After the group had gotten settled in at the inn, there was only one logical course of action: to find Therion. It wasn't uncommon for the thief to run off and do his own thing, and in fact, it seemed to be a habit for him the rest of the group didn't know how to break. Alfyn was more than willing to let Therion spend time on his own while he cooled off, but he also knew that it was important to pass on the message to Therion that they had a place at the inn for the night. In other words, it was going to be important for him and the others to figure out where Therion was as soon as possible.
After a scan of the front half of town turned up no results, the group of seven ultimately elected to head to the back end of Goldshore to try and see if they could find him. Alfyn frowned as he looked around, hoping that Therion would make himself obvious by accident. He somehow doubted the thief would make a mistake like that if he was deliberately trying to stay hidden-which he most likely was-but it was worth a shot of hoping, right?
Alfyn frowned to himself when a mix of voices reached his ears. He perked up and glanced around to try and find the source of the noise, but he was cut off by Ophilia pointing up a nearby set of stairs that led to the residential area just outside the entrance to the Goldshore cathedral. "Look over there!" she exclaimed.
Alfyn followed her finger with his eyes and saw that there were about eight people gathered together and talking in a loud hurry. Upon closer inspection, he realized that most of them had been present in the crowd of people speaking with Vanessa that morning. His stomach twisted itself into a knot, and he gestured for the others to follow him. "Come on," he said softly. He had no evidence that something was wrong, but he could just tell that this wasn't going to be something he wanted to hear about.
Vanessa was standing at the center of the crowd, and a woman in an elaborate red dress with desperation and tears in her eyes was pulling on her hand. "Miss Hysel, come quickly! My husband won't stop coughing!" she exclaimed.
Vanessa's eyes went wide at the words. "Oh dear, isn't that a shame? It seems there's a nasty malady going around," she told the woman in concern. She thought about it for a moment before nodding, seemingly having come to a conclusion based on what the townsfolk had told her prior to Alfyn's arrival. "The Gaborra whooping cough, it's called. It hails from a land far, far to the south." Vanessa shook her head a moment later though as she placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "But worry not. Among my wares is a tonic that will cure it overnight."
"Oh, Miss Hysel! I knew we could count on you!" another woman cried out as she clapped her hands together in delight.
Vanessa, meanwhile, put her hand in her satchel before pulling out a small bottle and passing it to the woman beside her. The aristocrat looked at it carefully, handling the bottle like it was worth its weight in gold a thousand times over. "My word... Even the bottle is simply exquisite! And this will cure him, you say?" she asked.
Vanessa nodded. "It most certainly will. It's brewed from a very special type of moss, you see," she explained. She glanced around the area to address all the people that had come to surround her, no doubt seeking the cure for the cough that had begun to circulate. "One that only grows in a remote-and quite treacherous-location. Because of the rarity of the key reagent, I fear I must charge a substantial fee..."
"Money's no object to us!" a man from the crowd exclaimed. "We'll pay anything!"
Vanessa smiled as she clapped her hands together. "Splendid! In that case, one hundred thousand leaves a phial should suffice," she replied.
The silence that ripped through the crowd was palpable, and Alfyn felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. Rufus hadn't even had that much money, and while the group had been able to procure quite a few leaves from him after his ring was dismantled, they still didn't even have half of that. Hell, Alfyn was convinced that was more money than he would ever see in his entire life, and the words were enough to make him feel as if he had stopped breathing.
Looking over to the others told him that they were in much the same position. Even Primrose, who had lived in the lap of luxury for the first half of her life, was unable to hide her shock. The aristocrats that had surrounded Vanessa were just as surprised, and Alfyn couldn't help wondering what kind of moss was rare enough that it warranted a price tag like that.
"Oh dear, that is... Substantial," came the soft voice of an older woman in the crowd.
"Still, my dear daughter's life is at stake!" the man from before cried out, desperation laced in every word. "I'll take it!" He and Vanessa quickly got to exchanging leaves, and he took the phial carefully between his fingers before pressing it to his chest for safekeeping.
Another woman paused before she finally seemed to surrender all thoughts of her fortune. "If Lady Hysel made it, then I'm sure it's worth every leaf. I'll take two!" she declared as she moved closer to the apothecary to complete the purchase.
The first woman Vanessa had been speaking to nodded. "For me as well! I'll spare no cost for the health of my loved ones!" she announced.
Vanessa tucked the last of the leaves into her satchel as she turned to the aristocrats with a smile on her face. "Pleasure doing business with you, friends," she told them casually, and Alfyn felt his stomach continue to churn.
"M'lady!"
