Argis

In her great rush to leave the house that morning, Argis had forgotten how busy the streets would be. On any normal day, travelling through the heart of the business district would be the shortest route to the cafe. However, today was Saturday - bargain hunting day. Nearly every shop along the main road was at maximum capacity, since every shopper was searching for end-of-the-week discounts and sales. The vendors needed to sell as much as they could, for any extra product would become a burden on the trip back to their hometowns. The farmers and herbalists had to collect their goods for next week, as they sold perishable items. Even the craftsmen and artisans left the city each weekend to restock their supply of wands, potions, crystals, or other merchandise. Today, everything had to go.

Argis hurried through the streets as quickly as the crowd allowed, dripping mango juice on her cloak as she ate. There were a wide assortment of obstacles for her to contend with, but she ducked and pushed past people admiring products on display. She ducked underneath a line of cabbages that trailed after a buyer, then stepped over a staff that someone’s child had dropped in the road. She ignored the vendors that hawked their goods at her and looked up as sheets of paper flew over the crowd toward the direction of their recipients. The post office had just opened for the day.

As Argis passed stands, she tried to eye merchandise through the thick swarm of people. She caught glimpses of shiny trinkets and baubles, but her view was always blocked by someone a little taller than her. She edged her way around a party of spellcasters admiring swords and staffs, then felt her mouth water as she noticed the scent of food. Someone nearby was selling warm breakfast, but Argis reminded herself that she would eat with Sabine in just a short while.

The people in the district were as varied as the products they sold. Argis saw people who resembled elves with their long, pointed ears, and others who looked like eagles with large, majestic wings trailing behind them. Eyes of all colors turned to examine products, and usually, colorful hair followed behind. Although the people were somewhat strange according to the standards of any city, Argis had grown used to seeing such sights. After all, Ather was known for its great trade capacity - it only made sense that many foreign people would be attracted here.

Some visitors had boldly redesigned their bodies, and Argis admired them. A lot of energy and skill went into making a dramatic change. It took a surprisingly large amount of concentration and training to alter one's body in an intended way, as the human features were so delicate that even a tiny lapse in attention could result in a tragic mistake. Cosmetic blunders were more difficult to reverse than intentional changes, as intention was an incredibly important aspect of magic.

After having passed hundreds of stands, Argis finally exited the market and threw her mango pit onto the grass next to the road. She came out to another noisy road, but this time, a bit wider. It accommodated traffic better, so everyone was able to move more quickly. Argis glanced at the street signs and made her way toward the cafe, which was located near one of the quieter edges of the district.

Several streets later, Argis finally turned the right corner. She was immediately greeted with a welcoming sign that read “The Black Cats Cafe - Opening Day!” and a line of people that spilled out the doors of the establishment. Argis immediately began to scan the crowd for Sabine - her friend’s tall head would be easy to spot bobbing above the crowd.

After looking for a few moments, Sabine's short brown hair became visible from across the street. Argis stepped off the curb quickly, glancing at a the traffic before hurrying through a line of slowly-moving carriages. The girl didn't want to lose track of her friend.

Coming closer, Argis noticed that Sabine was engaged in conversation with someone, smiling and laughing. However, Argis couldn't see who she was speaking with; the stranger was facing the opposite direction. But the girl simply assumed the stranger was a friend of Sabine's - she didn't mind, for any friend of Sabine was a friend of Argis. The group could all go out to lunch together, and everyone would have a good time.

But Argis was wrong.