half the camp. They¡¯re trying to figure out how to assist now.¡± Arch and Damaris grimaced but complied with the suggestion. There would be some discussion all right and Damaris knew some would want to boot the child to the next merchant town and leave it at the mercy of whomever had a spare cot and blanket.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He was surprised when Lark and the others came over and took the basket out his hands. She regarded him somberly. ¡°This is an averted tragedy indeed. You were right as always.¡± Well, that was satisfying but a bit mystifying as well. Lark rarely agreed with anything without a real fight beforehand. Thus began, Tessa Rei¡¯s life began with the Damaris merchant clan.
Character Introduction: Main Female Character Tessa Rei Gender: Female Age: 16-26 Appearance: Short black and blue hair long fringe over right eye. Slightly slanted eyes, right ¨C blue, left ¨C gold. Features hint at a bloodline other than purely human. Her ears have a feline tilt and tufts of fur on the ends. She has slightly tanned skin, which is mottled with stripes of black and orange along her high cheekbones, arms and legs. She doesn¡¯t possess a tail that anyone has ever seen. Height ¨C 5¡¯6¡±. Slender build with enough curvature to prove she¡¯s female, predominantly athletic and not afraid to hide the fact. She favors loose fitting clothing but will dress formally when the occasion calls for it. She was born with a marking on her throat that resembles a stiletto. Believed to be either cursed or blessed depending on which kingdom she resides in. Personality: Mischievous, brooding, grouchy, lively it all depends on her environs. She has a short temper and sharp tongue, which makes her a loner. However, she does have a kind heart. Sometimes she¡¯ll be found assisting youngsters doing chores if they¡¯re assigned something too difficult to accomplish by other adults who don¡¯t enjoy watching over them while in a city. Background: A bit of a mystery because she was a year or so old when a traveling band of merchants found Tessa Rei in a cliff filled with ancient rusty weapons. It was a known fact that the area they traveled in was haunted with revenants from a buried town. Since she had characteristics of a feline, they determined that she¡¯d come from one of the legendary feline colonies. However, the speculation about her origins remains a mystery. Currently she¡¯s sixteen and remains with the merchants that found her. She knows she¡¯ll have to separate from them and make an independent life of her own. Doing so might be difficult since she doesn¡¯t know what skills she has would be useful in the city. Location: Burmese Seaport, Dandre Kingdom Main Male Character Meridian (Ian) Cerne Gender: Male Age: 18-28 Appearance ¨C Silver frosted green hair, black eyes, and dark skin with pointed ears. 6¡¯, slender but muscular build. Favors loose or tight-fitting clothing, boots, and always carries a sword or bow as weapons even in the city. Personality: Quiet, reserved, and aloof on first meeting. Once he gets to know people, he¡¯s a prankster and full of mischief. He¡¯s got a temper but has trained in self-control and won¡¯t let anything provoke him, unless there¡¯s unfathomable cruelty. At that point, he may snap and massacre the ones being cruel. If that happens, he¡¯ll disappear somewhere for a few days to cool down, so he won¡¯t hurt others. Yet, he¡¯s never been charged with crimes since the ones killed were criminals that would escape through loopholes in the current judicial system which doesn¡¯t exist. He is a human/fae hybrid but won¡¯t disclose the reason why he¡¯s mingling among the humans, much less the merchant clan that Tessa Rei travels with. Location: Burmese Seaport, Dandre Kingdom Laina Damaris Gender: Female Age: 17-27 Appearance ¨C braided into a bun, blond hair with violet streaks on either side of her ears, large blue eyes, and a fair complexion. She¡¯s 5¡¯6¡± and buxom. She dresses neatly and favors corsets concealed in soft fabrics. She¡¯ll wear breeches, sleeveless vests, and boots when traveling on the routes. Carries a knife, ax, and hidden needles in her hair. She never knows when she¡¯ll need to repair wounds or torn clothing for someone. Personality ¨C Somewhat grouchy, aloof, and snooty towards strangers. Growing up she was class conscious and rude. She¡¯s become less so since intermingling with Tessa, Meridian, and Trey. They tended to treat her rudely and make her think twice before treating them as if they were servants. She¡¯s also figured out that being friendly towards them will gain their