Another voice cut through the crowd, and Alfyn looked over to see none other than Marlene approaching Vanessa, her hands pressed against her chest and her eyes wide with terror. He watched her carefully, feeling something inside of him stand to attention from anxiety all the while. "I fear my Flynn has come down with the cough too," she explained.
Vanessa pushed through the rest of the crowd before placing one hand on Marlene's shoulder. "The poor girl... You have my sympathies," she said softly with worry slipping into every word.
"I fear that we do not have the coin that the gentry do, but..." Marlene reached into a small bag on her shoulders to show a small coin purse. She extended it in Vanessa's direction, her fingers shaking. "Here. This is my entire savings. Might you pray sell me a single phial? Even just a sip... Anything to save my poor Flynn..."
Vanessa looked at the money for a long moment before she shook her head. "I'm sorry, miss... But I fear my medicine is in high demand and short supply," she explained. "I simply cannot let go of it so... Cheaply."
Marlene took another step towards her as Vanessa turned to face the aristocrats nearby. She grabbed Vanessa's wrist with desperation in her eyes. Tears were threatening to fall down her cheeks as she stood there trembling. "Please, have mercy!" Marlene cried out.
Vanessa was wordless as she pulled her arm away and went back to the crowd waiting for her. They were all too happy to ignore Marlene, and the woman watched Vanessa leave with heartbreak in her eyes. She allowed her hand and coin purse to fall back to her side as her tears finally began to fall. "My poor Flynn!" she whispered intensely. "Whatever am I to do...?"
A few moments later, Marlene took off running in the opposite direction, tears continuing to rush down her face. Marlene didn't even notice the rest of the traveling party as she darted by them, and Alfyn watched her with wide, stunned eyes. After a beat of hesitation, he ran after her, leading to confusion from the rest of the group. Marlene had been rude to Alfyn before, yes, but as far as he was concerned, that was all water under the bridge when compared to the vulnerable life of a child.
Marlene ran through the winding streets of Goldshore for about two minutes before she finally stopped, her energy giving out. She pressed her back against a nearby building, her eyes wide as she swallowed dryly in an unsuccessful attempt to hold back her remaining tears. "My poor, poor Flynn..." she whispered somberly. She clasped her hands together and turned in the direction of the church nearby. Even in the alleyway, it towered over the rest of Goldshore, and Marlene looked atop the spires like she thought they were her last chance of ever finding salvation. "O, merciful Aelfric... Pray bring the Flame to light our path..."
After a few moments of silence, Marlene allowed her hands to fall back to her sides, tears still rushing freely from her eyes. "My dearest... Ever since I lost you, I have scarce been able to feed and clothe our girls..." she whispered tenderly. "They have suffered far more than their share... And yet, every day they bring me seashells... They tell me to smile... Must I look on helpless as poor Flynn wastes away? Have I failed them once and for all?" She clasped her hands together once again as she cast her eyes to the church. "O gods, if there is still mercy in this world... Please save her... I pray with all my heart and soul..."
It was around this point that Alfyn finally managed to find Marlene. It was a bit of a struggle to pursue her after she had taken off so suddenly, but he had been determined to do at least something to help her. He came to stand beside her, and Marlene stared up at him in surprise and anxiety. "Mind if I drop in?" Alfyn said kindly, not wanting to cross any lines while still assuring her that he was there for her if she needed him.
It took a moment for Marlene to put the pieces together as to who was speaking to her, and she tried to blink her tears away as recognition dawned on her features. "You... You're that..."
Alfyn simply smiled and shrugged. "One scraggly, scruffy-looking apothecary at your service," he told her simply. He allowed his smile to become much softer as he reached out one hand in her direction before placing it on her shoulder. "I might not be Miss Hysel, but if you need my help... It's yours." Marlene paused to think, and Alfyn took this as his cue to continue. "So how about it? The gods may be all-powerful, but a checkup never hurts."
Marlene nodded and started to walk back in the direction of her home. Alfyn trailed after her, hoping that the rest of his friends knew that he was going to be able to handle himself. They surely knew that much, but he still didn't want to worry them. He could catch up with them later and explain everything after looking after Flynn. After all, he had to do at least something to try and help Flynn. If he didn't, he would never be able to forgive himself.
Contrary to what Vanessa had said that morning while treating Flynn, the young girl was, as a matter of fact, not up and about with excitement in her eyes. Instead, she was still curled up in bed the same way she had been before, though this time, she looked even more afraid. Ellen watched on with worry in her eyes, sensing the severity of the situation but not knowing what she could do. Marlene stood nearby, biting on her thumb's nail as Alfyn crouched at Flynn's side to examine the girl's sleeping form.
