Submission (#3946) Approved

“How did you do it!?” the burgundy and gold kittom slammed her paw onto the table, cheeks puffed up.

Rhapsody stared back at her in confusion.

“How did you know that the storm was coming?”

“Wha…what?” Rhapsody stammered. This wasn’t at all what he expected.

“You predicted that the faire would be showered with surprises this year, and then this crazy light started falling from the sky.”

Oh, Rhapsody glanced down at his crystal ball, then back up at the kittom across the table. He had expected unruly customers who challenged his readings, especially those concerning luck at carnival games, but that particular fortune had seemed so innocuous a few days prior. A small crowd was gathering, drawn in by the commotion.

“Say something, darn it! If you knew that the storms were coming, why didn’t you warn everyone!?”

Rhapsody cleared his throat and pulled himself into character. “Alas, I am merely the messenger. It is not my place to interpret messages from the great beyond, just to relay them to those who dare to ask.”

“That’s no excuse! If you knew about the storms in advance, you should have told the elders! That would have saved us all so much trouble.”

“And why didn’t you warn the elders yourself?” Rhapsody shook his head and shrugged dramatically. His fortune had been ambiguous. How could anyone have predicted that the showers would end up being the luminous variety?

“Well, I…I…umm…”

“Now, let me share another fortune, on the house.” Rhapsody cut in and waved his paws over the crystal ball dramatically. “An encounter with a handsome stranger will lead to a lucrative business deal. Also, you might consider trying the balloon pop game.”

The second kittom rolled her eyes and stamped her back right paw on the boardwalk. “Hmph! You haven’t seen the last of me, you rogue!”

~~~

On the second day of the Starfall Faire Rhapsody had decided to set up a fortune telling booth. He figured that if he was stuck in this bustling port city, he might as well earn some coin while he was at it. His table was situated in the shade of a large mangrove tree next to the ticket booth. He had procured a crystal ball that swirled when he waved his gloved paws over it. Of course, it wasn’t really magic, but his act was a hit with the guests. He even got a few extra coins out of it by using his “fortunes” to advertise his fellow vendors.

Everything was going well until the light storms blew in unexpectedly. Many of the locals were spooked, calling the storms a bad omen. After a fierce debate, the elders determined that it was in the best interest of the city to let the faire continue. To appease the more superstitious nins, the event organizers decided to shield the town square with a large canvas cloth, its edges anchored to the tree branches above. The light beams didn’t seem to penetrate the cloth’s surface. After a few quiet days, the faire got back on track and nins started celebrating the season once again, carefully sheltered under the canopy.

Still, attendance was down, and attendees were more subdued than they had been previously.

~~~

Rhapsody sat on the wood-shingled roof and glanced at the sky through a break in the rich green foliage. Streaks of pale, pastel light fell from the fluffy clouds toward the rocky ocean waters below. The kittom had heard stories about the mysterious light storms two years ago, but he never thought he’d experience them firsthand. The red, black, and gold kittom wasn’t at all afraid of the storm. In fact, he felt a rush of excitement every time a beam struck the roof, sending up small motes of light.

Today had been quite successful. After the hubbub, nins had flocked to his booth in great numbers, curious if his fortunes were really as accurate as the burgundy kittom had insinuated. With his wallet nearly bursting with coins, he decided to close up shop early and enjoy a relaxing evening at his rented tree dwelling.

Rhapsody watched as a group of nins skittered across the wooden planks below, carrying brightly colored umbrellas to protect themselves from any stray light beams that managed to fall between the leaves. The boardwalk was quiet in this part of town, allowing the sounds of wind rustling the leaves, birds calling, and water sloshing against the tree roots and wooden supports to rise up around him. Only the occasional clatter of a cart across the boards disturbed the sounds of nature. He wondered how things were going back at home. The streets of Termina were not nearly as sheltered as the boardwalks of Port Pthalo, with its thick mangrove canopy.

Deep in thought, Rhapsody didn’t notice a new shadow creep up behind him. A small figure hopped down from a branch overhead, landing gracefully in front of him. Rhapsody yelped and leaped backward to put some distance between himself and the newcomer. The burgundy kittom stood proudly before him, a trail of golden light emanating from her left eye.

“Iss…Iss…Ismeria!” The name slipped out like a hiss.

“Rhapsody,” Ismeria smirked, “you really should have seen me coming, you charlatan. You invited me, after all.”

“Well, I expected you to use the door like a normal nin. Not the trees like a psycho stalker…”

“Now that has a nice ring to it!” Ismeria hunched low to the ground, wiggling her tail in the air as if preparing to pounce.

Rhapsody sighed and pulled out his coin pouch, counting out five coins before pausing and pulling out one more for good measure. “Thank you for your help today. Business really picked up after you interrogated me.”

“Pleasure doin’ business with you.”

The kittoms reclined on the roof, sharing a slice of fresh manaberry pie as they watched the unusual light show grace the skies. In the distance, they could just make out the rocky cliffs that climbed their way up to Yggdrasil’s lower branches. Soon, Rhapsody would leave this place, having finally booked passage on a ferry to Devara. He may not have stayed this long by choice, but he had forged new friendships and made some fantastic memories here, in this city built over the sea.