The tale of the young nomadic centaur (Caflenal) Joshuwain started in a role-playing 
game but quickly grew to find a place in my stories. Now, with his brother, Phantos, 
and his brother's friend, Carnam, he continues his journeys both in the lands of 
Induria and his own soul.


Phantos had traveled for many years apart from his tribe, during which time, he 
mastered the ancient Arenkhar sword-art. One of the few remaining people who have 
mastered the blade skiff, Phantos has been training his younger brother in the 
proficiency. Although Joshuwain didn't initially realize it, Phantos cares deeply for him 
and has taken him under his wing to help him grow up and become more of an adult. 
It was under an agreement with the Caflenals' father that Phantos would help the 
alcoholic Joshuwain to make something of himself.


Carnam is a wolfwere from the trade empire of Ranakan. He is of the breed of 
wolfwere, one of the two ruling peoples of the empire. His ability to shape shift into a 
large grey wolf has proven helpful in the past, but not as much as his gift of sorcery. As 
the practice of magic is illegal in most of the civilized lands, the revelation of his talent 
required Joshuwain to overcome his prejudice and respect Carnam for who he was.


Their story continues as the three travelers arrive in the arid province of darn in the 
Indurian empire. Now hundreds of miles from his native home, the young Joshuwain 
now feels the thrill of adventure and is dreaming, albeit unrealistically, of the times to 
come. For adventure is not dragons and relligar (a form of infectious wraith), but the 
triumph of the spirit in the face of adversity.



Fire Fish

by David J. Rust - coypright 1994


Joshuwain turned to face his brother. His red, irritated eyes and pained expression 
showed his extreme discomfort. The heat was all but unbearable, and his eyes stung 
with salty sweat. In vain, he wiped away the perspiration on his brow only to have 
more form after seconds in the hot, dry air. His lungs heaved in protest to draw the 
scalding air into his tanned body. The layers of his rich, brown hair on his lower body 
were matted, sticking to him in dirty clumps. His eyes were red from constant rubbing 
and his breaths came irregularly as he tried to talk.


"Phan...this is killing...me. I can't...breathe.~ Joshuwain's voice cracked as he spoke.


Phantos Greydawn shook his head with a slight smile and patted his younger brother 
on the shoulder. Turning to their traveling companion Carnam Devashal, Phantos 
tried not to laugh. "Well Joshuwain, you did say that you wanted to visit a large city 
and see how the Eibecaras lived. I did warn you about the smell, though."


Joshuwain looked around the tight, crowded streets of wooden and clay buildings. 
People representing nearly every race of the Indurian Empire filled the narrow alleys 
and main streets dressed in light, voluminous clothing for the dry heat. Tents and 
multi-colored pavilions stood in sandy lots between the permanent buildings as 
temporary shops for the traveling merchants arriving by sea or across the flat lowlands 
to the West. Off to the North and East, a narrow smudge on the horizon acted as 
reminder of the Southern-most edge of the Indurian Mountain Range which branched 
to form the two frontiers of this desert province of Induria called Varn.


People of all kinds filled the capitol's streets, talking, arguing dealing, running, 
walking, and shouting as far as could be seen. Humans, wolfweres, reptilians...many 
of them merchants...were all here to sell their goods in the biggest Northern port city 
on the Stormdark Sea.


A small retinue of servant-boys ran to keep up with the broad steps of a reptilian trader 
covered head to tail in white robes. Only a broad, many-toothed snout could be seen 
sticking out from under the white hood. Carnam had called them 'high merchants,' a 
powerful caste in the reptilian circles of the Ranakan Empire. The servant-boys 
constantly kept the merchant's clothing damp with water that they carried in large, 
ceramic urns. Further along the street, a stout woman shouted hoarsely into the crowd 
advertising her rare herbs and salts. Still more people of many races could be seen 
selling fish and spices, pottery and cloth, tools and jewelry, slaves and beasts, and 
every service imaginable.


To Joshuwain, many of the items and services were unknown and strange, leaving 
him quite taken aback when a tall, scantily-clad woman approached him, ran a hand 
enticingly along his flank, offering to show him a "part of the city most stallions never 
see." She had been rather persistent, and Phantos had to step in and explain that 
Joshuwain had only just arrived and had neither time nor money for a personal "tour" 
just yet. Joshuwain merely blushed as the prostitute smiled seductively and left. 
Joshuwain had never experienced so many sights and sounds in one place before. It 
was very unsettling.


