The city was just as amazing up close as it did before. Spectacular fireworks rocketed high into the sky and illuminated the sky in a spectrum of colours. Young children in robes and pointy hats ran down the cobblestone streets, carrying sparklers and giggling all the while. The adults in robes and pointy hats were more interesting. A few of them waved threw sparklers in the air and danced, causing the crowd to cheer with delight. There were stalls that lined the street, selling hot food and cute toys to passer-bys. Lanterns- that held orange and pink flames inside them- hung between the tall buildings, the lines continuing as far as the eye can see.
The adventurers were having a tough time guiding their chocobos into town. The crowded narrow streets meant that they bumped into many people and stalls. They received glares as they rode past. Sjin had forgotten his tired and miserable state and gawked at his surroundings in wonder, causing Blackjack to stumble into many citizens. Lalna wasn't too fond of this place. The fireworks and the crowd were making the chocobos nervous. He didn't feel quite at home either.
After getting some directions, the two travelled towards the inn for a rest. They parked their mounts in a stable outside a bustling wood and brick building called "The Withered Potion." Inside, they sat in front of a crackling fire with a drink until they forgot their encounter with the spiders. Inspecting the brace in the firelight, Sjin checked his hand worryingly. His hand was numb and pale, with fiery rods of pain running up his arm. The water messed his arm up a lot and he could still feel the spikes sticking into his wrist. He really wanted this curse removed.
"Hey, Lalna..." he started. He looked over at his companion to see him fast asleep in the chair, head leaned back and snoring softly. Frowning at this inconvenience, he turned to a barmaid and asked if there was a wizard in town. She merely laughed and walked away. He asked someone else. Same reaction. Sjin was getting annoyed so he stood up and faced the room.
"Excuse me!" he yelled. Everyone's eyes turned to him.
"Does anyone know a wizard in this city?" There was a pause before the whole room roared with laughter, waking up Lalna in the process. The man gazed around the room with a baffled look on his face.
"Didn't you notice?" asked a woman in a cloak. "Everyone and their mothers are wizards in this city! People come from far and wide to study here!" A couple other people were still laughing. Sjin was sure that his cheeks had flushed red with embarrassment.
"What's going on?" Lalna inquired in confusion.
"Do you know where I can get a cursed item off me?" Sjin continued. The woman then informed him that many wizards don't offer services like that as their magic is too valuable. However, there were wizards in a potion shop that had the best service in the city. Happy with this information, he suddenly grabbed the confused Lalna by the arm and ushered him towards the exit, slamming the door shut.
The travellers then walked to the outskirts of the city. The fireworks still boomed overhead but the roar of the crowd had certainly died down. They approached a small brick hut surrounded by trees. A sign above the door that read "The Cat and Owl" told the two that they were in the right place. As they walked through the door, a bell jingled and an owl hooted from the corner of the store. The floor was cosy. Shelves filled with mysterious herbs and liquids covered the orange walls, with even more beyond the wooden counter and up the stairs. A cat then strolled along the floor and jumped onto the counter, purring contently.
A man stood behind the counter straightened up as soon as he heard the bell. The man had long black hair and hazel eyes that were framed by black glasses. He wore a very magical outfit consisting of black dress clothes, cloak and witch's hat, all of which were adorned with red lining and feathers. The man grinned at the adventurers.
"Ah-ha! Customers!" he cried excitedly. He then turned towards the back of the room and shouted: "Hey, Lo! Lomadia! Come here, we've got customers!"
"Coming, coming, coming..." A blonde woman with blue eyes clambered down the stairs, lifting her blue cloak up to avoid catching it. She hurried to the front and greeted the two with a warm smile.
"Welcome to the Cat and Owl, home of the best potions and tonics!" she boasted. "What can we help you with?"
Lalna then nudged Sjin forwards and explained: "My... friend got a hold of a cursed brace and we can't get it off him. We were told that you could help us." The witch named Lomadia grabbed Sjin's hand and inspected the brace with a serious expression.
After a minute or two, she passed him over to her partner and muttered: "Nilesy, you're good with curses. Do you know what we could do?" The male witch reached for the cursed brace. He flinched after a single touch. He then stared at the accessory with doubt and paused. Everyone waited for an answer, a solution.
