Chapter 160: The Bargain
Riku and Sherry kept on walking.
The city was unlike any place Riku had ever been. The streets were clean and orderly, paved with smooth, dark stone that seemed to drink the light. The people were well-fed and moved with a sense of purpose. There was no sign of the famine that choked Luxia.
A street vendor sold sizzling skewers of some kind of roasted reptile meat. The heat for his grill came not from wood, but from a small, contained flame spirit that danced merrily in a metal cage.
Further down, a woman was haggling with a necromancer over the price of a reanimated servant. The skeletal figure stood patiently, its bony hands holding a large crate of produce. The negotiation was calm, practical, and a part of everyday life.
Children chased each other down the street, one of them followed by a small, clattering pet made of animated bones and spare parts. No one screamed. No one ran in fear.
This was not a land of evil. It was just... different. Their magic was dark, yes, but it was a tool, a part of their culture, woven into the fabric of their society.
"They seem... happy," Sherry whispered, her voice filled with a conflicting emotion. "Everything seems so nice on the outside. Only when you are at the top do you realize how things really are."
"Well, peace and trouble often come in cycles," Riku said, his eyes scanning the crowd. "Even in Luxia, there used to be peaceful times. However, ambition and greed always bring up their dirty heads out time and time again to ruin everything."
They continued to follow the faint pull of Riku’s magic. It led them through bustling market squares and quiet residential spires, deeper into the city’s heart. The trail grew stronger, the thrumming more insistent.
Finally, it led them to a less-traveled side street, dominated by shops dealing in artifacts, old scrolls, and magical components.
The trail stopped cold before one particular establishment.