Fantasia
Arc4: Seeking the origins
Chapter2: The fest bazaar
At the first night Juan spent in his quest for his real family, troubles started beyond his knowledge, because what appears to be a troubling nightmares about an angel opening a sky gate that engulfs him in flames, is in reality a fearsome -and fortunately brief- transformation he goes through during sleep, but avoiding to frighten him, Tsuki agreed with the two others to keep this a secret but until when…
The morning came, as the sun rose illuminating the land with its warm light, the birds chirped awakening the adventurer from his slumber, he lazily left his bed, stretched his arm and took a deep yawn, then he looked left and right trying to find his friends.
He jumped off the wagon to check the horse, brushed her hair with his hand calling her "Cinderella", and while he offered her oat he noticed many footsteps on the muddy land; those were his friends', so he tracked them down until he arrived a small barrier of reeds and tall grass.
He entered the little bush that certainly led to a pond when suddenly a stone jumped over his head, luckily he avoided it, then he peeked through the greens but he saw something that embarrassed him; he saw Nimmy taking a shower, and Tsuki was floating her naked infantile body under the shadow of a giant leaf.
"Eek! Pervert!" Tsuki squealed.
"Fish boy get outta here!" Nimmy shouted while sending a rainbow wave that pushed Juan before he managed to apologize.
"You couldn't resist it, eh dude?" Zolu asked him while aiding him to get up.
"What? No! I'll never do that!" he said blushing.
"Yeah yeah of course, you are a saint, so had a good sleep? No nightmares this time, huh?" the ragon asked.
"Actually I slept quite well, what about you? Sorry about the last night, next time you'll have the mattress" he apologized.
"Nah, it's okay, I acted awkward, I just had a weird past considering sharing bed with another dude" Zolu scratched the back of his head.
And so after a short breakfast, Juan completed his journey toward the western regions and by afternoon they exited the Zellian hills and entering the rocky cliffs of Bardens.
-Bardens: A dry wasteland that links the southern and the western parts of the main continent, known for its many dangerous cliffs and deep valleys, connected by worn out bridges, it's rumored that most of the rogues threatening the commercial roads gang up in these paths, causing travelers to be in maximum alert-
"Well guys we are eight days away from Espadia and the dragon horn mountain can be seen from here" Juan noted pointing to a very faraway mountain; which was famous because Espadia is just beyond it.
"Yep, it's quite in here, I used to hear that hoodlums live here" Zolu said.
"Cliffs are spooky, Nimmy's scared" the nymph shivered.
"It's okay, as long as we stand together we'll be alright, right Tsuki?" the shepherd asked with a smile.
"Um, of course…" the imp answered, but her fears weren't from the hoodlums, but from Juan himself, so she prayed in silence that he doesn't transform into a fiery beast this night.
They passed by a bridge over a dark valley, and carefully they crossed it, Zolu was the most fearful one among them due to his fear of heights, his head started spinning in dizziness fearing the deadly fall with every bounce the van's motion made, so Juan advised him to look away, and so he did noticing something weird to the east.
"Um guys, what's that over there?" he asked pointing to the strange glow behind a rocky highland to the east.
"Hmm, I guess it might be…a fest bazaar" the shepherd answered.
"Fest…bazaar?" Nimmy wondered
"Fest bazaar: also known as mid road market, is some sort of carnivals set in the intersection of commercial roads, where traveling merchants from various villages gather for mass sales and trading deals, several relics and treasures might be found in these bazaars and no place else" Juan explained.
"How about we set there for tonight?" was Zolu's suggestion.
"This will only slow us down, it's a bad idea" Tsuki objected.
"Actually, it might be a good idea, the bazaars are usually safe places, and we need some supplies" Juan explained making Zolu push his tongue out spiting Tsuki.
