What Happened in The Bazaar

The Sugar Desert was vast. Esther Grace shivered and pulled her veil further up, making sure it covered her nose. The last thing she needed was a nosebleed from sugar granules scraping the inside of her nose. Her Cara-Camel let out a low moan, reminding her to keep moving.

“Don’t worry Lola,” Esther Grace said. “We’ll find the market soon.” She hoped. The market would have milk for Lola and pop for her, and, above all, her prize. “It can’t be far.” Wind stirred the sugar, biting her heels as she followed the sun.

Over the tops of the dunes, Esther Grace saw the tops of the Bazaar. She sighed with relief as she began the final push. 

The Bazaar hummed and hissed with life as Esther Grace tied Lola to a hitch. The trough was full of milk and Lola let out a low noise as she dunked her face into it. Her coloring began to change back from nearly burnt to a fresher coloring. Ellie Grae smiled and gently ran a hand over the Cara-Camel’s tough skin. 

“Atta girl.” She made a note of where they had entered and the color of the tents before pulling her veil down for a deep breath. With the tents of the Bazaar blocking the winds, it was safe to pull it down so she could breathe a little easier. Little kids ran past, giggling as they threw a marzipan football. Another group of kids crouched under a table and played gum-marbles. All around, merchants shouted their wares and vyyed for customers.

“Freshest gum! Freshest gum in all Bazaar!”

“Cinnamon rolls! Handmade cinnamon rolls with icing!”

“Milk for Cara-Camels! Freshest milk straight from cow!”

Esther Grace walked past all of them, her sharp brown eyes raking over the tables in search of a specific one. Perhaps this was the wrong Bazaar. If it was, then she’d move on. The Sugar Desert was vast, and this was but one Bazaar in a dozen. She saw a wall of Sour String carpets and paused to admire the weavings. 

“Made at home!” The seller, an eager looking young woman, informed her. “Me and my mother make them every night.”

Esther Grace smiled and asked, “Is there a seller here that-” she glanced around and lowered her voice, leaning in to whisper. “-that specializes in sugar free items?”

The young woman jerked back, hand flying to her mouth. She shook her head and flapped a hand at Esther Grace. 

“I do not speak to people like that! Please go!”

Esther Grace took that to mean that there was. But she nodded and moved on. 

“Psst!” She looked down and saw a boy with a red hat and no shoes. “You want to know where to find sugar free?” He whispered.

She nodded. 

“Follow me!”

He took her to the furthest edge of the Bazaar, where people skulked around, bags and robes held closed. Esther Grace made sure her purse was still beneath her robes. 

“In there,” the boy whispered, pointing to a dark purple tent. “Mr. Amir.”

“Thank you.” She slipped him a palmful of sugar frosted cranberries. The boy gasped in delight at the unexpected treat and ran off. 

Esther Grace pulled her veil back across her face and stepped inside the tent. 

The tent smelt of burnt sugar and old candy wrappers. An old man’s voice came from the corner. 

“What brings you here?” He asked, a candle flickering to life. “Into the tent of Sugar Free?”

“I’m looking for something.” Esther Grace glanced at the chests in the corner. She saw a twinkle of something blue glining off the weak candlelight. She returned her gaze to the seller. “The Dragon’s Beard.”

The old man wheezed a laugh. 

“You look for the Dragon’s Beard and you come to a seller of sugar free?” He nearly fell over from laughing. “You must be truly desperate.”

“No. I come to you for the Sugar Free Crystal Ball of the Oracle.”

The man’s laughter died off. “You think I have it?”

“No.” Esther Grace let her licorice whip fly. “I know you do, Ymir Khan!” 

Dropping the elderly act, her oldest friend and now worst enemy threw off his cloak and dodged the whip. “You never know when to drop a quest, Esther Grace!” He snarled, holding his bag close. In his other hand, the jawbreaker staff she gave him at the beginning of their adventures showed signs of wear and tear. Esther Grace longed to sit with Ymir next to a fire and tend to the weapon while he played his bubblegum lute, the way they had so many times before. But sadly, they stood on opposite sides, and they may never be able to go back to that. 

Esther Grace whipped the licorice out again, aiming at the bag. Ymir dodged and kicked sugar at her. Eyes watering, Esther Grace dove through the cloud and scrambled after him, the tent collapsing behind her. She saw Ymir’s green jacket and followed.

“Ymir!” She called. “Please! We can work together again!” She managed to grab his arm and pulled him around to see a stranger. 

“I think you have the wrong person,” he said. A loud bellow came from a group of Cara-Camels and Esther Grace whipped around to see Ymir, bag in hand and without either a veil or jacket. 

“Ymir!” She called. “Please! We can work together!”

Ymir’s brown eyes were wild as he looked down at her. 

“You don’t understand, Ez!” He cried, clutching the bag to his chest. The use of her old nickname stung. “It’s too dangerous! You must drop this quest. I may never see you again but I promise, there is a reason for my actions!” He dug his heels into the Cara-Camel’s sides and held on for dear life as it took off into the Sugar Desert. 

“Ymir!” Esther Grace screamed as she watched him. She stood rooted to the spot, knowing that she would never be able to get to Lola in time to catch up. A single tear streaked down her face. 

With a bag of fresh supplies, Esther Grace loaded up. Lola, her coloring once more lively, butted her face against Esther Grace’s.

“I’m ok,” she fruitlessly promised her dear steed. “Just ready to move on.”

She pulled her veil up and climbed into the saddle, preparing to head in the direction she had seen Ymir running in. 

“Wait!” The young woman from the sour string stall ran up. “Here.” She held up a bag. “For luck,” she said. “My mother has told me of the Dragon’s Beard since I was a child. If you are truly in search of it, then you will need all the luck you can get.” 

Esther Grace leaned down and opened her satchel for the young woman to drop it in. The young woman grasped her hand in hers. Esther Grace could feel the bumps and calluses of a lifetime of weaving in her palms. 

“Be safe,” she pleaded. 

“I’ll do my best.” 

The young woman stopped back and did her best to smile. “I will pray for you.” 

Esther Grace smiled and straightened up, gently nudging Lola into a trot. The Sugar Desert was vast. But eventually, she would catch up with Ymir, she would convince him to rejoin her, and together, they would finally find the Dragon’s Beard.

THE END