Open Chronicles A Sight To Behold

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

The hunched reptilian made his way to the Allirian marketplace with remarkable ease. Considering he bore a seemingly shapeless slab of wood across his back this could be noted as quite the feat. He had his favorite spot picked out from times before, and knew exactly how today was going to go. As he approached his accommodating locale he reached behind himself to remove this hulking slab from his back.

What came next was nothing short of a spectacle.

With finesse and very obvious practice, the lizard swung the slab in a circle, promptly popping out four protruding pieces of wood from the bottom of it. He slammed the newly revealed table onto the ground with an attention grabbing thud. Next, he reached to the top of it and flipped up a well hidden sign stating
The Father of Lilies indicating that this was indeed a place of business. One he lugged around with him. From a pouch on his side he unveiled a long cloth that he draped on the top of his portable store, and that was followed by many potions of varying colors. Once set up completely, he walked to the front of his stand and cleared his throat dramatically;

"So hungry is flesh to know where it piques,
Beyond one's limits does thou seek?
Search no more for the volume of heaven,
As you've found the lilies father, no question."

His poem seemed to make very little sense but he said it quite loudly in hopes to bring shoppers by. All that was left was the art of bartering, and to take as much coin home with him as possible.

 

[Tol]

Alliria was the closest city to The Bayou Garramarisma and the only real connection Tol had to the more civilised world. Tol had never before entered the city beyond The Shallows for the troll saw no need to enter places not blessed by The Swamp but now The Swamp has chosen him as its champion and told him to travel the world to spread its most holy seeds but to do so he would need supplies and information.

Tol brought with him a few large crocodiles he had slain the day before that were now slung behind his shoulder with the plan to trade them in for finer food, water and other items that may prove useful in his travels. Before the troll could enter the city walls he was stopped by a few guards clearly confused on why a troll come to the city. Tol understood that those in cities normally demand shiny marked pebbles as a toll before a outsider may enter so Tol gave one of the guards a pouch of mismatched coins some decades old no longer considered to have any value as a currency and each was collected from the corpses of those who got lost in The Bayou Garramarisma. The guards understanding that denying the troll entrance would most likely cause more problems than letting it in under the condition Tol did not bring his trusty club which Tol obliged to reluctantly.

Tol was a sight to behold in the city with most moving to the side to let him past and children watched in amazement and curiosity at the first and most likely only troll they have and would ever see. Tol himself was amazed being this was the first time he had actually went into a city and while it was not blessed by The Swamp it had its own beauty that the troll could appreciate. Tol tried to figure out what stalls sold what he wanted but most seemed to sell metal trinkets and devices he did not understand. Before long Tol heard a lizard yelling some poem or something like that while he did not truely understand this poem but the lizard did say something like "Search no more" which Tol took as a message that this merchant may have something useful to sell to Tol.

Tol walked over to the small stall the lizard Ye'svonne Airileth owned, looking at all the bottles of different liquids. Tol had seen bottles of coloured liquids used before by bandits and adventurers who entered The Bayou Garramarisma and barely survive the predators that lurked in its murky waters but didn't understand what for.

"Lizard Thing ya shell tell Tol wat colour water is an if good for Tol's holy west. If colour water good den Tol will buy"

The coloured liquids must be good for something if adventurers and other folk are always buying it when travelling the world and Tol does not wish to be unprepared for the trials he must soon face.

 

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

Typically speaking, Ye'svonne found himself to be the tallest in any given room. However what was not typical was a troll approaching his stand from the words he had spewed. The creature towered above the stall he'd laid out in tremendous fashion. Tol's apparent strength, as the merchant couldn't help but notice the more mentally decrepit of his own kin slung across the troll's shoulder, left Ye'svonne a bit visibly displaced.

Though he certainly had a job to do it had already proven to be quite a remarkable day if this was to be his first customer. As Tol spoke the alchemists smile returned, and twice as bright. He had found someone easily swayed, and from his size, in need of quantity. Perhaps he and the family may have more than meat and bread for the weekend. Ye'svonne hopped right up from his poetic stance and gave Tol a bow to be remembered.

"Aye, but the colors themselves tend to represent something different each." He reached on his table for a potion of crimson hue and one of a deep mustard color. "For you see, this," he extends the crimson potion. "This is a common necessity involving wound curing. It offers quicker healing and less time recuperating!" He was ecstatic in his tone.

"As for the other, it is one meant to aid in one's stamina. Allowing you to never run out of strength!" He looked up at the beast towering before him, doing well to hide his anxiety about the situation. "For someone such as you friend, the requirement would be much greater than this measly pot. Perhaps you'd be interested in a custom order?"

 

[Rizzo Bouchard]

Rizzo "Sweetroll" Bouchard sang to herself as she trotted along in one of Alliria's many markets.

♫ Hello • to the • blue • sky
Fancy • if I • could • fly
Soaring • fast • and light • and high • and free~~ ♫​

Sword? Check! Underwrist blades? Check! Violin? Retracted and clipped to the back of her belt, check! Armor? Check! Everything accounted for. Expensive equipment, for sure. For sure. Some awfully generous friends had pitched in and bought it for her. And by generous she meant "not really" and by friends she meant "not friends" and by bought it for her she meant "unwitting donation." Oh, and by unwitting donation she meant she stole some stuff. Not a lot. Okay, a lot. It's not like she didn't ask. She did. But nobody was there to answer on multiple occasions. Usually. They thought it peculiar if she did in their presence.

