Like Eww, Gross!

Ew! Ew! Ew! So filthy, I hate it!

Tulla furiously rubbed her nose red and sniffled into her cloak’s sleeve. Every step she took or gentle breeze kicked up dust from the dirt road, creating a menacing cloud of filth that got everywhere.

In her delicate eyes.

In her luscious green hair.

On her baby smooth skin.

Oh it made her itch like crazy.

The dirt mixed with the sweat on her skin, forming a thin layer of mud that she knew would take hours in the shower to scrape off.

Tulla whimpered when she saw the grime on her fine blue cloak.

That cost me a month’s salary. It has to come out.

Tulla's attention switched to the man responsible for dragging her out in the boonies with no steam engines, carriages or merchants to charge them premium for a ride.

Surely we can’t be lost! Please tell me we aren't lost!

Her dear master, dressed in a modest camel cloak and sandals, carried himself as if they were out on an evening stroll around the park. The only thing breaking that illusion was the map he was consulting. He happily hummed a tune as his long blue hair danced in the breeze. The sunlight caused his white horns to shine like polished porcelain. He was gorgeous as always, but she was fizzy, dusty, miserable.

What in the world? This has to be a joke.

She looked up at the sky. Not a cloud in sight. Just that jerk of a sun, baking her like bread, causing her nose to bleed.

This hell! How much longer! Grr!

“Awww!” A sharp pain stabbing her foot caused her to stumble on the road with her pack. She took off her shoes and fished out a rock.

“Tulla are you alright?” Her master turned around, knitting his brow.

She quickly put her shoe back on and stood up.

“Yes, yes, yes. I just got a rock in my shoe.” She faked a laugh while dusting herself off.

“Ah.” He gave her a warm smile. “Don’t worry there should be a tiny village nearby. Hang in there. ”

“Uh, yes.” Tulla smoothed down her green hair.

It was near dusk by the time they made it to the village and the balls of Tulla’s feet and her back ached with a pain she did not feel since her days as a factory worker. When all Tulla could see were a couple of ramshackles between parched fields, it took everything in her being to not kick and scream.

No! No! No! Hell no! What the hell is this!

She looked to her master for confirmation. He continued his confident walk down the road, musing at the dwellings held together with twigs and a prayer like he was a matron window shopping. He surely was oblivious of her internal torment.

No school. No banks. No hotels? I want to cry! I’m tired of squatting in a hole.

Her master stopped and put his map away into his cloak. “Ah, there is no inn. So we might have to camp outside if no one is willing to put us up for tonight.”

Tulla suppressed a whimper.

They came upon a shack slightly larger than the others. Out in the field was a sun-burnt old man and a boy who looked to be about 10, pulling a plow. Behind them was a little girl dropping seeds and another girl with a pot, watering the soil sparingly. By how frayed their garments were they were practically in rags and looked utterly filthy. The little girl with the seeds noticed them and gave them a snaggled tooth smile. Tulla shuddered. Oh gawd no!

Her master walked up to the edge of the field and called out. “Hello, there! Are you this village’s leader?”

“Nah–” The man stopped himself. “We don’t have a leader, but everyone dumps their burdens on me.” He narrowed his eyes. “Y’all are the fanciest seeds to blow in here. Lost?”

“No, no. We are conducting an important astrological expedition for our great liege. ”

“Uh huh.” The old man’s eyes glazed over, all those big words must have caused his interest to wan.

The right side of Tulla's mouth twitched. “We go on big mountain to see falling sky rock.”

“Ya came all the way out here to see that?” The old man laughed.

A blood vessel was begging to pop in her temple. I hate him. I hate all them! Why are we even talking to him? As if this moron would be of any use.

Tulla crossed her arms and looked at his shack. It probably is nasty in there. Filled with roaches and rats. No bathroom, maybe it would be better off if we camp outside.

Her master chuckled, showing a row of his sharp pristine sharp teeth. “If you put it that way I guess it does seem silly...”

“Master Alvon–” Tulla mumbled and was quickly silenced with a gentle head pat.

He continued with a shrug, “But our liege willed us to go. There is no helping it.”

The old man shook his head. “Tut, tut.”

“Could you perhaps offer us shelter for tonight. We’ll compensate you for it. My apprentice has the gift of healing.”

Ew. I don’t want to touch them.

“Hmmm.” More wrinkles formed over the man’s aged face as he pondered, “Ya are mages?”

“Yes, is there something else you might need,” her master glanced down at Tulla who was chewing her lip with fury and added, “...within reason.”

"Grandpa's feet are bad,” said the boy.

“Hush, don’t tell that to strangers,” said the old man.

“My apprentice can help,” Master Alvon announced proudly.

No!

The old man stroked his chin.“Hmm, y’all look trustworthy enough. Come, we do need some help. ”

They followed the old man and children into the shack. A tug on Tulla’s cloak, caused the girl to shoot a glare at the grubby little hands who pulled it.

