“Step aside,” a gruff voice said, pulling him from his tourist-like wonder. 

“My apologies” Dusk moved aside the instant he noticed the large man with a bear for a head walking past. Dressed in brown robes, he strode away from him, leaving a breeze in his wake from his mere size. Even a martial artist would envy his size. Dusk wondered at his animal physique, though his back looked human as he walked away. His head looked like a brown bear's. Was he beast folk too? Dusk only knew that he had so much more to learn than mere books and school flyers could tell him. 

“Focus!” Dusk reprimanded himself. It was easy to get lost in the view of the far-off towers giving off a pale rose glow. Or to want to see the inner workings of the large, central, white clock tower. He could play tourist later; right now, he needed to get his essentials. Straightening his robes, Dusk took a step forward. Off the mountain path, he was now on the outer ridge of the town of Lapidary. The town worked like the inner turn of a nautilus shell. Spreading itself until the center castle of the royals sat in all its glory. There were several markets; to his understanding, the further in you went, the higher the cost. He would start with the ones in front of him. 

Yet, how could I pass all this? Dusk thought the streets were more than diamond-cut brick. It was a hustling neighborhood, lined with vendors farther than he could see. People were talking, laughing, and shipping. It wasn't only that; it was the variety of people! Elves, both male and female, walked the street dressed in short tunics. With plunging fronts and even lower backs. He didn't know where to look; his face was heating at the sight. Dusk turned and focused on the stalls. Ran from the stoutest and strongest of bearded dwarfs to the strangest fish beast-man. Who was breathing with a helmet filled with water on his head. 

It was all very strange and wonderful at the same time. Reading couldn't have prepared Dusk for it, and now she's stepping aside armed with only an outsider's knowledge. He was going to thrust himself into it. Sidestepping another fast walker Dusk made his way to the first stall, called Household Tokens. Just what the cabin needs. A young dwarf stood behind the white wood stall. She was all blond curls with a small button nose. He could tell she was a dwarf from her short but broad stature. Her eyes were darting around, and Dusk saw her turn around three times in the few minutes he had noticed her. She looked almost as nervous as Dusk felt. 

“Welcome to Household Tokens,” her voice came out in a plain and even voice. “Please let me know if you need help.” 

“I will,” Dusk said with a nod of his head. Looking at the rows of weaved baskets lined up on the wood stall's shelf. Small labels with their prices made it easy for him to browse on his own. The first basket held small tokens, like the teleportation token he had used to get to the cabin. Teleportation coins would be handy for getting home or to school once it started. Lifting the price tag, he saw that he could buy them for two pebbles each. Donmiad currency... 

“Pardon me,” Dusk said, raising his head toward the shock shop keep. “Do you offer deals for those who use universal coins?” He would like to save money where he can. If only he could make them himself… Something to look into. Dusk tucked that thought away for later. 

“Um!” She was sweating while her hands failed in front of her. Dusk waited for her to calm down enough to answer, but it seemed to be making her worse. 

“Teleportation tokens,” A gruff voice broke in. Dusk took a step back, and a large arm darted in front of him, making his robes blow in the breeze. The large hand was accompanied by wide, sharp black talons. Scooped up the tokens Dusk was looking at. Looking at the man, he appeared rough, from the gravel tone of his voice to the clothes on his back. Dressed in tattered robes, shoes torn open, and a broad blade on his back. That appeared to be in better care than the man himself. The sword didn't intimidate him; they were common in the martial arts country he was from. His eyes were another matter. 

They were black, with no pupil, and the vines of his eyes were red and popping from his eyes. The feather main that adored his head was malting where he stood. He could have been an adventure, but Dusk instincts said there was something wrong with this man. Dusk gave a sideways glance to the nervous woman. He could hear her knees knocking. Not good.  

“Get the man his tokens,” Dusk said under his breath; the aggressive man didn't even notice. Looking around, he saw no one moving to help. Was this common here?  Dusk hoped not; he wanted to leave, but the girl looked like she was about to pass out. Her skin was dropping a shade of color every second that went by. 

“Two,” she whimpered, and then winced. Dusk would make a guess that she had bitten her own tongue. “Two pebbles each.” 

