“ Hnn … aahh nnnh…”

‎

Eyes heavy, hands pressed to her forehead. Spiko slowly lifted herself out of a pile of golden hay. Rustling around on the things that had started poking her skin.

‎

“ My head … “

‎

With careful movements, she climbed over the wooden door. A creaking could be heard, from the hinge.

‎

Plat

‎

“ Hnnn …. aua …”

Now crawling from where she had fallen onto. As the door had swung open without mercy. Soon she came towards a wall of this room. Rubbing the new red spot on her forehead. As she pressed herself up the wall a bit.

‎

“ Neeiggh!”

“ .. sshhhh … shh…”

‎

Leaning lopsidedly on the wall. Weakly pressing her hands over her folded-up ears. Trying to remember where she was and how she had gotten here.

Nnhh...

Poison Resistance didn’t include protection from losing too much essential things from her body fluids. The whole sweating and puking had taken a toll on her.

Arrhgg

Cursing crudely remembered faces. Stumbling along the wall, she etched towards the smell of water.

‎

Bright … why’s everything hurting.

‎

Sliding to the ground. Her nearly fully shut eyes had found the source of the godly smell.

‎

Splash

‎

Gurgle Burble

‎

“ Ahh …”

‎

Splash

Splatter Splat

‎

Dunking her head into a bucket of true bliss. The chilled water ran down in rivulets. When she came up for air. Just to plunge back into the relief. Taking large gulps, till her mouth couldn’t reach any more water.

‎

I remember … an off-smelling water. Did that do this …

‎

Pressing her eye lids to even smaller cracks. Just letting the possible least amount of light in. While looking around the place she had crashed the night at.

‎

“ What are you?”

‎

Sniff

‎

“ Neeigh. Neeeeiggh!”

‎

Starting to shake her head. Stopping the motion with her hands pressing onto her head's sides. Her face warped into a grimace.

‎

“ Hnn … doesn’t matter. Not hungry … to much pain.”

‎

Slightly sliding along the floor. Finding another wall to push herself upright. She slowly gotten herself to an unsteady walk, wobbling left and right on each step. As she gotten out into the busy streets.

‎

“ Hnn … too bright …”

‎

Now dearly wishing for the sanctuary of a green canopy. Shuffling along with the masses. She started thinking about what her goal here was.

‎

Ahh … where is my stuff.

‎

Sniff

‎

Back there?

‎

While groaning, she turned around. After searching the place for a bit. Having found her bindle being carelessly placed close to the still swinging door. She strutted back onto the street.

‎

Need to change this … into smaller metal bits. Trade foooddd ….

‎

With the impromptu lesson on worthwhile things for trade. Which she had gotten from the bossy bird. She understood that much. Ten cooper coins would trade into a small silver coin. Twenty small silver coins then would get her a big silver coin. Hundredth big silver to a grand silver coin. Then followed small to grand gold coins, with a factor of hundredth. And small to grand adamantium coins, with a factor of thousands. While it troubled her remembering anything past that. Surely someone here would know how much her stuff would be in coins of more worth. Getting rid of all the small change, would make moving it around easier. That much she understood.

‎

As a pained smile hushed over her face. A soft chuckle escaped her.

‎

Crazy people. Who would want things you couldn’t eat? Over food?!

‎

While thinking about food. Her unhappy stomach made itself known.

Growowlleel

‎

Sniff

‎

That way …

‎

Following the scent of charring meat. Her path wobbled her past a figure, shouting out too passing people in an overly eager manner.

‎

“ Hey you lass! You look like someone who needs a boost.”

“ Hnn … ?”

“ Yes you! Here see this. It’s a lesser tonic of stamina. Just the perfect thing for hangovers, muscle pain and other problems~”

‎

Holding a small crude glass bottle straight at her face. An overly energetic man was doing his well narrated spiel. As he shook it around. The amber liquid inside sloshed back and forth. Contained inside its prison by a wax sealed cork stopper.

‎

Sniff

‎

“ WOAHAHU!”

‎

Puffing out her tails fur. Voicing her discomfort in a weird outburst of pure instinct.

‎

“ W-what?! You okay lass?”

‎

Crouching down into a tight squatting pose. Holding her nose. Starring teary eyed at the crazy man. Who leant over his stall to look at her.

‎

“ WhO WouLD DrOnK tTOHT! It StOnks!”

“ Well, it does have a slight unique smell. But it is very effective!”

“ NO!”

“ But … “

“ No bod smolling dronks.”

