Even when Tressa comes to Ali with a most outlandish proposal, he offers her his services at a bargain price.

More Valuable Than Leaves

"Come on, old man! No one has the time to haggle for every last leaf no more!"

"You cocky upstart! You've been selling goods for less than a year and think you're better than the Great Maruf?!"

Tressa could quite understand why the others left her to approach Ali alone when they reached Marsalim. Out here in the barren desert, sound travelled far – they'd heard Ali and Maruf long before the gate to Marsalim was even in sight. The last time she'd seen Ali he'd been reunited with his father, ready and raring to go as they made plans to create the greatest shop the Sunlands had ever seen.

Based on the shouts and the fact that no one dare get close to the pair's raised stall, it certainly looked to Tressa as though they were a long way off starting their shop yet.

"I'm not being lectured by an old man who hasn't sold even water in the desert this last year!" Ali shouted, throwing his hands in the air in frustration as he stormed off, almost stamping right into Tressa as she watched from the bottom of the stairs. "Oh, Greenpea? W-Welcome to the greatest southern land in the sands! The jewel of the desert, the oasis that sparkles like-"

"I've been here before, Ali." Tressa shook her head, beaming a cocky smile at him as she did. "I helped my friend H'aanit save the royal guards from Redeye."

"You were involved in saving King Khalim from the foul, stone-eyed beast?!" Ali exclaimed in surprise before clearing his throat and regaining his composure. "I mean, that's impressive, Greenpea."

"It was nothing." Tressa shook her head, really meaning those words rather than attempting to be modest – she hadn't really done all that much during the battle, she was more just acting in support of H'aanit and Cyrus as they did all the hard work. Arching an eyebrow, she offered him another grin. "But does that mean I've graduated from green status now?"

Ali laughed heartily, punching her lightly in the shoulder. "Not even slightly, Greenpea."

Tressa pouted a little before laughing herself. It was just as Graham had said in his diary, a true friend and rival really was worth more than all the priceless treasures in the world. Sure, Tressa had her fellow travelling friends whom she trusted and had come to care for most dearly, but there was something about having someone she could trust in that capacity who was also in her line of work that… Well, Tressa would almost say she valued that more.

Which is why she was most uncertain of how to approach the subject of asking for his help. "How're things going with building the shop?"

Ali glared back at his father behind him, his arms crossed resolutely. "They'd be going a lot better if someone wasn't so stuck in the past!"

Maruf threw a balled up piece of parchment in Ali's direction, it didn't fly particularly far.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Shaking his head, Ali turned his attention back to Tressa again. "Anyway, what does brings you here, Greenpea?"

Taking a deep breath as she glanced back at her friends over near the palace, everything she needed to ask of him seemed to come out in a rush on the exhale. "My friends and I are travelling to former Hornburg to save my other friend from a witch and possibly the Dark God Himself."

"What?"

Taking another deep breath, Tressa looked him square in the eye as she swallowed her pride. "We need your help. Whatever the price."

"Again," Ali shook his head, confused by her request. "What?"

Resting against the wall, Tressa explained the situation with Kit to Ali, certain she sounded like a crazy person making an even more outlandish request. Still, she knew she had to ask. Yes, they'd managed to convince quite a few of the friends they'd made on their journey to travel with them now but more was always better. They had no idea who or what they'd be facing beyond the Gates of Finis, they had no idea what Lyblac had told Kit when she spirited him away. For all they knew, he was already dead, a sacrifice to the Dark God.

The whole time she explained how they'd come to know Kit, why they felt obligated to save him even if the rumours were true and he was now a vessel for Galdera, Ali simply listened in wide eyed horror. She couldn't be serious, surely? A band of mortals were sure to be no match for a God, new born or otherwise. And this Kit she said they were to save…

"Tressa." Ali interrupted, his face as blank as a sheet as he asked. "This Kit, he's a blond kid, ponytail and blue cape, right?"

Tressa nodded. "You know him?"

Silently, Ali nodded. He remembered coming across the lad in his travelling troupe on his way to Grandport, he remembered selling him some provisions at a bargain price. He remembered listening as he asked if he had ever seen his father and telling him no, but he did know of a woman on the other side of Orsterra who was looking for a man of similar description to his father.

Had he… Had he accidentally thrown the poor boy into the arms of a dangerous witch?

"What's your price?" Tressa asked, pulling out her purse.

"You can't seriously want me to come with you, Greenpea? You saw how terribly I fought in Quarrycrest."

"A merchants words are like a warrior's blade." Tressa smiled as she paraphrased his words, before shaking her head. "We've got warriors and healers galore already, what we need is people who can raise morale."

"And you think I can do that?" Ali asked incredulously.

"I've seen you sell products to even the cheapest of men, I think you can weave a yarn to keep our spirits high." She giggled as she winked. "Besides, we're going to need someone to hold our packs for us while we fight too..."

Ali gave her a hard look before laughing himself. "You know how dangerous this is, don't you, Greenpea?"

"I do." She nodded again, glancing over at her fellow travellers once more. "But I have to help. ...Besides, it would make a great end to my adventure – no matter what happens!"

"Always the optimist..." Ali sighed, shaking his head once again. He knew he wouldn't say no to this offer, he wouldn't even take any leaves as payment. No, it was his conscience that drew him to help the foolish girl and her friends, he might have been responsible for throwing Kit into danger, after all. But this was more than just another dangerous, ill-thought-out adventure. With another sigh, Ali offered Tressa a smile. "Let me get my things and say goodbye to my old man."

"Really?!" Tressa really could be rather shrill at times. "What's your price?"

"Nothing." Ali shook his head as he turned away from her, back towards his father. On his way, he turned back once to offer her a wink. "Actually, no. My only price is that we make it out alive."

"Deal." Tressa laughed again. "But you know I always get my money's worth."

"That's rather ominous." Ali remarked with a slight shudder before continuing towards his and Maruf's small stall. Who knew when he'd be back, if he'd be back? However, if his father had said only one thing to him his entire life that he took to heart, it was that trust in someone was more valuable than any amount of leaves. Ali trusted Tressa and her companions, apparently even with his life.