Heavenly Design: Fated Touch Book 4

Chapter 2

2

I blinked at him. “The what?”

He cleared his throat. “The festival of Gad is held every four years to give thanks to Gad. The festival lasts for three days, and on the third night a grand prayer is held in front of the temple.”

I studied the many hundreds of booths that wound in a circle in front of the wide expanse of ground before the temple. Prizes, food, and drink awaited the faithful who eagerly passed by us to get to the land of plenty. “So does give prayer also mean have as much fun as possible?”

“Gad likes to see his people happy,” Bee spoke up as she beamed at the smiling faces that walked past us.

“One of the best parts is you can’t be arrested in the encampment,” Caius added.

Sage gave him a sharp eye. “You can, however, be detained for multiple offenses.”

Caius winked at me. “That’s if they catch you.”

Sage cleared his throat. “Yes, well, we have some geld between us with Bee offering her services to that last village-”

Bee sighed. “They really didn’t need to reward me.”

I snorted. “I think they wanted to give you more than a few geld for stopping that infestation of bats. They would have been glad to marry you to their chief.”

Sage frowned. “As I was saying, there are many amusements to be had at the festival and much to learn of the various people who worship the deity.”

Bee nudged him with her elbow. “And much to have fun with, so-” she looped her arm through one of his and pulled him down the path, “-let’s go teach Jane about those before the festival ends.”

I laughed as Caius and I walked down the gentle slope. The many wheeled carts had created ruts in the road and my clumsy foot caught in one of them. I winced as I stumbled forward and my ankle twisted a little.

Caius stopped and caught me. “Are you okay?”

I steadied myself and clutched my side. “Yeah. Sometimes my ribs remind me that they were broken a few months ago.”

He lowered his eyes to where I grasped my ribs. “You were lucky that’s all that happened to you. At that height humans would have died on impact.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I teased as I looped my arm through his and tugged him forward. “Now come on before Sage and Bee eat all the good stuff!”

We hurried to catch up to my grandparents and joined them as they slipped into the crowds that converged on a wide archway that led into the circular road that was the main thoroughfare. A pair of men with swords at their hips stood on either side of the arch and watched the throngs with narrowed eyes. They wore tight double-breasted gray suits much like those worn by the Blue Binds, and on their feet were tall black riding boots that clinked together like Dorothy clacking her heels. We passed under the curved arch, festively strewn with banners, and there was a matching set of guards on the other side of the arch.

“There’s a lot of guards here,” Caius mused.

Sage nodded. “Yes. Quite a few more than I recall.”

We had now arrived on the curving road and stood in the midst of the throngs of happy people. Paper and oil lanterns hung on either side of all the stalls, casting a soft glow over everything. The booths were even brighter up close, covered as they were in streamers, deep-dyed clothes, and the wares that the sellers hawked to anyone with an eld in their money purse.

Eateries were located in the closest left curve in the road where the aromas of a thousand different dishes wafted through the air. Some of the smells floated over to us, and my stomach rumbled at the scent of the delicious foods. Stalls had small tables out front where diners partook of their wondrous food.

The only permanent buildings among the transitory shops were the temple and, on the corner opposite the food market, a dozen three-floor structures. Judging by the many carriages that stopped at their doors and the people who lugged luggage through the entrance, I guessed those were the accommodations.

“Thank the gods we don’t have to sleep on the ground,” Sage mused as he arched his back forward. A few pops came from his spine and he winced. “My back is in need of a soft goose-bled feather mattress.”

“But not before some sauteed agnus?” Bee pleaded.

I blinked at her. “Some what?”

Sage sighed. “Bee is merely referring to a creature similar to a sheep. The creature has a rather unusual flavor of garlic due to the wild herb being a main staple of their diet.” He looked down at her and smiled. “And yes, I, too, would like a taste of that delicious meat if we can find such a stand.”

Bee looked up at the little bird perched on her shoulder. The creature’s wide eyes surveyed the area with interest and a little bit of fear. “I believe I have just the nose for that. Do you think you can find some delicious agnus for us, Midge?” The little bird chirped, but the sound came out as more of a whine. “Come come,” Bee scolded as she took Midge on her finger and held him out in front of her. “No one will hurt you here. It’s against the rules.” Midge chirped again, but flew off toward the food vendors.

I felt a hand slip into mine and looked up to find Caius smiling down at me. “What do you say we look around while waiting for the little messenger?”

“An excellent idea,” Sage agreed as Bee took his arm. “And we shall go together.”

Caius pursed his lips, but led the way. I sidled up to my grandfather as we walked side-by-side and lowered my voice to a whisper. “Real subtle, Sage.”

He smiled. “I try.”

Fortunately, there were more than enough sights to entertain all of us. Merchants hawked their wares which included everything from small golden disks of Gad to life-size statutes of the male god. Others showed off stylish mirrors with borders that featured suns, little purses emblazoned with sun disks, and even dishes with the fire god’s flames.

I paused at a stand that featured metal trinkets of all kinds. A particularly shimmering ring on a finger stand caught my attention. I leaned down and studied the smooth, glistening surface.

“A very good choice, my lady,” the seller spoke up as he stepped forward. “That ring is made of the finest flameral, and a real steal at only a single gelder.”

I winced and glanced over my shoulder at my companions. “That’s a lot of money, isn’t it?”

Sage nodded. “Far more than what we can afford to spend, I’m afraid.”

The proprietor’s hospitable mood changed and he frowned at us. “Then if you would step aside for paying customers, if you please.” My companions and I moved along, but the ring remained on my mind.

That is, until we reached the far western curve in the road. A man stood atop a box in the center of the circular road and towered over the crowds. Around the sides of his circular box was a trough. He wore clothes so ragged it made the best hobo around us look like they were dressed as kings and queens. His feet were bare, his arms and legs grimy, but his voice worked as well as the best-greased vehicle. He thrust his arms in the air and his words boomed over the shouts and laughter of the festival goers. “Ladies and gentlemen, turn your eyes to the Sun and accept him as your own! Take him into your heart and let him warm you with his light and fire!”

People who passed by hurled little coins at the man. The coins hit him and fell into the trough.

“Why are they hitting him with coins?” I asked my companions.

“It’s a rather unusual custom,” Sage noted as we stopped to watch the abuse. “The gentleman is a soothsayer of sorts. He imbues the crowd with the words of Gad, and as a thanks the people throw eld at him.”

“We should give him some coins,” Bee suggested.

He scoffed. “The man probably has his better suit in his hotel room thanks to the fools who toss him eld.”

“When in Rome,” I reminded him as I held out my hand.

Sage sighed, but dug into our communal purse and drew out four pieces of eld. He handed them out, but Caius held up his own eld. “It’s bad luck not to throw your own money,” he reminded my grandfather.

We drew our hands back and lobbed the coins. Mine hit him in the chest, but Caius went for a challenge and smacked him between the eyes. The man blinked a few times, but smiled and bowed his head to all his abusers. “May Gad look with favor upon all of you!”

We laughed along with the other donators and went on our way to the next interesting sight. A merchant held up a two-foot long exotic feather of a bird that must have been as big as me. The feather was a brilliant deep purple, blue and emerald green, and in the lamplight it sparkled. The merchant projected his voice over those of his competitors. “Here, ladies and gentlemen, is the finest of the fine! A feather of the legendary fenic bird! You won’t find a more rare item than this one, and a steal at only five geld!”

I glanced up at Caius. “What’s a fenic?”

“It’s a fake bird merchants pass off as real to sell feathers,” he told me.

Sage cleared his throat. “That isn’t quite true. The legendary creature is something akin to our phoenix crossed with the dazzling looks of a peacock. It was rumored to be quite a sight when encountered on the continent of Ennodinas.”

“So what happened to this continent?” I wondered.

“The sea god, in his quick anger, drowned the entirety of the continent in a single night,” he revealed.

“Sounds like Atlantis,” I mused.

Sage nodded. “Yes. There are many fables in this world that, through fellow travelers such as we, passed between realms.”

I scoured the area looking for other interesting bobbles and found a rather unexpected surprise. Standing across the road from us was a man, but not just any ordinary man. This one sported clothes that would have looked fine in a downtown city, but not in the Shifting World. He wore an overcoat with black pants that ended in shiny black shoes. His rumpled brown hair was cut short so that I could see his eyes, and they were focused solely on me.

The man’s attire reminded me of the strange apparition I’d seen as we evacuated the temple of Inceron, but this figure was a slight touch less relaxed than the one I’d seen.

I grabbed Caius’ sleeve and gave it a tug. “Do you see that-”

Bee tugged on his arm and pointed to a spot ahead of us. “Look there!”

Her finger indicated a pair of people, a man and a woman. They stood in front of a large open tent, and between them on the ground sat a pair of creatures that looked like lemurs, but their tails were short, merely nubs, and their eyes were more like those of a cat’s. Their powerful back legs were spread apart and their shorter arms hung in front of them. The creatures also sported a fine, shimmering fur coat of ebony and silver gray, and around their necks wee red bows.

I looked back to where the man stood. He was gone. I whipped my head to and fro, but there was no sign of the mysterious stranger.

“Did you guys see that guy?” I asked my friends.

“There are many of them here,” Sage teased.

Caius frowned. “Was there something wrong with him?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. He was just staring at me, and his clothes weren’t right. He looked like he was wearing a dark suit from our world.”

