Finding for the truth

chapter 5: dark market

the atmosphere around the marketplace wasn't pleasant at all. the crowd shouted, yelled, murmured. The stalls laid two sides covering a long distance. unlike normal marketplace, they contain wired items like skulls, bones, weird masks. They had this confusing question, is Melody supposed to be that way? But neither of them expressed their confusions. They headed over to one of the stalls in the left aisle who was free of customers and asked the keeper, 

"excuse me, sir, do you know any blacksmith here?"

He said nothing but put his palm forward.

Kate whispered into Ella's ear " what's he doing?"

Ella cleared her throat as loudly as she could and asked the same question again. This time they made a success. He finally uttered but said only one word, "treat".

"Treat?" Kate repeated.

Then a huge man stood behind them almost creating a deep shadow.

"C'mon. Hurry up or else leave" he frowned with his dark thick brows.

They moved aside letting the huge man take over space. The usual action the shopkeeper attempted. And The giant customer threw some coins into the counter annoyingly and the shopkeeper gave him a box. God knows what's in it.

"That's a treat". Kate was confused. Why treat for a simple question? She thought.

Ella came to know what was going on. She dragged Kate away from both the aisle into the centre and whispered, "first of all it is not pleasant, the melody is known to me melodious secondly they are dealers and they sell black magic items and stolen and many other things, thirdly people are so scary and weird". She continued. "Which clearly says that it is no melody's marketplace. It's a Dark Market!"

"Then what are we waiting for let's leave before we catch attention then it's gonna be so not unpleasant". Kate said.

but they were too late. they could see some people eyeing their high profile while sneaking behind oil barrels.

"so much for our high profile".

"True" Ella agreed. "Let's make it easy. Pretend you never know that they are keeping a close look at us".

"wait I have an idea". kate whispered into her ear. she told her escaping plan and they began to do the same. kate shouted, "Hey, catch me if you can", and let them follow her. while Ella tore out the banner which was hung in one of the shops and prepared a booby trap in front of the boat. finally, kate came back running towards the boat. when she was nearly close she jumped away sideways and let them tumble over into the boat. when they all fall into the boat Ella and kate pushed the boat away from the land. they groaned fuming.

kate and Ella high fived and cheered. but to avoid further 'attention of high profile' they left. through the path, they came from.

"How come we came the wrong way". Kate said annoyingly. "we followed the sun. didn't we?"

"maybe we came in the right direction, towards the west but we do not exactly know where in the west?"Ella guessed.

"wait, I remember one thing. while I was in Velda, an old man gave me this". kate tugged her hand into the pocket and took out the compass.

"a compass?" Ella asked. "but we already know the west".

"but he said it will be helpful". kate said feeling hopeful.

Ella examined it carefully and found a symbol of the sun behind the compass. "this is the same symbol in my pendant". she touched it and showed kate.

"Does that mean the two of the items are related? are they shinexian?" kate asked Ella.

"I feel the pendant so close to me. even the symbol". She examined further and found an opening. she realised it was a box. When she opened the box, there appeared a map showing the way to Shinex. the map wasn't ordinary. it was more than ordinary. Extraordinary. it had the designing of a hologram. and it did act that way too. the blue light beamed above the compass. it also showed their current location. They stared at it for a whole minute without blinking. it was mesmerizing."Wow!" they murmured.

"It's the map. so incredible. Now we can easily go to Shinex". kate said.

"who was he?" Ella now looked at kate.

"I never asked his name. he was a tea seller, who sold as a street vendor. he was never there before. that was the day I saw him first. and somehow he knew all about me". kate went through the incident.

"Maybe the destiny wants us to uncover the truth. the truth about Shinex". Ella said.

with the help of the map, they were able to get to the outskirt of the dark market. it was mentioned in the compass. by then it was sunset. they had to eventually come into a halt. but where to take a halt for a night? so they tried pacing further. and met the entrance to the Pinewood. the place is known to have a Legend...the legend of pinewood. which is known to be dangerous that even adults fear. the fear of the legend kept the people away from the forest. thus no woodcutters. and each day the forest grows thicker. the legend of the three animals is known to almost everyone. it sent a shiver through their spines. Will they encounter the legend or not?

TO BE CONTINUED...