ALISTER (Tales of evolution)

Jade

Tharros gazed at Alister’s worn-out clothes, his expression a mix of amusement and concern. “Alister, my friend, you’re in dire need of new clothes. Your current get-up looks like it’s been through hell, and that’s coming from a demon.”

Alister chuckled, running a hand through his tousled hair. “I’ve been wearing these clothes for months. They’re comfortable.”

Tharros shook his head. “Comfortable, perhaps, but hardly suitable for someone as powerful as you. Come, let’s visit the finest tailor in town.”

Alister agreed, and together they strolled through the winding streets of Altheoria’s market square. As they walked, Alister’s eyes widened in wonder. The town square was a kaleidoscope of colors, sounds, and scents.

The cobblestone streets were lined with stalls selling exotic goods: rare spices, shimmering fabrics, jewelry’s, and intricately crafted trinkets. Alister marveled at the diversity of magical creatures milling about:

- Luminous, iridescent winged horses (Skystriders) pranced beside their humanoid riders.

- Mischievous, sprite-like creatures (Pixies) flitted about, playing tricks on unsuspecting shoppers.

- Towering, four-armed humanoids (Golems) stood guard, their stone-like bodies radiating gentle warmth.

- Elegant, feline beings (Werecats) lounged in sun-drenched spots, watching the bustle with curious eyes.

- people with little horn’s on their heads.

“Tharros, what’s going on here?” Alister asked, his voice filled with awe. “I’ve never seen such incredible creatures!”

Tharros smiled, pleased to share his knowledge. “Altheoria is divided into five main regions, each ruled by a powerful leader. The town square is a neutral gathering place for all factions.”

He gestured to the north. “The safire forest, ruled by the benevolent Queen, Lyraea. Her domain is home to the fairies.”

Pointing east, Tharros continued, “The Dragon Kingdom, led by the wise Dragon King Ryker.

“To the South is the …., to the west is the …., and somewhere above is rumoured to be the home of the Ave’s, and rumor has it that they have a flying castle somewhere in the sky.”

“speaking of sky, I think I see a sky blue shirt that would look good on you, wait here” Tharros said walking away from Alister.

Tharros vanished into the crowd, leaving Alister alone amidst the bustling market. The array of strange creatures and exotic goods mesmerized Alister, drawing him forward. He took a few steps, his eyes wide with wonder as he got cut up in the moment, leaving him to accidentally collided with a towering figure.

The man's green scaly skin and gills on his neck hinted at his inhumanity. His piercing gaze locked onto Alister, and a snarl twisted his face. “What’s your problem, man? Can’t watch where you’re going?”

Alister hastily apologized, but the man’s anger seemed to intensify. Others of his kind surrounded Alister, their eyes gleaming with hostility. Alister’s heart pounded in his chest as they began to interrogate him.

“Where are you from?”

“What brings you to the town square?”

“Are you trying to pick a fight with us?”

Alister’s nervous responses only fueled their aggression. “of course not, I would want to fight with some like you” he said, the careless phrase slipped from his lips, and the man he had bumped into seized upon it. “You think you’re better than us, huh?” he growled, grasping Alister’s shirt and raising his fist.

Just as the blow was about to land, a commanding voice echoed through the air. “Let him go!”

The group turned to face a raven-haired young woman, her dark attire and piercing gaze exuding an aura of quiet confidence. The fish-like men laughed, amused by her boldness.

“Oh, and what will you do if we don’t?” the leader sneered.

The woman smiled, a mischievous spark in her eyes, “Probably this!!”. With lightning-fast reflexes, she delivered a precise kick between the man’s legs. He crumpled to his knees, clutching his groin.

Seizing the moment, the woman grabed Alister’s arm and pulled him into a sprint. “Run!” she shouted, weaving through the crowd.

Alister’s heart still racing, he struggled to keep pace with his mysterious rescuer. “Who are you?” he asked, breathlessly.

The woman cast a glance over her shoulder, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

Few minutes later, they were in a corner, both squatting as they panted. “we should be safe now, next time, try avoiding those creatures, they are bad news.” The Young lady said.

Alister, looking at the lady who had rescued him, became speechless.

She was light skinned, a bit shorter than him, her dark hair and eyes sparkled in the evening orange glow, her voice was soft like a little kitten, intensifying her overall beauty.

Alister’s face flushed red, “ma… may I ask what your name is?”