Flynn could barely seem to go a few moments without coughing, curling in over herself with each sudden wheeze that pushed its way free of her small and vulnerable lungs. There were tears in her eyes from the exertion, like she couldn't seem to calm herself and her body down no matter what she tried. It most certainly was a severe cough just like Vanessa had said, and Alfyn found himself silently wondering how it was that something so serious had begun spreading throughout town without making a stir sooner. How did Vanessa know about what everyone was sick with before she could even visit a patient? Surely she would have mentioned it if she had seen someone get sick with this malady in Goldshore before, right?
Alfyn's whirling thoughts were cut off when he heard Ellen's voice beside him. "Alfyn..." the girl whimpered, unable to hide her concern. She was silently pleading with him to do something-anything-to save her sister, but she couldn't push out the words no matter how hard she tried.
Alfyn focused on the situation at hand a moment later, and he let out a careful breath before forcing himself to speak. "This isn't good. She's coughing so hard she can barely breathe," he murmured. "How did a disease from a far-flung land come to this town anyhow?"
It didn't make any sense no matter how he thought about it. Realistically, the disease would have started south and made its way north, but no other towns along the way had struggled this way. Goldshore's ports were much smaller than other coast towns such as Rippletide or Grandport as well, so it seemed strange to think that it had come from overseas to settle here of all places. On top of that, it didn't seem to be quite as rare as Vanessa claimed if there were so many people infected with it already. It hadn't been a problem a few hours ago; he would have heard about it if that was the case, and the previous sicknesses he had heard about were nothing like this. Nothing seemed to come together as per Vanessa's description, and it was enough to make Alfyn's stomach churn.
Alfyn pushed himself to his feet before turning to look at Marlene. "You said it was Vanessa's medicine that cured your daughter's fever, yes?" he asked of her.
Marlene nodded. "It sure did. It worked like a miracle."
Alfyn crossed his arms with a small frown. "What kind of medicine was it?" he questioned. He didn't have all the facts yet, and the best place to start would be to learn more on this front. Perhaps this wasn't the same disease Vanessa thought it was; it could have been caused by something else, such as other comorbidities or a reaction to the medication. What Alfyn did know though was that something was wrong here, and he had to figure out what it was.
"What kind?" Marlene echoed. She walked over to the countertop nearby and started to open a few drawers before she struck gold and pulled out the bottle, looking at it carefully after raising it to eye level. "There are still a few drops left..."
"Let me see it," Alfyn said firmly. Marlene was quick to comply, and she handed him the bottle. Alfyn began to examine it carefully, searching for anything that could have been considered a clue regarding this sudden sickness. All the while, the sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach refused to leave him be. In fact, it only seemed to get worse with time, and Alfyn prayed to the Flame a thousand times over that this wasn't what he was starting to fear.
Alfyn uncorked the bottle and sniffed at the opening at the top of the glass. "This aroma... It must have been brewed from Gaborra evergreen," he murmured. He had gotten a few supplies of it a few years ago, and he would recognize that distinctive smell anywhere even after so much time had passed. "That would make sense. It's a potent fever reducer, after all." He pressed the bottle back in Marlene's hands before starting to shuffle his hands through the bag at his side. "But I remember reading something else about it..."
A few moments later, Alfyn pulled out a small book. It was his treasured field guide to the world of medicine, something that he had bought from a traveling merchant coming through Clearbrook many years prior. Since then, he had marked up the margins and the blank pages at the back with notes of his own, doing everything he could to keep all of his knowledge in one place. Unfortunately, that meant the book was somewhat cluttered, so it took him a few moments to find the page he was looking for.
"What was it now...?" Alfyn murmured as he continued flicking through the pages. "Wait, here it is!" He paused and pressed his finger to the page in question before starting to read. "'Gaborra evergreen: a flowering plant native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the continent of Gaborra known for its antipyretic properties. A constituent compound has been known to cause inflammation and swelling of the throat, inducing severe coughing. The symptoms resemble those of the whooping cough known to plague the land from whence it hails. Due to the risk of severe and adverse reactions, use of Gaborra evergreen in any dosage is strongly discouraged.'"
That was all it took for the pieces to come slamming into place, and Therion's eyes went wide as he slowly closed the book, unable to look at the words for any longer than he already had. "That Vanessa... She couldn't have!" he whispered in intense rage as he glanced over to where Flynn was still curled up in bed, coughing wildly and desperately trying to catch her breath despite her body fighting against her at every turn.
I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't share trade secrets with those in the business...
