Summary:
Amity sneaks Sasha out on a night-time tour around Bonesborough
"You're not gonna lose the leg but it's gonna take a while until you can walk on it again."
"Can you not use some of your magic stuff to fix it?"
"I'm not trained in healing so not really."
Sasha looked down at her broken leg. Barely illuminated from a lantern in the basement, Amity had fixed her affliction to the best of her ability. Which was little more than a band-aid.
"You know, you owe me big time for this."
"I owe you?? You didn't tell me about these stairs. It's your fault my leg is broken."
"You're lucky I'm not turning you in to the emperor right now, asshole."
"I bet you feel really big and tough, huh? Getting the law involved cause you're butthurt and you know I'm right."
"Uggghhhhhh you're so annoying to argue with!"
Amity banged her fist on a keg of apple blood in frustration. A barrel dislodged and rolled onto the floor, rolling into Sasha's foot.
"MUTHERFUCKER!"
"Ok that one was my fault."
"That hurt like a bitch." Sasha sharply exhaled and clutched her foot in pain.
"I'm sorry, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"Yea whatever." Sasha blew away a stray strand of hair that had fallen over her eyes.
Amity sighed, she felt like banging her fist on another keg of apple blood but stopped herself. After a few seconds, she unclenched her fist.
"Look, nobody ever comes down here so… I'll let you stay while you're waiting for your leg to heal. I'll even try and sneak some food down to you every once in a while. But once your leg's healed, I'm throwing you out on the street."
"Once in a while??" Sasha protested. "You're gonna come down here one night and I'll be dead from starvation. Plus, I don't know a single thing about this town. Where's food or shelter or anything? Outta sight, outta mind for you I guess. You rich a-holes are all the same. But me- I'm gonna die out there!! Jesus christ I mean-"
"SHUT UPPP! Oh my Titan!"
Amity buried her head in her right hand and exhaled strongly.
"Look, I'll show you around really quick tomorrow so you don't die but that's it, alright?"
"Why not toniiiiight?" Sasha pressed.
"I have school tomorrow, half-wit!"
"Yellllllling. Why don't you just skip?" Sasha stared at her nails.
"I don't know how school works on your side of the portal but I'm an honors student and in order to do good in school, you actually have to show up." Amity lectured.
Sasha grinned. "Oh so you're a suck up then."
"I AM NOT.." Amity paused for a moment to compose herself. "Actually, you know what? I'm not gonna be judged by the likes of you. I'm better than this. Get a good night's sleep or whatever and remember who's putting a roof over your head."
Amity walked away up the stairs back into the hall, slamming the door behind her. Sasha found herself in near complete darkness, spare for the lantern. She tried to look up and count the cracks on the ceiling to get her to sleep, like she had done plenty of times before, but the darkness made it impossible to see. She propped her head up on a bag of grain and rested her hands on her chest.
"Anne, Marcy… I hope you're doing better than me now."
—————————————————————-
"I brought you something to eat!" Amity called down into the basement.
"FInally! I haven't eaten since breakfast."
"Breakfast?" Amity questioned while walking down the lengthy staircase.
"Yea I found some rations. I think? It tasted pretty bad." Sasha scratched her head and fumbled around for the empty can she had eaten from but couldn't find it.
"Well I don't know what you ate earlier but I got you real food." Amity threw over a brown paper bag to Sasha, who caught it in her lap.
"Willow? Who's Willow?" Sasha asked, reading the name written on the side.
"Oh she's no one. Just eat it."
Sasha unwrapped a diagonally cut sandwich with the crusts removed and chowed down, devouring both pieces in about half a minute. She rustled about in the bag, pulling out a sealed baggy of tangerine slices, a juicebox of a fruit she'd never seen before and a note.
'We are so proud of you! Have a great day!!
-Dad and Papa <3'
"You stole this, didn't you?"
Amity gulped, and made no comment.
"Yeah I figured. I had a feeling you weren't the honor student you made yourself out to be."
Sasha smugly smirked in realisation she was right, but that smirk soon faded when she thought about what that meant about Amity.
"I'm gonna eat this but next time don't steal for me."
