Serenya's rage boiled within her as she stared at the man who had her brother. She raised her hands, and as she did, the air around her began to shimmer with blue light. Suddenly, a gust of wind exploded from her palms, sending the man flying across the room.
The force of the impact shattered a nearby table, sending splinters of wood flying through the air. The man groaned in pain as he struggled to get back to his feet, but Serenya was already charging toward him.
Serenya's eyes blazed with fury as she glared at the man who had dared to harm her brother. With a fierce determination, she summoned her magic power and unleashed it upon him.
The room erupted with a sudden burst of wind energy as Serenya's magic shot forth in a dazzling display of light and sound. It was as if the man had been thrown backwards and sideways, his body slamming into the walls with a sickening thud here and there.
Serenya advanced towards him, her hands crackling with raw power. She raised her arm, preparing to strike again, but before she could unleash another attack, Casey and Rowan rushed forward, holding her back.
"Serenya, stop!" Casey cried. "You will kill him."
Serenya's breathing was ragged as she struggled to control her emotions. She realized that she had let her anger get the best of her. She took a deep breath and slowly lowered her hand, allowing her magic to dissipate.
The man lay there, dazed and injured. But even in his weakened state, he managed to raise his head and look up at Serenya with gratitude in his eyes.
"Thank you," he gasped. "Thank you for saving me."
"Who are you?" she said abruptly.
Serenya's heart sank as she realized her mistake. She quickly turned to Casey and Rowan, her eyes wide open with shock and horror.
"I...I thought it was him," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Casey and Rowan rushed to her side, concern etched on their faces.
"What's wrong?" Casey asked, putting a comforting hand on Serenya's shoulder.
"It's not him," Serenya said getting depressed. "I thought it was my brother, but it's not him."
The man, who had been watching the scene unfold in confusion, finally spoke up.
Serenya's heart softened as she looked at him. Despite everything, he was still a human being, and she could not help but feel compassion for him.
"Why was that man attacking you?" Rowan asked as he helped him up, untying his hands and legs with his swift hands.
"He increased the rent of this place, and when I refused to pay him. He started attacking me. But thankfully you guys came. It seems like all the elves are good and powerful. We always had a misconception maybe."
Casey's ear twitched after hearing it. "What do you mean by all the elves?" she blinked twice as she continued, "Some other elves came and saved you before too?"
The man shook his head, gesturing with his hands, "No, not me! But the people in the market." He hesitated, "I only heard about it from a fellow mate, a week ago I guess."
"Continue," Rowan said in a deep voice. "We would like to hear it."
"So, there was this elf who saved many stalls and vendors from the market. They said he was looking for a rare artifact." The man explained as he searched for water on one of the tables. "If you are lucky, you might find him at the market."
"Do you know his name?" Serenya gulped her saliva, trying to make sure he is talking about her brother only.
"Silvar something...I can't remember properly-" The man scratched his head in frustration, trying to remember the name.
Serenya's heart skipped a beat as she waited for the man to recall his name. She desperately hoped that he was talking about her brother.
"Silverstar!" Serenya exclaimed in excitement, her eyes shining with hope. "Aricen Silverstar?"
The man's eyes widened as his eyebrows raised in surprise. "Yes, yes. Aricen Silverstar. Now I remember," he confirmed, a look of recognition crossing his face.
Serenya's heart was filled with relief and gratitude. "Thank you so much," she said, her voice filled with emotion. "You don't know how much this means to me."
The man smiled kindly at Serenya. "I am glad I could help," he said, before adding, "But be careful. A market is a dangerous place, especially for someone like you."
Serenya nodded in understanding, her expression determined. "We'll be careful," she assured him, her mind already planning their next move.
As they left the hut, Casey turned to Serenya. "What's the plan?" she asked, her tone serious.
Serenya took a deep breath, her mind racing. "Off to the market," she said. "We need to find this Aricen Silverstar after all."
Rowan nodded in agreement. "But we need to be careful," he warned. "The man in the hut might have allies who will try to stop us."
Serenya's eyes narrowed with determination. "We can handle it," she said, her voice filled with confidence.