support when she wants to make a break from the merchant clan to avoid an unwanted marriage. Location: Burmese Seaport, Dandre Kingdom Trey Conrad Gender: Male Age: 20-30 Appearance: Can alter it with an illusion so no one knows what he truly looks like. Currently, around the trio he calls friends. He¡¯s 6¡¯2¡±, has short brown hair, dark blue eyes, and dark complexion. He¡¯s generally found working in the portable garden that feeds the merchant clan their vegetable and herbs. He¡¯s also a blacksmith, and herbalist. He tends to wear loose flowing vests, breeches, and boots. He carries a scythe and broadsword. Personality: Enigmatic and not inclined to reveal his past to anyone. Came to the merchant clan as an apprentice and remined with them due to disinclination towards going back to his mountain brethren. He¡¯s believed to be fae or something else, but no one knows for sure. Location: Burmese Seaport, Dandre Kingdom World: Cadel ¨C twelve large continents, four explored, eight remain unknown and veiled behind barriers that keep magical intruders out. Current continents known about ¨C Dandre Kingdom first continent Grenada. Separated into three smaller states ¨C Burmese, Dandre, and Ganghe. Ganghe is where Burmese Port is located. It focuses on export and import of supplies. It is seventeen miles away from Abalone Bay that hosts educational opportunities of all kinds. Present ¨C Tessa Rei eventually wants to relocate to Abalone Bay where she knows of family members who reside there. She also wants to learn about her past. She¡¯s been alerted to the fact that somewhere in Abalone Bay, a relative resides. To travel there, she needs marketable skills. She needs experience in dealing with city dwellers as well. She has three other friends who¡¯re looking for similar opportunities in Abalone. However, all of them are redirected to somewhere they¡¯ve never been and don¡¯t have a clue as to how they got there. Mussel-Waste ¨C a large peninsula that could sometimes be mistaken for a mini-continent due to its variety of landscapes. Now the four adventurers have discovered a problem. They¡¯re stuck somewhere and must use what innate talents and abilities latent but now present and untamed, to survive. Species: Humans, hybrids, demons, demi-deities, fae, and others to be determined.
Burmese Bay Seaport, Country ¨C Ganghe, Kingdom ¨C Dandre, Continent ¨C Grenada Waystation 21 ¨C The middle of forty-two waystations set in the route going to Burmese Bay Seaport 9 a.m. The quiet corner of the enormous waystation was shattered with angry shouts and furious snarls. A heavyset man brandished a spiked club at a young woman seated in front of a tidy caravan. ¡°Hey there, Missy! No felines allowed. Get out of this waystation.¡± Baffled, Tessa Rei pushed hair from her eyes and stared at the stranger in bafflement. ¡°May I help you sir?¡± She regarded him cautiously. She didn¡¯t budge although the club swung dangerously close to her face. She remained composed, but small sparks began flying up from the fireplace. ¡°Begone, stranger. She is not fully feline.¡± A male voice called out. ¡°Leave else you turn into a torch swinging that thing around.¡± Tessa Rei remained motionless. At her perch, she was greatly disadvantaged which annoyed her to say the least. She had a small branch at her side which she gripped tightly in her left hand. ¡°I thought weapons are banned in this way station.¡± Damaris Rendon materialized from a large caravan wagon. ¡°May I know what your name and rank are?¡± He addressed the man politely. The strange huffed and backed down as soon as he realized who addressed him. ¡°Pah, a mage, a Merchant Leader, both protecting a bastardization of a feline and human?!¡± His outraged expression didn¡¯t make the others budge. ¡°I demand removal of this stain upon the grounds.¡± He screeched, foaming at the mouth as he swiped at Tessa, but missed as she rolled off her perch and swung her branch in retaliation. His screeching cut off as she managed to hit him squarely between his legs. He crashed to the ground, right into the campfire. Immediately the stench of burning flesh engulfed the small area. ¡°Oh, disgusting!¡± ¡°Get rid of that stinking scum.¡± Another complaint roared from another wagon. ¡°Why must this happen every time we stop on a route in the East?¡± Laina came out and sighed when she came over to Tessa. ¡°Are you all right?¡± She helped the other girl up, while keeping a wary eye on the scorched man who was bellowing in pain as other guardsmen hauled him off in chains. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but I don¡¯t know what impact this will have on the Damaris merchant clan caravan.