storm - a sky cotl au

chapter 21 - vale

"......argh."

I stomp through the city, crossing bridges and passing through pavilions, staring at anything and everything. Anything to keep my mind off what the healer said.

Even though it isn't really working.

Did Moon know about this? Has she been lying to us the whole time?

Did she hurt Fox on...purpose?

Looking up from the wooden planks, I see a bunch of stalls, with multicoloured awnings, selling everything under the sky. Anything you could think of, from amethyst to zoetropes.

I hesitate, knowing this could distract me for a while, so I slow down and start walking through the market, making sure to keep my cape close to me. I know the Forest capital, despite being beautiful, is one of the most dangerous parts of the world.

I scan the shops quietly. One there sells roasted hazelnuts, one sells beautiful hand-painted tapestries, and then I spot one that sells crystals. They could have the key to Eden that the Prairie Elder sold.

Slowly, I start to walk towards the shop, before I feel a sharp tug on my cape. Panicked, I look back. I spot a rippling blue cape, and my panic slowly fades.

"Hey Vale," the boy from earlier smiles.

I tilt my head. "Oh...hey, why are you here?"

"Well...the healer asked me to look over your friends at first, but then he realised you hadn't come back yet...so he asked me to go......actually, it's nothing." He flushes awkwardly.

I go quiet for a moment. His behaviour is kinda strange, but okay. "So...uh...why'd you pull me back?"

He mumbles, "...I just thought you probably wouldn't know the art of bargaining here. In case that shop had...uh...whatever you're looking for."

"......oh. Then, do you know how?"

"Yeah." His eyes seem to glint with calm enthusiasm for a moment. "I've helped a bunch of people do their shopping before."

"Oh...cool."

"Just leave it to me." He slowly walks forward and stands in front of the store.

The owner, a tall, lanky-looking skykid with a purple cape and glasses, looks up. He says in a slow, droning voice, "Oh...hello. What...would you like to...purchase?"

The boy looks back towards me. "Uh...by any chance do you have an iridescent, large, diamond-shaped crystal?"

"Not...that I know...of," the owner drones.

The boy narrows his eyes for a moment.

"No...trust me."

He glares a while longer, before I see his gaze soften, and he turns back to me. "We can keep going. Let's look for another shop."

I wonder what he just did. "So...uh...I'm Vale," I mumble awkwardly as we walk through the crowded market, the boy wrapping his cape close to himself like me.

"Mizuto," he replies with a serene smile. "What are you here for?"

"Uh...normal business. Looking for a specific...family heirloom." I reply awkwardly.

He hesitates for a moment, like he's not fully convinced, but he soon mumbles sympathetically, "Sorry about your friends."

"It's okay." I scan the shops and spot a crystal shop. "There's a crystal shop there, could we check?"

"Sure," Mizuto murmurs, tilting his head ever so slightly as he approaches the shop. The shop owner this time is a younger skykid with a tattered yellow cape.

Mizuto hesitates and narrows his eyes again. "Could I ask if you have any large, iridescent, diamond-shaped crystals?"

He hesitates. "As a matter of fact, yes." He looks under the table for a moment, before revealing a huge crystal. Exactly like the one Moon got from the Isle Elder.

"That's the thing I wanted to find!" I exclaim.

He smiles at me. "So you're interested? I'm afraid the asking price is quite high, though."

I hesitate, before opening my mouth for a second, but Mizuto waves his hand at me. "How much?" he asks fiercely.

"Well..."

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hi :D
Idk what to write here this time so just have a good 24 hours wherever you are :)