Upon the Trading

When is this set: Present, Today
Time of day: Noon
What the weather is like: Sunny and Hot
Where is the RP set: Cuspia's Markets

It was a busy and loud time at the markets today, the time was noon and everyone was either trying to sell their goods or buy some new ones. Law was one of the many hundreds or thousands of people that were around and saw how shop owners were setting up their shops for silk, weapons, rugs, jewelry, books. For Law he was looking for something special to buy something that would give him knowledge about Alchemy, but he didn't know where to look. He already checked the book shops and there were more than one, so as of now Law took a rest. He was beside a spice merchant and a man that was trying to sell "Magic Water" to the suckers of the world. Law was once one of these suckers when he was little but he found out it was just water with salt inside. Law waited outside for something to happen, he didn't know what but something was going to happen so he waited in the blazing heat of Cuspia.

Markus was on a special mission to visit Cuspia and see if there were any bandits that could be apprehended today. After many years in Vhalla, he had gained the trust of the elders who then permitted him to travel elsewhere. Or maybe it was that he had bribed them with the prospect of foreign food as well as the apprehension of the first bandit he had found lurking in the woods. It was fortune for him that the bandit had been alone at the time which made it easier for Markus to catch him. 

Stepping carefully through the busy streets, Markus flicked his hair to one side with a finger as he also observed the market stalls. His eyes scoured the goods, but he found none he liked. He had some spare coin - being able to spend it would have been a good thing if it helped improve his quality of life. Well, a life of girls, spying and hunting. 
Eventually, he reached the 'magic water' store and stopped to take a look at the trader's wares. All over his stall were displays of his so-called drink, none of which seemed to be paticularly well guarded. 
"How much?" Asked Markus after the trader had finished conversing with a customer. The trader grinned and spoke.
"100." He said. Markus raised an eyebrow, looking once more at the water. Then it caught his eye and he understood.
"This is obviously fake water, it's just got salt inside it." Markus frowned, picking up a half-full bottle from the store and thrusting it in front of the shopkeeper's face. Small, white crystals lined the half of the bottle the water no longer covered. In the blazing heat, he hadn't counted on one thing - the water evaporating and leaving behind salt residue!
The trader, lost for words, dashed away, knocking over some of his bottles as he went. He caused a commotion as some passer-bys tried to grab him and prevent him from getting any further. Clearly, they had heard the exchange and wanted a refund.

With a smug grin on his face, Markus replaced the water back onto the stall and looked over to Law who stood not far off. He looked far too "non-normal" to be here by chance. 
"Greetings." Markus smiled, walking over to him. "You look like a Cuspia citizen. May you help me?" He asked.

Law stood there as his wild red hair flowed in the blazing heat and breeze. He stood there as he noticed a "out of place" character walking in the markets. He clearly was from the woodlands of Vhalla and not the hot deserts of Cuspia. His outfit was also completely out of normal, Law stared at him and smirked at his "stupidity" of the Cuspia markets when he saw him walking to the magic water. But his thought quickly changed when he set the man running away after he spoiled his secret. Law laughed as he walked closer to the man. "You might be from far away, but you might be able to fit in..but only just a bit." He said as he raised his fingers up high and made a hand motion with his index finger and thumb showing how much a little bit was. Law was now going to head off but then he stopped. He turned his head around and saw a man, a man that had scars, battle wounds, everything collapse in front of them. Then Law's eyes noticed a note falling out of his hand. Law bend down and was on one of his knees where he picked up the note and read it out loud. "Shining Ruby. Now?" Law studied some maps of the world and did recall having a place named Shining Ruby but he forget where it was. Law then moved closer to check the vitals on the man that collapsed on him. He didn't see anything that meant he was alive. Law stood up as he pulled the man by the shoulder. "We got to leave before the guards show up, then we will be prime suspects for this." Law then began to run through the markets and once and while look behind him to see if the Markus was following. Law then took a tight turn into an alley way as he caught his breath and waited for the man to show up.

"Ha, thanks for the comment." Markus grinned, glad that who he had been observing had noticed him. He waited as the stranger walked toward him but was suddenly surprised by someone who seemed to be pushing through the crowd toward them. Raising a hand to his chest in case the man had some sort of weapon that he was going to attempt to stab him with, Markus then saw him fall head-first into the sandy ground and drop his note. He promptly bent down and checked his vitals as Law picked up the note.
"Shining Ruby?" He gasped, looking up to Law who had just read the note out. "That's an inn in Vhalla. I think it was a message for us."

Markus stood up and looked around him. A crowd was already beginning to gather and people started clamouring to see what had caused the man to fall. Law was right though - if they remained, then being targeted as a prime suspect was likely. He leapt over the dead man, prompting gasps of surprise from the citizens, and started dashing through the marketplace after the man he had just met. He occasionally stopped every time he saw a guard, pretending to buy wares and hiding his face with his hood in case a citizen already described him to them. Eventually, he reached Law's hiding place in the alleyway.