¡± Tessa murmured uneasily. ¡°Nothing. We leave as planned later today.¡± Damaris Rendon proclaimed. ¡°Is there anyone else who wishes to take further issue with my clan citizens?¡± When no further challenges issued, he nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Good, now disperse!¡± To Be Continued East Gate Entrance (Burmese Bay Seaport Arc) Burmese Bay Seaport, Country ¨C Ganghe, Kingdom ¨C Dandre, Continent ¨C Grenada East Gate Entrance - One of Eight Gates - specific entry point for Damaris Clan route into and out of Burmese Seaport 4 p.m. Colder winds blew, making everyone shiver. Tessa Rei rode with four companions who were on the main path to the Eighth Gate, Eastern Entrance. None of them were in a chatty mood. Earlier, at a way station, a fight broke out as to what order people would arrive in the caravans. Tessa hadn¡¯t remained to hear the results of the conflict, she¡¯d just gone back to her wagon, and worked on some projects that needed completion before they got underway. ¡°Tessa!¡± A loud voice echoed. ¡°Get your riding gear on. We¡¯re heading out now!¡± The ebullience made Tessa roll her eyes. ¡°What do you mean, Meridian?¡± She demanded, poking her head out of a window. Tessa wasn¡¯t budging unless she had to. ¡°What I said, we¡¯re on our way out now. We¡¯re in the second picket of caravans heading into the East Gate.¡± Meridian waved a hand at her. ¡°That means we must start moving out, now. The first tier already dispersed.¡± Tessa grunted. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean we still need to work on order of whom follows first?¡± She wasn¡¯t impressed. Meridian shook his head and sighed when she merely scowled at him. ¡°Meh, they¡¯re already in line. If we don¡¯t get gong now, we¡¯ll get booted to the rear and wind up camping outside of the walls.¡± He frowned at her. ¡°Why¡¯re you so disinclined toward going now?¡± Tessa thought about it. ¡°Dunno, I just feel as if something is going terribly awry when we reach the inner wall of the entry gate.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I could be paranoid from the latest incidents occurring when people mistook me for some ancient royalty that hasn¡¯t been seen in two thousand years.¡± Meridian snorted. ¡°Oh that. Yeah, I can see why going in there would be a turn off.¡± He sighed. ¡°Look Tessa, this may be our only chance to literally go our separate ways.¡± Hmm¡­Tessa finally understood what else he meant. ¡°All right, all right. Let me secure everything inside so that nothing falls out.¡± Not that she had much to secure, but it never hurt to double check. ¡°I¡¯ll join you all in a few minutes.¡± She didn¡¯t feel comfortable with him waiting outside for her. ¡°Okay, promise me you¡¯ll actually join us.¡± Meridian frowned at her. ¡°Do realize that I¡¯ll sic Laina on you if you don¡¯t.¡± Bah, she would drive me nuts. ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Tessa flapped a hand at him. ¡°Just let me do this will you?¡± Sheesh what insistence. Something else must¡¯ve happened to make him this anxious. * Several days and weeks later to the present¡­ An eclectic set of towers spiraled around the seaport, eight in all. Eight spirals represented eight gates of entry into Burmese Seaport and exit to various routes that tangled outside of the various portions that divided into three states, Burmese, Dandre, and Ganghe. ¡°Tessa what are you reading about in that pamphlet you picked up at the last waystation?¡± The question startled Tessa Rei as she comfortably balanced in the saddle of the horse she rode. ¡°Did you really need to scare me like that, Trey? Why are you over here, when you¡¯re supposed to be in front?¡± She squeaked. ¡°Oh sorry.¡± Laughter glinted in Trey¡¯s dark blue eyes indicating he felt no remorse whatsoever. ¡°Jackass.¡± After a moment of settling her heartbeat, Tessa sighed. ¡°I¡¯m reading about the entrances to Burmese Seaport.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you all wanted to know, so I didn¡¯t mention it before.¡± He stole it from her and looked through it. ¡°Oh, I remember this. They make it all mysterious and such.¡± Trey rolled his eyes and politely handed it back to Tessa. This time it was right where she¡¯d opened it. ¡°Err, thanks.¡± His action spooked her. ¡°Did you help write this by any chance?¡± ¡°Nope, but Laina might have or even Meridian did. They¡¯ve both been here before.¡± Trey shrugged. ¡°I opted not to enter the walls before. This time I¡¯m going to simply because the Clan Leader forbade me from refusing.