Birthday (2)

Miranda was turning fourteen. Humming to herself she arrived the entrance of the market. Two huge pillars with engravements on their bodies stood before her eyes. A royal was not supposed to come to the market. She slipped out of the palace on special occasions. Not that anyone would care.

The servants saw her as having almost the same status as themselves, while the second queen's people would only report her to the king to get her punished. Well, no one would care but Sebastian. She could almost imagine his chubby cheeks shaking and complexion turning red as he scolded her. That brought a smile to her face. As she stood by the side of the road she began to make her way into the crowded bustling streets.

The entrance of the market had many abstract vendors, some selling rare weapons, magical items, fine linens and pastries. Each shop in their respective quarters usually sent some vendors

to the market entrance to entice the guest, hopefully bringing them to their respective shops.

Today was fairly busy and sunny. Carriages rushed in and out of the market.

"Young miss! young miss!" a vendor shouted to get her attention, she held some magic trinkets in her hand and looked really creepy with an old cloak on.

Amidst the crowd of people that could've have been anyone that was being called so she rushed in through the entrance. The market occupied a large square area located smack in the middle of suncity kingdom and non-locals or people who were not used to coming here needed a map to navigate the area. She had come there only twice so grabbing a map and paying for it with two copper coins she opened it and located her target, the food market. This quarter of the market was located by the magic quarter and adjacent to it was the weapon quarter. After confirming her current location, she started in the direction that led towards the food quarter.

While moving on the dusty road she noticed some odd vendors not belonging to a particular quarter scattered all around. As if to prove her point someone from the weapon quarter was there at the clothing quarter.

Walking through the huge streets little Miranda had managed to squash her fear. After some weeks of training she felt she could escape if anything really came up but the little girl had clearly seen nothing of the world.

After walking for almost twenty minutes a reality dawned on the little girl, the market was huge.

No wonder some merchants sold teleportation stones at the entrance, while others rented out carriage services. She felt stupid for ignoring those merchants now. Her head dropped in self-mockery she tried looking for the merchants that sold teleportation potions or a carriage park.

Looking around she failed to notice the shadow that seemed to materialize from nowhere, hiding amidst the canopies away from the main road connecting all quarters in the market.

Finally spotting a vendor from that seemed to be from the magic quarter she called him while approaching.

"Excuse me sir?" the vendor turned around and she realized it's the old female magician vendor she saw at the entrance of the market. She seemed to carry a basket covered with a cloth where all her magical trinkets seemed to be kept.

"Uhm.. sorry, I meant madam. Please would you have any teleportation potion?"

"I would like to head to the food court." She continued though a bit put off by the woman in

question. The vendor only made everything stranger by staring at her with eery, grey eyes.

"uhm, you know what? I just get a move on. I miss walking. ha ha ha" she said with shaky laughter.

"I do have potions my child" the vendor finally answered

"That would be one silver coin" she shifted the cloth in her basket, then as if hesitating between two portions she removed a transparent bottle with golden liquid inside with old wrinkly fingers.

"T-Thank you!", already almost freaked out Miranda hurriedly handed the one silver coin while holding the portion she just bought. She was going to consume it in a bit.

Wait" the vendor spoke after she was three steps away but she did not turn back.

"Be careful child. I see you at death's door"

"What?" Miranda turned in shock wanting to ask the vendor about it but the woman was gone. leaving her with an unsettling feeling and a chill in her bones.

Everywhere seemed to get quieter. What kind of birthday was this anyway, she thought to herself.

For crying out loud I just wanted some pastries!

The weather seemed to darken with her change in mood. She continued strolling down the streets to clear her mind and that's when she heard. It was very faint but she could hear footsteps that seemed to be in tune with hers but she was sure it wasn't hers.

Her blood seemed to run cold in her veins. The trauma from the last kidnap attempt resurfacing in her mind making her limbs heavy.

Her left hand tightened around the teleportation potion, heart pounding in her chest. She decided to play this all naturel. She would take the potion, arrive the food quarter then t-

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" a deep voice she had never heard before said.

She gulped, as she moved ahead the streets had gotten deserted at some point. Stopping she didn't turn around. Her hand squeezed the potion. Her thumb and forefinger breaking the top of the bottle. Then quick as if her life depended on it she drank the portion.

A second before disappearing she felt the pressure of a powerful presence behind her and for a moment she didn't know.

Then bam. She landed with a plop in front of the bushes that led to the palace grounds.