And so they headed toward the fest, it took a mere hour for them to reach the ravishing carnival; the merchant from every part of the continent turned this dry patch of land into an exciting festival, small tents of all colors were set everywhere, different jewelries, weapons, items, and food were exposed on tables where every sellers yelled announcing his competing prices luring different buyers of every rank in society.
Juan tethered his horse at a nearby stable and paid for the keeper his fee, and then he caught up with his friends.
"Okay, to start guys we'll need apples and potatoes for the basic food supply, meat is needed but in a smaller ration, and I think after yesterday's night we'll need two extra small sleeping bags for me and Zolu (Declaring that the girls will take the mattresses) this will be our base supply, if there are any suggestions I'm ready to hear" he instructed to his friends who didn't understand the reason of all those calculations.
"Yeah one word, Chill" Zolu said with a blink.
"Huh?" the shepherd asked.
"He's right, I think you are taking things too much serious, me and the ragon we'll do the shopping, while you and Nimmy take a walk" the imp suggested.
"But Tsuki are you sure you two can…" he wanted to object.
"C'mon dude, everyone knows how to make a sale" the ragon interrupted.
"Alright then…" Juan said.
And so they separated, while the man and the nymph went to watch few acrobatic shows, the imp and the ragon went to buy supplies when a short conversation occurred in front of a fruit stocking wagon.
"You okay with him going alone with Nimmy?" Zolu asked.
"Yes, I think he needs a bit of cheering, and no one like that goof is good at this" she answered while the seller was packing apples for them.
"Oh, I thought you wanted them to date" the ragon commented.
"What? Are you silly? I'd never think like this, I trust he thinks that we both are overprotective toward him, so he needs to get some space with a cheerful person" she explained.
"So you want Juan for yourself?" he asked.
"What the hell is wrong with you and this love chitchat!?" she yelled at him leading everyone in the market to stare weirdly at her making her blush.
"He he, Gotcha!" he commented laughing.
"No way…" she said gazing at a farther shop.
"Huh?" Zolu asked while covering his self of an expected slap.
The imp walked away leaving the ragon to deal with the seller, who had a rough time with his client because he carried no money, whilst Tsuki just ran obliviously toward a weapon shop where different pieces of war tools were shown, but only one piece caught her sight; a spear with a long black blade carrying three square rhomboid gaps arranged vertically, and a grip of tough grey wood, with golden strips drawing two intersected feathers as a trademark.
She just stood there studying the beauty of this weapon ignoring Zolu shouts at her to return and pay for the food.
"This weapon must be an original piece of craft, a spear like this must be forged by the hands of an experienced blacksmith, the trims of the blade are perfectly sharpened and the choice of the wood is perfect to carry such dense and heavy head" she described the spear.
"Ho ho, you my little lady have the eye of an expert, this spear was forged by the deceased Galdenstrom of the eastern lands, they say…" the merchant wanted to persuade her.
"That Galdenstrom tried a hundred type of wood to chose the right grip, and forged the steel two thousand times to strengthen the blade! I know this, I dreamed to carry one of his weapons since I was a kid! I must have this one!" she yelled and squealed.
"Calm down young lady and listen, things like this are sold for thousands of Muns, but since no one around seems interested in this craft, I can give you a great discount and sell it for seven hundreds" he started negotiating the price.
"Four hundreds sixty five!" she said.
"Six hundreds eighty"
"Five hundreds"
"Six hundreds twenty"
"Five hundreds seventy, that'd be my final offer, either you accept it or I'll look somewhere else" she said shutting the door of discussing the price.
"Fine, congrats" he said receiving money she pulled from her bosom, watching her carry it running toward Zolu who was calming the fruit seller down.
"Hey ragon! You got to see this!" she yelled at him carrying the spear shivering unusually to her calm nature.
"You idiot! You spent all our money on a lance" he scolded.
"First of all this is a spear…besides I only paid for it with my money, here is Juan's money" she said handing the merchant the price.
"So, the mysterious imp's obsession finally is revealed, what are you gonna do with that la…spear anyway?" Zolu asked carrying the two barrels of apples on his back to the wagon.
