Cadryn stepped out onto the balcony of his home, taking in the view of the bustling piers below. Ships of various sizes were docked, some built of sturdy wood and others gleaming metal. Wooden vessels were reserved for shorter distances, while metal ones dominated the longer routes. Today, the scene was different; people were busy carrying decorations and setting up for the upcoming festival celebrating the guardian Shereal.

The air was filled with vibrant energy, and even from this distance, Cadryn could hear the faint strains of music and laughter. Despite the lively colours, music, and endless dancing, he found himself indifferent. The festival was a spectacle for visitors, but for those who lived here, its novelty had long since worn off.

“Cadryn!” His mother’s voice cut through his thoughts, calling him back inside. With a sigh, he turned away from the bustling view and stepped inside to find her packing a crate with crystals. "Yes, mother?" he asked, his voice betraying a hint of reluctance. As he approached, the realization of what she was about to ask him struck him like a needle prick—a feeling he had grown familiar with over the past month.

“Could you head down to the pier and help out?” she asked, her eyes widening slightly, almost as if she regretted asking. Cadryn mumbled a quick, "No way," turning away, his expression set in a frown.

Cadryn leaned against the railing of the balcony, letting his gaze wander across the piers below. Ships of all kinds bobbed gently in the water, their hulls creaking with the weight of goods being loaded and unloaded. Wooden vessels clustered together near the shore, built for short-haul routes to nearby islands, while the sleek metal ships anchored further out, destined for far-off lands. Today, the scene was busier than usual. Streamers and lanterns hung from masts, and vendors hurriedly set up stalls along the docks, preparing for the Spirit Festival.

From where he stood, he could smell the salt of the sea mixed with the sweetness of roasted nuts and the tang of fried fish. The sound of laughter and the rhythmic thrum of drums drifted up, a promise of the revelry to come. Normally, this would have been a sight to savour—but not for Cadryn. Not anymore.

He sighed, rubbing his temples. “Again?” he muttered to himself. The festival was an annual ordeal, full of music, dancing, and noise that stretched well into the night. It had been exciting when he was younger, but now it felt like an old tune played on repeat, one he’d long grown tired of.

“Cadryn!” His mother’s voice shattered his thoughts like glass. He turned, resigned, and stepped back inside. His mother stood in the kitchen, bent over a crate, packing it full of glistening crystals. She didn’t look up, her focus sharp as she carefully nestled each gem into place.

“Yes, mother?” he asked, dragging his feet as he approached. His stomach tightened with a sense of déjà vu. She had asked him this before, always with that same hopeful look. It didn’t matter how many times he said no.

She paused, glancing up at him with widened eyes, a hint of guilt flashing across her face. “Can you head down to the pier and help with the festival preparations?” She tried to make it sound casual, but the tension in her voice betrayed her.

Cadryn narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “No way,” he mumbled, already turning away. The last thing he wanted was to get caught up in that chaos. He stared out of the window, pretending not to see the disappointment that flickered across his mother’s face.

“Oh, come on,” she urged her tone light but edged with a plea. “Just for a bit? It’ll do you some good to get out there, be around people.”

“I am around people. Every day,” he shot back, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Doesn’t mean I need to celebrate with them.”

Her shoulders sagged slightly, but she kept her composure. “Alright, then.” She returned to packing the crate, the clinking of crystals filling the room. “I just thought you might like to see the new ships in port. They say one came all the way from the west continent.”

That had caught his attention, and she knew it. Cadryn paused, glancing over his shoulder at her. “The west continent?” he repeated, trying to sound disinterested but failing miserably.

“Yes,” she replied, not meeting his eyes. “But I understand if you’re not interested.”

He scowled, biting back a retort. She was clever, using his curiosity against him. “Fine, I’ll go. But just this one time,” he grumbled, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

She looked up, a small smile playing on her lips. “Of course, just for a bit.”

He turned and made his way towards his room, muttering under his breath, “I swear, you do this on purpose.”

He changed into his outerwear inside his room before stepping out the door. The cool sea breeze brushed his face immediately. As he descended the staircase, he cast a final glance back at the door, where his mother was now standing, watching him go. She gave him a wave, half hopeful, half resigned as if expecting him to change his mind and march right back up in a fit of rebellion.

