"The nighttime market you said?" Melvin replied puzzled.
"I said Northwest of the city, now we're going deeper into the east." Saying that, he turned around and they retreated back in the opposite direction.
Along the way, his voice was slightly serious as he asked, "So, why did you run away from those guards?"
"I don't like them," Melvin said clicking his tongue in annoyance, "Who gave them the authority, and more so the gall, to come to ask me what I am doing? The Gods' lands are vast and everyone is free to go wherever they want."
Firrol huffed in disagreement and said, "Kid," His voice getting lower, "Don't give me that, just because I am a cat doesn't mean I am stupid."
Melvin's steps paused, and his face couldn't help but do a double take, "Did you just call me kid?" He asked, stupefied.
Annoyed the feline waved his paws, "It's just an expression," but he soon wised up, "Don't try to change the subject!"
Melvin's eyes also turned a bit serious after his last attempt, and he deeply contemplated how he should go about this particular issue.
On one hand, he knew that the cat was really smart and would sooner or later hear about what happened from other people and the news. The same news that painted him in the most negative light, so it would be infinitely better for the actual story to come out of him.
And on the other hand, he was still a bit uncertain about this cat's character. Although he enjoyed talking with him as he had never spoken to someone with such ease in a very long time. The feline's character was still questionable. Not only did he scare him for fun until he lost consciousness, but he even took advantage of his injuries and attempted to steal his dagger. It wasn't even clear if that would have helped him if it wasn't for the promise of a stronger runic item, and that infuriated him.
To say he felt conflicted would be putting it mildly. His lonesome spirit found some solace in the cat, and this cat also took advantage of him in his lowest moment.
Witnessing the serious and scrutinizing look, Firrol felt slightly uncomfortable and just turned his head to look away.
After weighing the pros and cons, Melvin knew that the decision was obvious all along, "It's a long story," he finally said with a long sigh, his steps resuming their initial destination across the grey sidewalk once again.
Firrol didn't say anything and just waited for the man to continue. And with that Melvin began recounting everything that had happened to him from waking up in the pit, lost memories, the drugs lost, the carnage, the inn, and finally to where he was found in that building. Naturally, it wasn't an actual recount of what happened seeing that he had a legendary class and all, but as close to the truth as possible.
His storytelling abilities seemed to have developed tremendously in the span of just two days, and coupled with his Storyteller's Charm effect, the cat was completely engrossed in the story. Firrol could feel every emotion, and visualize everything that happened with vivid details.
By the time Melvin was done with telling the story, the duo had already reached their destination.
In front of them was a vast clearing devoid of any houses, and in the center of it stood The Lunasol Market.
The duo found themselves facing a colossal structure that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. The market stood before them like a grand labyrinth of interconnected pathways and towering arches, its design reminiscent of a citadel.
The market's walls, made of light brown clay bricks weathered by time, rose majestically into the night sky, casting long shadows that danced with the flickering light of lanterns. In the walls, Melvin noticed small openings, where he could glimpse silhouettes of birds roosting for the night, their soft almost indistinguishable coos blending with the ambient sounds of the bustling market below in the dead of the night.
The air was filled with the aroma of exotic spices, sizzling street food, fish, and the sweet scent of incense wafting from nearby stalls. Lanterns adorned with intricate patterns cast a warm glow over the scene, creating a tapestry of light and shadow that added to the market's mystique, captivating Melvin with unique otherworldly charm.
Despite the late hour, the market thrived with activity even from the outside, its narrow alleys teeming with vendors and shoppers. Unlike the previous deathly still and empty streets, people walked in and about in all directions around the market. Colorful banners fluttered in the cold breeze of the night, and Melvin's eyes randomly darted around in every direction, not wanting to miss anything.
Firrol on the other hand was silent, his steps paused after Melvin and turned to ask, "You don't even remember who tried to kill you?"
Melvin's gaze still locked on the Market, and he only softly murmured in agreement, "Mhhm"
Firrol sat with his hind legs tucked underneath his body, and his front legs stretched out in front, forming a triangle shape. Exactly like a normal cat would, and his tails randomly swayed from one side to the next. His expression had a deep meaning to it as he seemed contemplating something before he asked, "And you don't know what happened to those boys who were with you?"
This time Melvin murmured in disagreement before he said, "Yeah, I don't. Alright, let's go in." And they marched toward the market's entrance.
The ground here was also brick paved, but it seemed to be of relatively worse quality compared to the main roads. It was filled with dirt, leaves, dead fish, feathers, sticks, horseshit, and many other random things strewn around. However, the smell was fine, and from where Melvin stood it was mostly the aroma of food coming from the nearby stalls.
"What a life." Firrol said with a quiet whisper, "This only solidifies why I live the way I do. It's just too much pain." He finished with a shiver whenever he imagined everything he had heard about happening to him.
