As we made our way to the Mercantile district the change in scenery was immense. The run down buildings were replaced with well maintained ones. The Sketchy and scary looking people were replaced with well dressed and snobby looking people. All three districts of the city had their own curtain walls making the city highly compartmentalized and easily defendable. We passed through the gate of the rich side of the city and crossed over a draw bridge passing many many heavily armed guards. I caught the eyes of many of the guards and well dressed snobs as we crossed the bridge. It seems my looks concerning them or something. I try to avoid their gazes when possible but it can't be helped there is simple to many people.
"Alex. Your looks are always going to draw peoples attention. And most of that attention will be bad. Own your looks there's nothing else you can do. I don't know if you noticed but almost everyone sneering at you is ugly." The unnecessary addition at the end made me laugh. He was right though I would most likely always receive backlash for my appearance there was nothing that could be done about it I suppose. I stood up a little higher and walked a little straighter.
We entered into a large city center. There was a beautiful water fountain in the middle of the center with many stalls of various merchants set up around it. There was many people wandering around examining wares. There was many foreigners with accents even more alien then the one I still carry. Exotic furs and outfits were displayed as incenses and perfumes flavored the air. Very oddly there was a dwarf juggling 5 daggers at once. The man was so small the daggers were almost swords to him. Looking around I had no Idea where I wanted to start so I closed my eyes spun around and picked the first one I saw.
It was a small dainty looking stall. It wasn't as exotic and overdone as the richer stalls nor was it as abysmal and plain as the others. "Hello! I am Elizabeth. Welcome to my stall! It's not much but I hope you find something you like!" To my surprise the words came from a young girl. She had pretty blue eyes and nearly pitch black hair. She was only slightly smaller than me and looked around my age. "Hi." I found myself suddenly stuck for words. I awkwardly advert my gaze from her towards the items on display. "My mother is running back to the house to go get more items so we will have more things later if you don't see anything you like." Her voice comes of sweet like honey. "Ok"
Her stall doesn't have to much on it. Some brushes, clothing, Wooden figurines of various people, mainly handcrafted items but nothing that really caught my eyes. I look back at her. "I don't see to much I like here but I will be back later to see what else you have." She lit up with excitement "Ok! we will be here all night please do come back I want to show my mom I can run the stall on my own." I smile and walk away. I do hope I could make it back. I randomly choose another stall and start walking towards it Edwin game me a friendly nudge "See something that caught your eye eh?" He laughed "I am so telling Lydia you found yourself a little crush." He had a big smile on his face
"NO! its not like that. Please don't tell Lydia." The last thing I want was for Lydia to make even worse and embarrassing comments like I know she would. "Well anyways there is a store over here that might have something you would like. I never liked it much myself but it seems more up your alley." I follow Edwin to his suggested store. It is an actual building instead of a stall. There were large panes of glass as windows instead of shutters which meant the store had to be rich and earn a lot of money. Glass is very expensive and hard to make so most of it was reserved for the rich or very well connected. In the windows were displays with random books and trinkets most of which I couldn't even begin to describe. The sun was starting to set giving the area an orange hue there was only a little bit of sun light left. So we hurried into the building.
A stubby man greeted us with a large smile "Edwin! If you're here Marcus must be too tell me he is here with you!" it seems everyone knows Edwin and Marcus "Agdolf! you silly little dwarf" They both embraced each other. Looking at him again Agdolf was very clearly a Dwarf. He was very small and stubby with a massive brown beard and caked in pure muscle. "Marcus is out with Lydia for the day He will probably swing by tomorrow." Edwin gave the man his space again and motioned me forwards. "This is Alex. He is Marcus and Lydias adopted kid" Agdolf dropped hims mouth. "You're telling me they took in another kid? I didn't think Marcus had it in him." I shake his hand even though he was talking towards Edwin basically ignoring me. "Well it was Lydia who convinced him but he seems to actually like the kids so it's a step in the right direction I say." I would say him liking me is a stretch but I went with it.
"So my friends what could I do you for. You guys looking for anything in particular?"
"Nah the kid here has a little pocket money to spend so I thought this would be a good store."
"Well take a look around. Ill give you guys the family and friends discount too how about That."
"We appreciate it."
I started looking around. It was getting loud outside. The celebrations must be starting. There was quite a lot of things here. They were all dwarf made which made everything incredibly expensive. Even if I did get the family and friends discount I doubt I could afford anything.
I pick up a book and start to look closely at it. It reads "The complete history of Cardonia" This would be a good book. If only I had just twel- my thoughts are cut short as the sounds get louder. Everyone in the building started to look out the windows. The noises are abnormally loud. Soundly the door bursts open. A man drenched in blood with seemingly gallons more pilling at his feet. "They-" He falls to his knees then once more to his face. Now I notice the lack of an arm on the mans right. Cleanly sliced off at the elbow.
The noises are not from the celebrations. They are the sounds of Carnage and unadulterated violence.