"We have to go to Vhalla. The fastest route is what used to be the slave trade route, but guards are bound to be patrolling that..." He spoke breathlessly, leaning a hand against the wall of a nearby house. "We could go through the desert instead, but that's a tough journey. Or we could jump into one of those trading wagons and hide ourselves within the produce."

Law looking out from the corner of his eye, was scanning the area to see if any guards were after them or not. "I don't think anyone saw us but I'm not too sure." Law said as he turned back to Markus and saw him panting. "Vhalla eh, I guess we have to head there to see what's this is all about, never been there to the forests of Vhalla." Law said as he started to walk slowly deeper into the alleyway. "By the way, name's Atemu Law." Law reached out his hand and presented himself to Markus. After the greeting, Law walked out of the alleyway and looked around the markets, he placed his hood on as it covered most of his bright red hair and kept himself quite hidden. "Slave route..I rather die. That place will be crawling with guards and plus the desert itself is a wide area, and with no food or water, it will be a death sentence. Only way we can head over to Vhalla is by stopping at each town to resupply and all or hop on a wagon." Law kept on walking as he pushed himself through the crowds of buyers and sellers. As he was keeping a close eye on the guards and other citizens as well as a wagon or horses nearby.

"I'm from Vhalla." Markus pointed out when Law seemed baffled about the place. "And I'm Markus Lobineau." He shook his hand before following him out of the alleyway. After listening to his mutterings, Markus had decided on the route to take. With a 'follow me' gesture, he signalled to Law as he crept behind a series of trade wagons that seemed to be travelling in a row out of the city. Choosing a suitable one full of hay and crockery, he dived inside and covered himself with the hay, positioning his body so that it fit between the bulges of the bags that held the crockery.

Eventually, the wagon reached the gates of the city. Around the gate, guards were positioned, each systematically stabbing the produce in the wagon. With bated breath, Markus waited to be stabbed but to his great relief, he heard the voice of the wagon driver.
"That's my wares! You'll not be stabbing them!"
With a grunt from both of the guards at the gate, the wagon then trundled along, unstopped. Eventually, it was out of sight of the gates and guards, rolling along the slave trade route toward Vhalla.

Deciding it was safe, Markus dug himself out of the hay and looked around. The desert was vast and seemingly endless on both sides of the vehicle. The sun was high in the sky, its light reflecting off the sands. As far as he could see, his vision rippled as the heat rose from the ground. He peered over, trying to see if any of the other wagons were following the same route, or had Markus in.

Law walking in the street with Markus right behind then took the lead, he saw him guiding his way through and was heading towards some wagons. "I guess we are hitching a ride" Law thought to himself. He followed him quickly as he was next to him just before he jumped into one of the wagons with hay and other bags. Law climbed into a second wagon that was close by, this one had also hay and sand bags which Law used to hide himself. As the wagons went on and went to the first guard stopping, the wagon Law was in wasn't checked. Law overheard the owner yelling at the guards so the guards also let his second wagon go by as well.

Time went by slowly but as he felt the ground getting more and more bumper and rougher, Law knew it they were getting into the desert part of the road. He stuck his head outside as he saw dust and sand flying all over the place and look to his left to see Markus doing the same. Law being from Cuspia and also learning much of it's weather could tell that there was going to be a sand storm soon. He tried to signal Markus without making any noises, to tell him that.

Markus grinned when he saw Law in his own wagon. When he started signalling to Markus, Markus raised an eyebrow.
"What are you saying?" Markus mouthed, seeing grains of sand rise ever higher in the distance out of the corner of his eye. Surely he couldn't be trying to warn him of the obviously-impending sandstorm?
As the wagons rattled on, Markus battled the heat and dryness of the desert. He had left Cuspia without a drink, and that may prove to be a fatal mistake. While not dangerously low in fluids in his body, he was likely to start coughing if he didn't quench his dry throat.

Law looking at the sand as it rustled in the wind and blew around, he felt a chill in his back that this sandstorm might be a big one. He kept his focus on the sands but then titled his head towards Markus. He saw him coughing and gasping for air or something. "Vhalla..isn't really dry as Cuspia is it." Law said in a small voice for him to hear and maybe Markus but not the drivers. He then watched the drivers' heads as he found an opening, there Law threw a small bottle of water only being half full to Markus. "Only a little, that's all we have." Law said as he laid into the hay.

Markus chuckled lightly to himself as Law asked him whether Vhalla was as dry as Cuspia. He shook his head and grabbed the bottle that was thrown to him. Diving into the hay, he took careful sips of the water, prolonging how long it lasted. The ride was going to be a very long one, and if they had to ride through a sandstorm, then it may end up longer than they had even anticipated. Rationing was priority now, and Markus hoped that the drivers had some supplies with them that could be 'picked up'.

He lay back and waited as the cart trundled along the dusty road.

[Cut to Vhalla?]