Chapter two. A magical recipe

The dim dawn light was slowly waking up the scenery, as the hundreds of birds dance in the sky looping in heart-warming songs. Battered by decades of usage, the cobblestone streets, shining in the morning light, begin to fill with people, marking the official start of a new day. Nearly all farmers and shopkeepers proudly present their products, from freshly picked vegetables to bright red chellox meat, competing with each other, shouting offers better than the former.

Various town folk are dressed in colorful robes that resemble their occupation. A young couple, paper manufacturers and book printers, wearing a light blue blouse with crimson red imprints in various shapes. The metalworker, with a grey, leather coat and armguards is discussing the latest political climates with some wood-masters, dressed in a vibrant, light green shirt, waving his hand as he speaks, revealing his strong physique.

A local priest is shouting prayers and tributes to the Primordial God Frae, the All-Mother, and Therias, the cradle of change and growth, preaching about the Beyond, and salvation.

“Wash thyselves, of all sins and corruption, and welcome the eternal promise of the Beyond, bathe thyselves in the warm embrace of Frae, our All-Mother, Breather of Life, Maker of all races and all who roam this world! Only She can grant you the Eternal Gift of the High Planes!”

Soldiers patrol the streets in shining grey armor, ensuring the safety of the people, ready to stop any misconduct, and showing some interest in the goods put on display.

Drowned in the crowded scenery, the Hopping Snake opens its doors and the bar-keeper is following his daily routine, by swiping the floor and collecting the glass shards thrown in the last night’s show. He casually whistles the tune of one of the songs from last night, missing a few notes and filling the gaps from his imagination, brightly walking through the tavern. His wife is one of the town’s most renowned cooks, mastering the gastronomic art from a young age. Her daring and creative dishes are requested by even the Barron Gold himself. She carefully wraps some plates of steaming stakes, roasted cabbages and tomatoes, and four jars of a purple, magnollite soup, filling the tavern with a sweet aroma, placing the feast on the counter, alongside a mesmerizing carrot cake, ready to be picked up.

“Good evening, says I, wasn’t it?” the bar-keeper’s wife says, quickly glancing over at her husband and the tavern.

Laying the broom on one of the tables, scratching his head, “Good indeed, me love. Better if you was here to enjoy the show with me.” replied Krover.

“Ye knows how me mother needs help, Krover!” scoffs his wife, rearranging bottles on the shelves. “But ye, ye, ‘t seems like we’ve had quite the audience.” She smiles gently. “One of the doors upstairs is shut, have we a guest?”

“Aye!” says Krover enthusiastically. “A peculiar fella, me dear!”

“I surely do hope ye are not harboring some fugitive again, Krover.”

“Nay, Marlina, nay… A bounty-hunter. A strange looking feller with a more strange hair, if I do say so me self.”

“At least he has hair, Krover.” Marlina lifts her eyebrows looking at the shinning obelisk her husband is displaying.

Krover bursts in laughter, holding his belly, “Ye know it brings good luck, ye are only jealous of the light I shine around me.”

They laugh together for a moment, lovingly glancing at each other. Their moment of tenderness is interrupted by the two soldiers, loudly entering the tavern, as their gauntlets slam against the wooden door.

“We’ve come to pick up the package for the Barron!” One of the soldier holds his spear close to his body, while the other signals a greeting with his hand, holding a scroll that unveils with the motion of his hand, showing the golden stamp of the Barron.

Marlina gently pushes forward the plates, as two elves in shackles and dirty torn robes lift the food off the counter. “’Ere ye go, boys, fresh out of me hands, I say. One of the best batches yet.” Marlina holds her hand above the waist. “Tell the Barron we’re looking forward to his visit! Our beds are warm and we can smush a few of ‘em together so he fits!” chuckles Marlina.

“Careful, now, Marlina.” Krover warns his wife, noticing the change in the soldiers’ facial expressions. “I be sure that the two gentle-sirs here in our humble establishment be working for our beloved leader, just as us. That be true, ey, laddie?” He shifts his attention to the soldier holding his spear, more tightly than before, as tension gathers in his eyes.

The soldier holding the parchment, clearly of an older age, holds his hand on his partner’s shoulder, calmly adding “Yes. We shall return to our Barron with your kind invitation. May I suggest, however, in the meantime, Marlina, enjoy a calming jasmine tea, and not forget that we are all subject of His Grandiosity.”

“Aye, aye, Nikol, aye aye.” Marlina rolls her eyes, as she continues her work.

The elves leave the tavern first, followed by the soldiers as loudly as they entered, but Nikol turns briefly towards Krover and Marlina, nods his head softly to thank them for their service, before passing the door himself.

