The Cinders of Dezu

8th: Manifestation (2)

Within minutes they started putting things together. Both of them sat on the back of the wagon dumbfounded as they entered the crowd within the town walls. It appeared this was a trading town because they saw little of actual homes. Instead, the streets were filled with small businesses and stands. People were calling out goods and services and forming lines.

"Uuuh... dude..."

Cairo nodded.

"Yeah, man... I'm seeing it too."

The streets were filled with various types of people they hadn't seen before. Some had blue skin of different shades, others were green. Some children nearby were chasing one another and had bright neon orange and yellow skin. A girl around their age was carrying a woven basket with bright white hair that stood up like a mohawk.  Her hair contrasted with her skin which was ink black. She watched their wagon pass with crystal blue eyes. Neither of them could stop staring at her. There were plenty of skin types that they had seen before too. But some of them had pointed ears and strange eyebrows. Julian thought they looked like a hodgepodge of things he'd seen in sci-fi movies.

A large man with a booming voice was calling out some foreign word they had never heard. His nose was ribbed all the way down and his bald head had the same markings all the way to the back. They were so distracted by him that they were startled when the wagon came to stop at an empty lot. Their driver got out and smiled at them as he nodded towards the goods they were leaning on.

Cairo cleared his throat as they got off and began unloading. The two were silent as they tried to follow his instructions as to where he wanted each box and sack to be placed. It didn't take them long to unload. Cairo leaned over the side of the wagon to grab another sack filled with a type of potato he'd never seen, at the same time Julian reached over to grab a small barrel of something.

"Well, at least our guy has normal skin," Julian whispered.

Cairo smacked him on the shoulder.

"What?! Is that racist?" said Julian.

"Yes!!!"

Julian looked around until he spotted a fountain not terribly far into the crowd. It seemed to match the guide books description even from where he stood.

"There it is!" he said.

Cairo looked over in the same direction and nodded.

"Go ahead and head over. There isn't much left to unload."

"Cool."

Julian let go of the barrel he was just starting to lift. He brushed his hands off and headed in the direction of the fountain. Cairo lifted his potato sack. The book stated it was customary to help someone unload in exchange for a ride but payment was given only if you stayed for a half day or a full day of selling goods and services. As long as one of them stayed to finish unloading they would have paid their due to their driver.

Cairo placed the potatoes near where the man and his son were setting up their cart. He felt the sweatiness of his hands increase as he headed back to the wagon for another load. He looked to see Julian standing next to the fountain in the distance.
Julian was leaned over the rim of the fountain looking in. It was round and made of an off white stone. Underwater at the bottom, the stone had the same flame emblazoned in it that they had seen before in the crossover sanctuary. Julian put his hand in the pool and swished some water around. It was cool but not too cool. Perfect for swimming, he thought.

He sat on the edge of the fountain and looked around at the people doing business around him. He didn't seem to be the particular interest of anyone in the tumult of the city. He looked just like them. The clothes he wore felt like he was wearing a costume but they were comfortable.

He looked in the direction of Cairo who looked like he was struggling with the last sack or two that he had left. He we leaned down, picking up potatoes from a sack he had dropped. He seemed to be having a hard time getting a good grip on each individual potato. Julian's eyebrows creased. His friend was starting to look rather awkward. Cairo lifted the sack and it slipped. He lifted again. It slipped once more. Julian found himself whispering to him under his breath.

"Dude, just pick it up!"