A Taste of Bitter

Chapter 7 - the Blue Zone

The Blue Zone, as it turned out, was nothing like Arlese had pictured. Somehow, it was even more cool than anything she'd imagined.

Faust had said it was a haven for the Fae, stationed by the river, hidden by a couple of whammies and hexes from the mortals' prying eyes, basically so as to not raise any unnecessary red flags. He'd said it was more than a haven though- kind of like a tiny Fae village, a home place for his people. Arlese hadn't been sure what to expect- which somehow had probably been a good idea.

The Blue Zone was like a tiny village. It reminded Arlese of a mini Chintown, with it's clusters of buildings, hanging with painted signs and cramped with people. The Blue Zone was located on what looked to be an abandoned and forgotten dock just across the Boudaie from Hyde Ridge and the Hawthorn District.

 As Clara led her down the concrete path outside the Training Center and Infirmary, the first thing Arlese saw was the array of pleasant-looking buildings lining the way in front of her, all different shapes and sizes. The buildings were painted dusty shades of different colors, and were built closely together. As they got closer, Arlese saw there were signs, shops for weapons, clothing, and she even spotted a cafe or pub down the way- it was kind of hard to tell which. 

Then there was the people. Fae; some dressed up in black, navy blue and gray fighting gear, as it seemed, with their belts, scabbards, swords, knives, whips, and other weapons Arlese couldn't name. There were Fae dressed up like normal people, too- it seemed rich colors like green, red, purple and blue were the in-season fashion. Many of the girls wore light, flowey clothes- blouses, dresses, and skirts. The guys were mostly wearing loose or skinny jeans, with hoodies or poplin shirts. There was also a lot of jewelry- arm bands, necklaces, anklets, rings. A couple of the Fae had their wings splayed out behind them, shimmering in and out of existance much like Faust's.

Clara  peeked down at Arlese, who was staring around the village in awe, drinking everything in in the afternoon sunlight. There was a hint of pride in her voice as she led Arlese down through the buildings.

"This is the heart of our Blue Zone. That right there-" Clara pointed out what looked like a small clothing shop, "That's Traders. We get our gear and clothing from there."

Arlese looked thoughtful. "But why do you need a shop in the Blue Zone? I mean, you live in a huge city and all, there are shops right across the river-"

"Sure, but we'd never make it without being attacked first." Clara explained, "Fae blood can be an easy scent for Demons to follow. With so many people to protect, it's easier to have a shop here. Families live on this reserve, children just starting training, Fae stationed here, retired Circuit members, you name it. Most situations are unique. Besides, mortal shops don't sell our gear. It's made from a special type of armor material only Fae know."

"Oh." Arlese said, feeling very uninformed. Clara said it so matter-of-factly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Yeah, that makes sense."

 She and Clara walked on, with Clara pointing out all the sights. "That is the Upin Arms, our weapons shop," she pointed to a low building with a large front window, where Arlese could see an array of metal weapons glinting where they sat on a red velvet case. 

"That," Clara continued, gesturing to the cafe/pub Arlese had seen earlier from a distance, "Is Black Medicine. It's definitely the best pub around, Venus City and all. It's run by a man named Marco. Strange fellow. Nice, though." She winked. "It even has a karaoke machine."

This piqued Arlese's interest. "It does?"

 Clara nodded, a smile twitching at her lips. "Oh, yes. It's Marco's favorite. Poetry reading and karaoke every Thursday night."