On the second day in Marten, Teok told me to go explore on my own for a while. So that was what I did.
Breakfast at the inn, then we parted ways. Teok's plan was apparently to find a tavern and start drinking at first light. Well — that was Teok.
I decided to head to the market and wander without any particular destination in mind.
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The market was as packed as ever.
Full of energy, the stalls dealing mainly in ingredients and prepared food, with weapons, armor, clothing, and scrolls mixed in among them. Just approaching from a different direction than yesterday kept turning up things I hadn't noticed before.
I was browsing the stalls, not minding the occasional curious look, when someone called out to me.
"Hey — the human over there. Come have a look."
The speaker was a Lizardman — a person with the appearance of an upright lizard. I looked into his stall. Something toasted and savory hung in the air. A fish stall, it seemed, but the main product appeared to be fish on skewers, grilled and ready to eat.
"Caught fresh this morning from the lake. What do you say?"
There were several varieties. I didn't know fish well, and most of the shapes were ones I was fairly certain I'd never seen in my old world. One was strikingly flat, like something had pressed it. Another was almost cylindrical.
What I ended up buying was a skewer of minced fish mixed with vegetables and grilled. He'd offered raw fish as well, but with no way to cook or store it, I declined. I bit into the skewer. Savory, nicely done — not bad at all.
Leaving the fish stall and turning back toward the main road, I walked into someone.
"Whoa—"
I stumbled and went down.
I'd walked into a passerby, apparently.
"My apologies."
The other person spoke first.
"No — I'm sorry." I'd been looking the wrong direction; the fault was mine too.
"Can you stand?"
A hand extended toward me. I took it and got to my feet, then looked up at who had helped me.
A large man — two meters tall, at least — dressed head to toe in robes or armor, dark blue and black as the base colors. Something about him carried a weight that was hard to place. A pressure that wasn't quite physical.
Large demikind weren't unusual here. Ogres and Minotaurs stood bigger. But this was something different from sheer size — more like an aura. The armor, which looked like something a Demon Lord's lieutenant might wear in a fantasy story, probably had something to do with it.
I was still staring when he spoke. "Something wrong?"
A slightly echoing, androgynous voice. Whether the armor caused that, I couldn't say. His face was hidden by the helmet, so I couldn't read his expression, but he didn't seem annoyed.
"Are you injured?"
"No, I'm fine…"
The intimidation had gotten to me and my voice came out embarrassingly small.
The large man didn't seem to notice, or didn't care. "Good," he said.
"Sorry for the trouble. Take care."
He turned and walked away. Then, a few steps on, he looked back.
"Uh — yes…?"
"If you happen to know a decent place to eat — I'm new to this town and not familiar with it. The market isn't bad, but I'd like somewhere I can sit down properly."
I'd only arrived in Marten yesterday myself. But I did know one place.
"If you go down that road there and into the alley, there's a place called *Sanfin.* I ate there yesterday — it was very good."
The large man made a low sound of interest. "Is that so. I'll go at once. I'm in your debt."
He turned and walked quickly toward the alley.
I watched him go, then turned back to the market.