Kaboom & Company: Part One (special preview)

“Then that’s two votes for me!” Loker snaps. “Kaboom, you’ve gotta break this tie. You can’t sit on the fence.”

I arch my brow at him. “I can do whatever the hell I please, you’re the ones who follow me around like lost puppies.”

Loker frowns then turns to face the front again. “I follow only my heart, and it says Rakshasa Country.”

“Beautiful Rakshasa women with their gleaming eyes and soft fur. Their pleasant purrs and sharp claws, mingled with the gossamer and silks of their clothing. Their bright colored fabrics mingle with the intoxicating aroma of their teas and spices,” Embry sings as he plays the lute. “But then the Obresh women, strong and diligent. Their hearts are full and their hearths are warm. Battle axes and steins of beer. Their feminine charm comes from their earthy nature.”

“There are no castles in Obresh,” Loker frets. “Riches can be found for certain, but where is the royalty? The grandness? In Rakshasa Country we can have it all.”

“We’re stopping in Obresh,” I grunt. “End of story. I do not know if we will end up staying there, but we will remain there for a while. I still plan on us going to Rakshasa Country, so you can stay there if you want.”

“Susilo can stay in Obresh and marry his Orc wife. I will go to Rakshasa Country and wed one of the royals there.” Loker smirks back at me. “You can do as you please.” 

I roll my eyes at him. “In any case, it will be nice to rest up and recharge for a bit. We’ve been on the road so much. I know we will need to get the wagon repaired. That axel has been ignored for too long.”

“I’m surprised we are still mobile,” Susilo laughs. “I would suggest a whole new wagon if we could afford it.”

Embry stops playing to tune the lute. “I wouldn't mind having a new grill as well. Perhaps there is a blacksmith in town who has one I could buy.”

“What we need more than a wagon or grill is some muscle,” Abasi replies. “Someone who can act as a deterrent as well as a guard.”

“That's true,” I sigh. “Our supplies are a target wherever we go. It would be nice to have someone around who could keep it safe.”

“Obresh is full of big scary folk,” Loker replies. “Surely we’ll find someone there willing to tag along with us.”

I nod in agreement. “It’ll be a goal for certain to find a sixth member to our crew.”

We reach Obresh just before dusk and we set up a campsite just outside the village. Loker and I go into town, hoping to find a butcher so Embry can make us a meal. Walking through the streets, I feel out of place. Even though I am part Orc I have never really felt like I belonged amongst them. 

I had been given up at birth, given to my father who was supposed to kill me. Instead, he took me home, where he and my mother raised me. I had not been told much about the family I came from, only that my mother was a Unicorn and my father was an Orc. My birth mother gave me up in shame, so she probably never told my birth father about me. In any case, I was born completely white with tinges of pink all over me. My eyes were bright red, which was never a comforting sight. By all means I had the appearance of an Orc, but the legs of a Unicorn, as well as the horn.