The girl looked at Alister, a mischievous look in her eyes.

“My, my, your face is all red!, what could be going on in that head of yours” she said, cat walking towards Alister. Walking up to him, she placed a hand gently on his shoulder, and rubbed the other on his face, she placed her breast against his arm, trying to seduce him.

Alister’s heart skipped a beat, his emotions all over the place, “you know, I think I’ve taken a liking to you already” she said, moving her lips towards his ear, her gentle breath slowly blowing against his skin.

Alister shook his head, trying to comport himself, “please stop this” he said, moving few inches away from her.

“Boo!, you’re no fun at all” she said her expression still questionable. “So what kind of money is this” she said holding up a fifty dollar note.

Alister’s eyes widened, searching his body left and right for his money, “how did you?… when did you even take that!!? ”He yelled.

The woman laughed “what can I say, your in the presence of a master thief.”

“how can she even say that with a straight face? ” he thought to himself. “So you got a name?” he asked .

The girl stretched out her arm. “Jade… Jade Pendragon”.

Alister held her hand in a gentle shake “the name’s Alister!”.

“Hmm!, Alister hun!, why does that name sound so familiar to me?” she said. She began walking round Alister, her face edged with questions, leaning closer, she began to sniff Alister’s body.

Alister was perplexed “what the hell is she doing, is sniffing someone normal in this world?” he thought to himself.

“why, do you smell different?” she asked

“what do you mean?” Alister asked, unsure of how to answer her question.

“You don’t smell like any magical creature that know, and I’m barely sensing any reasonable amount of manner in your body” she said, still circling Alister.

“wait, you can tell all that just by sniffing me?” Alister asked.

Jade got in front of Alister, and stopped circling him, a smile escaping her lips. “Of Corse I can, we dragon’s have an incredible sense of smell”

“Dragon?,… wait you’re a Dragon!!?”

“yup!, indeed I am” she said walking out of the corner and towards the open road.

Alister eager to know more followed her “but how come you don’t look like one?”.

She looked back at him, surprised by his question.“Hun!, what do you mean, this is just my humanoid form”

Alister responded chuckling, his hands behind his head “Oh yeah, that’s true”.

As they walked down the cobblestone path, Jade’s expression softened, and her eyes seemed to gaze into the past.

Alister then looked at jade “so why did you become a thief?”

Her face turned annoyed, looking at him angrily. “You sure like asking a lot of questions don’t you!!”

…

“Well, I wasn’t always a thief, Alister,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper. “I had a family once. A home. But life had other plans.”

Alister’s curiosity was piqued, and he nodded for her to continue.

“My parents died when I was just a child. I had no one to turn to, no one to care for me. I had to survive on my own.”

Jade’s words were laced with a mix of sadness and determination.

“I learned to steal to feed myself, to find shelter. It wasn’t easy, but it was the only way to stay alive.”

Alister’s heart went out to her. He knew what it was like to lose loved ones.

“Jade, I’m so sorry,” he said, his voice filled with empathy. “If it makes you feel any better, I lost both my parents to an illness. And to make matters worse, I’ve been told that I’m suffering from temporary memory loss.”

Jade’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? What’s that like?”

Alister shrugged. “It’s frustrating, not knowing who I am or what I really am. But I’m trying to piece things together.”

Jade’s expression turned thoughtful. “I think I understand. Losing your past can be just as painful as losing your family.”

As they walked, the tension between them dissipated, replaced by a sense of shared understanding.

“I never thought I’d meet someone who would understand me,” Jade said, a hint of a smile on her lips.

Alister smiled back. “I think we have more in common than you think.”

Their laughter echoed through the quiet streets as they discovered shared quirks and interests.

As the sun began to set, casting a warm orange glow over the town, Alister asked, “Where do you live, Jade?”

Jade’s smile faltered. “I don’t really have a home. I sleep wherever I can find shelter.”

Alister’s heart went out to her.

“You can’t sleep on the streets,” he said, his voice firm. “You can stay at my place for the night. Tharros won’t mind.”

Jade’s eyes sparkled with gratitude. “Thank you, Alister. That means alot.”

As they approached Alister’s lodgings, the door creaked open, it was pitch black “I think the lights are offed!” Alister said moving aimlessly in the dark trying to find the light switch.

Jade called out, her voice trembling with fear. “um!,…Alis…ter!!”. “we…we’re not alone in here!!,I…I…Sense…an Evil presence in this room!!!”.