Enchanted (A Robul Fanfic)

The Market

    Vlad made his way through the crowds of people bustling around the market. His cloak pulled over his head and around his body, protecting him from the harsh rays of the sun. He stopped and hovered over a few stalls every now and then, staring at the lush fruit carts or the extravagant silks that hung from the walls of some stalls.

Vlad had always loved the energy surrounding the market, it always filled him with a lively feeling. The hustle and bustle of it all was quite exciting compared to the quiet life he lead in the forest. Sure, it was nice to be around fellow supernaturals like him. But it was nice to feel like part of a majority every once in a while.

The faint sound of music filled the air as the sound of voices muddled together. Vlad reminded himself to keep a low profile, despite how badly he wished to go out and strike up a conversation with someone. Humans were so interesting and had so much freedom, or at least they did to Vlad.

Eventually, Vlad stopped at the stall he was looking for. A gruff looking butcher glanced down at Vlad from behind the stall, "Vlad, here for the usual?" The man asked. Vlad nodded his head eagerly, knowing that the butcher wasn't a man of many words. The butcher handed Vlad a weighty bag, filled with fresh meat and animal blood, of course. Vlad fiddled with a small pouch before sliding over 3 silver coins and heading off on his way.

Vlad decided to hang around the market for a little while longer, he wasn't in a desperate rush to get back anyways. Vlad wasn't really paying attention to where he was going, just sort of wandering his way around the stalls. He passed by a few clothing stalls, filled with fine silk outfits from far away kingdoms, several produce stalls with items such as homemade cheese and fresh milk. Every so often Vlad would eavesdrop on a conversation or two, trying to piece together what exactly was happening in certain conversations.

Vlad eventually found himself intrigued by a certain conversation between two men. "Have you heard the recent news? Apparantly some people have gone missing as of last night!" The first man whispered hurriedly. "What? Really? I bet it was those damn demons that hide out in the forest. Those bloodsucking leeches can't be trusted." The second man cursed.

Vlad had been focussing so intensely on the conversation that he forgot to pay attention to his surroundings. A sudden force crashed into him, sending both him and the force onto the ground. Vlad dropped his bag and looked up to face what had walked into him. He made eye-contact with a boy around his age, with messy black hair that accented his Chartreuse colored eyes. The boy quickly stood up abd picked up his box of goods, "Oh no, please forgive me! I had no intentions of crashing into you like that!" The boy apologized, holding out a hand to help Vlad up.

Vlad picked up his own bag of goods and grabbed his hand, "ah, no worries! I should've been paying more attention. You were the one carrying the big box afterall" Vlad stated, being careful not to expose his hand to the sunlight longer than nessecary.

"Are you alright? I really should've paid more attention to where I was walking," The boy questioned, tilting his head to look past the box of goods he was carrying.

"I'm fine, thank you! I'll make sure to pay more attention from now on," Vlad answered, fiddling with the side of his cloak. Something about this boy was making his senses act up, and he suddenly felt like his throat was clamming up.

"I wish I could make it up to you somehow... Oh! My name is Boris Nikola, if you stop by the bakery just around the corner from here i'll make something as an apology!" Boris stated, smiling softly.

"I guess I'll have to take you up on that offer!" Vlad replied, giggling a bit in return. "I'll be sure to see you there!" Vlad added before waving and heading off in the opposite direction.

"Wait-! I never got your name!" Boris called out, but the stranger was already long gone. 'What an interesting encounter' Boris thought to himself before continuing with the box in his hands. He did still have a job to do.  'I hope he comes by' Boris allowed himself one more thought before returning to work.