¡± His mouth tightened, a sure sign of his distaste. ¡°Ah well, we¡¯ll have to enter it at some point, right?¡± Tessa, now that they¡¯d arrived at the spiral gate, wasn¡¯t as certain about how she felt after all this time. ¡°It never fails to impress me with the grandeur.¡± Although she knew full well that it required constant maintenance to resemble that polished sight. ¡°You¡¯re right, Tessa, it is a wondrous sight. It never grows old.¡± The other female agreed rather absently. She frowned at a bit of embroidery she held in one hand and folded it away so she could focus on the present. ¡°Are you almost finished with the latest tribute, Laina?¡± Tessa inquired of the blue-eyed blond female who¡¯d held the embroidery earlier. ¡°Uhm, I finished it at the last way station before we encountered those stupid bandits.¡± Laina shrugged. ¡°What about you, Tessa?¡± Tessa shrugged. ¡°Nothing.¡± She frowned. ¡°They were pretty specific about what was allowed and wasn¡¯t.¡± A sigh escaped her. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to pull from the generic pool if there¡¯s anything left.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Laina frowned. ¡°So, what you¡¯re telling me is that nothing you¡¯ve crafted is suitable this time?¡± Tessa nodded. ¡°It happens on occasion.¡± More frequently this time around than before. She recognized that someone wasn¡¯t laying fair in the merchant clan, but who cared? She had a contact that she could communicate with in order to solve the problem. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few options.¡± She wasn¡¯t worried about the problem. There was always a way to work around any situation. She grunted. ¡°Unless of course we have to provide it at the entrance, in which case, I will have an issue.¡± She exchanged worried glances with Laina. One of the two men overhearing their conversion grunted. ¡°No, they aren¡¯t. that is forbidden now.¡± He made a peculiar sight with pointed ears, dark skin, silver frosted green hair, and piercing intense black eyes. ¡°Too many brawls broke out in the past for it to remain feasible as it grew out of hand.¡± He had a bow slung over one shoulder but didn¡¯t mind its weight. ¡°Eh, Ian, you sure those facts are right?¡± The other male spoke up. His short brown hair floated around his face and ears. He shifted his weight and turned his head to face them. Dark blue eyes glinted at them from beneath furrowed brows. Tessa regarded Trey with exasperation. What a grump. As if they needed more humbug right now. Currently their travel was peaceful, she would enjoy keeping it that way if possible. His attitude wasn¡¯t helping keep that wish on board. ¡°Bah, keep up the cynical stance and furrowed brows, you¡¯ll turn into an ogre, Trey Conrad.¡± Tessa warned. ¡°You come up with the oddest things to say on sojourns such as these.¡± Trey waved a hand dismissively though he scowled at her in disbelief. Tessa smirked because she knew none of them would take her words as truth. Well, Trey might but he wouldn¡¯t acknowledge what she said as anything but balderdash. ¡°I have seen that happen though no one believed me.¡± She shrugged, smiled at his scowl. ¡°Then again, I don¡¯t know what you truly look like either.¡± Her unconcerned demeanor took the sting from her comment. The mediator and bowman of the group made a slashing movement with his hand. ¡°Enough with the snipes.¡± He shook his head when Tessa rolled her eyes. ¡°As for you, Trey, what do you really think?¡± Trey snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± He folded his arms over his chest. Laina laughed at them. ¡°Meh, who cares?¡± ¡°Good point.¡± Ian stretched. ¡°We¡¯ll eventually go inside one way or another.¡± He yawned. ¡°I want to sleep in a real bed tonight.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Laina frowned. ¡°I heard something from the main Elders. We might not secure rooms so easily during our stay here.¡± ¡°I heard something as well.¡± Tessa tapped her lower lip. ¡°It ties in with all these tributes being requested. Something about an anniversary occurring, I believe?¡± She knew about most historical events but not all that surrounded Burmese Seaport. ¡°Oh yes, I forgot about that.¡± Laina nodded in bemusement. ¡°No wonder there is so little variance in tributes allowed.¡± Large violet eyes sparkled with anticipation. ¡°This means some of the royal family members are in attendance.¡± Ah, right, yay. Somehow Tessa felt a tad uneasy about that possibility. She noticed Meridian paled a little upon hearing about that bit of news. Huh, neither of them were pleased even though Trey and Laina appeared cheery about the prospect. All that meant was more trouble ahead of them. Yippee, not. Tessa grunted. ¡°Oh well. I might have to come up with something individualistic after all.