"...I think I can help you," he said eventually. Sjin only smiled happily in response. Lomadia then stuck her palm out.
"But not without paying a fee!" she exclaimed with a smile. Lalna raised an eyebrow and reached into his pocket, digging out a pouch. He threw it onto the counter, showing many, many emeralds held inside. The witches stared at the number of emeralds. Nilesy then pulled himself together and gestured for Sjin to follow, the two disappearing into the back room.
Lalna waited for Sjin and talked to Lomadia as he did. Nearly a whole hour had past when the others finally left the room. Lomadia's mouth dropped in shock. Nilesy walked out, shakily taking off his hat and sat down on a chair, a thin film of sweat covering his face. Following him was Sjin, looking disappointed and trying to hide the brace that was still stuck to his arm. Lomadia worried over the dishevelled witch.
"I tried, Lo, I really did," Nilesy apologized. "I did dis-enchantments, curse-removal, appraisal, everything; I have nothing strong enough." Sjin hung around Lalna, who simply shrugged at this setback.
"I'm screwed, aren't I?" he asked gloomily. Lalna smiled sadly and shrugged again.
"Well, we could get a saw..." If looks could kill, Lalna would have died on the spot. The witches apologized for the failure and offered the adventurers a gift. They then took out a small red and blue vial. The liquid inside swirled around mystically.
"One of our strongest potions," Lomadia bragged. "It can bring you back from the brink of death. I think you'll put this to good use." The adventurers happily took the potion and said their goodbyes and farewells as they left into the warm night.
The party was still in full swing when they left. People kept dancing, dining, singing, smiling and playing under the bursts of the fireworks. However, despite all the festivity, Sjin's mood did not lighten. The whole thing had been a waste of time. His arm was still in a lot of pain.
"I don't know about you," he started. "But I- Lalna?" He glanced around. Lalna was nowhere in sight. He span around when he heard an alarm and gleeful laughter coming from the crowd. At a game stall was Lalna, giggling like an infant as he received his prize: a fluffy toy chocobo. His cheerful face fell and turned red when he saw Sjin.
"And you called me a big girl," teased Sjin, raising an eyebrow. Lalna spluttered, trying to come up with a excuse.
"Hey, come on, I'm just teasing ya," he apologized, playfully punching Lalna on the arm. The two then shifted their attention to the small adorable children toddling towards a game stall. The goal was to hit some targets. The first child raised their arm and yelled: "Fire!"
A fireball rushed at the target. It burned to a cinder. The second child then raised their arm and yelled: "Fire!"
The fireball smashed the target into splinters. Sjin rolled his eyes, nudged Lalna and raised his arm.
"Fire!" he shouted sarcastically. A fireball burst through the air and landed on a canopy, catching it on fire. Everyone, including the adventurers, panicked over the fire that was spreading rapidly.
"Run!" Lalna yelled over the screaming crowd. The two quickly fled the scene and didn't stop running until they were out of sight. They hung around an empty alleyway as they caught their breath. Lalna leaned against a brick wall, gathering his thoughts.
"Did...Did you really just do that?" he asked between breaths. Sjin paced around and nervously kneaded his hands together.
"I-I don't know," he replied honestly. He looked at his cursed arm. He then aimed it at a wall and focused. A fireball suddenly flew towards the wall, flames licking at the bricks. The two stared at each other in realisation. Lalna looked at where the fireball hit and grinned.
"Looks like you know magic. That's pretty freaking sweet," he commended with a smile. Sjin proudly smiled and nodded in agreement. Looks like he found a silver lining. After all the drama, the fire in the distance died down with the party and the travellers retired back to the inn. Disappointed that he lost his toy in the rush, Lalna went to bed and, after making sure Sjin wouldn't start a fire in his sleep, fell asleep in minutes.
He dreamt of falling. Not surprising, he heard it was a common dream to get. Then why was it so vivid? He dived from the starry sky and simply observed Hexxit and its lush land as he neared. Closer, closer... Why wasn't he waking up? He was falling unbelievably fast. He was quickly approaching the ground. He was going to crash! Wake up! Wake up!
Suddenly, there was darkness. He didn't wake up but neither did he die. The only thing that kept him company in the blackness was a familiar chilling voice.
"They came from the skies."