But he didn’t. Not this time. The lure of probably one of the Union’s ships gnawed at his curiosity despite his reluctance to join in the festivities.

He crossed the narrow, cobbled street that led toward the pier, slipping into the flow of townsfolk heading in the same direction. Their chatter filled the air, snippets of conversation about festival preparations, trading news, and idle gossip. He passed by shopkeepers hanging lanterns in doorways and children chasing each other with wild abandon, laughter echoing between the stacked houses. It was an oddly comforting chaos—something that had grown on him though he resented it.

The path widened as it approached the docks, opening up to reveal the bustling piers where the heart of the celebration was taking shape. Stalls were being set up in rows, their colourful canopies billowing in the breeze, while workers hurriedly strung lines of paper lanterns between the masts of moored ships. The aroma of fresh pastries and grilled meats wafted through the air, making Cadryn's stomach rumble. Not to mention some travellers who began to depart with their different baggage and their various clothing progressive in nature.

“Hey, Cadryn!” A voice called out from his right. He turned to see Arlen, one of the Animalians who often worked the docks, waving him over. His wolf-like ears twitched with excitement as he approached. “Here to help, or just to watch us do all the hard work?”

Cadryn shoved his hands into his pockets, smirking. “I’m just here to watch,” he replied, glancing toward the ship anchored at the far end of the pier. Its hull was painted a dark, burnished bronze, glinting in the sunlight, and exotic symbols were carved into its metal frame. This was no ordinary trading vessel.

Arlen followed his gaze and grinned. “Ah, so that’s what you’re here for. Everyone’s talking about it. Came in late last night. Supposedly brought some good stuff from the west.” He leaned in closer, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “They even say it may have even more than just cargo—maybe even a few secrets.”

Cadryn raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite himself. He didn’t want to get swept up in rumors, but the mystery of the ship was hard to ignore. “What kind, huh? I’ll believe, when I see it.”

Arlen shrugged, backing away with a laugh. “Suit yourself. Just don’t let the excitement get the best of you. We’ve got enough troublemakers here as it is.” With a wave, he returned to the group of Animalians busy setting up crates to be taken in to town for the festival.

Cadryn continued down the pier, maneuvering through clusters of people, his eyes fixed on the southern ship. As he drew closer, the air around it seemed to hum with an unusual energy. A few sailors, clad in foreign attire, stood on the deck, speaking in low, guttural tones that he couldn’t quite understand. They moved with a quiet grace, their expressions stoic as they directed the unloading of cargo.

Cadryn stopped at a distance, studying them. The sailors worked methodically, lifting crates marked with foreign symbols unable to recognize. Among them was an old man, a human, clearly the captain, dressed in a long coat with gold embroidery. His eyes were sharp, scanning the crowd as if assessing every person who dared to approach his ship.

There was something about the captain that made Cadryn’s skin prickle with unease. A nagging feeling tugged at the back of his mind, like an itch he couldn't quite scratch. Curious, he had come down to the pier, but now a sense of foreboding crept over him.

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“What are you doing just standing there?” A gruff voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned to see a burly dock worker glaring at him, a crate balanced on one broad shoulder. “If you’re here to help, grab a crate. If not, move along!”

Cadryn blinked, his focus shattered. “Right, right, sorry” he muttered, stepping aside to let the worker pass. He glanced back at the ship one last time, then shook his head and turned away. Whatever secrets it held, they weren’t his concern. At least, not yet.

As he made his way back to the central pier, he spotted a familiar figure waving frantically in his direction. It was Khaana, a girl he had known since childhood, her cheeks flushed with excitement as she weaved through the crowd toward him.

“Cadryn! There you are!” she panted, coming to a halt in front of him. “Your mom sent me to make sure you didn’t wander off. She said to remind you to pick up some festival supplies while you’re down here.”

He groaned inwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Of course she did. Can’t I have some time to myself, please?”

Khaana giggled, nudging him playfully. “Nope! Not when there’s work to be done. Besides, it’ll be fun. The festival's only once a year, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled, though he couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. “Alright, where am I supposed to go?”

