Evmor: The Calling

Chapter 4

Here's chapter 4! Keep reading to find out what happens next to Aviara :)

Chapter 4

Once every month, a number of stalls would be stationed in town to form a large market. It was a tradition that had always been in this town for as long as I could remember, and every year, the market grew larger in size and variety. Today was the special day and my siblings and I decided it would be a good chance to go grocery shopping. We always dedicated at least one day in a week to refill our fridges and cupboards to ensure we never ran out of food. We all piled into Nate's car and were off on our way towards the market.

The market, as usual, was bursting with life. Everyone in town didn't miss a day like this, and all the people who lived here were out today to grab anything that might appeal to them. I would have been surprised at how many people were here despite the cold weather if I wasn't already familiar with this situation. No one missed market days.

Nate, Emilie, and I strolled through all the stalls, checking through our grocery list to make sure we wouldn't forget what we needed. We joked and laughed throughout the entire time, enjoying each other's company as well as vendor's good natured bargaining. As we were walking down yet another row of stalls, something caught my eye, causing me to slow my steps.

I wasn't quite sure what it was that had caught my attention, but as I peered intently through the mass of bodies, I found the reason. It was a man. But that wasn't exactly the word I would use to describe this... creature. He had the body structure of a man, average height and build, but his face was a completely different story. He resembled more a cat than a human. His pupils were mere slits, his nose very similar to that of felines, and I saw hints of sharp canines through his lips, which again resembled a feline. His entire face was covered in fine golden fur that reminded me of a lion.

I blanched at what I was seeing and couldn't mask my shock at the sight, and before I knew it, the lion-man turned towards me. He seemed simply curious as to what I was staring at, and then I saw understanding dawn in his eyes. In the blink of an eye, all feline features vanished from sight and now I was looking at a man with warm brown eyes and completely human features. He started to approach me and I was overwhelmed with the desperate need to get out of here. I immediately turned on my heels and resumed a brisk pace through the crowd, following my siblings.

Even after I had reached my siblings, I refused to look over my shoulder to see if the man was still following me. I continued on as if nothing unusual had happened, chatting with my siblings and observing all the materials that were laid out before me. When I had decided enough time had passed, I cautiously peeked over my shoulder, making sure to be discreet. I scanned my surroundings multiple times until I was convinced the man was gone then released a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding.

With so many questions unanswered, I had approached Killian again with the news of the messages, knowing I was antagonizing the Atramento even more. They already saw me as a threat so I decided it wouldn't hurt to get just a little more information. Then, Killian had mentioned that I would be seeing things. I thought he just meant the glowing of my eyes and the changing eye color of strangers, but it seemed there was much more for me to see. Dread coursed through me. Were these the kinds of things I would always see from now on? I couldn't imagine dealing with these bizarre creatures on a daily basis but I knew there was no avoiding it. The thing inside of me was causing this, so I had no choice but to go along with it. Instead, I decided to focus on masking my shock if I were to see something unnatural again. It turned out there were several more chances for me to practice.

There weren't many, but occasionally I caught glimpses of them. Some resembled humans more closely, just like Killian, but others only had a few human characteristics or none at all. I saw a burly man walking the opposite way from which I was going and when I blinked, he turned into something that looked more like a cross between a bull and an elephant. His entire body was covered in coarse dark fur, tusks jutted out from under his chin, and his feet reminded me of hooves although they were bigger and thicker. This time, I made sure to mask my shock, making it seem as if I was observing the stalls that were behind him.