Accantia: A New Winter

Chapter 3

The girls landed at a small village, their hunger increasing. "Hey, Ari!! There's a little resturant- HEY!!  They have food!! Is it just infecting our land?"

"I don't know... We can check it out, I guess. Maybe ask them."

With that, they walked to a small local pub. Inside, the walls were worn. It was freezing in there- if not for their thick coats of fur. Only two lights shone in the whole place, and one of them was burnt out.  They were only lanterns, after all. The place smelled of dust and rotted wood. And, was that a smell of blood!?
"Amaranth, we should leave..." She looked around, fear in her eyes. Even for her.

"Nonsense! I'm hungry!!" She whined as she sat at an old wooden table.

"HEY!" a voice barked.

Amaranth yelped. "What? I'm s-sorry!"

"You have to sit where the others are! Now get over there!" the voice barked. A figure appeared, an old fox. "You heard me!"

"Okay!" She cried, "I'm sorry! I didn't know!" She started walking over, Ari following.

"Hogwash! Now, sit down, and eat. Then, leave!"

"Ari, the only table already has someone there... Should we sit down?"

"Might as well. I don't want that old guy telling again." with that, the pair sat down at the table.

"Hello, traveller!" Amaranth exclaimed.

"What do you want?!" the wolf growled.

"N-nothing.. I was just trying to be friendly."

His glare softened, but not much. "Sorry... People are ALWAYS asking something from me."

"It's fine. We don't need help with this."

"Where are you going?" the wolf asked.

"The human land! America, I think it's called."

"You don't say?! I am too. But I'm going to the coast of Anerica. Alone."

"No... If you don't mind... We don't know the way. It sounds like you do, so we'll go with you please."

"Fine... But I don't even know you guys."

"Oh! I'm Amaranth, and this is Ariadne. It's nice to meet you...?"

"Jaxtanon. Jaxtanon is my name."

"Jaxtanon! I hope you will show us the way!"

"Yeah whatever."

Shortly after the food came. Hot water with a single pea. They called it soup.
"Sorry about that... But there's a food shortage with the frost.."

Ariadne and Amaranth both whined in unison.

"Well, do you want it or not!?"

"Oh, we want it, Mister."

With that, the server walked away.

"Why are you girls going to America anyways?" questioned Jaxtanon with a suspicious look.

"Oh, we need food. We heard they have a lot there."

Jax sneered. "Heh, word on the street is, the frost is infecting the whole world."

"W-well... We made it this far, so we are still going with you."

"Yeah!" Added in Ariadne, who was slurping up the so-called soup.

"Fine." Jaxtanon sighed.

"Thank you, Mr. Jaxtanon!"

"It's just Jaxtanon. You do realize I'm really not older than you, right?"

"You don't know that." She pointed out.

"How old are you??"

"Two hundred twenty eight moons old." She stated proudly. (There are 12 moons in a year, and these creatures have life cycles as long as humans. She's 19.)

"Hah. I'm also two hundred twenty eight moons old. So, don't call me Mister."

---

They all got up to leave after eating.

"HEY! YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT!!!"

"RUN!!!" Screeched Ariadne.

They sprinted to the woods.

As the group arrived in the woods, panting and out of breath, Amaranth managed to say, "Sorry, we did end up needing help. I guess we did need something from you, after all."

"It's fine. I don't have anything else to do anyway." He pointed out.
"We can rest here for the night, and leave in the morning."

"Alright, 'night."

"'Night."

"See you in the morning."
With that, the adventurers fell asleep, exhausted.