The market bustled under the morning sun. There were loud sounds from every corner and people shuffling from one stall to another. In the corner of this bustling market, there stood a stall that was relatively quiet. It had a few costumers and people perusing its contents. There were fixed prices for everything so there wasn't much haggling going on in that stall.
As time went on and the morning turned to afternoon, the bustling went down a notch. Many people had bought what they wanted to buy so they retired to their various places of work. The traders could finally take a breather before the late afternoon and evening rush.
Through this market, two eye-catching figures dressed in black hoods and wearing a mask to cover the lower half of their face walked. They looked from stall to stall and had people pointing at them as they went. The people were specifically pointing at their golden adventurer badge, glinting under the sun.
One of these two had a smaller, slender build and the other a much larger and bulkier build. People stared clear of their path and whispers followed behind them like a trail. The two soon seemed to reach their destination, a small bookstall that had fixed prices. As soon as the merchant saw them, he straightened up and greeted them.
"Good day honored guests. May I ask what I can interest you with?"
The two took off their masks. He could see the larger one was a man but he was not as bulky as he looked in the cloaked hood. The other one was a woman who smiled warmly at him. They looked very different from the people he had seen before but he was polite nonetheless.
"We are weary travelers. If you could give us a drink or even some food, we would have time to look at your wares. Don't worry, we are prepared to pay" the woman replied.
"Of course. Come this way honored guests" the merchant said, leading them inside the stall. There were chairs for them to sit and the merchant went in to prepare something for them to eat and drink. The two adventurers looked around the stall and at the little boy who was manning the stand without paying much attention to them.
The merchant soon arrived with the refreshments and gave it to them. He left them and went back to manning the stand. The two ate in silence but it seemed they were communicating with their minds. When they were done, they cleaned the plates and cups with magix. Sensing eyes on him, the merchant looked back and smiled at them. They beckoned him and he went to them.
"Is there anything else I can help you, honored guests, with?" he asked with a smile, clearing the plates.
"Why don't you go drop those and we'll talk?" the woman replied.
"There is no need for that. Yuli, can you please keep this inside for me?"
The young boy nodded and went to carry the dishes. The merchant sad with them and eagerly awaited their words.
"My name is Aiyla and this is Bruon, my partner. We are S class adventurers and we came to your stall because an acquaintance of ours told us about your books and how detailed they are. We've come to purchase some of those books and ask for a specific type of flora and fauna. Can you help us?" the woman said.
"Of course. Why don't I bring some of our books and have you go through them, maybe you'll find what you're looking for? By the way, you can call me Lesker" the merchant said with a grin. He left and went to bring some books for them to check. Lesker watched as they flipped through the books, intently looking for something.
After going through ten books which contained the rarest and most peculiar things Lesker had ever documented, they deflated on their chair, discouraged. Out of curiosity, Lesker asked them if they found what they were looking for.
"No. However, these are good" Aiyla commented.
"Oh, you flatter me so. May I ask what you're looking for?" Lesker asked politely.
"Dragon Musk flower and the Blind Eagle King" Bruon answered. Getting over the surprise of hearing Bruon's husky voice for the first time, Lesker shook his head.
"I'm sorry, I've never heard of them before. Can you describe them for me? I might've seen the, before and given them another name"
"Alright. The Dragon Musk Flower is a flower with red petals, a pink floral, and light blue stalk. It gives off an enchanting smell, drawing people to it. If you touch it, it burns you physically and takes away your life force if you're a normal human or your magix, if you're a mage. It grows in places with the most nutrients, which are very isolated places.
As for the Blind Eagle King, it's the most majestic bird of all. An eagle in itself is majestic but a blind eagle is even more so because it navigates the skies depending purely on magix. The Blind Eagle king is very majestic and powerful, comparable to a Mage Master. Amazing right?" Aiyla explained, her eyes sparkling.
"Truly incredible. Although I have never seen such a majestic creature, I wish to one day behold it. As for the Dragon Musk Flower, I think I might have something on it. Excuse me for a moment" Lesker said and went deeper into the stall. Aiyla and Bruon discussed in low voices.
Lesker heard a loud crash come from inside the stall where the adventurers were and rushed there. When he got there, he saw Ilan standing at the doorway, dumbfounded with what was formally in his hands on the floor.
"Big sister Aiyla?" Ilan managed to say.
"Ilan?" Aiyla said, surprise filling her eyes. However, it soon turned to anger.