Melvin walked in a beeline towards a stall that was composed of a grill to the side, and a wooden table filled with wooden bowls that had cooked rice, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and some other vegetables on the other side. Above the grill were several iron grates filled with different meats with seasoning, and that was the origin of the beautiful smell that drew Melvin.
Behind the owner of the stalls were two very long wooden benches where several people sat, enjoying their meals with a wooden tray above their knees.
His stomach growled in anger as thick saliva converged in his mouth after he approached the stall.
He noticed a big menu written on the big grill's wooden support and started going through it. As he was doing that, he felt a little poke in his leg and glanced to look. Firrol was pointing towards the menu as well with a meaningful look.
'I guess he also wants something' Melvin thought before he gave him a thumbs up, and a knowing smile. He had to satisfy this monster who was crucial to his future plans.
After he ordered something for the both of them, he advanced towards the benches and sat in one of the two. From time to time he would audibly gulp and hold his stomach that was so starving that it began aching with pain.
Although he was also thirsty and saw that the stall had a clay bottle of water, he didn't want to drink before a meal lest his appetite be ruined.
In an attempt to distract himself and endure the excruciating wait, he said to the feline sitting beside him, "Well, what can you do," shaking his head, "Life punches down and all you gotta do is try to maneuver and survive. Such is life I suppose."
Immediately, the stall owner turned around and awkwardly said, "Yeah, yeah, life what can you do? Just a bit of patience."
Awkwardly nodding, Melvin thought, 'Did he think I was talking with him?', in order to clarify the misunderstanding he spoke again, "Firrol, what the hell do you do in this city all day long?"
This time, the stall owner's eyes widened in shock, and even the nearby patrons paused what they were doing and looked at him. An innocent voice resounded, "Meow?"
Melvin immediately understood the reason why they looked at him like a lunatic, and he protested, "Sorry, this is one of those talking beasts. Here," he nudged the cat with his hands, "Speak."
An amused, "Meow?" was heard once again. The patrons all had different kinds of amused expressions watching the spectacle, but not the stall owner.
He had already begun preparing their meal, and it turned out the guy was a lunatic who spoke to cats. He gently approached with a smile and said, "Please, can you pay upfront?"
Melvin glared at Firrol and stood up. Loosening the pouch's knit, he asked, "How much?"
After receiving an answer, he counted 70 copper coins and paid the man who heaved a deep sigh of relief, which amused Melvin tremendously.
Understanding that the cat wasn't going to speak in front of others, they just sat there in silence. Firrol's meal was quickly done because the stall owner stressed how cat loved their meat half-cooked.
Above a thin piece of brown paper, there were two sausages, eight small balls of ground beef, and some small white meat cut into cubes.
Firrol's chewing sounds and visible enjoyment on his face made him even more impatient, "Is it done yet?" He asked for the umpteenth time.
Finally, after another five minutes, the stall owner came back with a tray. In it were four half pieces of bread filled with meat and vegetables. Melvin like a monster began wolfing everything down, shocking the other patrons.
When he finally swallowed the last piece, he felt immensely satisfied and satiated. He sighed in gratification and praised, "That was good! Those were some holy spices if I may say so."
The stall owner was busy tending to the grills, and the shower of praise gave him a very big wide smile. But, when he heard the word 'Holy' associated with lowly spices, his smile stiffened before he shook his head in disappointment and didn't say much. Even the other patrons had more or less the same reaction as him.
'Ops' Melvin thought, 'A slip of the tongue.' He knew that there were a lot of religious people in the city and from their perspective, his words were indeed a bit over the line.
Without saying much, he gestured for the cat to follow and began approaching the big market entrance. As he walked, his chin rested on his hand, and teeth habitually bit his lower lip, seemingly engrossed in contemplation. 'I need new materials to create a new rune before I go to that Black Rose tavern.' He thought with some nervousness about what he had to do in the morning.
He knew that he had to strengthen himself as much as possible before venturing into that world, especially now that guards seemed to recognize him much more frequently than before. He was aware that guards were also separated into grades, and if he was unlucky enough to meet someone strong enough, he would be done for.
Firrol followed after him with a big smile on his face feeling very satisfied with the meal. When they distanced themselves from the big stall, he said in a hushed voice, "I haven't had a meal like that in ages, I was only eating raw fish this whole time."
However, Melvin mindlessly walked along, not even registering the feline's words amidst his deep musings.
Witnessing this, Firrol's eyebrows furrowed and he felt slightly awkward for being ignored. It was a long time that he had spoken to anyone, and he preferred to mostly keep to himself. Just as he was about to say something else, he closed his mouth shut and continued trudging along as a weak sigh escaped him.