Like this fruit vendor. Man with a big, bushy beard. He stepped away from his stall for just a second, trying to quell some really heated between another man and his wife. And Rizzo just happened to be walking by, a tiny little growl in her stomach, and my those apples looked mighty delicious.

"MindifIhaveoneofthoseokaythanksbye." Quick and quiet. There. See? She was polite about it, her habit of tactically acquiring things.

Rizzo swiped an apple before the fruit vendor turned around and she kept on her path, weaving into the people going this way and that. She munched on the apple as she walked, her free hand a fist planted into her hip.

Another verse from her song, sung with a mouthful of food:

♫ Today • I'll make • the world • mine
Wouldn't • that just • be • fine
If fortune • waited • only • on • me~~ ♫​

Oh~~, and today was going to be a good day! Maybe. But probably! Yes! She didn't know why she cared so much about the Adventurer's Guild. Actually, she did. "Care" was a strong word, though. A strong word, yes, but also the right word. So she had a little pride wrapped up in achieving the next rank. Okay, okay, honest, she really did. But! Also! Higher ranks came with better contracts. Better opportunities. For what? Helping people? Nope. Incidentally, perhaps, mostly on account of others on the same contract; credit and glory by proximity, how about that? Really though, it meant better opportunities to, ahem...steal stuff. Bigger things. Shinier things.

Copper-class adventurer? Ha! Iron, here she comes!

And it was at this thought when she noticed something big. Huge. Yeah, huge. She actually stopped dead in her tracks, causing some aloof human behind her to bump into her and mumble "Hey, what the fuck," before wandering around her and on his way.

Alliria was home to a lot of people. People of all kinds. But Rizzo had never seen a troll before. Nope. Not once. She didn't even know if that big thing was in fact a troll. She had heard about trolls, yeah, and this hulking green giant seemed to fit the description. But could she be sure~~? Rizzo pondered this, standing there and gawking and grinning.

The troll (troll?) was talking to a lizardman. She'd seen lizardmen in Alliria before; saw one knock out a dwarf with his tail once too. He was describing his potions to the troll. And before she could dive into how peculiar this was, the lizardman said something which caught her attention.

As for the other, it is one meant to aid in one's stamina...

Ahh! She needed that! Buy it, steal it, borrow it (and by borrow she meant steal), whatever she needed to do, but she needed that. There was a promotion on the line today! Today? Was it today? She thought it was today. Soon! Soon enough! That was for sure.

Rizzo trotted up and took her place behind the troll. Got in the queue. See? She was polite about it. Whatever it was she going to do.

She peeked out from around the troll's considerable mass and eyed the lizardman, said cheerfully, "Me next! Save one of those for me!"

 

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

As Ye'svonne continued on his ramblings to his gargantuan customer, it seemed there was more curiosity piqued than he was previously aware of. He made a not so graceful peer around the corner of the troll to see an over zealous elf residing behind him. She wore her excitement on her sleeve and it left a devilish smirk across his face.

In hardly ten minutes time he'd been able to convince all sorts of oddities to take a look at his wares. As funds were tight for the alchemist this was a blessing he knew better than to squander.

"Why, you seem just the right build for one of my brews, might I ask you to be a guinea pig to demonstrate for my friend here?" He was leaning extremely far past the troll and protruding out a lengthy degree due to his own unnatural height. He extended the yellow bottle in his hand with two fingers and dangled it. Her enthusiasm led him to believe this would be an easy enough tactic. That and one stamina potion was something he was more than willing to part with if it meant a dozen were sold.

As he gave Rizzo a raised eyebrow stare, his long tongue protruded from his mouth and pulled a daisy out of his robe pocket. He then began to chew on it, not politely.

 

[Tol]

Tol found it weird that the lizard would give him a bow when all he wanted was some coloured liquids but then most creatures Tol met did silly little things that made no sense at least to him, maybe it was some form of communication he did not understand. The lizard told Tol that each different colour liquid represent something different which Tol assumed due to them being different colours. The first coloured liquid the lizard showed Tol was for healing purposes which of course Tol did not need for unlike the weak and frail bodies of humans, orcs and lizardfolk most wounds suffered by trolls vanished within days without the need for liquids apparently called potions.

It was the second potion that interested Tol for the lizard claimed with it one would not run out of strength and stamina which is something Tol might need for his most holy quest. The lizard recommended a custom order with alot more of the potion liquid than in the small pot which Tol couldn't agree more with as a troll of course would need more than the small amounts of potion smaller weaker races use
"Ha Tol needs no healing po po poson." slapping his belly in a prideful manner "Da Swamp has gifted Troll body wif healing wifout poson" before slamming one of the crocodile corpses on the ground "Tol will buy all of strong poson an lizard thing will take croc body as trade" before turning his head to look at the dark elf behind him

"Sorry Tol is buying all strong poson" Or atleast he was until the lizard said he needed someone to demonstrate the potions effect "Tol shell watch dark elf drink poson to see if poson work".

 

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

As Tol spoke Ye'svonne was jolted from his awkward position towards the dark elf and back to the his original patron. He continued to chew on his daisy with quite the puzzled look on his face. As the crocodile corpse hit the ground it shook him a bit to his core. The display of Tol's strength made the alchemist wonder if his potions would affect the troll whatsoever. His eyes panned to the limp crocodile. Looking at the familiarity of the scales made Ye'svonne ever more uncomfortable with the fact that this monster was carrying multiple of them. It unfortunately made the merchant imagine his own demise at the hands of Tol and accidentally choked on his flower. He spit the petals out and pounded a fist to his chest to clear himself.

