Wagers and Wiles in the Godforsaken City

The Godforsaken City stank of rust, rot, and desperation.

Once called Boston, its ruins now sprawled in a labyrinth of crumbling towers and icy streets. Snow whipped through alleys like angry phantoms, and the dark sky hung heavy with the fractured moon’s eerie glow.

Hidden deep in the black market underground was a cavernous tavern-casino known as The Broken Arrow. Its gilded walls and velvet drapes mocked the surrounding ruin, and its patrons—a mix of gamblers, drunkards, and criminals—laughed too loudly to hide their fear of the city’s dangers.

At a far table, Quaraun sat in resplendent pink silks, a stark contrast to the grim setting. His long silver jellyfish hair spilled across his lap, braided meticulously and looped over his belt to keep it off the sticky floor.

The Elf’s slender fingers twitched beneath his mechanical gold gloves as he gestured subtly, the faint hum of psionic magic weaving through the air.

"Two more silvers and I shall tell your fortune," Quaraun purred, his melodic voice dripping with feigned sincerity, while tendrils of his sentient hair shuffled the deck.

The drunk across from him, swaying unsteadily, slapped a handful of coins onto the table.

Quaraun smiled, his blue eyes glinting like shards of ice. He shuffled a set of rose-pink cards, their silken texture almost glowing in the dim light.

“Cross my palm with another silver,” Quaraun cooed.

The drunk obliged, and Quaraun dealt the cards in a flourish. He flipped the first—The Moon, glowing faintly under the jellyfish-patterned overlay.

“Trouble follows you,” Quaraun cooed, his sy voice soft as a spider’s web. “For another coin, I shall tell you why?”

The drunk gave him two coins.

“Are you certain that is how many coins I asked for?”

The drunk gave him three more coins.

“An ancient curse follows you. But for another silver, I can remove it.”

More coins clattered across the table.

“I love drunks,” Quaraun chuckled.

Across the room, BoomFuzzy’s laugh echoed, a deep, raspy sound like gravel rolling downhill. The stout Phooka leaned back in his chair, his dreadlocks cascading down his shoulders, grey as storm clouds. His violet tartan sash draped carelessly over his black hakama.

A Human lept up from his seat.

“You’re cheating!”

He pointed an accusatory finger at BoomFuzzy.

Cards fanned in one hand, the old grizzled Phooka grinned at the man across from him.

"Ye think I cheat?!" BoomFuzzy bellowed, slamming a palm on the table.

“I saw you!”

“O’ course I cheat! An’ ye can’t do a thing about it.”

“No?!”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because, I’m the bloody King o’ the UnSeelie Court! I’ll fill ya pants with cock biting Pixies if you try and stop me!”

A flash of oily black glass caught the dim light as BoomFuzzy spun one of his obsidian daggers between his fingers. The other players shifted uncomfortably, muttering, but none dared challenge him. His cataract-clouded eyes swept the room, blind but commanding.

Quaraun glanced up briefly from his swindle, irritation flickering across his delicate features.

"Unicorn, please stop terrifying the Humans."

"Me Love, ye’re no fun!" BoomFuzzy winked at Quaraun, though he couldn’t see the Elf’s exasperated expression.

“I do not desire to be thrown out of the casino.”

Near the roulette table, GhoulSpawn loomed awkwardly. His towering frame bent slightly as he adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and studied the spinning wheel with calculating precision. His green velvet coat hung loosely from his shoulders, contrasting with his flowing orange robe. His cloven hoofed feet clattered softly against the floor as he shifted his weight.

GhoulSpawn placed a modest bet and watched the ball spin. The dealer eyed him suspiciously, but GhoulSpawn’s placid demeanour revealed nothing. His mind raced with calculations—momentum, probability, friction.

The ball landed, and the pile of winnings in front of him grew.

"That’s the third time," a gruff voice muttered from behind him. "He’s cheating."

GhoulSpawn turned, his amber eyes wide with feigned innocence.

"Cheating? Oh, no. I’m simply... er… observant. It’s not possible to cheat with roulette.”

“How ya doing it?”

“The table has a slant. The wheel is worn down. The marble has a ridge. The dealer always spins it to the right. I merely calculate the trajectory against the probability. All things factored, it’s easy to determine where the ball will land, based on where it started.”

BoomFuzzy barked another laugh from his table.

"Aye, Lad, keep winnin’ with science. Ye’re makin’ me look honest by comparison!"

