World Of Worlds (Arula: One)

Chapter 4

Arkum came into view as the sun began to hit the horizon. The village rested where the valley turned flat. The earth turned stone as the main road greeted its guest. The stone road lead into the town where houses and other shops can be plainly seen. As Karma and Omar road into town, they could see the people rushing around the markets gathering food and other necessities. Once they got further into the village, Karma and Omar dismounted from their steeds, now guiding the beasts toward a nearby stable. Karma paid the stable master then headed out toward the markets. The market was cramped with a merchants selling their product and villagers gathering around trying to pay for it. Karma jumped when a man at his station started yelling,

"FRESH FISH! GET YOUR FRESH FISH HERE!" It made Karma rub a finger in the inside of her ear. It has been years since Karma had heard the sound of the markets. Taking a deep breath, she continued.

Omar, who walked beside her, made sure his hood covered his face. He couldn't afford to get caught here. Ever since Termis broke the treaty no Clan member was safe, inside their clan territory and outside, Omar couldn't help but feel some rage toward the humans. The sharp memory came through his head, he flinched as it passed through. Don't worry, he thought. I'll get you back. That was the promise he kept saying to himself for the past four months. After what happened that day, Omar needed to contact Karma, and quickly. Only then when Karma sent back word that she would be there as soon as possible, had Omar never been so thankful.

The sun had completely vanished over the valley, leaving the sky painted with pink and orange. One by one the shops began to shut down for the night and the streetlights began to glow. Karma walked up to Omar, tugging on his sleeve. "I do believe we should be heading to the inn now," She said as Omar nodded. The famous inn was built on the far side of village. Karma and Omar had to walk for several minutes to get the stone building. The tall structure cast a shadow over the weary travelers. They shared a silent relief as they came to the splintering wooden doors.

As the two companions walked inside the building, they both could see why it was so popular among Arula. The entrance was big. In the back was a bar with a few men gathered there, silently drinking. Tables and booths were scattered around the rest of the room. in In one corner there was a table were a group of men played a game of cards, in another part of the room a game of darts was being played. Laughter and bellows filled the room as merry men drank and barmaids flirted. Those who were drinking silently, watched as Karma and Omar walked across the room.

"I'll get us rooms; you just wait over there somewhere. Sound fair?" Karma whispered as they made their way toward the back of the inn.

Omar agreed and went to a table on the far end of the room as Karma walked up the bar counter. There she was greeted by a brute of a man, who wore a tan tattered shirt with a dirty white apron and baggy tan leggings. He was busy cleaning a mug when he noticed Karma.

"And what can I do for you, pretty little lady?" he asked. His voice was deep and threatening sounding, and his breath smelled of ale. Trying not to make a face, Karma answered,

"I need two rooms please," she said as she took out her pouch taking out a few coins. The bartender looked around the bar until his eyes landed on Omar.

"I'm guessing your traveling buddy is over there, eh?" He asked, raising his left eyebrow.

"Just tell me how many silver coins, will you?" Karma said. Her business was her business, she didn't need to share it with this man.

"Feisty, aren't you?" The man laughed. "Six silver coins it will be, missy." Karma paid the man and got two keys for hers and Omar's rooms. She walked over to wear Omar sat at the back table, his hood pulled further over his face, casting a darkness over him.

"Not to seem rude, sir," Karma said. "But I do believe that hiding in a corner with your hood down definitely doesn't seem suspicious at all." Omar's hazel eyes nearly seemed to glow under his hood, and Karma could tell he was smiling. He rose from his seat and took one of the keys from Karma's hand. Glancing at the wooden keychain that hung from the key, he read his room number. 205.

"What's your room number?" He asked, nodding at her key in her hand.

"Uh," she said, as she looked at the little wooden plank. "Room three-zero-four. It looks like. One floor above you." Omar nodded and they began to ascend the stairs in comfortable silence. As soon as they reached Omar's floor, they made their plans for tomorrow.

"We'll stay here for tonight, gather what we need and head out before evening. That way we can reach Abaddon within a few weeks. The faster the better," Omar said and Karma agreed. "All right, good night, Karma."

"Good night, Omar," Karma said. "And don't forget to meet in the lobby, at the same table as the one you waited in earlier." Omar agreed. Shari, who was hiding in Omar's hood, poked its head out and both Omar and the ferret watched as Karma disappear up the stairs. He rubbed the ferret's head and disappeared into his own room.

It took a moment for Karma to find her room, all the letters were hard to read in the dimly lit hallway. Once she found it, to put her key in and walked into musty smelling room. The room was small. Karma was immediately greeted by her bed that sat in the center of the room. A small round table and chair was shoved into the corner of the room, an empty fireplace was across from the bed with a saber-tooth wolf rug laying in between them.

Karma sighed, dropping her satchel on the bed, she flopped on her back. The bed wasn't as comfortable as she hoped, but it beats sleeping on the hard ground any day. Reaching over, she lit a candle that sat on a bedside table, then she reached in her satchel and pulled out her book. Taking the key from under her shirt and she unlocked it. Karma hesitated as she began to open the book, she had a creeping feeling that she was being watched.

She looked over at the window, where the moonlight just barley shone through the dirty glass. Swinging her feet over the edge of the bed, she walked over to the window, looking outside and saw nothing. The crescent moon shined brightly down at her. The night was beautiful, that she had to admit, but the feeling she was getting made her skin crawl. Shutting the curtains, she made her way back over to the bed. She slid her book under her pillow, blew out the candle and rested her head. Karma could feel the book under her as she closed her eyes and finally slept.