Chapter 2 – A Trip To Town
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After filling his small belly with food, Atlas followed his mother around the estate. Meanwhile, his father went straight to his office.

"Atlas, why don't we have a look around town?"

Atlas's mother turned to one of the servants.

"Go prepare the buggy."

The servant nodded and hurried down a maze of hallways.

Atlas and his mother took their time as they made their way outside. As they walked, they passed many sculptures and paintings. All of the floor tiles were spotless and appeared as if they were shining. Many windows lined the walls in order to let in as much light as possible. Whenever the two came across the servants, the servants would bow and greet them before hurrying out of their way.

After a ten minute stroll, the mother and son walked out the castle's front door. They were greeted by Stephen and the pretty young maid. Awaiting them was a fancy white buggy with healthy white mares pulling it. The sides of the vehicle were embroidered with gold painted patterns. Plumes of red feathers arced over the wheels, giving an eye catching effect. The swaying of the feathers in the wind made the buggy appear as if it were alive.

Stephen helped Atlas and his mother into the buggy before seating himself outside to direct the horses. The maid sat herself outside as well, rather than sitting inside the buggy with the mother and son.

Once Atlas and his mother were seated comfortably, the buggy began moving away from the castle, and began heading toward the streets of the town.

Atlas looked out the window as the view of the city flew past him, or rather as he flew past it. The horses were strong and graceful as they pulled the buggy. The vehicle glided down the street. It's speed along with its beautiful design caught the attention of many people. The citizens would stop what they were doing to watch the elegant buggy drive past them. Children would excitedly pull at their mothers and point at it.

Although there were other rich looking vehicles on the street, Atlas's buggy was still able to steal the attention. It seems the people recognized it as the property of the large castle. 

Little Atlas enjoyed his trips to through the town. The sight of men organizing their stalls and the large crowd of colorfully dressed people gave him a difference experience each time. Every excursion was different for him, and he was excited to find out what he would see this time.

After touring the sights of the town for a couple minutes, Stephen called out from the front.

"Lady Everwish, where will you be going today?"

"Let's go to the Burwicks' market. I heard they've gotten a new stock of dyes and yarn."

The Burwicks' market? Atlas had been to multiple markets and he never bothered learning their names. He wondered if this was one he had seen before.


After twenty more minutes of riding, the buggy arrived in front of a large plaza full of tents and stalls.

Stephen dropped Atlas, his mother, and the maid off before setting off to find a place to park.

The three did not wait for Stephen to catch up, but instead head off on their own.

The three's appearance drew a lot of attention from the crowd. A beautiful woman in a bright red dress, a pretty maid who silently followed after, and a little boy dressed up to please his mother. The woman in red had an air of superiority as if no one could stand at the same level as her. The maid seemed as if she existed on another plane of existence, and although she was pretty, no one dared to approach her while she was attending to her Lady. The small lad on the other hand, was adorable to the eyes of the public. His red coat seemed to restrict his movements as his arms were kept to his sides. The handkerchief hanging out from the collar of his shirt would tickle his neck, and he would constantly fidget his head. His shoes also seemed to cause him problems. The way they were made forced the boy into a little waddle as he struggled to keep up with his mother and maid.

As he walked, the little Atlas turned his head this way and that, taking in as much of the view as possible.

Colorful stalls were set up all around him. Stripes of all kinds of colors decorated the large tents. People of all kinds of looks walked about. Bearded men with large, muscular frames, robed scholars who dug their faces in their books, and cheery entertainers filled the crowd. Each of these people had their own purpose for coming to this market, and their being together gave off a strange image to the small Atlas's eyes.

"Atlas, hurry up, darling. We can take our time after we visit the dyes."

His mother's voice broke Atlas's trance, and Atlas soon hurried back over to his mother's side.

The three easily broke through the crowd, as the many commoners would part themselves on their own. A path naturally opened up for Atlas and his mother, and the three quickly arrived to the dyes.

The shop was within a large, blue tent. A hole was open within the center of the tent's roof, allowing sunlight to illuminate the inside. Colorful yarns and pastes were displayed for the customers. Shelves of silk and tapestries also lined the sides of the tent.

While Atlas's mother sifted through the products, Atlas explored the other side of the shop. He had seen his mother use dyes and yarn back in the castle, but he had never seen so many.

The many colors were exciting at first, but Atlas soon grew bored of them. He wanted to see the rest of the market. He took a glance at his mother, and saw that she was still looking through the first half of the products.

Atlas stood thinking things over before finally making a decision. He took a final glance at his mother and then to the shop attendant at the front of the tent entrance.

While the shop keeper was looking through a box of goods, Atlas hurried out of the tent and into the crowd of market goers. 

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