Once again I am in the mouth of a freaking fish.

  “Great. All that work wasted and that ancient gone.”

  The Witchstalker had started pacing in front of me while Perhan slept. We had been traveling for a bit. She kept muttering and shaking her head while looking at me with deep anger.

  “I didn’t expect them to pop. I really didn’t. That was a surprise to me.”

  “How could you not have seen that, running around in your Flow state?”

  “Maybe you missed the giant purple Cosmic we dealt with?” my voice dripped with sarcasm.0

  “Please. You and I both know that Cosmic was barely in Titan Class. You could have dealt with him without the Flow.”

  “Yeah, and waste more time there?” I shot back.

  “Impatient as always, Jaknight.”

  “I don’t have the time to wait. The quest needs to be completed quickly.”

  “Ahh yes, your quest to find what, those cups? The Crones told me all about it.”

  She had removed her hat and her auburn hair came spilling out. She ran her fingers through it.

  “They shouldn’t have given you this quest. You Jaknights are ill suited for this game.”

  “We can handle any quest, Witch. Even yours.” I felt myself grow hot at her dismissal of me.

  She waved me off with her hand.

  “Do you even know where to look for them?”

  “Not exactly. I lost the finder. Some gnome took it and ran off to who knows where,” I told her.

  “The Fen Faeye Fair Market.”

  I turned to see Perhan, who had sat up from his nap.

  “The what?” I asked him.

  “The Fen Faeye Fair Market,” Perhan repeated.

  “Umm… what is that?”

  “It’s only one of the largest markets for magical goods,” Perhan said as he began to stretch.

  “It’s also filled with enemy sorcerers and Hasari,” the Witchstalker quickly replied.

  “You’re worried? You, the Blood Comet Witch?” Perhan’s words dripped with feigned shock.

  I couldn’t believe the name he just said. I turned to the Witchstalker.

  “You’re Lilian Devonshire?” I asked her.

  “Yes, I am,” Lilian replied.

  “Then I take it you’ve been to that market?”

  “Not I, but he has.” She pointed at Perhan, who shrugged.

  “I had to go there once or twice.”

  I raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

  “Okay, maybe a bit more than that.” Perhan gestured with his hands as he said that.

  “I’m guessing you think the imp is going to try to sell the finder at this market place?” I asked.

  Perhan nodded.

  “He’ll find someone, all right.”

  “Perhan is right,” Lilian said. “The imp won’t wait. He will sell right away.”

  “Then we need to go to this market.”

  “That may be a problem,” Lilian said.

  “Why?”

  “The entrance is protected by a secret word. No getting in there without it.”

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Okay… and we can’t get that?” I looked at both of them.

  “The secret word changes all the time, and it’s not easy to attain.”

  “Although we do know someone who can get it.”

  “Who?”

  “The Prancing Cat.”

  Lilian glared at Perhan when he said that.

  “There is no way in Leigum’s hells we are asking that thing for help,” Lilian spat out.

  “If we need to, we will. It’s my quest to accomplish.”

  She looked at me.

  “You’re right, it is your quest to finish. But mark my words, you will regret asking him for help.”

  “That may be. But that’s tomorrow’s problem.”

  I turned to Perhan.

  “You know where this cat is?”

  “I know where he hangs out.”

  Perhan had wandered toward the back near the throat and was looking at something.

  “All right. Take us there and let’s see if we can get this secret word.”

  Perhan nodded.

  “Are you coming?” he asked Lilian.

  She sighed.

  “I suppose so. The market may offer a clue as to where that ancient went off to. But I am not talking to the damn cat.”

  I wondered why she seemed to have so much animosity toward the cat. It was almost visceral.

  Then there was a sound, like a door scraping open.

  “Is that a door?”

  A wooden door had appeared in the corner of the fish’s mouth and swung open, revealing a large den with a big green couch, a fireplace, a viewing mirror, and a small round stone table.

  “You had a room this entire time we were in this mouth?”

  “It’s more like a little house.”

  “Why the hell didn’t you open it earlier?”

  “We weren’t going to be here that long, I thought. Besides, it takes forever to clean up.”

  Lilian rolled her eyes and walked in.

  I just shook my head and followed her inside.

  There were a few more rooms in the back. They had beds, but they were filled with junk. I pushed the various clothes and papers off one of the beds and plopped down, letting sleep rush over me.

  Dreams came to me like a rush of water.

