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Farishta finally gets her new sandals, Vali tries to get rid of the ouroboros amulet, and Kazem gets stepped on.
This is the longest chapter so far. Any feedback and comments are always appreciated!
First Chapter
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Chapter Selection
Kazem struggled to pull a wagon down a busy street. “Seriously, guys? Don’t you have a horse or something?!”
The cordwainer led the way forward with his hands behind his back. “Do you?”
“I used to have one, actually, but that’s not the point…” he replied, glancing over his shoulder. Kazem spotted two oversized sandals in the wagon and the cordwainer’s apprentice riding inside it. “I’m breaking my back here! At least the kid could get out and help me pull the damn wagon rather than sitting on his ass!”
The apprentice stopped smiling and kicking his legs in the air. “Ah, sorry!”
From there, the apprentice hopped off the back of the wagon. He immediately began pushing it from behind. Their combined efforts greatly increased the wagon’s speed as it traversed down the busy street with several nearby pedestrians barely avoiding it during the process.
As for the cordwainer, he started speedwalking to keep up with it. “I’m assuming your mergich companion isn’t responsible for all the recent ruckus, but I just wanted to make sure…!”
“She’s not!” replied Kazem, grunting as he stomped forward. “Some other pissed off mergich smashed up the tower outside town!”
“I see, I see…” said the cordwainer, nodding several times.
Eventually, the wagon reached the main gate. The guards stepped aside to make way for it, allowing them to reach Farishta as she awaited them outside the walls.
Farishta immediately beamed up at the sight of her sandals, putting her hands on her face. “Oh my gods!”
Kazem finally let go of the wagon with his shoulders slumping down. “Ugh. This better have been worth all the trouble and a small fortune of gold…”
“It certainly is, my good man!” said the cordwainer before he bowed before Farishta. “Feel free to inspect the quality and construction of the sandals for yourself, madam! Thank you for your patronage!”
She nodded and crouched to the ground, reaching toward the sandals with one hand. Simply grabbing them by the straps let her snatch them both away from the wagon before she held them in front of her face. A smile soon spread across her muzzle. Although basic in design, each compact sandal retained a slightly circular shape just large enough to accommodate each of the paws on her digitigrade feet.
The cordwainer clasped his hands together. “As you can see, I didn’t do anything particularly complex. Your new sandals should be simple and rugged with the leather straps and some basic insulation nonetheless. With that in mind, creating something more pleasing to the eye would take me far more time and resources, but I doubt you’re the type that prefers form over function!”
Faristha’s tail rapidly swayed behind her, creating audible swooshing sounds. “Aw! No worries, I already think that they look absolutely adorable! I bet they’ll be perfect for my paws!”
“I think so too, but you should try them on just to be sure!” said the cordwainer with a smile.
Meanwhile, Kazem crossed his arms and stared at a distant siege engine on the wall behind them. “Is this really something we should be doing in the aftermath of the attack? There’s still soldiers everywhere. I’m not exactly sure where that other mergich ran off to either, and someone with an itchy trigger finger might shoot her for being a mergich…”
She sighed. “Just relax, Kazem! They know who I am and saw me helping a few little guys who survived from the tower. It should all be over by now!”
“If you say so…” Kazem replied, grunting.
Returning her attention to the sandals, Farishta casually tossed them to the ground. They made a light thump against the grass as the humans surrounding her flinched or backed away from her feet.
Farishta scratched behind one of her ears. “Sorry about that. I’m just so excited!”
After saying this, she slid her feet into the sandals one at a time. The central straps ended up between the four toes on each foot. Following this, they were nice and snug as Farishta stood on one leg and inspected a single sandal with her toes spread out across its surface.
“Oh my!” she resumed with a wide, toothy smile. “They fit just fine! I’ve never worn anything like this before, so this is quite the treat already!”
Kazem raised an eyebrow. “You mean shoes?”
Fari smiled and nodded. “I’m used to walking around barefoot. I probably mentioned this already, but it’s really hard to find any footwear that actually fits for someone like me!”
“I suppose that’s why we’re all here…” said the cordwainer with a chuckle. “And I took precise measurements for a reason! Now just walk around and see if there’s any issues.”
Farishta nodded her head. With that, she started strolling away in one direction. Her sandals made an audible yet light pitter-patter sound with each step she took. First, a sandal would thump against the ground, crushing grass as her paw compressed against the sandal’s insulation, then she left behind a sizable imprint. Over time, Farishta reached the forest bordering Riverside, then she returned to the cordwainer in short order with a wry smile adorning her face.
“I love them!” she said, smiling even wider. “They’re pretty cozy, all things considered! I just don’t like how they make so much noise and leave such heavy prints compared to the natural padding on my feet…”
Kazem cleared his throat, catching her attention. “Works like that for humans too. Hard to avoid. Walking barefoot can be dead silent… unlike sandals, boots, or whatever.”
“Kazem is right.” said the cordwainer, frowning. “There’s not much I can do to mitigate that issue… not unless I experiment more. Maybe I can add more straps to tighten them to your feet?”
Farishta waved her hand, dismissing these concerns. “It’s fine! I just needed something for more extreme weather or occasions where it’s muddy outside.” She looked down at her new sandals, wiggling her fluffy toes and feeling the insulation against her toe beans. “Thank you so much for making something like this for me in such a short time span!”
The cordwainer bowed once more. “The pleasure is all mine, madam! It was quite the experiment! Oh, and you paid us very well too!”
“Perhaps too much.” Kazem said, scowling. “Don’t get me wrong. Farishta can do what she likes with her money, but I think these sandals might be pointless if she rarely wears them. They still don’t fully protect her feet either.”
Farishta rolled her eyes. “Oh, Kazem… what’s gotten into you? You’re more grumpy than usual!”
“Sorry…” he replied, scratching the back of his head. “I might be more high-strung thanks to recent events. Too many close calls.”
