The World We Do Not Know 124 Diverse Alley - 02

"Oh, new customers!" The fur started talking by itself.

"What the h.e.l.l?" A fur is talking to me.

"Who you calling a fur?" The dark shape in fur responded.

"I'm not calling you anything." Neith's voice is heard from within the fur.

Faust did not say anything for a brief moment. "Ok? Auntie? Did you get eaten by the fur or is there a portal inside?" Faust cupped his hands in front of his mouth and as he yells.

"What are you saying? Faust? h.e.l.lo?" Faust hears Neith again, and this time, he realizes the voice is coming from behind the fur.

As Faust tries to go around the fur, the fur slowly starts moving. Faust sees Neith, and walks towards her. She is under the street light which was suspended from the roof, as Faust walks close to her, he notices the fur is of orange colour. And it is a fur coat worn by a tall and huge man.

This man from behind, in his fur coat without a ray of light, looks like a huge creature full of fur, "You know this kid?" The huge man asks Neith. His voice is one of those extremely deep voice that is buried in the roots of your brain once you hear them. There's no way you will ever forget his voice.

"Of course, he is with me." 

"Auntie? Here you are. I was worried. This place is so dark by the way." Faust says as he gets near Neith.

"This is built underground. The roof above us is a city with roads." The tall man a.s.sists Faust, describing the place.

"Ok, Bang! I will see you next time." Neith does not speak anything else and decides to move on with her business.

Bang pauses while looking at her and Faust before eventually saying. "It's ok, You have my code, right? Hit me up sometime." I would like all of us to meet and hang out once again." Bang says and sends off her off unwillingly. He wanted to stay and have a chat with her for some more time, but seems like Neith decided not to talk to him in front of Faust. Understanding what's in her mind, Bang sends her off in her way.

"Woe auntie, you know many people here as well." Faust wants to ask her about Bang. But he doesn't want to be rude as to checking up on her. For which he decides to bring him up in a casual way.

"Of course, don't you know what I used to do."

"So is he your friend or?" Faust asks cautiously.

"He is someone I know from the past. Anyway, be careful to cover your nose. We're entering the wild market." Neith takes out a tissue, covering her mouth and pa.s.ses a tissue towards Faust.

"Oh, what do you mean by wild market." As Faust asks, he sees a purple smoke in front of him. He goes on to cover his nose and mouth with a tissue.

As they both are approaching, Faust notices a bad pungent smell, it's getting stronger as they reach the market.

"Buy these! Just caught wild beasts from the forest of darkness." A guy shouts from outside of a shop. Faust can see a form of cage from inside the purple smoke.

Everyone is wearing a sort of mask and looking inside the cages and some are discussing with the shopkeepers. The wild market is a place where they sell wild beasts that are poached.

 These are not your ordinary beasts, rather, these are mutilated and evolved species, due to excess oxygen that is present in some forests.

The entire mankind has isolated itself in a small bubble and surrounding this bubble is a vast ocean. But, between the bubble filled with oxygen and man-made protective screen of sunlight is a huge dense forest that is growing rapidly.

"They sell wild beasts here, mostly the n.o.bles that visit this market. They have a wide variety of animals here. Some come here to buy the beasts for amus.e.m.e.nt while others come here to choose their dinner." Neith explains to Faust, who is looking at the cages.

Everything inside the cages is dark, but Faust's eyes catch two small beautiful wolf cubs being handed over to a couple. "The cubs are crying and trying to get away while the shopkeeper keeps pulling their chains that are wrapped around their necks.

The chains are suffocating the cubs and they are being dragged in the dirt without a concern. It looks painful just to see them struggling. The cubs reminded Faust of Bella, but he kept walking by.

Soon, they got out of the purple smoke, Neith took off her tissue and kept it in her pocket. Faust followed her and after crossing a few more shops. "Oh, young man! Yes, you! Come here." Another guy calls for Faust with a bracelet in his hand.

"Oh boy, look at you! Overflowing with spiritual power." The guy says.

"Who me?" Faust asks in surprise. He is the only known living person who has no spiritual power in the entire world. And this shopkeeper is saying he is overflowing with spiritual power?

"Just try this bracelet, It is for both offensive and defensive. We will also give you an elemental stone-free if you buy this."

"And keep waiting, your powers will bloom and one day you will become a soldier in one of the powerhouses." The person announces.

At this point, Faust is just staring at the shopkeeper with a poker face. *"Really keepah?"* Faust said in his head before Neith call him and he starts walking on his way.

"How long more auntie?" 

"We're almost there."

A decent-sized shop appears in front of them both with the words  'T R A D E" written on the signature board outside of the shop.

"This is it." Neith enters the shop.