“So where do we even start?” Milo asked as they exited the grand building.

Ezra shielded his eyes from the afternoon light and studied the dirt street ahead of them. “I guess we just ask around until we get a lead. If we don’t get any information after an hour or two, we can reevaluate.”

Various buildings lined the street. Some only stood a story high, while others towered over four. The paint on them didn’t match either. Flecked yellow paint was peeling off a hardware shop while the building right next to it looked like it had a fresh coat of aqua blue. The crowds they had seen in the morning only grew bigger with the rising light and now darted in and out of the structures on their way to disparate destinations.

“Let’s start with the shop owners,” Ezra said. “Whoever this Marlaove is, he had to have bought stuff at one point.”

“Sound’s good. I’ll take the shops on the left; you take the ones on the right.” Milo casually strode through the crowd of people as Ezra considered which shop to start at.

Weaving through the crowd, the first shop Ezra came upon was selling artifacts. Oddly shaped ancient items were displayed in the window, and a sign in modern language but written in the style of the ancient language hung over the door. The rigid lines of the ancient style gave the shop a personal touch that made it stand out from the other signs that lined the street.

When he entered the store, the smell of dust overwhelmed his senses. Ezra quickly grew accustomed to it; after all, he noticed the shop itself was quite clean. The owner, a young man, was in the back polishing a hollow tube that twisted in on itself. The man averted his gaze from his project and smiled at Ezra as he entered.

“What can I help you with?” the man asked from across the store. Once Ezra didn’t respond, the man offered more explanation to clear any perceived confusion. “If you are not Morltin rank, your selection will be limited to grade one and two artifacts.”

“I’m not here to purchase anything,” Ezra responded before wondering if being too honest would limit the amount of information he could get.

The man stopped polishing the artifact and placed it back on the shelf. “Then why are you here?” His voice carried a great deal of suspicion.

“I’m looking for someone. Have you heard the name Marlaove?”

“Not a common name. I’m sure I would remember something so unique. After all, I am in the business of oddities. Uniqueness is my trademark.” The man smirked with a hint of pride. “If there is anything else related to my business, I would be glad to offer my services.”

"No, that's fine,” Ezra said, brushing off the remarks. “Thanks anyway.”

He exited the shop and was back in the brightly lit streets. The first person I talked to was never going to have the answer. Things could have gone worse. Ezra took a deep breath and strode onto the next storefront. Flowers lined the walls, and a woman with curly amber hair greeted him. Despite the welcoming atmosphere, Ezra got a similar answer and a disappointed look at the realization he wasn’t a customer. The same pattern followed for the next eight shops, and Ezra began to wonder if Milo was having the same luck. The end of the street was only a few buildings away. Might as well finish here before regrouping. Resigning himself to his task, Ezra sighed and entered the next store with a smile.

The multicolor display of cleanly cut gemstones brought a sense of comfort to Ezra. At last, he had arrived at something he was familiar with. The mining town of Deepburrow was oversaturated with these, but it was nice to be surrounded by items that he could name one by one. His eyes widened at a transparent gem, about the size of his fist, that swirled with polychromatic light. It was as if the gem had stolen a piece of the sky.

“A beauty. Isn’t she.”

Ezra blinked at the stranger's voice and reluctantly pulled his longing gaze from the gem. “I didn't know Stoletime gems could get that big.”

“Up on the tenth layer they can.” A fascination consumed the shopkeeper's words. “It’s rare something of this quality makes it down this far. Really a shame. Makes you wonder what else we common folk miss by not climbing.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Ezra silently nodded. He understood that hunger for more. The type of hunger that starves the soul and shows you the shadow of your humanity. For those who didn’t climb, they found other ways to satiate that hunger. Yet little glimpses like this were all some needed to keep going. “Did you ever think of climbing?”

The man stroked his beard, which was flecked with gray as he pondered the answer. “I did once, but those days are long gone. There is no use in fretting over missed opportunities.” He smiled and then glanced around the shop like he was a customer. “Now, young man, is there anything you would like to buy?”