She sighed. “I know that’s just how you are sometimes. I appreciate that you’re cautious and looking out for our safety, but just try to relax for a moment… okay? We need to unwind!”
Kazem threw his hands into the air before shrugging. “I’ll try, but no promises.”
“Good!” Farishta replied, giving him a toothy smirk. She spent a moment flexing her toes upward, allowing him to see her black-toe beans before she wiggled them once more. “By the way… do you think my new sandals look cute, Kazem?”
He looked away, rolling his shoulders. “They look nice on you.”
Her tail immediately shot upwards. “Aw! You like them? I’m so happy to hear that!”
Kazem grunted and glanced at the cordwainer. “Are we done here? You got your generous payment in gold and she seems pleased as punch about her new shoes.”
The cordwainer held up a single finger. “There is… one more matter…”
Farishta’s head perked up. “Oh?”
“Well, assuming you have no complaints or issues with your sandals.” continued the cordwainer.
She smiled again. “They’re perfect! I can’t think of anything to complain about, really!”
The cordwainer nodded. “In that case, I only need to worry about replacing that bindle of yours! It might take me another day or two if I close my workshop again to focus on the project, but I do want something superior for you to carry your things. I’m still ruminating over the exact specifics, but perhaps a very large satchel would work for your purposes.”
Farishta’s ears folded against her head as she waved him away. “Aw, you don’t have to do that! I’m already very happy with my sandals!”
Kazem gave the cordwainer a death stare. “We want the satchel too.”
The cordwainer clasped his hands together. “I did make a promise, did I not? It’d only be fair to give you a little something extra with all the gold you paid upfront! Just give me some more time and we can meet again in the same time and place once daylight breaks!”
With a nod, Kazem looked up at Farishta. “Where’s your bindle anyway?”
“Ah!” she blurted, covering her mouth with one hand. "I left it at our campsite!"
“Then maybe we should-”
Before Kazem could resume, Farishta rapidly picked him up with a few furred fingers. She then brought him to her torso. The entire ordeal left Kazem in a dazed state compared to the gentle and gradual process of the woman picking him up in the palm of her hand with his explicit permission in the past…
Farishta had a coy grin on her face afterward. “Are you okay?”
He blinked a few times, rubbing his eyes. “Ugh. You usually ask before you do that. I don’t mind it, just try to be slower about it next time… unless it’s an emergency.”
“Gotcha!” she said, nodding. Farishta then stared at the cordwainer on the ground beneath her feet. “And Kazem is right! We need to return to our campsite to collect our things. If it’s anything like last time, he’ll come find you for updates on your project sometime tomorrow!”
The cordwainer clasped his hands together once more. “Sounds good! Until then, my best paying customer!”
Farishta waved him away with a free hand, giggling and wiggling her fingers. She walked away with a pep in her step as she focused on enjoying her new sandals to her fullest extent. A light thump marked every step she took as she flattened small patches of grass, all while she departed the area with the grumpy human clutched against her chest yet again…
~~~~~
Alice found herself at the mouth of a small cave. She simply stared into the darkness with her eyes as wide as saucers, flinching at the mere sight and sound of a bat fluttering within the cavern. Rather than delving deeper inside, she returned to the entrance with an empty torch before peeking outside like a mouse in something of a repetitive routine.
An audible thud combined with a towering colossus approaching her position made her immediately dart away from the cave…
“Vali!” she said, standing on the tips of her toes and waving her arms in the air.
This caught his attention before he stopped stomping toward her.
Vali shook his head. “I instructed you to hide in there until I told you to come out.” He paused to stare down at the tiny human woman from a short distance away. “Did you even light your torch?”
“I… I didn’t know how!” she replied, pouting. “You never told me how it worked!”
He remained motionless for a moment. “The torch?”
She shook the unlit torch several times. “Well, yeah! Even if I did somehow know how to do that, I think there’s something super dangerous lurking in the dark!”
Vali made a guttural growl. “I doubt it. I only smell some bats.”
“Oh, Vali…” she said, placing a gloved hand on her forehead and leaning back as if she was about to faint. “Nevermind that! I’m just so glad you’re finally back!” Alice only stopped speaking to put her hands on her hips. “Please don’t ever make me do something so dreadful ever again!”
His armor hid his emotions, but his tail started slightly swaying behind him. “Hmm. Such a small and fragile thing, aren’t you?”
Alice scoffed. “Compared to a big guy like you? Definitely! Did you at least do whatever you set out to do?”
Vali clutched the ouroboros amulet with an armored hand. “Even better. I killed two birds with one stone. The first round of… negotiations… has been concluded with Riverside, so that should catch the attention of your father before we begin any additional dialogue. Otherwise, I managed to persuade another mergich to give me a very dangerous artifact, which we now need to dispose of.”
The amethyst gemstones within the amulet glittered in Alice’s eyes as she gazed upon it. “Oh my! It looks so pretty from down here!” She brought a hand to her chin and tilted her head to the side. “What is it, exactly?”
“A mistake.” Vali answered, clasping the amulet with his armored fingers as they curled around it.
Alice fluttered her eyes. “Pardon me?”
He then put his shield on the ground, creating another reverberating thud. Alice practically squeaked in response. Following this, Vali grabbed the mace on his hip and placed the amulet near the mouth of the cave, where some stone provided a more solid surface compared to the dirt.
“What are you doing?!” Alice asked, taking several steps back.
Vali held his mace high in the air as its glass-like head sparkled in the sunlight. “Destroying this damned thing. There shouldn’t even be any of these cursed amulets left.”
Before she could reply, Vali swung his mace downward. It created an ear-piercing…
CLACK.
…as the mace’s jagged teeth collided with the golden amulet.
It made Alice yelp, stumble back, and cover her ears in rapid succession. She closed her eyes as a second swing shook her to her core, then she shook a little as another muffled clacking sound filled the air.
Vali shook his head afterward. “Damn. Didn’t work.”