¡± She shook her head wearily. ¡°Guess I¡¯d better go to the caravan, I¡¯m assigned and come up with something posthaste.¡± She wasn¡¯t pleased with the notion. ¡°No.¡± Trey shook his head. ¡°It is better to stay in line and state ¡®No tribute I could make is worthy enough to be presented,¡¯ to the one requesting a tribute. In this instance, honesty is the better part of dealing with officials here in the Burmese Seaport.¡± ¡°Funny you should say that. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d come here in the past.¡± Laina regarded him with surprise. Tessa was a tad shocked as well. The caravan only made it to Burmese Seaport every fourth year. Since she joined the caravan, Tessa only heard about it, she¡¯d never witnessed it. Each time the caravan convened in its huge number of members. Clan leaders would draw lots. Only by a stroke of luck, with the former leader falling ill, were they given the opportunity to come. Now Tessa wondered if there was something less simple about it this time. She glanced at the others, Trey shook his head slightly, and she let it pass. There were times when speculating only brought trouble down upon one¡¯s head. She would live without that possibility right now. "Oh look, we''re at the main entrance now." Laina forcibly ended the brooding thoughts Tessa indulged. They would have to wait another time when she had a moment¡¯s peace. ¡°Soon we¡¯ll be asked a few questions.¡± Trey commented. ¡°Remember what I said, Tessa.¡± Oh, she would remember all right. The last thing Tessa wanted was a discrepancy noted about her appearance and words. That also meant she might need to pay a penalty of some kind. Not pleasant, but not too worrisome either. Loud noise and bustle engulfed them as soon as they passed two guards posted on either side of the gate. Tessa answered specific questions and was directed to the route that would take her immediately to Silver Fire Dragon Tavern. She was pleased to note that Trey, Laina and Meridian also went that direction as well. Just the thought of roaming the streets alone was terrifying to her. ¡°Now the adventure truly begins.¡± She murmured. ¡°Aye!¡± The others cheered with the sense of accomplishment of having made it through the gates without delay. Now it was time to head to the tavern and learn about their latest assignments and work. Even while in the tavern, there was always something to be done to enhance the clan merchant¡¯s visibility and wares, no matter where they settled. The thought crossed Tessa¡¯s mind that something might happen before they arrived. ¡°What the hell are more trashy merchant traders doing here?¡± A snotty voice rang out. Right on cue. Tessa sighed as she and the others shifted their mounts to one side. Of course, their arrival wasn¡¯t complete without some snotty attitudinal royal brat interrupting what was mainly a peaceful entry into the Seaport. ¡°We¡¯re not just a ¡®trashy¡¯ merchant trader.¡± Laina matched the snotty attitude and made the person gawk at her in shock. ¡°Show some respect, bitch.¡± A guard barked. ¡°That is Coriander Josiah Dandre.¡± ¡°Blah, blah, blah¡­boring.¡± Laina snapped. ¡°Who cares? There is Royalty wherever we go.¡± She sneered. ¡°I have no interest. Let¡¯s go.¡± She led the way with Meridian, Tessa and Trey following in haste. There was no telling what the guard or royal might do with that attitude. ¡°Guardsmen Tavis, Caleb, follow them. I want to know more about the green haired individual and the one with the dual colored eyes.¡± Royal Coriander bellowed loudly enough for them to hear. ¡°Damnation.¡± Laina sighed. ¡°Sorry for letting my tongue get the better of me.¡± Tessa had expected something like this to happen as soon as the snotty brat spoke. ¡°No worries. I knew it would occur once we entered.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Now what to do about the tails is something else entirely.¡± ¡°Let them follow. I¡¯m sure that Merchant Clan Leader has a plan.¡± Trey commented. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m loathe to roam around here without a guide.¡± ¡°Neither Laina and I are proficient in the roads around here either.¡± Meridian added. ¡°Fine, fine, let¡¯s stop wasting time then.¡± Tessa yawned. ¡°I don¡¯t know about either of you, but I didn¡¯t get enough sleep last night.