“ Well … I do have some minor-grade ones. That smell a lot better. But those aren’t cheap. To use them just for …”

‎

His eyes gleamed with greed. With a toothy smile, he bent to the side. Pulling out a small ornate wooden box from behind some randomly stacked boxes. He pushed it closer to the end of the stalls table area. Opening the box up, while a hand did a needless flourish of movement. Indicating the contained even smaller bottles, of better glass quality. Stoppered by a metallic cap, one could unscrew.

‎

“ Just the right thing for a sensitive young lass like you~”

“ Hmmnn? Whot thot?”

‎

Curious, she looked at the slightly golden shining liquid. As the pushy man picked up one of the bottles. Holding it over the stalls edge, so she could see it. The light played through it. Making the liquid seem to be even more golden. It started moving in patterns, like it was alive.

‎

“ They do the same thing. But better! And the best part is. They taste and smell like honey.”

“ …”

“ One small sip of this, is also the same as a whole bottle of the lesser quality ones~”

‎

Not trusting another of those insane crazy people to tell her the truth. She just glared at him, with a look that made him shift a bit back. Even so he continued.

‎

“ I-it’s only five big silver a bottle. Cheap given the rarity in these parts of the kingdom.”

“ … “

“ F-four and a half?”

“ No … I don’t want it.”

“ Four! You won’t get these cheaper anywhere else!”

“ No.”

‎

Getting up, while continuing to hold her nose with one hand. She started her slow wobbling walk up again. Then stopped, with her ears leaning back towards the stink selling man.

‎

“ Can you change things bigger?”

“ Uhh, if you mean some changeling potions. I’m saddened to say, those are illegal here.”

‎

Looking at her chest, while raising an eyebrow. Then wiggling it up and down quickly.

‎

“What’s that? Ah, No don’t mind Spiko. This here. Change them into bigger ones.”

‎

Cling

‎

A small black leather pouch, filled with lots of different coin nominations, had been put before the man. He shifted his eyes. From the pouch, to her and then back again. For a few times.

‎

“ Y …. I mean no. Certainly not. At least … if you don’t buy anything. I can’t just do a money changers business here. See~”

‎

Pointing at a badly warped piece of parchment on the upper corner of his stall. Slowly wiping in the light morning breeze. It was barely still readable to her.

‎

Alche-mist Nirrt. Lice-nse for prac-tice. Year 328 of the ki-ng's cal-en-dar. Per-mit out-stand-ing till ….

‎

Reading something was harder than she thought. Having only seen writings in her status up to now. It came slowly to her. While she traced the scribbly lines. The last part had been scratched up badly by something. She couldn’t really read the numbers, as it showed clearly on her face. Even mor eso while clenching her eyes shut that much. Noticing her gaze lingering a bit too long on the parchments bottom. The man smiled forcibly and waved her attention to him. With quick motions he went on way too quickly.

‎

“ That’s my permit. Just for selling potions and medications. But if I let’s say… sell a whole box or two. “

‎

There is that eye movement again. Does he have a bad eye? It keeps wiggling around. Or is that another sign … of crazy … stupid people.

‎

“ I might need to make sure you get the right change. No one would question that~ Yes, Yes!”

“ Hnn?”

‎

Smirking at her. The man showed her a lavishly decorated and sturdy silver coin. One size had a stylized ``G´´ imprinted onto it, the other was the head of a person. He quickly tugged the coin back into his extra well-hidden money pouch. That he kept inside the right sleeve of his long robe.

‎

“ I might be no money changer. But potions are high-end luxury goods. So, I got enough in my pockets for any possible small change you got there~”

‎

Looking at him. Then at the box of possible stinky potions.

‎

Sigh

‎

“ Fine. But only good smelling and tasting drinks. Spiko will hit you, if its stinky.”

“ Haha~ Sure, sure. Can I interest you in others too? I have health tonics, speed tonics and even mana tonics!”

“ … you won’t stop … right?”

‎

Smiling his toothy grin at her again. Spikos tail clenched around one of her thighs. While her ears twitched.

‎

“Fine. FINE! But Spiko warns you. If they smell you will be hit really hard!”

“Assuredly!”

‎

Shifting around the man, that she now looked at closer. Gotten out box after box of merchandise from the haphazard stack behind him. He was rather weird to her. With his white fur. Wrinkly skin and slight hunch to his back.

What’s wrong with him?

Quickly there was a spread of different colored glass bottles. Carefully arranged in boxes that kept them perfectly clamped down.

“This lime green tonic is a minor speed one. It sadly just tastes like apple, even if it looks like that.”

“Nhh.”