"Beggars can't be choosers. Now I'm going up to my room to get some homework done. Don't do anything stupid til tomorrow morning."
"No wait, don't go!"
Amity stopped in her tracks and shot Sasha a frustrated look.
"What do you want?"
"You promised." Sasha looked at her with a wide-eyed, pouty look of naivete. It was fake but shockingly convincing.
"What? What are you- ohhhh. Okay, it's five now. I'll be back around ten when everyone's already asleep. Then I can put you on my mom's old broom and we can go for a little night-time flight around town. But just this once and you better not draw any attention to yourself. That clear?"
"Crystal."
After a few hours passed, Amity returned with the broom. She found Sasha repeatedly throwing the scrunched up paper bag against the wall to pass the time.
"Get on."
"I'm gonna need your help with that." Sasha pointed to her broken leg and shot Amity a look.
"Oh my Titan, just, here."
Amity positioned herself at the front of the broom handle.
"Hold on to my back and you'll be fine."
"Okay…."
Sasha lifted up her leg and slid onto the back of the broom, then put her hands on top of Amity's shoulders.
"So, what now?"
"We're gonna fly out of the cellar door and out through the garden." Amity pointed to a closed cellar door in the far corner of the room.
"Sounds kinda showy."
"Well you demanded a trip, I'm gonna give you one. Now hold on tight."
Amity did a little jump and the two hovered a couple inches off the ground. She leaned forward and the broom was moving at an ever-increasing speed. They gained velocity as they approached the cellar door. Sasha put one hand over her eyes, bracing for impact while Amity held one hand out to swing the door open. Her timing was perfect and they made it out the basement safely and out into the garden. As they soared several metres into the sky, Sasha looked down at the manor she had spent the last few days locked inside of. The moss followed her and Amity up the walls of the house. Amity set her eyes on the spire, the centrepiece of the manor, pulling the broom up. Sasha's jaw dropped, watching her and Amity's shadows being cast on the tinted glass as they breezed past at rapid speeds. Her grip tightened as Amity finished off their rapid ascent by looping several times around the tip of the spire.
"I think I'm gonna be sick."
"Not on my house you won't."
"I can't promise you that.." Sasha said as her face turned green.
"Jeez if you can't handle that little flight then we might as well turn around now."
"No I'm okay!" Sasha proclaimed. "I'm alright, really! Let's keep going!"
"If you insist." Amity shrugged and readjusted her grip on the broom. "Hold on tight again."
Sasha did as Amity instructed and the two were quickly back in motion. They flew just above the tips of the trees; Sasha watched them get blown back as they passed by. The forest outside Bonesborough was dense and tall, meaning Sasha couldn't even make out the ground below her, though the sky above seemed interesting enough. The night was tinted a deep purple and the sheer brightness of the constellations mesmerised her. As Sasha felt the wind blow through her hair, she wished she could let go of Amity and spread her arms out, fully taking in the force of the elements. But she could settle for closing her eyes and isolating that rush of sensations into an unfiltered feeling of immense joy. Amity remained focused on steering and navigation, dodging any particularly tall trees and flying creatures.
The bones on the outside of town neared closer. For as powerful as Sasha felt from flying at ludicrous speeds several feet in the air, even she couldn't help but feel dwarfed by their immense impending size. She shivered when thinking about what horrifying beast these bones must've come from. Amity paid them no mind and pulled back on her broom, signalling it to slow down. The mighty ferns had made way to similarly mighty towers and buildings. They poked and twisted up to the heavens in an almost playful manner. The night muted the beautiful autumnal maroons, oranges and browns of the angular roofs, though the stained glass windows still looked magnificent as the gentle glows of the moon cast through them. It was civilization, but it was nothing like she recognized back home.
Amity landed her and Sasha down in a back alley behind a fishmongers. Remembering about the broken leg, Amity cast an abomination to pick up Sasha and carry her around. Sasha held her stomach for a few seconds while Amity fixed her hair.
"Okay before we go in I need you to hold still. If anyone learns you're human you'll be thrown out or probably worse."
"What are you gonna do about it?"
