The marketplace sprawled before them like a living thing.
Stalls lined both sides of the cobblestone street, their wooden frames draped with colourful fabric and hung with lanterns that swayed gently in the evening breeze. Merchants called out their wares, voices overlapping in a chaotic symphony of haggling and advertisement. The smell of roasted meat, fresh bread, and spices filled the air, mixing with the earthy scent of leather and metal from the craftsmen's stalls.
Ryan stepped through the crowd, Eleanor beside him, James and Jared just ahead. Ryan noticed other students from the academy mixed with city folk, nobles in fine clothing brushing past commoners in worn tunics. The energy was electric, vibrant, alive.
"This way," James said, gesturing down the main thoroughfare. "The good shops are further in."
They wove between stalls selling everything from fresh produce to jewellery, potions to books. Ryan's eyes darted everywhere, trying to take it all in.