“That one is really good. Red like the blood it will keep pumping through one's hearth. A minor health tonic, taste might be arguably better. As it is more of a minty-cold one.”

“ … “

“With this one here, as you can see it’s a perfect opaque blue, you will recover your mana. Like a flash! Taste maybe the boldest of the selection. It reminds one of the last meal they had. How? No Idea~ It’s a magical effect?”

Before her were now four boxes with a full set of ten bottles. Carefully taking one out of the box. She sniffed at it, as if it would try biting her nose. If she dared to take too deep a whiff.

snif snif

“See? Those should be fine~”

“Maybe …”

“Four boxes of ten minor tonics. That would be one hundredth and thirty big silver coins!”

Eyeing him, she tried doing that thing. Math. Looking at her fingers, she started counting. She might get to the cost per bottle, soon. It still sounded like a lot.

How much food could I get for that?

As her fingers stopped moving after about a minute of silence between the two. Her now wide-open eyes starred at the cruel man. Disregarding the pain, that came with the light. If she remembered that part of the night correctly. Furious her tail puffed out, while still clenched around her thigh.

“T-that’s a lot of food!”

“What?”

“I could BUY a lot of FOOD for that! No.”

“Ehmm … okay, alright. 110 is the lowest I can go.”

Starting to walk off again. A hand quickly grabbed onto her. Making the crazy old coot lean dangerously over the boxes.

“I - I mean 90. … 80?”

“No.”

Chuckling a passing by stranger shook his head. Commenting on the strange scene.

“Those shitty tonics aren’t even worth 20. Don’t get ripped off cutey.”

Before she could really get her head around that. A now panicking schemer of a swindling old man. Called out to her.

“16! Not one coin less! I’m even doing that money changing for you. Come on lass, that’s the best offer you will ever find!”

Suspicious now. She really looked at him. Then down at those small bottles.

Do I want to give my things to someone. That tried to make me pay too much?

In the end. With the pain still striking her in all the sensible spots of her head. She nodded, really carefully.

“Good lass. You won’t regret that. My tonics are city-wide known!”

Smiling as if he hadn’t tried to rip her off. But still managed to get her to pay more than she felt comfortable with. He packed up all of the boxes, but taking out one of the golden shining tonics, pressing it towards her.

“Now hand over that money and drink this. I will see to changing it~”

“Spiko counted that.”

With a straight face, starring right into his greedy eyes. While she took the offered bottle, gnawing at it with her teeth. Till the cap started coming lose, when she finally gotten the right direction down.

Uhh … that’s very sweet. Hnn?

A warmth surged through her. Small spikes of pain that had bothered, got enveloped and smoothed out. All the muscles in her body loosened their tenseness. A flowery taste and smell replaced all of that. As the pain from her nightly adventure vanished in a flash.

“... ahh … that’s better.”

“A bit wasteful to drink the whole bottle. But you seemed to need that. Let’s see.”

Swiftly stacking the different coins into stacks of tens. His arms blurred slightly in her vision. But still her hand shot out.

“No … stealing from Spiko.”

“Haha, ups. That must have rolled there. Hahah~”

Fishing two grand silver coins back out of his sleeves. He stacked them onto a few others. While sweating a bit.

“I can change everything below a grand silver coin. Into four more of those. With that as small change being left over.”

Indicating the three different piles. A large one made out of the majority of coins. One with twenty-two grand silver coins already present. Together with a measly small silver one, encircled by a few big and small coopers.

“Okay. Then this too.”

Cling kling clin kling Kling Clong

“Ohhh …”

“Yes? Change them pleases. Spiko is hungry, now even more as all that pain stopped.”

Looking at her in a new light. The sly old man began tapping his fingers on the little empty space on his table.

“I see.”

Picking up a red spotted pouch, with a small rip in it. Settling it down into the bindle's cloth covering again. Then picking up a dagger, with quite the coat of dried blood on it.

“I guess, these too?”

Indicating the selection of small arms. A variety of knifes and daggers of all sizes and shapes. Now he was looking a wickedly curved dagger over. Hovering his finger, just barely above the blades edge. In a quick motion she nodded once.

“I see. Well, I for one think you want to buy, more. A lot more.”

“No Spiko’s fine.”

“I said … you should consider buying more. It might be bad. If someone started calling the guards~”

Starring at him, like he had grown even more stupid in that short time. She tried to understand.

Guard. That makes me think of someone like those two … why would he call more crazy people. One of those even … invented waiting.

Shivering and shuttering a bit from remembering that torture. She gotten back to her momentary predicament.

“Why would you call guards?”