"Make your ears pointy, dummy. Just hold still a sec."
Amity made a quick hand gesture and Sasha's ears stretched out and compressed until they had become as pointy as the average witch's.
"Woah, that's really cool. Thanks." Sasha remarked as she felt her new ears.
"Don't mention it. That should last a while. Now come with me."
Amity started marching out of the alleyway.
"Where are we going?"
"I'm picking you up some food now so I don't have to keep sneaking downstairs to feed you. You can digest fear bark, right?"
"What like from a tree???"
Amity sighed.
"What can you eat?"
"Meat, bread, vegetables, really just normal food and not whatever freaky fantasy food you people eat."
"Do you have to be so obnoxious all the time?"
"No but I try."
Amity rolled her eyes and peered out from behind the alleyway.
"About a block from here there's a bakery. They have bread and cheese and eggs and other bland and tasteless food you people eat. Follow my lead."
Amity snook around the corner and walked briskly but casually down the street. The bakery sign swung above in the evening wind. The lights were still on inside.
"I'll order. You just stand behind me and be quiet." Amity instructed.
The bell rung as Amity and Sasha walked through the door of the bakery. The baker, a large, red-scaled woman, woke out of their stupor and looked up across the store.
"Welcome into Pyra's bakery, what can I getcha?"
"Hi can I get a loaf of white bread, a few selkidomus pies and a croissant please."
"Comin right up."
The Cashier looked behind her and yelled out the following:
"BABE! I NEED A NUMBER 1 A NUMBER 3 AND 2 NUMBER 9s!"
"okay!" A meek voice from the foyer called back.
"Selkidomus? What kind of meat is th-"
"Shut up." Amity commanded through gritted teeth.
"What, I'm just asking?"
A short horned woman with pointed eyes and turquoise blue skin emerged.
"Y-You two are girlfriends?" Sasha blurted out.
"Three years goin' strong." The red skinned one said as she threw a white cloth over her shoulder. Her girlfriend approached, placing the two girls' orders on the counter and resting her head upon Pyra's other shoulder.
"Why don't you get married already?" Sasha pried.
Amity elbowed her in the stomach, causing the abomination to nearly drop her.
"Oh my Titan. Were you raised in isolation in selkidomus caves?"
"No, no, it's fine." The blue skinned one said. "Marriage licenses are just expensive here in Bonesborough, that's all."
"We've been saving for months for one."
"Aww that's sweet." Sasha commented. "And will someone please tell me what the hell a selkidomus is? I should probably know given that's my breakfast tomorrow."
"You new around here?"
"I THINK WE GOTTA GO THANKS FOR THE FOOD BYEEEEE!" Amity shouted as she grabbed the food and dragged Sasha out of the store by the scruff of the abomination's neck.
"Shit gimme a sec"
Realising she forgot to pay, Amity swung the door open and threw the money in before abruptly closing it.
"'what's a selkidomus' Are you genuinely so stupid??? Seriously???"
"So what?"
"What's a selkidomus?" Amity waved her arms angrily.
"We wouldn't be here if you just told me the first time…"
"I can't believe you. It's not even interesting at all they're just fat sea creatures. I'm never doing this again." Amity's scorn was interrupted by the sound of whistling coming from across the street.
"Oh my titan, it's the fairy pie guy. Sasha, you've gotta try this."
"I thought you were mad at me?"
"I am mad at you, but I don't mess around about fairy pie."
Amity dragged Sasha and her abomination across the street to the fairy pie vendor, an elderly bipedal dog man.
"Oh if it isn't the young Blight daughter… and who is this girl with you?"
"This is uhh my cousin from out of town, Sasha. She's here on family business." Amity awkwardly pulled a distracted Sasha next to her and smiled a forced smile. "Can I get a slice of fairy pie please?"
"Of course, one slice of fairy pie coming right up. Ten snails please."
"Here you go." With a shaky hand, Amity handed over the money. In turn, the vendor gave her a to-go box of fairy pie.
"It's getting late so you get to bed now young lady." The fairy pie vendor waved and continued along their path. Amity brought Sasha over underneath the awning of a recently closed bookstore and sat on the floor. She commanded the abomination to lower Sasha next to her. Amity nibbled at her pie while Sasha stared over wide-eyed.