She knew exactly what she was doing all along. She couldn't tell Alfyn what ingredients she was using to blend her medicine because it would expose that she was working with Gaborra evergreen. The idea that it was a mistake was out of the question too; Alfyn had seen the look on her face, and there was no way in hell that Vanessa wasn't aware of what she was doing. It had only been a brief moment where the truth illuminated itself across her features, but that was more than enough for Alfyn. He didn't know what it meant at the time, but everything had become all too clear, and he didn't think he was going to be able to break away from this revelation any time soon. How could he when it was so clear that Vanessa was hurting people deliberately?
It was all part of her greater plan. She gave out the medicine for the previous sickness for free to gain a reputation for helping people and knowing what she was doing. All it would take was a matter of hours for the symptoms to set in, but nobody would realize what was happening was a result of her actions. After all, none of the people in Goldshore had the experience necessary to call her out on it. The medication to cure the cough would be more than expensive enough to net her a fortune, and she took advantage of people's love of their family to take everything they had and get away with it. If Alfyn had to guess, he would say that the medication that cured the cough wasn't that expensive at all; this was all just because of her greed, and the villagers were merely cogs in the machine.
Alfyn was practically shaking by this point, his fingers digging brutally into the worn cover of his book. "That twisted, conniving..." he muttered, only barely managing to keep himself from uttering something worse upon the reminder that Ellen was standing just beside him. He couldn't believe that Vanessa would misuse her position to commit such disgusting acts, and all he wanted to do was destroy her for what she had done. She had been planning to use everyone from the start, and she didn't care at all about what she had to do in order to get it done.
Alfyn pushed his book back into his bag before crossing the room to stand at Flynn's side. She had managed to find a break between the coughs, though there were tears in her eyes from the exertion of trying to clear her lungs. "Hold tight, Flynn. I'll have you feeling better in no time. Gimme two jiffs, and I'll brew you up just the thing you need!" Alfyn whispered soothingly. He wasn't sure if the girl could even hear him, but he knew that he had to do something to fix all of this. Vanessa had created this mess, but he was going to clean it up. He owed that much to the people who she had hurt along the way. If he stood back and let it all happen, he would be just as bad of a person as she was.
Much to Alfyn's surprise, Flynn did open her eyes, though they were half-lidded and weak. "Thank you..." She was cut off by another fit of coughing a moment later, and she curled in on herself as tears continued to stream down her face from the pain.
Ellen was watching Alfyn uncertainly, no doubt trying to figure out just what conclusion he had come to. "Alfyn..." she murmured worriedly.
"Vanessa said something about a special moss. A moss that can cure coughing..." Alfyn whispered, one hand coming up to cup at his chin as he thought the situation through as much as possible. He needed a plan if he was going to fix this, and running out in a fit of emotion wasn't going to help anyone. He had studied every potential medicinal component that he knew of, and he had to be aware of something related to what Vanessa had been talking about.
After a few moments of thought, Alfyn snapped his fingers and looked over to Marlene. "That's it! Miss, have you ever seen a moss around here that glows blue?" he questioned.
Marlene seemed caught off guard at that, and her eyes went wide in shock. "Moss?" she echoed. "I... I've never heard of such a thing." She paused to think for a moment before looking back up to Alfyn. "But I don't get out of town much. You might try asking around?" She seemed confused, clearly at as much of a loss as Ellen was when it came to what was going through Alfyn's head. He didn't bother explaining it; they would know all they had to as soon as he was able to find that moss and cure Flynn for good.
"You'd bloody better, Alfyn!" Ellen exclaimed.
Marlene was left aghast at her daughter's language, pink starting to creep into her cheeks. "Ellen! Where did you learn such language?" she asked in surprise. Ellen simply chuckled in response.
Alfyn put a hand on Ellen's shoulder and let a smile like golden sunshine spread across his features once again even though he didn't feel much like smiling. What choice did he have though? After all, if the adults stopped smiling, the kids would know something was up. "You just sit tight and keep Flynn company, okay?" he instructed of her. Ellen nodded, and just like that, Alfyn was off.
He was ultimately unsurprised when he ran into the rest of his travel party-sans Therion, which was to be expected by this point-standing outside the inn nearby. Tressa dashed up to him a moment later, reaching out for his hand with wide eyes. "There you are!" she exclaimed. "We were starting to worry about you!"
"The last time we saw you before now, you were running off in pursuit of a woman..." Cyrus murmured. "We assumed that you would return here eventually after you were finished settling whatever business you had with her."
"It was the younge girl's mother, was it not?" H'aanit questioned, and Alfyn nodded in response. H'aanit's expression went tight at the confirmation. "I see... I do hopen that she is alright."
"She will be," Alfyn assured her. "For now, we have something much more important to do. We have to talk to other people around town so that we can figure out just what is going on. Something here isn't making sense, and if I had to guess, it has to do with Vanessa."
