The music was getting louder, and caught Emily’s attention all the more.
“Will you take me to the Festivy, Gabe?
Please?” She asked, pursing her lips to look more pleading.
“Alright, alright.
Don’t give me those eyes” he chuckled, “Just let go of my tail, yeah?” Emily released the thin tail from her clutches and got up from the chair.
“Gavin, stay here boy.
I’ll be back” Said Gabe to his pet.
“Gavin?” Emily pitched curiously.
“Yeah.
He’s a Grorckle.
Very common around here.
They live in holes” replied Gabe, walking out with his pet snorting and gnarling.
“Very good for defense.
They’ve got sharp claws for digging” Gabe locked the door and led Emily and Gavin to a large, heavy looking barrel, which had a pile of old clothes on the bottom, and some other items, as well as a carving on the side, which encrypted ‘GAVIN’.
“I met Gavin when he was just a little mole.
Took him in and trained him, cute isn’t he?” Gavin had nestled up to Emily, and Emily felt how fluffy it was.
It’s fully fur covered body, its short and stubby nature, and stiff pointed tail, made it fluffy and adorable, which made Emily overlook it’s gruffy look and threatening snarls and snorts.
“I think he likes you” said Gabe, “Don’t you, boy?” The creature let out a weird gnarling sound, and Gabe chuckled.
Emily took a better look at it under the light provided by both the big bright moon and Gabe’s lamp.
It’s head was shaped like a normal lizard’s, it was flat and long, and it’s mouth extended from the very corners of its face.
The coat, she could tell, was dark blue, with green markings and spots.
It’s teeth were long, sharp and beast-like, looking like it ate human legs for breakfast, and it’s feet were like that of a lizard, but very much bigger, and its claws were long and sharp, but only visible when it’s long fur was out of the way, leaving them exposed.
Even though, the creature was strange and oddly terrifying enough, Emily didn’t feel the slightest inch of fear.
She always wanted a pet, but her mom always told her she was to reckless to take care of one.
Gabe took hold of the Grorckle and attempted to pull him into his barrel, but the Grorckle’s claws were buried deep into the ground.
“See, the only problem I have with him, is this” Gabe grunted, trying harder to pull his pet, “He always makes a mess when I’m not home, so I have to place him in his barrel, but these little buggers are so tough, it takes an army of men to pull them” Emily offered her help and Gabe smiled “Thanks, kid.
Just, grab his other leg, I’ll pull on this one” The two of them pulled Gavin until his claws came free of the ground and both Gabe and Emily tumbled down to the ground.
Gabe clutched the creature in his arms and threw him into the barrel.
“That’s enough from you now” Gavin fervently shook his body, causing his fur to fly about.
He snarled and scratched the base of his barrel with his claws.
“Alright, that settles that” Gabe muttered right after tying Gavin to his barrel with a thick metal chain.
“Won’t it hurt him?” Emily asked, looking sympathetically at the unmoving creature in the barrel.
“I have no choice.
He easily chewed up the rope and leather ones.
This is the only option left” Gabe replied, standing up and clapping his hands to dust them off.
He turned to Emily and reached out his elbow, “Right.
I’ve got a tour to take you on, haven’t I?” Emily smiled and hooked her small hands in his elbow, walking alongside him without any questions or any fear at all.
### As they walked through the towns, Emily observed more about the elves.
“Some Elves don’t have tails, they cut it off if they choose” Emily looked shocked, “Cut it off?
Why?” “Preference.
Some think it gets in the way of things, movement, construction, and cutting it off makes things easier and faster” Gabe explained.
Emily turned to look at more elves, they had patches of oddly colored birthmarks on different special parts of their bodies.
“You’re very…
colorful” she pointed out.
“You noticed the birthmarks, I presume?” Gabe chuckled, “I guess it’s the only part of us that reminds us how closely related we are to the fairies” “Do you have any?” Emily questioned.
“Yes.
Just like my hair, I have lime colored birthmarks” he replied.
Emily curiously leaned in and scanned his body “Where?” She asked, confused after not finding any.
Gabe removed one of his gloves and his hand appeared to be covered in some sort of lime coated paint all the way down to his wrist.
“And I’ve got them on my feet too” he said and put his gloves back on.
“Wow!
That’s a really cool birthmark!” Said Emily, complimenting her new friend.
“Thank you” Gave smiled and soon turned to face the event before him.
The two had finally reached the heart of the big city, where everyone was dancing and partying, having fun and drinking wine.
Banners were hung across the lamp posts with the inscriptions, “Cheers to a new moon!” “Gabe!
Lovely to see you!
I thought you weren’t coming” a young scruffy elf, with dark brown unkempt hair, and markings visible as a wide patch on his left eye, his neck, and on one of his arms, with a rough poorly-shaven beard, said as he approached the two.
“Cheers to a new moon, Stephan” Gabe greeted politely.
“Cheers!
We can finally have some quality wine here.
Hehe” The elf, Stephan, snickered and grinned.
Stephan’s gaze caught sight of the little girl beside Gabe, clutching his hand in hers.
“Who’s this little gibber?” He inquired.
Gabe smiled and gestured to Emily, “This is Emily.
She’s my…”, he paused and pondered for a bit “My cousin” Stephan scratched his head, his face still holding up a goofy smile, “Cousin?
I didn’t know you had a cousin” Gabe tried to cover up his lie, “She’s a lost relative” Stephan shrugged, accepting his excuse, then he freely swung his arms over Gabe’s shoulder, “Well, what are we waiting for pal?
It’s the one time we finally wine and dine to our fill!
Let’s have some fun!
I’m sure the little gibber would want to as well” Emily smiled wide and looked up at Stephan, “Yes!
This looks fun!” Stephan laughed “Well, you can bet your Holsterein milk it’s fun!
Come on, I bet you love to play games” Emily skipped excitedly as Stephan led them around the square.
“See?
There’s a fun game!” Said Stephan, leading them to a crowded area, where many elves gathered to watch two elves chug down some purple juice.
“I think she’s too young to play a drinking game, Stephan” Gabe pointed out, a frown appearing on his face.
Stephan lightly punched his chest, “Where’s your sense of adventure?
Let the little gibber have some fun for once in her life” Emily looked up at Gabe, whose face was in a deep frown now, Emily turned her head and found another game which had caught her interest.
“Gabe!
Look!” Emily shouted, and he immediately turned his attention to her.
“That’s a fun game you can play” said Gabe, letting Emily lead him with her hand in his.
“Welcome!
Welcome!” Said the game keeper, “Cheers to a new moon!
I’ve got a surprise hidden for you!
I’ve got some cakes, all made from Razzleberries, but one is different, figure it out and you’ll be lucky” A bunch of cakes were presented to the guests, including Emily.
The cakes were different colors, it was hard to think they were all made of the same ingredient.
Some players complained, “They taste completely the same, there’s no way I can tell” “There isn’t any different cake, it’s all the same” But Emily, carefully tested and tasted each one, taking in each whiff and taste, already used to her mom being so overly sensitive with tastes.
“Uhm…” she moaned as she licked her fingers after tasting the fourth cake.
She pointed to it and said, “This one!
It’s sure to be the right one!” The game keeper smiled, “Good senses, young elfling, keep the cake as your winning” Emily jumped from excitement and scooped the cake up and began to devour it.
Gabe chuckled and praised her, “Well done.
It looks like you like Elven city?” She moaned as she savored the cake in her mouth, “I LOVE Elven city!”