“What! You're trying to rip off an adventure, girl!” The man slammed his hand on the stall. Shaking the stall's table and its contest. “Do you know who I am?” His nose flared, and he leaned forward towards the girl. “I am the Feathered Dancer! C rank!” Adventurers were the brave ones who fought against the rise of monsters. The hall master, Sage, would have never allowed such a man to reach any rank and act in such a way. It’s a disgrace. 

“Still,” whispered the blond girl, standing her ground. Tears budded at the corner of her eyes. “They're two pebbles each.” The man was fast, but not faster than Dusk’s former brother. His arm shot over the table; it didn't take much to figure out he was going to grab the girl. Calling on his basic magic, Dusk did two things. Wet the ground beneath his feet by calling on the moisture in the air. Then, calling on the surrounding air, he pushed a gentle wind on the man's chest. The combination sent the man flying back on his heels. Some whispering and giggles were coming from neighboring stalls. 

“Who'd want to buy from this damn stall?” Feathered Dancer scrambled back up and kicked the stall. Knocking a few things off the stall's table, he left a few feathers in his wake. Watching him go and seeing how busy the streets still were. Dusk did the right thing by kneeling down and starting to pick up the falling tokens and baskets. The blond shopkeeper came running around the table to help.

“Thanks, thank you!” Her pale skin looked clammy, and her eyes were pinpricks in the sun. Dusk raised a hand. 

“Please sit; you appear like you could fall.” Dusk didn't have the time to deal with a fainting girl. Her small stature didn't mean he could pick her up if she fell. His understanding was that dwarfs lacked height. They made up for it with a heavy, muscular frame that didn't always show. If she faints, he will leave her there. Dusk decided. It might have been a cold decision, but his kindness only went so far. 

“Phew!” She sat down right on the ground in front of the fallen tokens. With her hands behind her, she tilted her head back and looked at the sky. “Grandpa told me it would be easy.” 

“Is that so?” Dusk put all the teleportation back into one basket, each embossed with a hammer wrapped in a flower. They were different from the ones he revived when he came here this morning. “Is there no regulation for token markings?” Dusk wondered, flipping the coin in his hand. Seeing the symbol on both sides 

“Tokens are works of art; each seller has their own brand.” A cheerful voice spoke from the side. Turning towards the voice, Dusk saw a young man wearing the same white school robe. Underneath, he wore a rich and brilliant blue shirt that bared his neck down to the top of his chest. A lot of fabric covered his chest before bearing his midriff. Black gems sat at his throat and at the V of his shirt, set in gold. A band of lighter blue wrapped around his waist. Once again, it was decorated with a thin vine of lace and gold and black gems. His pants were loose and simple in comparison. “It's the colored band in the middle that tells you what the token is for.” 

His shining, sparkling, dark blue eyes drew Dusk in while he talked. His tussled black hair was swept to one side in a part that danced his bangs over one eye. It was short enough to tinkle that man's nape and make him look well-kept. Dusk could tell that the man came from money and was the type who liked to spend it to look good. It didn't make him a bad man, but it might have made him a pain. Dusk wasn't sure how to go forward with him, but he had answered his question. Breaking himself away from those dark-blue eyes. 

“My thanks; I did not know that.” Dusk said, dipping his head with all the grace the kneeling position offered him. He hurried up and picked up the rest of the token. 

“I saw what you did there,” he said, kneeling down and tilting his head in front of Dusk. “Your lifestyle magic is impressive.” 

“I used basic magic.” Dusk frowned and laid all the tokens flat in their baskets. He didn't deny the magic came from him, but he had not heard of lifestyle magic. 

“You're from Redneval!” He snapped his fingers and said, “I thought I recognized the accent.” Dusk gave him his most polite smile. He didn’t think he had an accent, and he didn't hear one when the man before him spoke, but he smiled. Picking up the baskets, Dusk stacked them into one easy-to-pick-up pile. 

“Pardon me,” Dusk stood up, brushing past the talkative man when he stood. He placed the baskets back on the table where he first saw them. 

“I see you're going to Lapidary University too; it must be your first year; I haven't seen you around before.” He placed his hand out, fingers bent down. “I'm Micah.” Dusk looked at Micah, and his outstretched hand., He wasn’t sure what he wanted from him, but he was positive it was part of his greeting. 

“Greetings,” Dusk felt in his automatic response. Hand to his chest, a slight bend to his waist; he dipped his head. “I am Dusk, Dusk Wooddancer.” 

