The Trade Caravan

Quaraun sat cross-legged on a thick silk rug, needle and thread in hand, his mechanical fingers clinking faintly as he embroidered. The jellyfish tendrils of his hair curled around him protectively, occasionally snapping in irritation. The soft pink silk stretched taut across the embroidery hoop bore a pattern of silver lilies, each stitch precise and flawless. His muttering broke the quiet, punctuated by the clink of BoomFuzzy’s cooking tools on the other side of the tent.

"I despise Humans," Quaraun growled, tugging the thread tight. "Burning my lighthouse. Calling me a villain. A big boss!" His voice rose with each word. "I am a silk merchant! A mage! Not some—some dungeon monster!"

Across the tent, BoomFuzzy stirred a cauldron of clam chowder, the savoury scent wafting through the air. Loaves of freshly baked bread cooled on a nearby counter. 

"Ya’re nae wrong, Love," BoomFuzzy said, his Scots accent lilting. "But gripin’ about it’ll no’ rebuild yar lighthouse."

"The lighthouse is stone," GhoulSpawn interjected from a corner, where he fiddled with salvaged mechanical parts. "The interior’s the issue. A little wood, wiring, glass—easy fixes if we had the right supplies."

Quaraun glared at the Sheep Demon. 

"We do not have the right supplies. That is the problem!"

BoomFuzzy wiped his hands on his apron and approached, kneeling beside Quaraun. 

"It could’ve been worse, Love. Me wee JellyElf an’ Ghouly got out safe. Everyone else was in the BioDome. Nae a soul hurt."

Quaraun’s hair twitched anxiously. He stabbed the needle through the fabric with unnecessary force. 

"We are living in a tent, Unicorn."

BoomFuzzy chuckled softly. 

"A grand pink silk tent ya made yerself, aye? An’ we’ve still got food, the food truck, and each other."

Quaraun didn’t respond, but his frown softened slightly as BoomFuzzy patted his shoulder and returned to the chowder.

"I hear someone," Quaraun suddenly said as he stood and made his way to the tent flap.

The tent flapped violently against the icy wind, its pink silk walls streaked with frost, the intricate patterns of Quaraun's needlework barely visible beneath the ice crystals. Outside, the pale sun cast a dim, sickly light over Noodle Beach, reflecting off the snow-covered sands. Quaraun pulled his fur-lined cloak tighter around his shoulders and glared out at the approaching figures.

"Humans," he muttered, his lips curling in distaste.

BoomFuzzy, crouched by a smoking fire pit, glanced up from the bubbling cauldron of clam chowder. 

"Aye, an' no’ always a bad thing, Love. They might be bringin' somethin' useful."

"They are bringing trouble," Quaraun snapped, his silver jellyfish hair whipping around him ready to strangle the first Human in reach. "They always do."

GhoulSpawn, perched on a rock with a worn copy of The Principles of Thermodynamics in his hands, glanced up, his yellow eyes gleaming with curiosity.

 "They’ve got wagons. Might be worth seeing what they’ve scavenged."

Quaraun stood near the edge of the tent, his cane digging into the snow as he squinted at the approaching caravan. His silver jellyfish tentacle hair thrashed like a living creature, reflecting his agitation. 

"More Humans," he hissed, turning to BoomFuzzy. "Do they never leave us in peace? They will attack us again, like the others!"

"Calm yerself, Love," BoomFuzzy replied, casually wiping his glass blade daggers with a cloth. "This lot doesnae look like soldiers or bounty hunters. Likely jus’ travelers."

GhoulSpawn peered through a pair of battered binoculars. 

"Families, I think. No armour, no weapons—just wagons and furs. They don’t look like DnD adventurer wannabes like that last group did."

Quaraun’s eyes narrowed. 

"They always look harmless. Humans excel at that. Until they set fire to your home and call you a monster."

BoomFuzzy approached, placing a hand on Quaraun’s arm. 

"This is nae them, Love. Different people entirely. Don’t let fear blind ye."

Quaraun pulled his arm away, his hair snapping at BoomFuzzy’s hand. 

"I do not trust Humans. I will not risk it. They burned my house down. I want them dead! I want their fucking brains splattered all over the beach!"

GhoulSpawn sighed, lowering the binoculars. 

