Ribbontail: Enter Emalia
Chapter 25: The bazaar  


Author's Note: Please read my artist's comments before continuing. :3
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Dawn had risen in the Sandstone desert, red and misty with the sun painting milky clouds across the skyline. As was expected in such an unforgiving environment, heat already permeated the air. Yet the desert morning remained as beautiful as ever: the pale red-orange sunrise cast its breathtaking radiance across the dunes.  

Despite this magnificent morning, Ribbontail was in a bit of a stoic, unfeeling mood. Along the canyon’s side she padded along with her two friends. She had been walking for much of last night and began this process again early in the morning, which had now begun to make her paws sore.

“At least it’s not an injury,” she thought rather optimistically as she recalled the woes of her previous trials.  “I could always have a broken paw or something.”

Ribbontail had learned to think optimistically and practically in this world of Emalia. She had taught herself to always be thinking of the future- of obstacles, of hidden terrors, of the unexpected. Considering that nightmares such as Screech and OmenBeast were a reality now, anything could happen. In her mind Ribbontail mulled over the current situation, eyeing the canyon as she pondered all possible ways across. So far there were none; indeed, they’d have to transverse the entire thing.

The girl was thoroughly relaxed and lost in thought when all of a sudden a snap sounded from behind a nearby fallen tree. At the sound, the three instantly whirled and gasped, eyes wide and minds abruptly at attention.

Nothing was there but a little lizard, simple and gray. It poked its head up over the crumbling stump and winked its large eyes at them. Then, after yawning and rubbing its face clean with its feet, it sneered at them with an angry, reptilian frown. “Aye what d’ you lot want?” he hissed with a tiny voice, “This issa my territ’ry, in case ya didn’t know. Gittout!”

Ribbontail was absolutely taken aback. It was not only the attitude that shocked her about this lizard, but the fact that it was speaking AT ALL. “Do all animals talk?” Ribbontail thought before clearing her throat and stepping back. Part of her was not sure how to handle such a critter.

Yet obviously, O’liday knew. In a most self-assured manner he dismounted Ribbontail and paraded over to the lizard, eyeing it. The lizard was not even as tall as O’liday, even having perched itself atop the rotting stump. “What are you gonna do about it, little guy?” he responded with a big grin across his face. “Dude I could eat you up right now if I wanted to-”

“Uh, uh, actually,” Ribbontail interrupted, stepping forward and nosing O’liday aside, “We’re just passing through...”

When Ribbontail’s voice trailed off, the lizard’s eyes scanned the three of them. She watched the little creature’s confidence wilt as it noticed PuppetRibbontail; a gulp and a step back told Ribbontail that he had developed a quick fear or her guardian spirit.

“...we’re sorry, mister; we’ll leave you alone.”

Ribbontail turned and began to walk away, having no desire to speak further with the lizard. He would be of no help to him, and clearly his fright of PuppetRibbontail would make him untrustworthy.

But after only a few seconds, the lizard’s voice spoke up from behind. “Wait now, where are ya lot goin’? Aren’t ya guys one of them bazaar folks?”

“Excuse me?” Ribbontail halted and doubled back, O’liday and PuppetRibbontail sharing her sudden curiosity.

The lizard stared up at the three, still making sure that there was plenty of space between he and PuppetRibbontail. “The bazaar. Ya know, them folks that travel around and trade stuff. There’s a meet not far from here, thought ya guys might wanna know. Ya guys look like ya might be lost.”

Ribbontail turned and looked quickly at O’liday. He stared back at her with a smile across his face, and a shocked and relieved tone to his voice. “Dude, a bazaar. Maybe we can get help with them.”

“I don’t know...” Turning over the idea in her head, Ribbontail pondered their canyon situation. Traveling all the way around it would take a long while, but it could be safer than enlisting the aid of some stranger. And yet, a circuit of traders could offer many things for them- they could be protected from any Eclipsians. “How far away is the bazaar?”

Once more polishing his face with spindly claws, the lizard hummed quietly. “Well maybe just a half hour ‘r so from here, or a lil’ bit more,” he replied, “Jus south from here, that’s it.”

Ribbontail nodded compliantly.

