The Mantis Corruption - Book Three - 29. Chapter 29 - The Market

From the front door of the mystic’s house came a cheery knock.

“That must be Olona and Tisa!” Tchama declared to the others in a bright voice. The sash she was wearing around her neck, draped over the stump of her shoulder, made of shimmering gold and silver fabric. Tchama turned the handle, and sure enough, the two women were on the other side of the door.

“Hello!” the mystic called to them with a wave. “Everyone, let’s head outside.”

He and Tchama stepped out into the morning sunshine with Lahari behind them. S’Kay, Gawa, Ijeron, and Yxida followed, and the mystic locked the door.

Tisa leaned down and gave Yxida a peck on her cheek.

“G’morning,” Yxida exclaimed to her and Olona.

“Hi!” Olona replied. She stepped around Tisa and wrapped Lahari in an unexpected hug.

“Oh,” Lahari said in surprise, “erm… hello.”

Olona stepped back with a beaming smile. “Good morning!”

Lahari seemed unsure of the physical contact, but Tisa giggled at Olona’s enthusiasm.

Theolan came around from the back of the house, holding Khano’s huge paw. “What a fascinating story!” he said up to the bear-man. “Thank you for telling me about your past, and I’d love to hear more about what you’ve gone through someday, whenever you’re up for sharing more.”

Khano sniffed hard and dapped his eye with a dainty handkerchief. “Thanks,” he said in a gentle growl.

Theolan squeezed his paw and turned to the others. “This way!” he called. “The market’s not far. Come along!” He continued holding Khano’s paw as they all headed on their way.

S’Kay stepped up to Olona and walked beside her. “So, what’s your fascination with us Bio-Shifts?”

Tisa responded instead. “Olona is one of the most accepting people,” she said, “and she’s very curious.”

Olona grinned awkwardly and a little blush worked its way up her cheeks. “Yeah, I don’t know, S’Kay. Down in Xin, where we’re from,” she said, indicating herself and Tisa, “Shifts aren’t talked about. I didn’t know any Shift people, and I didn’t know Bio-Shifts, like all of you, even existed. And Tisa’s right,” Olona added, “my curiosity sometimes gets the better of me.”

Tisa added, “Olona has always been positive about my powers. S’Kay, the word you used was perfect; she has a strong sense of fascination about the world.”

The blush on Olona’s cheeks darkened and she brought her hand to the back of her neck with an embarrassed chuckle. “I love diversity,” Olona said, “and there wasn’t much of it in Xin.” She took S’Kay’s hand. “The things that Shifts can do are astonishing!”

“We’re almost at the market,” Tchama declared. She was beaming and skipping along around the group, and her joy warmed the mystic’s heart.

S’Kay took her hand back from Olona, but then she realized that she had liked the feeling of their hands together.

“So, now that the monsters of Gunge have all been slaughtered, do you think people will make the journey to Xin?” the mystic asked.

Olona perked up. “You haven’t told them yet?” she asked Tisa. However, before Tisa could reply, Olona continued in an excited voice. “We want to lead expeditions between the two! Tisa and I are planning to offer guided services back and forth between Xin and Teshon City.”

The murmur from a boisterous crowd began to grow as the group approached the Shifton outdoor market.

“The mountains were rugged,” Tisa added, “but we made it, and now there’s no monsters to murder anyone at the border to Xin, so maybe people will want to make the journey.”

“I think it will be a good source of income,” Olona added.

“That is quite an idea,” the mystic said to Tisa and Olona.

“There they are!” Tchama blurted out with an excited laugh. She pointed through the other shoppers at a table of mushrooms.

Dozi was surprised by them. “What are all of you doing here?” she asked. Harakin and Sumi were behind the table with her.

The mystic, Theolan, Lahari, Tchama, S’Kay, Gawa, Ijeron, Yxida, Khano, Tisa, and Olona crowded around the front of Dozi’s table.

“We just wanted to come see you!” the mystic declared. “Good morning, Dozi!” He beamed at her.

“Ahem!” coughed an annoyed voice behind everyone, but then they heard a giggle that they recognized, and the voice added in a dramatic tone, “Wish this ragtag bunch of ragamuffins would shift it, so I can get some ’shrooms!” and everyone turned around to see the smiling faces of Auntie Peg and Ninyani.

“What are all of you doing here?” Ninyani asked in delight. He ran up and hugged Tchama. “I love your drape,” he cooed, stroking the fabric that covered her missing arm.

“And don’t you just look adorable?” Tchama replied.

Ninyani was wearing fitted animal print leggings, a flouncy tank top, and his hair was wrapped in a silky scarf.

“Would you get out of my way?!” Auntie Peg joked, pushing through her large group of friends to Dozi’s table.

“So, why are all of you here?” Ninyani asked Tchama again.

She gave him a one-armed squeeze. “Because we just wanted to see who we’d run into! We wanted to come say hi to Dozi, and we hoped you three might be here, too. Hey, where’s Dot?”

Ninyani pointed across the market. “She’s right there,” he replied, “getting bacon for breakfast tomorrow.”

Dotty Marbles was laughing with another vendor.

“I’m gonna grab a coffee,” Gawa informed the others. Theolan, Ijeron, Yxida, and Tisa all joined her and headed toward the rich aroma.

Dotty Marbles had not noticed any of them, and Ijeron disconnected one of his hands at the wrist. It sailed through the air with his fingers extended, and his open palm slapped right into Dotty Marbles’ backside.

She squealed and jumped and spun around with a mischievous smile on her face, but then she looked confused, as she realized that no one was behind her.

Ijeron’s silver hand floated up and waved.

Dotty Marbles immediately understood, and she looked past the hand, scanning the crowd for the people she called friends.

Ijeron’s hand pointed for her, and she smiled wide as the group appeared among the shoppers. His hand zipped back to him and reattached.

“Hey there, sleazies!” Dotty Marbles called out to them.

Theolan ran up and hugged her. “Hey, gurl!” he said and gave her a peck on the cheek.

“Dot, would you want a coffee, too?” Tisa offered.

“Oh-ho, no, thank you!” Dotty Marbles replied with a laugh. “Peggy makes stronger coffee than you’re likely to find here, and I’ve already had two cups this morning,” she added, making a silly face, and Ninyani and Tchama laughed.

They stepped up to the coffee cart as Dotty Marbles headed toward Dozi’s mushroom table. As she approached the mystic, she gave his round bottom a playful pinch.

“Oooh!” he cried out in surprise. “Dot, you scamp!”

She leaned down and planted an affectionate kiss on his cheek, leaving a red lipstick mark.

Dotty Marbles was taller than everyone in their group except Khano, but she looked around, confused not to see the other tall person she expected. “Hey, where’s Ilya?” she asked the others.

Ilya was not behind the booth with Dozi, Harakin, and Sumi.

“She’s in the forest,” Dozi replied, as she packed up Auntie Peg’s purchases. “She flew up last night and usually spends a few days away in nature.”

“Wow, that’s incredible,” Dotty Marbles replied. “And I love how nonchalantly we all talk about the Shifts who are our friends, as if their powers aren’t the most wondrous thing on earth!” Dotty Marbles affected her voice with an amusing impression of Dozi and said, “Ilya flew away, no big deal,” then she finished in her normal voice, “as if someone flying is the most normal thing ever,” and she laughed.★