He musters up the courage to look back into the eyes of Tol and needs to come up with something to say to him quick. He couldn't accept the crocodile, obviously. His family would be mortified. He also couldn't give all his stock to Tol who clearly didn't have the coin to afford it. It was likely that he could spend the day making a few large potions for the troll if they could make some sort of better trade. He just wanted to ensure he didn't anger the beast.

He clears his throat. "Uh um, excuse me Tol. But if you are indeeeeeed satisfied with the results of my concoctions, would you mayhaps be willing to wait a day or two's time to allow dear Ye'svonne to make you more sizable quantities for someone of your stature?" He attempted to be as polite as he could without being condescending to the colossal customer.

 

[Rizzo Bouchard]

"I love guinea pigs!"

Rizzo didn't know a thing about guinea pigs. Nope. Skillfully dodged knowing about them her entire life. But that was okay! They probably tasted like pork and had curly-cue tails like regular pigs, and while she couldn't make herself taste like pork or spontaneously grow a curly-cue tail she could pretend to be one just the same. That's right!

Oh yes, because the lizardman was asking her to demonstrate the potion's effect for the troll (troll? or green ogre? could ogres be green?). Excellent! Free stuff was even better than buying stuff or stealing stuff. Minimal effort, maximal gain. All in a day's work. Nice and tidy, if she did say so herself! Bonus points for the thing actually being a thing she wanted.

Rizzo chucked the apple core in her hand over her shoulder and bounced up to the front of the table, right beside the massive troll. She cupped both of her hands and held them underneath the offered potion, grinning with gleeful anticipation.

Then, a little wrinkle in the blanket.

Sorry Tol is buying all strong poson.

Waitwaitwait, what? Okay, not a big problem. Sure the troll was big, but the problem wasn't big. Options. Snatch the potion the lizardman held and run; not the best. How about drinking the offered potion--the troll said he'd watch--and pretend it tasted nasty to dissuade him from buying it all? Hm. No good. The troll looked like he could inhale a whole swamp and everything in it; the potion couldn't be that bad in comparison. Or! How about letting the troll buy all the potions and steal some from him once it was done?

Hey! No need for options, dear Ye'svonne had her back! Finessing the troll and his appropriately big order of potions. Well, sunshine and starlight, everything was gonna work out just fine!

No better invitation then to try the free sample. Rizzo reached for and took hold of the yellow--like lemonade--potion. Popped the cork off with her thumb. Looked up at the troll--Tol, apparently--with a big grin and said, "Cheers, you big ol' lug, you!"

She cocked her head back and the bottle up and let the concoction flow from the glass and into her mouth. Closed her eyes and swallowed. Smacked her lips.

Blinked. Smiled. Waited.

 

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

And as it would be had, Rizzo's excitement would have proven very fruitful for him.

Would have.

As the dark elf snatched the potion and chugged it a look of shock struck the whimsical lizard. Ye'svonne had no fear that his recipe would fail to act, as this was something he'd done more than a thousand times. And an easy potion to make even. However the stamina potion he'd described was certainly embellished ever so slightly. One has to make a sale, do they not?

With potions that heal wounds it's easy to give a frontal display. Though the one to do with stamina was very similar. She may feel a slight jolt that could mistaken for regained vigor but the reality was the potion didn't create invisible strength. What it did was rejuvenate strength lost, similarly so to the healing properties of the other. Had he had the chance to make her sprint a bit, or perhaps exhaust herself in one way or another, this may have been a major sale.

This predicament with such peculiar customers may now prove problematic for the reptilian. Though lost patrons was not something he wasn't used to, there were eyes on this scenario specifically. A lot of them. A failure here could mean relocation after his bewildering display.

With a bead of sweat, and belief in his product, he cracked a half smile. Teeth laden with daisy petals, he waited as well.

It shouldn't take the potion long to act.

 

[Tol]

While being told that he would need to wait multiple days before a batch of stamina potions that would be fit for a troll did make Tol a bit sad he of course understood that a small creature like this lizard couldn't possibly make enough potions Tol in just one day. "Tol will wait ear til poson done if poson work on dark elf"

Tol watched as the elf smiled at him and drank the potion in one big gulp in which Tol decided to clap. The troll didnt understand potions needed time to take affect but then he didn't understand potions at all and in the belief that the lizard wouldn't lie to him and like how a kid would think a bruise is all gone because their mother kissed it, Tol thought he saw the elf get slightly bigger due to the potion which of course was not true at all as the potion most likely doesn't work at all like that but a troll's simple mind often played tricks on itself.

With a big grin on his face he yelled out in a booming and cheerful voice
"Look dark elf look stronger now! strong poson work on dark elf!" turning his head back to the lizard he said in a less loud voice "an Tol want strong poson for myself but no small like dark elf strong poson. Tol has trade so Tol will be wif lizard till strong poson is made" pointing to the crocodile corpse he slammed down on the floor just before as a reminder of the 'trade' he had made with the lizard.