She handed him a folded slip of paper. “Here’s a list. And don’t forget the flowers—your mom insisted.”

He unfolded the note, skimming through a short line. It was a short list, help bring back some crystals and flowers, and just enjoy himself. And, of course, the flowers. He sighed, crumpling it in his fist. “I’ll at least skip the flowers. Let’s get this over with.”

As they turned to head into the market area, he stole one last glance back at the Union’s ship, a flicker of unease still gnawing at him. Whatever secrets lay within its hold, he had a feeling they would surface soon enough. For now, he had errands to run, and a festival to begrudgingly help prepare.

"Come on, Cadryn," Khaana urged, tugging at his sleeve. "We've got a lot to do!"

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, stepping beside her. The hum of the festival buzzed around them, and for a moment, as he was pulled into the flow of people and activity, the ship faded into the background of his thoughts. But it didn’t vanish entirely. It waited, like an uninvited guest lurking at the edge of the party, biding its time.

And deep down, Cadryn knew that his curiosity would eventually lead him back to the pier.

Walking along the pier crates big and small had lined and almost overwhelmed the pier with the Union’s markings and a few other less prevalent companies' logos, the pair began to catch up on some of the good times. “Sooo, how you’ve been? Been a while since we last met,” Cadryn asked, his face faint though unable to stop his happiness of meeting his longtime friend. “It’s been…good,” Khaana muttered. “That doesn’t sound like you at all, everything alright?” he inquired, raising an eyebrow at her words. “Look, we can bring some of those crates over there,” Khanna said quickly changing the conversation, and pointing over to a loading area, “Come on,” she said as she quickly skipped over leaving him behind.

Confused as to why the sudden shift in their once-in-a-while conversation, he shrugged and followed after her, looking over to see her speaking to one of the dock workers, and then moved off as soon as Cadryn closed in on them. “Everything good?” Cadryn asked as Khanna began to turn to face him. “The worker said it’s alright to take these. But there’s a problem,”, she uttered “What’s up with them?”, he asked her, raising his brow once more, starting to get annoyed at his questions going unanswered. “Nothing,” she answered, slapping him on his shoulder as Cadryn’s face dropped.

Heh…funny

Unable to laugh because he had grown tired of her trolling–just like everything besides Singo and his antics in town. Though one thing he surely relished was her cheering smile, the one he could call his best friend. Seeing Khaana, still chuckling, he begins to move over and stacking about five crates on top of each other evenly on the ground, he stoops down and picks them up with ease as they rest in his arms. “Strong man,” Khaana teased him, as she began to rub one of his arms, Cadryn began to twitch, making the crates slightly shift out of place.

“Stop, you're going to make me drop a crate,” he responded quickly, removing his arm and trying to hide his now flustered face from her. “Let’s just go,” he said to her as he began to walk off, Khaana lifted and carried a crate though with some struggle, and they both left the bustling dock. Walking by some workers looked on amazed at his strength while others had already familiarized themselves with Cadryn’s strength as unlike them he wasn’t someone they’d consider that strong as if he was built for the job. It dawned on them multiple times to ask his mother if he’d like to join them but that thought had always gotten shot down once brought up.

Walking the road begins to change its texture to more refined bricks, leading to a fountain in the centre, with though not all that big, seemed to be of more professional bringing, the both walk and road way was filled with citizens and tourists who could be easily differentiated as well as the different clashing modes of transportation.

“We’re almost here”, Khaana exclaimed to Cadryn, with his pale-faced demeanour, both stopping to get a view of the area. He took in the tamed chaotic site before him and only sighed at it as they both continued. Onlookers' faces dropped as they walked, stepping aside to give them both some way as they finally arrived at the shop, which was marked ‘Crystal Store’ above the entrance. Stepping through the opened door they both walked in, observing the few customers inside taking the small supply of crystals, behind the counter was a familiar face, the wife of Mr. Atsul, greeting them both with a gleaming smile. “Evening you two!” she remarks

Khaana places her crate on the counter and takes a breath before speaking, “It would have still been morning if I hadn’t left.” “Well I’m glad you did,” Ms.Atsul said, smirking at her, then turned her attention to Cadryn who still hadn’t laid the crates on the ground. “You can leave those on the floor next to you,” she told him, resting it without struggle nor pant, she flirted, “If I was around your age, I’d make sure you carry me around.”