She finally recomposed herself and let out a sigh of complete exasperation. “Really? What were you expecting to happen, big guy?”
He remained motionless. “I assumed it was mostly made of gold and would have been easy to destroy as a result. It’s not. So it must be an alloy or some other metal if I can’t just pulverize it.”
“If your goal was to scare the daylights out of me, Vali, then you succeeded with flying colors!”
Vali sneered at her words. “That’s not hard to do as it is.”
Alice crossed her arms and huffed. “Such a brute, aren’t you? Manhandling little ladies like me!”
His helmet hid his subsequent smile. “Guilty as charged.”
“Of course…” she said, shaking her head before staring up at him. “So… what now?”
He rose back up to his full stature at over thirty meters tall. “Now things are even more complicated. I could try tossing this amulet into the ocean, but then it could still be recovered by someone or even dangerous if a mergich isn’t around to keep it inert. Extremely powerful enchantments might be protecting it too. I got a dumb idea for keeping this thing out of the wrong hands or even destroying it outright, but it’s not necessarily… practical… compared to some other immediate solutions.”
She blinked. “Like what?”
Vali pocketed the amulet again. “Well, there’s a volcano on an island to the far north. The only problem is actually getting there.”
~~~~~
Farishta sat on the ground next to some ashes. Her sheer size in contrast to the fire pit was almost comical as Kazem remained on the other side trying to create another campfire. She went about sliding off one sandal, inspecting it as she held it with both hands.
“The cordwainer did a really good job!” she said, smirking. “I wasn’t expecting them to fit so well and be so comfortable!”
Kazem finished tossing some sticks and kindling into the pit. “Glad you’re happy.”
She presented a single sandal to Kazem. “Look! They even have some fur serving as insulation or something!”
He glanced up and saw some fluffy, white material lining the sandal’s interior. It looked like a patchwork of linen, wool, and fur evenly distributed across its surface. Her paw and toe beans already left a very light imprint around the center, marking them as her custom sandals.
Farishta stuck out her tongue at him a bit. “They’re quite cozy! You could probably sleep in one of them if you really wanted to!”
“How generous of you.” Kazem replied, rolling his eyes. “Then again, you’re probably not kidding. The whole thing is big enough to be an improvised bed for a human.”
Her ears and tail perked up. “Well… I was just teasing you, but if you’re actually interested…”
“No.” he said, cutting her off. “That’s probably not safe or sanitary.”
“Are you sure?” she asked as a sly smile spread across her muzzle. “They’re brand new, and it’s not like my paws are that dirty! I’m telling you that this sandal padding is soooo soft and fluffy!”
“I’ll have to pass.” he said with a dismissive wave.
Farishta’s ears folded against her head. “Aw. You’re no fun!” She only stopped speaking to remove her other sandal and set them both aside. “It would have been cute to see how small you were compared to them. Why can’t you be more happy, upbeat, and enthusiastic like the cordwainer?”
Kazem chuckled. “I wouldn’t put it beneath him to sleep in a sandal if you asked him to. I don’t know if he’s actually like that all the time, but odds are he’s so nice because he wants happy clients.”
“Of course you would say that.” she replied, shaking her head. “Not everyone has an angle, Kazem. Sometimes people are just friendly!”
“Why are you so nice to absolutely everyone anyway?” he asked, shaking his hands to free them from lingering dirt and debris.
Farishta smiled. “Why not? It makes me happy to make others feel good, and they might return the favor. Everyone wins if it brightens our day!”
Kazem nodded. “So… you technically act that way for selfish reasons, right?”
Her jaw momentarily went agape as she feigned shock. “Maybe by your own twisted logic! Even if that’s true, then why are you so mean to people?”
He shrugged. “I’m not trying to be mean. I’m just blunt. Really don’t care for these masks people wear or all these other stupid pleasantries. I just get to the point. I’m used to getting exactly what I want and I won’t care too much about how others feel about it.”
“But you’ve hurt people before to do that…” she said, narrowing her eyes. “Correct?”
Kazem broke eye contact. “I… I’m not proud of it. You know that.”
Farishta nodded. “I’m well-aware. Hmm.” She stayed silent for a few long moments. “Maybe I should be mean to a bad little man like you to see how you like it!”
“Very funny.” he said, turning to walk away. “At least I’m trying to get better. You’re also here to act as my new moral compass if I struggle to tell the difference between right and wrong I suppose.”
As he spoke, Farishta moved her leg, lowering her foot towards him. “Maybe I should teach you a little lesson about morality then! Just take a peek over your shoulder real quick…”
Kazem did so after hearing her giggle. He found her foot lingering over him as a shadow formed around his position. “Oh boy.”
A more mischievous smile adorned her face. “Now that I have your attention, would it be morally right for me to step on you right now?”
He saw her scrunch up her toes, making his face scrunch up as well. “I… don’t think so?”
“And why is that?” she asked, spreading out her toes somewhere above his head next. “What if I want to do it for fun? It’s not like you’re a good person or anything, according to yourself at least!”
Kazem took a few steps back. “Because that’d probably hurt or kill me?”
Farishta stuck out her tongue to form another blep. “Don’t be silly! It’s harmless if I’m slow and gentle about it! However, would it still be mean for me to gently step on you anyway?”
"I guess…” he said, smirking. “It’s not like you have my permission. Regardless, aren’t you a gentle giant or something?”
She brought a hand to her heart. “Of course I am, Kazem! And you’re right. I wouldn’t just step on someone like that! That’d be morally wrong. However, you bring up an interesting topic. If you happened to give me your permission, we both agreed to it, and no one got hurt, then it’s ethical and harmless fun for us both… you know?”