"The nighttime market you said?" Melvin replied puzzled.
"I said Northwest of the city, now we're going deeper into the east." Saying that, he turned around and they retreated back in the opposite direction.
Along the way, his voice was slightly serious as he asked, "So, why did you run away from those guards?"
"I don't like them," Melvin said clicking his tongue in annoyance, "Who gave them the authority, and more so the gall, to come to ask me what I am doing? The Gods' lands are vast and everyone is free to go wherever they want."
Firrol huffed in disagreement and said, "Kid," His voice getting lower, "Don't give me that, just because I am a cat doesn't mean I am stupid."
Melvin's steps paused, and his face couldn't help but do a double take, "Did you just call me kid?" He asked, stupefied.
Annoyed the feline waved his paws, "It's just an expression," but he soon wised up, "Don't try to change the subject!"
Melvin's eyes also turned a bit serious after his last attempt, and he deeply contemplated how he should go about this particular issue.
On one hand, he knew that the cat was really smart and would sooner or later hear about what happened from other people and the news. The same news that painted him in the most negative light, so it would be infinitely better for the actual story to come out of him.
And on the other hand, he was still a bit uncertain about this cat's character. Although he enjoyed talking with him as he had never spoken to someone with such ease in a very long time. The feline's character was still questionable. Not only did he scare him for fun until he lost consciousness, but he even took advantage of his injuries and attempted to steal his dagger. It wasn't even clear if that would have helped him if it wasn't for the promise of a stronger runic item, and that infuriated him.
To say he felt conflicted would be putting it mildly. His lonesome spirit found some solace in the cat, and this cat also took advantage of him in his lowest moment.
Witnessing the serious and scrutinizing look, Firrol felt slightly uncomfortable and just turned his head to look away.
After weighing the pros and cons, Melvin knew that the decision was obvious all along, "It's a long story," he finally said with a long sigh, his steps resuming their initial destination across the grey sidewalk once again.
Firrol didn't say anything and just waited for the man to continue. And with that Melvin began recounting everything that had happened to him from waking up in the pit, lost memories, the drugs lost, the carnage, the inn, and finally to where he was found in that building. Naturally, it wasn't an actual recount of what happened seeing that he had a legendary class and all, but as close to the truth as possible.
His storytelling abilities seemed to have developed tremendously in the span of just two days, and coupled with his Storyteller's Charm effect, the cat was completely engrossed in the story. Firrol could feel every emotion, and visualize everything that happened with vivid details.
By the time Melvin was done with telling the story, the duo had already reached their destination.
In front of them was a vast clearing devoid of any houses, and in the center of it stood The Lunasol Market.
The duo found themselves facing a colossal structure that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. The market stood before them like a grand labyrinth of interconnected pathways and towering arches, its design reminiscent of a citadel.
The market's walls, made of light brown clay bricks weathered by time, rose majestically into the night sky, casting long shadows that danced with the flickering light of lanterns. In the walls, Melvin noticed small openings, where he could glimpse silhouettes of birds roosting for the night, their soft almost indistinguishable coos blending with the ambient sounds of the bustling market below in the dead of the night.
The air was filled with the aroma of exotic spices, sizzling street food, fish, and the sweet scent of incense wafting from nearby stalls. Lanterns adorned with intricate patterns cast a warm glow over the scene, creating a tapestry of light and shadow that added to the market's mystique, captivating Melvin with unique otherworldly charm.
Despite the late hour, the market thrived with activity even from the outside, its narrow alleys teeming with vendors and shoppers. Unlike the previous deathly still and empty streets, people walked in and about in all directions around the market. Colorful banners fluttered in the cold breeze of the night, and Melvin's eyes randomly darted around in every direction, not wanting to miss anything.
Firrol on the other hand was silent, his steps paused after Melvin and turned to ask, "You don't even remember who tried to kill you?"
Melvin's gaze still locked on the Market, and he only softly murmured in agreement, "Mhhm"
Firrol sat with his hind legs tucked underneath his body, and his front legs stretched out in front, forming a triangle shape. Exactly like a normal cat would, and his tails randomly swayed from one side to the next. His expression had a deep meaning to it as he seemed contemplating something before he asked, "And you don't know what happened to those boys who were with you?"
This time Melvin murmured in disagreement before he said, "Yeah, I don't. Alright, let's go in." And they marched toward the market's entrance.
The ground here was also brick paved, but it seemed to be of relatively worse quality compared to the main roads. It was filled with dirt, leaves, dead fish, feathers, sticks, horseshit, and many other random things strewn around. However, the smell was fine, and from where Melvin stood it was mostly the aroma of food coming from the nearby stalls.
"What a life." Firrol said with a quiet whisper, "This only solidifies why I live the way I do. It's just too much pain." He finished with a shiver whenever he imagined everything he had heard about happening to him.