¡± Besides, she was a tad curious to see how the Merchant Clan Leaders would handle this latest twist on their entrance to the seaport. Without another word, the four of them set off at a fast canter. It went without saying they wouldn¡¯t leave the Royal¡¯s loyal dogs in their dust, but they wouldn¡¯t give them an easy path to follow either. Their route led through some of the roughest dirt roads possible. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t any pot holes or worse to break a leg of a fast-moving critter. To Be Continued Silver Fire Dragon Tavern (Burmese Seaport Arc) Burmese Bay Seaport, Country ¨C Ganghe, Kingdom ¨C Dandre, Continent ¨C Grenada Silver Fire Dragon Tavern ¨C local hangout for merchants at the East Gate 5 p.m. Forty-five minutes to an hour or so, the four of them finally came to a halt. All of them wheezed from sheer exhaustion. One of them, a slim female, pushed blue tinted black hair away from her eyes. She gazed in sheer admiration and trepidation at the enormous spiral gate that indicated they¡¯d arrived at the Burmese Seaport. They¡¯d paused in order to give each other time to compose themselves. They were very close to their primary destination. ¡°Is it just me or did the spirals enlarge again?¡± Tessa murmured nervously. ¡°Not just you. The farther downward we travel, the bigger those things become.¡± Trey wrinkled his nose. ¡°A serious waste of magic and material.¡± He shook his head wearily. ¡°I hope those buildings anchored the magic to something substantial before they died. Else these things will tumble down the first time an oversized wave rip through here.¡± Laina sighed. ¡°They did.¡± She smiled at Trey. ¡°That was one of the first things they did.¡± Meridian grunted. ¡°No matter. At least the tails went spinning into a different direction when we split on the bridge that headed in three alternate directions.¡± None of which those tails could follow. They had to pick and chose and gave up at that point, at least Tessa hoped so. ¡°Did any of us mention where we were headed within their earshot earlier?" She didn''t remember. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. They¡¯ll find us eventually.¡± Trey shrugged indifferently. ¡°What happens after that all comes down to what Damaris has plans for Laina and other women of the clan who¡¯re of the same age.¡± Tessa grimaced. ¡°I pointblank refused.¡± She did recall him considering offers of marriage for her as well. ¡°I won¡¯t repeat what I said, but I did shock him somewhat.¡± She¡¯d declined them all very bluntly citing her disinclination toward the male gender. ¡°I¡¯m probably out of favor with him for the time being.¡± Not at all the truth, but she hadn¡¯t found any male or female to her liking. Besides, there was too much else she wanted to do with her time. ¡°That might be why my notions of tributes were all refused.¡± Laina shook her head. ¡°Some of mine were refused as well initially.¡± She wrinkled her nose. ¡°Though if that brat was any indication, I think we¡¯re all lucky to not pay tribute in this case.¡± Tessa nodded. ¡°I¡¯m in complete agreement with you on that score.¡± The two males merely shrugged. ¡°Then we¡¯re in agreement that we can move onward, now?¡± Trey suggested impatiently. ¡°I want to explore before the rougher element shows their faces.¡± Meh, Tessa grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± She was tired. ¡°We¡¯re almost there, Trey.¡± Meridian scowled at him. ¡°Just one right turn and we¡¯ll be at the entrance door.¡± Silent with anticipation and trepidation, Tessa took the lead because none of the others would budge. A sigh escaped her as she studied the sight before her. ¡°Somehow, I was expecting something a little more impressive.¡± She did admire the sign. Painted beautifully, the silver fire dragon appeared to come and looked directly at her briefly. In one narrowed alleyway, a small innocuous appearing building squeezed between the primary and secondary eastern entrance gates. The Silver Fire Dragon Tavern hosted a neutral stance towards all men and women who traveled through Burmese Seaport and tolerated nothing that resembled foul play. ¡°Here are the prodigals.¡± Damaris called out jovially. The four of them snapped out of their momentary enchantment. Skittish they all glanced at each other warily. What the hell was that back there? Tessa shivered. She glanced at the dragon, but it was once more a mere single image against a rounded piece of board. She bowed her head in brief acknowledgement at the tavern master. He stared at her with pursed lips and narrowed eyes. Then he inclined his head back to her and whispered. ¡°The time has come for you to embark upon a journey. When the frost touches the rooftops, tis then that you¡¯ll whisk away elsewhere.