Kazem nodded once more. “Strange way to make a point, but I see what you’re saying…”
“Either way, not everything has to be a zero sum game.” Farishta resumed, fluttering her eyes. “I can’t just do whatever I want to people. Morality exists for a reason. If I disregarded other people and their feelings, then more people would hate mergich, and I’d probably face really bad consequences later on! So I find it more rewarding and pleasant to make sure I have a mutually beneficial relationship with almost everyone I meet!”
“That… makes sense, actually.” he replied, scratching his chin. “I thought you were just naive, but when you phrase your worldview like that, it makes perfect sense.”
“Exactly!” she said with a wide smile and a thump of her tail. “People tend to treat you the same way you treat them! When it comes to more mean people like criminals and stuff… well… there's a reason why most die young or get avoided by everyone else. I don't know how to put it politely!”
Kazem managed to get a dozen human-sized paces away from her foot. “Huh. I’ll admit, the few old people I see in my profession or something related to it are the only ones I’m scared of…”
Her ears perked up. “Oh? Is being a peddler really dangerous?”
“It can be.” he answered with a nod. “Lots of risks involved.”
“And where do you think you’re going?” she said, laughing. A single digit similar to a big toe curled up. “Get back here! We’re just about to conclude our morality lesson!”
With a hint of hesitation, Kazem returned to standing under the shade her paw provided. “I don't know what sort of game you’re playing, but I’ll indulge you. It’s fun seeing this side of you too.”
She formed a toothy smirk. “Oh, really? You like this?”
“You’re like a cat toying with a mouse whenever you start getting playful like this…” he said, causing him to break eye contact. “It’s… amusing?”
Farishta snickered at his reaction. “You better watch out, then, my little mouse!”
Blood briefly flushed his face as he failed to maintain his stoic demeanor, staying silent.
“I’m quite nicer than most big cats, though…” she continued, flicking a few toes. “But I’m already proud of you for finally seeing the error of your ways and helping me out so much today! Why don’t you just lie down on the ground and relax? I’ll take care of you!”
With a nod, Kazem sat on the ground before lying down. He let out a long sigh. A more direct look at a big, black paw and four large toe beans surrounded by white, fluffy fur filled his field of view.
Farishta still had a wry grin as she watched him. “You know what I’m about to do, right? I wasn’t even sure if you’d be interested in playing footsies! Nonetheless, just nod whenever you’re ready…”
He nodded accordingly. “I’m… kind of curious. Do you… usually play with people like this?”
“Very rarely.” she answered, carefully lowering her foot to the ground. “Still, it’s so fun for me to play around with the ones I really like!”
With that, a black paw came into direct contact with Kazem’s torso first. Fur strands also brushed against his limbs. Her two central toes spread out to account for his head and wrapped around his upper body as well. Soft and leathery paw padding slightly compressed against his chest, making him grunt, then plump toe beans kept his arms pinned to the ground. The final result left Kazem underfoot with only his head and neck poking out from between her toes, but her foot was the perfect size to completely cover his entire body nonetheless.
Farishta’s tail swayed behind her as she maintained a smile. “Are you alright? I’m not putting all my weight into it to avoid hurting you, but I don't want you to be uncomfortable!”
The sensation for Kazem was like being covered in a heavy fur blanket with paw pads similar to velvet pillows compressing against most of his physical form. He could barely move or breathe.
“I’m… I’m fine.” he said with his face turning red.
She giggled at his flustered reaction. “Okay then! Just keep in mind that my paws are sort of sensitive. Let me know if you want me to stop… and don’t try to force your way out! Other than that, you feel very interesting, to say the least!”
Kazem took a deep breath. “You really enjoy this sort of thing?”
Farishta stuck out her tongue. “Definitely! Sometimes I find it super fun to play with tiny creatures by using my hands or feet! It’s hard to find anyone comfortable with that though. Oh, and on that note, I also love the way you feel against my paw pads!”
Her paw seemed to smoosh him slightly more for emphasis.
He involuntarily exhaled a bit. “Hmph. I see…”
“Ah, I almost forgot!” she said, glancing at a chipped claw on her finger. “I still need to file down my claws and groom myself! I didn’t have time to do that after washing myself, then all that excitement happened!”
“Do you need help?” Kazem asked without skipping a beat.
Farishta relented a little with the downward force to give him more room to breathe. “Aw! I don’t know how useful you’d be, but it might be nice to have someone to help me with my claws and brushing my tail!”
Farishta’s foot then lifted away, leaving Kazem by himself on the ground. She crossed her legs and put her large, sizable tail in her lap to carefully inspect its fur.
Naturally, Kazem rose to his feet and dusted off his leather jacket. “I can try… and… hmph. That was… an experience. I don’t know how to feel about actually doing that.”
“Did you like it?” she asked, giving him a coy look. “Hopefully I wasn’t too rough or hurt you or anything!”
“I’m fine.” he replied, rolling his shoulders. “It was… something. A bit brief if I had to complain. I hope you didn’t awaken something in me I didn’t know was there before either.”
Another sly and toothy smile appeared on her muzzle. “Oh, don’t worry! You’re a tough little guy as it is…” She paused to unsheathe the claws on a single foot, inspecting them before resheathing them. “I’ll definitely let you play with my paws later. We just gotta get a few things sorted out before nightfall arrives!”
“Like the fire?” he asked, reaching a hand into a pocket to make sure the flint was still there.
Farishta smirked and gestured at her lap. “I was more concerned about my tail, really. I bet your tiny hands would be great for getting the little stuff out and all the finer details! What do you say?”
He sighed. “If it’ll make you happy, I’d be more than willing to help you in any way I can!”
“Thank you!” she said, imitating him by nodding her head. “I think you’re acting like a better person already.” Farishta spent a moment flexing her foot to catch his attention. “It just took a soft and delicate touch on my part to squish that out of you, didn’t it?”
Kazem rolled his eyes and sneered, arousing yet another giggle from Farishta before he approached her large and fluffy tail. The mere sight intimidated him for several seconds since it was a sea of soft fur, but he pressed forward nonetheless as Farishta awaited him with the usual smile on her face.