“So where is this… bounty-hunter, Krover?” asks Marlina.

Looking out the window, Shadow notices the two soldiers, proudly marching towards the town hall. He knew of the deal they had with the bar-keeper from the same sources that guided him towards the mysterious creature responsible for the dissapearances,

He grabs his crest in his hands, looking at it with a slight concern. He mutters magical words, as his tattoos shyly glow purple. “Ghy’far, en anak varal” he whispers, as a black steam pours out of the crest in thin strings, embracing him. Every morning, he casts the same enchantment. This enchantment, while not very strong, serves a detrimental purpose. It is the Charm of Focus, allowing its user to quickly spot the things they are looking for, and strengthening their focus.

He has a plan, spending half of the night working on a strategy to defeat the demon and now knows the next step. As he puts on his coat, he starts thinking about the upcoming battle and the horrors that are to be encountered. Remembering Diokleth, the new yet unlikely friend and the promise this bounty-hunter had made to him. Seeing in Diokleth the struggle of an honest man in this world seemingly driven mad by the world’s darkness, as people like the soldier are the ones that gave him the will to push forward, the reason to fight, he looks upwards towards the ceiling, taking deep breaths. The greed and gluttony of the officials and the dark secrets they keep in the shadows, away from the common folk’s curious eyes, as the unknown had given birth to many conspiracy theories, captivating the minds of a variety of people, some anonymous artists even painting images of the Barron swallowing the moons, excreting gold.

Carefully placing his knife in the holder by his waist, Shadow takes a deep breath, reluctantly moving towards the door, hearing the thunderous noise produced by hundreds of people outside. A powerful screech emerges from the old hinges of the door as Shadow crosses the hallway towards the stairs, glancing over at the multitude of paintings, flowers and other arrangements placed harmonically in the hallway, giving it a pleasant feel and personality.

As he reaches the top of the stairs, Marlina exclaims, “So there he is! The mysterious bounty-hunter sharing our roof! Hope ye had a pleasant stay at our most humble shelter!”

“Thank you, my lady! Yes. It was of the upmost quality”

Marlina bursts in a loud laughter, as Krover unsuccessfully tries to stop her from drawing too much attention. “Ye hear, Krover? My lady! Ha! That be how ye should call me from now on! This bounty-hunter be having more respect than you, ye fat smiling old fart!”

“Keep it down, woman! Ye don’ wan’ to have the soldiers poking around to find us hosting a bounty-hunter!”

Marlina was always quick with her tongue and criticized the officials, risking imprisonment, but, as she would always say, the mouths of the greedy must always be fed. She knew that as long as she was not causing any problems, the soldiers would always leave her alone.

With a quick hand movement, Shadow raises a small piece of paper with beautiful writing. “I have a permit, my good friend. No need to worry.”

“See?! And whom is to hear what we be shouting in our wee tavern? Have ye still not woken up, Krover? Not even yer snorin’ could drown the town’s noise!”

“A’right, a’right! Very well, ye two! I only want to make sure ye don’t end up in the dungeons!” says Krover slightly annoyed.

Marlina rolls her eyes at her husband again, then turns her attention towards the mysterious man now sitting at the counter. “What can I get ya, handsome?”

“A chellox steak, two fried eggs… and a glass of water, please”

Marlina heads to the back to start preparing the food.

Krover leans against the counter, facing Shadow and stares him down, smiling. “What be yer name?”

“Shadow.” His deep voice resonates in the room as he picks up a small book, covered with runes, and starts purposelessly sweeping through the pages, trying to look busy.

“I saw ye’ve met Diokleth, sir.”

“Yes.”

“Ah, he be a good lad. He be coming every now and then with his son. A handsome young lad. Most polite, too!”

Shadow sits in silence, intensely looking at his book.

Not much was discussed after, more about the weather and some general information about the market, what type of goods were sold and the local prices. One type of goods stood out to Shadow.

“Marvek’s Wonderous Pets?” asks Shadow intrigued.

“Aye sir! Critters of the most exotic sorts. From Finnoxes to Dires, from big ones to the least noticeable. See, he be a hunter of sorts, with a nick for trading.”

“Dires, you say? Aren’t those quite rare in these parts?”

“Marvek be a one ambitious man, sir.”

Like a storm, Marlina comes out of the kitchen masterfully holding a big ceramic plate containing a beautiful piece of chellox steak and the two fried eggs, and the requested glass of water, as the room is filled with a pleasant aroma. She places the plate in front of Shadow and without wasting a moment, says “That’ll be three silvers.”

Shadow hands over the money and thanks Marlina with a warm smile on his face.

