"So what do you think?" Heyvl asked as he waved his arms around, as if he was showing off Lonav.

Jet looked around the village. He was shocked to see no tall buildings. The houses and huts stretched all around Trekthar's. The roads were merely dirt paths that people were walking and pulling carts through. The sky was open and clear of smoke.

He got a good look at Heyvl in the light. He wasn't dressed like Trekthar. Instead of robes, he was wearing a cloth shirt and similar pants. They were made of some gray material.

"So this is kind of the center of the living area. Trekthar's house is where we gather for any important town meetings."

Jet noticed that the area directly in front of them was more open than the paths leading away. It reminded Jet of the vacant areas in Calbar when buildings were torn down. The other kids called them parks.

The wind began to blow. It was a strange feeling to Jet because it was warm and comforting compared to the harsh cold of Calbar. He watched as the green grasses of the field before him swayed.

"I suppose this must be different for you," Heyvl said as he noticed Jet's expression.

"It is," Jet replied with a nod. "Calbar wasn't nearly as open as Lonav. The buildings stood so tall, you could feel like you were being swallowed by it sometimes."

Heyvl frowned at Jet's comment. He ran his hand through his short spiky hair. The black quills moved around his hand as he pushed it through. He shook his head, "Well just wait until you see the rest of the village. It will be much better than Calbar, trust me."

Jet smiled lightly. He decided he needed to stop comparing the two places. He needed to focus on the now. He motioned for Heyvl to lead on. Heyvl nodded and began to walk down the path to the right of the park.

The other houses near Trekthar's were made of stone. At least, it looked like stone to Jet. It wasn't the brick and wood that made up most of the houses in Calbar. The houses were still the same shape; square-like at the base and more pointed with a roof at the top.

"We're the biggest village in all of Lonava. We have the easiest routes between the other two lands that made us prosper in trade," Heyvl explained, looking over his shoulder back at Jet. His blue eyes clashed with the scenery.

"What kind of trade goods come through here?" Jet asked. "Calbar only had a few traders here and there, mostly attempting to sell trinkets they would swear were special or rare." Jet blinked a few times. He was shocked at how open he was being with Heyvl. He wondered if it was because all the times he wished he could talk to the other kids of Calbar.

Heyvl laughed. "We've sorted out those kinds of traders. We actually have a market here. It's some local shops and some traders that set up stalls in one area."

The idea of a trading center interested Jet. The only shops he was used to were ones similar to the bakery. "Can we go see that?" Jet asked eagerly.

"Sure," Heyvl said. "Trekthar will want you back at some point. Probably wants to talk to you about being a Spirit Elementalist in our lands, or something."

Jet nodded. He wasn't sure what exactly that meant for him. Was it bad to be a Spirit Elementalist in Lonava? He wasn't even sure how to be an Elementalist to begin with. Jet looked to his hands. With a single thought, the green aura steamed from his skin.

Heyvl looked over to him. "Not used to it?"

"How can you tell?" Jet asked, letting the Element fade.

"Well, you're maybe a year younger than I am, so you're around the age of the Element awakening. Plus, you seem uncomfortable."

"Well I'm in a strange land from what I'm used to."

"That is a good point...but I'm right, correct?"

Jet chuckled. "Yeah I suppose you are. I never knew I was going to be an Elementalist. I can't really remember my parents much. They disappeared when I was really young. I guess neither me nor my brother realized they were Spirit Elementalists."

Heyvl simply nodded. "I've always heard that Calbar was really full of Elementalists, but I can see that. Lonava doesn't have many. I'm Elementless."

Jet felt sort of relieved by learning that. Most of Jet's interactions were with Elementless. That's how he felt most comfortable with.

The two continued to walk the dirt paths until they finally left the residential area. The buildings slowly became bigger and taller, but not on the Calbar scale. Heyvl explained some of the buildings as they passed. Some Jet had heard of before from the richer parts of Calbar, but some were completely new.

"That large one is the Lonav Inn. It acts as a place for foreign traders to stay in at night, as well as a gathering place for people who like to be social and have drinks."

Jet had worked in a few of the inns of Calbar. He and Dustan had moved barrels into basements of some, as well as cleaned the beds after visitors had stayed in them.

"That building there is rather new for Lonava. The owner says they got the idea from the Soul Empire. I guess it's a place you can go and get your hair cut by a 'professional.' Seems like a waste of money to me," Heyvl explained.

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Jet didn't remember such a place in Calbar. There was so much more to the world that he hadn't seen. Calbar may have been the capital, but the Soul Empire was a massive place.

The paths began to gradually get more crowded. Jet stayed close to Heyvl. The other people gave him strange looks. He wasn't sure if it was because he looked different or not. He pulled his vest together, holding it tightly. His clothes seemed outlandish in Calbar, so he felt even more of an outcast in Lonav.

Soon the path became a massive street-like opening. Jet looked around and saw wooden stalls set up every few feet from each other. Each one had a sign on it and were covered in trade goods.

"Welcome to the trader's market," Heyvl told Jet with a smile.

People were everywhere. They were walking between stalls, carrying objects of many different sizes, and pulling carts through the crowds. Jet didn't think he had ever seen as many people in one area.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Heyvl asked.

Jet nodded. Everyone looked happy. The people of Calbar seemed to drudge through life in the dreadfully gray city.

Heyvl tapped his shoulder to get his attention. "You probably haven't eaten in a while. Let's get you food."

Jet wasn't sure how to respond. He had never been offered food before. He wasn't sure if Heyvl was going to ask for money.

"I don't have any gold."

"Oh! No, that's not what I mean. I mean I'm going to get you food, and you don't have to worry about it," Heyvl quickly explained.