As the night deepened, Quaraun’s pile of ill-gotten silver grew, BoomFuzzy’s cackling threats kept challengers at bay, and GhoulSpawn methodically cleaned out the roulette table.

GhoulSpawn wandered toward a nearby table where a group of Humans had gathered. The air was thick with the scent of tobacco and the rustle of cards being shuffled.

“What’s this game?” GhoulSpawn asked.

The Humans stared up at the hulking Satyr like Sheep Demon.

“What the blazes are you?”

“I’m an Ursurig.”

“A what?”

“A Sheep Demon. Teach me this game. I’ve never seen it before.”

GhoulSpawn sat down with the Humans and studied their every move. He quickly eased into the game, deftly counting cards and calculating probabilities with unnerving precision.

Soon, the sound of cards shuffling and coins clinking grew louder. GhoulSpawn was on a winning streak, his calm demeanour masking the thrill of the game.

“You’re counting cards,” one of the Humans accused, narrowing his eyes.

“No, I’m not,” GhoulSpawn said evenly, though his tone was as smug as his grin.

“Ye are,” BoomFuzzy called out from across the room. “But he’s doin’ it fair-like. Unlike meself.”

The room erupted into laughter, and even Quaraun managed a faint smile.

“I’ll win us enough for the repairs,” GhoulSpawn said over his shoulder. “The port fees here aren’t exactly negotiable.”

Eventually, Quaraun pushed back from his table, rising with a fluid grace. His pink gown shimmered in the flickering lamplight, layers of pink silk embroidered with intricate jellyfish patterns swaying as he moved.

“Unicorn,” Quaraun called softly. “I tire of this place.”

BoomFuzzy turned toward the sound, his grin softening into a warm smile. He stood, pocketing his daggers and earnings.

"Aye, me wee pink JellyElf. Let’s get ye home."

GhoulSpawn, ever alert, slipped his winnings into hidden pockets and followed them out.

Outside, the wind howled through the broken streets, biting at their skin. Snow crunched beneath their feet as they made their way toward the outskirts of the city. Quaraun leaned heavily on his cane, his frail frame shivering despite his layers of warm thick, fluffy silk.

Quaraun stopped and lifted one foot, while staring at the other. He then repeated with the other foot. Quaraun lifted one foot and held it up. Then lifted the other and held it up. He repeated it again. And again.

“Whatcha ya doing, Love?”

“There is mud on the ground.”

“Aye. Cobblestones got ridges between ‘em. Collects dirt in dry, and water in wet, makes for mud in snow.”

“There is mud on my shoes.”

Quaraun pulled off his pink brocade slipper.

“Now there be mud on ya foot.”

Quaraun’s gaze went from his shoe to his bare foot.

“THERE’S MUD ON MY FOOT!” Quaraun shrieked hysterically. His breaths became raggard as a panic attack gripped him.

“You okay, Love?”

Quaraun pointed at the ground, his eyes wide with terror, as though ever horror in Hell was crawling up at him.

“There’s mud — ” Quaraun whispered, gasping through hitched breaths.

BoomFuzzy sidled closer, wrapping a strong arm around Quaraun’s waist.

“Ye’re cold, Love.”

"I am always cold," Quaraun snapped, though he leaned into BoomFuzzy’s warmth. “But there is mud!”

“Aye.”

“So much mud.”

“BoomFuzzy?” GhoulSpawn said. “He’s spazzing out.”

“Aye. I can see that.”

BoomFuzzy stopped suddenly, crouching to scoop Quaraun into his arms.

"Here we go. No sense makin’ ye walk in this muck."

Quaraun protested weakly but soon rested his head against BoomFuzzy’s chest, the scent of salt and gingerbread wafting from the Phooka’s wooly dreadlocks.

“PUT ME DOWN!”

“You want me to drop ya arse first in the mud?”

"You are insufferable," Quaraun muttered, though his voice was soft with affection.

"Aye," BoomFuzzy replied, kissing Quaraun’s lips. "It what I do."

Behind them, GhoulSpawn cleared his throat.

"If you two are done being nauseatingly sweet, we should hurry. This city isn’t safe."

BoomFuzzy shot a toothy grin over his shoulder.

"Relax, Ghouly. Ye’ve got the King o’ the UnSeelie Court watchin’ yer back."

Quaraun sighed, his fingers curling into BoomFuzzy’s tartan sash. Despite the frigid wind, he felt a warmth he hadn’t known in centuries. In this frozen, godforsaken world, surrounded by ruin and danger, he had found his home—not in a place, but in the arms of a Faerie trickster who loved him without question.

