The Bizarre Bazaar by GrayOverload, on Flickr
Ryan shuffled through the street, his eyes growing wider and wider with each step. He was in the market of Minten; a massive, sprawling sector of the walled village where anybody could come and sell their wares. The scents, sounds, and sights of everything that one could possibly buy were littered on the streets in barrels, on tables, and inside chests.
Prior to Scott’s imprisonment, the apothecary handed over his potion recipe to the rest of the group, pleading that they attempt to find at least a few of the ingredients while he was stowed away. Ryan took that liberty upon himself, while Harold and George set off to find information about the famed Elizabeth.
Ryan’s expectations for the market had been vastly different than what he wandered into. In the market back in Angten, there were normally one or two vendors both selling the same item. It could not be more different in Minten. Each seller brought a multitude of items to sell, and on top of that there was a multitude of sellers. The selection was much grander than back in Angten as well, with more focus on foreign goods than on fish or grain.
Coming to his senses, Ryan tried to focus on looking for the items on the recipe. Each ingredient had a small image scrawled next to it, so Ryan had a sense for what he was looking for. That being said, he was still very much unfamiliar with the contents of the parchment. He strolled past a stand that sold potions, but none of them matched any description on the list. The red priest who tended the stand seemed disappointed in his loss of a potential buyer, but quickly focused on new clients.
To his left, Ryan noticed a massive stand with all sorts of items. A man in dark red and black garb sat behind the counter, advertising his stand as a “taste of all the continents.” Ryan’s interest was piqued; the plethora of goods before him displayed knapsacks of varying sizes, quivers, maps, books, and various trinkets from all over Nortlen, perhaps even some from the fabled fourth continent.
The wind picked up, and Ryan finally realized how cold he was. It was nearing winter, and he was still dressed in his coastal summer garb. I should probably buy some heavier clothing, if funds allow, He thought to himself. I wouldn’t want to freeze while on a mission like this! But first, the list. Right, the list.
As he looked at the list, one of the products matched the description. “2 Night’s Bane mushrooms” was written in Scott’s fanciful handwriting. Next to it, a crude illustration of a white stalked mushroom with an oddly bland colored cap.
Ryan spotted a woman was bartering with the vendor. Her voice was sweet, and her hair was long and dark. She wore a green cape around her neck, and otherwise had brown clothing. It appeared that she was buying a map.
Maybe I could talk to her, Ryan pondered, his thoughts drifting away from the task at hand, forgotten entirely in his infatuation. Holly sat impatiently at his side, awaiting her master’s next movements.
From behind him, a woman was calling out someone’s name. Ryan paid no attention to it, until he saw the beautiful lady before him turn at the sound of this call. Then, he suddenly grew very frazzled, albeit a tad bit excited.
“The door is stuck again, come help me please!” the woman from behind called out once more. “Elizabeth!”
For the CCCXI: "Medieval Town" category. More photos are on my Brickshelf. This, of course, continues my story, but from the perspective of Ryan this time. It seems he has discovered Elizabeth in the city of Minten, but where are Harold and George to experience this discovery? The next installment will detail what's going on there...
C&C welcome!
