[Hammerbase] Ghost of Asgard Castle

There is a saying among the Nine Kingdoms: There is nothing that cannot be bought in the port of Asgard.Since thousands of years ago, the Port of Asgard has been the busiest one among the trading ports of the Nine Great Nations.

Among the low mountains, shops with white walls and red tiles are everywhere.In addition to these formal markets, there are also various hidden shops and taverns hidden in the alleys on the edge of the larger square.Here you can buy tips, booty, girly flowers and girly kisses, and everything else you can think of.Dwarf juggling and lively puppet shows are performed lively at the street corners, vendors pushing carts are yelling to attract customers, and vagabond singers playing mandolin sing a sad love song by the fountain.

The two boys stopped there.Thor took the candied fruit cake with only one bite left in Loki's hand and threw it into his mouth, and wiped the sweet cream off his brother's mouth.The latter stared intently at the wandering singer not far away, listening to him end the song with a slow and long accompaniment.

The singer thanked him for his generosity in a husky, soft voice as he walked over to put the copper coins left over from the snacks purchases into the broken piano case spread out on the floor.Loki didn't rush away, he said, "I want to know where your market is."

"Look what you want, young master. Want some gemstones from across the sea? My sisters sell fine demantoids and peridots that go well with your beautiful eyes." A few melancholy notes were plucked on the strings.

"I don't need gems. I know you have something more precious than gems." He pointed to a symbol hidden in the intricate pattern on the singer's hood.Singer squinted his long and narrow black eyes, and looked alternately between the two teenagers in front of him.

"Sunset Lane in the southwest of the market, please go there to find your treasures." The singer played the piano again, and he said to the two boys with a sweet singing voice. "It's a pity, I found that you have even prepared the price."

"Who is that suspicious guy? What do you want to buy from them?" The surrounding scenery became more and more unfamiliar, and in the narrow alleyway, only the crisp sound of their own footsteps landing on the stone floor could be heard.When several hurried men in black passed them by, Thor expressed his doubts to his calm brother. "We shouldn't be here."

"Don't be so serious, brother. You promised me to make it up to me, a small gift is enough." Loki showed a mysterious smile, which also meant that he would not reveal more.

They soon found the secret market by a waterway leading to the pier.The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the water surface in different shades of golden red, and several pitch-black small canopy boats were tied to wooden stakes on the shore, swaying slowly in the direction of the water waves.On both sides of the waterway are trading places, the goods are placed on a large square handmade rug, and their sellers sit behind them.A few customers who couldn't see their faces shuttled among them, bargaining quietly.Except for being too quiet, it looks no different from other folk bazaars.

Thor followed his brother's unhurried pace, his eyes scanning the rows of strange things he had never seen before on the carpet.He saw a hornbeam buckler with thorns, a silver compass engraved with the crest of a sea monster, and an hourglass filled with broken tiger's eye and silver sand.Beside them, there are fangs inlaid on the weirdly shaped round mirror, and the matching hair comb is pure gold, exuding a charming fragrance.

"The scent of gold and roses will make the girl you like relax your vigilance, master." The stall owner who hid most of his face under his hood smiled and said to him. "Then you can swallow her with teeth and claws. Buy it and I will teach you the magic spell."

Thor declined his offer, and turned to see Loki flipping through an old manuscript.On the pages of parchment, a man with a sharp sword is drawn, and at his feet lies the severed body of the king.The crowned heads of the dead kings are serene, and the tree of life spreads its huge canopy behind them.

"'Everything comes to an end, and death means rebirth.' The idea of ​​alchemists is always interesting, but it's not what I need." Loki said to Thor with a smile, putting the book back on the rug.

He fully thought that Loki would be more interested in these ancient books of unknown authenticity and colorful precision paintings, but Loki stretched his hand to another corner.

"What a sight, master. It's one of the best daggers I've ever seen." The stall owner smiled again behind his hood. "It's been handcrafted by the most skilled craftsmen across the sea, and you can see how sharp the edge is and how masterfully riveted the iron clip and tang are."

"You won't need a dagger," said Thor, frowning. "We used swords and guns, axes and machetes."

"The enemy's attack doesn't always come from the battlefield, my dear brother." Loki played with this small dagger, looking very fond of it. "Give me its sheath, please. Is that boiled goatskin over the wood?"

