Sulphur & Lightning Chapter 38: 037 - A Salutary Presence

Read chapter 38 of Sulphur & Lightning by anaugustauthor on NovelPedia.

The market itself splayed outwards like a fan with the shrine as the origin. Contrary to the norm for such shabby markets, there was no excessive animation or beckoning of customers to buy wares. Instead, the list of things available in certain stalls or on certain tables was written on a board in Human text, inviting all interested parties to purchase what they needed — and to scram if they weren’t going to. The whole affair was so shoddy that even the word 'decrepit' would be embarrassed to be associated with the goings-on here, and yet it did satisfy the need for which it was created. Yes, this would do. People moved between them quietly. Transactions were brief. Words were few. Elijah stepped into it without hesitation. If anything, the atmosphere suited him better than the city proper. He paused at the first stall that caught his attention. Bundles of fibrous material hung from a horizontal beam, their ends frayed and stiff. Beneath them, coils of something darker—tendons, stripped and dried—were arranged in careful loops. The seller was an older man with hands like knotted wood. He looked up as Elijah approached. For a moment, nothing passed between them. Then Elijah reached into his cloak and produced the small penannular rings that made the world spin. The man’s gaze flickered—not to Elijah’s face, but to the metal itself. There was a pause, a brief one, but it was undeniable. Then he nodded once. He selected two coils of the tendon and a length of the fibrous material and placed them on the stall. Elijah took them and placed them into a leather satchel on his side before walking away. The exchange was complete. He moved on. At the next stall, shallow bowls held powders of varying shades—grey, black, and a deep rust-red that seemed to drink in the light. The air around them carried a faint metallic tang. “Metal powders,” the woman behind the stall said, her voice low. She had worded it with disinterest, as though she were simply making an observation rather than an offer. Elijah’s eyes moved over the selection. He pointed to the red. She scooped it into a small packet, folding the paper with practised precision. Again, he paid without question. This time, though, there was a measure of hesitation as the woman measured up her customer. He didn’t know what her intentions were, but they were scarcely ever good in such a place. He regarded her mutedly but still said nothing, though he was ready to move if there was any trouble. He never did learn her intentions as the haggard woman bowed her head and murmured a small apology before giving him his package and even throwing some change in. The pattern continued. Liquids sealed in stoppered vials—thick, dark sap that clung to the glass. Fragments of stone that held heat longer than they should. Powders finer than ash. Each purchase was the same: He approached. He selected. He paid. He hadn’t bargained even once since setting foot in here. The prices were high. Some, outrageously so. He did not contest them. By the time he reached the final stall, the weight beneath his cloak had grown noticeable. This one was set slightly apart from the others. There were no small goods here. Only stacked bricks—rectangular, uniform, their surfaces a muted red that seemed almost alive in the fading light. Red Clay. The seller was younger than the others, though his eyes carried the same measured wariness. “You’ll need a lot,” he said. Elijah glanced at the stacks. “I know.” “How much?” Elijah considered. Then he named an amount. The man’s brows lifted slightly. “Cash or cheque?” The question was coated with a thick membrane of sarcasm, but Elijah didn’t much mind; instead, he reached into his pouch and set down more manillas. This time, the pause was longer. The seller weighed them in his hand. Then, slowly, he nodded. “It’ll take a moment.” He turned and called to someone behind him—a boy, thin and quick, who disappeared into the back. Elijah waited. At first, he scanned the market around