The grand market of Tristan

Adjusting his jacket, Reiji sidesteps as a clattering cart of pottery goes by, scanning the chaos infront of him. 

"Heh. A market place this lively, surely there must be something that sparks a memory for you."

Nraltia walked beside him, the hem of her dress fluttering as her eyes darted from stall to stall.

Her nose twitched faintly catching the scent of grilled seafood from Valerian stalls, the soft layered spices of Eiraneth's incense, and the sweet ferment of Hierophant alcohol barrels at their shrine-cart. 

"It's so... alive." she murmured, gaze following Hierophant acolytes as they haggled with Valerian fisherman over their fresh fish. " Everything feels so familiar, and yet... so alien at the same time."

Her fingers linger over a tray of spiced breads, brushing the warm crust, as though trying to read a memory through touch. "I wonder... have I walked through markets this lively before?"

Reiji grunts, taking a chunk out of a skewer of grilled meat from an Eiraneth stall, that he just bought, using the reward money from his first quest. “Maybe, or maybe you’re just fishing for scraps.” His gaze softens as he watches her pained expression. “If sniffing every damn spice, or eating every thing in this market draws a spark of some kind, I’m all for it.”

They move on, stopping by each stall, perusing their wares, tracing bright tapestries woven with battle scenes, tasting dried rations aimed at adventurers, listening to conversations around them. Knights haggling over price, adventurers bargaining for discounts, children playing in large groups, not caring about race or nation, their laughter cutting through the street.

Nraltia eventually stops at one stall, a vendor selling all kinds rings and trinkets. Her hand reaches out, her heart trembles slightly as her fingers brushed an expensive black-dyed ribbon. “I think I wore something like this once… Not exactly this color… but this design… didn’t I?”

He didn’t press her, instead he pressed the second skewer into her hands. “Here, eat this. I assume digging for your past probably takes a lot of energy. It won’t do if you collapse from starvation.”

A small rueful smile decorates her lips. “… You’re kinder than you look, Reiji.”

He shrugs, averting his gaze. “Don’t get use to it.”

Finishing his skewer, Reiji leaned his shoulder against a sun bathed pillar, his gaze following Nraltia who wondered a few paces ahead. Her fingers lingered over a brass charm, then brushed against a velvet sash as though tracing the trails of a smokey memory too faint to catch.

Slipping back towards the stall with the ribbon, he trades for it using the borrowed loot from the forest temple.

“How dare you trade away my offerings, and use it to buy gifts for another women. The audacity!” A cold voice retorts in the back of his mind, protesting his actions.

Ignoring the goddess, he catches up to Nraltia, gently pulling on her wrist.

“Reiji? Is something wrong?” Her bright amethyst eyes turned to look at him.

“Here.” He quickly places the newly traded ribbon into her palms, before walking away, not stopping to look at her reaction, choosing to find new food to stuff his face with to hide his embarrassment.

Before he could order however, a ripple went through the market - a stall cart shattered, merchant’s voices dropping to hush whispers. 

Further down the aisle, a knot of knights in white and silver plate cuts through the crowd, their boots ringing against the cobble stone. The Order of the Holy Saintess sigil gleamed on their tabards.

Stopping in front of an Eiraneth spice stall. The tallest of them, a man with steel cold eyes, stepped forward to grab a crate, checking it, then shattered it against the stone floor. Wooden charms depicting gods of other religions, clatter all over the streets. 

“These items are forbidden.” He barks as his men trashed the stalls “You dare peddle empire contraband in Tristan?”

The elderly merchant stammered protest, hands wringing as he was shoved aside. A crowd gathered, adventurers, knights of multiple nations, and curious onlookers. Whispers hissed between them.

“Damned Saintess Knights.”

“They think they can do whatever they want.”

“Wait till the City Knights get here…”

Nraltia stiffened by Reiji’s side. “Can they do that? I thought this was a free city.”

“Tch. Neutrality doesn’t mean much with multiple blades at your throat.”

“How quickly power make chains, so quickly does it corrupt...” The goddess sad voice echo in his thoughts.

One of the knights turned, his gaze zeroing in on Nraltia, on her ears, her foreign cut of clothes, the hint of otherworldly poise in her stance. "You there! Where is your master?"

Nraltia blinked, surprised by the sudden attention, but before she could reply, Reiji stepped forward between the two.

"Screw it." 

The words left his mouth a fraction of a second slower than his body, by the time Nraltia had registered the words, the knight who had accused her of being a slave was already spinning in the air, head over heels, before slamming face first into the ground.

"Reiji, what are you doing?" The surprised voice echoes in his thoughts.

"Dealing with trash." he replies simply.

"How dare a filthy sellsword lay their hands on the Saintess Knights!" 

The remaining four knights surround Reiji, their swords now drawn, edge pointing towards him, ready to attack.

"You'll pay-"

Refusing to listen, Reiji explodes forward, landing a Rending Strike into the face of the tallest knight, his flying knee denting their breastplate. Seizing the fraction of shock, he grabs the ankle of the knight, slamming his face into the street, knocking his teeth out.

"You were saying?" 

He asks coldly, his arrogance taunting the others knights.

"You bastard! We'll kill you for that!" Shouting with rage, the three remaining knights charge at him, their blades charging up with various skills.

"Ice Wall."

With a shout, a wall of ice shot up, blocking the attacks, their skills bit into the ice, never reaching Reiji.

A second figure appeared besides him, her short spear in hand, her amethyst eyes gazing coldly at the knights, as she helped the merchant to his feet.