What made it worse was the smell. Phantos and Carnam had told Josh that all large 
cities were like this and many of them even worse. Joshuwain, having only lived in the 
nomadic environs of Teruvor found all this confusing activity and unyielding stench 
somewhat frightening. But Phantos was right, he had asked to see such a non-nomad 
city in all its unwholesome reality, so he'd better learn to take it like a stallion.


But, if this was how the EibecarasÑor non-nomadsÑlived, he didn't want to see much 
more


How those two-laggers could live in such conditions was beyond him.


Through clenched teeth, Joshuwain tried to manage a question that he hoped didn't 
sound too leading. 'Phan, in a city this crowded and with so many humans, where are 
we going to find lodging? I haven't seen any Caflenal about or places that would have 
big enough rooms.'


Phantos kept smiling. "Don't worry, I've been here before. There are several places 
with large enough accommodations for us. Remember, the larger breeds of Caflenal 
travel further abroad and more frequently than our people in Teruvor. Many of the inns 
near the East gates or the docks have bigger rooms for travelers like us..."


Joshuwain's horse-like ears relaxed alongside his dark brown hair. His eyes 
pretended to study the paving stones as he forced his legs to keep their pace. Phantos 
detected his brother's poorly hidden disappointment and patted him on the shoulder. 
"Not standing in lead shoes already, are you?"


Joshuwain sighed and held his nose. "No, I just don't think I could live in this place for 
very long and work at the same time."


"Well, I'll try to find us a job that takes us away from the city more often, then. I hear 
they need lifters and haulers on the spice flats..."


The thought of the arid flat-land to the West through which they'd traveled almost ten 
scalding days, was enough to make Joshuwain wince. "No thanks, Phan. I'd rather be 
employed eating rocks."


Carnam tapped Joshuwain on his flank. "Why don't you and I get some rooms and 
then look around- the market square while Phantos tries to find some decent work for 
three hard-pressed travelers." Turning to Phantos he added, "And try to avoid any jobs 
like that one in Pyrdinol...I was picking burrs outta my clothes for months."


Phantos laughed and nodded, leaving Joshuwain feeling a bit left out of the private 
joke. So much had happened between Phan and Carnam, that Joshuwain regretted 
the time he'd wasted while he had been at home. He also envied the relationship 
between Carnam and his brother. But Phantos was not only a brother, he was 
Joshuwain's best friend. Sometimes, he had been Joshuwain's only friend but when 
Carnam and Phan would talk about their adventures, Joshuwain felt excluded.


All that Phan would usually say was "It's better to not be envious of some of the things 
we've doneÑI'd rather not remember some of them myself..."


Unfortunately, that did nothing to quell this new desire for adventure growing within 
Joshuwain's chest. Over the last eight months since they had left the Shoreward State 
of Errom-Dal and moved South, Joshuwain's outlook had been gradually changing. 
No longer was he the frightened young colt being forced to "grow up' in the face of 
disinheritance, he was growing more sure of himself everyday. He wanted the change 
and the challenge, and bearing about his brother's adventures only fueled his 
feelings.


"I'll meet the two of you around sunset at the Watchful Lion Inn. Keep out of too much 
trouble, and no ale yet, Josh..."


Joshuwain nodded solemnly. He hadn't had a drink in months, but if Phan suggested 
it, he could wait.


As Phantos turned and trotted down a cross-street, Josh and Carnam moved slowly 
through the sweaty crowd towards the central districts of the sweltering city.


Joshuwain slowly pushed his way through the packed tavern of the Watchful Lion Inn 
and looked around for a table. Being shortly after noon, the tavern was filled with 
market patrons and merchants alike. Nearby, some tall, scaly reptilians discussed a 
shipping deal for rare woods with squat and serious dwarves bearing the trade 
symbol of the distant Stormshield Mountains. A trio of tall men sat along the tavern's 
wide- open windows examining large parchments on which were detailed ship 
designs. A few comely young women, apparently working for the inn, were carrying 
large wicker baskets as they left to go into the main market square. The quick and 
lively music of a traveling minstrel added an exotic feel to the vast menagerie of races 
packed into the high-roofed Inn.


Joshuwain smiled and shook his head. Everything was so rushed and busy. This was 
nothing like the trade cities on the fringes of Teruvor. Even Doonrab wasn't as restless 
as this place, and that city had to deal with dozens of nomadic tribesmen, Shoreward 
States merchants, Timberlands elves, and Cambronian traders at all times during the 
year.


There didn't seem to be any Caflenal present, but several large tables and raised 
portions of the bar were testament to their occasional visits. It seemed that the long, 
trestle-like bar was the only place in the tavern where there was open space. Carnam 
bad gone to speak to the inn-keeper about rooms for the three of them and to settee 
payments for at least a week. If Phantos couldn't find work for them by then, it was a 
pretty good bet that they should probably move on. Even so, according to both 
Carnam and Phantos, not finding work in yarn was almost as impossible as not finding 
a wolfwere in Ranakan.