“So what’s up with you, dude?” O’liday demanded all of a sudden, stepping forth and folding his ears back. “Why are you being so nice to us?”

The lizard puffed its tiny chest, glaring back at O’liday with its vile reptilian eyes. “Cuz round here we’ve had a ton o’ Eclipsian sightings. Ya kids look like ya would make fine Eclipsian bait. Hahaha! Jus’ lookin’ out for my fellow Emalians, that’s all. Now git outta here, you’re blocking my sunlight.”

“Sounds okay to me,” Ribbontail said, finally deciding that Emalians must have strength in numbers, “Come on guys, let’s go find that bazaar.”
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Midday arrived wreathed in swirling dust and blinding sun. Ribbontail, O’liday, and PuppetRibbontail trudged tirelessly up one last slope, stumbling in the sand as they reached the crest. The traveling had been longer than expected; rather, it was FAR BEYOND what Ribbontail had desired. What was expected to be a one-hour walk had begun a trek that lasted until the sun hung angrily overhead.

Ribbontail finally reached the crest of a large dune, her pink tongue lolling out the side of her mouth. Her sides heaved as she turned and waited for PuppetRibbontail and O’liday to approach. For once, O’liday chose to ride the spirit creature. He had explained, not long ago, that she always felt cooler on a hot day.

“Dude, look!” O’liday called out as soon as they had reached Ribbontail. He unfurled a paw from beneath his curtains of fur and pointed over Ribbontail’s shoulder.

She smiled with satisfaction as soon as she saw what it was. The dune they now stood on, along with the ones surrounding them, pitched down into a great valley. The valley, stretching even into the distance, seemed to be buzzing with activity. Even from atop the hill Ribbontail could see many beings, large and small, hurrying about like ants rushing for food.  

“Hey, there it is,” Ribbontail rasped, a smile suddenly splitting her face, “Maybe we can get some help, huh?”

O’liday changed mounts then- leaping from PuppetRibbontail to Ribbontail- to pat her on the head. “And some food too. Dude, I should’ve eaten that lizard when I had the chance. MAN I’m hungry.”

Digging her paws into the sifting sand, Ribbontail and friends descended the steep hill. There was a shared desire between all three of them, and as they neared the bottom of the dune they realized that this was not only just an open market- it was a massive gathering.

Nestled in this valley were hundreds upon hundreds of fellow Emalians. From a distance the bazaar had seemed small and insignificant, but down here the land was packed. The entire clearing down here had been crammed shoulder-to-shoulder with creatures of all shapes and sizes. They all seemed to be merchants, setting up stands and laying down carpets to display their goods. Others buzzed about yelling, calling out prices and exchanging business. Camels, barrels, crates, carts, and wagons swallowed up what space was left.

Ribbontail saw animals and beings of all sorts, and her eyes grew wide with wonder as she took in the sights. Some animals walked upright and bore clothing like a human. Others walked on all fours like her and her friends. Some were even beasts she could barely fathom- creatures resembling dragons, gryphons, and fantastical monsters she never would have been able to imagine.

The sight took Ribbontail’s breath away. “Wow...” she sighed as they reached the edge of the crowd. Never before had she seen a gathering of Emalians. O’liday, Kerberos, and that single lizard were the only mortals she’d ever met in this world. Being thrown into an open market filled with thousands of them astounded Ribbontail to no end.

The hustle and bustle of the bazaar encompassed Ribbontail and her two friends as they mingled themselves into the crowd. The trio stuck together, with Ribbontail and her guardian sidled side-to-side, and finally pushed through the initial wall of bazaargoers.

“Dude there’s so much here!” O’liday meowed, standing atop Ribbontail’s head to scan beyond the crowd. “Gods, I wished I had some money on me or something. I’d love to buy some of this stuff!”

Ribbontail squinted and blinked, shouldering her way through the hurrying crowd as she attempted to find herself a comfortable spot to pause. “What can you see? Is there anything nearby that we can use to help us cross the canyon?”

“Nothing right here... SWEET! There’s a lady over there trying to sell a little pet dragon. And there’s some old dude with carpets... and one bidding off camels. Think we could use a camel or two? Haha!”