"Do you want some?"
"I'd appreciate it."
"Fine. You can have some."
Amity snapped off a sizable piece for Sasha, who crammed it into her mouth and started munching without hesitation.
"Did no one teach you table manners?"
"Get off my case!" Sasha protested, after swallowing the pie in her mouth.
"Besides, how am I supposed to know if you have the same, like, customs and everything? For all I know, you cut up cats and dogs and eat them for breakfast."
"What! No, I'd never do nothing bad to a cat. I love cats. If we ever have any spare meat that's gonna go bad, I'll give it to the strays around here. You're pretty quick to jump to conclusions, you know that? I get you're scared and everything's new to you here but that's no reason to be rude. I might be a witch and from a well-off family but we're both just teenage girls, at the end of the day."
Sasha scoffed.
"How do you know my family isn't also rich?"
"You called me a rich a-hole earlier."
"Oh yea. lol."
Amity gave her a sarcastic look, and both started chuckling. Sasha slouched further against the wall, practically lying down at this point. She rested her hands on her stomach.
"You know, no one has ever really stuck up to my mom like that before. Not even my dad. It's like you knew the perfect words to say to get her to shut up."
"Shitty parents aren't exclusive to… this place you know."
"It's called the Boiling Isles. And yea, it sucks"
"..."
"..."
"Wanna go slime a stall at the night market?"
"Oh hell yea, let's go."
—————————————————————-
"So what kinda stuff happens at the night market?" Sasha asked, trailing behind Amity as she led her through the market.
"Uhhh I'm not super sure cause I don't get the chance to sneak out here too often but I get the picture it's for selling stuff the emperor bans or regulates the sale of. You should ask Ed or Emira, they've been here way more times than me."
Sasha stared at the various twisted paraphernalia on sale. Eyeballs in glasses, bubbling cauldrons, little creatures in cages, dragon claws, selkidomus scales, enchanted weapons and all manner of curses and poisons.
"Ooh that looks badass!" Sasha yelled, staring at a sword that the sign claimed could float and fight alongside you.
"What is it?" Amity sighed.
"Look at this thing!" Sasha pointed excitedly at the sword. Its metal was tinted a crimson red and the handle had a gem encrusted into it.
"It's yours for eight hundred snails." The seller told her. They were a lanky, furry, feline-like creature with lengthy whiskers, charcoal-gray fur and a neck that curved down like a crowbar. They were wearing a cyan blue crop-top and brown leather jacket along with red-tinted sunglasses. Their eyes were a piercing yellow.
"Oh I've heard of this stall I think." Amity butted in. "Hanged man eccentricities. They sell some rare novelties but you'll have to pay through the teeth to get anything."
"Nah girl, I can get the price down, watch this." Sasha cockily asserted. "I'll give you 100"
"750."
"600"
"750"
"500"
"750."
"200, final offer."
"That's… not how this works." Amity said, going red from embarrassment.
"I'll go no lower than 725. Take it or leave it."
"Okay, deal." Sasha agreed, unshaken. "Amity, how many snails have we got?"
"80, but I wanna buy something for 20 so you got 60."
"Okay…. Uuhhh what can I get for 60 smails?" Sasha asked, smiling an embarrassed smile.
The seller rolled their eyes and ducked under their table, rummaging through unseen fantastical novelties.
"This is a cape that can change one small detail about your appearance. It could be hair color, eye color, give you one less nostril. Not super useful but it can do a lot, theoretically. Whatever you can conjure up."
"Amity, could this give me pointy ears like you so I don't stand out so much?"
"That's actually a really good idea. And it means you don't need me to cast the spell for you so yeah, buy it."
"Now this should be 85 but since you and your bickering is driving away potential customers, I'll give it to you for 60 if you are out of my sight in five seconds."
"Done."
