"I'm telling you dude, this guy has the coolest blades in Le'Raana!""Alright, alright, I'll check it out! Man, you're pushy today..."Ignatius Pratt was a long way from Zantaric. Long, pointless detours weren't anything new for the boy, of course- Carolina was uncannily good at getting the teenager to wander off the beaten path. This time he'd found himself in Arca's bustling market district, watching as the merchants and vendors haggled with customers.
Carolina tugged at the boy's hair with her beak.
"You won't be complaining when you see the shit this guy is selling!" she thought to him as the boy approached a blacksmith's stall.
"They have cyathil, man! Cyathil!"Ignatius's eyes lit up.
"Wait, really?" he thought back, quickening his pace. Upon reaching the stall, he gasped- the bird was right. The teal metal glimmered in the sunlight, and the numerous steel blades also being sold seemed downright unattractive next to it. A suit of cyathil armor stood on a stand behind the counter, sparkling brilliantly.
"No way! That's awesome!""Told you!"Ignatius picked up a cyathil dagger, grinning wildly. He looked at the vendor "Hey, how much?"
The balding man looked the boy over dismissively. "Eighty suns." he said flatly.
"Do I get my Friends discount?" the boy replied instinctively. "That's an awful lot..."
"Hahaha!" Carolina laughed.
"We're not in Zantaric you goofball! He won't know what you mean!""Ohhhh yeah..."The merchant gave Ignatius a funny look. "Friends discount? I don't know you."
"Hey, you can just take the knife y'know." The bird flew onto the suit of armor, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Just keep talking for a sec, I'll do the distraction thing.""But I'm your nephew!" Ignatius told the man angrily. "Come on, can't you can cut the price for me?"
"What? I don't have any-"
*CRASH*
Carolina had undone the armor straps, causing the suit to fall off the stand with a loud clatter. The vendor turned around, and Carolina flew back onto the teenager's shoulder.
"Come on, let's go!" Ignatius nodded, pocketing the knife quickly. The two would slip away into the crowd, hoping nobody had seen them...