And that, he decided, was worth all the silver in the world.

Despite the frigid wind biting at his cheeks, Quaraun felt a rare flicker of peace nestled in BoomFuzzy’s strong arms. He drifted off into sleep.

The crunch of snow beneath BoomFuzzy's boots echoed in the desolate streets as they moved toward the docks, where The Blue Monkey loomed like a ghostly galleon.

The riverboat, five levels of opulence and shadowed mischief, was adorned with glowing blue lanterns swaying in the icy wind. Frost clung to its ornate railings, and the faint hum of a hidden steam engine rumbled in the air. The light spilled across the frozen harbour, its reflection a distorted shimmer on the cracked ice below.

“Finally,” GhoulSpawn muttered as the gangplank creaked under his hooves.

He adjusted his green velvet coat and hurried aboard, eager to escape the unforgiving cold.

BoomFuzzy followed, his arms still wrapped protectively around Quaraun.

"Home sweet home," he muttered, kicking the door to the main lounge open.

Warmth hit them like a wave, along with the scent of aged oak and cloves.

The interior of The Blue Monkey was a stark contrast to the ruins outside.

The warmth inside The Blue Monkey seeped into Quaraun's bones, though he clung to BoomFuzzy as if the chill still threatened to devour him. His silver hair, shimmering with frost and glitter, trailed behind him, leaving faint wet streaks on the rich crimson carpet.

BoomFuzzy set him down on a cushioned chaise near a roaring hearth. Quaraun sank into the seat, tugging his silk robes tightly around his frail frame. He shivered, his icy blue eyes darting around the room, pink pupils wide with confusion.

“Unicorn,” he murmured, his voice soft and distant. “Where… are we?”

“Relax, me Love,” BoomFuzzy said, brushing a gloved hand over Quaraun's forehead. His touch lingered, rough yet tender. “Ye’re safe. Warm. I’ll fetch ye somethin’ to drink.”

Quaraun nodded slowly, though his hands fidgeted with the gold prosthetics encasing his fingers. His gaze locked on the flickering firelight, as if the flames whispered secrets only he could hear.

GhoulSpawn cleared his throat, towering near the bar at the far end of the lounge.

“He’s not going to last the night if we don’t get something substantial in him.”

BoomFuzzy shot him a glare that could freeze the river outside.

“And ye think I don’t know how tae care for me own JellyElf? You only been here a few month, Goat. I been with him three centuries.”

GhoulSpawn raised his hands defensively, his gold-rimmed glasses catching the firelight.

“I’m just saying. Maybe some broth. Something gentle.”

“Bah,” BoomFuzzy muttered, but he stomped toward the galley anyway.

Quaraun barely noticed the exchange. His focus shifted to the intricate carvings along the wooden beams overhead. Faces danced in the patterns—ghastly, grinning shapes that seemed to blink and shift in the flicker of the lantern light.

He shook his head, muttering under his breath,

“Not real. Not real. Only shadows.”

“Quaraun? You okay?”

“There are faces in the wood!”

“Quaraun.” GhoulSpawn’s voice cut through the haze. “Look at me.”

The Elf turned his head sluggishly, his piercing blue eyes meeting GhoulSpawn’s steady amber gaze.

“What?”

“Focus,” GhoulSpawn said firmly. “You’re safe. You’re inside. No one’s here but us.”

Quaraun blinked, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly.

“Safe,” he repeated, though his voice wavered.

At that moment, BoomFuzzy returned, balancing a tray with a steaming mug of spiced cider and a bowl of creamy chowder. He set the tray on a low table, then crouched beside Quaraun, his rough hands reaching to adjust the Elf’s robes.

“Drink this,” BoomFuzzy said, holding the mug to Quaraun’s lips.

The cider’s warmth flooded Quaraun’s senses. Cinnamon and clove mingled with the sharp tang of fermented apples, grounding him in the present. He sipped slowly, his trembling hands coming up to grasp the mug.

“Better?” BoomFuzzy asked, his voice softer now.

Quaraun nodded, a faint smile ghosting across his lips.

“Thank you.”

BoomFuzzy leaned in, planting a kiss on Quaraun’s forehead.

“Aye, me Love. Always. Finish yer soup, then I’ll take ye tae bed,” BoomFuzzy said, his tone gentle but firm.

Quaraun grimaced, poking at the chowder with a silver spoon.

“It smells fishy.”

BoomFuzzy chuckled, ruffling Quaraun’s hair.

