"Kershin Market... I have to admit, I was not keen on coming back after the last visit." Janette muttered in a low voice, head sulking as she manned the reins at the head of the carriage. Just as before, the trip lasted several hours with their impending arrival leaving them an estimated two hours of daylight before sunset. Although her carriage was small and meant for only a small party to travel with, the cat family easily fit when they transformed into their cat forms and got comfortable resting on the passengers laps.
Syri jumped on her head, startling the poor woman before climbing down. One white burst of magical energy temporarily blinded her sight before she felt the soft weight of a cute Nekomata woman sitting on her lap.
"Oopsie." Syri smirked, scooching her butt over to squeeze in between Janette and Felix in the front bench. "You guys came in before huh, what happened?"
Felix scooted back, leaning his elbow over the edge of his seat to make room. "Well, Jay here convinced us of coming here for a fun trip to see this circus."
"What's a circus?" She asked with a curious look.
"It wasn't just a circus, it was a travelling performance show that passed by. One of my friends told me about it and I thought it would be fun for all of us to go see."
"Okay, what's a circus?" Syri asked, wiggling her cat tails behind her.
Janette scrunched her face in thought, waving her hand in small rotations as she struggled to think of an explanation. "Well it's uhh, it'ssss... like this large group that moves around much like you guys, except they go to places and stay for the night to perform a fun magic show for others to enjoy... under a huge tent!"
"We move around because we are homeless and people are trying to kill us." Syri corrected her, looking unfazed and tilting her head. "Are they homeless too?"
"Well!" Janette turned red, looking away and clearing her throat. "Felix?"
"Ay~uuuhh no-not quite! At least I hope not." He stuttered, scratching his neck and adjusting the collar on his tunic.
Syri's silver hair bounced as she flicked her head, looking between Felix and Janette. "So what happened, you made them angry?"
"No, sort of." Felix explained, "We went and it was some fun, there was this magician there-"
"Arcaye" Janette scowled, hunching forward with a huff.
"Yes, Arcaye. He was doing these fancy magic tricks and it was fun... until he called KuliKuli as a volunteer."
"Oh!" Syri exclaimed with wide eyes, shaking her head and shriveling in concern. "Oh no."
"Yup, he turned her invisible, didn't bring her back until I demanded him to. Then he did, but he figured out she was a Nekomata. Actually it's because of him that we realized someone was after her. He mentioned that there was this bounty on her head. We got into some trouble, rescued a monster and this woman Reta knew, and then set the place on fire before escaping."
"It was on accident." Janette reminded him, ignoring Syri's shocked expression.
"You set the big tent on fire? And you didn't get caught?"
"Yup." Felix nodded. "We stayed away from the place after that. Didn't want anyone to come after us."
"We figured it would be safer to stay at home and I would go back to work in Farmer's Den, until you know."
"We came along." Syri whispered as the realization struck and her ears dropped in sadness. "I'm sorry we brought you guys more trouble."
"Hey, you guys are KuliKuli's family." Felix clarified, nudging her with an assuring smile. "We wouldn't say no to helping you. I mean yes, there's a lot we need to deal with now like with all our lives in danger, Farmer's Den swarming with scary soldiers, and now a Monster Hunter coming after us."
Syri sunk lower and lower in her seat as he carried on, with Janette turning to notice before jumping in.
"Ehh~hey! I've a feeling we would be in trouble anyways, we're not the best at keeping safe. Call it a bad omen or something. Besides, there are good things about you guys coming here. Like us getting to know you all."
"You think so?" Her face lit up with a hopeful expression, smiling as she looked up to Janette.
Janette blushed and turned back to keep her eyes on the dirt road. "Yea, I do. Huh, we're here."
Felix breathed in and braced himself, noticing Syri as she leaned in closer to Janette. Her eyes were wide open and her tails were trembling as they crossed over the wooden bridge, the carriage shaking and bouncing up and down with each step taken by the front horses. The bridge began to sway lightly from side to side, with Syri squeaking in terror and clinging to Janette's arm as she held her paw back to comfort her.
"It'll be over before you know it." Janette assured her, trying to ease her fears as Syri noticed the ravine they were crossing through.
Felix tapped her arm to get her attention. "Look forward, don't look down. Trust me, it doesn't help."