“Three silvers?!” jumps Krover. “That meal be 4 the least, Marlina!”

“Mind yer bald head, Krover!” Marlina puts a hand on Shadow’s arm, but he quickly moves two inches away and starts eating.

“Come now, Krover, leave the poor soul at peace.” Says Marlina. “There be enough broomin’ left to do!”

“Aye, aye, love!”

Krover stands up and heads towards his broom, picking it up with a visible disappointment. He likes talking to people, especially strangers, the quiet sort. He sees them as puzzles waiting to be solved and their walls cracked. He doesn’t always do the best job of making people open up, but that never stopped him from having a light-hearted chat whenever he got the opportunity.

Shadow finishes his food, taking a moment to enjoy the last bite and stands up, getting ready to leave. He fares his goodbyes to the lovely pair and steps outside, in the crowd. He never liked crowds. Even the smallest ones made his skin shiver, yet he always pushed through, especially when he did not have a choice.

He takes some time to stroll through the market, analyzing each product, and each stall, slaloming through the waves of humans, Thorn-beards and free elves, each of them carrying bags tied to their bodies. It would seem like every soul in this gathering had prepared for days for the impending doom of purchasing whatever pleased their eyes.

A mother struggles to drag her daughter after seeing a rag doll portraying Frae, the Primordial of Souls, a man is shouting from the top of his lungs one offer after the last, raising proudly various golden and silver trinkets. An official, wearing a golden robe, accompanied by some guards, carefully checks out some magical scrolls, under the watchful eye of a wizard. The wizard quickly dismisses most of the scrolls, claiming they are fake.

Straight ahead, down the narrow path, a black carriage dragged by horses transports an impatient man, shouting “Move! Move aside, you bogglers!” By the carriage, a small stall harbors a small and old man, holding to the bar of the stall, is selling rings from what would seem his former wives, with the promise that he did not kill them, rather their cooking was not satisfying his tasting buds.

Next to the old man’s stall, a big and bright colored sign stands taller than the stall, on which the words “Marvek’s Wondrous Pets” are written.

“There you are!” whispers Shadow.

As he makes his way towards the shop, something catches his eyes. A shady woman is selling potions, covered under her cloak.

“Have you Night-tear?” asks Shadow as he approaches the woman.

“Yes, laddie, the strongest ones. What have you lost that needs finding in the dark?” asks the woman as she picks up a flask containing a black, viscous liquid.

“Nothing that I can find in the day, ma’am. I’ll take two.”

“May I suggest also Growth-Mist and Therias’s tear?”

“I need not to be silent, but I shall take the tear, thank you.”

The woman hands him the potions in a cloth bag, seeing as Shadow has no storage on him. “That’ll be 10 silvers, laddie.”

Shadow hands over the silvers to the old woman, without trying to haggle and proceeds to Marvek’s store. A nicely dressed chamber, with various trinkets of animal origin scattered around the shop’s inner walls. Dire fangs, turtle shells, and colorful birds’ feathers, all hang tied with rope in a pattern to strike curiosity in any potential buyer. A black curtain lies in the back of the shop, veiling its most valuable treasures. As Shadow reaches the smoothly crafted booth, a large figure greets him, gently pushing aside the curtain.

“I sense that another Magos is in need of help.” says the figure. “What is it that you require, brother?”

Playing with his crest, Shadow says “I am in need of something that can track down a powerful beast.”

Without hesitation, the figure waves his hand and the ground under a cage behind him starts moving towards him, revealing a slender, red furred canine with black circles around its eyes. The creature looks at Shadow, barking and spitting.

“A Finnox?” says Shadow.

“Yes, brother. A Finnox can find water in the most dry deserts, you know that the Draglins use it.”

“I know.” Shadow puts his hands on the booth, leaning forward and tells the figure in a lower voice “I need something more… ravenous. Something unafraid of imminent death.”

“My, what a grand hunt must await you.” The figure moves its hand and the ground takes the cage back.

The figure leans forward as well, revealing its face. One eye white and dead, the other, a bright red. His teeth, sharp, and large, and its scales look like they can pierce through metal. Marvek is a Draglin, three meters tall, and with a long tail, fangs and bones decorating his neck in a golden chain, and gives his lizard-like body a certain allure. In a terrifying symphony, the scales on his shoulder shiver, brazing his scarlet skin with black stripes, as the spikes protruding out of his body strike fear into the faint of heart. His claws, sharp, and long, look like they have seen many battles before; strengthened by the dangerous adventures Marvek has had in his life. Truly a one-man army. A living weapon whose vocabulary does not contain the word “run”.