"Yes, sorry about my childish reactions back there, but collecting weapons was my hobby since I was a child, and this spear would be a great addition in my collection again, besides I have a perfect idea for another enchantment and I need a sturdy weapon for it" she answered while using her summoning magic to send the weapon into her summoning sub-void.
"Meh, you are just obsessed with these things" he commented.
"Well I gotta help as much as I can" she reasoned.
"It's not like I'll come to you crying for help at the time of need, real dudes fight without enchantments!" he claimed starting another futile argument with the imp.
Meanwhile, Juan and Nimmy where having a fun time through the carnival, he couldn't resist the urge to buy nice books of magic and history, while Nimmy used her wallet to buy nice grape shaped earrings, then she stopped with her mouth widely opened in front of a wide shop-window.
"What is it Nimmy?" he asked.
"Nimmy…Nimmy wants one of these!" she shouted.
She pointed to a set of three magical bracelets glowing with a pure blue light, decorated with a rose of red beads, the nymph was rubbing greedily on the glass drooling embarrassing herself and Juan who was trying to pull her off the window.
"Ah, young pretty lady you seem interested in that jewelry" the merchant commented rubbing his palms.
"No, she's just…Nimmy!" Juan tried to deny.
"Aha, Nimmy wants this, Nimmy wants the shiny jewel!" she declared with a silly accent.
"But alas young lady, this is not an item to sell, but a prize to win" the seller apologized.
"What do you mean mister?" Juan asked.
"We are setting a small competition of magical attractions this night at the great tent north of here (he points to a red and white tent decorated with glowing crystals) and the first three winners will get pieces of these precious treasures" the merchant explained.
"Nimmy wants to be in! Nimmy wants to win the jewel!" the nymph squealed.
"That'd be hundred and fifty Muns to sign in mistress" the seller offered.
"Um, I'm not sure…we can afford this, but do we really need this Nimmy? Can you even win the contest" he apologized.
"Nimmy begs orange boy! Nimmy wants to get in! Nimmy wants to win the jewel! Nimmy promises if Nimmy won, Nimmy will take orange boy to bath every morning!" the girl pleaded making the cutest face she can do.
"Ho ho, that's some hot offer from your girlfriend mister" the seller commented.
"Alright she's in…and she's not my girlfriend!" Juan said paying the fee after being affected by his friend's puppy face.
"Hmm (he sniffs the money) here's the badge, she's entry number 24, come back after an hour and I'll get you a discount on the ticket and a first class seat so you can watch your girlfriend" the seller instructed.
"She's not my girlfriend" Juan said.
"Nimmy thanks orange boy a lot" the girl smiled rubbing on the shepherd.
"Yeah right, remember come back after an hour and be sure to tell your friends" the merchant said.
And so Juan continued his tour, until he met up with his other two friends.
"Hey dude, guess what? I won seventy Muns on a shooting game and a hundred on a fish catching contest" Zolu boasted.
"Yeah and he was hitting on a lady so he got a good kick up his butt" Tsuki added angering the ragon.
"And orange boy signed Nimmy in a magic contest! See the badge!" Nimmy boasted with joy.
"Magic contest?" the imp asked.
"Yes, she insisted on entering it, if she won she'll get a pearly bracelet, so I paid for her participation, don't ask me how she convinced me, she wasn't herself back there…" Juan answered.
Suddenly fireworks illuminated the sky, and they were coming from the northern tent, and that was the sign for Juan who grabbed Nimmy's hand and rushed with her to the competition not knowing that he was heading into another tiring adventure.
To be continued
Well, this is another peaceful chapter as you read and Tsuki's wierd hobby is revealed (I know she can be quite nerdish sometimes)...I hope you enjoyed it, leave a review if you did (kuz I feel like my writing has improved), I have nothing to comment but be ready for the next chapter will have a returning character...
Take care until then :D