Snorting a little laugh at his response, Ribbontail cut away from the crowd and scrambled atop a crate to give herself a better look around her. All around her the Emalians hurried. It was curious that so very few of them paused to stare at the odd trio.

“Maybe they’re used to seeing weird animals,” Ribbontail thought as she scanned the crowded bazaar. There was nothing practical nearby; pots and pans, medicines, trinkets and toys would be of no use to them.  

After many minutes of staring about, Ribbontail finally turned to her two friends. “Well, let’s just keep looking,” she concluded, “there’s got to be something here that can help us. I don’t know what just yet, but I’m sure we’ll find it.”

The three young ones waited for a nearby crowd to pass before they hopped down onto the hot sand. Then they continued in through the bazaar, following the flow of the crowd as they gaped about at the merchants’ many goods. For the longest while nothing seemed to be of any help.

“Maybe you should just, like, ask somebody,” O’liday suggested, boxing Ribbontail playfully behind her ears, “You never know who could be of help, mm?”

Ribbontail nodded silently at this suggestion and pulled herself and her two friends away from the crowd. Nobody nearby, neither merchants nor shoppers, seemed to have the time to stop for conversation. But Ribbontail’s ears flicked up as she noticed a camel, nestled nearby under the shade of an overhanging canopy. With a smile upon her face, Ribbontail approached the stoic creature and swished her tail.

“Hello!” she called up to it, “I was wondering if you knew anybody who could help us with some trouble we’re having. See, we were trying to get across this canyon not far from here, and...”

The wolf girl stopped midway in her sentence, as O’liday had laid a paw on her head. He patted her, almost jokingly, and laughed. “Dude that’s a wild critter. They don’t speak our language, dude!”

Thoroughly embarrassed, Ribbontail swerved her head back around and stared back up at the camel. It still sat there, its hooded eyes fixed down on her with a look of blatant boredom. An uncomfortable smile peeled across Ribbontail’s face. Then she glanced up at O’liday and flicked her ears, asking, “But... don’t all animals in this world talk?”

“Not at all dude. Sure, all the bipeds talk and all, but we regular animals aren’t all the same. Some of us can talk, like you an’ me, while others can’t. Haha! This camel here? As stupid as they come, that thing won’t ever learn to think like us.”

It made sense somewhat.

The majority of the Emalians here were bipedal like human beings, complete with hand-like forefeet and clothing. She assumed that they were like an alternate to the humans from Earth. And yet there were also animals which appeared mundane, such as the gods and herself. There weren’t as many of those around, but she could pick them out in the crowd. She saw a horse pass by, who was chatting with a bipedal gazelle. Nearby there was a buzzard merchant, who appeared to be like any other buzzard; he was cawing out prices and offers to customers passing by. “They must be just like the bipedal Emalians, only they walk on all four legs,” she thought, “How confusing.” Ribbontail’s ears drooped as she absorbed this.

“So...” Ribbontail took another short look at the camel, “So how can you tell the non-talking animals apart from those who CAN talk?”

O’liday shrugged. “Dunno. You can normally tell by just looking at ‘em. Some quads like us just have lights in their eyes that say ‘dude I can totally talk’.”

“Where I came from, NO other species talked besides my own. This is all so new to me.”

“Your kind was the only one to talk? Haha! Wow, totally bogus. I bet you guys thought you were the top dogs on your planet.”

The girl nodded, amazed at how spot-on his assumption was. “Yeah, we humans always thought that we were the best. But then again... I bet the Emalian mortals down here have a top species. Do you?”

“Nope, not as far as I know. We’re pretty much all equal as far as social status. Which is totally rad, because supposedly Eclipsians are stuck-up about how high up the ladder they are. They’re always trying to impress their god, they say. Heh.”

“I bet it must be hard being an Eclipsian... they should just leave Eclipse and try to be good,” Ribbontail mentioned.

But there was no reply from O’liday, because his attention was suddenly called to something else. He slid from Ribbontail’s shoulders and landed with a soft pat on the sand below. Curiously, Ribbontail watched as he squinted through the crowd. “Dude... there’s a muffin over there. Just... sitting over there.”

“A muffin?” Ribbontail thought, jokingly sending her notion to PuppetRibbontail. The little creature seemed to snicker in response to this.