Amity handed Sasha the money out of her pocket and threw it down on the countertop, snatching the cape out of the seller's hands. Amity, and the abomination carrying Sasha, ran off further into the market. After they had run a few paces, Sasha pulled herself up on a nearby bench to inspect her cape. It was ragged, and had a faded symbol of a mirror sewed on the inside of it. Amity removed her disguise spell, returning Sasha's ears to normal.
"Okay, now you can make your ears normal yourself."
She tied it around herself and concentrated hard. Soon enough, her ears grew thin and pointy.
"You look a lot better like that." Amity commented.
"Are you flirting?" Sasha teased, raising one eyebrow.
"No! I mean, you don't look weird and freakish now. Don't flatter yourself." Amity crossed her arms and looked away. Sasha snickered.
"Right, right." Sasha yawned. "I'm starting to get sleepy, what was that thing you wanted to buy here? Can we get that and go?"
"Oh it's called a projection shell. You whisper what you want to see into it then put it under your bed and whatever you said'll be your dream that night. Only works the one time though. The guy that sells them is just round here, come on."
Amity lead Sasha round the corner to the very edge of the night market. She pointed to a small purple tent with a sign atop it reading "Health, hypnosis and hypnagogia." The tent was situated next to a grilled flying eel stall and on the opposite site of a potion store named Mr Elixir. Another sign by the opening read "gone for a smoke break, back in five."
"Guess we'll just wait here then."
Amity sat crosslegged on the ground and commanded the abomination to form into a chair shape for Sasha.
"We kinda forgot about sliming the store, huh?"
"Yeah… Some other time."
"Do you know any card games?" Sasha asked.
"Why would I have cards on me right now?" Amity snapped.
"I dunno, I'm just bored." Sasha sighed.
"Oh I know, what about I spy?"
"I'm not five." Sasha rolled her eyes.
The two noticed a tall, pale woman with long hair in a red dress. She was yelling furiously at the guy behind the counter at the potion store.
"Are you serious Morton?? I come here after hours and you can't do so much as give me a tiny discount? There's no taxes or anything, you're ripping me off."
"60 snails Eda, take it or leave it."
"C'mon Morton, you know what happens if I don't have them. Titan's sake, I almost ate a kid yesterday!"
"I know this is dire for you but the guy I get these from expects certain stuff from me so I need you to pay in full for these. I really am sorry Eda."
"Ughhh fine. Now how am I gonna feed those two now? King, do you remember what the kids can digest?"
"All I remember is eggs and fear bark."
"Guess we're going to the forest. Titan, what am I gonna do for lunch tomorrow?"
The Owl Lady slammed 60 snails in assorted coins on the counter and picked up a potato sack filled with yellow potions. Her and King turned their backs to the two girls and began walking in the other direction.
"That tree bark stuff doesn't sound right, are you sure?"
"Would I lie to you?"
"Don't answer a question with another question, wise guy."
Sasha and Amity could see them continue to bicker but by that point, they were out of earshot.
"What's the deal with her?" Sasha asked.
"I think she's called the Owl Lady. We've never talked before but I've seen her face on wanted posters around here. She's really infamous for causing problems, we should keep our distance."
"Why doesn't anyone just collect the bounty?"
"People try all the time. Never goes well."
"Oh yeah, what was that creature she had with her?"
"Titan knows."
At this point, a woman with a snake's tail for legs, wearing a dark blue robe pushed through them into the tent. She turned around back to them, pulling out a catalogue book of spells, potions, and enchanted items.
"What can I do ya for?"
—————————————————————-
Amity landed her and Sasha safely down back in the basement. With a little help from Amity, Sasha was lying comfortably atop a sack of wheat.
"So am I good to leave you for the night, or…." Amity asked as she threw over the food from the bakery in a bag into Sasha's lap.
"Yeah, I'm good." Sasha responded, catching the groceries. She put the food down beside her and wrapped herself in her new cloak. Amity watched for a few seconds then began her ascent up the staircase back to the first floor. All things considered, that had gone smoother than she thought. She looked back to see Sasha tossing and turning to find a comfortable position.
"You okay?"
"Yeah… It can take a while for me to fall asleep sometimes."
"Oh."
Amity continued walking up the stairs, turning around one last time as she reached the door.
"Goodnight."
"Night."