"I see," Jet replied, "I'm just not used to that, I guess. Back in Calbar, I had to work hard for food."

Heyvl shook his head. "You're not in Calbar anymore. You need to start thinking like a Lonavain, not an Imperial."

Lonavain. The word made Jet have mixed feelings. A part of him felt homesick, but then he also felt safer here.

"Come on. Follow me," Heyvl said as he began to maneuver through the crowds. Jet followed closely behind. He weaved around the people trying to keep up with Heyvl.

The two came to a stop as they reached one of the stalls. Jet could already smell the food. It made his mouth water and his stomach growl. The counter of the stall was covered in colorful fruits and steaming meats. It all looked appetizing, even though Jet had no idea what any of it was.

"So what do you want?" Heyvl asked.

"I have no idea. It all looks so good!"

Heyvl smirked at his enthusiasm. He walked up to the stall and pointed at a few things. The trader reached his hand out and Heyvl gave him a few gold pieces. The trader then gave the items to Heyvl. Jet leaned to the side to see what Heyvl had bought. He was holding two red fruits and one large piece of meat.

"Here," Heyvl said as he handed one of the fruits and the meat to Jet.

"Thank you!" Jet said as he eagerly began to eat the fruit. The first bite was sweet and juicy. It was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted. It didn't take long to eat the entire thing and move on to the meat. The meat tasted like a better-cooked version of the meat he and Dustan had managed to get a few times in Calbar. It was savory and tender.

"Wow, you must have not eaten in a while..." Heyvl said as he watched Jet devour the food.

"It wasn't as common as you might think," Jet managed to say with food in his mouth.

"We'll treat you right here. We know food is a necessity. I suppose you can say that people don't go without food here. It isn't our way of living."

Jet finished the food and let out a sigh of relief. "Now what?"

"Alright, let me show you some of the shops," Heyvl replied.

Heyvl took a bite out of his fruit and pointed across the street. "Over there," Heyvl paused to swallow, "are some pretty interesting traders. They sell clothes from the other lands. You should see what the people from the Crystal Kingdom wear."

Jet was intrigued to find out. He remembered Sir Rujar from the Emperor's castle. He wondered if all Crystal Kingdom citizens were warrior-like.

The two crossed the street and made their way into a large building. The building was open on both ends. It was like a massive structure to shelter some of the traders.

"I think they got the idea for this from the barns out in the fields around the village," Heyvl explained, noticing Jet examining the building.

"What's a barn?"

"It's sort of a storage place for farming stock, if I recall. Never been in one, but they have massive open doors like this."

Jet nodded. He wondered if he passed any on the way into the village with Trekthar.

Inside the building, it was much cooler. The shade and the walls seemed to keep the warmth out. The path in the center of the building was paved. It reminded Jet of the streets in Calbar.

"These are shops that moved here permanently. They set this building up and tried to make it as easy to move stock as possible. The dirt paths can be a bit bumpy," Heyvl told Jet.

Jet looked into the rooms that were set up like shops. Some of them had clothing that looked like the ones Heyvl wore. Some carried mysterious looking rugs. Others had jewelry that looked local from what Jet had seen so far.

"There it is, on the end," Heyvl said as he pointed to one of the shops.

Jet followed him over to it. It was a clothing shop, as Heyvl had explained. The shelves were covered with fabrics and pieces of clothing that all looked different to Jet. As he scanned the shelves, he saw some clothing that was similar to the clothing from Calbar; rough cloth that was thick to keep the citizens warm. The other clothings were of vibrant colors and much more thin.

"These colorful ones are from the Kingdom," Heyvl explained.

Jet wondered if Rujar had worn something similar under his armor.

"You there!" an older lady spat out.

Jet and Heyvl looked over to the counter of the shop. It was the owner. She waddled over to the two of them, her outfit of many different pieces from the lands. "Where did you get that vest?" she asked as she moved really close to Jet.

Jet felt awkward. He wasn't sure what to say or to do. He just felt like covering himself.

"Well, boy?"

"Uh..." Jet finally managed, "I've had it as long as I can remember. I suppose my parents gave it to me."

"It's from the desert, isn't it?!"

Jet looked to Heyvl, who merely shrugged. "My parents were from the desert, so I suppose-"

"Do you know how rare it is to have desert clothing?!" she demanded, "With that blasted blockade, no traders can go there anymore."

"Have you been there?" Jet asked eagerly, hoping to learn something from his homeland.

"Never have."

Jet frowned.

"I'll buy that vest off you, though."

Jet felt uneasy as she was pawing towards his clothes. "It's not for sale," Heyvl stepped in to say to her.

"Awe, well I would've paid a pretty sum of gold for it."

"Don't listen to her Jet. She's trying to bait you."

A part of Jet really wanted to know how much a pretty sum of gold was. He wanted to have gold. It would mean he wouldn't ever have to return to the life he had lived in Calbar.

"Come on, Jet," Heyvl said as he escorted Jet out of the shop.

After they had walked a couple of shops back towards the entrance, Heyvl sighed. "I didn't realize those were from your homeland."

"I guess I never really thought about it myself. I outgrew most of the clothes I had. This vest was all that really fit. I couldn't afford to get anything else."

Heyvl scratched the back of his head. "Did you want me to get you some new clothes?"

Jet shook his head. "No, I'm fine." He wanted to keep the vest. Now that he realized it was from his homeland, it was all he had left of his family. He remembered his beloved scarf that probably was on the Emperor's floor still.

"Well, let's get back to Trekthar. Maybe he's back at his hut. He needed to talk to you about Calbar."

Jet nodded. He knew he had to attempt to explain what happened. He hoped he could.