Sage studied the area before he shook his head. “I see no one matching that description. Perhaps the lanterns are playing tricks on your eyes.”

“Maybe. . .” I murmured as I studied the spot where the man had stood. I was sure I’d seen right.

“Come, everyone!” the woman called out as she beckoned for the people to approach. I reluctantly followed my companions and joined the crowd that gathered around as the humans gestured down to the animals.

The male of the pair smiled at the curious onlookers. “We have for you a rare treat, good people. A pair of rare and wild catta.”

One of the women in the crowd squinted at the creatures. “They don’t look wild.”

One of the catta stood and slowly arched its back. Its hair stood on end and its pupils widened to encompass all of its eye. The creature let out a long, low hiss before it leapt at the woman. She screamed and tried to scramble back, but the crowd prevented her from retreating. The catta landed atop her head and plopped down where it began grooming. The crowd burst into laughter.

The trembling woman looked up at the comfortable creature. “W-will it hurt me?”

“I think he rather likes you, or considers you a tree,” the man replied.

The woman entertainer held out her arm and whistled. The catta perked up its pointed ears and stood. It wiggled its butt in the air before it made a leap onto the woman’s arms where it purred her face.

A burly man close beside us cupped his hands over his mouth. “Is that all they can do?” he shouted to the performers.

The pair looked at each other with mischievous smiles. “Shall we?” the woman asked.

The man nodded. “Let’s.”

They both whistled. The catta perked up their tall ears and scampered into the crowd. Laughter and shouts followed their wake like a wave. The catta raced to a couple of young children and threw themselves into the kids’ arms. The kids squealed in delight as the animals grasped their cheeks in their dainty little hands and licked their faces. Never had I heard such oohing and aahing at the adorable sight.

The pair of humans whistled again. The catta leapt from the kids’ arms and scampered through the crowd until they came upon a curious guard. He held a halberd in one hand, and the catta climbed the pole weapon and jumped onto the man’s cap. They pulled his hat over his eyes, much to the uproarious laughter of the crowd, before escaping and hurrying back to their masters’ arms.

“Now a little bit of magic,” the woman called out as she swept her eyes over the crowd. “Is anyone here versed in fire magic?”

Sage raised his hand. “I know some.”

The woman indicated the spot beside her. “Would you step up here, good sir, and produce a small fireball for me?”

“Certainly,” Sage offered as he moved to stand at her side. He opened his hand and produced a fireball hardly larger than a marble.

“Perfect,” she complimented as her catta climbed up her arm and onto Sage’s shoulder.

The little creature grasped the fireball in both hands and pulled it out of his palm. The audience gasped as the catta held the ball of flickering flame above its head and scampered back to its master’s shoulder. The catta stood with both back paws on the woman’s shoulders and lifted the fireball above her head. The crowd erupted in applause and whistles.

“Bravo!” Bee shouted above the loud clapping. “Bravo!”

I leaned toward her. “Is it rare that animals can do magic?”

“Incredibly rare, and even harder to keep them from overcoming their natural fear of it,” she admitted.

The man produced a bucket and walked around the crowd. “If you would care to donate we will have another performance tomorrow.”

The sound of clunking eld and geld resounded through the crowd as the people dispersed. Sage bowed his head to the woman and rejoined us as the man finished his donation collection.

Bee faced the couple as she knelt down and whistled. The catta perked up their ears and whipped their heads to her. The creature that belonged to the woman scampered over and set its tiny paws in my grandmother’s open palm.

The woman came up to us with a smile as Bee stood with the catta on her arm. “I didn’t expect to see a fellow Feria so far from the empire, even for this event.”

Sage arched an eyebrow. “Feria have always been known for their adventurous spirit.”

The woman’s face fell as she shook her head. “Not of late, but I’m sure you know of the troubles there.”

Bee furrowed her brow. “Troubles?”

“Just some squabbles with the border,” the man spoke up as he joined us. He held out his hand. “But my name is Abel, and this is my wife, Clara.” The little catta mewed which made us all smile. “And this pair of sisters is Cartagna and Catrina.”

I held out my hand to the catta. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Clara whistled, and each of them took turns shaking my hand.

“So what brings you this far afield?” Sage inquired of our new acquaintances.

Abel grinned as he held up the half-filled bucket. “Geld, of course. There’s no competition this far from Feronia.”

“And if we’re going to make more of that we’re going to have to practice our next act,” Clara reminded him as she bowed her head to us. “It was a pleasure meeting all of you, and I hope you’ll be here tomorrow for our next performance.”

“I wouldn’t dare miss out on these beautiful catta,” Bee promised.

We parted company and I looked around at my friends. “So what now?”

On cue, Midge returned and landed on Bee’s shoulder. He chirped into her ear and she smiled. “Now we eat some agnus.”