First Chapter
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Chapter Selection
This is the longest chapter so far. Any feedback and comments are always appreciated!
First Chapter
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Chapter Selection
Kazem struggled to pull a wagon down a busy street. “Seriously, guys? Don’t you have a horse or something?!”
The cordwainer led the way forward with his hands behind his back. “Do you?”
“I used to have one, actually, but that’s not the point…” he replied, glancing over his shoulder. Kazem spotted two oversized sandals in the wagon and the cordwainer’s apprentice riding inside it. “I’m breaking my back here! At least the kid could get out and help me pull the damn wagon rather than sitting on his ass!”
The apprentice stopped smiling and kicking his legs in the air. “Ah, sorry!”
From there, the apprentice hopped off the back of the wagon. He immediately began pushing it from behind. Their combined efforts greatly increased the wagon’s speed as it traversed down the busy street with several nearby pedestrians barely avoiding it during the process.
As for the cordwainer, he started speedwalking to keep up with it. “I’m assuming your mergich companion isn’t responsible for all the recent ruckus, but I just wanted to make sure…!”
“She’s not!” replied Kazem, grunting as he stomped forward. “Some other pissed off mergich smashed up the tower outside town!”
“I see, I see…” said the cordwainer, nodding several times.
Eventually, the wagon reached the main gate. The guards stepped aside to make way for it, allowing them to reach Farishta as she awaited them outside the walls.
Farishta immediately beamed up at the sight of her sandals, putting her hands on her face. “Oh my gods!”
Kazem finally let go of the wagon with his shoulders slumping down. “Ugh. This better have been worth all the trouble and a small fortune of gold…”
“It certainly is, my good man!” said the cordwainer before he bowed before Farishta. “Feel free to inspect the quality and construction of the sandals for yourself, madam! Thank you for your patronage!”
She nodded and crouched to the ground, reaching toward the sandals with one hand. Simply grabbing them by the straps let her snatch them both away from the wagon before she held them in front of her face. A smile soon spread across her muzzle. Although basic in design, each compact sandal retained a slightly circular shape just large enough to accommodate each of the paws on her digitigrade feet.
The cordwainer clasped his hands together. “As you can see, I didn’t do anything particularly complex. Your new sandals should be simple and rugged with the leather straps and some basic insulation nonetheless. With that in mind, creating something more pleasing to the eye would take me far more time and resources, but I doubt you’re the type that prefers form over function!”
Faristha’s tail rapidly swayed behind her, creating audible swooshing sounds. “Aw! No worries, I already think that they look absolutely adorable! I bet they’ll be perfect for my paws!”
“I think so too, but you should try them on just to be sure!” said the cordwainer with a smile.
Meanwhile, Kazem crossed his arms and stared at a distant siege engine on the wall behind them. “Is this really something we should be doing in the aftermath of the attack? There’s still soldiers everywhere. I’m not exactly sure where that other mergich ran off to either, and someone with an itchy trigger finger might shoot her for being a mergich…”
She sighed. “Just relax, Kazem! They know who I am and saw me helping a few little guys who survived from the tower. It should all be over by now!”
“If you say so…” Kazem replied, grunting.
Returning her attention to the sandals, Farishta casually tossed them to the ground. They made a light thump against the grass as the humans surrounding her flinched or backed away from her feet.
Farishta scratched behind one of her ears. “Sorry about that. I’m just so excited!”
After saying this, she slid her feet into the sandals one at a time. The central straps ended up between the four toes on each foot. Following this, they were nice and snug as Farishta stood on one leg and inspected a single sandal with her toes spread out across its surface.
“Oh my!” she resumed with a wide, toothy smile. “They fit just fine! I’ve never worn anything like this before, so this is quite the treat already!”
Kazem raised an eyebrow. “You mean shoes?”
Fari smiled and nodded. “I’m used to walking around barefoot. I probably mentioned this already, but it’s really hard to find any footwear that actually fits for someone like me!”
“I suppose that’s why we’re all here…” said the cordwainer with a chuckle. “And I took precise measurements for a reason! Now just walk around and see if there’s any issues.”
Farishta nodded her head. With that, she started strolling away in one direction. Her sandals made an audible yet light pitter-patter sound with each step she took. First, a sandal would thump against the ground, crushing grass as her paw compressed against the sandal’s insulation, then she left behind a sizable imprint. Over time, Farishta reached the forest bordering Riverside, then she returned to the cordwainer in short order with a wry smile adorning her face.
“I love them!” she said, smiling even wider. “They’re pretty cozy, all things considered! I just don’t like how they make so much noise and leave such heavy prints compared to the natural padding on my feet…”
Kazem cleared his throat, catching her attention. “Works like that for humans too. Hard to avoid. Walking barefoot can be dead silent… unlike sandals, boots, or whatever.”
“Kazem is right.” said the cordwainer, frowning. “There’s not much I can do to mitigate that issue… not unless I experiment more. Maybe I can add more straps to tighten them to your feet?”
Farishta waved her hand, dismissing these concerns. “It’s fine! I just needed something for more extreme weather or occasions where it’s muddy outside.” She looked down at her new sandals, wiggling her fluffy toes and feeling the insulation against her toe beans. “Thank you so much for making something like this for me in such a short time span!”
The cordwainer bowed once more. “The pleasure is all mine, madam! It was quite the experiment! Oh, and you paid us very well too!”
“Perhaps too much.” Kazem said, scowling. “Don’t get me wrong. Farishta can do what she likes with her money, but I think these sandals might be pointless if she rarely wears them. They still don’t fully protect her feet either.”
Farishta rolled her eyes. “Oh, Kazem… what’s gotten into you? You’re more grumpy than usual!”
“Sorry…” he replied, scratching the back of his head. “I might be more high-strung thanks to recent events. Too many close calls.”
