The Merchants War

The elevator stops abruptly when hitting the end of the mechanism, causing Kira and the fairy to hit the roof of the elevator.

"Ouch, that hurt," she complains shaking her head before getting on her paws again. "You're more of a headache than a helper," she growls.

The fairy snorts and begins to scream at her with an offended air.

"I don't understand a word of what you're saying."

She jumps to the new floor, finding a new passage, looks like a mining tunnel full of old cars and forgotten roads.

"I hope I don't at least get another hydra to have fun," she growls wryly.

The fairy sticks out her tongue simply and rests on her head, crossing her arms.

The wolf rolls its eyes, checking its condition a little, it hurts one of the hind legs just where it joins it at the hip, probably the beast dislocated it. She started walking again, walking on three legs while the wound one keeps her pulled up against her hip. She can't become human yet, not until she finds a safe place to rearrange her or that someone cures her.

The tunnel is long and wide, although it seems abandoned for many years, perhaps centuries. He has never thought that a place like Samahabdira would be built on a mine like that. The wolf can perceive again the smells of the market, it is close to the exit and with hope in the artisan market.

She reaches the end of everything after a long time, where it must be the old entrance of the mine. This is located in a wooded park, hidden from view of all.

"At last freedom," she growls and looks at her injured leg, "half-hearted freedom."

The fairy looks at the wolf's injured leg and touches it, starting to rotate around it, releasing a golden powder as its light diminishes. Kira begins to feel relief in her paw slowly, feeling how she settles back into her position and can lean her back on the ground.

"Thank you," Kira manages to catch her by letting her fall on her tail. "I think you earned a good rest," smile somewhat more gratefully.

She transforms into a human again, holding the little fairy in her hand. The little creature waves its hand as it began to disappear until it is only a sphere of light that is carried by the wind.

"Thank you for guiding me, although it was a disaster."

Kira smiled in the wind before settling on her suit a little and raising her hood, although she decided better to finish her snack and juice, sitting in the shade of an old walnut tree. It is not quite a good idea to take a slight break but she is hungry and that sandwich tastes like glory.

Kira leaves the grove surrounding the entrance to the mine, exiting directly to a new market area, located in an open and cool space. A huge lake stretches along what the view of it reaches, colorful and shallow barges carry people to feast and drink, some earth clusters floated, held by several bamboo piles and roots, around are used by merchants with large stalls and tents.

Kira walks to the port where there are some boats, she needs to find a new trail of Maldey or something from her business, if she doesn't remember wrong, the man is going to receive a shipment somewhere. She just need to find the port of loading. Kira pulls up her mask before searching between people loaded with bags and packages, there is some difficulty walking among all but not impossible.

"Pass! Stop by, take a trip through the rose channel, take a boat with me and receive the best experience of your lives!" shouts one of the boatmen in front of one of the boats adorned with flowers.

"Get to know the best works of glass and ceramics, created by the best artisans of this country and others, such as Donatello Medicci or Irken Varcomis!" shouts another from his boat.

Kira keeps moving around looking for maybe a boatman who can give her directions, she just has to find the right person and know how to choose her words. It does not take long to see a good option of an elongated canoe loaded with some boxes, although from what he sees the man is still missing.

"Need help?" Kira asks the satyr, a man about half her size with goat's feet and horns in his hair.

The satyr growls and mumbles something between his teeth.

"I don't need any help from you, annoying girl, I'm self-sufficient enough to do things for myself," replies the man holding three packages in one hand with pride.

Kira can only see how he adds two others to the column of boxes, maneuvering among others to be able to climb on his barge, but having more boxes on the floor he stumbled upon them and the ones he had in his hand fly away. She jumps to the front managing to catch some while the others fall on the others.

"That was close, don't be so hard headed," Kira speaks with a snort.

"Shut up, don't get into my business, little girl."

"I have a name," she growls.

"I'm not interested, I doubt you're such a good samaritan for no good reason. All children are the same, they always want something."

Kira takes a deep breath, this satyr is more than difficult to make him come to his senses.

"Okay, if you say so. You're right, I look for Garzon's work area."

"I already knew it. It will cost him about thirty-five gold coins and two elven currency bills."

"That's a robbery!"

"Do you take it or leave it?"

"What if I help you with your packages? Because at this rate it will take you all day with your juggling."

The satyr grumbles and growls again.

"I'm lycan, I can be very helpful in this case by our brute force."

