[Blood Moon]
Fifi surprised me.
Her voice echoed in my head, almost giving me a heart attack as I stared at the daunting horizon.
An ominous feeling settled in my stomach, followed by its grumble—a reminder that I have yet to eat anything since arriving in Tollista.
The sky was as red as crimson, and the lone moon accompanying it had dark clouds hanging about, obscuring the light it was giving off.
If someone was to ask me, the atmosphere looked menacing, deadly. However, it was a natural occurrence now and then at Tollista.
Red moon. Blood moon.
It can go both ways.
"I thought you left me for good. Where have you been?"
I abruptly stopped in my tracks, coming close to the destination that the fan vendor provided.
The houses within the vicinity were eerily quiet. No one had left their lights on, and the line of infrastructure stopped a few feet away from where I was standing.
I could see two individual gargoyle statues holding a golden trident from afar. They stood guard on both sides of a pillar. Their opened mouths spouted dark liquid that pooled on a silver basin that never gets full or spilled.
It had my brows raised in a questioning gesture as an iron bridge came into view.
[...]
[I was with you the whole time]
"Are you serious?"
I couldn't help but scoff at Fifi's response.
She didn't reappear before me, but I could imagine her lips pouting at my question. The mental image of the adult-size Fifi bothered me.
I cleared my throat.
"Why did you hide? I'm curious about your sudden disappearance. It made me think I've done something awful."
[...]
[You probably have]
It was my turn to be speechless, my imagination shifting to imaginary monsters suddenly jumping out from the unknown depth of a vast expanse of water below the bridge.
Approaching the gargoyle statues, I could make out pointy rib-like bones surrounding the sides of the iron bridge. It was like looking at a ribcage of a giant creature.
I never knew this kind of place existed in Tollista.
If I had, I might have visited it before settling in Kashjai.
"Fifi," I called out.
[What?]
"What is this place?"
[Gamblers den. It was founded long ago when civilization started to flourish in Tollista. Aside from the market, this makes it the most visited place here. But as the name suggests, not everyone would willingly come unless they have money to waste]
"Gamblers den? What would Bronn be doing in such a place?"
[...]
[What do you think?]
Uncertainty had me squinting my eyes at the fog that clouded the sight of the bridge. It was notable to point out as I remembered the bridge having less fog when I came.
"Deep breaths," I coaxed, tentatively stepping onto the bridge. It didn't sway, but the threat of monsters with crooked teeth or enormous scales made my heart pound harder.
[...]
[Exo's heartbeat is abnormally fast]
"Don't even think about it, Fifi. I don't care if you have grown beautifully, don't use the rest mode! Please!"
[...]
[You think I'm beautiful?]
I scoffed.
"Don't start."
Fifi chose that moment to appear. Her silhouette emitted sparks of golden colors.
When she had taken shape, I looked away, clearing my throat.
Fifi giggled.
"Come on, Exo. Follow me," she cheerfully bid me to come along. Her presence somehow calmed my unsteady nerves.
At an approximate distance, an enormous gate bearing intricate patterns of several beasts came to view. It was slightly opened. On both of its sides, a torch kept the entrance illuminated.
Our steps echoed in the still surroundings. Fifi led the way, her hair and hips swaying along with her dress.
The light colors were attractive to the eyes. A faint flowery fragrance I didn't notice before had wafted in my nose.
Stopping at the foot of the bridge, the slightly opened gate suddenly shut close.
"State your name and purpose."
A loud voice boomed from behind the closed gates, leaving me to wonder if it was safe to proceed or if it was wise to fall back.
I opened my mouth to speak, but Fifi grabbed my arm and squeezed it tightly, halting me. She looked at me and winked, mouthing, 'I got this.'
Standing closer to the gate, Fifi bowed politely, placing a hand over her mouth to hide her cheerful giggles.
"Greetings, I'm one of Pascal's entertainers. My name is Florin. You can ask Pascal himself about my identity. I came tonight with a friend."
There was a grunt from the other side.
I inched closer to Fifi and dropped my voice to whisper in her ears.
"Did you just make that up?"
Fifi harrumphed, ignoring my question.
Feet shuffled from the other side.
A few minutes later, the gate whirred open.
"Whoa," I whistled, seeing two humans wearing masks painted with monster-like faces.
They were dressed in black robes.
They gestured for Fifi and me to enter.
As we stepped inside, I let myself gawk at how grand the building in front of us was.
Tall leafy trees obscured the walkway leading to the grand building. Banners bearing different animals were on display on each side.
Torches kept the walkway lit, just as it had the entrance.
Fifi's soft hands suddenly tugged on mine, jerking me out from my amazement.
"Follow me, and don't do anything stupid," she whispered, hissing every word in my ears.
I scoffed.
"Look who's acting like an adult now," I retorted, watching her ears puff imaginary smoke in annoyance.
She let my hand go. The absence of her skin on mine suddenly made me wish I could hold onto her longer.
The people in black robes ushered us to head inside the grand building, its tall double doors slowly opening as we approached.
Holding it open, they gestured for us to proceed.
Fifi smiled and thanked them, bowing her head and urging me to follow. I reluctantly did as she had, my head lowering enough for me to see the marbled floor.
After accomplishing their task, the two men closed the doors behind us, leaving Fifi and me in darkness.
"Uh," I scratched the back of my head.
And then, someone clapped, bringing the lights back to life.
Before me stood a beautiful woman clad in an ivory silk dress, her red hair cascaded over her overflowing chest.
She smiled coyly at me and Fifi.
"Welcome to the Casa, dear wanderers!"