She sighed. “I know that’s just how you are sometimes. I appreciate that you’re cautious and looking out for our safety, but just try to relax for a moment… okay? We need to unwind!”
Kazem threw his hands into the air before shrugging. “I’ll try, but no promises.”
“Good!” Farishta replied, giving him a toothy smirk. She spent a moment flexing her toes upward, allowing him to see her black-toe beans before she wiggled them once more. “By the way… do you think my new sandals look cute, Kazem?”
He looked away, rolling his shoulders. “They look nice on you.”
Her tail immediately shot upwards. “Aw! You like them? I’m so happy to hear that!”
Kazem grunted and glanced at the cordwainer. “Are we done here? You got your generous payment in gold and she seems pleased as punch about her new shoes.”
The cordwainer held up a single finger. “There is… one more matter…”
Farishta’s head perked up. “Oh?”
“Well, assuming you have no complaints or issues with your sandals.” continued the cordwainer.
She smiled again. “They’re perfect! I can’t think of anything to complain about, really!”
The cordwainer nodded. “In that case, I only need to worry about replacing that bindle of yours! It might take me another day or two if I close my workshop again to focus on the project, but I do want something superior for you to carry your things. I’m still ruminating over the exact specifics, but perhaps a very large satchel would work for your purposes.”
Farishta’s ears folded against her head as she waved him away. “Aw, you don’t have to do that! I’m already very happy with my sandals!”
Kazem gave the cordwainer a death stare. “We want the satchel too.”
The cordwainer clasped his hands together. “I did make a promise, did I not? It’d only be fair to give you a little something extra with all the gold you paid upfront! Just give me some more time and we can meet again in the same time and place once daylight breaks!”
With a nod, Kazem looked up at Farishta. “Where’s your bindle anyway?”
“Ah!” she blurted, covering her mouth with one hand. "I left it at our campsite!"
“Then maybe we should-”
Before Kazem could resume, Farishta rapidly picked him up with a few furred fingers. She then brought him to her torso. The entire ordeal left Kazem in a dazed state compared to the gentle and gradual process of the woman picking him up in the palm of her hand with his explicit permission in the past…
Farishta had a coy grin on her face afterward. “Are you okay?”
He blinked a few times, rubbing his eyes. “Ugh. You usually ask before you do that. I don’t mind it, just try to be slower about it next time… unless it’s an emergency.”
“Gotcha!” she said, nodding. Farishta then stared at the cordwainer on the ground beneath her feet. “And Kazem is right! We need to return to our campsite to collect our things. If it’s anything like last time, he’ll come find you for updates on your project sometime tomorrow!”
The cordwainer clasped his hands together once more. “Sounds good! Until then, my best paying customer!”
Farishta waved him away with a free hand, giggling and wiggling her fingers. She walked away with a pep in her step as she focused on enjoying her new sandals to her fullest extent. A light thump marked every step she took as she flattened small patches of grass, all while she departed the area with the grumpy human clutched against her chest yet again…
~~~~~
Alice found herself at the mouth of a small cave. She simply stared into the darkness with her eyes as wide as saucers, flinching at the mere sight and sound of a bat fluttering within the cavern. Rather than delving deeper inside, she returned to the entrance with an empty torch before peeking outside like a mouse in something of a repetitive routine.
An audible thud combined with a towering colossus approaching her position made her immediately dart away from the cave…
“Vali!” she said, standing on the tips of her toes and waving her arms in the air.
This caught his attention before he stopped stomping toward her.
Vali shook his head. “I instructed you to hide in there until I told you to come out.” He paused to stare down at the tiny human woman from a short distance away. “Did you even light your torch?”
“I… I didn’t know how!” she replied, pouting. “You never told me how it worked!”
He remained motionless for a moment. “The torch?”
She shook the unlit torch several times. “Well, yeah! Even if I did somehow know how to do that, I think there’s something super dangerous lurking in the dark!”
Vali made a guttural growl. “I doubt it. I only smell some bats.”
“Oh, Vali…” she said, placing a gloved hand on her forehead and leaning back as if she was about to faint. “Nevermind that! I’m just so glad you’re finally back!” Alice only stopped speaking to put her hands on her hips. “Please don’t ever make me do something so dreadful ever again!”
His armor hid his emotions, but his tail started slightly swaying behind him. “Hmm. Such a small and fragile thing, aren’t you?”
Alice scoffed. “Compared to a big guy like you? Definitely! Did you at least do whatever you set out to do?”
Vali clutched the ouroboros amulet with an armored hand. “Even better. I killed two birds with one stone. The first round of… negotiations… has been concluded with Riverside, so that should catch the attention of your father before we begin any additional dialogue. Otherwise, I managed to persuade another mergich to give me a very dangerous artifact, which we now need to dispose of.”
The amethyst gemstones within the amulet glittered in Alice’s eyes as she gazed upon it. “Oh my! It looks so pretty from down here!” She brought a hand to her chin and tilted her head to the side. “What is it, exactly?”
“A mistake.” Vali answered, clasping the amulet with his armored fingers as they curled around it.
Alice fluttered her eyes. “Pardon me?”
He then put his shield on the ground, creating another reverberating thud. Alice practically squeaked in response. Following this, Vali grabbed the mace on his hip and placed the amulet near the mouth of the cave, where some stone provided a more solid surface compared to the dirt.
“What are you doing?!” Alice asked, taking several steps back.
Vali held his mace high in the air as its glass-like head sparkled in the sunlight. “Destroying this damned thing. There shouldn’t even be any of these cursed amulets left.”
Before she could reply, Vali swung his mace downward. It created an ear-piercing…
CLACK.
…as the mace’s jagged teeth collided with the golden amulet.
It made Alice yelp, stumble back, and cover her ears in rapid succession. She closed her eyes as a second swing shook her to her core, then she shook a little as another muffled clacking sound filled the air.
Vali shook his head afterward. “Damn. Didn’t work.”
