Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 108376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
“It’s male, I think,” I replied, because it seemed rude to keep referring to the demon as an ‘it.’ “And if my translation is correct he wants to purchase my earrings for twenty dolmens.”
“Dolmens?”
“I think it’s their currency.”
Ren arched an eyebrow and pursed his lips. “He’s probably trying to lowball you. Ask for fifty.”
I turned my attention back to the demon. “You can have them for fifty, no less,” I said in what I presumed was well-accented Oreylian because I sounded like Vas and the demon seemed to understand me.
“Forty,” the demon fired back before folding his tiny arms. He had two little indents slashed over each eye, and they narrowed crankily at me for having the gall to haggle with him.
“Forty, and some information,” I countered and the demon considered it.
“Information?”
“I need directions to the reylite mine that’s overseen by Red Armand.”
His yellow eyes widened in fear. “You are not a demon. You shouldn’t go there.” He paused, glancing from side to side and lowering his voice. “They’ll trap you, make you work for no pay.”
“What happens to me doesn’t concern you,” I said, even though a bolt of trepidation shot through me at the prospect of being put to work in the mines, no route of escape.
The demon eyed me for a long moment, then replied, “Okay, deal. Forty dolmens, and I’ll draw you a map.” With that he scuttled back into his hole before emerging a few minutes later with a rolled up piece of parchment and a bag of coins. He refused to hand both over until I gave him the earrings. I removed them from my ears and held them out with one hand before reaching out with the other to take the dolmens and the map. We made the exchange and the demon gave a yip of delight as he studied the jewellery that was commonplace back home. They must not have a lot of gold in Oreylia because he looked absolutely giddy at the sight of it.
I brought my attention to the bag of coins, opening it up and finding rounded chips stamped with a symbol of three volcanoes, the same ones I could see in the distance looming over the city. The metal was jet black and cool to the touch.
After counting them, I dropped the coins back into the bag, tucked it into my pocket, then rolled out the map. If the directions were correct then the mine where we’d find Vas and Sven was on the other side of the city, the side where the lava flowed down from the Hamlivs. My skin felt hot even at the thought of journeying so close to the constantly erupting volcanoes.
I was vaguely aware of Ren nudging me and I glanced at him. “We should go. I feel like there are more little guys like him out here, spying on us from every hole in the ground. It’s creeping me out.”
“He seems harmless enough.”
“Let’s not wait around to find out if he isn’t,” Ren said and I couldn’t argue with that.
We continued our journey, now armed with some currency and a map. The closer we got, the more the sulphurous smell in the air increased. I just hoped Ren and I got used to it soon because it was turning my stomach.
Thankfully, there were no gates or high walls blocking our entrance. The city began with small, spread out dwellings, then the deeper you got the closer and more plentiful the buildings became. Ren and I stood out a little in our jeans and T-shirts, but we wore mostly black so we didn’t draw too much attention. The locals favoured thin layers, lots of scarves, shawls, cardigans and long skirts that covered their bodies, but the fabric looked airy and cool.
There was a swooping sound overhead and I peered up, goosebumps rising when one of the winged creatures flew by. It was huge, so much bigger than it had seemed from a distance, and my throat wobbled at the sight of it.
“Darya, come on,” Ren urged and I hurried to catch up with him.
We were in some kind of marketplace, and I knew it had to be a poorer district because lots of demon children were running about without shoes. Was this where Vas had lived before his mother died and he’d been thrown into the mine?
Ren stood at my side, quietly taking it all in. We garnered a few curious looks, but other than that nobody paid us too much attention. I guessed this densely populated, less privileged part of Treyu had lots of strangers passing through. If Ren and I turned up in the royal part of the city, where Vas had said his mother was born, I doubted we’d be ignored so easily.
“We should take a break and find somewhere to rest,” Ren suggested. “My feet are killing me.”