"The apothecary from before?" Olberic inquired, his eyes widening ever so slightly.
Alfyn nodded, his expression growing solemn. "If my suspicions are correct... She's up to something, and we have to figure out what it is. Let's find anyone we can to ask them what's going on."
The other travelers nodded at his words, clearly in no state to question him now that he had set his eyes on something so firmly. Alfyn gestured for them to follow before he started off to the rest of Goldshore. He had no idea what Vanessa was truly getting at, but he was going to figure it out. If she was meaning to hurt the people of Goldshore for her own aims, then he was going to have to stop her no matter what.
Even if it meant rattling everything he had ever known along the way.
It was a wonder nobody else was suspicious of Vanessa.
Therion had been hiding in an alleyway not far from the heart of town when everyone began buzzing about their family members and friends getting sick. The aristocrats of Goldshore were all too happy to fork over as much money as was necessary to heal those they cared for, and Vanessa had been all too happy about it. She could try to act sad about the pain others were going from, but Theroin wasn't falling for it for a moment. She was hardly the best actress, and her joy at receiving the money was more than enough to block out any sadness that she could have felt. She didn't actually pity them at all; she didn't have an ounce of sympathy in her body for anybody aside from herself, and it made Therion sick.
He couldn't help wondering if anyone else knew the truth about what had happened. He had seen Alfyn chase after another woman within the streets of Goldshore to try and help her after hearing her daughter was sick, but he wasn't able to bring himself to approach them. Therion's stomach just twisted at the sight of what was happening and he hoped that he was wrong. Heavens above, he hoped he was wrong.
Therion didn't like not trusting people. How was he supposed to enjoy isolating himself from the rest of the world when connection felt so good? It was like a drug that he couldn't seem to pull away from; he wasn't supposed to be talking to others when all they ever did was betray him. And yet, he couldn't help but come running back in hopes that somebody would be able to help him out of the hole that he had dug for himself after years of misspent trust and faith in others. Therion found it incredible that any of his companions could trust the people around them, and he wanted to say that he trusted them too. Deep down, he knew the truth, but he couldn't bring himself to admit it.
Therion wanted Alfyn to be right about Vanessa just being a kind apothecary trying to do the best she could for the people of Goldshore. He was desperate to hear that he was wrong about everything he had come to suspect. Therion wasn't sure what the full picture was, but he could say that Vanessa's greed had something to do with it.
He had seen that same look in somebody else's eyes before... And it had been just before they tried to send him to the very hells that he would spend the next few years of his life trying to escape.
Unfiltered greed was dangerous. Desire was natural for all humans, but allowing it to spiral out of control was a risk that no person should have had to take. Therion didn't want to think that Vanessa had already tipped over the edge, that she was getting close to bringing down so much around her in the name of her own ego, but he knew better than to let himself be too caught up in optimism. The truth was clear as could be, and he had seen it in her eyes the second she tried to hide the facts from Alfyn about what she was doing.
Therion was going to try and follow her for a little bit longer-to find evidence of what she was up to-since he knew that he had to do something to stop her. He would never forgive himself if he let somebody who reminded him so much of the demon that lived in his nightmares roam free. He had to try something to stop Vanessa, and if it wasn't for the people of Goldshore, then it had to be for Alfyn. He deserved that much, and damn it, Therion didn't want Alfyn to stop trusting people when that was one of his best traits.
The thief shook off his bitter regrets and ignored the way his shaking hands caused the fool's bangle to jingle over the white noise of the ocean lapping at the shore. He wasn't going to be able to learn anything unless he got started, and he had waited long enough. There had to be something going on with Vanessa, and he was going to find it no matter what came next.
He had to do it. No matter what, he couldn't let another monster roam free after he had let the last one escape.
Another chapter in the bag!
This chapter really is an interesting one for characterization, both on the individual level and the grander scale of Alfyn's chapter two as a whole. It feels like it's right there just asking to be used for character moments, and trust me when I say that we're going to get there soon enough, and when we do... Let's just say that there are a few choice words the travelers are going to have for Vanessa.
I really liked doing the scene at the end of the chapter with Therion. Because of the kind of person he is, he's naturally secretive, and there are other facts that he's still trying to keep hidden both from his fellow party members and from the viewers. In other words, he's a cryptic character to work with, and the final scene of his this chapter points to everything that he's trying to hide. It's going to be a while before he feels safe enough to start opening up about it, but when he does... Let's just say that everything is going to come together quite well for some lovely angst. I'm looking forward to it.
Next time around, we're going to follow the group's investigations into Vanessa's activities. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital