~Chapter 11~
Mae's hands hadn't left Karanosi's or Ven's since they arrived at the towns gate. It was a quaint town of stone and wood, nestled in a valley between two mountain ranges, with the main road stretching east to west, across the entirety of the country known as Horizn's Deep.
The Thay were far more imposing than she expected, near all of them having harsh glares thanks to the naturally sharp arches of their excessively long eyebrows. They looked more like off-colored angels than the avian race she had imagined in her head. There were no beaks, and they had human features, save for their wings and tails. And some of them had the most exquisite plumage that just narrowly escaped dusting the street. The females seemed to have more purples in the sheen of their feathers, while the males more reds, their hair matching, although she spotted some with white or silver streaks. On the men, it seemed most common for their hair to be long, lower shoulder to waist in length, but on the women, it was difficult to tell, as she had yet to see one that didn't have theirs tied up or hidden under a hat but could easily assume it was much the same. Their dress was also distinct in nature; tight, high necks, sleeves that extended passed the wrists and often the entire hand, shoulders commonly exposed. Boots and shoes varied, from sandals with wooden soles, to soft leather boots that covered the calves. Long robes seemed like casual wear, and for those working, pants with longer shirts that stopped above the knee or at the thigh. There were no bright or flashy colors, all were dull and earthen toned or natural in appearance.
Adventurers were the easiest to spot, next to the guards, as leather and armor seemed the wardrobe of choice, and weapons were kept clearly visible.
The Galron seemed more easy-going than the Thay but were less dragon than Ven described. To her, they were gargoyles. Very large, very intimidating, bi-pedal gargoyles. Wings, horns, tails, fangs, and golden starshaped pupils on indigo blue eyes.
She had yet to see any adult under six feet tall, and the Thay had to average eight to nine, if one counted the length of their ears or the way the tips of their wings extended above their heads when folded. Even Karanosi, thanks to his forward leaning posture, looked short in comparison, and that made Mae look even more like a child. Which, oddly enough, even at her age, she technically, on that planet, still was, and that was not a comforting thought. But between the imposing Thay and intimidating Galron, were the Cynocephali, realities version of Anubis, if he had been a part of a species. Nowhere near as numerous in shape or size to the dog breeds of earth, the canine race still came in an impressive variety. Short fur with long hair, in an array of white, brown, black, and tans. Hands not paws, claws instead of nails, but still paws for feet. They stood with bent knees, on the balls of their feet, near identical to Karanosi, also making them appear shorter than the Thay and Galron too.
They also seemed the most pleasant of everyone, although there wasn't a single being in all the town that didn't acknowledge Karanosi's passing with a slight nod or reverent bow.
Near the center of the town, they turned left and walked all the way to the end of the dirt street at the base of mountain cliff, stopping before a building of stone. It had no doors and three, pointed archways that allowed anyone who wished to enter. There were three steps up into the building and once they entered Mae took note that there were 2 more archways along both sides. There were rugs and pillows laid out on the floor, an altar with a myriad of offerings at its base, and a large statue, a globe, cut in 4 equal parts, separated out, with a set of balanced scales at the core, hanging above it from chains, and it appeared to have been carved from the same black stone as Venificus' fireplace.
"Karanosi. It's a strange day when you grace our Lady's temple with your presence," a Thay man, dressed in heavy leather armor said as he approached from near the altar. "What can the shadow mistress do for you and your brood-lings?"
"Kashurin, my friend. It is always a pleasure," Karanosi replied as he reached up his hand, the Thay leaning down so he could tap his brow, before shaking hands and embracing like brothers.
"It truly is good to see you. As you can see, we are swamped in pilgrims these days," he remarked as he motioned to the empty area. "It has been too long, and to have brought your children with you. What a treat. How are you Venificus?"
"I am well, Kashurin."
"And who might you be little one?" Kashurin asked as he knelt down before Mae, deflating what was left of her adult pride.
"This is my sister, Elahemé," Ven replied, setting his hands upon her shoulders.
"Ah, another stray for your brood Karanosi," he chuckled as he looked up and then turned his attention back to Mae. "Fortune smiles upon you girl. I don't know what happened for you to end up in a dragon's care, but there be no better a one to be found. You will do well under his wings. Just look at Venificus if you have doubts."
Mae had been biting her tongue so hard she feared it was going to start bleeding when Kashurin stood and began to walk with Karanosi towards the altar, instantly relieving her of the need to speak.
"Ne'soka will be overjoyed at your visit. Come, she is in her office."
"Truly, I thank you, but I've come on business. Ven, take Mae outside to the market."
Mae had wanted to stay, she had wanted to plead her case, but Karanosi smiled and waved her off as Ven pulled at her hand.
"Come along Mae," Ven remarked, and uncertain of what else to do, without acting like a child, she obediently bowed and followed him back outside.
"Ah, so glad that is over. I really dislike going in there," Ven complained, "Always makes me feel guilty for never making proper vows, but I figured, 'why does it matter?' I spend more than half my time in the Shaad anyways, and no other world is going to care about what I did or didn't do here."