 

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

Ye'svonne really needed to get through to Tol that that the crocodile wasn't going to cut it. He could possibly sell it to another vendor but he could never possibly lug all these creatures around. Perhaps tip toeing around the situation was not going to cut it. And with the troll's response to the potion itself, maybe he had a bit of leeway.

"Ahem, excuse me great Tol," He chimed in. "In the time it may take me to make the potions do you think it'd beeeeeeeeeeee possible for you to sell these crocodiles for coin? I'm uhmmmm.. Allergic." Ye'svonne blinked hard at how stupid he sounded talking to Tol. He felt like he was attempting to toy with a child which gave him no joy. But it wasn't possible for the merchant to do anything with these corpses.

His eyes stared silently at the troll for a moment before looking back to the dark elf in anticipation. He didn't imagine she'd be as easily as impressed as their somewhat dim friend here.

"Well? Hath Ye'svonne's flowers blossomed accordingly?" It became harder and harder for him to hide his anxiety about the predicament he was in. He fiddled with a couple mushrooms in his pocket to ease the nervousness.

 

[Tol]

How could Tol not realise that lizardfolk would be allergic to crocodile corpses for it makes perfect sense despite Tol not knowing what the word allergic meant but it clearly meant something bad and was the reason he could no longer trade the crocodile corpses for potions. The lizard had asked Tol to sell the crocodiles for coin instead. What is a coin thought Tol until he realised that is what the wall guards called the shiny pebbles he would give them to pass. "Tol will be back wif shiny coin" he said as he stomped off after he picked up the crocodile he had slammed on the ground earlier

Now a new problem presented itself to Tol, who would buy these crocodiles for coin. At first Tol attempted to sell them to some of the merchants selling trinkets but most of them politely said no. Maybe there was one of those creatures that sold raw meat somewhere he since Tol had seen them around the Shallows before. What were they called again thought Tol as he remembered that the humans at the Shallows had called them butchers.

All Tol had to do was find a butcher which should be an easy task. Tol looked around to see if he could spot any butchers and to his dismay he couldn't. Maybe he could go back and ask the lizard where a butcher is but now a new problem arose, which way is back.

 

[Rizzo Bouchard]

Rizzo stood. Waited. Sniffed once.

Hmm. Hmmmm. Nothing yet. Nothing...oh! Rizzo had maintained a brisk and jaunty pace through the Allirian marketplace, a pace leaning more toward brisk than jaunty after she had politely asked to have the apple from that generous fruit vendor. It left a tiny tingle of fatigue in her legs, that trot. Said tingle, though light to begin with, began to flutter away in little quivering jolts. In a way, it felt like the crackling of excitement in one's muscles upon hearing good news or realizing some chance fortune. Amazing! She liked dwarves! Deadly sprinters, they say! Deadly! So was Rizzo! But she tuckered out quick and quick alright, no mistake. Ooo~~, and here was a little secret weapon that could fix that, and right on time for springing for that Iron badge!

A tight-lipped smile crossed her face and she clapped her hands together and danced back and forth from foot to foot.

"Blossomed accordingly?" Rizzo swept her cape back in a dramatic fashion and said quite loudly, "I feel great!"

Even Tol joined in. Oh, ho, ho, said she looked stronger! Maybe she did. Maybe she didn't. Play into it anyway! Rizzo whipped up her right arm and flexed and patted her bicep and flashed a wide and winning grin, eyes twinkling with glee.

Of course she was helping Ye'svonne sell his stuff! Consider this! Court a little favor with a merchant, maybe get a discount. Every discount you didn't try to get was one you never got! See? And, and, and! Play up how awesome the potion is! Right, following? Now, Tol's impressed, gets super-sold on buying in bulk, leaving Rizzo to snatch up all the potions Ye'svonne has available today. Right now, right now!

Up comes my chance, indeed.

And! Opportunity just kept on knocking. Here's the setup: Tol has big dead crocodiles to trade. Ye'svonne, fittingly enough to make Rizzo giggle, is mortified. But he's not wrong though, Ye'svonne; coin is better. So what do you do, what do you do? Earn yourself a favor and a finder's fee, of course!

But ya gotta make it snappy! Tol's already gone off to try and sell his stuff. Make the world mine!

Rizzo smacked her hands down on Ye'svonne's table and spread her fingers as wide as her grin. "I love what you've got going on here, Ye'svonne! Can I call you, Ye? I'll call you Ye. Rizzo's the name! Sweetroll if you give me a sweetroll, but nevermind that! Stay right here, okay? I'm gonna come back! Our big ol' friend needs a hand and wouldn't you know it I've got two! Ha!"

She started to skip away from the table. She pointed back at the lizardman--more specifically at the stamina potions--and said over her shoulder, "Keep those there for me, okay~~~? Thanksbyeandberightback!"

Take the day by storm! Oh yes, if she played her cards right, she'd walk away with those stamina potions she fancied and a few other things, tangible and intangible as it so happened.

Rizzo caught up with Tol after he, judging by the conspicuous crocodile corpses he still carried, failed to make a sale. She trotted up next to him and cleared her throat loudly to get his attention. Planted her right fist against her hip. Raised her up her left hand and cocked her wrist and made a tent with her fingers on her chest.

"Allow me to introduce myself! Rizzo's the name! Tol, was it? That right? Sounds right to me! Anyway, you wanna sell those, don't'cha? Well! I happen to know exactly who would buy them. For coin! Oh yes, shiny, shiny Allirian crowns that'll spend anywhere the spending's good! And I oughta know, I've lived here my whole life!"

