New Year was special on the continent of Turia, it marked the beginning of the season of lights and brought an end to the season of falling darkness.
To celebrate this event, the residents of Alansvale often invited performers, vendors merchants and magicians from outside. This year, was no different.
The carnival lights brightened as night crept into Alansvale's skies. The otherwise peaceful night of the town was immersed in a festive atmosphere like no other. Children ran down the streets, dressed in colorful clothes and laughing with glee.
Merchants and salesmen showed off their sparkling trinkets made of fancy stones and other various goodies, like Fay woven mats, miniature elven trees called 'Bonsai', and food prepared by professional beast men chef.
In the centre of the town, a stage was also set up to give performers a chance to earn some money. The crowd cheered as they saw a magician pull out of rabbit from his hat and Oohed when they saw a sculpture artist created a glass replica of the infamous Dragon King.
Behind the glittering lights of this carnival, dressed in thick cloaks, two shadows slinked past the people. One of them moved swiftly, walking in a brisk dragging the other behind him, who was absorbed in the pages of the book in his hands.
They stopped in front of a large tent set at the edge of town. A crooked sign outside the tent read: "FeatherFolk's Books". It was a pretty famous shop, judging by the stream of people bustling in and out.
Then they walked to behind the tent, into an area fenced off by rope. Only after being away from prying eyes did the figures drop their hood. Underneath were a mop of green contrasting slightly dusky skin. The boy who continued to read his book had layered icy white hair, short but curly. His deep purple eyes contrasted his pale skin.
"So Carlos, you have 20 seconds to explain to me why we had to enter in this fashion." The icy haired boy closed his book and stared into his companion's golden eyes seriously.
"Come on Raven, have fun sometimes." Carlos grinned, picking up and studying a dagger while checking its weight in his hands.
Raven rolled his eyes and approached a bookshelf. "Until Rene finds out, you mean?"
"She'll never know." Carlos shook his head and raised his pinky, "I promise."
Raven shrugged and scanned the bookshelves before picking one up. "The books are plenty costly, three gold coins just for basic magic theory?"
"Not everyone's a magic genius who can figure that out without help at the age of nine." Carlos hummed, setting aside the dagger and carefully lifting a sapphire pendant. Carlos nodded in appreciation when he read the tag: '5 Gold' "They price these fairly actually. I've seen Lady Ophelia cheat rich nobles by selling these off at ten to fifteen gold coins."
He continued to hum a silly song, one he had heard a performer singing on their way, and appraised the items slowly, going through them one by one.
"I saved up, let's see, approximately 30 gold. Should be enough to buy you a book and her this necklace. Now what would Aron take?"
A pained look briefly passed by on his face when he saw some bowstring priced for ten times the price of the necklace. He silently bid it good bye and picked the dagger back up, light and easy to use, perfect for Aron. Would be handy in a pinch.
"Carls!" Raven handed him a book with a blue cover, emblazoned on it in bright gold lettering were the words: "Threads of Destinies."
Carlos rolled his eyes after seeing the book's tag read ten silver. "Stop always taking the cheapest book whenever you can." He proceeded to pick up a musty old book, it had yellowed pages with a faded green cover. Most importantly, it was around ten gold coins.
"Hope you know how read whatever this thing is."
Carlos ran the math in his mind, then scribbled something on a note real quick before dropping the entire money on a nearby counter. They tiptoed his way back through where they came, careful not to be spotted.
After putting some respectable distance between the tent and them, Carlos bolted, Raven struggled to catch up with him. "Oi" Raven called out, "What about you?"
"I don't need anything." Carlos answered curtly, running even faster.
"Very funny, but not an answer I'm taking." A soft blue glow spread out in front of Carlos, and instantly the temperature dropped a few degrees. Ice formed around his feet, freezing him in place.
Raven panted when he caught up to the frozen Carlos. The River, Turie, gushed quietly about its way behind them. It took him a moment but Carlos realized that they'd almost made it to the bridge.
"Okay, no more running." Raven rummaged through his pockets, looking for something. A moment later he retrieved a bundle from one of his pockets.
Carlos gave a quizzical look as he took the bundle. He untied it to unwind some string that sparkled in the moonlight.
"Top quality bow string for you." Raven said nonchalantly, as he worked to undo his magic.
"Uhh, where'd you get the money?" Carlos asked suspiciously, pulling the string to test its strength.
"One of those research fanatics from the tower made me some as a favor. No questions asked, no money taken. He just wanted a sample of my ice magic in favor."
"Raven, grandma warned against that."
"It's alright. I figured it was worth it." Raven giggled.
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A merchant opened the flap to the forbidden corner of his shop. Behind him entered a man with a bullish figure dressed in dark robes. A silver mask glinted behind the hood under the dim candlelight.
"This way, kind sir, follow me." The merchant flashed his business smile and led the man deeper into the tent to a section of hazardously placed books, and shelves filled with trinkets.
"Where's the book?" A metallic voice spoke from behind the mask
With a snake-like smile, the merchant looked around. To his dismay, he couldn't find the book. All he found were a bunch of coins set on the table with a note under them.
"Where's the book?" The metallic voice repeated with a raised hand.
"My apologies, sir, they were sold at an unfortunate timing." The merchant answered bitterly.
The man nodded and a moment later, the chubby merchant was in the air, held up by his neck.
"I give you a day, find me that book. If you fail, this place burns to the ground." The metallic voice growled and rasped.
With a loud thud the merchant fell to the earth.