Joshuwain moved slowly between the packed tables up to the long, raised bar. A pair 
of powerfully built and white robed reptilians sat on stools at the bar talking in a 
hissing dialect of the Ranakan trade tongue. Careful not to step on their thick, plated 
tails, Joshuwain settled down next to them and rested his elbow on a stool for 
Carnam.


Over the past eight months, Carnam had taught Joshuwain much of the wide-spread 
trade tongue and told him about places where that language was spoken. It had been 
explained to Joshuwain that most serious travelers spoke at least three languages 
and usually four. The most common choices were the Trade Language, Common 
Indurian, and Common Rygaran most of which Joshuwain had been exposed to in his 
travels through Induria.


Joshuwain looked towards the front entrance in time to see Carnam enter and start 
across the crowded floor of the tavern. Joshuwain was about to call out a "hello" to his 
friend when a sharp jab of an elbow caught his attention.


"Ssso, young Caflenal, are you new here?"


The rough, hissing voice startled Joshuwain and he quickly turned to face the 
speaker. One of the two large reptilians was facing him, its long, tooth-filled snout only 
inches from Josh's face. Joshuwain started in surprise and tried to translate what had 
been said to him. "Uh, um..."


Frantically, Joshuwain searched for the right words.


"It isss alright...take your time." The creature's greenish scales glinted in the indoor 
light and seemed to reflect a hint of gold. Its yellow eyes gleamed with an inner fire as 
they watched Joshuwain. Occasionally, a flicker of a tongue would appear from its 
snout.


Joshuwain blushed at having been so easily flustered and calmed himself. "Er, yeah. 
I'm new hereÑjust came into town looking for work..."


The reptilian nodded with a toothy smile. "Thought ssso. I wasss jussst telling my 
companion that you looked like a Northerner...probably never been Sssouth before..."


Josh nodded. "Yes," he said hesitantly, "I've spent most my life in Teruvor." He wasn't 
sure about these two...he'd never met a reptilian up close before. Their saurian 
features were too different to pick up subtle clues about what they were thinking.


The two reptilians nodded. "Indeed? If you want to hear about a possssible job, 
perhapsss you'd care to join usss at sssupper? We've ordered sssome fire fish...very 
tasssty."


The way the lizard man lingered over the word "tasty", made Joshuwain hope the 
stranger's diet was purely aquatic. Carnam's voice to Josh's right startled him.


"Well, Joshuwain, meeting people already?" Carnam strolled up to the group and 
climbed onto the reserved stool.


The second reptilian addressed Carnam with a nod and a toothy attempt at a smile. 
"Are you a companion of the Caflenal? If ssso, you're welcome to join usss. We were 
about to dissscusss a work proposssition over sssupper."


"Yesss," added the other, "plenty of fire fish for allÑyour friend wasss about to try 
sssome."


Carnam adopted a half-smile. "Fire fish? Now there's a dish I haven't had in a long 
while. They serve it here, do they?"


Joshuwain looked at the two lizard men. "Actually, I'm not very fond of fish but..."


"He'll make an exception this time, won't you Joshuwain?"


Josh looked at Carnam and back to the others at his left. Great.


Joshuwain managed an insincere grin and nodded. "Sure. I can always make an 
exception."


The first reptilian smiled. "Excellent...Joshuwain. You may call me Sssarrin. My 
companion isss Rellasss." He looked past Joshuwain at Carnam. "And you, 
wolfwere?"


"The name's Carnam," he answered, "but I think I'll pass up the supperÑthe spices in 
fire fish sit hard in my stomach. My friend'll have to enjoy my share for me..


Joshuwain looked at Carnam with daggers in his gaze. "Thanks a lot Carnam," he 
thought.


The other reptilian called in a loud voice to get the attention of the tavern-keeper. 
"Mikaleusss! Another two platesss of the fish!"


Joshuwain examined the wood grain in the bar as the two reptilians talked to each 
other rapidly in their native dialect. What had he gotten himself into? For a simple 
meal, the air of expectation between the two reptilians and Carnam made it feel like 
an eating contest. It was if some game was being played and Joshuwain was the 
playing piece. Hopefully this was nothing that he'd regret. He was probably a lime too 
tense.


"Hey, Josh..." Carnam was leaning over to the seated Caflenal's pointed ear. "Just 
remember, you're trying to make friends in this city. These guys are major traders-you 
can tell by their white robes and tail plates. If we get in good with them, we might be 
able to get a high-paying warehouse job."


