Following the girl, Ninjara, as she introduced herself, Alexei was dragged through the streets of the unfamiliar city. Ninjara suggested halfway through that Alexei keep his gaze down and do his best to avoid people's gaze, which he did without complaint.

With his gaze set on the ground, he, through discreet glance up, saw the streets teeming with people, vendors selling their wares, and animals roaming freely. The scent of spices, herbs, and freshly baked bread filled the air as they made their way through the bustling marketplace.

As they walked, Alexei's eyes widened in wonder at the colorful buildings, adorned with ornate tile work and intricate carvings. Everywhere he looked, there was something new and fascinating to see. Ninjara, meanwhile, weaved expertly through the crowds, her small hand gripping tightly onto Alexei's as she led him deeper into the market.

The noise was overwhelming. The vendors shouted out their wares, the sound of haggling and bargaining filling the air. Children laughed and ran through the streets, goats and chickens clucked and bleated. A choir-performed high-pitched song could be heard in the distance, adding to the cacophony of sound.

Despite the chaos, there was an energy and vitality to the market that was infectious. Alexei found himself caught up in the excitement, his short legs struggling to keep him to the rhythm of the city. And Ninjara, too, seemed to be in her element, her face alight with excitement as she pulled him from one stall to the next.

They passed vendors selling silks and spices, jewelry and pottery. Alexei's eyes were drawn to a group of men gathered around a rooster fight, shouting and gesturing animatedly. A few meters down, an old man sat on the ground, smoking a strange green smoke through a strange straw and watching the people go by.

Finally, Ninjara led Alexei to a small stall at the edge of the market. The stall was piled high with trinkets and knick-knacks, but as they approached, the vendor, an old man, scowled at them and gestured for them to leave. It was clear that he could tell by how they were both dressed that they didn't have any money to buy anything.

Alexei wore a threadbare tunic that had clearly seen better days, with frayed edges and holes in the fabric. He had on a pair of loose-fitting pants made of rough linen that were too big for him and were held up by a rope belt. His feet were bare, his sandals having worn out a long time ago.

Meanwhile, Ninjara was dressed in a soot-covered long robe made of a coarse cotton fabric that had faded with washings. The hem of her robe was frayed, and it was clear it had been mended several times.

At the man’s cold welcome, Ninjara quickly dragged Alexei away from the stall. They walked a little further down the street until they came across a shop selling fruits held by a woman.

As he stood with Ninjara in front of the stall staring at the colorful fruits, Alexei slightly stepped forward, raising his hands, seemingly to reach onto an apple, but was stopped by a strange feeling of déjà vu that only strengthened when his stomach let out yet another rumble.

The growling of his stomach was noticed by Ninjara, who turned to him before dragging him away from the stall. She led him to a corner of the marketplace nearing a narrow alleyway, hidden from view of the marketplace. The alley was dark and dingy, with crumbling mud brick walls and debris littering the ground, much like the one he woke up in.

“Wait for me here,” she instructed Alexei before apparently about to take her leave.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“You’re hungry, right?” Alexei nodded.

"So I'm going back to the fruit-selling stall, and... getting some for you and me," Ninjara said.

Alexei was well aware that they couldn't afford to buy anything from the woman's stall. But when Ninjara spoke those words, he didn't object.

"I'll be back shortly," Ninjara said with a smile. "Just wait for me here." Then she disappeared into the crowd.

Alexei waited for what felt like an eternity, scanning the alley for any sign of Ninjara's return. It was while doing so that he noticed people approaching from the alley. He almost mistook them for the people Ninjara had referred to as the knight and warden, but quickly realized they were different.

There were four of them, dressed in simple yet functional uniforms made of sturdy cotton, with leather belts holding scabbards for their swords. They wore round felt caps to protect them from the sun and carried large wooden shields with the symbol of the city's ruler emblazoned on them.

Although Alexei knew there was little reason to be afraid of these people, he remembered Ninjara's advice to avoid meeting anyone's gaze. He leaned against the wall and looked down as they walked past him without a glance, disappearing into the market's crowds.

Stolen story; please report.

Alexei let out a sigh of relief when he saw Ninjara emerge from the crowd, her arms full of fruit and her face flushed with excitement.

"Come on, we have to go!" she said urgently, handing him a couple of fruits.

