The next day, the group went along the route that lead to the small town. People crowded the streets, talkng or shopping, and running errands. Shops and stands were at every corner, the scent of baked bread and cakes, and fresh fruits and vegetables was fragrant of the entire town. Beautiful fabrics and baskets were hanging in market stalls. To Charlie it was an adorable establishment.
But poor Alastor was a nervous wreck. The very instant he entered that village, he closed his eyes and just waited for the screaming to start. Yet for some reason he heard no screaming. No screaming, no insults or curses, he felt no rocks getting thrown at him. In fact nothing really happened. He wondered why?
He got his answer when he finally opened his eyes. Among the crowds of humans running errands, there were creatures. Other creatures of lore. Centuars, raccon dogs, pixies, yumboes, different kinds of mythical creatures all mingling with human beings. Interacting as if they were all the same species. How was this possible?
"Surprised?" Charlie asked Alastor.
"Very." He said trying not to stare at the bizarre atmosphere.
"I thought you would be." She giggled. "You probably didn't know this but years ago the boarder between the Third and the Fourth Kingdom was like every other piece of land. Creatures and humans living separately and feeling hostile to one another. But then one day their land fell under the tyrannical rule of a powerful and wicked titan. He bullied humans and creatures alike, stealing their crops and livestock, destryoing thier homes, even devouring some of them. After years of constant abuse, the humans and creatures discovered that though they were different in species and culture, they had a lot in common. They were all mistreated hard workers with families who were being threatened. So they decided to band together to rise up against their titan and reclaim their land. The titan's power was strong but no match for a united army of humans and creatures. They over throwed and exhiled him, and since then both creatures and humans have lived here among each other peacefully."
"I never knew that."
"Me either." Angel said.
"Same." Vaggie said.
"Most people like to cover that piece of history up." Charlie said. "Very few outside this boarder know about it."
"How do you know about it?" Alastor asked.
"My mother told me. She learned it from my uncle, her younger brother. He was a bookworm and a history lover. She said that he wanted to learn about all the nine kingdoms and that he had read every history book ever written about the kingdoms."
"Sounds like a smart man."
"He was according to my mother. I have never met him but she always said that next to my father, no one ever loved her more and that he would have adored me. I wish I could have known him. Oh well, let's not dwell on that. Let's get those supplies and have a look around."
Alastor, Vaggie, and Angel took their steps around the town slow but Charlie was hopping from one place to another. Trying to absorb it all. There was so much life and laughter everywhere she looked. It was almost like a dream come true. For her friends, it was almost like the impossible had been made possible.
"Oh a sweet shop." She cheered. "I've always wanted to see one. Can we go inside? Please?"
Alastor positively loathed all forms of sugar, espeically candy and sweets. But Charlie was so very eager to taste a few and he could see that Angel and Vaggie subtly desired the same thing. So he consented for a quick visit.
Inside the sweet shop was a bustle of bright colors and shelves of the most unsusual looking confections any of them had ever seen. Unconventional shapes, sizes, and colors which bore the strangest names: Candy Fairy Floss, Troll Toffee, Shikigami Gummies, Unicorn Lollipops, Banshee Bons-Bons, Dragon Licorice, Rainbow Cakes, Giant Bubblegum, Yeti Ice Cream, Werewolf Treats, and countless other mystical themed sweets.
"Well how do you do folks?" They were greeted by the owner of the shop, a surprisingly thin man who wore an apron stained with syrups and flour. "Welcome to my shop. What can I do you for?"
"Um..." Vaggie said looking at all the candy skeptically. "We just wanted to take a look around and uh..."
"No offense man but what kind of candy is this?" Angel asked.
"Oh well you see ladies and gentlemen I'm a bit of an eccentric candy maker. My shop has been in the family for generations and we started out selling normal candy but when I took over I decided to try new material. Making candy that is tasty to humans and creatures. So I studied the recieps of candy made by creatures and humans and tweaked them to where they could be enjoyed by both. Care for a free sample?"
"That depends. What do you got?"
He produced four circular shaped candies that were the size of baseballs. They looked like ordinary jaw-breakers. Angel picked one up and began to suck on it. Then POP! He was sent flying backwards and landed on the floor.
"Angel!" Vaggie gasped running to his side. "Are you alright?"
"Wow that's good stuff!" He said with a mouthful of melted sugar.
"Exploding jaw-breakers." The shopkeeper said. "Invented by imps as a false defense mechanism. Orignally they would give it to enemies who eat it assuming it was just harmeless candy and then boom! Their heads would explode after the first suck. But I tweaked it to where it would just be an explosion of flavor in your mouth. What do you think?"
"Cool." Angel said.
"Then there's Forest Fudge, a recipe from the elf's cookbook, eat this and you'll hear the voices of nature for an enitre hour. Comedy Caramels, orignally made by the Chupacabras, having trouble getting laughs with your jokes? Don't worry just feed your audience some of these and they'll laugh at the next joke they hear even if it's a bad one."
"How much are those?" Alastor said. "For some reason people can't see the humor in my jokes."
"But this is my newest edition to the shop."
He presented them with a tray of heart shaped sugar cookkies topped with red icing. They smelled like they had come fresh out of the oven and Charlie felt her mouth water at the scent.
"Here sweetheart." He said handing Charlie a cookie. "Share it with tall guy over there."
"Oh no thank you sir." Alastor said. "I do not eat anything with sugar. I can't stand the taste."
"Oh trust me if I followed the recipe right you'll both love this cookie even if you can't stand the sweet stuff."
Charlie broke the cookie in half and shared it with Alastor. They each bit into their half however neither one of them tasted a sugar cookie. Charlie tasted her favorite dessert in the whole world. Apple dumplings with cream. She could taste the cinminon pastry, the spiced apple filling, and the light cream topping. It brought back many memories of how her father would order a batch of them for her on special occasions and she would sneak down into the kitchen to watch the royal chef make them. She would always be given the honor of taste testing the pastry dough, filing, and cream before it was all put together. Then after dinner, her mother would hold her close and brush her blonde locks while she munched away on her treat.
Alastor on the other hand tasted his mother's cornbread. Salt, butter, cornmeal, a savory treat that went excllent with spicy dishes like jambalaya and gumbo. He could even taste the hint of cheese that she would add to it. He could still remember the first time she taught him how to make it. He was helping her measure the flour but he slipped and spilled it all over himself and everywhere. His mother only laughed and said that white was a lovely color on him. Then she bathed him while the bread was baking and at supper she served it with her jambalaya.
"This is wonderful." Charlie commented.
"Strange." Alastor said. "These taste exactly like my mother's cornbread."
"Are you sure? They taste like apple dumplings to me. They were my favorite dessert."
"Then it's a success." The shopkeeper declared. "These are Sweetheart Cookies, a recipe from the cherubs. They're made to taste like your favorite treat."
"Really? Let me try." Angel grabbed one and ate it. "What are you talking about? This doesn't like a cannoli. It tastes like a sugar cookie."
"Oops. I forgot to mention, it only works if you share the cookie with your sweetheart. Hence the name Sweetheart Cookies."
Charlie and Alastor both blushed.
"Oh no we're not sweethearts." Alastor said.
"You're not?"
"No." Charlie said. "We're just good friends."
"Shoot, must have made the cookies wrong."
"I don't think so." Angel said winking at Alastor.
They bought a few candies to take on the road and vistied more shops to get supplies, and through it all not one person treated Alastor like a monster. Creature and human alike, spoke to him politely and respectfully, friendly even. It was so strange and new. But he liked it. He liked it very much.