Joshuwain swallowed and nodded. That explained it. Okay, so all he was expected to 
do was get in good with these two and hopefully get a decent job. It didn't sound too 
hard. Joshuwain had always been able to come across as personable if he had to 
make an impression...and there were many fillies who could attest to that.


ARer a few minutes, the heavyset tavern-keeper came in from the outdoor cook fires 
with four oval, pewter bowls wreathed in thick, white steam. With a click of metal on 
wood he set down the planers, one each before Sarrin and Rellas and two in front of 
Josh. The Caflenal took a deep breath over the steaming bowl. A powerful burning 
assaulted his nostrils and he had to force himself not to recoil. In that instant the other 
smells of the city were forgotten.


The fish were sitting in a thick, brown sauce that bubbled with roughly chopped 
onions, peppers, scallions, temas, and other ingredients that Joshuwain couldn't 
recognize. The smell was so strong that Josh was positive his nose had been 
damaged for life.


While his two hosts paid the tavern keeper, Joshuwain leaned over to talk to his 
companion. Carnam was calmly sipping an ale and looked up innocently at Josh's 
whispered voice.


"Alright, wolfwere," Josh said in his native plains-speak, "if the air outside doesn't kill 
me, this food will! What do expect me to do?"


Carnam finished a sip of ale and looked seriously at his companion. "Do your best, 
Joshuwain. That's all I ask-your best..."


"Problemsss Caflenal?"


Joshuwain turned at Sarrin's voice.


"No, no. Just...talking with my friend." Josh paused. The traders looked skeptical. "A lot 
of fish too. Of course, to fill a pair of stomachs like mine, I'll need a lot."


Sarrin nodded with a toothy smile and began to eat.


Joshuwain looked at his plates. The fish broth had stopped boiling, but that didn't 
raise his expectations. Sighing in resignation, he stabbed some of the fire fish with a 
two-pronged fork and stared at it. After stirring the fish around in the broth, he put a 
small bit in his mouth. The hot spice didn't even wait a second to make itself known. It 
burned.


It really burned.


The flavors were so hot, Joshuwain fancied that he could feel his tongue turning to 
embers. His eyes bulged and his face muscles began to twitch. It seemed as if 
everything else in the tavern faded to insignificance. The sounds, smells...everything 
paled in comparison to the burning in Joshuwain's mouth. His eyes watered as if 
smoke was in them and he knew it was only a matter of moments before he would be 
forced to either choke to death or pass out from the ordeal.


He forced himself to do neither.


Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the reptilians pause, watching him. 
Joshuwain's resolve tightened.


Locking his teeth, he forced the burning fish to the back of his mouth and swallowed. 
The burning sensation still lingered strongly on his tongue. Joshuwain glanced at his 
dining companions. They were still watching him.


Regretting his action already, he stabbed another piece of fish sod popped it in his 
mouth with a forced smile. Again, he felt as if his head would burst into flames, but 
managed to force the mouthful down.


Slowly, he turned to his companions with a grin. "Yes...very good fish."


The two traders looked at each other, smiling their toothy grins. Joshuwain hoped that 
he'd made a good impression.


"Well, Caflenal, you certainly are a rare find."


"Yesss, " agreed Sarrin, "not many enjoy fire fish ssso much on the firssst try...you may 
have oursss."


Joshuwain froze the expression of false enjoyment on his face sod looked down at the 
two extra bowls of fish that were added to his own.


With a scrape of a chair and a broad smile, Carnam got up and started for the back 
room. "Well, my friendÑI'll leave you to your fish and new-found friends. I'm going to 
see if I can find a game of rings." With that Carnam walked into the smoke-filled back 
room.


Joshuwain looked back at the fish and wondered if he could hit the back of Carnam's 
head with a few fillets. Deciding against it, he cut another piece and forced himself to 
swallow it. With a sigh that felt like it came from the fires of a forge, Joshuwain smiled 
once again at the traders, and continued to eat.


The passing moments seemed to stretch to eternity. Josh knew that only about an 
hour had passed, but it felt like thirty. By engaging in idle conversation over that 
period, he had managed to save his mouth from totally expiring, though he wondered 
whether or not he'd ever be able to taste anything but fire fish ever again. The problem 
was that the traders weren't much conversationalists, and over that time, he had been 
forced to devour three sad a half bowls of fish without many intervening lapses.


Joshuwain sadly surveyed what remained. Two fillets of the burning dish were left and 
Joshuwain was feeling sick.


