The market lane after sunset were a completely different world from the daytime commercial bustle.
Magical lanterns cast everything in warm, shifting colors while spirit vendors hawked everything from enchanted jewelry to crystallized moonbeams.
The atmosphere was relaxed, almost festive, a perfect antidote to tournament intensity.
Floating orbs of light in every conceivable color drifted between stalls, their voices calling out deals and bargains with the kind of manic enthusiasm that only incorporeal beings could sustain indefinitely.
"Okay, new rule," Lia declared as they wandered between stalls. "We're not allowed to discuss strategy, tactics, or anything remotely educational. This is purely about buying ridiculous things we don't need."
"I can work with that restriction."
Their first stop was a vendor; a swirling ball of purple and gold light that bobbed excitedly as they approached.
