Another world, Celeste

Thirty Five, pt 3

Right after that, I head over to the tailor shop and collect the finished raincoats and shirts and then to the shoemaker for the pair of rainboots. By lunchtime, the marketplace is buzzing with shouts from stall owners promoting their lunch menu and enticing customers with the smell of cooked food. Mint being the glutton elf disappears into the crowd, leaving me behind with an impatient cry.

"Iris, you go save us a spot."

Since it's no use chasing after the elf with the fastest feet, I decide not to linger around and clutch the pet carrier bag closer to my side to avoid bumping into people. There's a public space to sit and eat alongside the marketplace. I quickly make my way over there and luckily manage to secure a spot after walking farther away from the entrance to a less crowded area. A pair of furry pointy ears surfaces out of the pet carrier bag when I finally sit down.

"You can come out now, Archie."

No response, only the ear twitches. Seeing this, I feel that it's a good thing I did not choose a spot in the crowded, noisy area.

"You must've felt overwhelmed by the many unfamiliar presences," I quietly say.

I invoke 'Serenity' only on the tips of my fingers and send it to the red panda by patting his head to soothe him. I do this for around ten minutes until our youngest lift his head and look out of the bag. The spell cancels when I remove my hand.

"Are you hungry? Do you want to eat now or later?"

At my question, the red panda's bounces up excitedly. I laugh at the red panda sudden changes in behaviour. While Archie is munching on leaves; our youngest isn't coming out of the pet carrier bag and only exposing his adorable round head, Mint approaches with an armful of stall foods and following behind her is a pale-looking Serafina carrying two trays of food. Red the Maroon Hound and Peachy the songbird is nowhere around.

"I run into Mint at my favourite grilled meat stall and..."

"That stall makes really tasty glazed sauce," Mint cuts in when Serafina speaks.

"...and heard of your recovery. Here, this is for you."

Serafina ends her sentence then pass on one of the trays she's carrying to me.

"Thank you...?"

My words of thanks turn into a question because the tray is half-filled with a stack of skewered glazed meat and the other half is a normal amount of stir-fried vegetables.

"Isn't this too much meat?" I mutter.

chomp chomp...

Eating noises occupy both sides of my ears.

My gaze naturally goes to Mint the glutton elf sitting on my right with cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk. To my left, Serafina, the pale-faced tamer is silently eating her normal portion of food.