The moment he stepped out of the inner gates, the world seemed to have changed. Gone was the quiet and peaceful environment of the palace replaced with absolute chaos.
Merchants lined the lower floors curved into the mountainside, their stalls stocked with everything from weird mineral ores he had never seen to strange beast carcasses that radiated aether.
"Fresh Ember fang ribs! Still hot... come look you'll get a discount for five bought."
"Spirit thread robes. Wooven from the highest quality silk from the frozen moon lake."
"Oi! Watch where you're going. "
He paused slightly, shifting out of the way as another trader barreled past him shouting the same as anyone who was before him.
"It's... more lively, " he said, glancing around, " than I had expected."
"Actually this is the quieter side," Zelpher said, his tone slightly raised to match the noise," you wouldn't want to visit the main market."
Atheline briefly glanced back at him.