She swallowed and nodded back, staring forward and holding her breath as the carriage rocked and bumped until they finally crossed over toward a smooth cobblestone road. The tall lanterns surrounding the sides of the road remained unlit due to the brief hour of daylight they still had, and it was then that Felix reminded Syri of her appearance. She understood and quickly reverted back to her cat form, sitting over Janette's lap to watch as they entered Kershin Market.
"I guess it's always crowded regardless of the time of day." He commented as they slowed down due to the surrounding traffic of pedestrians crossing through.
Janette scoffed, blowing raspberries with her tongue. "Live a few years in the city and you'll learn that traffic is just an everyday part of life."
"So I see." He mentioned, looking outward as he spotted a young boy shouting from atop a large crate at the corner of an intersection.
"Get yer local news here! Smuggling ring discovered at the downtown section! More Saurians and Kobolds left without homes and families! East wing church plans event to raise donations for Milaf Orphanage! Monster sightings at Forbidden Fay Forest on the rise! Read about why the Ironhand dwarves are on strike right here!"
"Geez, it's like no one gets a rest no matter where you go." Felix sighed, looking around with an uneasy look in his eyes.
"Relax, this isn't easy for me either. No one's mentioned anything but just to be sure." She pulled up by the street corner, snapping her fingers to grab the boys attention. "Hey kid, how much?"
"Oy! Just five pents miss, you won't regret it. Get yer local news right here before the press publishes their piece." He beamed as he held out his hand.
"Pents?" Janette dug around in her satchel before retrieving a few silver coins. "How's this?"
"Lords, three silver!" His eyes grew twice their size and he eagerly pushed the newspaper into her hand while jumping with glee. "My lady, thank you so kindly! Oy, you ever want the first dibs to learn what happens before the Kershin press gets their grubby hands on the news? You come to me, right? Friends call me Merlin, you find one of my chaps selling their papers an' tell 'em Merlin sent you. You get the next paper for free!"
"Thanks." She chuckled before passing the reins onto Felix. "Here, just keep going forward. I'll tell you where to turn."
The next few minutes she spent scanning around the news, turning the page and looking around. "No mention of the circus, seems we're safe for now."
"That's a relief, but why are you taking us-oh!" Felix winced as one of the horses whined. "Sorry!"
"Whatch where ye' going!" Someone shouted at, shaking their fist as they moved on.
Felix wiped the sweat off his brow when Janette tapped his arm and pointed to the right. "Here, pull over here!"
"Jay, this is close to where we stopped before. I thought we wanted to avoid this place?" He asked, calmly hopping off the carriage and helping her step down as she lifted her dress.
Syri climbed around and stayed nuzzled against her shoulder as Janette knocked on the carriage passenger door, hearing someone knock back from inside before pulling the door open. "Trust me, I know someone here who can help us around the corner. Just let me take the lead."
"Okay." He swallowed and licked his lips, feeling nervous as Reta and KuliKuli stepped down wearing cloaks while the three other Nekomata's climbed out in their cat forms.
"Okay, we're here." Janette smiled, looking back at the others with her hand pressed against the wooden door.
Reta looked up at the sign and raised her brow, sniffing her nose in the air. KuliKuli followed soon, her little nose wiggling before she sneezed. "Achoo! I smell that funny stuff you gave us to celebrate."
"It smells of your wine." Reta mentioned with a glare aimed at Janette.
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, this is where I get my wine from. It's the sweetest stuff so don't you dare mock me for it! Just stay silent and behave, that means no touching, no snappy remarks, and no childish behavior!"
She pushed through as everyone stepped inside.
As they walked in, Felix and KuliKuli looked around at this new place they found themselves in. From outside, the wooden building stood out amongst the street full of concrete stores, with the lit lantern hung beside the front entrance signaling that this place was open for customers. There were no windows to look inside, and upon entering they could see why. The environment and architecture was all crafted from oak wood, with thin support beams keeping the top floor steady with a lantern hung on each one for lighting. The flooring seemed shiny and polished, somehow clean while maintaining that familiar creek with each step. Plenty of circular tables set up with a number of stools for each customer, and the tavern itself was heavily crowded with voices roaring and echoing, cheering in laughter and raising wooden mugs before swallowing down their gullet.
