"Come on, baldy. When are we going to get some rest?" The boy asked Rafik in an annoyed tone. "My legs are killing me."
"If you keep complaining like that I will make you pull the cart until our next stop." Rafik answered while trying to catch his breath. "Plus, if you want to make a living here in Arobolus in the future, you will have to walk much further than this, Zekes."
Zekes let out a grunt. But then something in the distance caught his eyes. Or to be more precise many things did.
He could make out the shape of dozens of colorful tents and stands, that had people scattered all around.
Rafik noticing Zekes being dumbfounded smiled and told him.
"I guess you have never been to a bazaar before. Well, not one this big at least."
"It's your lucky day, Zekes. I have to stop by the bazaar to get some supplies. You can look around in the meantime, but don't wander away too far, or else you will get lost in the crowd. And also don't touch anything, cause I won't pay for it if it breaks."
As they entered the bazaar, Zekes got overwhelmed by all the shouting in his surroundings, each in a unique accent, if not a unique language.
But his curiosity overcame his fear, so he ventured forth to explore the stands around him.
As he looked around in all directions he couldn't help but become mystified.
He saw a merchant selling exotic animals, such as a fish that had tentacles instead of fins or a shiny gooey slime that could become completely seethrough depending on which angle you looked at it from.
Then there was another stand selling strange fruits. The grocer stood on his stall, shouting into the street for people to come and check out his many fruits brought by him from faraway lands, each providing healing properties to whoever eats them.
Zekes approached the boxes of fruits the grocer had laid down and notices a purple fruit covered in tendrils that moved like worms latching onto an apple.
The grocer soon noticed Zekes checking out his merchandise and called to him:
"Hey, boy! Like anything you see?"
Zekes being shy didn't answer at first, but with the grocer's eyes looking directly at him, he was obligated to say something at the very least.
"Uhmm … I don't know, they all seem a bit … bizarre. Do they really help with healing people?" Zekes asked hesitantly pointing at the purple fruit.
"Of course, boy!" He loudly declared. "These here are Cuchruk fruits from the restricted land of Nazrathal to the southeast, inhabited by the mysterious Nazaris. It is said that an Ancient used to watch over their land in old times, protecting them from the wrath of the angry gods and creating fruits and animals for them, that could survive even in the most barren lands. But the ancient fell into a deep slumber many centuries ago. And now the only proof of the Ancient's existence we see out here are these fruits and meats. They are relics of the past that healed and nourished the Nazaris for millenniums."
Zekes stared at the fruit in awe, thinking about what kind of land Nazrathal could be. Only for his train of thought to be interrupted by someone's voice calling to him from behind.
"Don't get fooled by him, kid. His products are nothing but cheap fruits." The voice yelled.
Zekes looked behind him to see a slender-looking man with a funny-looking hat signaling for him to come over to his stand, which was lined with fine jewelry.
"His stories are nothing but wive's tales, kid. But these pretties right here," He said as he held a handful of necklaces. "now they have been blessed by a powerful aurasis users who specialized in healing people."
"Hey, you long-nosed schmuck!" Shouted the grocer. "Stop stealing my customer using your little imitation ornaments."
"Go back to your stall and worry about your filthy fruits" The man shouted back.
"Why you …!"
Seeing that the atmosphere started getting tenser, he took this as a chance to bail out and look for Rafik.
As he wandered around, he spots Rafik counting his coins in front of a merchant.
"Oh, here you are." Rafik exclaimed. "Liked anything you saw?"
"Meh, not really." Answered Zekes. "When are we moving again?"
"Just in a few minutes." Replied Rafik. "You haven't broken anything or caused any trouble while I was away, have you?"
"Of course not!" Zekes said a bit high-tempered.
"I knew you wouldn't. How about you go to the stall over there and get yourself a steaming milk bun as a reward for being a patient brat on your way here." Rafik said as he hands Zekes a few coins.
"Really?" He shouted excitedly. "I-I mean I am not a brat!"
"Sure you aren't. Now go."
Rafik couldn't help but laugh as he watched Zekes rush through the crowd to the dessert stand.
When everything was ready to start moving forward again, Rafik called Zekes over.
Soon enough, Rafik was once again pulling the cart behind him, while Zekes munched on his steaming milk bun.
"Not feeling so tired after all that complaining, Zekes?" Rafik asked.
But Zekes chose to ignore him and looked away while eating.
"Worry not, buddy. A friend of mine owns an inn nearby, we shall soon arrive there and have our rest."
As Rafik pulled the cart further into the bazaar, it started getting more difficult due to it becoming more crowded in the street. Soon, he sees something strange.
In front of them, a crowd seemed to have gathered around to watch something in the middle of the streets.
"Huh, something seems to be happening over there." Rafik told Zekes. "Perhaps, we have come across a street performance by chance."
But as they got closer, they could only hear angry and worried voices.
Out of curiosity, Rafik looked through the crowd as he passed by. He noticed a strange figure lying on the ground in the middle of the crowd.
A girl!