Marvek inhales Shadow’s smell, and with a growl, says “Ah, yes. I know what you are after. He turns around, slamming some vases with his tail, and moves his whole arm. A strong sound of metal dragging on the ground brings forth a large cage. An intimidating and drooling beast lies in the cage, as its gray furs shake in the air and a terrifying growl emanates from its drool-filled mouth.

“This one…” says Marvek, as his bright green eyes give away his pride “…took me two days to track down.”

With surprise on his face, Shadow asks, “Two days?! Was it the alpha?”

“Indeed” snarls Marvek, lifting the corners of his scaly lips. “Dires hardly ever give up on their alpha, and when a threat arises, they hide the alpha in their nest, and sacrifice as many of their lives as needed.”

Marvek’s store did not reflect the pride he had in hunting and his goods. The wind was easily making its way through the rotten wooden planks and the cracks in the windows were arranged in a chaotic spider web shape. The drapes were torn and stained with dried up blood, one partially covering a blue plant, whose flower faintly shines, slightly distracting the buyer from the cries of Marvek’s pets.

Shadow is hit by a sudden realization, “Have you more Dires, my friend?”

Marvek snarls somewhat discontent, as he uses his magic to bring in front of Shadow two more cages, trapping Dires smaller than the first one, but not less intimidating.

“Here you are, brother. May they serve you well, I have made sure they are obedient.”

“How did you do that, Draglin? Dires are hard to control, more so these wild ones.”

Marvek pulls out an amulet and a broadsword. “This, is the amulet of the Goddess Anima, and this…” lifting up his sword, “…is the second option.”

Shadow takes a moment to glance over at the Dires, full of scars and bruises each having their right ears cut.

Suddenly, Marvek slams his heavy hand onto the booth shouting “Will you take them or not?!”

“How much?”

“Twenty golds and ten silvers.”

“For that much money, the creature would kill itself” scoffs Shadow.

Growling intensely, Marvek responds, “And I would turn you into a trophy for far less, human.”

Shadow lifts his left hand up in the air, taking a step back, understanding the insult he brought to Marvek. “Pardon me, Beast Master. I wish to bring no insult. I am simply not well versed in the trade you take such pride.”

Marvek crosses his arms, lifting his head as his body slightly relaxes, “That, is easy to tell.”

Looking around Marvek’s shop, an idea strikes Shadow’s mind. The Draglin might be interested in something other than gold. He pick up a coin from his pocket, and as the coin shines in his grip, he asks “Have I told you what I am hunting?”

Marvek sits in silence, but the scale around his ears give away his peaked curiosity as the scarlet shade turns into a bright red.

“There are rumors around this town of a monster responsible for the disappearances.”

Marvek chuckels. “I knew your head was lost. I am beginning to like you, human.”

“Yes, it is. Are you interested?”

“What can you bring me? I have no time, nor interest to join your hunt.”

“I have reasons to belie it is a demon, Marvek. Name what you are interested in collecting and I shall deliver.”

“Its heart. Petrified.”

“It shall be done.”

“Very well, how much would you say these magnificent beasts are worth?”

“Fifteen golds.” Shadow looks a bit petrified at the tormented beasts, determined to buy them. “With fifteen, you could purchase yourself the Emperor’s dinning chair.”

“More like his spoon.”

Marvek looks at Shadow, his hand forming a trembling fist, as he reconsiders his offer.

“Now, now, no need to make a spectacle in this crowd, or the Crowns will have both our heads, brother.” Marvek pushes the cages towards Shadow, handing him three chains as well. “Very well. Fifteen it is. But remember, Shadow, at the end of this, I will have a petrified heart…”

The encounter with Marvek was of some importance for Shadow. He was frightened by what the Draglin would do to the beasts if he would not purchase them. He had a soft spot for wild beasts, as he considers they are not to be trifled with.

He puts the chains on the Dires, and much to his surprise, the three creatures became docile the moment he opened up the cage.

With the dires by his side, Shadow leaves the shop, fading into the crowd. He looks back once, noticing Marvek’s intense stare. Behind Marvek’s striking green eyes, there was a glimpse of respect, his smile  is accompanied by a nod. After a short moment, the imposing creature returns to the inner part of his shop.

He continues to stroll the market surrounded by people, some happy with their purchases, some desperate to find the items they desire. He stops by a few last booths to buy fruits and vegetables and a big piece of chellox meat to feed himself and the Dires.

His list is fully checked and he gains a sense of confidence as he strolls through the market, towards the big, wooden gates of the town, ready to begin his hunt. A strong blood-rush fills Shadows body as the thrill and the excitement of the hunt awake his connection to the Flow magical energies.