40 Mist Over Jaeden Town

The wagon kept moving. The two horses kept a steady pace dragging the wagon behind. The silver merchant holding the reins while they trekked under a misty, murky road. The horses became restless as they grew closer to Jaeden town, but their unease dissipated within moments as the silver merchant held the reins. As if the merchant's aura soothed their agitation. But the unease of Nia and Belze could not be calmed. They both felt a chill behind their backs and that cold air only grew as they approached closer. The two didn't know how far away the village was, but they could feel they were near. The merchant felt no fear, but knew there was something ahead. The wheels kept turning as rocks, dirt, and mud shot behind. They both watched towards the front of the wagon as the silver merchant continued following the trail that was lurking underneath a thick mist.

Ahead of them, they saw a dirt mound that was elevated above the mist. The road continued over the hill. The merchant prepared himself and his horses to increase their speed if they were to go over it. As he hit the reins, the horses galloped. Nia and Belze held onto the sides of the wagon and each other. The crates of goods shook along with the contents inside, but none fell out.

As they wagon got up to the top of the hill, the horses slowed their pace to a stop.

The silver merchant let go of the reins and looked upon the plains and beyond that was the townscape of Jaeden village. As soon as Nia and Belze got their bearings, their eyes also met the town. They all overlooked the town from above the mound. They were outside of the bounds of the forest and the trail continued down the hill and straight towards the the bustling town. But the town. The town wasn't busy or filled with people as it usually was.

Mist and fog covered the town hiding every corner of Jaeden town. No people, villagers, or other travelers could be seen. Only the three of them as they watched the village.

"Mr. Silver, is the town usually empty?" the boy asked.

"Mr. Silver? Nevermind. No. It's always busy. Usually a great place to sell my wares, but now it has been overcome with... something I cannot explain to you," the silver merchant replied in a calm manner. His thought was to go around the town and head to the next one in hopes of selling his merchandise. He had no interest in investigating the place and no interest in fighting anything that he didn't need to.

Nia and Belze felt the chill in the air.

"Nia..." Belze said as he shivered.

Nia looked at him worryingly, but then gave him a reassuring look as if to say that everything will be fine. She knew that

She looked at the silver merchant and in a serious tone asked, "So, are we going in there?"

He shook his head. "Not worth the trouble. We can go around this place and head to the next town over. Then, I can drop you off for you to continue your journey."

Nia closed her eyes and said, "I understand."

She remembered her own village. Everybody vanished the day after dragonslayers came. She couldn't just leave without knowing what happened here. She knew that it would take time away from rescuing Nera, Belze's parents, and the other villagers, but she realized if they haven't killed them, yet, then they don't plan on killing them any time soon. Or at least, she hoped that was the case.

She opened her eyes and said, "I know this may be troublesome, but could you watch over the boy?"

Belze and the silver merchant looked at Nia in surprise.

"Wait, big sis! What are you talking about!?" Belze yelled.

"Why would I watch over him?" the merchant asked and as he did so, Nia got out of the wagon from the front. She landed on the dirt mound and looked upon the town, again. She couldn't let fear take a hold of her. Her fear of the dragonslayers held her for too long and she wouldn't let something else take a hold of her, again. This place reminded her of Kyte village. A now empty place. Nothing there, but the dirt and wood.

She held onto the hilt of her sheathed blade as she waited for an answer.

"I need to know whether you'll watch Belze. You can even leave, as long as you have the boy with you. I don't know what kind of mage you are, but you have had plenty of chances to hurt us and you didn't. So, yes or no?" she asked not even looking at the merchant.

A strong silence filled the air. Only the chilling winds could be heard.

The merchant sighed and replied, "Fine, but I won't be leaving. I'll be staying right here until you get back."

Belze looked at Nia as she stared at the fog-covered town. He was about to open his mouth, but no words could escape him. He didn't want Nia to get hurt or go alone, but his whole body froze. He didn't know why. Something in the town was giving off an aura of unsatisfied hunger. As if going into that village was the same as going into the mouth of a wild beast.

Nia closed her eyes and took a deep breath to prepare herself. She also felt the same as Belze, but she also felt her big sister Nera wouldn't turn away from the town. She knew that her big sister wouldn't turn away somebody that needed help. And the people of Jaeden's town needed help and she was the only one who could. She began to walk away from the wagon.

"Wait," the merchant said as he raised his hand towards Nia.

"I'm not going to turn my back to them," she said and continued walking.

"I'm not going to stop you. I'm actually going to help you," he said.

Nia stopped and looked back at the merchant. He let go of the reins, and got off the wagon. Belze watched from inside the front of the wagon. His body was still frozen in fear.

When the merchant landed on the ground, he continued, "I'm going to help in a different way than what you're thinking. I'm going to lend you some of my junk."

With the snap of his fingers, a crate from inside the wagon opened and a set of leather armor floated out from the back of the wagon and onto the silver merchant's hands.

Belze and Nia watched in amazement. A simple task done with magic, but it was magic nonetheless. Something that the two weren't all too aware of.

"I'm not going to heal your life-threatening wounds every time you head into a fight. So, you're going to have at least some protection on you," the silver merchant said as he held the pieces of armor and some clothes that would compliment the armor in both arms.

She walked back to the wagon as she could use the armor. Nia took the leather armor in both arms from the merchant.

"Just so you are aware, this is a loan. You'll have to give it back in one piece after you're done, or you'll have to pay for it," he said.

Nia nodded trying to regain her composure as pieces of the armor began to slip away.

The silver merchant shook his head and continued, "You can change out of your robes into that outfit in the back of the wagon."

As he said that, he snapped his fingers again and a portal ripped through space underneath Belze. He looked down and screamed as he fell in.