"You’re still upset about the lighthouse. Which may I remind you, we need supplies to rebuild it; maybe they got something we need?"

"Of course, I am upset!" Quaraun snapped. "We are living in this—this tent instead of my home. And it is their fault!"

BoomFuzzy gave Quaraun a reassuring smile. 

"Let me handle this, aye? Ya’ve nae the patience for it."

Quaraun glared but didn’t argue, leaning heavily on his cane as the caravan drew closer.

The caravan reached the edge of the pink silk tent’s perimeter, the Humans hesitating under the cold glare of Quaraun’s blue eyes. Their leader, a bearded man swathed in patched leather and fur, raised a hand in greeting. Behind him, two wagons creaked under the weight of tarpaulin-covered goods.

"Fellow travellers!" the man called out, his voice rough from the frigid air. 

"We are not travellers," Quaraun snarled. "I am the lighthouse keeper. I own this beach and you are trespassing."

"We mean no harm. Just looking to trade."

BoomFuzzy rose, brushing snow off his hakama, a purple tartan scarf wrapped tightly around his dreadlocked head fluttering in the wind. His sharp-toothed grin was both welcoming and unsettling as he stepped forward. 

"What’ve ya got for us?"

The Humans produced a small chest, its hinges squealing as it opened to reveal glass beads and gemstones that glittered in the pale light. Quaraun’s eyes lit up despite himself, his fingers itching to sort through the treasures.

"I need those," he declared, stepping forward and nearly slipping on the icy ground. His cane struck the snow with a decisive thud.

The caravan leader frowned. 

"What can you offer in return?"

"Nothing," Quaraun said flatly. "We owe you vile Humans nothing."

"Now, Love," BoomFuzzy interrupted, draping an arm around Quaraun's shoulders. "Tha's no' how ya treat guests, even if they're Human." He turned to the traders, his grin widening. "How d’ye feel 'bout food?"

The Humans exchanged hopeful glances. They could smell the chowder cooking and had been eying the food truck parked beside the tent.

"We could use something warm," one of them admitted.

"Ah! Food it tis than!" 

BoomFuzzy sauntered off to get them their meals.

Quaraun scowled. 

"You can't just give them food! We barely have enough for ourselves. We have four hundred mouths to feed. And the livestock. And in case you forgot our grain silos are smouldering piles of ashes! They set fire to our store houses after they set fire to my lighthouse! Did you forget that! We lost nearly our entire harvest!"

BoomFuzzy ignored him, returning to the fire and ladling steaming chowder into bowls. The aroma wafted through the air, rich and savory. The Humans’ mouths watered as they accepted the bowls, their hands trembling from the cold.

BoomFuzzy stood between Quaraun and the caravan leader, his broad smile and relaxed posture disarming the wary Humans. 

"Now, then," he said, his voice calm and even. "Ya’ve got beads an’ gems, aye? An’ we’ve got food. A fair trade, eh?"

Quaraun bristled, his grip tightening on his Rainbow Wand. 

"We don’t need to trade. We can take what we want. They are trespassing on my beach!"

BoomFuzzy glanced at him, unfazed. 

"That’s why I’m King of the UnSeelie Court, Love, an’ ye’re just me Mage. Calm yar temper. It’s nae good for dealin’ wi’ folk."

Quaraun raised the wand, the gems glinting ominously in its spiral. 

"I shall blast them off my beach!"

BoomFuzzy’s hand shot out, gripping Quaraun’s wrist firmly. His voice dropped, a steel edge beneath the humour. 

"These are no’ the Humans who burned yar lighthouse. Put the wand away, Love."

Quaraun hesitated, then grudgingly lowered the wand. BoomFuzzy returned his attention to the traders with a disarming grin, as though nothing had happened. 

"Now, let’s talk trade, aye?"

As BoomFuzzy handed out bread alongside the soup, Quaraun continued to grumble, his hair snapping irritably in the wind. 

"I do not need their beads that badly."

"It not about yar beads, Love," BoomFuzzy said, patting Quaraun's arm. "They’ll nae be forgettin' who fed 'em when times’re worse. Goodwill keeps yar enemies at bay. And with Humans attacking more and more frequently we need that."

