Chapter 11: The Bazaar

Alena woke with a start, the sound of shouting snapping her out of a disjointed dream. It was definitely morning, the sun slightly peaking over the edge of the canyon's wall. The princess didn't feel terribly rested, but guessed whatever sleep she did get would have to do; yet another dilemma seemed to be waiting for her.

She squeezed out of their makeshift camp and into the dry air of the desert canyon. Her companions were already outside, causing her to wonder whether they were just going to let her sleep through the day. None of them were in a defensive stance, however, instead unthreateningly holding their arms up in the air and hands empty of weapons. Their eyes were fixed to the top of the canyon's small cliffs, where Alena half-expected to find a dozen creatures (or something worse) circling them. Instead, she saw four men, bows pointed at their party.

"What's going on?" she finally asked.

Brey, a bit surprised by Alena's sudden appearance, waved a hand in front of her. "Not now," he quietly said without looking. "I'm handling it. Just hold your hands up."

Despite being confused, the princess did as told. If anyone could get them out of a situation through talk, she knew it'd be her old tutor.

"There, you see?" Brey shouted to the people above them. "Four of us. We're merely travelers, looking for a place to do trade with."

"Why come to Scàtch then?" one of the men demanded. "There are no settlements in this desert."

"We've heard of a bazaar located here, where exotic goods can be found," Brey replied.

"And where did you hear that?"

"Where we came from, obviously," the old tutor smiled.

Silence hung in the canyon for a while before the man asked, "You don't look like merchants, and I see very little to barter with."

"Which is why we wouldn't be worth robbing," Brey countered. "Most of our valuables are on their way, but we needed to be certain the bazaar existed in the first place. Scàtch is a treacherous place to travel, after all."

The old tutor gave Alena a nudge, asking her to retrieve the wings they'd collected the night prior. Upon returning, Brey held them up, saying, "Still, we're willing to offer these to start with. Surely they'll fetch a respectable bounty here?"

"Their heads are worth more," the man replied. After a moment, he motioned to his companions, and they lowered their bows. "You wouldn't mind, then, we go over what you do have."

"Not at all," Brey replied.

As the four men hopped down into the canyon, Brey whispered to Cristo, "Just in case, have 'Surround' ready to cast. If they are thieves, we'll need to take care of them quickly." The bodyguard nodded, and stepped back a bit, subtly preparing the spell.

Alena stepped forward. "What makes you think they aren't?" she asked her old tutor.

"They haven't killed us already," he simply replied.

Once the four men approached the group, Alena noticed they were dressed in white, loose clothing and leather caps with small ridges to shadow their faces. She also noticed that none of them were from Santeem; rather, a leathery, tanned look, with lean faces befitting of those from the southern regions of Keeleon. Whether these were the ones in charge of the bazaar they were searching for, or merely hired guards, she didn't know. Still, she was certain they were at least familiar with the language of her country, as she detected no foreign accent in their voices as they searched through their possessions.

Eventually, the one that'd spoken earlier walked over to Brey and said, "And you say you have other items to barter with on the way."

"Mostly gold and jewels from up north, but yes," the old tutor replied. "We have a mule carrying them with another companion. He said he'd come once we confirmed the bazaar's location."

The man's expression became firm. "And how will you contact him?"

"Look," Brey said, stepping forward and reaching a hand up to the man's shoulder. "We could spend all morning going over things, but that'd just waste time in the long run. You can trust us. We're only looking to see what you have, and offer something in return. Surely everyone benefits if you can just take us there." He then leaned in a bit, jingling loose a few gold coins from his small, personal pouch tucked away in his cloak. "Especially you, should you guide us the rest of the way," the old tutor added with a wink.

The man smiled. "Very well, you all seem legitimate enough." He called for the rest of his men to surround the travelers and motioned them all to follow his lead. Before they started down the canyon path, however, he added, "Just remember, I'll be keeping an eye on you. If any trouble is caused, you'll be fed to the sand worms, understand?"