However, in the next instant, another rip in space appeared to the side of the wagon and the boy fell out of it. He landed on his back with his eyes closed. The rips in space closed on themselves as if they were never there.

Belze opened his eyes and sat up wiping dirt off of himself. "I'm assuming that that was you, Mr. Silver. Couldn't you warn me before doing that next time?" the boy said.

Nia dropped the armor and ran to Belze. "Are you okay?" she asked as she knelt to see if there were any wounds. Before the pieces of armor dropped to the ground, they instead stopped in midair and levitated above the dirt.

"I'm okay, Nia. You don't have to worry for me."

"That's good. I just don't want anything to happen to you, that's all."

Belze began to grin and they both started to laugh. The fear that the boy had no longer consumed him. His body was no longer frozen in place as his mind wandered away from the town.

Nia and Belze stood up and suddenly the pieces of armor flew back into her arms staggering her.

"Couldn't you have warned me that you were going to do that? I don't want my wares getting dirtied. Go change in the back of the wagon. I'll make sure nobody watches," the merchant said as he crossed his arms and looked down upon the misty town. He knew that they were being watched.

From the corner of the darkness where his eyes would be, he saw a bandit hiding in the bushes below them. As he turned his head in that direction, the bandit scurried away hiding among the mist and various shrubbery. He was aware that there was more than bandits in the town. Something else lurked there, but he couldn't exactly tell what it was.

Nia went over to the back of the wagon and gave one look at the town. She had the resolve needed to venture forth. She left her sheathed blade onto the side of the wagon. She entered the back of the wagon and began to change out of her robes and villager clothes. She took off the illusive ring and the light green scales showed across her body. She looked at her scaly arm that she hasn't seen in a long time. She reminisced about her time as a young dragon just playing around with her friends. Never realizing what dangers hid in every dark corner.

She threw away those thought and focused on saving Jaeden town and, more importantly, saving Nera and the people of Kyte village.

She began to put on the new dark green clothes that the silver merchant gave her. They were light-weight and easy to move in. They stuck to her skin and covered her body from her neck down to her ankles. There were dark finger-less gloves that fit perfectly and had plenty of space for her illusive ring. The clothes would hide most of the scales, but still not all of them. Scales still showed on the sides of her faces and the feet.

She began to put on the green leather armor. She equipped it one piece at a time. They were lined with steel on the sides, but also simply designed. No patterns or symbols that would indicate that it was from a country. Similar to something that a bandit would wear, but it was too clean and there were no scratches or dents. Even bandits would wear armor that once belonged to a soldier, but not this. This armor was like a template for all other kinds of leather armor.

First, the green leather gauntlets were strapped in. Then, the spaulders on her shoulders. Then, the greaves on her legs. Some leather shoes. The pieces of leather that protected the groin area.

As she equipped each piece, she could barely feel any difference in her weight. They felt light as a feather as if she was just wearing her regular clothes. She started to wonder whether they would protect her from anything, but the armor certainly felt like real leather as she rubbed her fingers along the pieces.

As she put on her green leather cuirass, she overheard talking outside of the wagon. It was the silver merchant and Belze talking to each other.

Belze and the silver merchant standed next to each other. Belze looked at the towering silver merchant, while the merchant looked over the misty town.

"Mr. Silver, Can't you just use your magic and get rid of what's in this town?" Belze asked.

After a couple of seconds of silence, he replied, "My name isn't Mr. Silver. I told you that I have no name, so I would be preferred to be called the silver merchant or at least anything that isn't so... whatever you called me."

"You're just trying to change the subject, aren't you? Besides, what's wrong with the name?"

"It's just... not my name."

"But you don't have an actual name. I thought that giving you a name might cheer you up. You always look so gloomy."

"Gloomy? I don't know how you can actually tell any facial expressions," the silver merchant said as he turned away from the town and looked at the kid who was pestering him.

"I can tell. You're voice seems... well depressing."

"Belze, this is the voice I was born with."

Belze chuckled thinking that it was a joke. There was no sign that the silver merchant would laugh and he didn't.

As Nia listened, she smiled thinking that they would be good friends. She didn't know what the silver merchant was, but she felt that if Belze was at ease with him, then maybe the merchant was alright.

Nia finished putting on the whole set of new dark green clothes and green leather armor. There was just one piece of clothing left. A brown cloak with a hood. She put the cloak over herself and it reached to ankles.

There were do designs on the cloak that would stand out. Nothing about the armor made it stand out to look like it was from any specific country. It could have been made anywhere. She put on her illusive ring and the light green scales disappeared over her dark skin. Her long brown hair over the hood.

She got out of the back of the wagon with her cloak hiding most of her armor. Nia looked at Belze and the silver merchant. The sun began to rise, but the clouds began to hide it away. The cold air remained as oppressive as it was during the night. They both turned to her direction.

"Silver merchant, remember to keep Belze safe. If I'm not back by the end of today, then take Belze and leave."

"big sis..." he said, but couldn't think of what to say. He didn't want her to go alone, but had a feeling that he would be in the way.

The silver merchant nodded. Nia picked up her sheathed blade and carried it around her waist as she walked towards the town. She walked past the silver merchant and Belze.

The silver merchant turned to Belze and said, "See. She called me the silver merchant. You can call me that."

"That's not a name. I'll just stick with Mr. Silver," he replied.

Nia smiled as she walked away knowing that at least the boy would be safe. As she got to the tip of the mounds, she walked downwards along the trail. She walked forwards without looking back at the wagon above the mound. Without looking back at silver merchant. Without looking back at Belze. She knew that she couldn't die here. If she died, then her big sister Nera would be sad. She marched onwards towards Jaeden town as the mist swallowed her.