The two left early the next morning, and walked along the outskirts of the city, Jyri leading Holger by the collar. As they walked past fruit stands, shiny apples caught Faye's eye, and she stopped. "Apples."
Jyri frowned at her over Holger. "What?"
"I want an apple."
Holger lunged towards the fruit, but Jyri yanked him back. "We don't have time."
"And all we have is bread." Faye picked up several, while Jyri stood several paces away, keeping a tight grip on Holger's collar. "Grab me some pears," he called to her.
Faye added a few pears to the pile, and brought them towards the woman running the stand. "4 litos," the shopkeeper said, glancing at Faye. Her eyes darted towards Jyri. "Where you headed?"
"Amolo." Faye fished through her pants pocket, and handed over money.
The shopkeeper thumbed through the bills, smiling. "A beautiful city. You'll have to go through Garka Forest."
"Yeah, we have a map."
Slipping the bills into the register, the shopkeeper lowered her voice. "Beware of the Rako."
"The Rako?"
"You don't know of him?" she asked. Faye shook her head. "The Rako is a sort of, goblin-like thing. He be a hideous, little man."
"What's bad about him?"
The shopkeeper leaned forward. "No woman can resist him."
Faye blinked. "What?"
"No woman can resist the Rako. He's ugly, but he be filled with dark magic that makes a girl want him. And he can get any girl."
Faye bursted out laughing.
"It's true."
A woman appeared next to Faye. "You're not talking about the Rako, are you?"
"We are," the shopkeeper said. "But this young lady doesn't believe me."
"She's telling the truth," the woman said. "My sister got lured in by him, and ended up pregnant. She said she became entranced by him, and-"
A streak of black flashed in Faye's peripheral vision, and she turned to see Holger leap onto the nearest fruit stand. The stand cracked under his weight, then collapsed, sending oranges tumbling onto the ground. The woman squeaked and ran away. Faye stepped back, as Jyri rushed forward.
"I am so sorry." Jyri reached for Holger's collar, yanking him away from the fruit. "He's still learning."
The shopkeeper folded her arms, and glared at Holger, who had an orange in his mouth, tail wagging. She looked up at Jyri. "You break it, you buy it."
"Understandable." Head bowed, Jyri pulled out his wallet. "How much?"
"100."
"Litos?" Jyri gaped at her. "I thought these were 2 a pound." He looked down at the mess, focusing for a moment before turning back to her. "Wouldn't 30-"
"I'll have to buy a new stand." The shopkeeper gestured towards the pile of wood that was once a stand. "Those aren't cheap. And, labor, for whoever cleans this up."
Holger fell into a coughing fit, then hacked up a chunk of orange at the shopkeeper's feet. Jyri avoided her hard gaze. "Fair enough."
Garka Forest proved to be no different than the other forests the two had traveled through. And Faye saw no signs of any life, much less a mythical goblin deviant.
"Have you ever heard of a Rako?" Faye asked, one hand on Holger's collar, an apple in the other.
"Oh yes," Jyri said from behind her. "Nasty creature. Is that what you were all talking about?"
Faye nodded, swallowing a bite of apple. "So he's real?"
"Unfortunately. I had forgotten all about him."
"They said he's in this forest."
"He is. But I doubt we'll come across him. These woods are massive."
They rode on in silence, although there were a few times Jyri had to scold Holger for straying off the path. After what felt like hours, Faye grew tired of sitting on the estin, so opted to walk.
"It's uncomfortable after awhile." She rubbed at her thigh, and lowered her voice. "I wish I could fly."
"Have you ever tried getting them fixed?"
Faye stopped, and gaped up at him. "What, just go to a doctor? I'd like to see how that would work out."
"I mean, back before King Lyon. When there were doctors for non-humans. Did you ever see one?"
Faye let out a laugh, then continued walking. "Like the orphanage cared. I've never been to one."
Jyri's eyes widened. "You've never seen a doctor?"
"Nope."
"Oi, fair maiden!" a boyish voice called.
Faye turned around and was met eye-to-eye with the ugliest man she had ever seen. If you could even call him a man. His pallid, green face sagged, disfiguring his features. The rest of him was covered with a burlap sack that stopped above his bare, dirt-covered feet.
The man looked her over, frowning. "Fair is inaccurate, I suppose. But you certainly are a maiden. A lovely one at that." He flashed her a crooked smile, showing off brown, rotting teeth.
A sense of dread washed over her, and she struggled to keep her voice steady. "Do you need something?"
The man smiled again. "I need you." He spread his bony arms out, and wrapped them around her.
"EW!" Faye shoved him away, nearly gagging at the man's rancid body odor. "Get off me!"
The man fell, either from Faye's strength or surprise. Judging by the look on his face, she guessed the latter. Jyri appeared at her side.
The man pushed himself up. "You don't want me?"
"No."
"But... every girl wants me."
Faye laughed. "You're uglier than I am."
"It's true!" The man's voice rose. "How? How are you not tempted by me?"
"I'm not tempted by anyone."
"Not even women?"
Jyri touched Faye's shoulder. "Let's go."
"No!" The man shouted, grabbing her arm. "You must tell me. How can you see my true form?"
Jyri whipped out his knife, and Faye tugged her arm away. "Huh?"
"All women who see me, see the one of their dreams. How do you not?"
"I dunno."
"What does your ideal man look like?"
Faye furrowed her brow, but couldn't think of any preferred features. She supposed hair could be a preference. But what kind of hair do I prefer? She rubbed her chin, then shrugged.