“Oh, you are like I imagined.” Like he imagined? They had never met before. Dusk thought with confusion. Micah brought his outstretched hand to his mouth and laughed. Much like he had seen the ladies do when flirting on the street. Strange, Dusk thought. He had never seen a guy act that way before. It wasn't a bad thing, but it confused Dusk a bit. How was he supposed to treat him? 

“I'm happy to see I haven't disappointed my senior.” Dusk decided to treat him like everyone else. It was easier. Dusk didn't want to burden himself too much with a stranger. 

“Happy to see...” Micah's blue eyes went wide. “Oh! Is that so?” Micah laughed. A full laugh that took over his whole body. Micah's head tilts back; he's waved one hand and wrapped the other hand around his stomach. Dusk was shocked by the very open nature of the man before him. He was the very opposite of his life. At least at first glance.  It was a front. His first thoughts were to deny the nature of the man in front of him, but he couldn't be sure. “You're wonderful!” 

“Micah!” A voice bellowed down the street. Micah turned toward it, his nose wrinkled. It was a very cute reaction. Dusk shook his head, thinking someone was acting cute. He must be more tired than he thought. 

“I have to go,” Micah sighed, winking at him. “I'll see you at school.” He looked down at the shock stall keeper. “And you, shush!” He put a finger to his lips when he shushed the girl. Why would he shush her? Dusk didn't know, but the man hadn't made much sense since he first came along. He chose to shrug it off. “Goodbye, Dusk.” Another wink, and he walked away with a grace that made him wonder. Did he know martial arts? Dusk couldn't shake the thought that Micah's steps looked like cloud steps. A step that ladies used to speed themselves up back in Feverfew. 

“I can't believe that happened!” The shopkeeper made a high-pitched noise that hurt his ears and started bouncing up and down on the floor where she sat. “I met Prince Perfect!” 

“Prince Perfect?” Dusk couldn't help but let the question slip from his lips. It sounded degrading, like a children's storybook character. Even hearing the name made his insides wince. 

“You don't—oh!” She proceeded to cut off her own words. “That's why he-” Waving her hands in the air, Dusk could see she had some sort of thought process going on. “That's why I-” She slapped her mouth shut with her hands. “Shush.” When she shushed herself, Dusk decided it was time to leave; it was getting annoying, and he had places to be. Things to buy A cabin to make it tolerable. 

“Farewell,” Dusk said, giving the girl a short bow before trying to walk around her. Then she grabbed at his robes. Taking fistfuls of the bottom and entangling it in her hand.

“Don't go!” Dusk could feel his lips flatten. While his controlled displeasure at the girl's actions became tested. Sighing, Dusk closed his eyes for a moment and looked down the street for guidance. Surprisingly, it came in the form of an angry dwarf storming down the street. His sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing off his hard-earned brawn. His thick brows covered his eyes, which were shooting daggers at the girl hanging onto his robe. “You haven-” The older man, judging by his gray stripes in his black hair and short, wiry beard, He brought his fist down on the girl's head. “Ow!” 

“You draft girl! I told you to watch the stall! "Do not make a fool of it, and me!” He then proceeded to take the girl by the ear, who had let go of Dusk's robe, and take her behind the stall. “Go work on your skills!” Dusk had to say that he liked the dwarf man's style. Hands on his hips, he sighed at the girl, who turned and gave him a bright white, toothy smile.

“But grandpa...” She whined. He ignored her and walked up to the front. Banished to the back of the stall. Dusk could see her sulking on a stool in the back, her head hanging low. Peeking at her grandfather, when she saw his back turned, she stuck her tongue out at him. She reminded Dusk of young Ginger with her actions. Bright and carefree. A little irresponsible.  

“Welcome to Household Tokens!” His hands were placed behind his back, and the old man bellowed it out with pride. “I'm Duff; what can I do for you?” Dusk couldn't place his accent, but the light lit his words, making all that bellowing almost pleasant. 

“Do you give discounts for universal coins?” Dusk repeated his earlier question, stepping to the stall’s front once again. He wasn't opposed to shopping here, especially if he could work out a little bit of a deal. The coin could become short if he spent it recklessly. That cost of that title still stung. 

“Is my granddaughter a fool?” He snorted, ruffling his small scruff of beard. Dusk brought his thoughts back to the present. 

“Hey!” She shouted, offended for obvious reasons. Dusk took that as a yes, but chose to accept it with a nod but no words. He did pride himself on his manners, after all.