The Mystic pendant

Casey was taken aback by Rowan's sudden action. She looked at him with confusion and concern, trying to understand what was going on. "What's wrong?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rowan took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "If that's the vendor Aricen was looking for," he said, his voice trembling. "Then this place is not good for you."

Serenya stepped forward. "What do you mean?" she demanded."I just overheard you guys talking."

"He is one of the underlings of the king" Rowan replied, his eyes fixed on the dark figure. "That butterfly was trying to make Casey avoid this situation, but we didn't listen."

Aricen stepped forward, his hand on his own sword. "I will go and talk to that vendor and you guys stay here," he said, his voice firm. "We don't want any trouble, do we?"

"Don't you think it's a bad idea?" Rowan said anxiously. "You know they don't like elves right?"

"The artefact is really important now that we are going to find the Snow Witch," Aricen said turning back. "I should try!"

Aricen approached the vendor with caution, his hand on his sword as he tried to read the man's expression hidden beneath the cloak. "I have been looking for you," he said, his voice steady. "I need that Mystic pendant."

The vendor chuckled darkly. "And what makes you think I would just hand it over to you?" he sneered. "Especially to an elf like you, whose kind served the previous queen?"

Aricen's eyes narrowed. "My kind serves the rightful monarch, no matter who sits on the throne," he replied. "And I demand that you give us what I came for. I am ready to pay the price."

The vendor shook his head. "I serve the king now," he said, a smug grin spreading across his face. "And he has nothing in artefacts for those who served the old queen."

Aricen's hand tightened around his sword hilt. "I see," he said, his voice cold. "Then I have no choice but to take it by force."

The vendor drew his own weapon, and the two men circled each other warily. A tense silence settled over the market as the other vendors and patrons watched the confrontation, unsure of what was happening.

Without another word, Aricen drew his sword and charged at the vendor. The two clashed in a flurry of steel, the sound of their blades ringing through the air. Aricen's movements were swift and precise, his elven grace giving him an edge over his opponent. But the vendor was no slouch either, his attacks fierce and unrelenting.

The vendor lunged forward, a dagger poised to strike, but Aricen sidestepped with ease and countered with a swift swipe of his own sword. The blade grazed the vendor's arm, drawing blood. He snarled in fury and launched himself at Aricen again, but this time he was ready.

Casey watched the fight unfold before her, transfixed by the intensity of the clash. Serenya stood beside her, her face a mask of concern, while Rowan hovered just behind them, ready to step in if needed.

As the fight raged on, Casey could feel the tension mounting. She didn't know how much longer Aricen could hold out against this formidable opponent.

"I think we need to do something!"

Serenya asked, "What can we do?"

"I got an idea," Rowan said gesturing at them to come closer.

Rowan's quick thinking and agility allowed him to devise a plan on the spot. He motioned for Casey and Serenya to follow him as he scouted the area around the vendor's booth. He found a small alleyway nearby that provided them with a perfect vantage point.

From there, they could see the vendor and Aricen engaged in a fierce battle, each one wielding their weapons with deadly precision. It was clear that they were both skilled fighters, and the outcome of the battle was uncertain.

Serenya looked around and noticed that the vendor's assistants were focused on the fight, leaving the table unattended. She signalled to Casey and Rowan to follow her as she crept toward the table.

As they got closer, they could see the box sitting on the table, its surface reflecting the light from nearby lanterns. Rowan gestured to Serenya to grab the box, while he and Casey kept watch.

Serenya's hand shook as she reached out to grab the box. She was nervous and afraid that she would be caught. But she knew that they had no other choice. She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and grabbed the box.

As she lifted it off the table, she felt a sudden jolt of fear as one of the vendor's assistants spotted them. "Hey!" he shouted, drawing the attention of the others.

Casey and Rowan quickly drew their weapons, ready to defend themselves and Serenya. But before they could make a move, Serenya calls her magic, as she gestured her hand perfectly, a ball of wind came from her hand and make the vendor fly, crashing into other artefacts kept behind.

"Run!" Rowan shouted at her. "Aricen, you too!"

Rowan stepped forward and closed his eyes, concentrating hard.

Suddenly, the objects on the vendor's table started to shake and levitate in the air. The vendor was caught off guard and stumbled back as the objects were hurled toward him. With a flick of his wrist, Rowan sent the objects flying toward the vendor, hitting him with great force.

The vendor tried to dodge, but the objects were too fast. With each hit, his strength weakened, and he stumbled backward, eventually crashing into his own shop's wall. The wall shattered into pieces, and dust and debris filled the air.

Aricen without hesitation left the battlefield and sprang towards them. Just as they thought they had gotten away with the box, the vendor's men emerged from the cloud of dust and debris, brandishing their weapons. Casey, Serenya, and Rowan were outnumbered, and the men were closing in fast.

With no other options left, Rowan once again closed his eyes and focused. The men's weapons suddenly rose into the air, their grip loosening as if controlled by an invisible force. The weapons then clashed together, creating a loud metallic sound that echoed through the streets.

Taking advantage of the distraction, they made a run for it. They sprinted through the narrow forest, dodging obstacles and leaping over big logs.

As they rounded the corner, they could hear the vendor and his men hot on their heels. But it was too late.

As they walked through the forest Casey finally broke the silence. "What do we do now?" she asked, glancing around nervously. "We have the box right?"

"We have to find a safe place to hide," Rowan replied, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger. "They will come after us for sure"

Serenya nodded in agreement. "I know right?" she said. "They know this place all too well and they will find us in no time."

Aricen spoke up. "I think, I might know a place but," he warned. "Maybe it is not that safe either."

"It's better than nothing at least" Casey reassured.

As they made their way to the hideout, Rowan couldn't help but feel guilty about what had happened. "I shouldn't have used my powers like that," he muttered to himself.

"It had to be done," Aricen replied. "We needed that pendant to save our people."

Serenya put a hand on Rowan's shoulder. "Don't blame yourself," she said. "We're in this together."

As they continued walking, Rowan suddenly stopped in his tracks, causing the rest of the group to pause as well. "What's wrong?" Casey asked, with concern etched on her face.

"I sense something," Rowan replied, his eyes scanning the surroundings. "Someone is watching us, and it's not safe here."

Suddenly, a group of armed men appeared out of nowhere, surrounding the group. "You thought you could just destroy my shop and get away with it?" A deep voice boomed. "I am the king's underling, and you will pay for your actions."

"How did he catch up to us?" Casey asked as she covered her face with her cloak.

The vendor laughed, "I was playing around with that little elf, my magic allows me to move fast." He smirked. "Shall we begin then, you turtles?"