The Captain's Entertainer (Zolan Book 4)

4

🌊 ELYSTIA 🌊

Sidra and I follow Kinno to Celerion. I look left and right, taking everything in. Excited like a young peveru bird as it launches off Terra's cliffs for its first flight.

The merchant stands are separated in two lines, and the townspeople linger in the middle. There are no hybrids here, that much is clear. On Terra, it's normal to spot a hand, cheek, shoulder, leg, with human skin. But everyone here is red.

My eyes follow Kinno as she sets up shop by the entrance of the town. The other merchants make space for her, as if she's respected. She sets items on display on a shared stand–potions, awls, wooden spoons, dried leaves, and ink.

Sidra walks down the stands, studying the merchandise. I approach Kinno.

"I told you to go away," she says without glancing at me.

I smile sheepishly. "I know, but we would really appreciate it if you gave us a quick tour. Do you know where we could stay? Who can I trade with? I have a few things I can trade, like needles I made and—"

He glares at me. "And how would you pay me for my precious time?"

I bite my lip. "I don't have much right now."

The only coins I have are from Terra, which I know won't be accepted here.

A clicking sound comes from the back of her throat. A sound frustration. "Then go to the pound. They take in strays there." She points to the left. "There's a bridge in that direction. You can either camp under it, or jump off it. You've got plenty of options."

I laugh nervously. Surely, she's joking. "Please just give me half an hour. Help a friend out?"

She glares at me. "I've got enough broke friends. Don't need more."

I stare at her pleadingly, and she sighs. "Your strange accent tells me you're not from around here. Look. I'll guide you only because you remind me of someone, but you should really ride away from this side of the world. It's not safe. Go west. Chase the horizon."

I scan the town, not seeing obvious danger. "What's wrong with this place?"

She frowns at me. "What rock have you been living under? The blue flower ravaged this side of the continent. Farmers lost their harvest and livestock. The people are starved of food and sanity. They're becoming more dangerous. The west is safer. The land there was untouched by the blue flower and people are much more... reasonable."

What blue flower is she talking about? I've never heard of such a thing. I suppose it doesn't matter. I don't have enough coin or supplies to travel for a day, much less across the continent. And I doubt Sidra's situation is different.

"I'll be fine here," I tell her. "I know my way around a bow and arrow. I can hunt in the forest."

She shakes her head and makes a clicking sound with her tongue–a sound I can only presume as irritation. "Hunting in the forest is forbidden. It's only available to the military camp. Everyone knows this."

A knot forms in my belly. I had been planning on living off my bow and arrow, but my bow is no good if there is no game to hunt. I haven't mastered any other trades. Hunting is my only means to survival.

With every news Kinno breaks to me, my excitement dulls. When I was on Terra, daydreaming about the rest of the world, I didn't picture it ravaged by a natural disaster. I imagined it would be as peaceful and lush as Terra–a naive mistake.

Zolan is quickly waking me up. This is no longer a daydream; it's reality.

"Alright," I say, trying to form a plan with all the unfortunate information I've gathered. "Well then I'll just join the military camp to get access to hunting. Problem solved."