Pie and Lithia walked into the bazaar, the strange booths and tents set up in a near city of temporary tents, carts and wagons. Pathways snaked between them, winding and curving in ways that almost felt like they were meant to deceive or ensnare rather than convey easy movement through the pathways. Travelers of all kinds mingled and browsed the wares offered, while others just walked by looking but not stopping, viewing them more as curiosities.
The owners of the shops invited passerby to stop, calling out deals and temptations to encourage them to peruse what was on offer. Which happened to be a little bit of everything, foods, treats, trinkets and more. Works of art next to carved bone talismans, the offerings were as diverse as the folk that hawked them. Creatures he may have normally been terrified of sat in friendly conversation with their customers, even ones that might have been deemed 'monsters.' Though in some places people considered Pie himself a monster, so he was a little less perturbed when he thought if it that way. If they were intelligent enough to enter a place like this and agree to be friendly then perhaps it was not quite as scary.
Lithia walked through the crowd confidently, dodging a big troll here, carefully stepping over gremlins and brownies further down the path. Pie waved to some of the fae folk he had interacted with before, and most of them politely waved back, probably wondering why this strange goblin riding a centaur was so eager to say hello.
Through the din of many languages a quiet voice carried through the din. "I have what you need." Pie cast around but did not see anyone looking at them, nor appearing to speak to them. Lithea was looking at some dyed leather bracers, with beads and feathers, but the big Orc craftsman was definitely not the source of the voice.
They moved on but still the source of the voice did not reveal itself. Lithia did not seem to have heard it so he shrugged and just decided to keep an eye out. Which he did, while also scanning the crowd for Miss Nyxia's light skin and dark hair he did see a centaur pass ahead of them though.
He patted Lithia on the shoulder excitedly. "Miss Lithia! I saw a centaur up ahead! Maybe it's your family!" He excitedly pointed in the direction the centaur had gone.
Lithia followed his hand and then brought a hand to her mouth as she erupted in giggles. Several heads turned at the joyous sound, but Lithia couldn't stop. She giggled and laughed for several long moments before she could control her mirth and speak again.
"Oh no, dear Pie. You are so helpful, but I realize I did not tell you yet that my family are not centaurs like me. I have been living with some Tabaxi, the cat peoples. A family of smaller ones, as small as you! We're most likely to find my brother here. He's so adorable you'll know if you see him."
Pie laughed too. "Ooh! I didn't even think about that. Ok! I'll keep my eyes out for small tabaxi cat people!" They continued walking and browsing, passing delicious and noxious smelling foods alike as they continued wandering the bazaar in search of their missing friends and family.
They soon passed a wagon, and just as they were moving beyond Lithia looked back and suddenly turned. "I think we'll find what we are looking for here…" She said absently as she turned back and walked to the entrance of the wagon.
Pie dragged his eyes away from scanning the crowd. "Did you hear that too Miss Lithia? " He asked but received no answer as she moved into the doorway of the wagon. It was dark inside, but a figure could be seen towards the back of the wagon. The creatures head looked odd and something was twitching in front of it's face. Something felt wrong here. "Uh .. Miss Lithea, I don't think we should go in here." She didn't respond and her hooves were on the stairs leading up inside now.
Pie started patting her back and lightly tugging her hair to get her attention, but she stared forward blankly. "I will find what I'm looking for here." She said blankly as she climbed another stair into the wagons entrance. Her long body was the only thing keeping her from going right in as she needed to shift her hind legs into position.
"Miss Lithia!" he shouted in alarm as she maneuvered to continue up into the wagon. "This doesn't feel right!" She was unphased and got her hind legs on the stair and was stepping up into the wagon. As he passed through the door way with her he could see the grey skinned being with tentacles where its mouth was supposed to be. He felt shipers tugging at his mind. "I have what you are looking for."