"He thought I was a child."
"To him, you are. To be fair, I tried to warn you. And you are sort of child-sized."
"Well, where I'm from, I'm a grown ass adult! This is humiliating," she stressed as she grabbed at the front of his shirt and pulled him down so she could speak into his ear. "Tell me the truth, Ven, is this a child's robe?"
"Yes," he replied with a nervous laugh, wrapping his hands over hers. "This was one of Karanosi's daughters, as were the rest. They wore them when they were about ten, maybe twelve, and you are quite a bit shorter than them."
"That's not helping," she replied as she released him. "What's even worse is that I'm still above average where I'm from."
"It's really not so bad. And there is a reason he allowed Kashurin to think as he did," Ven said as he took a hold of her hand, and offered her a reassuring smile, even though she felt as if she were going to burst into tears. "If you want that audience with Omb, you must trust in Karanosi."
"I'm trying. I just can't imagine why a deity would want to have a conversation with a child."
"Because you're not a child. You are a young woman seeking to make her vows. Or, at least, I suspect that is the angle Karanosi is going to present."
"If it's that easy, why wouldn't that work with the other aspects?"
"Because he probably didn't think it would work with this one," Ven replied with a subdued laugh as he walked her towards the town center, that had been carefully paved with stones.
As far as towns went, this one seemed rather sleepy. While there were some people walking along the store fronts, the streets had few travelers, and the ones that were present, Mae kept her eyes from, focusing on her feet to avoid reacting to the appearances of their mounts. For the few that she did glimpse were monstrous in size or appearance, or both.
"As I told you, Omb is more accessible," Ven continued as they casually strolled along the sidewalk. "If this works, it will be because Karanosi is claiming you as his brood-ling. And a dragon offering up one of his brood to an Aspect, well that doesn't happen every day. Omb will take notice, and having friends in her temple will make it happen that much faster."
"And here I was hoping to ask for a straight forward favor. Something nice and easy, no subterfuge needed."
"I think you'll come to find that nothing here is quiet so easy where you're involved. Now, how about we get you some leathers and more adult clothing."
"I won't say no to that," she replied as he led her across the street to a building with a dress displayed in the window.
Shopping, it seemed was the same on both worlds; pick stuff out, pay for it. Although here it was a far more personal affair from what she had experienced. With supplies drastically limited, the clothing on the racks were more like samples, and in this particular shop, there were only a handful available for purchase. Fabrics were expensive, and the care taken in even making casual robes was not to be underestimated, adding value to even the simplest of designs. Sitting at a table in the back of the shop, Ven had her look through the books of patterns, where he had her select three, and filled out the order slip with the pattern numbers before calling over one of the clerks. Lucky for Mae, she had a good understanding of fabrics and colors, and for a moment, she felt as if some of her knowledge and years of work were somehow valid as the kindly older Thay, had her select fabrics and trims from an array of swatches and spools, before taking her measurements. She found it to be a delightful experience, and when they were done, Ven took her down the street to the undergarment shop, where the experience, just as delightful, was also very different.
Ven was kind enough to spare no expense when it came to what she needed, and when she would select one thing, he would grab an extra of each, whether she thought she needed it or not. In her mind, she still couldn't seem to wrap her head around the fact that this wasn't going to be a short stay, and without saying it outright, he was trying to remind her that it could be years. And while she was in no position to protest his generosity, need and want were two separate things, and she refused to accept what she was certain she didn't need.
With two shops down, Ven dragged her further down the road, promising that it would be the final stop before they would head back the town center to wait for Karanosi, and before she could refuse, she found herself standing in a shop that smelt of leather. It had a rustic, old western feel to it, with dark wood floors and exposed beams, and in every corner something of leather from adventurer's gear to mount tack. Unlike the other two shops that seemed to focus on the shopping experience, with friendly clerks who eagerly greeted them as clients, this place was run by a Cyno, whose face resembled a Dobermans with a gruff attitude to match.
It was strange to Mae that the proprietor didn't seem pleased by Venificus bringing her into the store at first, calling Ven, Foedari, with a growl once he noticed they had come inside.
"Ghrifal," Ven responded as he brought Mae closer to the counter.
"Why are you here?"
"I've brought my sister. She's in need of new leathers," Ven replied, sidestepping to reveal her to the Cyno, he had called Ghrifal.
After eyeing her up and down, he pulled a pad of paper from a slot in the wall behind him saying, "Aisle 3. Bin 6, 9 maybe 10, bit hard to tell with that garish gown on. Let me see your feet."
She lifted the edge of her robe, trying not to be insulted as she happened to like what she was wearing.
"17," he concluded before waving them off.
"Follow me," Ven replied as he led her through the store towards the back, passed shelves of bins that for most would have been shoulder high. "Ah, here we are."
"Ven," she whispered to him. "Should we not be here?"
"Why would you think that?"