The travelers all nodded and proceeded. No one but Willem was aware that another was following with a mule a safe distance away.

Noon passed, and the heat coming off the surrounding sandstone felt worse than the day before. Alena knew it was her general fatigue wearing down on her. For as unique an environment the desert was, the princess would be glad to leave it far behind once their mission was over. She couldn't help but chuckle at the discomfort though, that a few months earlier she'd have leapt at the chance to see Scàtch.

In any event, the most she was hoping for with the bazaar was an adequate shelter from the dry elements. What she instead found stunned her, as well as her companions.

The canyon they were walking through started to slope downward and took a few tight twists when it suddenly opened up into a large crater. In the middle of the crater was a dark lake surrounded by tall grasses, sand, stables, and dozens of shop stands under low canopies. Several people, beasts of burden, carts, and wagons could be seen milling about from their high vantage point, some moving along other paths that lead into the crater from other canyons but most remaining about the bazaar.

Their guide pointed towards the settlement and said, "I'm sure you can find your way from here. Conduct your business and stay out of trouble." At that, he and his companions turned around and disappeared into the canyon.

As the travelers made their way down, Brey said, "We'll probably get more done if we split up. Willem, you can look for Reginald."

The young scout gave Brey a sour look, wondering where the old tutor got the impression he could order him around. "I think he's been following us, actually," he said, more to Alena though.

"Oh," Brey muttered. "Then can you wait for him nearby?"

Willem turned to Alena. "Princess?"

Sighing, she replied, "Just do it, okay." Gazing across the bazaar, she asked Brey, "If we're going to split up, we might as well find a place to meet later."

"Those stables should do," the old tutor said, pointing to one that held an assortment of horses, mules, and brahmirds. "You and Cristo can go look about, see what you can find about an 'elfin elixer'. I'll take these wings and try to get some money for them. See you in a couple hours, then?"

Upon all agreeing (though Willem a little reluctantly), Alena and Cristo headed down the main road of the bazaar.

Almost immediately, the pair was assaulted by a barrage of shouting merchants pushing their wares. Many came in accents familiar to them, from the quickened speak of Endor to the finer diction of Bonmalmo and even as far as Branca. Peddlers from Keeleon were amongst the pushiest for their attention, barking in thick accents unaccustomed to speaking in the northern common tongue, or their own language. Others spoke in dialects completely foreign to Santeem, though Alena didn't have to guess what any of them were looking to sell. Every stand displayed their wares in plain view, offering a wide variety of goods. Weapons, furs, medicines, trinkets, jewels, and spices: it seemed whatever someone needed, odds were good they'd find it at this bazaar. Attacking her senses more than anything else were the strong aromas wafting from tents behind most stands, sweet exotic fragrances drifting on wisps of incense smoke, overwhelming even the muskiest of hickory fire haze. Though the busy streets of Endor were unquestionably the largest in the world, this place easily trumped it in utter commercial chaos.

The princess was about to turn to Cristo and ask where they should start looking when she was suddenly yanked from the main road by an enthusiastic, portly Keeleon woman wearing a mish-mash of elaborate necklaces and bracelets, a stark contrast to the simple folk dress from her country. "Come, come, you must see," she eagerly said, her bracelets clinking as she dragged Alena off.

"But, wait…!" was all Alena could muster, completely taken by surprise and offering little resistance. With a bemused smile, Cristo followed.

The woman didn't go far, stopping at a row of lidded jars. Smiling, she said with bright eyes, "See! See for self! The very best!"

"Yes, I'm sure they are," Alena replied, yanking her arm back.

Undaunted, the Keeleon woman grabbed her arm again and tried to pull her closer to the display. "See!" she repeated. "See for self!"

Alena didn't want to be rude, but nor did she want to have to waste her time with the woman. She was about to firmly pull her arm back again and turn foot when Cristo joined them. "Might as well take a look," he said. "She probably won't leave you alone until you do."

