In front of me was the market full of people, a colourful and noisy, smelly atmosphere. I watched their faces: each had his individual traits, ways of acting and moving. Different voices, smell, look, and behaviour. There were so many different colours, a cacophony of various noises, so many scents in the air! Wow, this is perfection!

So much work for a simple scene of one market in one of the many small towns! All these NPCs gathered, some working, selling, struggling, eating, buying, walking around, carrying heavy burdens, or just relaxing, talking, joking, haggling. Dozens if not hundreds of them. This is something that you can see only in Mephisto. No other game comes even close to being able to display such scenes.

I watched the activity surprised and intrigued. I could not see any repetitive actions, flaws, or issues. Yes, a couple of vendors were just relaxing as there were no buyers around, or others were only rearranging their goods. I could see some chatting, but still, I could not find those typical repetitive phrases you hear in many games. They were talking, simply talking as do human beings. Nothing obviously choreographed, everything done so perfectly that I could not put the finger on it and say: see, that is fake, artificial!

You do not feel alone here in Mephisto, even without other players.

I looked around. Are there any players around? Oh yeah, maybe that girl there is a player; she just stays confused in a corner and checks her map. That huge warrior! He seems to be looking for somebody. The small low-level beastkin, which belongs to Chapter 1, if not in the beginner grounds. How did she manage to come here? I could not see her level as those are hidden, but I have the assassin's identify skill that helps me evaluate levels – I concentrated on her watching with my eyes half-closed and triggered my skill - yes, level 6, threat null. I knew it from how she dressed and how she moved, but the skill is the sure thing. She did not even realize I probed her. I turned away, not to attract attention. She must have paid a caravan and got lucky, but she will have a lot of trouble trying to survive in the wildness here, even with good company. Oh well, it is not my problem.

Well, that's beyond my point. The point was that I needed to make a real effort to discern players from NPCs. This just proves how good the game is.

OK, overview done, let's not forget why I am here: Shopping! Yeah, baby! With capital 'S'!

Yes, true, I like shopping. Maybe it is in our genes, as gatherers, to like wandering around and collect precious items. Or maybe those speculations are just that: speculations.

The fact that I did not go with Clara and Lola for their shopping tour does not mean that I do not like shopping.

I went to the side where sorcerers were selling their magical items. It was half legal, as they were shown as simple rings or body-armour parts, and you had to guess the value.

Sorcerers were a kind of pariah, despised in this kingdom, as they were accused of being the source of evil, even if indirectly, through their magic. Of course, it was not true, but that was the official position and was linked with intrigues and infighting at the court between various classes, guilds, and noble houses. There was some religious background to it; maybe I should struggle a little more to understand the politics better. Could it be something about the lines: magic for me but not for thee? Because some magic is allowed like that of the priests and paladins. But yes, the world is big, and we are in a little town of a small kingdom with its petty politics and nobility fights.

I shrugged, abandoned my thoughts about petty politics and turned my attention to the market.

These items did not have the qualities I was looking for but searching the market had its appeal. I had an emerald that allowed me to see the true value of the items, but I was more interested in their aesthetic value.

OK, I've put it wrong. That's a quality that I was very much interested in.

I've spent hours, over hours trying various suits and had a nice collection in my items box for Alice and me, not to talk about what I had stored at the guild and the bank, and yet so many unique pieces of wardrobe on display here! So little time to check them all! So few available inventory slots!

Not all goods were made by NPCs, players had their stands too, and maybe that was what that little beastkin was doing.

As I was wandering between sales counters, a young boy approached me hesitatingly.

“Are you lady Cala?”

As he asked, he was looking with his round brown eyes at me with fear, curiosity, and admiration. For him, I was one of those mythical strangers visiting the town. The high quality of my armour, the filigree embroiled satin work decorating my shirt, and the fine leather boots were visible even for a peasant's child from a provincial town. Everything screamed: 'elven armour' even if it wasn't actually elven armour... Well, elven armour was actually good-looking armour but not the best of the best; however very expensive. But explain that to the average peasant who will never be able to even touch one piece in his entire life, except maybe in a war when facing imminent death.

I nodded to the boy:

“Yes, I am.”

He grinned over his whole little face, happy that he found me:

“I have a message for you!”

I watched him, surprised. Who would send me a message? I do not recall something like this when I played Act 2* before. It is strange, but I do have Cala's memory. Of everything that Cala did. I perfectly remember every quest, every good or bad deed, noble or barbaric act she did, even those that Cala did before me. This is one of the problems with picking up a character from somebody else, which is now forbidden, by the way. I should not have admitted to it… Oh well...

Of course, the game develops, and new situations occur, but I was many times in several Act 2 areas and never got a message in the market. OK, there are now so many versions of Act 2 that even I may get lost. That or maybe another player who sends me a message in this unusual form?

I took the small parchment. It was not sealed up. I unfolded it and read:

'You are in great danger. Leave now! Meet me in the forest at the white tree.'

OK, should I search the forest now looking for a white tree? Is it marked with white paint, or is it just whiter than the others?

It was not signed; only the contours of a white flower were painted on it. Hmm, I do not know this quest. What can it be? Who wrote this parchment?

“Who gave it to you?”

“It was a lady, lady Cala, a lady dressed in white. A white satin robe. She described you and promised I would get a penny if I delivered it to you.”

I watched the young boy who was smiling, looking at me, and only now did I see his hand, still waiting in the air for the tip.

I turned to Alice:

“Alice, can you tip the boy? And see if you can find out who sent me this message. I need to go to the bank. We'll meet here. Keep your eyes open!”

Alice sighed and whispered back:

“I'm sure the little bastard was paid to deliver the message” - but I still saw her looking for some change in her purse.

I was amused to hear her comments about the greedy little boy; not really a standard NPC comment. I did not take the message seriously. It never happened something bad in town. I checked my equipment; let’s see what comes. At least the game does not seem to be boring. Should I dress in full fighting gear? Nah! We are in town; towns are protected. I'll do it when we get out.