It was the voice from before and this time a power ful urge to enter tugged at him as well. Lithia was now fully in the wagon, which was sparse save for a chair at the far end which the creature sat. It hadn't moved, but its dark eyes gleamed with malice. Pie felt his leg beginning to move on its own. He needed to go to the creature, It had what he was looking for.
Perhaps because he was already in a heightened state of alarm the feeling passed before he had moved very far and he shook his head. Lithia was stepping toward the creature, who was beginning to raise it's hands, and it was holding something. "Miss Lithia!" he shouted. "We need to go! Turn around!" His words did not phase her and she was walking right up to the creature, its long arms reaching out, holding whatever was in its hand, a talisman? A scroll? He didn't want to find out.
Pie did the only thing he could think of. He kicked his heels into Lithias sides as hard as he could. It wasn't a nice thing to do, but he had seen people do that with horses, and it got the horses to move. Right now they really needed to move!
Lithia was startled by the sudden pain, and blinked in surprise. "Run!" Pie yelled. Seeing the squid faced thing in front of her its long thin arms reaching out brushing both of them with its reaching grasp and its mouth tentacles writhing, she needed no more urging. She almost bucked Pie right off as she reared up in a hopping kind of turn, having to maneuver her body in the narrow wagon. She dashed forward, flying through the narrow doorway, her feet clamoring and sliding on the wood floor.
She half fell out and down the stairs, and this time Pie did get flung off. He spun and rolled, landing half under a cart next to the wagon, a Kitsune making a steaming hot noodle dish glaring disapprovingly at the interruption into their space. Lithia on the other hand fell, rolled and in a terrified panic bolted down the pathway, unable to control the panic that had suddenly taken root in her.
Pie lay sprawled at the feet of the Kitsune who still glared, but did not seem to think removing the wayward goblin was worthy of any effort on their part. He felt something around his neck something scratching. He snatched at it, remembering the cold touch of the creatures fingers when it was grabbing for his neck.
What came away was no talisman or curse … just a flyer. Bee's Fortunes and Relationship advice. It showed a tent and a small tabaxi weaning a dark robe sitting at a table with smoke all around them. Was this Lithias family? The creature, despite how it seemed ... had given him a gift. Had given him ... exactly what he was looking for.
The owners of the shops invited passerby to stop, calling out deals and temptations to encourage them to peruse what was on offer. Which happened to be a little bit of everything, foods, treats, trinkets and more. Works of art next to carved bone talismans, the offerings were as diverse as the folk that hawked them. Creatures he may have normally been terrified of sat in friendly conversation with their customers, even ones that might have been deemed 'monsters.' Though in some places people considered Pie himself a monster, so he was a little less perturbed when he thought if it that way. If they were intelligent enough to enter a place like this and agree to be friendly then perhaps it was not quite as scary.
Lithia walked through the crowd confidently, dodging a big troll here, carefully stepping over gremlins and brownies further down the path. Pie waved to some of the fae folk he had interacted with before, and most of them politely waved back, probably wondering why this strange goblin riding a centaur was so eager to say hello.
Through the din of many languages a quiet voice carried through the din. "I have what you need." Pie cast around but did not see anyone looking at them, nor appearing to speak to them. Lithea was looking at some dyed leather bracers, with beads and feathers, but the big Orc craftsman was definitely not the source of the voice.
They moved on but still the source of the voice did not reveal itself. Lithia did not seem to have heard it so he shrugged and just decided to keep an eye out. Which he did, while also scanning the crowd for Miss Nyxia's light skin and dark hair he did see a centaur pass ahead of them though.
He patted Lithia on the shoulder excitedly. "Miss Lithia! I saw a centaur up ahead! Maybe it's your family!" He excitedly pointed in the direction the centaur had gone.
Lithia followed his hand and then brought a hand to her mouth as she erupted in giggles. Several heads turned at the joyous sound, but Lithia couldn't stop. She giggled and laughed for several long moments before she could control her mirth and speak again.