The question Ezra had been hoping to avoid eventually reared its head. “Well, the thing is..." Just get it over with, Ezra urged himself. “I’m not here to buy something. There was a question I wanted to ask.”

The man raised his eyebrow and invited the question. "Well, ask away.”

“Do you happen to know a person that goes by the name of Marlaove?”

“Hmm,” the man hummed as he considered the name. “It does sound familiar, but I can’t put a face to it. I was never good at remembering those who aren’t regulars, but I may know someone who has a better recollection than me. Try Niall, the man who runs the fresh produce store across the street. He’s a friendly fellow who is known for getting to know his customers. He says the knowing is what makes each customer's experience special.”

It was better than nothing. Ezra hoped it would lead to something more. “Thank you. I’ll make sure to come by your shop again. Next time I’ll actually buy something.” He waved goodbye and exited the store.

Back in the bustling street, he maneuvered through the crowds once he spotted the store marked by a basket of vegetables on the sign. Upon entering the shop, he realized it was no less busy than the congested road. The sweet and earthy aroma of fruits and vegetables filled the store as a man in a white apron and a gleaming smile strode across the floor.

“Hello! I don’t think I’ve had the opportunity to meet you. I’m the owner of this fine store.” The man said as he extended his hand in greeting.

This must be Niall, Ezra thought as he stared up at the man who towered over him. Niall was built like a fighter, but his warm demeanor contrasted with his stature. “I’m Ezra. I’ve heard good things about this place.”

Niall shook Ezra’s hand with a firm yet comfortable grip. "Nice to meet ya! I can’t be thankful enough to those who praised this place. I hope your experience can be as enjoyable as theirs.”

“Um, do you know a man named Marlaove?”

Niall’s smile slightly faded as soon as the name left Ezra’s mouth. “I do. You haven’t seen him recently, have you?”

“No. I’ve been looking for him.”

“I see. I see.” Niall spoke a few words of farewell to an exiting customer and then resumed his focus on Ezra. “Any luck so far. He was a great customer; I enjoyed my chats with him.”

“None. I actually came here to ask what you know about him, and when was the last time you saw him?” Ezra moved to the side as another person entered the building, and Niall welcomed them enthusiastically.

“About four months ago. He came here about once a week to buy groceries, but the last three weeks before he disappeared were unusual.”

“How so?” Ezra asked.

Niall scratched the back of his head and looked unsure if he should reveal more information. After another moment of hesitation, he spoke. “Well, he bought three times what he usually does, and in the last week nearly five times the usual. I asked him if he was planning on starting a farm with that much food, but he just laughed me off. And that was that.”

What could that even mean? Ezra’s mind raced for an explanation. Why would he need so much food and four months ago too? Is he hiding out somewhere? But why would he be hiding? He’s related to Wilfred, so maybe he was fighting against Faulpher-tek too, but then why wouldn’t Wilfred know where he is? There’s more to this. I don’t have enough information yet. “Do you know anything else about him?”

Nial furrowed his brow. “You’re asking a lot of questions. I’m open to talking, but I don’t think I should give out too much info on my customers. They trust me, and I don’t want to betray that. What’s your relation to Marlaove?”

Ezra felt a pit form in his stomach. I can’t let this lead slip between my fingers. “Uh. Do you know a guy named Wilfred?”

“Yeah, strange fellow. Sometimes came in with Marlaove, but I rarely saw him.”

“I,” Ezra stammered, “he asked me to look for Marlaove for him. He hasn’t seen him either in a while.”

Niall’s doubtful glare was beginning to slip away. “Ok. I’ll tell you one more thing about him. There are some other guys who might know him a bit better than I do. Off of Roltin Street, only a few blocks away from the Shatterfold guild headquarters, there's a retirement home for Sky-seekers. He told me he visited often.”

Ezra took a mental note of the location. A retirement home, why would he be going there? It seemed like this mystery was getting stranger by the moment.