"Absolutely, positively absurd!! This is simply not enough, I just cannot allow you to swindle me!!" The old woman cried out dramatically and I groaned in disbelief. "Ma'am, with all due respect… we are not trying to swindle you right now!" I gestured towards her and her messy merchant stand as Kara and June wandered around looking for other essential things.
We had successfully got out of Coronis Metro mostly unscathed, and were headed towards Isla Ila Abab, which had been known across Syloris as "The City of Mystery." With June's help, we had picked up some type of lead as to where to go next, but while we were traveling I had realized something.
What was my purpose here?
I knew that Gaster or… whatever his name was, sent me down here to complete this subconscious bucket list of mine. Besides that though, I just couldn't figure out if I was sent here for another reason. I just needed to know that I wasn't wasting my time, or Kara's time and help for that matter.
Kara…
My eyes trailed over to where she had been conversing with another nearby merchant with June right there beside her. I couldn't tell what was being said, but I knew she had a way with words. She was always so charming and enchanting…
"Young man!! Now you listen here boy, only fools dare to cross over into Ila Abab! Utter fools!" The lady I had been trying to communicate with whipped me out of my thoughts in a flash and I simply let out a grumble.
"So what if I am a fool, huh?! I've got business there, so either you give us boarding passes or not!!" I snapped right back at her with a low growl. I was about to say more but I felt a hand on my shoulder that instantly drew my attention away from the senile woman.
"So sorry about that, ma'am. My husband is just really anxious to get to his family in Isla Ila Abab, so please excuse his crudeness." Kara bowed her head towards the woman and gave a sincere apology on behalf of me. I looked away, completely flustered by what was taking place and messed with my hair anxiously.
"Yeah we're really sorry Miss Lady!! Daddy just really misses his mama and pa too, just like I would!" June chirped in and went along with Kara's little act, which led to me feeling even more embarrassed for myself than before.
I couldn't tell if I was more embarrassed by how well they had convinced the woman judging by how suddenly her expression changed, or if the very idea of being married to Kara had made me flushed all over. My guess would have been the second option, but I couldn't tell if that made me creepy or not so I tried to push the whole ordeal out of my head the very moment it came along. I smiled nervously at the lady and rubbed the back of my head to sell the anxious act even though I didn't necessarily have to try too hard.
"Ah! Your family is on the Isle, eh? I understand, why, if my son was coming back home with a beautiful family, I'd want him on the first boat over!" She cackled with a hand over her mouth and we all joined her half-heartedly to encourage the direction of this conversation before she abruptly stopped, "Very well then. If you wish to travel to Isla Ila Abab, you'll want to barter with the twins in the hostel. They're tricksters straight from the slums of that island, so keep yer wits about ya, eh? There's somethin' off 'bout them lads..." The lady muttered the last part under her breath after giving us a set of instructions and a crinkled wad of parchment.
I straightened it out just enough to make out that it was a map of where we were currently located. The hostel was the only one written in on the map, and it was a short distance away. I silently pumped my fist in celebration, glad that we were on what felt like the fastest track to making progress through this new world. Something still bugged me though, but I couldn't quite place my finger on what.
"Thank you so much, ma'am! We'll be sure to save a family photo just to repay you!" Kara smiled with a small laugh before ushering June and I away from the table altogether. "Bye old lady!" June waved ecstatically and followed Kara's lead happily, whereas I was more embarrassed than anything once again and trailed noiselessly behind them.
"Perrin, I understand that you were practically a social pariah in your past life, but things are different here. You need to overcome being so aloof if you really want to get out of this place." Kara stopped and turned to face me once we were past the several merchant booths, her eyes fixed on my face with an unwelcoming gaze. I stopped in my tracks and held my hands up defensively, "But you know I've never been great with people-"
"That's no excuse!" She cut me off with a sharp edge in her tone, "When will you stop making excuses for how you are and just do something about it instead? When will you finally decide to do better for yourself?"
Something about the way she spoke to me made a pit form in my stomach. I gulped, but my throat had easily become Death Valley. I didn't even realize that my hands had made their way to my hair and were combing anxiously as if searching for a purpose or at least a distraction. What did she mean? The pit was growing and I could feel it unraveling within me. I couldn't even tell if I was breathing or not, but time didn't seem to be in motion anymore. What did I do? There was something so comforting yet so terrifying about the sound of my heartbeat drumming endlessly in my ears, as if this wasn't some foreign sensation. What am I doing? My thoughts were racing and there was a hammering in my head. My temples thrummed with pain and everything felt too real. That gust of wind sent shivers down my spine but the sun was blazing, so how could I have been cold? I became wary of even the slightest movements and my eyes darted from one thing to the next. Where am I? A wave of nausea hit and my center of gravity had done a 180. It was only a matter of seconds before the dizzying blurs swirling around my vision were consumed by total darkness.
I wish I'd known at the time that that wouldn't be my last encounter with such a terrible notion, but alas, it was the first task on my list, and was first for a reason.