"Oh no, dear Pie. You are so helpful, but I realize I did not tell you yet that my family are not centaurs like me. I have been living with some Tabaxi, the cat peoples. A family of smaller ones, as small as you! We're most likely to find my brother here. He's so adorable you'll know if you see him."
Pie laughed too. "Ooh! I didn't even think about that. Ok! I'll keep my eyes out for small tabaxi cat people!" They continued walking and browsing, passing delicious and noxious smelling foods alike as they continued wandering the bazaar in search of their missing friends and family.
They soon passed a wagon, and just as they were moving beyond Lithia looked back and suddenly turned. "I think we'll find what we are looking for here…" She said absently as she turned back and walked to the entrance of the wagon.
Pie dragged his eyes away from scanning the crowd. "Did you hear that too Miss Lithia? " He asked but received no answer as she moved into the doorway of the wagon. It was dark inside, but a figure could be seen towards the back of the wagon. The creatures head looked odd and something was twitching in front of it's face. Something felt wrong here. "Uh .. Miss Lithea, I don't think we should go in here." She didn't respond and her hooves were on the stairs leading up inside now.
Pie started patting her back and lightly tugging her hair to get her attention, but she stared forward blankly. "I will find what I'm looking for here." She said blankly as she climbed another stair into the wagons entrance. Her long body was the only thing keeping her from going right in as she needed to shift her hind legs into position.
"Miss Lithia!" he shouted in alarm as she maneuvered to continue up into the wagon. "This doesn't feel right!" She was unphased and got her hind legs on the stair and was stepping up into the wagon. As he passed through the door way with her he could see the grey skinned being with tentacles where its mouth was supposed to be. He felt shipers tugging at his mind. "I have what you are looking for."
It was the voice from before and this time a power ful urge to enter tugged at him as well. Lithia was now fully in the wagon, which was sparse save for a chair at the far end which the creature sat. It hadn't moved, but its dark eyes gleamed with malice. Pie felt his leg beginning to move on its own. He needed to go to the creature, It had what he was looking for.
Perhaps because he was already in a heightened state of alarm the feeling passed before he had moved very far and he shook his head. Lithia was stepping toward the creature, who was beginning to raise it's hands, and it was holding something. "Miss Lithia!" he shouted. "We need to go! Turn around!" His words did not phase her and she was walking right up to the creature, its long arms reaching out, holding whatever was in its hand, a talisman? A scroll? He didn't want to find out.
Pie did the only thing he could think of. He kicked his heels into Lithias sides as hard as he could. It wasn't a nice thing to do, but he had seen people do that with horses, and it got the horses to move. Right now they really needed to move!
Lithia was startled by the sudden pain, and blinked in surprise. "Run!" Pie yelled. Seeing the squid faced thing in front of her its long thin arms reaching out brushing both of them with its reaching grasp and its mouth tentacles writhing, she needed no more urging. She almost bucked Pie right off as she reared up in a hopping kind of turn, having to maneuver her body in the narrow wagon. She dashed forward, flying through the narrow doorway, her feet clamoring and sliding on the wood floor.
She half fell out and down the stairs, and this time Pie did get flung off. He spun and rolled, landing half under a cart next to the wagon, a Kitsune making a steaming hot noodle dish glaring disapprovingly at the interruption into their space. Lithia on the other hand fell, rolled and in a terrified panic bolted down the pathway, unable to control the panic that had suddenly taken root in her.
Pie lay sprawled at the feet of the Kitsune who still glared, but did not seem to think removing the wayward goblin was worthy of any effort on their part. He felt something around his neck something scratching. He snatched at it, remembering the cold touch of the creatures fingers when it was grabbing for his neck.
What came away was no talisman or curse … just a flyer. Bee's Fortunes and Relationship advice. It showed a tent and a small tabaxi weaning a dark robe sitting at a table with smoke all around them. Was this Lithias family? The creature, despite how it seemed ... had given him a gift. Had given him ... exactly what he was looking for.