Sometime during the hour, Carnam had come back, apparently not finding a game to 
join. Now, he watched Joshuwain silently from his stool. That alone wouldn't have 
been so bad, but word had spread though the tavern about an "eating contest. of fire 
fish, and now almost every other patron stood nearby, watching Josh.


Joshuwain looked at the plate.


Only two fillets left...about four large bites.


He couldn't do it. His stomach was threatening to rebel even at the thought of any 
more. Still Carnam was right there, watching. And there were so many others. If he 
didn't go through with it, he'd fail in front of ail of them...he'd fail in front of himself.


He prepared to give it his best. He nodded to Sarrin with a parched smile and looked 
back at the plate. Regretting his decision already, he skewered the entire two 
remaining fillets as one massive bite and shoved them in his mouth Outwardly, he 
smiled as the bar patrons let out a rousing cheer. Inwardly, he felt the previously eaten 
fish trying to fight their way out of his stomach. He fought against queasiness and tried 
not to show it. He was slapped on the flanks by most of the adjacent customers and 
offered a drink by several. Sarrin and Rellas were hunched together, talking in their 
indecipherable dialect.


Carnam embraced Joshuwain heartily. "You did it, boy; congratulations!" Joshuwain 
only half-tempted a nod.


After a few moments, he smiled and got to his hooves. His body was sweatier than 
before and his insides felt queasy. His voice came out as a raspy wheeze as he bent 
to whisper to Carnam. "I think I'm going to stand...out back for a bit, Carnam." The 
wolfwere nodded with a huge smile as Joshuwain pushed through the cheering 
patrons and went through the back room towards the rear of the tavern.


Sarrin clasped a hand on Carnam's shoulder. "Your friend hasss great ssstrength of 
will Perhapsss you and he would like a job working in a dock warehoussse? We trade 
spicesss from Ranakan to the North..."


"Sounds good to me." Carnam adopted a shrewd tone and appeared to consider the 
proposition. "Sleeping arrangements? Food? We'd also need room for Joshuwain's 
brotherÑhe's even bigger and has a large appetite, but you know he'd work hard." 
Carnam waited as the two discussed his counter proposal.


Sarrin held out his clawed hand. "There isss no problem with food and lodging.. He 
paused. "But I would like to ssspeak again with Joshuwain. It wasss hisss ssstrength 
that convinced me."


Carnam laughed. "I think that may be a problem. He's just stepped out for a bit. I can 
assure you, however, that he does appreciate your terms." He took Sarrin's grip and 
shook hands.


ARa a few minutes, the commotion in the bar died down and the two reptilians rose to 
go. "We will ssse you at the Sssouth Pargasssusss docksss tomorrow midday, 
Carnam. Give our regardsss to your Caflenal friend..."


Carnam smiled and waved after the two as they left the Watchful Lion.


=======


Phantos arrived at the tavern around dusk. He felt pretty good. He'd made several 
good contacts that would probably get them enough cash to continue on their travels 
after only a few months work. The jobs might even pay enough cash to get them to 
Stormport or Lastport, then he could really show Joshuwain a city. As he walked in, he 
spotted Carnam seated at the bar talking to a buxom, young woman.


Clearing his throat as he approached, Phantos caught Carnam's attention. Telling the 
young woman that he'd meet her later, the wolfwere turned to his friend.


"Well, Carnam. I've gotten us several good prospects for local work. Not the easiest, 
but better than I'd expected. I thought I'd give Josh a chance to make the choice, 
though."


"I don't think that'll be necessary Phan."


Phantos raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?.


Carnam sat back against the bar and retold the tale of Joshuwain and the fire fish.


"So, we all have jobs with a trade company down by the docks... Good pay, hearty 
work, andÑ thanks to your brotherÑemployees who respect us. I'd say Josh has 
done well..."


Phantos shook his head in disbelief. "I never would have thought that Josh would go 
through something like that; he hates any kind of 'playing games' or 'not being myself.' 
Did you goad him into that?"


"Only at first. He did the rest by himself. I think he just did it because he felt that he had 
to."


"Where is he? I should really congratulate him."


Carnam jerked his thumb towards the back. "He's out in the ally where he's been most 
of the afternoon."


Phantos looked confused.


Carnam continued. "You see, after all that spice, your brother needed a drink 

and..."


"You didn't let him have any ale did you?" Phantos began to look angry and 
concerned at the same time.


"No, I didn't. Don't worry, As a matter of fact, I didn't even have to remind him. Your 
brother turned down at least a dozen drinks after he downed all four bowls of fish..."


Phantos' face relaxed, but still looked puzzled. "Then what's he...?"


"Water. He's still got his head in the alley's fire barrel."




End.