"Okay! What a heavy girl with your stuff, start uploading the boxes."

Kira smiles victorious as she uploads packages to the boat. She leaves the heaviest and biggest ones at the end. At least the front of the boat is a ramp which allows better of the transfer of the boxes. When I'm done with the little ones she started pushing the big boxes, being careful to slide them down the ramp.

"Well that was fast, well, a deal is a deal, push the ship out of port and we'll get started."

Kira pushes the ramp before jumping inside the boat, while the satyr propels the boat slowly using a long stick in the shallow ground.

The trip started slowly but the waters of that place did not allow the engines, at most the boats led by animals such as water sleds. Music and laughter come from everywhere.

"Since I'll be having you on my boat for a while, I guess we should introduce ourselves."

"Ah, I see that you have manners."

"Very funny, my name is Pamtamilus but it is too entangled and that is what my father calls me. Just tell me Pam, and what's yours?"

"Bluish crow."

"I see, you are from one of those. Well, bluish crow, what do you plans to buy to the old Gaston?"

"They told me he had good things and likes to talk about more."

"That's taken for granted, satyrs like us like to tell stories and ancient legends."

"Gaston is a satyr then," Kira speaks by sitting in a chair. "What stories do you tell?"

"Legends of mythology and horror stories, here are many sites with stories such as the islands of the dolls or the waters of the whistle."

"The whistle?" she frowns curiously.

"A humanoid that hunts humans and creatures alike, lives in the deep, dark waters of the south."

"It's just a story."

"If you say so," Pam smiles enigmatically.

Kira rolls her eyes while keeping a little silence. She looked at the waters observing the aquatic fauna. Almost as if she is hypnotized, looking at the spotted and shiny fish.

"From the accent you have when speaking, I would say that you come very far from home, or am I wrong?"

"Surely many people come from everywhere, I come to enjoy other places. What's wrong with it?"

"None, I just talk. It will take a while."

"Do you know how this site was formed?"

"Do you know the snake of the Midgard?"

"The Ragnarok Snake: Jormundager, son of Loki and Dianica, the moon goddess."

"Some time ago when Dianica and Loki were punished, Odin knew what the future holds for the Aesir, and the role that Jormundager would play for his enormous power."

"What happened to him?"

"Thor threw him into the sea surrounding the Midgard, where he awaits the arrival of the end of the world. Local legends say that this site was originally a sacred settlement, where the Norse gods were worshipped, long before the great floods here was a great temple where they did rituals and festivities to the Aesir." Pam turns the ship into a new channel something more narrower. "Many believe that this ruins contain a portal what opens directly to Jormundager's Prison."

"The waters surrounding the Midgard is not a prison, how can it be?"

"It was sealed by an ancient witch of the Yggdrasil, who after much effort and containment was able to seal the portal."

"How are they going to hide a temple in a place like this? The waters are shallow."

"It is true that the lagoon seems shallow, but its land is quite muddy, which may mean that anything is possible. The islets of this site are made of dry mud, so no heavy structures are used on top of these. Usually boats or tents are used for sales." Pam points in front of him. "We are already arriving at the place."

Kira looks in the direction pointed out by the satyr. On a large islet is a shop of considerable size, made of violet and yellow fabric. From the outside you can see the goods, spheres and glass cages painted with various animals inside, it also included several artistic crystal figurines.

"It's Gaston's workshop, boy does he have a good hand for his work."

"He is one of the best at glass work, he plans to participate in this year's festival, I have no doubt that he will have difficulty with the champion; but hope exists."

Pam stops the barge against the islet a few meters from the store.

"I've already done my part now, I hope that's what you were looking for." Pam snorts stretching.

"Thank you very much, good luck with your sales." Kira says goodbye to the satyr before going down to the islet and seeing from there how the ship moved away.

Kira takes a deep breath before going up to the store, it is full of people shopping and the satyr boasts of great feats and stories. She approaches the store listening with interest, although most asked about prices and the jobs that man does. She mingles among the people, hoping to hear something of interest.

People commented on the prices and the festival that was approaching, apparently it will be that night in about two hours.

"Do you think Maldey, Girken and Stallone will return to their competitive war of every year, Gaston?" asks a man who worked in the back.

"That always boy, but this year things will get pretty ugly apparently," replies another with a box in his arms.

"I think now if things were to break out, Maldey is fed up," the satyr replies. "Maldey's dirty games will escalate to a higher level."