“Sick!” O’liday cheered, hopping once, “I’m gonna go get that muffin. You stay here guys, I’ll be right back.”

And with that, O’liday tore through the crowd. As he vanished among the legs of the bazaar shoppers, Ribbontail flinched and shot a worried glance at her guardian spirit. It would be far too easy to lose track of him in such a place! Gesturing for PuppetRibbontail to follow, the young goddess shot after him. Together the two wove through the swarm; they dodged people and carts, tripping and stumbling and ignoring the furious shouts of the shoppers.

“Hey wait!” Ribbontail cried as she and PuppetRibbontail fell through the wall of people. Together they collapsed in a frenzied heap. “Oof! You shouldn’t run off like that O’liday, you can get lost.”

Sitting back on his hind paws, O’liday stood before a shaded stand. Nobody was there behind the booth so business here seemed to be nonexistent. Yet, oddly, there was a wide variety of cloths, furs, and textiles being exhibited. Also on display was a muffin, hidden slightly in the shadows. Ribbontail’s ears were pinned back as she instantly scolded her friend. “O’liday, that food belongs to somebody else. Don’t even think about touching it!”

“Chill, dude, whoever it belongs to clearly forgot about it.” Licking his lips, O’liday hopped up onto the shaded stand.

Ribbontail opened her mouth to object again, but just as he grabbed a hold of the muffin he was whisked off his feet and into the air. The girl’s jaws clamped back together and she almost fell over in shock as a hunched figure slid into view.

Scrambling  in midair, O’liday was held up by one arm by a strange creature. Only slightly smaller than a human being, this individual emanated an instant air of mysteriousness. Clad in a hooded black robe and wearing a long wooden mask, Ribbontail could not see a single bit of this being. All that could be distinguished of it was the pair of long, furry ears and a blaze of exposed fur running down her chest and down her neck.

A pair of perturbed red eyes gleamed from the mask’s eyeholes as it looked O’liday up and down. Then with its free hand- a strange red lobster claw- it retrieved the treat that the feline had stolen.

“Phuh, a feliulf,” the creature spat, its muffled voice feminine and crisp. Ribbontail noted a heavy British accent. “Could have guessed. I thought you things were banned from these markets...”

An awkward silence descended upon the four assembled creatures as the merchant stopped, turned, and finally noticed Ribbontail and PuppetRibbontail. “Oh!” she gasped as she held O’liday down at Ribbontail, “Is this yours?”

Ribbontail nodded. Promptly, the stranger released O’liday and snorted as he crumbled to the ground, a disappointed mass of hungry feliulf.

With a nervous look plastered across her face, Ribbontail listened as they were scolded. It was plain to see that this lady was having a frustrating day. Muffin still in hand, she shook a clawed finger at them. “You children shouldn’t be running around here all alone, you know. Look at you lot. Dirty, mangy, like a bunch of starved beggars. You should be ashamed of yourselves!”

Ribbontail hushed O’liday with a rap of her paw. Then she turned, ears submissively lowered, and apologized quietly. “We’re sorry, miss. O’liday’s just really hungry. He hasn’t had anything good to eat in at least a week.”

There was no reply from the creature. She simply turned, flicked her furry red fan-tail at them, and trudged back into the shadows behind a stack of crates.

“Bitch,” O’liday mumbled under his breath, clambering down into the shelter that was Ribbontail’s shadow. “All I wanted was something to eat.”

“Well, it’s not kind to steal. There’s really no excuse for stealing from an innocent person,” said the young goddess in response.

Now left alone, the three friends sat there in the shade and peered about for some aid that would be of use to them. Still there was nothing. Plenty of trinkets and material goods would be of no good; they needed wholesome advice and a good plan, not carpets and tools. The sights were interesting, of course, and there was plenty to see at this Emalian gathering. But simply strolling about and booth-shopping would never get them across the canyon.

After some time there came a sigh from behind, and Ribbontail and her friends turned to see the masked being again. She stood behind her shadowed booth, dusting a pelt. Sounding most perturbed, the odd woman remarked, “Still here! Don’t you children have somewhere else to be? Your little zombie friend is scaring away my customers.”