  Dreams of space and bright stars that became stained with blood.

  I dreamt of my old master, his face weathered yet strong, his grey eyes hardened by war. We were by a fire roaring hot, its light casting shadows across the large yellow trees around us. Despite the heat of the fire, I felt cold. I felt small, like I was a boy again.

  “Finnbarr, today was a good day. You did well. Do not fear your trembling. You experienced battle for the first time today and slew your enemy.”

  I hadn’t noticed I was trembling.

  Wait… my first battle?

  “Master, did we just fight Egua of the Winter Sword?”

  My master nodded and smiled.

  “Yes. And you slew his armor bearer, though you took a bit of damage.”

  He pointed at my arm. There was a scar across my bicep. I remembered when I got this.

  “Master, is this a dream or something else?”

  “It could be seen as a dream.”

  “Why here?” I asked him.

  “I don’t know, Finnbarr. Why here?”

  Suddenly his face melted away, revealing the white skull beneath.

  The flames turned black, then white.

  He repeated himself.

  “Why here, Finnbarr? Why here?”

  Then he opened his mouth and let out a scream.

  I gasped awake, sitting up on the bed.

  It was quiet except for the faint sound of muffled voices. I walked out of the room.

  Perhan looked over. He was sprawled out on the couch. The viewing mirror was showing some Edenian play. That was where the sound was coming from. He went back to watching it.

  “Where’s Lilian?”

  Almost on cue she walked out of one of the other rooms. Her hair was wet, and the smell of water and floral soaps filled my nostrils.

  “Did you shower?”

  “I sure did. You have no idea how filthy imps can be. Did you know they take dirt baths?”

  “I have some idea,” I said, recalling the imp on the balcony.

  A shower would be nice as well for me.

  “Do you know when we will get to where this cat hangs out?” I asked Perhan.

  “I would say less than half a solar run.”

  I nodded.

  “I’m going to use your shower to re-cleanse.”

  “Help yourself.”

  Perhan waved at the room and went back to watching the play, while Lilian had sat down and begun writing a message into the air. Pink letters rapidly flashed and vanished like smoke.

  I headed into the shower.

  It was round, with pinkish marble and soft white rugs. The shower itself was a ring floating with the shower head suspended above an oval mirror on the wall.

  I removed my clothing and took out a few cleaning stones. I passed them over my clothes and the white rocks soon became grey and black with the dust and grime they pulled from the clothing.

  Afterward I lit my Pavithan candle. Its rich smoke helped purify my clothing and remove any lingering curses or odors.

  As the candle burned, I knelt, taking deep breaths, letting my whole self mind, body, soul, and spirit rest together.

  The dream left me feeling uneasy. Like this quest is deeper than I think. Or is it just my own thoughts? Maybe delusions of grandeur?

  These thoughts are unfocusing me, and in our line of work that’s a death sentence.

  So I try to meditate them away, to find inner balance.

  Once it comes, the feeling is refreshing and soothing.

  I rise up and step into the shower, letting the water cascade over me. I use my jade bathing bag, the green lather removing the dirt and odors from me.

  The water washes away my weariness.

  When I come out, I feel fresh, my mind at ease.

  Then I hear a knock on the door and Perhan’s voice.

  “We’re here.”

  I step out to find Perhan and Lilian both standing by the door, ready to leave.

  “All right… so where are we?”

  “The Mirror Plains,” Perhan said as he adjusted his jacket.

  “You want to meet the cat here?” Lilian asked.

  “I don’t see a problem,” Perhan replied as he walked out into the fish’s mouth.

  “You don’t see a problem meeting a rogue Alfaere in a land filled with mirrored dimensional rips?” Lilian looked at him like he was some idiot.

  “I agree with her. The Mirror Plains are a problem. Isn’t there somewhere else?”

  “Nope. This is where he likes to be. I’ll cast wards to warn us of any portal breaches.”

  “That will have to do, I guess.”

  “Did you even wash a bit?” Lilian asked Perhan, her nose wrinkling.

  “Not since the tower.”

  “Yes, I can tell.”

  She gave him a slightly disgusted look before walking toward the front of the mouth.

  “You could have done with a change, Perhan,” I told him.

  He sniffed his underarm.

  “I think I smell fine.”

  “Okay…”

  I raised my eyebrows.

  I walk over with him toward Lilian, and we wait for Monchep to open his mouth.