“The bodies need to be guarded,” the pink-scaled guard was saying to Adwyn, “don’t they? You’re plenty big and strong sure, but I can watch your back.”
colorful cast here? Never seen these jokes.”
have raised a gray point.” A forefoot had been lifted and tapped his horned chin. He nodded once.
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The first thing you saw in the market was food, our food.
obscure — and because of that, I’d decided to settle here instead of the skip mountains or the hovering shores. Most exiled sky-dwellers ended up in either of those, and I knew why. I loved the Constellation’s open skies, its immense heights, and everything. I just couldn’t live where I would be reminded of them everyday. Nothing could compare to the sky, so I decided it would be better to forget about it, if it came to that.
I decided it.
at them, either.
fish! I waved my tongue, yet before I could slink after it, Hinte’d broken away herself and slinked over to that stall selling H?gre hog pork. Before I’d even unclouded my eyes she’d bought a whole roast. Being from a smaller kind of hog, about knee-high and half as long as a dragon, it sat clumsy and tottering in Hinte’s cloaked wings. She tried to place it in her bag, but it wouldn’t fit.
I planted down beside her first — no question of that — but Digrif wasn’t more than a few breath cycles behind me.
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The crowd writhed and spilt over itself. Like pillars in the chaotic mass, wherever we looked there were guards in high-stands or high-walks, each one looking purposeful even if I only saw them stop and question a plain-dweller twice. The crowd flowed around them; for some???—??often cliff-dwellers, often clad in halfrobes???—??it was because they stopped and inclined their heads in respect, and for others???—??often plain-dwellers, often clad in ashcloaks???—??it was because they stopped and slinked around the guard, disappearing into the crowd.
parted around the turt-mounted guards.
expensive.
course, I’m ready, darling.” Glyster’s voice was a saccharine hiss, and seemed to click her tongue once with each pause for breath, giving her words a giggly undertone. “You know mining always picks up when the lake grows so savage. And more mining means more gems. I’m excited!”
weighed down with the number of piercings it had, and half of them had gemstones embedded. “And you? I can’t imagine you’ll have all that much to do with the lake in the throes of the gray season.”
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A short ring passed. I finished a small errand I wanted to run, acquired a scroll I’d was searching for, an astronomical table. I flipped through it???— in an alleyway. Nothing else of note happened. I made to return to Hinte and Digrif.
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