A grand, sweeping, inviting gesture with both arms.

"Say the word, Tol the Bull, say the word! We'll prance over there together. His shop isn't so far, you'll see!"

 

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

The lizard merchant was wildly unprepared for the day he'd been having. Luck would have it, his facade about his allergies worked. The troll somehow decided what Ye'svonne said had made sense. It bewildered the alchemist himself but he was not going to question it. He let out a quiet breath of relief and watched Tol vanish into the city...

He didn't seem to be returning. Ye'svonne tapped his foot in hopes for the return of the Troll that never came. Was he lost? How did the merchant even lose sight of someone of his stature. The day just kept unfolding weirder and weirder. So be it.

Besides, good news was to be had. A long stare into the town was interrupted by the response from Rizzo who seemed even more vibrant than ever! The alchemist wagged his tail once and raised his eyebrows. Success had been had!

"Wondrousssss! And uh, I suppose you mayyyyyy call me that?" He retorted to the colorful reaction the elf had given him. He was just surrounded by quite the characters today. He loved it. Most of his days were basic sales days and this was a meaningful break from the monotony.

As Rizzo bolted and spit her words back at him he raised his hand to respond but to no avail as she had also disappeared into the crowd in search of the Troll. He lowered his hand and gave a quiet 'huh' to her departure. He shrugged and headed to behind his stall, where he pulled up a rock to sit criss cross on. He pulled out about eleven more of the yellow potions and set them aside for the dark elf's return.

Ye'svonne then pulled a couple dozen yellow flowers from his pocket, saving one for himself to chew on. He would to use some of his new found revenue to buy some bigger containers for Tol's custom order. But he started into his mortar and pestle as one who made promises better fulfill them.

 

[Tol]

Tol was completely lost which of course was not a good thing especially for a troll who had never been in a city before. Maybe it was time for Tol to accept that he would forever be trapped in this city and even worse he may not ever be able to find the lizard again and get the potions he wanted. The longer Tol tried to figure out where in the city he was and how to get to a merchant who would buy from him then get back to the lizard, the more he got stressed out.

Luckily The Swamp was smiling on Tol as he heard a loud noise behind him to see the dark elf behind him. Of course Tol was a bit confused on the weird stance she had made, was it to assist in getting Tol's attention and if so it did do its job. With a big smile Tol yelled in a cheerful voice.
"Tol is so glad Rizzo find Tol. Tol was lost, Tol no understand city an no find croc trader" If he could Tol would give Rizzo for finding him in his hour of need but he understood that as a troll a hug from him would most likely mean death for smaller creatures.

It was good that Rizzo knew her way around town and was so kind to offer to take Tol to the correct shop. Tol didn't understand why she called him a bull especially since Tol didn't know what one was but it must be something big and strong for her to call him one.
"Tol Da Bull shell follow new friend Rizzo but Tol only want coin no shiny crowns"

 

[Rizzo Bouchard]

"Shell follow, yes indeedy! Hop along with me! This way, this way." Rizzo snapped out a hand and pointed with an upwardly curved finger in the direction she intended to go. She started walking gaily, with big sweeping motions of her arms and kicking out her feet with each step.

Oh. Right! She left Tol confused. Oops.

"Nonono, not actual crowns, silly," she said as she walked, accidentally clipping a human's ankles with one of her kicking steps ("Hey, watch it, wouldja?") but the man took one look at her and then Tol and said nothing more of it and sheepishly went about his business. Ha, ha, that schmuck was a lot more polite when he saw that she had big ol' Tol the Bull following her, eh?

"Crown is slang for coin! At least around here in Alliria. And I know Alliria best! Yes, I do! Been here and there and everywhere 'round the city! You know what they say when they see me in the Keep? 'Everybody hide your sweetrolls, Rizzo's coming!' Yes, they do, they do!"

She'd never actually been inside Allir Keep before.

"Almost there!"

John Hambry's Boots and Such. A little shop along the periphery of the open-air market. A human and his three sons and his wife all ran the shop. The Bouchards knew John and his wife, had introduced Rizzo to them when she was much younger, and--on occasion--apologized profusely to them on Rizzo's behalf after she'd been caught getting into mischief with other troublemakers from her neighborhood that just so happened to end up dirtying Mr. Hambry's shop. Oops. Once, twice, a few times over, nevermind that, she wasn't that little hellion anymore. Wasn't up to any mischief. Honest.

"Wait right here!" she said to Tol, then went inside with no shortage of gusto lingering in her wake. After a moment, Rizzo was practically dragging John by the arm out of his shop. All smiles in comparison to John's initial shock at seeing a troll standing there.

Rizzo swept her hand toward Tol and the slain crocodiles he carried. "Aren't they gorgeous! Imagine what you could do, John!"

He seemed a touch perturbed at her calling him 'John' instead of 'Mr. Hambry', but he considered Tol and he considered the crocodile bodies and he scratched his chin. "Hm. Well, I do make a mighty fine pair of crocodile skin boots. Satchels. Hats. Good coin in that to the right buyer. Sell the meat on after."

"Fifty per croc!" Rizzo exclaimed.

"Fifteen," John had the tone of a man who haggled a time or two in his life. "Bayou Garramarisma is right down south. Plenty of supply."

"Forty! What a steal! Someone should arrest me and slap you! Wow!"

"Twenty, because I know your parents."