She finally recomposed herself and let out a sigh of complete exasperation. “Really? What were you expecting to happen, big guy?”
He remained motionless. “I assumed it was mostly made of gold and would have been easy to destroy as a result. It’s not. So it must be an alloy or some other metal if I can’t just pulverize it.”
“If your goal was to scare the daylights out of me, Vali, then you succeeded with flying colors!”
Vali sneered at her words. “That’s not hard to do as it is.”
Alice crossed her arms and huffed. “Such a brute, aren’t you? Manhandling little ladies like me!”
His helmet hid his subsequent smile. “Guilty as charged.”
“Of course…” she said, shaking her head before staring up at him. “So… what now?”
He rose back up to his full stature at over thirty meters tall. “Now things are even more complicated. I could try tossing this amulet into the ocean, but then it could still be recovered by someone or even dangerous if a mergich isn’t around to keep it inert. Extremely powerful enchantments might be protecting it too. I got a dumb idea for keeping this thing out of the wrong hands or even destroying it outright, but it’s not necessarily… practical… compared to some other immediate solutions.”
She blinked. “Like what?”
Vali pocketed the amulet again. “Well, there’s a volcano on an island to the far north. The only problem is actually getting there.”
~~~~~
Farishta sat on the ground next to some ashes. Her sheer size in contrast to the fire pit was almost comical as Kazem remained on the other side trying to create another campfire. She went about sliding off one sandal, inspecting it as she held it with both hands.
“The cordwainer did a really good job!” she said, smirking. “I wasn’t expecting them to fit so well and be so comfortable!”
Kazem finished tossing some sticks and kindling into the pit. “Glad you’re happy.”
She presented a single sandal to Kazem. “Look! They even have some fur serving as insulation or something!”
He glanced up and saw some fluffy, white material lining the sandal’s interior. It looked like a patchwork of linen, wool, and fur evenly distributed across its surface. Her paw and toe beans already left a very light imprint around the center, marking them as her custom sandals.
Farishta stuck out her tongue at him a bit. “They’re quite cozy! You could probably sleep in one of them if you really wanted to!”
“How generous of you.” Kazem replied, rolling his eyes. “Then again, you’re probably not kidding. The whole thing is big enough to be an improvised bed for a human.”
Her ears and tail perked up. “Well… I was just teasing you, but if you’re actually interested…”
“No.” he said, cutting her off. “That’s probably not safe or sanitary.”
“Are you sure?” she asked as a sly smile spread across her muzzle. “They’re brand new, and it’s not like my paws are that dirty! I’m telling you that this sandal padding is soooo soft and fluffy!”
“I’ll have to pass.” he said with a dismissive wave.
Farishta’s ears folded against her head. “Aw. You’re no fun!” She only stopped speaking to remove her other sandal and set them both aside. “It would have been cute to see how small you were compared to them. Why can’t you be more happy, upbeat, and enthusiastic like the cordwainer?”
Kazem chuckled. “I wouldn’t put it beneath him to sleep in a sandal if you asked him to. I don’t know if he’s actually like that all the time, but odds are he’s so nice because he wants happy clients.”
“Of course you would say that.” she replied, shaking her head. “Not everyone has an angle, Kazem. Sometimes people are just friendly!”
“Why are you so nice to absolutely everyone anyway?” he asked, shaking his hands to free them from lingering dirt and debris.
Farishta smiled. “Why not? It makes me happy to make others feel good, and they might return the favor. Everyone wins if it brightens our day!”
Kazem nodded. “So… you technically act that way for selfish reasons, right?”
Her jaw momentarily went agape as she feigned shock. “Maybe by your own twisted logic! Even if that’s true, then why are you so mean to people?”
He shrugged. “I’m not trying to be mean. I’m just blunt. Really don’t care for these masks people wear or all these other stupid pleasantries. I just get to the point. I’m used to getting exactly what I want and I won’t care too much about how others feel about it.”
“But you’ve hurt people before to do that…” she said, narrowing her eyes. “Correct?”
Kazem broke eye contact. “I… I’m not proud of it. You know that.”
Farishta nodded. “I’m well-aware. Hmm.” She stayed silent for a few long moments. “Maybe I should be mean to a bad little man like you to see how you like it!”
“Very funny.” he said, turning to walk away. “At least I’m trying to get better. You’re also here to act as my new moral compass if I struggle to tell the difference between right and wrong I suppose.”
As he spoke, Farishta moved her leg, lowering her foot towards him. “Maybe I should teach you a little lesson about morality then! Just take a peek over your shoulder real quick…”
Kazem did so after hearing her giggle. He found her foot lingering over him as a shadow formed around his position. “Oh boy.”
A more mischievous smile adorned her face. “Now that I have your attention, would it be morally right for me to step on you right now?”
He saw her scrunch up her toes, making his face scrunch up as well. “I… don’t think so?”
“And why is that?” she asked, spreading out her toes somewhere above his head next. “What if I want to do it for fun? It’s not like you’re a good person or anything, according to yourself at least!”
Kazem took a few steps back. “Because that’d probably hurt or kill me?”
Farishta stuck out her tongue to form another blep. “Don’t be silly! It’s harmless if I’m slow and gentle about it! However, would it still be mean for me to gently step on you anyway?”
"I guess…” he said, smirking. “It’s not like you have my permission. Regardless, aren’t you a gentle giant or something?”
She brought a hand to her heart. “Of course I am, Kazem! And you’re right. I wouldn’t just step on someone like that! That’d be morally wrong. However, you bring up an interesting topic. If you happened to give me your permission, we both agreed to it, and no one got hurt, then it’s ethical and harmless fun for us both… you know?”
Kazem nodded once more. “Strange way to make a point, but I see what you’re saying…”
“Either way, not everything has to be a zero sum game.” Farishta resumed, fluttering her eyes. “I can’t just do whatever I want to people. Morality exists for a reason. If I disregarded other people and their feelings, then more people would hate mergich, and I’d probably face really bad consequences later on! So I find it more rewarding and pleasant to make sure I have a mutually beneficial relationship with almost everyone I meet!”
