[Trade] Loyalty Trial - Aeshan, Yugandhara, Prospero

Purity Trials

LOYALTY TRIAL
Prompt: ♦'Never leave a man behind' is a mantra that is important to many in the realm - depict your Reosean bringing in their injured companion for help.

On Thedale's shore there were many ships, ready to depart or just arrived to the busy port.
There, stood three Reoseans, that were currently travelling together, each for different reasons. For Aeshan, it was money. It was good to have some extra coins, if she decided to have a lazy day in some tavern, so she acted like a very bored bodyguard for Prospero, the merchant.
The Vayron Prospero had been sent by his captain to Kirstead, so that he could get a medicine for a member of the crew who had fallen seriously ill.
Unfortunately the medicine was difficult to obtain, and so it was pricey. Working with money and prices was Prospero's cup of tea, but Kirstead was a dangerous place.

The third reosean was... Peculiar. He had met the two as they set claws on the ground, and after hearing what Prospero needed to do and seeing how Aeshan was acting, Yugandhara couldn't just walk away. If he didn't step in, he was sure that the lazy bodyguard would have gotten the Runner killed.
When they departed, the three could hear Prospero's companions wishing them luck from their ship.

Crossing the desert was not an easy feat, and apparently Aeshan kept trying to get the other two lost.

“Come on! I have never tasted a tasted a desert scorpion! And there is an oasis nearby, we should rest there!”

She whined, wanting to rest a bit. The hot sun was burning their backs, and since Prospero was a Vayron, they had to travel on foot.

“We can't stop at oasis, I have already explained you why.”

Hissed back Yugandhara, who was starting to get annoyed with the other's behaviour. If they stopped in random oasis, bandits and other reoseans or people with evil intents could try to rob them or worse.
If they made a beeline to the city and then quickly turned back, the possibility of that happening was way lower.

“Please, stop fighting you two.” Prospero said, exasperated. A lazy lady and a very serious guy did not work well together. “Kirstead is close, and we cannot spare too much time, sorry Aeshan.”

The half black and half white Empyrian huffed, and started walking again, grumbling under her breath and staying a bit behind the other two.
Yugandhara walked right on the left side of Prospero, ears perked and glowing eyes scanning the desert.
At least, the two compensated each other.

“Once we arrive to Kirstead, please do not interrupt me while I'm talking. Do not look too much in the eyes others and do not stare randomly at anything. It is not the first time I have deals with dangerous people, but this time we are on our own.”

Prespero explained, as the first building of the city started to appear, far away.

***

The city was filled with reoseans and humanoids, but many didn't live a nice life. As the three made their way to the Potion Master they were looking for, lots of hungry eyes set on them.
There were scrawny looking vays that kept drooling, kids that tried to lure other in the small alleys where their group could jump the unsuspecting victim, and then there where the thieves, who lurked around the alleys searching for preys.

Prospero didn't seem to be bothered, but that was mostly his control over his body language, a skill that was a must for a merchant.
Yugandhara seemed sad for the poor people, while Aeshan kept complaining about the dust filling her nostrils.
When they reached the Potion Master'shop, they all breathed in relief: inside it was cooler than outside, the air clean from the dust and there were no hungry eyes set on their backs or daggers pointing at them in the shadows.

Then, it begun Prospero's work. He had to haggle a bit over the price of the potion that his crew member needed. It was a potent antidote, that could be used to cure most of the poisons.
He had enough money to pay for the full price, but if he did that, he wasn't much of a merchant.

Aeshan and Yugandhara stared in disbelief as the Vayron flirted a bit with the Potion Master, looking all interested in the various ingredients, and using his knowledge to appear friendly and pleasant to the seller.

“Oh my, so you dear know all the uses of a diamond scaled dragon! How incredible!”

The Potion Master looked way too enthusiast, but that played in their favour.

“Of course! Since I was a pup I dreamt of studying more and more, but unfortunately one needs money to do so... And right then, my poor friend got poisoned by a sea creature...”

And the conversation went on and on, until the Potion Master was nearly crying. They lowered the price, moved by the words of the merchant, that then thanked the seller and left, with the promise of coming back to learn from them once he was rich enough.
Whatever that was a very good lie or the truth, neither the Empyrians could tell.

***

“What do you mean we can't stop in the city for some food?! We have been walking for three days straight!”

“Well, if we want our merchant's friend to live, we have to return soon. Idiot.”

Grumbled Yugandhara, hearing Aeshan whining again. He didn't want to return under the scorching sun either, but a life was on the line.
They had stopped briefly to refill their water pouch before leaving the city, and both Prospero and Yugandhara could feel very unwelcome stares on their backs.

“We better hurry. I don't want to spend another second here.”

