Cassian dodged the question with a quick excuse, brushing it off before things could go any further, and hurried them along.
Not long after, they found themselves at the market near the docks.
It was packed with stalls lined with all kinds of fish—fresh, glistening, laid out in colorful rows. But surprisingly, there was no overwhelming smell. Magic formations set around the booths kept everything contained—no stink, no flies, no insects.
Clean.
Orderly.
Almost too clean for a place like this.
"The fish here are so cheap…" Lucy said, eyes lighting up as she looked over the variety at one of the stalls.
The shopkeeper, overhearing her, smiled and nodded.
"You folks look like you're from the mainland," he said. "That's why it seems cheap to you…"
Lucy nodded, and the shopkeeper went on, "Well, we get the fish straight from the sea—just a mile or two down that way—so it's cheap. Sending it inland while keeping it fresh costs a lot more…"