“That… makes sense, actually.” he replied, scratching his chin. “I thought you were just naive, but when you phrase your worldview like that, it makes perfect sense.”
“Exactly!” she said with a wide smile and a thump of her tail. “People tend to treat you the same way you treat them! When it comes to more mean people like criminals and stuff… well… there's a reason why most die young or get avoided by everyone else. I don't know how to put it politely!”
Kazem managed to get a dozen human-sized paces away from her foot. “Huh. I’ll admit, the few old people I see in my profession or something related to it are the only ones I’m scared of…”
Her ears perked up. “Oh? Is being a peddler really dangerous?”
“It can be.” he answered with a nod. “Lots of risks involved.”
“And where do you think you’re going?” she said, laughing. A single digit similar to a big toe curled up. “Get back here! We’re just about to conclude our morality lesson!”
With a hint of hesitation, Kazem returned to standing under the shade her paw provided. “I don't know what sort of game you’re playing, but I’ll indulge you. It’s fun seeing this side of you too.”
She formed a toothy smirk. “Oh, really? You like this?”
“You’re like a cat toying with a mouse whenever you start getting playful like this…” he said, causing him to break eye contact. “It’s… amusing?”
Farishta snickered at his reaction. “You better watch out, then, my little mouse!”
Blood briefly flushed his face as he failed to maintain his stoic demeanor, staying silent.
“I’m quite nicer than most big cats, though…” she continued, flicking a few toes. “But I’m already proud of you for finally seeing the error of your ways and helping me out so much today! Why don’t you just lie down on the ground and relax? I’ll take care of you!”
With a nod, Kazem sat on the ground before lying down. He let out a long sigh. A more direct look at a big, black paw and four large toe beans surrounded by white, fluffy fur filled his field of view.
Farishta still had a wry grin as she watched him. “You know what I’m about to do, right? I wasn’t even sure if you’d be interested in playing footsies! Nonetheless, just nod whenever you’re ready…”
He nodded accordingly. “I’m… kind of curious. Do you… usually play with people like this?”
“Very rarely.” she answered, carefully lowering her foot to the ground. “Still, it’s so fun for me to play around with the ones I really like!”
With that, a black paw came into direct contact with Kazem’s torso first. Fur strands also brushed against his limbs. Her two central toes spread out to account for his head and wrapped around his upper body as well. Soft and leathery paw padding slightly compressed against his chest, making him grunt, then plump toe beans kept his arms pinned to the ground. The final result left Kazem underfoot with only his head and neck poking out from between her toes, but her foot was the perfect size to completely cover his entire body nonetheless.
Farishta’s tail swayed behind her as she maintained a smile. “Are you alright? I’m not putting all my weight into it to avoid hurting you, but I don't want you to be uncomfortable!”
The sensation for Kazem was like being covered in a heavy fur blanket with paw pads similar to velvet pillows compressing against most of his physical form. He could barely move or breathe.
“I’m… I’m fine.” he said with his face turning red.
She giggled at his flustered reaction. “Okay then! Just keep in mind that my paws are sort of sensitive. Let me know if you want me to stop… and don’t try to force your way out! Other than that, you feel very interesting, to say the least!”
Kazem took a deep breath. “You really enjoy this sort of thing?”
Farishta stuck out her tongue. “Definitely! Sometimes I find it super fun to play with tiny creatures by using my hands or feet! It’s hard to find anyone comfortable with that though. Oh, and on that note, I also love the way you feel against my paw pads!”
Her paw seemed to smoosh him slightly more for emphasis.
He involuntarily exhaled a bit. “Hmph. I see…”
“Ah, I almost forgot!” she said, glancing at a chipped claw on her finger. “I still need to file down my claws and groom myself! I didn’t have time to do that after washing myself, then all that excitement happened!”
“Do you need help?” Kazem asked without skipping a beat.
Farishta relented a little with the downward force to give him more room to breathe. “Aw! I don’t know how useful you’d be, but it might be nice to have someone to help me with my claws and brushing my tail!”
Farishta’s foot then lifted away, leaving Kazem by himself on the ground. She crossed her legs and put her large, sizable tail in her lap to carefully inspect its fur.
Naturally, Kazem rose to his feet and dusted off his leather jacket. “I can try… and… hmph. That was… an experience. I don’t know how to feel about actually doing that.”
“Did you like it?” she asked, giving him a coy look. “Hopefully I wasn’t too rough or hurt you or anything!”
“I’m fine.” he replied, rolling his shoulders. “It was… something. A bit brief if I had to complain. I hope you didn’t awaken something in me I didn’t know was there before either.”
Another sly and toothy smile appeared on her muzzle. “Oh, don’t worry! You’re a tough little guy as it is…” She paused to unsheathe the claws on a single foot, inspecting them before resheathing them. “I’ll definitely let you play with my paws later. We just gotta get a few things sorted out before nightfall arrives!”
“Like the fire?” he asked, reaching a hand into a pocket to make sure the flint was still there.
Farishta smirked and gestured at her lap. “I was more concerned about my tail, really. I bet your tiny hands would be great for getting the little stuff out and all the finer details! What do you say?”
He sighed. “If it’ll make you happy, I’d be more than willing to help you in any way I can!”
“Thank you!” she said, imitating him by nodding her head. “I think you’re acting like a better person already.” Farishta spent a moment flexing her foot to catch his attention. “It just took a soft and delicate touch on my part to squish that out of you, didn’t it?”
Kazem rolled his eyes and sneered, arousing yet another giggle from Farishta before he approached her large and fluffy tail. The mere sight intimidated him for several seconds since it was a sea of soft fur, but he pressed forward nonetheless as Farishta awaited him with the usual smile on her face.
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