“Cause, this here looks suspiciously like … well goods acquired by final means. If you understand what I mean~”

Relaxedly he held up a finger. And mimicked its head getting cut off. With it bending, after his index finger went along the others top.

“ … not like ``goody two shoes loot´´?”

She asked confused. While he kept looking at her with a secure smirk. He put a finger into his mouth. Suckling the small cut, he had inflicted onto himself. To check if he was awake or still fully in the grasp of his dreams. While she had zoned out a bit, before his impromptu finger puppetry.

“Ha! ``Goody two shoes loot´´, ehh. That’s a good one. I would say a few shoe wearing guys, are now sleeping six feet under. As you didn’t take those.”

Shaking her head with a stern look.

“No, they got eaten.”

Paling, then really looking at her. He gulped.

“W-well … le-less evidence, I guess. Haha .. ha.”

“Yeah? Spiko left when there was only bones and scraps around.”

“ … eehm. As I said. You might want to buy … a little more. You never knew where you might need them.”

Cough

In a whisper's strength, after a quite cough. The words `` like when running from the whole freaking guard force, damned luck. I always get the crazies. ´´ came to her ears. As he mumbled it quickly to himself.

“Anyways! Let me count this. And get you a few more boxes! Sadly, minor tonics are the best I got. But I have a few more special variants!”

Quickly stacking boxes with a lot of dust on them. To her already present four. He soon had 11 boxes stacked high, in two piles. Now putting the bindles cloth on the ground behind his counter. Because that stuff just screamed of trouble. He quickly sorted the whole affair into non-magical and magical weapons and gear. Putting the less suspicious money pouches onto his tables surfaces. While she took overwatch over the whole action, with alert eyes. Sharply following all his motions. As he would say `` that damned crazy demi-human stares at me like a slap of meat! Cannibal! Or is it? ´´, in his mind. His fingers began to be sweaty, losing grip on a few coins here and there. Having him pick them up back again from the pile.

“The … well other things. I would say I can give you. Ahh …”

With her full attention on him. He stepped back a bit further. Now touching his other boxes with his back.

“I- I would say 5... 55 grand silver coins. Those are all lower quality weapons. Even if they got lesser enchantments on some on them. The not so damaged gear is of fine quality … so it should be right.”

“And those? What’s with the other things Spiko brought.”

Quickly counting the coins. Gulping a few times. As small golden ones came forth. With careful motions, he put them into an empty cup. He counted the piles. Using cooper coins as aid to add it all up.

“I-it’s thirty-seven grand silver coins worth of lesser coins. With some leftover small and big ones of all kinds ...”

Licking his lips. As those had become quite dry during his counting spree.

“And present are already twenty-two grand silver coins … with three small gold coins.”

Adding up the coins in her mind. While he continued starring at the golden shining coins. As some brighter rays of sunlight found their way to them. With her fingers moving quickly. Soon her slight nod came through.

“Alright. Spiko agrees to that.”

“Ah wait! You got to pay for those extra boxes of tonics … so three… no two grand silvers for the cost overall.”

“ … fine.”

With a suppressed smile. The old sleezebag put all the exchanged, present and leftover coins into the first pouch. As the black leather pouch started slightly bulking up. A pleasant shingle could be heard.

That’s going to buy food for days!

Packing the boxes of tonics swiftly into the now empty bindle, whose insides were still covered a bit in blood. He had everything ready as fast as he could manage. As his fears started to crawl over his skin. From that smiling, thing. He had traded with. Only the money suppressed him, not to scream out for his life.

“There. Now scurry away you fiend.”

After grabbing the bindle and the pouch of the table. Her nose twitched in the air a few times. Skipping with a lessened load over the quite neat and cleanly kept cobblestone road.

Now that there’s no more pain. This area looks different. Stone, everywhere. Flowers too?

Houses were tall and sturdy. She could see people watching the happenings on the street. A lot of them seemed to be just crowd watching. While one female had something in her petite hands. That tickled her instincts.

That’s … a wool ball.

Nearly running over a dwarf or two, till she lost sight of the blissful view she had glimpsed. Her steps lead her further down road. To a place with the best smell, she had found till now. Looking at the writing on a piece of wood, in the shape of a big mug of the cursed ale. With two sharp looking metal things across it.

G-or-rd's B-est?

Every letter was overly snarly and swiped. As if someone wanted to pack in as much needless flourishes in his prized work. Then over prizing it a lot. Because of all that hard work they had put into it. Even if you just asked for a normal one.

“Food smells good here.”

Looking at the people going in and out of the place. Shrugging, she skipped happily over to the place. Kicking open the door, as the others had done too.