The Vaywon whispered, and the urgency in his tone finally shut Aeshan up.
The three begun walking towards the end of the city, where there where smaller and half-destroyed buildings, eager to return in the desert.
But as soon as they stepped on the sand outside the city's border, an arrow flew through the air, hitting Prospero in the side.

“Argh!”

“Prospero!”

“Oi, merchant!”

The two Empyrian snarled, turning and seeing a couple of humans on the back of a Vayron. The Vayron looked like a mangy mutt, and seemed to be missing a couple of fangs too.
The real danger were the two humans: young, yes, but with two strong-looking bows.
Aeshan bumped her shoulder against Yugandhara's, growling.

“Take the merchant. I'll stop them.”

“They have arrows, you can't fight alone, don't be stupid!”

Hissed back Yugandhara, but Aeshan had decided. It was, unfortunately, time to work for her money.
Yugandhara snarled, then with his back talons grabbed the Vayron and soared in the sky, trying to get the wounded companion away from their attackers.
Prospero was still breathing, but hissed in pain at each movement. The arrow was lodged in his back, dangerously near his last ribs.

Aeshan in the meantime snarled and hissed at the bandits, but instead of fighting head on, she flared her wings and with strong gusts of wind, she raised the sand for the ground and flung it at the three.
The mangy Vayron snarled and snorted, sand going in his nose and eyes. The two humans who were riding the Vayron fell, screaming insults to both the Empyrian and their companion.
Aeshan grinned and after whipping them with tail, she took off and started searching for the other Empyrian and the wounded Vayron.

***

Yugandhara stopped in the oasis Aeshan wanted to visit, gently putting down Prospero. Blood coated his side, and his breathing was shallow.

“This isn't good...”

“Y-Yugand-...?”

“Yes, it is me.”

“Is the... The potion safe?”

Yugandhara nodded, pointing with a claw to his bag.

“Yes, I'm carrying it. It didn't get damaged, but we need to get you to the ship... They have medical equipment on it, right?”

“Y-yes...”

Prospero wheezed, and Yugandhara looked like he had just bitten a sour lemon. His companion, who he had joined to keep safe, was badly injured.
He needed to reach the ship, quickly.

The grey Empyrian started rummaging in his bag, looking for bandages or anything that could stabilize the arrow or stop the wound from bleeding. He could snap the arrow and place a bandage around the wound to staunch the bleeding, but he wasn't sure he could do both at the same time. He lacked hands to do so.

As he thought that, he heard a flapping noise and his fur bristled. Yugandhara turned, his glowing eyes cutting in the dark that in the meantime had fallen over Thedale's desert.

“Oi, chill. It's me.”

Hissed Aeshan, landing. She didn't have any wounds on him, but sure took her sweet time getting to the oasis. Yugandhara decided to focus on saving the merchant and not on the lateness of the other Empyrian.

“We need to take him to the ship. They'll have medical equipment to help him.”

“You don't say... How do we do that? I doubt he will appreciate claws digging in his back for hours.”

Said the black and white Empyrian, looking at the bright coloured Runner. Yugandhara nodded slowly.

“We need... Something to carry him. I'll see if someone can lend us a tent for some money.”

“A tent?”

“Yes. I want to use it to carry him.”

Aeshan huffed a laugh, not a happy one.

“Good luck with that. They'll try to take all your money and give you nothing.”

“I know how to work with Thedale people. I'll be right back, watch him.”

“Sure, it's not like he can go somewhere anyway.”

***

Aeshan did not expect Yugandhara to succeed in his little quest, but she was quite mistaken.
The other Tyrian came back with a big piece of fabric, the money pouches not even touched.

“How did you even-?”

“...In Thedale, if a bandit attacks you, you can take their stuff once they have been defeated.”

Simply stated Yugandhara, and then proceeded to place gently Prospero on the fabric, before raising the corners in a makeshift pouch. The Vayron coughed once, inside the weird shaped bag.

“Don't drop me, a-alright?”

“Nah, don't worry. Sure, if I get startled I might let go accidentally-”

“Quit it, Aeshan.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Once they were ready, they departed.
It was way darker and cooler now that it was night, but that also meant that Prospero wouldn't overheat in the bag.

The two Empyrian flew fast, carrying the wounded and the potion that could save the other ill guy.
When they saw the port, both sighed in relief, as Prospero's breathing was still audible. They didn't even wait for the crew to welcome them on the ship, landing instead on it directly.

Reoseans rushed on the deck, but stopped on their tracks once seeing their merchant down, injured.
The Runner was taken in, and then the potion was given to the other ill Reosean.
The two Empyrians were so tired that they both collapsed on the deck, still with sand in their fur. After all, they had flown for miles during the night, without stopping and on high alert, fearing other attacks from the Thedale's bandits.

The next day, a doctor came to wake them up with good news: both Prospero and the ill reosean had made it.


***(1874 words)***