"Twenty-one and a pat on the back, on the back! How's that?"

John scratched his chin a moment longer. Said, "Deal as far as I'm concerned." He looked up at Tol. "What say you..." Rizzo told him the name, "...Tol?"

Rizzo glanced up at Tol as well, flashing a double thumbs-up close to her glee-filled grin.

 

[Tol]

Rizzo Bouchard was a very strange and cheerful elf with a very strange way of speaking which left Tol confused sometimes but at least she did explain some things such as crowns being a slang term for coins and going by that then slang must mean something like a nickname. When that human decided to knock into Rizzo and dare tell her off, one angry glare from Tol shut him up for no one is allowed to mess with Tol's new friend. This time Rizzo mentioned sweetrolls and how for some reason people always hid them from her.

Finally they had made it to the shop that hopefully would buy the corpses of the four crocodiles held by Tol currently. Rizzo didn't need to tell Tol to wait outside as he already knew that he was not going to be able to fit inside without causing a lot of damage. A few moments later Tol witnessed her pulling some human outside of the shop called John to show him the crocodile corpses. Interestingly Rizzo was very intent on selling these corpses on behalf of Tol and considering Tol currently had no bartering knowledge he let her as this would be a good learning experience.

Compared to other swamp trolls Tol was good at maths but that skill was only of a human child with Tol only being able to count to ten and didn't understand things like addition yet. The first number Rizzo said Tol did not know and then John said another number that Tol didn't know under the excuse that the Bayou Garramarisma is down south and then Rizzo said forty which sounded like four. One good thing Tol was good at for a troll was figuring things out and it was clear that John was trying to pay less coins than Rizzo wanted him to pay. Twenty was the next number which Tol did not know and apparently only came up because John knew Rizzo's parents to which Rizzo replied with twenty one which had at least one number Tol knew and must be bigger than the number John said plus Rizzo also wanted a pat on the back.

John agreed to that price and turned to Tol and asked him what he thought. While Tol was glad Rizzo did the trading talk he couldn't help but think the one in twenty one was too small even if she was clearly trying to tell Tol to agree to the price. Tol proceeded to hold out his free hand and count each finger on it before saying
"wenty five wif no pat on da back. Tol live in Da Swamp moss holy child Da Bayou Garramarisma an hunted da best croc in da deepest part for ya"

 

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

Ye'svonne sat at his stall and worked tirelessly on the powder for the stamina potions. Though only gone for what must have been a couple minutes, his patrons would have been impressed to see the progress he was making. The alchemist was going to do good by his word no matter what occurred. He was interrupted only by the bustle of people who'd come to see his shop due to the commotion caused by Rizzo and Tol. He managed to sell some healing potions and even some spare ones that helped in casting. He'd already made coin before the two had returned!

This was turning into a bright day for the lizard. Though he had a lot of work to do in a short time, he loved that his hands were kept busy. He loved the enthusiasm of his newfound customers (who'd more than earned themselves a discount). Their irreverence as well as their interest in his wares warmed his heart beyond words. Most days he scraped by and had rarely anything meaningful happen. Today he'd met faces he would hope to see countless times.

The city of Alliria had not been cruel to him since his arrival but it had not given him the warmest of welcome's either. His race was not only uncommon but virtually unknown to him. He'd heard of other reptilian people that had existed in these continents, but none he had met yet to determine his origin or see similarities. The thoughts flooded while he worked away.

As his powder was nearly complete he was starting to finally need some bigger containers in order to use his mixing liquid to create the potion itself. One done by now also meant he'd improved his time on alchemy. All around good news today.

He moseyed over to a nearby pottery salesman and offered him a bit of coin he'd made from passerby's to purchase four or five of his medium sized plant pots. As the transaction came to he thanked the man and wandered back to his own stall, and the day went from amazing to abysmal in seconds.

For the amount of time he'd taken to make a purchase, perhaps a minute and a half including walking time, he'd been robbed practically blind. He dropped all the pots he'd just bought onto the ground and the shatter didn't even make him flinch. How could he have been so stupid? To leave his shop on a hot streak? He'd even made a note of the eyes on them, how could he have not considered that some of them were waiting for a chance like this.

He spun around to see if he could see the culprit and saw a hooded man vanish into the crowded city.

"Wait." He didn't even yell it. He knew he wasn't going to find him. The words left Ye'svonne's lips so soft they didn't even carry to the dogs. He was so defeated he could barely breathe. All the promises he'd made gone in seconds. The day he'd had. The meals he'd be able to buy his wife and son.

All he could muster was a long stare into the hordes of people before him. Baffled, and broken.

 

[Rizzo Bouchard]

John took another moment to consider Tol's counteroffer. A gravelly 'hmmmm...' from his throat as he looked from the troll to Rizzo (who seemed delighted, even sans pat on the back) and back to the troll. "Alright. Twenty-five's fair. Let me go fetch the coin for your wares, Tol."

Soon as John sauntered back into the shop, Rizzo elbowed Tol in one of his meaty legs a few times and grinned up at him. "Hey~~, not bad there, ya big lug! You're a natural at haggling! Wow, what a hidden talent! Am I right or am I right?"

Rizzo entwined her fingers together and stretched her hands flat down by her waist, made a big, innocent, rolling arc with her eyes. "Sooooo, I was thinking... wouldn't it be fair-fair if you slid a few of those coins to your best friend Rizzo? I knew where to go, helped get you a sweet deal, you're a generous troll, you know, it all just adds up, adds up! You like shiny things, I like shiny things. We can like 'em together!"

