The Market

Ariel takes notice of us eventually feeling awkward and takes both of our hands into hers and speaks about us.

"Well that was adorable but we should get some food for lunch we don't want to do this all day now do we?

"Right!" speak energetically with my tail curling and moving with energy.

"Y-yes. Yes, let us do this!" Lara says sheepishly.

As we walk through the market Ariel asks us about what we wanted to eat. I say some meat of any kind. Lara says she was a salad of some sort. So we are going to have two different trips one to the butcher market and another to a produce market. Both are in separate areas.

While going through the aisle I take notice of some accessories and think bout asking to buy one for Lara. I am sure gifting her something will have her think of me as a companion more than a stranger.

I wander over to Ariel while Lara is glancing over at some apples for some reason. Apple salad perhaps? That a thing? I don't know. Either way, she seems distracted for now.

"H-Hey Ariel, can I ask you something?" I whisper over to her while tugging at her dress.

"Sure, what do you want to ask?" she looks back down at me

"I want to ask can I have some money and buy Lara something? I want to be nice to her but she still seems distant...Please?" I give her puppy eyes to convince her. I am sure she is emotional enough to be vulnerable. Then I shall trike with my final plea.

"I'm...I guess it is fine what is it you want to buy her?"

"That necklace with the blue rock on it. I don't know how to describe a smooth rock are a symmetrical ma'am."

"I think I know what you mean, let me pull out some coins"

She pulls out some silver-looking coins and hands them to me. About 11 of them. Nearly dropped them in my tiny hands. I run over to the woman over at the stall and ask her if I could purchase the blue necklace. When I look at it, it appears to have an engraved sign of a heart.

Maybe a little overkill for a present to her but I made up my mind and am on planning on giving it to her regardless of the engraving.

"Well then, someone so young as yourself must have eyes on someone hmm? Hehehe, well then hat will be 20 coins but since you are young and young love must be in the air I will give it for 10 coins."

"I-I got some here!" I pull the coins out of my pocket dropping some of them on the ground in the process. I must be nervous making a purchase being so young I guess.

"Here you go little one, hope your special someone finds this impactful for them as well," she says cheerfully.

"Thank you ma'am and keep the extra coin!" I say unbeknownst to me my tail is wagging on its own from excitement.

I turn around running off in the direction I last saw Lara and decided on giving it to her now than later. Better to do as much progress now.

-Shopkeepers POV-

Hmm, such a nice boy. Glad to see such joy in the city markets. She thinks before attending back to her items in her stall.

-Coda's POV

I can't wait to show Lara what I got for her. but then again I am giving it to her now than later for that reason.

As I arrive at where she was looking at apples previously I don't see her. Did she move to look at something else? I look towards Ariel who seems to be asking people in a gathering.

"Please, if you find a little Orchish girl, wearing a black kimono with red flowers on it and has a black ponytail bring her back to me I beg of you!" she starts to pela to others around her.

Seems this has already started a ruckus as other passers start asking around and looking for her. This isn't good. Missing people especially children is never a situation an adult wants to be in parent or caretaker.

"Lara! Lara! Where are you?!" I start screaming out loud. Some other pedestrians notice me screaming her name and come to me. Which is the opposite of what the attention is supposed to be brought to.

They need to look for an Orc girl not walk over to a little Caiman boy who is trying to search as well. Not productive at all.

I run off away from the crowds as likely if she is missing and a bunch of people can't find her, she must be father than the crowd itself. That is if she has been kidnapped or perhaps got away from the crowd due to her shyness.

I run through an alleyway which I heard what seems like the sound of a squeal on my right. I also. the feathers on my head stick up and I am afraid. I am just a 5-year-old little lizard boy who is searching for someone he just met. Does that make me an idiot a bit? Yeah. I guess it does. But I want to help find my friend!

I start slowly moving into the alleyway with the noises becoming more clear. It is a struggle. My tail stiffens and I inch my head out a bit but stop realizing the shape of my eyes to my nose is similar to reptiles, and thus my snout would be sticking out more.

But I take the risk anyway. As I slowly move my head out I see what appears to be 3 adult men. 2 humans and one who appears to be greenish skin with black hair and the two humans appearing to be identical like twins.

They both have brown hair, brown eyes, and are lightly skin toned. the orc is wearing a white shirt with a linen shirt, but both humans wearing dark brown. I guess both twins wanted to look identical to each other as a gimmick. But whatever.

Are these people holding her hostage? Did they kidnap her?

As I think that one of the twins speaks in an aggressively deep voice.

"So, how much is the Uchida Family going to pay for ransom for their daughter?" the twin on the left says

"I don't know, but it better be a good amount if they ever want their daughter to be unscathed. But until then we don't touch her, use her, or hurt her. Am I clear you two?" the brutish orc says. His shoulders are very broad almost that of Mr. Uchida.

"Yeah yeah, I get it, man. also imma be right back I need to take a piss break." as the twin on the right walks off with no care in the world what he is involved in.

I try to listen in on more of what they say. Maybe I can find out why they want to do such a horrible thing like kidnapping and ransom. But then again maybe it is better I tell the others that this is where she has been kidnapped.

I start to back out when I hear noises behind me as well as my feathers twitch. Almost like a warning. Before I could turn around I feel a sudden kick on my back.

*kick* "Agh!" I scream out from the sudden pain of being kicked in the back. I fall forward into the open of the alleyway and the other twin, orc, and Lara sees me expose into the open. I turn away and see who kicked me. it was the second twin who had left to take a piss.

Did he know I was here and lied about going to take a break? Or did he take a different route from the one he left from? Either way, I have been caught!