“Actually, we’ve got some trouble,” Ribbontail answered. As she said this both O’liday and PuppetRibbontail doubled back, making it appear as though Ribbontail was their spokeswolf.

Behind the mask, the Emalian’s eyes narrowed. “Alright then,” she muttered after a long moment’s pause, “I’ll have at it. What seems to be the problem?”

Ribbontail gulped, shifting uneasily at the sudden benevolence. “Well, my friends and I are trying to travel somewhere in the south. But we ran into this canyon, and now there’s no way to get across. We came to this bazaar to look for help... but we don’t really know what we’re looking for.”

“Hmmm...” purred the strange being, resting her masked head on her claws. “So you children need help getting across a canyon, do you...”

A sigh escaped Ribbontail’s mouth as the creature turned and disappeared into the tent behind her bazaar stand. It seemed for a moment that she had once more abandoned them, but in a matter of minutes she returned with a large map grasped in her claws. All three friends crowded to her desk as she unfurled the brown parchment. Across it was a partial map of Emalia, detailed with a wide assortment of lines, arrows, X’s, circles, and other seemingly-random doodles. “The nearest canyon...” the lady mumbled as her eyes skimmed the paper, “...is A’yasamya, only about two miles west from here. Characterized as being the deepest in Northern Sandstone, and a major barrier for my caravans. Is this the one you three are talking about?”

Her eyes still staring down at the exhaustive map, Ribbontail nodded.

The stranger ran her lobster-claw across the parchment for a moment, regarding the three young ones gathered before her. She seemed to be analyzing them, first PuppetRibbontail and O’liday, then Ribbontail. Her eyes finally softened when they fell upon the goddess.

“My caravan heads West. If you’re headed back in that direction then I might be of some help,” she said as her eyes once more dropped to the map, “I normally only take two passengers at a time between bazaars. But... I suppose that it would be virtuous of me to help out some poor, hungry children. Though I’m not sure if I truly should, considering your little feliulf friend there has a knack for thievery.”

O’liday bristled visibly as those red eyes glared down upon him.

The merchant continued. “You see, my caravan is different in the sense that we use magic to get along. Sinkholes, canyons, rivers, they are nothing to me. I would be glad to let you children come along with us. That is, if you’re willing to cooperate and obey my rules.”

Ribbontail stood for a moment, silent as she pondered the situation. Magic was something she had never even considered. This merchant, whomever she was and whatever her business, could surely tote a wide variety of magic. Her abilities alone could be their means of getting across the canyon. Without thinking any further, Ribbontail lifted her ears and smiled at this Emalian lady. “Yes, we’d like to go.”

“Very well,” the trader replied quietly, “My caravan leaves this evening as the sun descends. There will be two other passengers along with you three, so do not mind them. I’m sure you could all fit comfortably in the carriage. Be back here as the sun begins to set, mates, or I’ll be leaving without you. Understand?”

Without consulting the other three for further confirmation, Ribbontail nodded.

The merchant nodded and closed her eyes. “Tell me, now what are your names?”

Ribbontail opened her mouth to reply, but as she did O’liday tugged her tails. “I don’t trust this lady, dude,” he whispered in a voice barely audible, even to Ribbontail. It was a perfectly reasonable assumption. Just a minute ago O’liday had tried to steal her food, and she turned around and offered them help. This would have been an odd thing in any other case, but Ribbontail felt as though this Emalian had much to offer. There was a friendly, motherly light in her eyes, and the young goddess trusted her completely.

Nudging O’liday back with a slight grin, Ribbontail ignored this remark. “I’m Ribbontail,” she said, “and these two are my friends Puppet and O’liday.”


From underneath her robe the stranger drew a fountain pen. Then onto the map she scratched down their names. The graceful, curving words were etched on the trim of the map, with what seemed to be those of many others. Checks, X’s, and arrows linked the names to various parts of the map. The Emalian merchant directed an arrow from their own names to the location of the bazaar, then to the canyon that had posed such an obstacle to them. From here she drew a horizontal arrow that pointed West. This was the direction they were going.

Her eyes finally lifted from the map and glimmered with a friendly light. “You three have very interesting names,” she complimented, “My name is Infin. Tis a pleasure t’ meet you lot!”