Khaana’s mouth dropped when she heard before shouting at her, “Aunty!” “Don’t hate me for trying to be direct,” she wittingly replied, hiding her face from the spaced out Cadryn, winking at the now flustered Khaana who replied to her, “Let’s just unpack these crates please!”

Cadryn couldn't help but chuckle at the exchange between Khaana and Mrs. Atsul. It was rare to see Khaana caught off guard, especially by someone as playful as Mrs. Atsul. He busied himself unloading the crates, careful to avoid making eye contact. His mind, however, lingered on Khaana's earlier avoidance of his question.

As he placed the last crate on the floor, the bell above the door chimed, signalling another had entered customer entered. Cadryn glanced up briefly, catching sight of a cloaked figure who slipped inside, moving with quiet purpose. Something about the person’s gait stirred an unease within him, much like the sensation he'd felt back at the pier near the southern ship.

“Hey, Cadryn,” Khaana called out, snapping him from his thoughts. “Can you help me grab those smaller crystals over there?” She pointed to a shelf on the far side of the store, where neatly arranged crystals sparkled under the warm glow of the lanterns.

“Sure,” he replied, grateful for the distraction. He crossed the store, carefully picking up a few smaller stones and placing them into a cloth bag. Despite the store's calm atmosphere, the feeling of unease lingered in his gut. As he returned to the counter, he noticed Khaana subtly watching the cloaked figure, her brow furrowed. She, too, had sensed something off.

Before he could ask her anything, the door creaked again, and a second figure entered, this one more hurried. The newcomer, a younger man with wild hair and nervous eyes, scanned the room quickly before rushing to the cloaked figure. Cadryn watched from the corner of his eye as they exchanged hushed words, their conversation too low for him to hear.

He placed the bag of crystals next to the crate and turned to Khaana. “Do you know them?”

Khaana shook her head, her expression tense. “No. But something feels... weird.”

Mrs. Atsul noticed their unease and leaned in, speaking quietly. “You two should head out soon. I’ve seen plenty that type before. Travellers with purpose, usually not a good one.”

Cadryn glanced back toward the strangers, watching as the wild-haired man passed something small and glimmering to the cloaked figure. His heart quickened. "Let's just finish and get out of here," he muttered to Khaana, who nodded in agreement.

As they began to collect the remaining items, the cloaked figure turned slightly, and Cadryn caught a glimpse of something underneath the cloak—a shinny glint of metal, the hilt of a weapon perhaps. The strangers exchanged a final look before heading toward the door. Just as they were about to leave, the cloaked figure paused, turning to look directly at Cadryn.

A shiver ran down his spine. Beneath the shadow of the hood, he saw sharp, piercing eyes—eyes that seemed to assess him in an instant, recognizing something within him. The brief moment felt like an eternity, but then the figure turned away, exiting the shop with the other man in tow.

The tension in the air had broken as soon as they had left. Khaana let out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding, and Cadryn shook off the cold feeling creeping up his arms.

“Who were they?” Khaana asked, her voice low.

“I don’t know,” Cadryn replied, his brow furrowed. “But at least it doesn’t look like they stole anything.”

Mrs. Atsul sighed from behind the counter. “Best to steer clear of folk like that, especially around festival time. People come from all over, and not all of them bring good intentions.”

Cadryn exchanged a glance with Khaana, both of them thinking the same thing—whatever was happening, it was tied to the ship that had docked at the southern pier. There was more to this festival than music, dancing, and celebrations. A storm was brewing, and Cadryn felt certain that, somehow, he was already caught in its path.

“Well, that was fun,” Khaana said, trying to lighten the mood as she handed the last of the crystals to Mrs. Atsul.

Cadryn forced a smile, but his mind was racing. There were too many questions, and he wasn’t sure he wanted the answers.

As they stepped out of the shop and into the bustling streets, Cadryn couldn’t shake the feeling that the strangers’ piercing gaze hadn’t just been one of curiosity—it had been one of recognition. Something deeper was at play, and he had a feeling that his quiet life in the town was about to get much more complicated.