Sighing, the princess threw her other arm in the air and said, "All right, fine. I'll take a look at them." At that, she let the woman pull her right up to the row of jars. They seemed quite ordinary, with simple colored patterns etched into dried clay, and each with something different written in Keeleon's language on the front. Surely there were better collections of pottery at the bazaar than this. "Yes, they're nice," Alena politely said to her, hoping to get away. "But I don't need these, so if you'll excuse me…"

"See!" the woman insisted, lifting a lid and pointing inside one of the jars.

Again sighing, Alena leaned forward. It was only as she neared the rim that she noticed a foul smell coming from inside. Instantly, she recoiled, covering her nose as she groaned, "Oh, gross."

The woman seemed surprised by the reaction. Reaching in, she retrieved a handful of sloppy, black manure. "See!" she said with pride. "The very best!"

"Gross!" Alena repeated, turning away and quickly darting back to the main road. Cristo only offered a shrug of condolence to the perplexed woman, wondering what she had done to upset the potential customer so much.

Once the bodyguard caught up to her, the princess turned at him with annoyance in her eyes. "See if I'll listen to you again," she grumbled with a humorous pitch, as she was still holding her nose. Cristo couldn't help but lightly chuckle, promising to 'protect' her from any more pushy merchants.

As such, their search through the bazaar went without any similar incident. Unfortunately, neither did it yield any clues as to where they might find the elixir they were searching for. Few of the peddlers were interested in giving out information, far more concerned with trying to sell their own merchandise; even less helpful were the shoppers, outright ignoring them as they focused on haggling with merchants instead. After nearly an hour of futility, Alena suggested they find some shelter for the evening should their stay at the bazaar take longer than anticipated.

Inquiries regarding such a place provided better results, several helpful fingers pointing to the northwest end of the lake. A number of large, long flat tents were erected there, some emitting strong aromas of food familiar and exotic. None of the places looked like the sort of wayfarer's inn they were used to visiting, but so long as there were private chambers and beds, Alena wasn't about to be make a fuss over their design. Unfortunately, she got only one of her wishes. Poking her head in each tent, she was surprised to find they were all communal sleeping areas, with plush cushions, blankets, and pillows sprawled out on the floor, which was nothing more than the very sand they walked upon outside. The princess didn't mind sharing accommodations with her companions, but she wasn't keen on the idea of sleeping next to complete strangers. Still, she managed to find one tent hosted by merchants from Surene, whom assured her only Santeem countrymen stayed there. It seemed like an odd business tactic for a place filled with potential customers, but Alena didn't press for a reason, simply making sure they'd have enough room for all her companions before heading back out into the sun.

Feeling satisfied at having at least accomplished something, the pair made their way back to the stables where they expected to find their companions waiting. Instead, there was no one but the stable owners.

"These… are the right ones, aren't they?" Alena asked Cristo, looking carefully over the area.

The bodyguard nodded. "I'm quite sure, yes," he replied, confused as well.

"Then where is everyone? At least Willem should be here, right?"

Cristo could only shrug for an answer. "Still," he said, lightly rubbing the back of his neck, "it'd probably be a good idea to wait here. Someone might show up."

Alena wasn't enthusiastic about simply standing around, especially near a bunch of animals that clearly hadn't been properly cleaned in some time. However, her bodyguard made good sense, lest everyone become separated and lost in the bazaar. "All right," she said with a sigh. "We'll wait a little while, but not too long. I'd like to get something to eat soon."

Fortunately, only a short time passed when they saw Brey approach from the main road. "Ah, good, you're here," he said.

"And so are you," Alena nodded, "but I don't know where Willem and-"

"He and Reginald were here a little while ago," the old tutor interrupted, glancing back down the main road. "Don't know where they've gone, though I believe that's the mule they were using over there, isn't it?" He pointed towards one in the stable with his walking staff, but lacking any of the packing supplies it'd been carrying it looked like every other mule to the princess.