"Ideal woman?"
"Don't have one."
His mouth opened and closed a few times. "But... But... everyone has a type! Are you not human?" He rubbed his chin, frowning. "No, even the harpies fall for me. You really don't like anyone?"
"Nope." Faye turned to leave.
"Not even, that man?" He pointed towards Jyri, who pulled himself up onto Holger.
Faye crinkled her nose. "Especially not." She climbed up behind Jyri, wrapping her arms around his torso. Jyri flicked the reigns.
"The nymphs will get him!" the man called, as Holger raced off.
The rest of their journey that day was uneventful. They came across no other living beings, aside from birds and squirrels. Once the sun began to set, the two stopped for the night.
Faye followed Jyri over to a tree, and slumped down next to it. Jyri took the saddlebags off of Holger. Holger shook his body, then sniffed at the bags. "Will we be safe from those guards?" Faye asked.
"We should be." Jyri pulled a rope from the bags, and tied Holger to a different tree, before settling next to Faye.
She watched him search through his knapsack. "Why are they after you?"
"King Lyon sent them. You know that."
"But what'd you-"
Jyri shoved a piece of bread into her hands. "Eat."
Faye shoved it back into his. "I'm following you around, sleeping alone with you, and for all I know you could've killed someone."
"Or I could've saved someone from a fate worse than death." He tossed the bread to Holger, who caught it in his mouth.
"Did you?"
Jyri dug through his pack, hair covering his face. "I did bring last night's leftovers, right?"
"You okay-"
"I'm fine." He procured a half-eaten piece of meat from a bag in the bottom of his pack, wrapped up in a napkin. "Can you heat this up?"
"Do you have a pan?"
"In the saddlebag."
Faye reached over to the saddlebag, and pulled out a pan. Jyri dumped the meat into it. Faye conjured a flame at the tip of her finger, and ran it over the meat.
Jyri leaned over, his gaze focused on the flame. "It's a shame you can't use your magic more often."
"I can barely use it at all. It's weak in me."
Jyri smiled. "It's still useful."
Faye couldn't come up with an argument against his statement. Instead, she stared at the meat. "Do you have something to flip this over with?"
Jyri pulled out a fork, and flipped the meat over for her. She continued running the flame over it.
"I miss those days." Jyri broke his gaze away from her magic, and stared off towards the horizon. "Magics and humans living together. In peace."
Faye snorted. "We were never in peace."
"That's not, entirely true."
"It was at the orphanage. As soon as Lyon came to power, I knew I had to run away."
"So you did?"
Faye nodded, and withdrew the flame. "I think it's done now."
Jyri pulled out a fork and his knife, which Faye kept a close eye on, and cut the meat in half. "And you've been homeless since."
"Since I was 16." Faye picked up her half, and bit into it. Juice dripped down her fingers, but she didn't care.
Holger jumped up, growling. Faye nearly dropped her meat. Jyri tossed his on the pan, and got to his feet, gripping his knife.
Four olive-skinned women appeared from the trees, wearing long dresses made of leather. The tallest wore a flower crown over her flowing hair, and stepped forward. "Is it true?"
Dropping her meat into the pan, Faye looked up. "Is what true?"
"You were able to see Rako as he is?"
"I saw an ugly goblin in a burlap sack, if that's who you mean."
The women shared looks. Their leader looked back at Faye, who had taken to sucking the juice off her fingers. "How?"
"I dunno."
The leader squinted at her, arms folded. "You are a female, correct?" Faye nodded. "And you like men?"
Faye shrugged.
"You like women then?"
"No."
The women exchanged looks again, whispering amongst themselves. The leader shushed them, then turned back to Faye. "You're our savior."
Faye tilted her head, sucking juice off her thumb. Jyri let out a laugh. "Savior?"
The leader shot him a look, then turned back to Faye. "We have been searching for the woman who can see the Rako's true form. It is said that she, is the only one who can save us."
"What from?"
"Come, and we will show you."
Faye nibbled her lip, unsure of whether she should trust the women. It sounded like a setup for an ambush. And she was no stranger to setting up ambushes. She looked up at Jyri. He gave a minute shake of his head. She gave him a slight nod, then turned back to the leader. "Sorry, but we're not interested."
The leader squinted. "Are you sure?"
"Pretty sure." Faye went back to her dinner. Jyri remained standing with narrowed eyes.
"We have better food," the leader said.
Posioned, probably. "Thanks, but no thanks."
The leader wrapped her arms around herself, watching Faye shove the rest of the meat in her mouth. "You don't understand. We need you."
"Sorry," Faye said, swallowing. "Maybe someone else will come along."
"But no one ever has. You are the first-"
"But not the last."
"Please!" The leader took a step towards Faye, but Jyri pointed his knife at her.
"We're not interested," he said between clenched teeth.
The leader stepped back, and the other women glowered. Raising her eyebrow, the leader pointed a shaky finger at Jyri. "You'll regret this." And with that, the group of women whipped around in unison, and stalked off.
Faye shivered. Jyri looked down at her, his expression unreadable. He closed his knife, and slid it in his pocket. "We're leaving. Now."
She didn't protest, and, after the two packed up, they continued on in search of a new sleeping spot. As they passed silhouettes of the sea of trees surrounding them, Faye wondered what would have happened if she had gone with the women. That, and the possibility that they were telling the truth. But even if they were in danger, she doubted she could save anyone. Saving herself was a big enough struggle.
ns 15.158.61.48da2