- A few hours later
"Where is this market they speak of? Do we need a treasure map to find it?" Serenya asked loudly among the crowd. "We are wandering in the same place like some lost pigeons."
"The last man said we just need to take a right from here," Rowan said trying to be as calm as possible.
As they walked, Casey couldn't help but joke, "Well, at least we have a 50/50 chance of finding the market. Either we take the right turn and find it, or we don't and get lost even more."
Rowan chuckled, "Let's hope we don't end up in some kind of dark alley with no way out."
Serenya rolled her eyes at their banter but couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that they were finally making some progress. And sure enough, as they took the right turn, they saw the hustle and bustle of the market up ahead.
"Looks like that man knew what he was talking about after all," Serenya said, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Casey grinned, "Maybe we should hire him as our guide. Or at least ask him for some more directions."
Rowan nodded, "Or maybe we should just stick together and not trust strangers."
Serenya's eyes widened in amazement as she took in the sights and sounds of the busy marketplace. Vendors called out to passers-by, hawking their wares and promising the best deals in town. The smell of exotic spices and fresh bread wafted through the air, making her mouth water.
Casey looked just as excited, her eyes darting around as she took in the new sights and sounds. "Wow, this place is amazing," she said, grinning from ear to ear.
Rowan nodded in agreement. "I've never seen anything like it," he said, marveling at the crowds of people.
As they made their way through the throngs of people, a cacophony of voices filled the air. Vendors shouted out, promising the best deals in the city, was perhaps a lie?
Serenya's heart beat faster with excitement as she caught a glimpse of her brother's tall figure in the distance, surveying the chaos from a vantage point high above the crowds.
"There!" Serenya pointed out.
Just as they were about to make their way over to him, a sudden commotion broke out. The clucking of chickens filled the air, and feathers rained down from above.
Rowan stumbled and fell to the ground, his face smothered in a flurry of feathers. Casey, trying to help him up, tripped over a cart full of squawking chickens, sending it crashing to the ground.
The sound of clucking and flapping filled the air, and people began to gather around to see what was going on. A nearby merchant rushed over, fuming at the sight of his overturned cart and panicking birds.
"You! You did this!" he exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at the trio.
Serenya, Casey, and Rowan tried to explain that it was an accident, but the merchant was having none of it. He demanded that they pay for the damage they had caused.
"Serenya is the richest among us," Casey stated.
"What are you talking about?" Serenya was flustered.
Just then, Aricen appeared, drawn by the commotion. He took in the sight of his sibling, covered in feathers and surrounded by angry chickens, and burst out laughing.
"Serenya? that's you right!" he exclaimed, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
Serenya felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, but Aricen just grinned and clapped them all on the back.
"Come on, let's get out of here before you cause any more trouble," he said, leading them away from the scene of chaos. He gave the merchant a small pouch and dragged the three of them away.
"Come on, Rowan I expected better from you." Aricen chuckled.
Rowan gazing at his feet, couldn't say a word.
"Oh right Brother, you haven't met Casey right?" Serenya pointed towards her.
Casey had heard many stories about Aricen from Serenya, but seeing him in person was a different experience altogether. She couldn't help but feel a sense of awe as she watched him interact with both Rowan and Serenya. His kind demeanor and easy smile drew people towards him. It was clear to Casey why Serenya held her brother in such high regard.
As Casey and Aricen drew nearer, she couldn't take her eyes off him. He stood tall and confident, his elven features strikingly beautiful. The way he moved was graceful, almost ethereal.
Casey found herself drawn to him like a moth to a flame. She couldn't help but feel mesmerized by his presence. It was as if he radiated an otherworldly aura that captivated her entirely.
Rowan nudged her arm, pulling her out of her trance. "Are you okay, Casey?" he asked, concern etched on his face.
Casey blinked rapidly, realizing she had been staring at Aricen for far too long. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," she stammered, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"Oh," Rowan said, "Aricen, meet Casey!"
Casey said dusting off feathers from her hair, "Nice meeting you, I am Casey." She paused for a moment glancing back and forth at Aricen and the ground, "Long story short, I want you to help me get to The Great Snow Witch!"
"That's impossible" Aricen whispered under his breath as he turned around avoiding eye contact.