"Then where's our stuff?" she asked, concerned they'd lose all their supplies and valuables if they couldn't locate the two scouts.

"Probably with the stable owner," Brey replied. "I doubt those two could carry everything on their own." Glancing at some of the workers milling about the stable, whom appeared rather scruffy, he added, "It might be a good idea to check though, to make sure everything's still there."

Fortunately, the stable owner was an honorable sort, and had their belongings safely stored; apparently Reginald tipped him handsomely to do so. When asked if he'd left information on where he and Willem went, however, the stable owner could only shake his head in response. Deciding there was little point in waiting for the two scouts, Alena let him know where the three of them were staying and to meet them there. At that, they went in search of a place where they could eat some lunch.

As they once again walked down the crowded main road of the bazaar, a thought came to Alena and she turned to her old tutor. "Brey," she asked, "you said you saw Reg and Willem at the stables before. Why didn't you wait with them?"

Brey's attention seemed to be drawn to various stands. "I figured I'd do a little shopping of my own," he absently replied.

"And…?"

"And what?"

Alena sighed. "You're being evasive again, old man."

Chuckling, Brey looked up at the princess. "Do you honestly think they'd have made for good company?"

Lightly chewing her lip, Alena replied, "Well, I thought-"

The old tutor didn't wait for her to finish. "It's quite clear they're not fond of me, so instead of creating another uncomfortable situation, I simply walked off."

A small frown formed on Alena's mouth. "I guess you're right," she said with a sigh. "I just hoped that, well, maybe they'd lighten up on you, considering your help so far."

Again, Brey chuckled, though this time with less enthusiasm. "It'll take more than a few spells cast on a few monsters and some bribery of guards for them to see me in a different light, Alena," he said.

Realizing the conversation wasn't going in the direction she'd hoped, the princess abruptly changed the subject. "Did you find anything in your shopping, then?"

A genuine smile formed underneath his beard. "A couple useful items, yes," he replied. "I was quite surprised at how easy it was to find."

Alena gave a playful pout of a frown. "And you're not going to tell me what, are you."

Brey stopped walking and began sorting through one of his packs. "A spell book, actually," he said as he rummaged. "The one I packed when we left the castle wasn't very helpful anymore. I think I learned all I could from it. Ah, here it is." At that, he pulled out a book that had to be twice as thick as the one he'd carried around before, and several decades more battered. Handing it over to the princess, he added, "I can't go and let Cristo beat me at learning new spells, and he seems to have an unfair advantage on me lately of 'just knowing' them."

A small giggle escaped Alena. "I didn't know the two of you were in competition," she said, turning to Cristo.

The bodyguard shrugged. "Not in my mind," he smiled. "Perhaps your own competitiveness has rubbed off on Brey."

"Perhaps," she muttered, flipping through the book. There were a few sections written in her own language, but much of it contained scripture far too complex for her to understand. After a few seconds, she hesitantly said, "Um, it's very… uh… thick, I guess."

Brey finally gave a full laugh. "And very illegal too, I'd imagine. There's quite a bit of forbidden knowledge contained in that book; at least, forbidden to casual practitioners of magic."

Alena gave him a stunned look. "Why would you ever want to learn of such stuff?"

Taking the book back, Brey candidly replied, "For one thing, theory on teleportation is far more comprehensive in here. You probably won't find such information anywhere else other than the black market."

"It can be potentially dangerous magic," Cristo added. "The Zenithian Church has never sought to pursue it." Alena wasn't certain, but she detected a hint of worry in his voice over Brey's insistence to learn of teleportation. Still, he didn't seem to be condemning the old tutor either, so she let the comment slide.

"Huh," she said, looking back down the main road. "And you easily found one here, at a bazaar in the middle of nowhere."

Brey started their pace again, giving the surrounding area an almost loving gaze. "These black markets are filled with great deals, so long as you know which questions to ask."

As they continued, Alena couldn't help but be curious over how her old tutor would know of such questions in the first place.