Mizuki and Balthazar left early at sunrise. The two headed towards Zariya, a city located at the edge of Gaia in the east formerly known as 'The Pillar of Trade and Industry'. After the collapse of the city-state alliance in Gaia, it became a land with no rules. A group of scattered renegades occupied it and started a disorderly black market trade here. Smuggling, crime, and fighting have become synonymous with this place.
"Welcome to my wrecked hometown, Zariya!" Balthazar upsettingly welcomed Mizuki as they reached the entrance of the city.
The place was so uncanny and reeky. The streets were filled with people buzzing around. Orphaned and skinny children were seen lying on the side of the streets and some are sleeping inside the alleys. Damp clothes were hung in a clotheline all over the place from building to building. Shops and vendors are everywhere selling and trading their products. Each side of the streets were filled with various displays such as jewels, foods, ornament, clothing, weapons and illegal materials.
"What happened to this place?" Mizuki wondered.
"This is a neutral land that connects with all the other kingdoms in Gaia. However, since the new king sits on the throne of Nethilor, the economy in Zariya dropped down. Many have suffer from poverty and starvation leaving the city in a mess."
Mizuki stopped when he took a glance of something from the display on the side of the street. It was a necklace.
"Do you want to take a look?" Balthazar asked him.
He nodded and run off to where the necklace was displayed.
"Excuse me sir! Where did you get this?" He asked the vendor while pointing at the necklace.
"Someone had sold it to me not that long ago." the vendor answered.
"Where do you think that person got it?" He asked again.
It took a while before the vendor answer his question. "He said he found it on the ruins of Velaris. It said to be owned by one of the Lunarians who died during the city was burnt to ashes."
Mizuki was struck by what the vendor said. He still clearly remember the presence of that necklace. It was his mother's.
"You seem interested. Are you taking it or not?" The vendor asked him.
"I-I don't have any money."
"How about a trade? I will trade this necklace with that violin of yours." The vendor points at the violin Mizuki has been carrying behind his back.
Mizuki hesitated, both items were precious to him. He can't choose between the violin which is his father's gift to him, or the necklace which is his mother's keepsake.
"You don't have to think about it." Balthazar patted Mizuki's shoulder.
Balthazar pulled something out of his pocket.
"How much does it cost?" Balthazar asked the vendor.
"$1000!" the vendor said in a jaunty way.
"Hey! That's overprice!" Balthazar exclaimed.
"It's a rare item. I would not sell this that easy. This is a black market, boy. What do you expect?" The vendor fought back.
"It's okay. You don't have to fight over it." Mizuki butted in.
"If you're not going to buy anything then leave!" The vendor yelled.
Mizuki grabbed Balthazar who doesn't want to go away from the store .
"It's okay, we should go." He convinced Balthazar.
And so the two walk away from where the necklace was display.
"I'm sorry I almost got you into a fight." Mizuki apologized.
"No, you should not be sorry. That guy is a fraud. He's selling the item too expensive. That necklace should just be around $30." he bragged.
"He's right. That necklace should be sold in a high price. In fact, it's priceless." He said in a gloomy face.
Balthazar was worried with the sudden twist of Mizuki's facial expression.
"What's the problem?" He asked. "Is that necklace really important to you?"
"It's my mother's necklace. She wore it the last time I saw her when my hometown was attacked." his face turns more gloomier.
"How can you be so sure that necklace belongs to your mother, there should be other necklace that looks like that."
"My father made it himself just for her, their names are sculpt on that necklace."
"So that's why." Balthazar sighed.
Balthazar thought of something witty and looked at Mizuki on the face.
"Come here!" Balthazar grabbed Mizuki inside an alley.
"What are you going to do?" He curiously asked Balthazar.
"Can you watch my bag for me?" He plead.
"Why? Where are you going?" He curiously asked.
"Wait for me here?" Balthazar said as he disappeared in the shadows.
"Hey!" Mizuki yelled.
'Just what is he thinking?' He thought.
While waiting in the alley, a stray cat approach towards him. It has a white fuzzy fur and rumpled whiskers.
"Poor thing." He said as he lift the cat from the ground.
He stares at its silver blue eyes and sees himself.
"You're just like me. You must be lonely." He said to the cat.
"Meow!" The cat purred.
"You can understand me?" He asked in astonishment.
"Meow!" The cat purred again and this time, its stomach rumbled.
"You must be hungry." He putted down the cat and pulled something out of Balthazar's bag.
It was a bread Balthazar had with him all along. Mizuki took a pinch out of it and placed it on the ground. The cat immediately took a bite of the piece laid on the ground.
"Do you have a name?" He said as he arranged the cat's fuzzy fur. "I know, I will call you Moonlight!"
"Meow!" The cat meowed as if it likes the name.
"That's it. I'll call you Moonlight since your soft white fur looks like a moonlight glowing through the night." He gleefully said.
He picked up the cat again and caress it in his arm.
"Yo!" Balthazar shouted from behind that made the cat jump out of Mizuki's grip and ran inside a hole in the wall.
"Ahh!" he was startled. "Would you please stop doing that! You are gonna kill me." He frowned his face as he rolled his arms over another.
"I am sorry, I did not mean to." Balthazar laughed.
"You did not mean to startled me yet you're laughing." He said with a grumpier face. "You have even scared Moonlight away."
"Who is Moonlight?" Balthazar asked.
"The cat!" Mizuki answered as he tries to find cat in the hole.
"Do not name a stray, it will certainly follow you." Balthazar said.
Mizuki just sighed.
"Oh right!" Balthazar took something out of his pocket. "Here!" He handed it over to Mizuki.
"How did you?" Mizuki was surprised to see the necklace.
"I kinda used my camouflaging ability to sneak that out."
"But that is stealing!"
"No worries, I left him something in exchange." Balthazar winked. "Besides he's a fraud. That should serve him right."
Mizuki gently look at the necklace with delight and wear it around his neck. A necklace with a symbol of a crescent moon with her mother and father's name sculpt on it. He almost cry in joy.
"Well, thank you." He thanked Balthazar.
"It's nothing. Remember that you save my life." He reminded Mizuki.
"So we're even huh?"
"I guess not, I still haven't bring you to the moon goddess."
Mizuki just smiled.
"Come on lets get going." Balthazar said as he put on his bag.
They've walked a few more streets and finally they arrived to where Balthazar had mentioned the others are.
"Come lets go inside. They're waiting." Balthazar invited him.
'Lush and Luscious'. Mizuki read the sign written on the board at the top of the shop. It's an inn.