The group entered the market district just as the evening crowds thickened. Lanterns lit the streets in warm hues of gold and amber, reflecting off damp stone and flowing canals. Stalls overflowed with goods from the sea and forest alike.
Freshly caught fish shimmered on beds of ice. Crustaceans the size of shields clacked lazily in shallow tanks. Seaweed strands rich with water elemental Qi were bundled neatly beside baskets of glowing pearls.
From inland came goods of a different sort. Bundles of rainforest herbs, their leaves still wet with condensation. Thick fruits with tough skins and sweet, Qi rich flesh. Beast materials ranging from hardened hides to bone shards infused with lingering energies.
Little Shrubby darted from stall to stall, his nose twitching rapidly.
"This," he said, pointing a claw at a slab of marbled meat, "comes from a Tideback Grazer. A type of a water buffalo that lives near the coast and swims really well. Very fatty. Very good for slow braising."