John reemerged from the shop then with a few small sackcloth pouches, bulging slightly with weight and with little bumps and indentations of coins pressing against the fabric from within. "Here we are. Twenty-five per, as agreed. Go ahead count 'em. I'm an imperfect old man same as the rest, and my eyesight challenges my honesty from time to time."

"Of course!"

Rizzo snatched one of the pouches and opened it up and peered inside and adjusted coins as necessary with two of her fingers and counted fast, "Onetwothreefourfive, onetwothreefourfive, onetwothreefourfive, onetwothreefourfive, onetwothreefourfive. Twenty-five!"

She tossed the pouch up toward Tol without looking and snatched another uncounted pouch and repeated this until every coin was accounted for.

John turned back toward the open door of his leatherworking shop and shouted, "Boys! Come out here for a moment and help with these crocodile bodies, would ya?"

Rizzo puffed out her chest and crossed her arms in a triumphant way and beamed up at Tol. Just a little hint of expectation. Just a little.

 

[Tol]

Tol was so proud of himself, he had done it and finally learnt the basics of bartering and gotten a pretty good deal assuming 25 coin for a crocodile was a good price. Now John went to get Tol's well deserved gold.

Once again Rizzo was doing an action Tol found strange. Why was this elf elbowing his leg while grinning. Considering Rizzo was complementing him while doing that must mean that action was something friendly.

"Am I right or am I right" what was the meaning of this question Rizzo just asked. Both choices seemed to be the same but surely this must be like one of those things called riddles
"Right?" Tol said in a rather confused tone

Now Rizzo asked for a share of the gold which was fair since she did help Tol get unlost and find a shop willing to buy. The logic of them both liking shiny things also supported the fact she should get a share but the problem was Tol didn't even know how to count past ten so how was he to know how much gold to share.

When John brought out all the pouches of gold Tol atleast counted four of them but how was he to figure out how much gold was in each pouch. Luckily Rizzo once again came to save the day and practically pounced on the gold and counted them way too fast for Tol to understand. The first pouch of gold Rizzo threw hit Tol in the face as he attempted to catch it, luckily the other three Tol was more prepared to catch.

Once Tol caught the fourth bag he walked up to Rizzo and held it out to her.
"Dis for Tol friend Rizzo Da um" Tol froze for a bit trying to think of a nickname like the one Rizzo gave him. Well she was the one who could actually count coin and find the shop "Smart!" Tol yelled.

"Now we go to lizard thing to get all da strong poson" Tol said gleefully before stomping off. After a few steps he turned around and looked at Rizzo realising he still didn't know where the potion stall was.

 

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

The alchemist finally brought himself to move. He turned his body away from the bustling crowd and it felt as if all sound drowned out from the area around him. The nearby shop keeps gave him a look as if to say "should've seen it coming." He was far too overwhelmed by the concept of what had taken place to pay them any sort of response. The sheer self disgust he felt for not being more careful; the audacity of opportunists in this city. It all consumed his thoughts.

He sat atop the rock he'd pulled over to his stall and stared at the now empty table top. All he could do was mentally prepare his apologies to those who'd worked so hard to get to his product. Disappointed customers and nothing to return home with.

This also meant he needed to spend about a week's time outside the city gates gathering flora again. Since this had been an action he'd already taken recently, the harvest was likely to not even be half of what he'd pulled from the ground.

He put a hand to his mouth and stated blankly at the wood slab in front of him; choking back tears and thinking hard on what can be recovered from this devastating loss.

 

[Rizzo Bouchard]

Rizzo's expression popped open with a wide-eyed, glimmering jubilation as the fourth pouch--a whole pouch!--was held out to her from Tol. Wow! Now that's how the day is taken by storm! Opportunity seized, and she was ahead by twenty-five crowns. Yes! Not bad for a few minutes worth of minimal effort, eh?

"Awww, thanks Tol! You're a swell friend and I'll thumb the eyes of anyone that says otherwise!" Rizzo elbowed her cape out of the way and stuffed the sackcloth pouch into her backbelt pack and tightened the strings on the pack shut again.

"Rizzo the Smart and Tol the Bull! Smarty-Bull! That's right-right!"

She strolled effortlessly along to catch up with Tol as he stomped off (but stopped and turned to her for a moment of guidance). She lifted a hand and spun it high up in the air for a few turns before snapping an upturned finger in the direction she knew the potion stall to be. Big kicking steps and wide, arcing sweeps of her arms again as she walked, the crowd parting mostly for Tol rather than her.

"Here we go. Right this way! Ye will be glad to see you and me! I'd tell ya Tol but you've already been told, ha ha! Sing along with me!"

An impromptu song as she strolled back the way they'd come through the marketplace:

♫ Gonna • buy the • po • son
Gonna • buy the • po • son!
Set • the day • in mo • tion
Set • the day • in mo • tion!
Gives • me • the no • tion
Gives • me • the no • tion!
Of a • big • pro mo • tion
Of a • big • pro mo • tion! ♫​

Free apple to free sample to shiny opportunity to coin in the pocket to buying the potions fair and square (see, she was polite about it!). And from that there'd be no way she'd flub that Adventurer's Guild promotion to Iron rank! Secret weapon! Surprise, schmucks, didn't see that coming, did ya?