"What... what's happening?" He didn't have time to process the situation before the guard from earlier emerged from the crowd, shouting at them, "Hey, thieves! Halt!"

"Now, come on, Alexei, what are you waiting for?" Ninjara said, already taking off.

Alexei's heart pounded as he followed Ninjara through the winding streets of the city, the sound of clanking armor growing louder behind them as they pushed their way through the market. He struggled to keep up with Ninjara's fast pace, his legs feeling like lead.

Despite the danger, Ninjara wore a large smile on her face and an expression he couldn't quite decipher as she darted through the crowd, her arms still full of fruit. "Come on, Alexei!" she shouted. "We have to keep moving!"

Alexei nodded, determination in his eyes as he forced his short legs to move faster. The guards were getting closer, their voices growing louder as they shouted for the thieves to stop.

They turned down an alley, hoping to lose the guards in the maze of streets, but it ended at a three-meter wall – a dead end.

"Crap! A dead end," Ninjara panicked.

Ninjara skidded to a stop, her eyes wide with fear as she looked around for a way out.

Alexei's heart sank as he realized they had nowhere else to run. The guards, whose shouts and footsteps were getting louder, soon came into view, trapping Ninjara and Alexei between them and the dead end.

Alexei could see the determination on the guards' faces. They were not going to let him and Ninjara escape. He quickly glanced at Ninjara, who had dropped to the ground, but then refocused his attention on the approaching guards.

"You're not running anywhere," one of the guards said as they tried to restrain Alexei.

Alexei felt a strange sense of déjà vu, as if he had been in this situation before.

As one of the guards reached out to grab him, Alexei reflexively raised his arm as if aiming something at the guard. Ninjara reached out to support him and drop-kicked the guard into the distance.

The second guard exclaimed in shock, "What?!" as he saw his comrade being thrown.

Without hesitation, the guard swung his curved blade at Ninjara. She threw an object at his chest, causing him to stumble backwards like the first guard.

The two remaining guards, each carrying a spear, looked at each other uncertainty, but both pointed their weapons ominously at the duo.

Seeing the guards charging at them, Alexei stretched out his arm again, closed his eyes, and allowed something to happen. He heard a windy, whistling sound followed by a loud thud.

When he opened his eyes, he saw both guards lying unconscious against a wall. Though he wasn't sure what had happened, he knew it was something he had done.

Name

H.P

P.P

Race

Class

Alexei

11

267▼/270

Arbian

Mage

The screen appeared again beside the girl's face, but unlike hers which was golden, this one was see-through, highlighting only the written inscription. Alexei noticed another difference between this screen and the one he'd seen with the girl. This one had his name inscribed on it, along with other details that felt very familiar to him.

Still dazed and confused, Alexei was called by his name, "Alexei!" He turned around and saw Ninjara stuffing fruits that she had apparently dropped into her handmade pocket on her clothes. She then approached Alexei and handed him more fruits before summoning Odo and climbing up the wall with her appendages, using them as hooks. In no time, she arrived atop the wall.

"Climb," she said, standing on the wall that had been a dead end, and extending vine-like appendages to Alexei. Without much hesitation, he reached onto them and was brought up to her side. After casting a last glance at the four knocked guards, Alexei, with the help of Ninjara and her golden appendages, jumped to a nearby roof and made their escape.

They stopped on a rooftop where laundry was hanging out.

"Pfiou! I think we're far enough, don't you think?" Ninjara asked.

Still processing everything that had happened, Alexei simply nodded. With erratic breathing and a large smile on her face, Ninjara took a seat at the edge of the rooftop.

"Good thing you acted quickly with that magic thing," she said, outstretching her arm, mimicking Alexei's earlier gesture. "Pshiou! Was that the power of the wind?"

Looking at his own hands, which had conjured a gust of wind that had sent a man flying, Alexei confessed, "I'm not sure, but I think it is... I'm not even sure."

"I see. I know what that is." Ninjara looked at him silently, then quickly wiped her hands and patted the floor beside her, inviting him to take a seat. "Weren't you hungry?" she asked.

Before Alexei could respond, she reached into her pocket and retrieved a huge fruit that she ravenously devoured. Envious, he accepted her offer and took a seat beside her, sinking his teeth into the fruit he had been handed. The duo ate silently until there was nothing left of the presumably stolen fruits. Although they might have been stolen, those fruits felt as though they were the tastiest Alexei had ever eaten.