140 Off To The Marke

After a week of recuperation in the Alterra Sector, Vyrena and Lycster were finally given a chance by the healers to head out of the hospital for a walk. They had been cooped up for so long that they had been pleading with the healers to let them out. Finally, they got their chance!

The healers even prepared them each a set of clothing to change into, so that they could not stand out from the crowd when they explored the area. Nayla, one of the healers, also gave them useful information on where they could go.

She even prepared a map for them, just in case they got lost.

"Now remember! You are to return here by sundown, alright? It should give you plenty of time to wander around. Do not worry! Elves are mostly really nice so if you need help, just ask!" Nayla reminded them repeatedly.

Something about her reminded Vy of Carole.

"Don't worry! We won't run away Miss Nayla," Lycster replied with glee.

"You better not! If not I will drag both of your asses back here if I have to!" she replied.

All of them shared a good laugh.

With that, Lycster and Vy waved farewell to Nayla as they walked down the street; ready to explore this new environment. Both of them had only seen the outside through the window of their room which could not justify the beauty of the Alterra Sector.

Almost every single building was either made out of the stem of a tree or was covered in vines, flowers and other plant life.

"Vy, could we go to the market that Miss Nayla mentioned? I heard there were travelling merchants who bring in seasonal items!" Lycster exclaimed with glee.

She smiled, "Sure that sounds good, but before that, I need to go to the bank."

"What for?" Lycster asked out of curiosity.

Vy ruffled his hair, the boy looked so clueless!

"Well, if we're planning to do some shopping, we would likely need some money, don't we? Besides, we also need to pay for our medical bills at the hospital," Vy explained.

Lycster slapped himself on the head, how could he be so ignorant? Vy laughed as they made their way to the Interbank branch that was nearest to them. Just as Nayla had informed her, it was a bit of a walk away but the familiar signboard and building put Vy at ease.

At least they were not lost! It was a good thing that Vy had kept the identification token on her and it was not lost during the battle. After some quick verification and discussion with the staff at the bank, Vy managed to make a withdrawal.

"Thank you for your patronage, Miss Blackfire. We would also like to congratulate you on becoming an Onyx Member," the bank teller, Jessie, said to Vy.

-Onyx Member? What does that mean?-

-Dotty do you…-

Vy stopped herself as she bit her lip. Sometimes, she forgot that Dotty was no longer by her side. Vy recalled on her own what an Onyx Member meant. The Interbank had special tiers set up for their patrons, based on the amount of money they had with the bank. When a certain amount is accumulated over time, a person can be alleviated to a higher tier.

Onyx Members meant Vy no longer need to carry the identification token around with her to make any withdrawals. All bank staff would be able to recognise her and assist her with anything she needed.

Even if it was beyond bank needs. But they did not have many hours of daylight to go through the details now! They needed to go to the market. After ensuring they had withdrawn sufficient funds, they left the bank and headed towards the market.

"Lycster, what's the name of the market?"

"I think she said it was called, Reivi Market. Apparently it's made up of travelling merchants from all around!"

After navigating through the streets for a while, Vy realised they seemed to be a little lost. Although hesitant to ask for directions at first, she did not anyway and one of the elves she asked was nice enough to bring both of them to the market.

As they got nearer, they could see that the market was bustling merchants and tons of customers going from store to store. The scene before them reminded them greatly of the market back in Timbretune.

Remembering Timbretune reminded Vy of the fried rice she had.

-I must go back there when we return to Timbretune.-

-Dot…-

She did it again.

Lycster tugged at Vy's sleeve, causing her to be drawn out of her thoughts and back into reality.

"Vy! Look! It's a stall selling books! Shall we take a look?" Lycster asked with a huge smile. His eyes were filled with excitement and wonder.

"Sure!"

Both of them walked over to the store to have a closer look. This scene reminded Vy of the times she went to the antique markets with Dotty in Timbretune. Back then, Dotty was nothing but a voice in her mind.

Dotty would absorb the particles to help her grow and evolve. Vy looked around and realised that she could still see the particles surrounding some of the antique items and books around.

-Could this be a result of my abilities as a Kyu?-

Vy walked up closer to the items that spoke to her and examined them closely. As soon as she got near them, she could feel herself absorbing the energy from it. It fueled and revitalised her in an instant.

One of the objects that were emitting the energy was a book about the different kingdoms in Gaeian. Apart from that, there was a storybook about a girl who was stuck in an endless maze and what looked like a wood-carved handle of a sword.

Vy picked up the handle and admired the carvings on it. This would make a good handle for a project she was working on. Vy had been thinking about what to craft with the Blackcrium metal she had. The wood handle seemed perfect for what she had in mind.

"Did you find anything you like?" Lycster asked as he came towards Vy.

Vy nodded as she showed him the items she wanted to get.

"I've got mine picked out too! But umm… could you help me carry them?" Lycster asked.

"Of course, where are they?"

Lycster let her to one of the shelves and pointed down at a book and object he had picked out.

Once they had gathered their purchases together, they went over to the shopkeeper to pay for it before moving onto the next store. There were many stalls lined up in the market and not to mention food stalls that were selling delicacies from all over.

Most of the food served at the hospital were vegetarian, which Vy and Lycster were alright with but food stalls in the market were selling spiced roasted meats. Smelling the sauces was enough to get their mouths watering.

Together, they decided on a stall that was selling meat skewers and quickly sat down to order. The aroma of truffle oil quickly got their attention.