One of the little girls, the one who was watering the seeds, looked at her with big brown eyes. Clueless as ever, the little brat refused to let go and instead gave Tulla a big smile, and asked, “Are you a princess?”

“No, a mage.” She swiped the hem of her cloak away from the girl and darted away. She did not want anyone to see the smile on her face.

***

Master Alvon snapped his fingers and lit the dried kindle in the fireplace ablaze. A warm orange glow illuminated the cool shadows of the dirt-floor room that tripled as a kitchen, living room and bedroom for the old man. The flames hugged the bottom of the hanging iron pot, heating the water inside. When he was pleased with his work, he asked the old man. “What do you have planned for dinner?”

“There are some jarred potatoes, carrots, and chicken in the cupboard. ” The old man said, reclining on his cot with corn ridden feet being tended to by Tulla.

Surrounding them were an audience of his charges watching Tulla in awe.

Ugggh! It is so gross. Hurry up and heal! Tulla kept her hands that glowed with a soft amber far enough where it needed to be. She could speed up the process by touching it. But ew, shivers.

The old man’s corns were stubborn. Years of ill fitting shoes and hard labor left his soles of a thick layer of hard skin. They look almost as bad as her dads. Those could have been her feet if she didn’t get out of that place. Tulla increased the glow of her hands and the corns disintegrated leaving soft skin behind.

“I’m done.” She quickly rose.

“Well I be,” the old man wiggled his toes. “Thank ya, it has been ages. ”

Tulla joined her master by the pot who was in the middle of cooking.

“How much longer? ” Tulla whispered. “I want to take a bath.”

“There should be a river north of here, but it is getting late.”

“Massster,” Tulla whined. “I mean a real bath in a place with indoor plumbing.”

Master Alvon chuckled, and leisurely stirred the pot five rotations before answering, “Hmm, I say it will take us a two days give or take to get to the next village. The valley is more developed. There is an inn there.”

An Inn. Tulla’s heart screamed with joy.

“But after that it will be about a month-long trek into the wilderness until we reach the summit. We will make sure to stay there for a while for preparation.”

Tulla twisted as her heart dropped into her stomach. Oh no!

“Oh that's great…” Tulla's head fell between her shoulders, then she felt her master pat her head.

Tulla looked up and was met with his radiant smile warmed by the fire. His bright blue eyes trinkled like nacre. “Thank you for accompanying me during this journey. You are a big help. I can’t imagine doing this by myself. ”

She turned red and a big goofy smile appeared on her face. “Well of course, I am your apprentice.” She curtsied. “It is an honor to follow you to the ends of the earth, sir.” 

Master Alvon laughed and ruffled her hair. “Don’t be silly. ”

“Hey!”

“But I appreciate it.”

When the meal was done, they ate on the floor near the fire. Tulla held her breath after each bite. Everything tastes so blah. There is hardly any seasoning.

“I ran out of salt,” her master whispered.

Great.

“Food tastes good with guests, ” said the seed girl.

“Yes it does.” The old man gave the girl a soft smile.

The little boy stared at Master Alvon curiously and the man smiled blankly back.

Tulla grumbled, “It is not polite to stare.”

Master Alvon raised his hand to silence her. “Is there something you want to ask me, child?”

“Mister, why do you and the lady have horns like a goat?”

Tulla balked at the boy question. She didn’t have her pearls on her so she clutched the collar of her tunic. How dare–

A bout of laughter from Master Alvon made her forget what she was about to say.

“Why don’t you have horns?” he asked the boy.

“I just don’t have them. I don’t know anyone else around here who does,” the boy shrugged

Master Alvon nodded as if the boy spoke something profound. “That was the same for us. Everyone where we are from have horns.”

“They are drake-folk, from a powerful land across the sea,” said the old man.

The children’s eyes widened with wonder and they all exclaimed “wow,” in unison.

“You came across the sea? What does the sea look like?” asked the boy.

“Was it scary?” The seed girl asked.

Tulla rolled her eyes. Ugh, I don’t want to relive that hell. She looked at the door and got up. I need some air.

Master Alvon outstretched his arms. “The sea is like a lake but bigger and saltier. It took us about four months to sail here by boat.”

“Four months?!” asked the water girl.

The little boy leaned in closer. “Did you have to fight any monsters? I heard that there are monsters at sea. ”

“Only one and it only took one fire ball to take it out.” Master Alvon lit his finger aflame.

“Oooo tell us.”

Tulla stepped outside into the cool evening air and muffled the rest of the conversation by closing the door. A blue tint covered the tiny shacks that lined the dirt road. Each of them had the same orange glow from a fire. She looked up at the sky that was a splatter painting of stars, among a crescent moon. “I hardly see these back home.”

A gnat landed on her neck and she smacked it with free hand, causing the soup to splash over her finger and soak the ground. A reasonable tradeoff.

She went back inside and shut the door. We better get a handsome reward after this.