¡± He straightened and moved onward to the others. Tessa didn¡¯t look back. She sensed uneasiness flooding the air from Laina, Trey and Meridian. Evidently, they received prediction as well. Just wonderful way to begin their day in the Silver Fire Dragon Tavern. ¡°What else do you know about this place?¡± Tessa murmured to Laina. ¡°Well they also have agreements with other nearby taverns to house and feed various merchant groups while they resided within the Seaport, selling their goods, purchasing supplies and heading back out on their myriad paths.¡± Laina shrugged. ¡°Which means I dunno whether we¡¯ll actually stay here tonight or not.¡± Meridian grunted. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think¡­not.¡± He glanced at Trey. ¡°You?¡± Trey shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll give it at least one night. If nothing changes for the better, then I¡¯ll look around elsewhere.¡± He smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯ll also make sure none of you become trapped here either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rude, youngster.¡± A buxom woman chastised him.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Sorry, Mistress Verna.¡± Laina interposed herself between Trey and the Tavern Mistress. ¡°We¡¯ve suffered from some unnecessary encounters earlier and that, I¡¯m afraid shortened our tempers somewhat.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Mistress Verna looked from her to Tessa and the others and back to Laina. ¡°I¡¯m guessing the rest of the caravan is going to show up?¡± ¡°Aye, which is why we came in the second fleet.¡± Laina nodded vigorously. ¡°Bah. Very well then, I¡¯ll forgive the rudeness this once.¡± She frowned at Trey. ¡°Your illusion types are the worst when it comes to manners.¡± She flipped a hand at them. ¡°Go on now. I need to prepare.¡± ¡°Yes, Mistress.¡± Laina motioned for the others to dismount. ¡°Just bring the saddle bags. All the rest of the items will be taken care of by the horse boys.¡± Tessa sighed, slung the bags over her shoulders, and carried the weapons crossed over her back. Just as they entered the main hall, a voice boomed from outside. ¡°Where are those wenches and males that accompanied the first wave of the Damaris merchant Clan?¡± Oh dear. It was that royal. The foursome hunched their shoulders and sighed. ¡°Guess it was too much to hope that they would give up.¡± Tessa muttered. ¡°I¡¯m sick of these domineering bastards.¡± Laina growled. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one.¡± Trey muttered. ¡°They¡¯re relentless on the hunt.¡± ¡°It appears that we¡¯re the prey.¡± Meridian rubbed his forehead. ¡°No matter what you are to them, you¡¯re guests here.¡± The tavern master made the statement and they jumped in surprise when he added. ¡°The silver fire activated and therefore you¡¯re welcome to remain here as long as needed.¡± Huh, what did that mean? Tessa exchanged troubled glances with the other three. She sighed and moved to a table where she plopped down and rested her head on folded arms. Now she was too tired to focus on anything. ¡°Mind your manners, Royal brat.¡± Mistress Verna stopped the demands. ¡°You¡¯ll gain no entry in here with those men.¡± She slashed a hand through the air when someone evidently meant to shove past her. ¡°Might I remind you that this is a neutral location, my lords?¡± She reiterated very coldly that they weren¡¯t welcome in the tavern. ¡°You can wait until the tributary takes place on the morrow, just like every other demanding royal that showed their faces here.¡± Much angry cursing was heard clearly through the doorway. However, the angry Royal finally went away. There were sighs of relief all the way around. Damaris rubbed the back of his neck as he surveyed the drooping foursome. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re now under the auspices of the guardian, I cannot very well make you show up for anything on the morrow.¡± He turned to face the Tavern Master and Mistress. ¡°How many more of my caravans can you house?¡± He put his head together with the others. ¡°I may request some of them to go to other taverns and inns to as to not to burden you.¡± ¡°That depends on how many you have with you.¡± ¡°Four hundred men, women and children. Half again as many livestock.¡± Damaris told them. ¡°We can do half that number.¡± ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll go and guide the others to different locations.¡± He paused. ¡°Or you can have a representative with appropriate tokens come from the other places and they can guide them.