“It is fishy, ye daft Elf. It’s chowder. Ye love chowder.”

Quaraun sighed but took a tentative bite. The rich, creamy clam broth melted on his tongue, the tender chunks of fish and potato soothing his frayed nerves.

“Fine,” he muttered. “It’s tolerable.”

BoomFuzzy chuckled again, sitting beside him on the chaise. His stocky frame pressed against Quaraun’s side, radiating warmth. He draped an arm around the Elf’s shoulders, pulling him close.

“Ye’ll be alright, Love,” BoomFuzzy murmured. “I’ve got ye.”

For a moment, the world outside the riverboat faded away. The biting wind, the treacherous streets, the ever-present threat of marauding Humans—all of it seemed distant, insignificant.

Quaraun leaned into BoomFuzzy’s embrace, his silver hair tangling with the Faerie’s grey dreadlocks.

“Why do you put up with me?” Quaraun asked quietly, his voice filled with vulnerability.

“Because I love ye,” BoomFuzzy replied without hesitation. He kissed the top of Quaraun’s head, his beard brushing against the Elf’s temple. “Every fractious, finicky, pernickety, selfish, arrogant bit of ye.”

Quaraun sighed, his eyes fluttering shut.

“I don’t deserve you.”

“Nonsense,” BoomFuzzy said, squeezing him tighter. “Ye’re me JellyElf. Me heart. Now finish yer soup.”

In the warmth and safety of The Blue Monkey, it was easy to forget the horrors waiting beyond the docks.

Here, with BoomFuzzy’s arms around him and GhoulSpawn’s cunning keeping their coffers full, Quaraun allowed himself to feel something he rarely dared: hope.

As the hours wore on and the frosty night deepened, BoomFuzzy carried Quaraun to their cabin. The small, cozy space was filled with silken drapes and the soft glow of enchanted lanterns.

BoomFuzzy tucked Quaraun into a bed piled high with quilts, his hands lingering on the Elf’s cheek.

“Rest now, me Love,” he whispered.

Quaraun reached out, his delicate fingers brushing against BoomFuzzy’s rough ones.

“Stay.”

BoomFuzzy climbed into bed beside him, pulling Quaraun close. The two lay entwined, their breaths mingling in the quiet of the night.

Outside, the wind howled, but inside The Blue Monkey, all was calm.

Quaraun drifted into a restless sleep, the scent of BoomFuzzy’s tartan and the warmth of his embrace anchoring him through the storm.

The Blue Monkey rocked gently on the icy river's current, its paddlewheel silent as the vessel remained moored to the frozen shore. Inside, the trio relished the safety of their floating fortress, far from the pestilent hands of Humans.

The warm, honeyed glow of lanterns illuminated the riverboat’s interior, where every inch was adorned with silks, rich woods, and gleaming gold fixtures—Quaraun’s unmistakable touch.

Quaraun sat curled on a plush divan in the grand lounge, his long silver hair pooled around him like liquid moonlight. The scent of sandalwood and rose oil from his silks mingled with the faint, sweet tang of BoomFuzzy’s gingerbread tea brewing in the corner. His mechanical hands trembled as he sorted through a small collection of jeweled baubles laid before him on a silk cloth.

“This one,” Quaraun murmured, holding up a ruby-studded pin, his blue eyes distant. “It sparkles nicely.”

“For what, Love?” BoomFuzzy’s voice rumbled from the nearby bar, where he poured amber liquid into a goblet, his grey dreadlocks bouncing as he turned.

“I do not know,” Quaraun said vaguely, setting the pin aside and picking up an emerald earring. “Decoration. Everything should be beautiful.”

BoomFuzzy chuckled, crossing the room to sit beside him.

“Ye’re already the most beautiful thing in this damn world, JellyElf.”

He reached out, rough fingers brushing over Quaraun’s cheek.

Quaraun flinched slightly, then relaxed into the touch. His lips twitched into a faint smile.

“Stop calling me that.”

“I’ll call ye what I like,” BoomFuzzy teased, leaning in to plant a quick kiss on Quaraun’s forehead.

“Why do you call me that?”

“Because yar a jellyfish what crawled up a dead Elf’s nose, ate his brain and reanimated his body.”

“Oh.” Quaraun thought for a moment. “Did I do that?”

“Aye.”

“When did I do that?”

“Eight hundred years ago.”

“Am I that old?”

“Aye.”

“Why do I keep forgetting things?”

“Because ya got old.”

“Oh.”

