When Magic Was Discovered

Chapter Four

Graham attempted to get Acetto's attention. When he looked back over to the Spellbinder, he was fast asleep. Graham frowned, but also felt tired himself. Being out of the sun, he felt he could relax. Graham found himself asleep, before he could think about the other Spellbinders.

The two awoke to the sound of metal scraping together. Graham shot up, forgetting where he was. Other travelers loomed at him, a few of the younger ones snickering. A red washed over Graham's face as he sat back down.

"We're here," Acetto said to Graham. He pulled aside one of the flaps on the tarp that covered the wagon. Graham looked out and saw a massive settlement. It was bigger than he had ever seen before.

Trade City had large walls made of stone and metal that surrounded it. The metal sound he had heard was the entrance being opened for them. Dispersion soldiers guarded the gate and the walls.

Already, Graham could hear the large amounts of people talking through the entrance of the city. It immediately lived up to its name, because once they passed the entrance, all Graham could see was shops and stalls. People were buying and selling food, supplies, strange metal parts, and even weird looking technology.

"Alright, this is our stop. Let's go shopping Graham." Acetto stood up and began to walk towards the back of the wagon.

"Wait, the..." Graham started as he turned to the corner where the others were. They were already gone.

"What's that?"

"Nothing, I guess..." Graham replied. He was hoping to talk to them at least. With the sense he had felt the first time, he wondered if he might be able to find them again.

The boy decided to follow Acetto out of the wagon. The two looked around, trying to assess where to go through the sea of people. Graham felt more overwhelmed now that he was surrounded by people that were staring at him as they walked by.

Everyone looked so different than the people Graham had ever met. Instead of the farmer attire or Dispersion uniform he was used to, almost every in Trade City were wearing similar clothes to Acetto.

"I can see why you said I should change," Graham admitted.

Acetto laughed. "I think I know a place to help with that."

The two began to maneuver through the people. Acetto walked proudly and it seemed to make others move out of his way. Graham wasn't sure how Acetto felt so confident when he himself felt like people could see right through him.

The older Spellbinder led Graham through side streets until they found themselves at a less busy district, where traders were more established in shops.

"These shops can get us in and out in no time."

Graham hoped he was right. With less people around, he felt less safe. Though he knew safety in a foreign place could go either way.

Acetto marched into one of the closest shops. The building had a crudely constructed metal door. Acetto pulled it open, the door giving a loud screech as it reached back towards the shop wall. "Ah the construction of the free world," Acetto said, seemingly making a joke that Graham didn't quite understand. Acetto frowned and simply waved Graham to enter.

"Anything I should be looking for exactly?"

He was surprised to see so many clothes set up throughout a small space. A single person stood beside a cash box behind a desk. The rest of the shop was shelves of clothes, a few holding rough shapes that wore pieces that were stored on the shelves below.

"Well anything you want really," Acetto replied. He pulled the door shut behind them.

"I've never been to anything like this before," Graham said out loud. The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow. Acetto laughed it off.

"My cousin's never been to the city. His uncle keeps him busy on the farm."

"Family business eh? You farm types are alright by me. You one of my suppliers?"

Acetto shook his head. "No sadly. We do crops mostly. Haven't had any animal stock for about a decade."

Graham smirked at Acetto's lying ability. He could tell he's had to blend in with traders a lot.

"Crops are always nice," the shopkeep said as they nodded, "it's the animals that'll make you the most money though."

"I've told my dad that for years now. He's a stubborn one," Acetto explained.

Graham decided to get a closer look at the clothes while Acetto and the shopkeeper chat. Each outfit in the shop had the same look as everyone in the crowd he saw earlier. He knew it would be best to not look like a farmer, even if Acetto could small talk like one.

The clothes were an easy pick. He found an outfit that looked close to Acetto's. It was made of white cloth with a few straps of leather here and there. Even though most traders wore the same cloth, Graham felt more like a Spellbinder in them.

Acetto paid the shopkeeper and the two Spellbinders went on their way. "Now we should be fine just about anywhere. Farmer clothing just doesn't sit right with people, especially when you don't have goods to trade or sell."

Graham nodded. He was pretty sure his father always wore a specific trading outfit when he took the goods from the farm.

"Where to now?"

"Here's where it gets exciting. There's a place here in Trade City that will get us to our final destination in no time flat."

"How is that possible?"

"It's a special area down below. One of the original veins of magic was said to travel through it. That's where we can use our powers to travel fast."

Graham was eager to see what that area could look like. His mind raced with crazy ideas of technology that could harness magic and send them through the ground at high speeds.

Before he got too lost in thought, the two Spellbinders stopped as shouting and yelling echoed from the busier streets. The most common words Graham made out where "black magic."