Venturing Graces

Chapter One: Market Place

(Cabbage Arc)

"Yeah!" The two cheered as the song faded. The woman driving the ambulance (turned camper vehicle) pumped her fist in the air. Meanwhile the teen sitting next to her paled as they stared at the steering wheel with no hands gripping it. "Good job!" Rose said. She let her lightly curled brown hair fall around her nicely round shoulders. 

"We should start a band," the teen, Ren, said. They snickered as they slipped their phone in a black leather satchel attached to their hip and left leg.

"Yeah no," Rose laughed. "I'm not really band material."

"Good God! Please don't start a band," Hex groaned. He was a fellow with silvery hair that reached past his waist. He wore a dark blue yukata with an obi that was half gray and hazy gray blue. The reason why I say was is because he is dead. "If I have to hear one more song about coffee I'm going to throw this ambulance into a ditch!"

"Calm down, we're just having some fun, go float over there," Rose waved him off. 

"Yeah Hex, you're boring," Ren added. They draped a long fuzzy light gray blanket over their legs. On their lap curled up into a ball was a Yale blue cat. "And another thing, you can't sing."

"I can sing better than you two old bats can," Hex said. He crossed his arms and floated to the back where three dogs lay sprawled out on the floor. "Can you believe it?" He asked. A small ratty looking dog with stringy black and brown hair tried to bite him. Only his fangs passed through the disgruntled specter. 

"Go get him, Ratto!" Rose cheered. She looked behind her through the small door that led to the back. 

"Eyes on the road!" Ren screamed. This startled the blue cat, who looked up at Rose. "Schrod!"

"I'm hungry," a loud deep feminine voice boomed in Ren's head. They gripped their head, letting their midnight black hair fall over their face. "When will we eat? And the answer better be right now."

"How are you doing?" Rose asked. 

"Fine, Baguette is just using telepathy again. I wish I could get her to turn it down a bit," Ren answered. They looked back down at their phone. "I don't know," they thought. 

"But I'm hungry, ravenous, starved," Baguette barked. Ren turned to see the white dog wagging her tail staring up at them. A bit of brown traveled up one of her perky triangle ears. A brown circle around the dogs eye reminded Ren of a certain store. 

"This is why you dogs are so below us," Another voice whispered in Ren's head. This one was more raspy and sounded like the cross between a man's and a woman's. Ren felt the cold scales of a snake travel up their spin into the  hood of their large black jacket. 

"Orochi, get out of here!" Baguette barked. "Begone fang noodle!"

"You spend too much time with Ren's mother!" The snake hissed. 

"Guys settle down, you're giving me a headache," Ren thought. They turned to the white dog. "We'll stop in an hour or so. We need to get to the hotel," they said. 

"Now do you understand how I feel dealing with you? It's a constant headache," Hex commented.  Ren threw a round red pillow at him. It just passed through him. "Ugh, whatever you are."  He went to sulk in the back. 

"Hey, do you want to stop in this little town up here? Just to get out ,stretch our legs and get the dogs some fresh air," Rose suggested. Despite Ren's late answer she started to change lanes. 

"Sure, sounds fun," Ren responded. The sign read "Cllabbige Town Market Today! Fresh!" 

"A market means food," Baguette barked. Ratto was standing on a bench in the back barking out the window. Grim, the large black dog, lay sprawled out on the floor. He let out a sigh when Hex floated near him. "The others agree."