GhoulSpawn emerged from a side room, carrying a mechanical contraption in one hand and a deck of cards in the other. His tall horns barely fit beneath the low-beamed ceiling. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses with one hand, holding up the device.

“I’ve almost finished calibrating the temporal stabilizer,” he announced.

Quaraun frowned, eyeing the metal device suspiciously.

“It looks… dirty.”

“It’s not dirty,” GhoulSpawn said, rolling his eyes.

“It has got black gunk on it.”

“That’s grease, not dirt. It needs lubrication to — ”

“It is weird.”

“It’s science. And it’s going to change everything—if I can get it to work.”

“Not on my riverboat, it’s not,” BoomFuzzy growled, snatching the device from GhoulSpawn and tossing it onto a nearby table. “This is a place fer restin’, eatin’, and drinkin’. Not for yer bloody time-mangling nonsense.”

“I’m building a time machine — ”

“In ya lab, maybe. Not up here on deck.”

GhoulSpawn grumbled but didn’t argue, instead shuffling the deck of cards in his hand.

“Fine. Who’s up for a game? No Humans to hustle tonight, so I suppose I’ll have to settle for cheating you two.”

BoomFuzzy barked a laugh.

“Cheat me, will ye? Good luck with that, Goat.”

“I’m a Sheep.”

“Aye. And I invented cheatin’.”

“With how old you are and often you cheat, I could certainly believe it.”

“You really want to play now?” BoomFuzzy called after him, one brow raised.

“I do.”

Quaraun sighed, leaving them to bicker, sliding off the divan and limping toward the window, where frost etched intricate patterns on the glass. His cane clicked softly on the polished floor.

Outside, the night was a swirl of icy winds and drifting snow, the comet fractured moon casting a pale, eerie shattered glow over the landscape.

“Are we safe here?” Quaraun asked anxiously.

BoomFuzzy joined him by the window, resting a reassuring hand on the Elf’s shoulder.

“Aye, Love. Safer than anywhere else on this cursed planet.”

Quaraun leaned into him, his breath fogging the glass.

“Humans ruin everything. They would take this place from us if they could.”

“But they can’t,” BoomFuzzy said firmly. “Not while I’m here.” He gestured toward the collection of crystal skulls displayed on a nearby shelf. “Any Human who tries will find their head joinin’ me collection.”

Quaraun shuddered, though he didn’t pull away. He knew BoomFuzzy’s words weren’t idle threats. The Unicorn King was ruthless when it came to protecting what he loved.

GhoulSpawn’s voice interrupted the moment.

“Are we playing or not? I’m not shuffling this deck all night.”

BoomFuzzy sighed and gave Quaraun a gentle nudge.

“Go sit by the fire, me Love. I’ll deal with the Goat.”

“I’m a Sheep.”

Quaraun obeyed, settling back into his seat and wrapping himself in a pink silk throw. He watched as BoomFuzzy and GhoulSpawn squared off at the card table, the Faerie’s sharp wit clashing with the Demon’s calculated strategies.

The sound of shuffling cards, clinking glasses, and BoomFuzzy’s hearty laughter filled the room, wrapping them all in a cocoon of warmth and safety.

Outside, the world remained cold, dangerous, and hostile, but within the walls of the Blue Monkey, they had carved out a sanctuary—a place where no Human would dare to tread.

Quaraun’s eyelids grew heavy as the fire crackled, the soft glow lulling him into a state of peace.

BoomFuzzy glanced over, his expression softening as he watched the Elf drift off.

“Keep it down,” he growled at GhoulSpawn. “Me JellyElf’s tryin’ tae sleep.”

GhoulSpawn snorted but shuffled the cards quietly, the corners of his mouth quirking upward.

For tonight, at least, they were safe.

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. Quaraun is his court mage and advisor, as well as the only Elf in 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 the Insane 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

Main characters: The Pink Necromancer, Quaraun (A Moon Elf) and his husband King Gwallmaiic aka BoomFuzzy aka The Elf Eater of Pepper Valley, Lich King of Fire Mountain (A Phooka/Faerie).

BoomFuzzy is King of The UnSeelie Court;

Quaraun is his Court Mage;

GhoulSpawn (not pictured) is Quaraun’s apprentice.

They are the world’s three most evil super villains, though they do not see themselves as evil. They own the world’s only functioning BioDome and thus hold the world’s monopoly on crops, food, livestock, and fabric, holding the Human population at their sadistic mercy.

These stories are told from their point of view.

 — — Art by Wendy Christine Allen

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