A sharp cry cut the argument short. One of the caravan’s younger members—a wiry boy with a ragged cloak—had darted into the tent and grabbed a loaf of bread. As he turned to flee, BoomFuzzy’s voice boomed like thunder.

"Put it down, lad, or I'll skin ye like a mackerel! Ya don’t want to be stealing from us Fae. Ya need help, we’ll help ya; ya steal from us, we’ll kill ya."

The boy froze, staring at the Faerie’s glowing eyes and the ominous daggers he suddenly held in each hand. Trembling, the boy dropped the bread and bolted into the snow.

"That’s enough charity," Quaraun said sharply, snatching the loaf from the ground.

The Humans quickly gathered their belongings, hastily trading the beads and gems for the remaining food before retreating to their wagons.

As the caravan disappeared into the snowy horizon, BoomFuzzy returned to the fire, shaking his head. 

"Humans. Always takin’ more than they’re givin’."

Quaraun was about to respond when GhoulSpawn cleared his throat. 

"Speaking of taking," he said, grinning mischievously. "I might’ve borrowed these."

From beneath his green coat, he produced several bags of gemstones and hanks of glass seed beads.

Quaraun stared at him in shock, his hair curling around GhoulSpawn’s wrist.

"My beads!"

BoomFuzzy chuckled, his daggers vanishing as he clapped GhoulSpawn on the shoulder. 

"Yer a sneaky wee Goat, Ghouly. I like it."

"I'm a Sheep."

"Aye, and ya'll fit in with our group, just nicely."

BoomFuzzy burst into laughter as he patted GhoulSpawn on the back.

As the trio retreated into the warmth of the tent, the storm howled outside. The Humans would return one day, Quaraun knew. And when they did, the fragile balance of trust and necessity would be tested again.

This story is published in:

• Three Wizards and a Lighthouse

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Includes the following stories: The Cursed Mirror A Quiet Morning with the Sound of Waves, Wind, and an Abundance of Fresh-Caught Fish Candied Nightmares Sapphire and Calm The Soul Eater The Drip The Cold Embrace  GhoulSpawn in the Walls A Dark and Stormy Night Braving the Icy Winds Herons in the Dunes Emerald Reflections Under The Lighthouse Light Whispering Shadows in the Fog Walking Through the Wreckage Bone Dice A Flapdoodle Wackadoodle Noodle Wizard’s Duel Chaos in The Lighthouse: Shattered Panes, Shattered Minds Yelling at the Snowstorm The Lighthouse Keeper Quarrelling Over the Last Slice of Pizza MoonSnail Cove, Maine Walking Along the Edge The Singing Crabgrass Crabs: A Green Fairy Wine Tale A Pocketful of Memories The Potter’s Hands Cold Beach, Warm Hearts Unease Dance in the Rain Every Lighthouse Keeper Dies A Cliff-side Overlook Breezy Afternoon Adoration - GhoulSpawn’s Perspective Adoration - BoomFuzzy’s Perspective Bitter Cold Winds Lover’s Triangle The Storm's Embrace Rosewater and Silk Weaving Memories by the Sea Necromancy: A Day in the Life of a Bumbling Necromancer Terror in the Silver Mist Gourmet Wonders A Threatening Letter Under the Light of a Dying Moon Unspoken Words Between Us as We Walk Through the Snow Together The Restful Sigh Psionic Warriors Channelling the Power of the Mind Springtime Drizzle Lens and Light Maintenance Tumultuous Tempest Silvered Lament Zoning Out, Watching the Snowflakes Fall Without Feeling Anything Realizing We Might Actually Be Safe The Scent of Ink and Roses A Shared Moment of Silence: Quaraun, BoomFuzzy, and GhoulSpawn Under the Moonlit Sky The Floating Paper Lanterns Beneath the Black Tower Shadows Stormbound Shadows Halloween Chaos with BoomFuzzy the Candy Corn Unicorn  Staring at the Stars Sitting on the Edge of a Cliff The Day the Lighthouse Glowed a Little Too Brightly Longing for the Warmth of the Sun, We Found Only More Darkness The Woes of Laundry: A Small Task in a Quiet Day The Shared Quiet Moments The Arrival The Scents of Simplicity: BoomFuzzy’s Kitchen and the Softness of Home In a land of ice and gloom, Where the blizzards often loom…(A blizzard hits a village...) Desolate Nostalgia on a Frozen Shoreline The Trade Caravan Bone Dice - Again Lightkeeper's Dilemma The Silent Knock The Old Haunted Quilt  Resting by the Fire The Struggle of Maintaining Their Lighthouse Home in a Harsh Winter Storm Golden Hands Sweeping the Lighthouse Sunrise Mocks the Aching Heart, a Poem by Quaraun the Last Moon Elf The Real Nightmares There’s Beauty in the Destruction The Lighthouse’s Glass-Eyed Horror What Unites Us? Velvety and Vile Mud, Bums, and the Epic Quest for Cleanliness BoomFuzzy’s Clam Chowder, His Love for Seafood, and The Joy of a Shared Meal The Cold Night's Warmth Haikus & Historians The Evening’s End: Quiet Conversations and Comfort in the Home They Built Together Peering Through the Mist and Finding Nothing But More Fog Wandering Paper Boats A Solitary Black Sock The Brownies & The Witch, or Why Faeries Don’t Wear Socks A Quiet, Relaxing Foot Rub Making the Bed The Black Sock, Again The Eaten Moon Sunset: A Bleeding Wound Upon The Sea, a Poem by Quaraun the Last Moon Elf Making Tea in the Middle of a Storm If Objects Had Desire Drying Herbs Lighthouse at the End of the World The Reflection in the Fog The Series Prologue aka Quaraun’s Backstory