¡± He sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want any people bottlenecking the streets and alleys with our numerous wagons and livestock.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very considerate, Merchant Clan Leader Damaris.¡± The tavern master murmured. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do since that foursome caused so much trouble ever since they set foot inside the gate.¡± Damaris turned his back on Tessa, Laina, Meridian, and Trey. He very effectively dismissed them from his mind. The brusqueness annoyed them, but they knew better than to irritate him. Instead, they took it as a good sign that he wasn¡¯t going to pester them about future nuptial arrangements. ¡°Guess we should find where we¡¯ll sleep this night.¡± Tessa yawned again. ¡°Goodness me, you¡¯re likely all exhausted by now.¡± Verna murmured. ¡°I¡¯ll just have Lynn lead you girls to one room, and Jinn, the boys to another room. You won¡¯t have connecting doors, but you¡¯ll be placed side by side. This is on Merchant Leader Damaris¡¯ orders.¡± She added when the four of them eyed her in bemusement. ¡°Hurry off now, it is going to get noisy and busy soon.¡± She shooed them off and they hurried away without complaint. Even as she mentioned it. A low roar of murmurs filled the entrance. That very night, the Damaris merchant clan showed up en masse. They were a huge caravan of fifty or more vehicles drawn by various animals. Riding alongside them on horses were a small group of four that hadn¡¯t joined with the main group that came in first. Fortunately, the journeying foursome were snug in their beds and fast asleep with the doors¡¯ locks securely fastened and the same with the windows. No one dared attempt to break in with so many mages and warriors flooding the area. Too tired to dream, but fully aware of something not quite right, Tessa sank into a reflective trance. What she saw shocked her indeed.
Water gushing through a large exposed hole in a wall like the dry washed tavern, many people laid in states of unconscious stupor. Vile stenches of liquor and worse fouled the air. Tessa, Laina, Trey and Meridian were the only ones standing and they each had kerchiefs covering their faces. They stood surrounded by menacing figures in black clothing that concealed their features. All of them held sharp shining black knives enscripted with gold leaf and burnished silver. All of them tinted red with blood. None of the Damaris merchant clan remained alive¡­none except Laina. The others shielded her as they debated their options. However, an unholy shriek rent the air. Snarls and howls drifted in from outside. The water continued filling the lower levels of the large room. ¡°What do you want from us?¡± Tessa demanded. ¡°Your life¡¯s blood, bitch.¡± One of the attackers condescended to speak. ¡°You hold the key to immortality. A hybrid feline human.¡± The sneer made her hackles rise. ¡°You¡¯ll do well as the latest specimen collected. The rest are useless trash. It took us sixteen long years to track your whereabouts. Too bad your friends will die.¡± Oh no they wouldn¡¯t. Tessa had enough of people dying just because of her unique existence. ¡°I think not.¡± ¡°We seconded that.¡± The other three chorused. ¡°I also don¡¯t condone violence within my walls, much less my home.¡± A silver mist coalesced in the middle of the room around the four of them. ¡°You¡¯ve come after the wrong targets, Millidyne.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Millidyne sneered. ¡°You think you can beat me in that useless mist form, Iridescence?¡± He made a scornful laugh. ¡°No, but they can with my assistance. However, in this case, we¡¯re taking a little trip elsewhere.¡± Iridescence retorted and pulled them out of the place with a poof.
Tessa woke with a start. ¡°The hell was that dream.¡± She muttered. Though it hadn¡¯t felt anything of the sort. More like it was a prophecy, a warning of the future to come. She grunted in confusion because now she didn¡¯t know what to think anymore. She rubbed her forehead with a sigh. She didn¡¯t think frost tinted the rooftops yet. Now though, she had to wonder what type of building this was and what the history of it really contained. She yawned, rose from her bed and went to the small shelf of books that was nearby the bed. If she couldn¡¯t sleep, Tessa figured she might as well read. No matter that the tributary was only later that evening. She suspected none of them were expected to show their faces. Fine with her, she didn¡¯t want to doll up for some affair she had no interest in.