So Rizzo led Tol all the way back to Ye and his table that he'd set up by all those other little stalls.

And she stepped up to the front of the curiously empty table. Her posture was great, by the way! Straight and proud, couldn't any straighter or any prouder! Not too mention beaming with excitement.

Ye was sitting on a rock, hand over his mouth. And there weren't any potions.

Rizzo glanced from the empty table to Ye to Tol and back to Ye again, beaming smile never faltering.

And she exclaimed the first thing that came to mind: "Wow, Ye! You sold everything in the short time we were gone! That's incredible! Can you point me in the direction those stamina potions went! I really need to ask that fellow who got 'em a question!"

Ask that fellow a question, alright! And by "ask that fellow a question" she meant borrow those stamina potions he bought. And by "borrow" she meant steal.

 

[Tol]

Swamp trolls singing wasn't uncommon as most people thought, just most who entered the swamp didn't realise that horrible noise in the distance was infact a troll in song. Like any troll Tol could not resist the offer of a song and joined in with a loud booming voice.

"Gonna • buy da • po • son
Gonna • buy da • po • son!
Set • da day • in mo • son
Set • da day • in mo • son!
Give • me • da no • son
Give • me • da no • son!
Of a • big • pro mo • son
Of a • big • pro mo • son!"

Most people started covering their ears once they heard the troll singing along. It wasn't long until they both made it back to the potion stall but surprisingly it had no more potions for sale and the lizard didn't even leave any for Rizzo. Rizzo was seemed proud of the lizard for selling all the potions in a short time but for some reason Rizzo wanted to talk to one of the people who brought a potion, maybe she wanted to see if she could buy one off them but Tol did not care for now he had the coin and would wait for his potion to be made.

"Tol stay here while Rizzo talk to fellow poson buyer" looking at the lizard who for somereason shulking on the rock "Tol no know why lizard thing is sad after trading all poson for coin. Tol understand ya said it take many days for Tol strong poson to be made" Tol started shaking one of the pouches of coin in front of the lizard before sitting down next to the rock "Tol wait here til strong poson is made as Tol have lot of coin for lizard thing now for trade so no sad lizard thing anymore."

It seemed Tol was completely unaware of what the real situation was and couldn't understand why Ye'svonne Airileth would be sad.

 

[Ye'svonne Airileth]

The lizard merchant didn't look up from his barren stall. The words that his returned patrons spoke didn't resonate for a moment. He hadn't anywhere long enough to consider what would be a worthy apology or excuse. There was no excuse, was there? It was his fault. He let himself and everyone he made promises to down. He moved his hand from his mouth and set both on the wood storefront in front of him.

He turned to finally look at them with tears welling and cracked a nervous, underwhelming smile.
"I'm so ssssssorryy friends. It seems that my carelessness has led me to be robbed of my provisions by some heartless thief. I was off trying to find a container large enough for you, Tol, and they snagged everything I had laid out."

He looked down at his open palms and shook his head. "Tol it would take me no shorter than two weeks to gather all my materials, and then more time to create potions for you. I'm sorry, both of youuuuuu. I have nothing to offer you."

He closed his eyes and let a couple tears fall into his palms. Ye'svonne was prepared to take any berating and anger that would follow. It was well deserved. It would take him months to get back on his feet. Now that he'd offered his exchange in truth, he needed to start thinking about what to do for Violetta and their infant child. Perhaps he needed to start pirating again? It seemed that thievery was the way to go in this city.

 

[Rizzo Bouchard]

What a clever ploy, wow! Some other thief snatched up not just the stamina potions but literally everything on the table! Ahhhh, Rizzo Bouchard outclassed once again! There were some real go-getters out and about, and no mistake. Sure they probably weren't as polite about it as Rizzo--why that was her signature calling card!--but they got a job done and they got it done snappy. Sunshine and starlight, she admired that! My, she had such big shoes to fill. And by "fill" she meant steal.

But! This thief made a mistake! Choose the wrong time. Just when she was trying to be nice-nice. Boom! All the things she wanted stolen!

Now riddle her this: how much does it cost to steal from a thief? Nothing! This fellow may have walked off with all of Ye's wares, but all he had really done was create a new opportunity, oh yes he did! Now she could just steal what she wanted from him! Oh sure, could she have been the one who stole from Ye? Any day of the week! But this other thief had stolen from Ye first, and my oh my was he impolite about it. Fair game now!

Rizzo planted confident fists on her hips and canted her chin up and said, "There's no need to be sorry-sorry, Ye! Plenty of sunshine left in the day, and you know what they say: make of it what you may! Only one thing left for us to do!"

A hand crossed her waist and she grabbed the hilt of her bowstring sword and unsheathed it and pointed it skyward at a commander's angle. She proclaimed with a big grin, "Rizzo the Smart, Tol the Bull, and Ye the Flowery will find that heartless thief and teach him some manners! We'll show him! There'll be no escaping justice today! HOORAH!"

Rizzo stood there, sword still pointed skyward and striking that heroic pose. Passersby and other stall merchants were looking, some stopping, some murmuring, everybody wondering a certain mixture of thoughts: what was the commotion about? Why was there a troll in the city? What had the lizardman so down? Who the hell would butcher a perfectly fine sword like that?

After a moment, Rizzo, still beaming and looking up along the ridge of her sword, added, "I don't know which way to go!"