Melvin walked in a beeline towards a stall that was composed of a grill to the side, and a wooden table filled with wooden bowls that had cooked rice, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and some other vegetables on the other side. Above the grill were several iron grates filled with different meats with seasoning, and that was the origin of the beautiful smell that drew Melvin.
Behind the owner of the stalls were two very long wooden benches where several people sat, enjoying their meals with a wooden tray above their knees.
His stomach growled in anger as thick saliva converged in his mouth after he approached the stall.
He noticed a big menu written on the big grill's wooden support and started going through it. As he was doing that, he felt a little poke in his leg and glanced to look. Firrol was pointing towards the menu as well with a meaningful look.
'I guess he also wants something' Melvin thought before he gave him a thumbs up, and a knowing smile. He had to satisfy this monster who was crucial to his future plans.
After he ordered something for the both of them, he advanced towards the benches and sat in one of the two. From time to time he would audibly gulp and hold his stomach that was so starving that it began aching with pain.
Although he was also thirsty and saw that the stall had a clay bottle of water, he didn't want to drink before a meal lest his appetite be ruined.
In an attempt to distract himself and endure the excruciating wait, he said to the feline sitting beside him, "Well, what can you do," shaking his head, "Life punches down and all you gotta do is try to maneuver and survive. Such is life I suppose."
Immediately, the stall owner turned around and awkwardly said, "Yeah, yeah, life what can you do? Just a bit of patience."
Awkwardly nodding, Melvin thought, 'Did he think I was talking with him?', in order to clarify the misunderstanding he spoke again, "Firrol, what the hell do you do in this city all day long?"
This time, the stall owner's eyes widened in shock, and even the nearby patrons paused what they were doing and looked at him. An innocent voice resounded, "Meow?"
Melvin immediately understood the reason why they looked at him like a lunatic, and he protested, "Sorry, this is one of those talking beasts. Here," he nudged the cat with his hands, "Speak."
An amused, "Meow?" was heard once again. The patrons all had different kinds of amused expressions watching the spectacle, but not the stall owner.
He had already begun preparing their meal, and it turned out the guy was a lunatic who spoke to cats. He gently approached with a smile and said, "Please, can you pay upfront?"
Melvin glared at Firrol and stood up. Loosening the pouch's knit, he asked, "How much?"
After receiving an answer, he counted 70 copper coins and paid the man who heaved a deep sigh of relief, which amused Melvin tremendously.
Understanding that the cat wasn't going to speak in front of others, they just sat there in silence. Firrol's meal was quickly done because the stall owner stressed how cat loved their meat half-cooked.
Above a thin piece of brown paper, there were two sausages, eight small balls of ground beef, and some small white meat cut into cubes.
Firrol's chewing sounds and visible enjoyment on his face made him even more impatient, "Is it done yet?" He asked for the umpteenth time.
Finally, after another five minutes, the stall owner came back with a tray. In it were four half pieces of bread filled with meat and vegetables. Melvin like a monster began wolfing everything down, shocking the other patrons.
When he finally swallowed the last piece, he felt immensely satisfied and satiated. He sighed in gratification and praised, "That was good! Those were some holy spices if I may say so."
The stall owner was busy tending to the grills, and the shower of praise gave him a very big wide smile. But, when he heard the word 'Holy' associated with lowly spices, his smile stiffened before he shook his head in disappointment and didn't say much. Even the other patrons had more or less the same reaction as him.
'Ops' Melvin thought, 'A slip of the tongue.' He knew that there were a lot of religious people in the city and from their perspective, his words were indeed a bit over the line.
Without saying much, he gestured for the cat to follow and began approaching the big market entrance. As he walked, his chin rested on his hand, and teeth habitually bit his lower lip, seemingly engrossed in contemplation. 'I need new materials to create a new rune before I go to that Black Rose tavern.' He thought with some nervousness about what he had to do in the morning.
He knew that he had to strengthen himself as much as possible before venturing into that world, especially now that guards seemed to recognize him much more frequently than before. He was aware that guards were also separated into grades, and if he was unlucky enough to meet someone strong enough, he would be done for.
Firrol followed after him with a big smile on his face feeling very satisfied with the meal. When they distanced themselves from the big stall, he said in a hushed voice, "I haven't had a meal like that in ages, I was only eating raw fish this whole time."
However, Melvin mindlessly walked along, not even registering the feline's words amidst his deep musings.
Witnessing this, Firrol's eyebrows furrowed and he felt slightly awkward for being ignored. It was a long time that he had spoken to anyone, and he preferred to mostly keep to himself. Just as he was about to say something else, he closed his mouth shut and continued trudging along as a weak sigh escaped him.