"Yes, master. Actually, they are a pair. If you are sure you want to buy it, I will get you another one." The stall owner greeted his companion wearing the same hood, and got up Go to the boat next to you.

"Wait a minute, please," Loki called to him. "I heard that you have special gifts for certain guests. And that gift is the most expensive of all commodities."

"You are right, and you seem to have prepared the price." The stall owner stared at him for a long time, and finally stretched out a skinny right hand towards him. "Come with me."

Thor was lowering his head and handing the counted gold coins to the stall owner's companion, but when he looked up, he saw Loki's figure had disappeared on a swaying boat.

"Hey, you wait!" He tried to catch up, but a bony hand clamped his wrist.He tried his best, but couldn't break free.

"Don't worry, kid. Daggers come in pairs, and gifts come in pairs. You paid for it, so you can get an identical gift from me." The stall owner's companion was a lean old man with a hooded The voice that came later was low and old.

"You keep talking about the price, but it's not gold at all. What do you want?" Thor sensed the danger.He just wanted to bring Loki back to his side as soon as possible.

"Not much, not much at all. Just some necessary blood and wounds. From his chest, from your belly and back." The old man let out a short chuckle with a leaky mouth. "Don't worry, it's not now, and it's not for us. You'll figure it out sooner or later."

"What the hell are you planning? I warn you, don't touch a finger of my brother! Otherwise... otherwise you and your companions will not end well, I promise!" Thor was hesitating whether to expose them here identity of.

"My child, you are very brave, but also very dull. You keep a black poisonous snake on your chest." The old man said to himself as if he hadn't heard his warning. "It may not let you see it spit out the poison letter, but you have indeed let it know your heartbeat and blood. As long as the green-eyed demon gives an order, it will pounce on your throat."

"I don't understand what you're talking about, but you'd better take back your impolite speech." Thor finally withdrew his hand, and he took two steps back, staring at the strange old man angrily.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, our giveaway is this. Not prophecy or truth, just your inner voice. It's weird how people like to be honest on the surface, but lie to themselves in private." After saying these words, the old man retreated into the shadow of the ship, as if he fell into a quiet sleep all of a sudden, and said no more.

Loki just got off the boat at this time, his face was uglier than Thor's.He strode past them angrily, without looking at him.

"Please tell him that when using it, pay attention to avoiding the muscles and bones, which will make its edge wear out faster. Let it drink blood under the enemy's flesh and blood is the best way to maintain it." The stall owner following him Handing the leather bag containing the dagger to Thor, he still introduced his products in that flat tone.

"What did you say to him?" Thor demanded.He vaguely guessed the answer. "I warn you, if there is any demagogic nonsense..."

"You also received our gift just now, and you know what it is." The stall owner pulled down a corner of his hood, and he had the same pair of slender black eyes as the wandering singer. "You are all liars. And he is more afraid of the truth than you are."

"We never lie to each other!" Thor quickly denied, and turned to chase Loki who had gone far.

"Another lie. By the way," the dark-eyed merchant smiled behind him, "the blood of a lover is as good as that of an enemy to that dagger that can never get enough."

"How dare he...how dare he say that to me!" When Thor found Loki, he was hiding in a corner of the alley alone, with his back turned to him, and growled with gritted teeth.He had never heard Loki speak in such a distorted voice.

"Tell me!" he called, turning to Thor.A faint light flashed across his cheek.

"You're crying," Thor said.He stepped forward, but Loki pushed him away.

"I shouldn't ask you, you arrogant, vain, empty-headed fool, you don't understand anything!" Loki's expression and tongue are undoubtedly extremely aggressive, but the watery light in his eyes is extremely fragile . "I will hurt you if you dare to take another step forward."

"And this fool who was going to be hurt by you decided to give the weapon to the man who threatened him," Thor said.He grabbed Loki's resisting hands and put the dagger bag into his hands. "Because this person is his crybaby brother."

Loki's resistance fell away.He softened and let Thor give him a firm hug.

"Viper. Green-eyed demon." Thor heard the hoarse voice whisper in his ear again as his younger brother sobbed softly in his arms.He looked back in fear, but there was nothing there.

Some are just his inner voice.