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The Pink Necromancer, Moon Elf silk weaver & merchant: Quaraun on Noodle Beach. His master chef Phooka turned Lich husband: BoomFuzzy with his 1968 VW Bus Beach Noodle Food Truck. And their on again/off again mad scientist Sheep Demon lover: GhoulSpawn with his 1974 AMC Gremlin time machine. Time Travel setting swings back and forth between 40th century Maine after a comet hit the moon decimating the planet, and the 1970s, Maine. Quaraun in the main character, he and BoomFuzzy are a married gay couple. GhoulSpawn is their shared live-in lover. Art by Wendy Christine Allen.

BoomFuzzy King Gwallmaiic aka BoomFuzzy the Unicorn: Quaraun's husband, BoomFuzzy aka King Gwallmaiic, a Scottish Phooka, who is King of The UnSeelie Court. BoomFuzzy is a "classic fantasy type" Necromancer who uses sorcery to raise the dead. Being a Faerie he is also an illusionist and master of trickster magic. By profession, he is a Master Chef, owning the global monopoly on restaurants, taverns, pubs, and food trucks. Until his death, BoomFuzzy was regarded as the world's most powerful wizard. He is now a Lich. BoomFuzzy is also half-Human. His mother was a Mongolian/Chinese Human, which is why he wears distinctively Asian outfits, along with a great kilt worn as a cape. Known as BoomFuzzy the Unicorn, he often takes the form of a purple Unicorn. BoomFuzzy's exact age is unknown, though he was well over two thousand years old at the time of his death, and Quaraun resurrected him as a Lich around 500+ years ago, making him close to 3,000 years old. In his BlackBird form he is fifteen thousand years old. Art by Wendy Christine Allen

Quaraun Quaraun aka The Pink Necromancer: The F2M transgender Persian Moon Elf main character: The Pink Necromancer, Quaraun The Insane, with BoomFuzzy the Unicorn. F2M for those unaware = Quaraun was biologically born female, but transitioned to live as a male; this is why there are stories where Quaraun is sometimes pregnant, in spite of being male and using he/him male pronouns. Quaraun is a Necromancer by the actual dictionary definition of the word, meaning he is a psychic medium who sees and hears ghosts, and uses tarot, spirit boards, and seances to communicate with the dead. By profession he is a silk weaver/tailor/silk merchant. Quaraun is an Elder God JellyFish who takes the form of an Elf to blend in with society. His 12 foot long hair is made out of venomous, stinging jellyfish tentacles. Quaraun is BoomFuzzy's apprentice and regarded as the world's most powerful still living wizard. Quaraun's exact age is unknown, but he is somewhere around 750 years old. In his SunTa form he is twelve thousand years old. The Scared Pink JellyFish that lives in him, is stated to being over two million years old. Art by Wendy Christine Allen

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