"Well, he certainly didn't seem happy to see you."
"It doesn't matter. Ghrifal is the best leather smith in all of Horizn's Deep, possibly even Lar'dion too. He takes issue with Karanosi, not me, and certainly not you."
"What issue could he possibly have with Karanosi?"
"No idea. They just don't like each other. It's always been like that between them," he replied as he moved down the aisle stopping when he found the first bin. "Ghrifal acts like Karanosi owes him an apology, and for whatever reason, he won't give him one."
"Stubborn pride?" she asked as he pulled out the bin and handed her a bundle of leather wrapped in lacing.
"Probably. As reasonable as he seems, he does have his moments. In this case, I think it has more to do with a rivalry. At least that's the sense I've gotten over the years."
Once Ven had given her one item from each bin, he sent her into a changing area to put everything on. The pants were easy to figure out, and so were the boots, but the top left her confused, since it was little more than a handful of leather pieces, partially laced together, and a bundle of separate lacing.
Stomping on what was left of her dignity and swallowing the remainder of her pride, she used the most childishly pitched voice she could manage and called to Ven.
"Brother, can you please help me with this. I seem to have tangled the lacing."
She felt like throwing up again the moment she had committed to the act, but it was done, and Ven was now standing on the other side of the curtain, chuckling to himself.
"You aren't serious, are you?" he questioned while trying to regain his composure.
"Do you really think I would have called to you otherwise? Of course, I'm serious. This is a pile of leather and some string. How am I supposed to figure this out without a pattern or instructions? If you want me out of here anytime soon, help me! I suck at puzzles when I'm under pressure," she explained as she held the bundle of parts out to him.
"Are you covered?" he asked as he took the leather from her.
"Look, if it isn't weird, just get in here. If it is weird then put it together and hand it back."
"It's less weird than you may think," he replied as he opened the curtain and motioned for her to turn around with an amused grin. "I probably should have explained this before sending you in here."
"Indeed," she replied as he set pieces over her shoulders, tightened laces and wrapped others around her just to hold other bits in place.
Even with his help it didn't make much sense to her, as most of the pieces were still in a pile on the floor when he nodded and began to pull what was on, off.
"It will fit proper once it's assembled, which we can do at home. The pants look perfect too, bin 9?"
"Yeah," she replied still uncertain of how she felt about what was happening.
"I'll put the 10's back. It never fails to impress how accurate he is just by looking at someone," he remarked as he picked up the extra pants and gathered the pieces of the shirt. "How do the boots fit?"
"Different, but comfortable."
"Good. Put your robe back on while I settle up with Ghrifal," he said as he exited the changing area, leaving her once again to fend for herself.
Having finished changing, she joined Ven at the counter where she set down the pants and the boots.
"Orbs in the bag. Instructions are on the back of the receipt," Ghrifal stated as he put the cloths into a fabric bag and handed it towards her. "If you need anything else, there's a shop in Sap'letor."
"If it's all the same to you," she replied as she took the bag from him, "I'd rather not have to travel that far when I suspect the quality won't compare to what you're selling."
"Ha, and what would you know about quality, Kid?"
"First, not that this really matters, but I'm not a kid. I'm just small compared to everyone else. Secondly, I'm a seamstress and I'm not a complete stranger to working with leathers. You round your edges for comfort. Your seams lay exquisitely flush. You even took the time to taper your laces. And despite its thickness the leather is soft and has movement, so either quality hide or you spend a lot of time working with the skins before using them."
Ghrifal seemed amused by her little rant, leaning over his counter and resting his chin in his hand, his amber eyes transfixed to hers.
"Fine. Give me your name, and you can shop in here whenever you like," he said with an unsettling tone which left her shaken.
It felt like a trap and her mind began swarming. Going over every word, every interaction, examining every movement she made. Questioning everything she had done since entering the shop including breathing! She felt like she was about to faint, when Ven set his hands onto her shoulders, stopping the spin of the world.
"This is Elahemé."
"Foedari or Savhejan?"
"Foedari," he replied as he straightened the scarf of her hat. "But make no mistake, he considers her as he does me."
Glancing up, she saw Ghrifal's brows pull in and his ears fold back. There was concern, if not sadness behind his expression. Perhaps he had seen her hands trembling or picked up on her nerves as they began to spiral, and with his nose, he had to have been able to smell the sweat on her palms.
She was weak. Something so simple as giving her name and it caused her to crack. Her conviction was nothing but a fragile façade, crumbling under the smallest of doubts.
"Hmph, I won't fault a stray for being a stray," he muttered as she lowered her head, while Ven finished tying her hat back into place.
She clutched at the bag and her skirt, and stared at her toes, begging herself not to cry. Because as pathetic as it seemed, she had learned a valuable lesson. She learned that she didn't understand enough about this world to pretend like she knew anything at all or to act without thinking. For all she knew, giving this Cyno her name could have landed her in a cage. Not only did they have size, but they had magic and knew all the rules. Comparatively, all she had, was nothing.