From the far rear stood a flight of stairs creeping upwards with a sign that read 'INN' plastered against the wall. One worker came down from the stairs at that moment, a finely dressed maiden with a short skirt, a tight top and neck-length blonde hair around a beautiful face as she carried a platter of dishes behind the bar. A few large men pushed past the main group, calling out a friends name before joining the rest of their group and calling for drinks and service. Against that wall was the bar stretching to the far end with an open gap for access. Plenty of shelves stacked and filled with hundreds of shiny bottles with corks for lids, as well as plenty of heavy barrels stacked at a corner with a large on sat upon the bar leaning table on its side with a drink dispenser point inward.
"I thought we were coming here for food rations?" Reta asked. "This is a tavern. A tavern full of alcohol, meant for celebration. This is not the rations we are looking for.
"Just stay calm like I told you to. And stay close." Janette brushed her aside, calmly hopping toward one of the nearby stools against the main bar. Her fingers drummed along the surface of the counter until another bar worker attended to her, this one appearing to be a tall man with a small mustache, short hair, and a clean suit with his sleeves tucked in.
"What will you be having today, miss?" He looked up in recognition. "Miss Janette?"
"Hey Yoku." Janette grinned. "You've kept in shape."
"Have I ever!" He eagerly shook her hand much to her delight. "It's been nearly a year, we were beginning to wonder! She was started to get cranky without you dropping by. How is the shop coming along, been making any good deals as of late? Tell me, the farm folk, they don't all reek of pig shit and expired rum do they? Met any fine women while you're there? I do hear the accent there is enough to leave a city woman weak in the knees."
"Yoku!" Janette blushed furiously, slamming her hand on the counter.
"Oh dearest me, where are my manners!" Yoku struggled to contain his giggle, leaning in with his eyebrows bobbing up and down. "I said the quiet part loud again haven't I? Please forgive me J-"
"Yoku listen, I'd love to stay and reminisce but is she here?" Janette asked, cutting him short and holding his hand.
Syri meowed and tilted her head, her heart flaring up. Felix nudged her with his foot and pressed a finger to his lips as they stood back in silence. He was startled when a voice spoke out to him.
"Oi, no cats allowed down 'ere! Yer gunna 'ave t'keep d'lotta 'em li'l shites outsides!"
"I'm sorry miss, we won't be a minute here." He turned to explain. "My friend is here to just-"
There was no one there. He looked around left and right, puzzled at what just happened.
Yoku glanced over her shoulder and scanned the rest of the group with a questioning look. "Janette, hun, you know she isn't keen about bringing pets inside."
"I know I know, but is she here?" She asked again.
"Yes of course, she's here right now serving a few customers." He pointed out, with Janette turning around and spotting Felix as he swung his head left and right.
"Look, ay din care if ye wee lass is 'ere fer a pint! Keep dem li'l buggers outside, ah din want t'be cleaning up any o'dem messes dey leave behind, or see 'em turnin' de walls into a scratch post! Get tae!"
"Miss? I-er." He swung around and looked at KuliKuli and Reta, both of them shrugging before pointing to his leg. He glanced down and was met with a little girl with overgrown orange hair tied into twin pigtails that hung down to her waist.
Felix himself was a short man, around five and a half feet in height, but this girl seemed much shorter in comparison. Not toddler short, but he would guess she was around four feet tall. She wore a pair of boots that reached her knees, a brown skirt, and a funny looking circular pad on her chest that seemed to resemble a dish platter, only it seemed a tad rusted with four belts shooting out from it and wrapping around her torso to keep it secured. She stomped her foot down and pointed at the small clutter of cats behind his leg.
"What?" He asked, raising his hands as she stepped closer with a furious growl.
"What are ye bleeding hearts looking at eh? Never seen a dwarf run a business before?"
Reta stepped in with a puzzled look. "You're not a child?"
"A child!?" Her nose flared and her hands balled into fists, shaking in the air before stomping her feet back and forth. "Listen 'ere ye wee cunt with yer funny sky hair lookin' like yer git yer head 'n' de clouds! I'm no child, I'm-!"
"Nyitzcha!" Janette shrieked and jumped in between them, fanning the flames off her dwarven friend before looking back at the group. "Guys, this here is Nyitzcha, she's a friend!"
