Advent Noion

15

she mulls over mayor yorn's offer, "a sponsorship..."

mayor yorn shakes his head, "what? no, weren't you listening?"

he scratches his head, "uh, sorry. i'm not sure i understand, either."

mayor yorn explains, "anyway, it's nothing like a sponsorship. if anything, you'll be the ones sponsoring etla village!"

she nods, "eh... so, it's a reverse sponsorship!"

mayor yorn shakes his head frantically, "no, no! just forget about it being a sponsorship! you'll hunt monsters in the valley that twenty of our neighboring villages share to earn prestige for our own village. do you understand now?"

aufri bounces in his seat, "that sounds awesome!"

she grins, "it does sound interesting, but what's in it for us?"

he looks to mayor yorn, confused, "and how do you expect us to hunt monsters?"

mayor yorn throws his hands into the air, looking at the pair in disbelief, "what! isn't your latest feat proof enough?"

she nervously laughs, "haha... what feat?"

mayor yorn"what! you flawlessly foiled the greatest threat our village has ever faced, did you not?"

aufri nods, "i sure did!"

she grimaces, "like hell we did! we barely did anything at all to qualify us for monster hunting. also, what's even in it for us?"

myor yorn looks between the pair, upset, "well, for you there is... uh... prestige!"

he frowns, looking away, "sorry, i'm not interested."

she crosses her arms, "no, thanks!"

mayor yorn pulls his hair in a frenzy, "what! i never imagined our village's escorts would need a reason for something as prestigious as this! it seems your rumored voracity for rewards is indisputable."

-

she laughs, holding out handfuls of lak, "haha! now we're talking!"

mayor yorn's face is pale with despair, "is... is that all, escorts? are you quite satisfied with this?"

he nods, his mouth watering, "that's a lot of noio... i mean lak."

mayor yorn walks away, rubbing his bow, "please, just prepare well for the journey and bring prestige for our village."

-

they skulk through the marketplace, selfishly acquiring all the trinkets, novelty foods, and snacks they can find, storing them in a small wagon trailing behind.

their fellow escort, pomfrey, awkwards follow the trio around, "should... shouldn't we be preparing?"

she looks back, startled, throwing herself onto the sack of lak, "ah! who are you!"

he rubs his chin, thinking, "oh! poppy, wasn't it?"

pomfrey nervously looks away, "umm, pomfrey, but close enough, i suppose."

she picks her nose, looking to pomfrey, "ehh... what should we be doing?"

her expression dumbfounds pomfrey momentarily, "uh... well, for starters, there is the matter of transportation and then securing adequate provisions for-"

she groans, "ugh! can't you just buy all that stuff for us?"

pomfrey looks to his feet, "welll, you see, i'm only the assigned guide, so-"

she sighs, "how much?"

pomfrey looks to her, confused, "um, what?"

she holds a handful of lak out, carelessly scooped from their stash, "how much lak do you want for doing all that stuff for us?"

pomfrey accepts, taking it all, and darting off, "if... if you insist, then, please, excuse me!"

he calls out to pomfrey, "wait! poppy, are we leaving tomorrow?"

pomfrey turns back to him, "um, it's pomfrey, and yes, unless you would like another-"

he sighs with relief, "whew. that's good. i'm tired of this place."

pomfrey returns away, "alright, well, then i'm off to make the necessary preparations."

he nods approvingly, "poppy is a handy guy."

aufri points to a stall of pastry appotions, "master, let's get these!"

her mouth waters, "ooh!"

-

at nightfall, they return with pomfrey just beyond town to the camp he set up, a fire going, hot meals prepared, bedding laid out, and all of their supplies loaded onto separate lomloms.

she looks at the establishment in awe, "eh! you got all this today?"

he claps, nodding with approval, "good job, poppy. this is impressive."

pomfrey smiles, "yes, um, price wasn't an issue, though the limitations of weight were-"

surprised, aufri interrupts, running to the cargo, "wow, lomlommss?"

pomfrey points, "yes! we all have lomloms, as you can see."

aufri climbs atop one of the resting reptiles, "haahaha! we get to ride lomloms!"

-

they quietly wake up aufri in the middle of the night.

aufri looks around, half-asleep, "huhhhh, whaa-"

she shushes him, "shhhh! follow us."

she begins tying off each of the lomloms and loading the rest of the suppies.

he looks around, whispering, "where are we going?"

she smiles, "we're going to ditch that loser and make off with the lak."

he silently laughs, "ha, really? good idea."

she grins, "i know, isn't it? to hell with monster hunting."

he begins tying pomfrey's lomlom to his own, "since poppy isn't coming, i'll take his lizard."

she nods, "nice."

aufri frowns, hanging over his lomlom, pouting, "aw, but i wanted to see more monsters..."

she turns around, quietly cackling like a witch, "hahahaha! you're looking at the worst monster!"

she continues boasting, "ditching our beloved lepa, betraying etla village, dumping this loser behind, and now making off with all the lak... can i be any more of a monster?"

he looks to her suspiciously, "wait, aren't we sharing the lak?"

she smirks, "of course, but i want to claim the idea."

aufri laughs, "haha! are we the bad guys now?"

she nods, smiling, "we're badder than bad!"

he looks grimly to the sleeping pomfrey, "farewell, poppy."

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