Title-- The Demon-God of Jubagh (book two, part ten)
Rating and Warnings-- G; mild language.
Cast-- Rai Gerring, defected black magician (human man); Brandon Styhan, exiled paladin-warrior (human man); Lhafa Softstep, blind voodoo warrior (baghan woman); Jujinkajou, native guide (shapechanger Sivefi man); passers-by and townsfolk (Sivefi men and women).
Previously-- Book One: Jubagh. Earlier parts of Book Two: Sivef.



The town was buzzing and far busier than Ju'jou had ever seen it before. He didn't recognize half of the Sivefi who were trying to pull him aside with their hand-waves and meaningful looks, and when he'd come here last hot-time, he'd known everyone. It was strange. He hadn't expected this town to double in size over the course of two seasons. He wouldn't have brought the off-worlders here if he'd known...

"Ju'jou?" The lady still spoke softly, even while immersed in the background noise of people speaking. He glanced back and stopped walking, allowing her to draw even with him. "What do your friends do here?" She looked-without-eyes at him.

Even pausing for so short a moment, Sivefi were renewing their efforts to get the changer's attention. It was unnerving, and he slipped his handpaw into the lady's hand to pull her with him as he started walking briskly again. He was careful with his claws. "Myfriends haveandrun aninn here," he replied, a little less confident now. With so many new people and not so many new buildings, would the inn be full? Would his friends be too busy to feed the off-worlders? Would he... would he have to take on a new job for one of these stranger Sivefi to earn food? He shuddered at the thought.

The lady squeezed his hand lightly, and he remembered that he was still leading her along. She was much taller than him; he looked like a cub dragging its parent somewhere. Embarrassed, he let go. "You are upset?" she asked him quietly, keeping pace with him without effort.

Ju'jou jumped at the question, then realized how jittery he'd been acting. He made an effort to straighten his back and smooth his fur. It was very hard to stop ducking and slinking, even on two legs instead of four. "Manypeople are here that Idonotknow," he rasped quietly, trying not to glance around like a hunted animal. He was making a beeline for his friends' inn, but there were so many people. He made sure not to bump into any of them.

The lady was not so deft. A Sivefi thumped his shoulder into her ribs in passing and she drew back, startled, and paused mid-stride. "Many people," she murmured to herself, face falling into a new expression that reminded him of a frown.

Quickly, Ju'jou skittered back to her side and grabbed her hand again. "Iamsorry! I willguide." He glanced past her to make sure the men were keeping up; they were, and easily. Passers-by were giving the big man a very wide berth and averting their eyes, though they seemed to be ignoring the man in the dress. The changer's ears pricked curiously - they almost acted afraid of the big man. He wondered why.

No time for such pondering. He had to find his friends and feed his off-worlders. He tugged on the lady's hand and began leading her again, putting his body between other Sivefi and her. It made him cringe to do so, and his tail hid between his legs and dragged the ground, but it would be better for him to be bumped than her. Off-worlders didn't like that, he seemed to recall.

"Theinn!" Ju'jou exclaimed, spotting the signboard of the big building over the heads of the shorter Sivefi. He pointed his free hand to it, tail wagging briefly as he glanced back at the men. "See? Theinn! We go there!" The smaller man nodded and made a strange expression at him, the one the lady had made a few times. He wondered how lips could move like that.

With his goal in sight, the changer found a careful path around the currents of walking traffic and got to the front of the inn. It was a big establishment with big wooden doors, and he had to release the lady's hand in order to use both of his to haul one of the three doors open. Even so, it took all his weight to move it, and he ducked into the Sivefi-sized opening. "Waithere!" he said quickly, disappearing inside.

It took his eyes a moment to adjust as the door swung slowly shut behind him. The inn was dimly-lit, smoky, loud - and crowded. Most of the patrons were Sivefi, though he spotted the one other changer he knew who worked there, and a few humans scattered about. Off-worlders were so rarely here; it startled him. One of them even had writing on her skin like the men did - she sat alone at a table in a corner, hood drawn over to shadow her face. Only her hands showed, but he could see the glint of the ink.

Still, she wasn't one of his friends. He needed to find--

A heavy, three-fingered hand curled around his elbow and gave an impatient jerk. "Boy," a gruff voice said, "you looking for work?"

"No!" he half-yelped, jerking away and whirling to face the speaker. "Ihaveworkthankyou!" The sturdy Sivefi gave him a glare.

"I said, you looking for work?" he repeated, voice dropping pointedly as he fixed his eyes on the changer.

Oh. He was one of those kinds of Sivefi. Ju'jou bared sharp teeth and fluffed his tail. "No!" he said again, the word barely distinguishable from a growl. He let his claws show, curving out of his fingertips as he took a step back from the seated man. "Iamnotlookingforwork. Leavemealone."

The Sivefi stood, the top of his furry head barely reaching Ju'jou's shoulder, but the thickly-built man was easily twice the changer's weight. He looked displeased, flat face contorting in an easily-recognized expression. "I think you're looking for work," he said slowly, taking a step forward. "You're too young to have work of your own." He eyed him up and down, scrutinizingly. "Come with me."

Ju'jou was beginning to panic. This man was not listening! And even though the other Sivefi had no sharp claws or teeth, the sheer strength in those arms would be enough to win any fight that might break out. And he didn't want to fight in his friends' inn!

The changer threw his head back and let out a wailing howl.