“No need for that look Twinkle Swords!” assured Willow, pushing his own mouth into a goofy smile. “Come on! It's the exploration season!”
“I know that.” She tapped her foot and checked her surroundings. “It's not technically legal Willow.”
“The other way around.” He crossed his hands to illustrate his point. “It’s not technically illegal. Age restrictions are only required to be enforced in the Wilds because of all the Divine mumbo jumbo.”
“I think she means the stealing,” I added, “and just because they don’t have to enforce it doesn’t mean they won’t.”
He snapped a finger. “I have a way around all that. Trust me. Here, take this.” From somewhere within his scarves, he unearthed a small purple bag jingling with coins. “Listen, we aren’t going to steal anything per se. We’ll pay for it secretly. They’ll only sell it to Wild people or people with at least four earrings, so this is the only way to get our hands on it. What do you say?”
For all his life, Willow was on the hunt for the next big experience, insisting the rest of us come along. Sometimes it got us into trouble, but other times his mischief would turn to magic. My mothers warned me not to make friends with mountain nomads if I wanted my life to be peaceful. Maybe they were right.
I took the money anyway.
With that, Willow walked us through the plan. As I suspected, it relied on the natural ability I inherited from my Mama Puma, a common power called ‘Lucent’ that made me invisible for five minutes. The first part involved Sharp, who would talk to the shopkeeper and inquire about the Wild Fruit. As she did this, I’d be watching for my chance.
Willow put two hands to the side of his head. “Sharp looks older, so he’ll likely show you where he keeps it. Don’t let him see your ears until he asks.”
She concealed them with her long black hair. Citizens of the Vast United Continent customarily added piercings to their ears at certain ages: five, ten, thirteen, eighteen, and then each year ending in zero. At sixteen, we still had three.
“He’ll ask you to move your hair at some point.” Piranha mimed the motion whilst making a kissy face. “That will be the signal for Willow and yours truly to cause a little distraction.”
I reached out my hand and wiggled my fingers. “Got it. Then I take the Fruit and leave the money. Give me a bit extra, for my tip.”
Willow held the bag out of my reach. “Here’s a tip. Sometimes a day of fun is payment enough. Can’t you just be cool for once in your life?”
I lunged for the money but fell on my face as he drifted further away.
“Knock it off,” Sharp scolded, pulling the collar of my red shirt. She tapped a foot on the plan written in the dirt. “Are we doing this or what?”
Piranha pointed a clawed finger back to the square. “Let’s go! Adventure awaits!”
When we returned to the market, Sharp and I separated from the others. The fruit stand in question was close to the center, displaying a saturated rainbow of produce, overflowing with both color and scent. It had everything, including fat greens grapes from the Padlock vineyards and the spiky white melons that could only be found in the Jungle.
“We should go back to the alley,” suggested Sharp, “unless you were planning on disappearing in the middle of this crowd.”
“Right. Good call.”
As we doubled back, she leaned in to talk softer, smelling of leather and sweat. “Are you sure you want to do this, little chameleon? You don’t have to do everything Willow wants.”
I sputtered with indignation. “That idiot can’t make me do anything. I’m honestly curious about the Wild Fruit.”
Her mouth tightened, not convinced but not about to argue. Willow did tend to drag me along on his exploits, but deep down, I counted on it. Without him, I’d be too afraid to do anything.
We reached the corner of the alley, and she scanned our surroundings for wandering eyes. “Okay, you should hide. Make sure you stay by my side.”
“I know.”
“Try not to say anything.”
“Got it.” I mimed zipping my lips.
And then I was gone, at least to the human eye. I was still physically there, so my body could be detected by any of the other senses. When we reentered the crowd, I had to dodge a barrage of market goers. A gaggle of children nearly trampled me, their hands full of sweets and mouths full of laughter.
The man running the fruit stand was stocky, hunched, and his straw-blond dreadlocks reached his shoulders. A long earring with a red apple charm dangled from his left ear. His face was locked in a frown, but it brightened as he saw Sharp approaching in her glistening armor. People across the continent respected Warriors like her, especially the ones with suns engraved on their chest plates and uncut black hair.
“Heya! A girl from the City, huh?” He gestured her over, smiling wide and squinting. “If you like, I have some fancy truffles at a reasonable price! I sense a sophisticated palette.”
She bought three and traded them for a gold flat. This gave the man a reason to trust her despite our mischievous intentions. Her usually abrupt tone became sweet like the cotton candy being sold around the corner. “Sir, do you have any Wild Fruit?”
A sinister smile curled away the frown. “Do you dare eat the Wild Fruit?” He ducked out of sight, unaware I watched from the other side, and opened a hidden drawer containing a bizarre looking plant, like a neon blue artichoke with smooth flat petals. It was small enough to eat in one bite.
“How pretty!” Sharp chirped, her eyes fixed. “How much for four?”
He gestured towards her ear, but it was clear he wasn’t fooled. She pushed her hair back and sighed with defeat. “Worth a shot. Thanks for the truffles anyway! Godspeed!”
She made a quick and pointed exit. With impeccable timing, Willow flew above the crowd, his movement creating a light breeze. Piranha shot an arrow in his direction, and to the chagrin of the onlookers, the flying nomad caught it with his teeth. The two singers joined in harmonious chatter, which transitioned into a beautiful little song:
“Can you meet me for a minute
In the magic meadow blue?
Can we dance just for a moment
In the starlight, me and you?”
THE CROWD APPLAUDED. They were used to this type of tomfoolery, lived for it even. Most of them knew me, but everyone knew Willow Of-the-Mountains and his characteristic acts of whimsy. He wanted nothing more than to travel across the V.U.C. as a musician, so impromptu performances like this had become something of a specialty. The four of us together made an impressive band, if I do say so myself.
The vendor was happy to step away and enjoy a momentary distraction from his sweltering stand. I swooped down and put four of the Fruit in the pocket of my jacket, leaving behind a little more money than necessary.
