Chapter 5

The first thing Aqua scouted out in the village was an apothecary. Though she doubted she'd find anything more potent than panacea in this small place, she still had need of other supplies to tend to all of their injuries- that scuffle with the Dusks earlier didn't exactly leave their small group unscathed. She didn't give up hope though, knowing there was another route she could take, though she preferred not to use them unless necessary.

These were people who dabbled in all sorts of dark lifestyles, so black markets were not uncommon. It was how the most scheming of those who dwelt in this realm stayed in power. This market usually sold rare items, delicacies, and weapons, but Aqua had seen enough desperate people procure medicine from the black market. These particular people were suffering from the sort of illnesses potion alone would not touch, so she knew she could find something potent enough to treat blood poisoning there.

The issue was, there was uncertainty in this market, the goods a person sought were not always guaranteed to be there, and even if they were, they were often expensive and sold by hostile and downright unsavory individuals. You had to be very careful in how you dealt with these people, otherwise you were liable to get a knife in your back.

"Is that all?" The shopkeeper, who Aqua was surprised to discover was a Moogle, asked as she dropped the supplies on the counter. She nodded at him.

"700 munny, please." Even in a normal shop, things were expensive. It was probably lucky that she would finally be out of the dark realm soon, as she was more than certain she would spend the rest of her munny getting the medicine for Riku. If she could even find it.

"Hey, I was wondering if you could help me with something..." Aqua explained her situation to the Moogle, who surprised her even further by telling her exactly where to find what she sought. Right in the back of the apothecary.

"I'm afraid that it's old, but I don't think it's lost any of it's potency yet..." The Moogle explained as he handed a pouch containing two vials of a clear liquid and a sealed syringe to her. "A single vial's worth should be all he needs, but if nothing changes in the next day or two, don't be afraid to give him the second dose."

Aqua held the medicine tightly in her fist as she bowed low to the Moogle. "I can't thank you enough. How much do I owe you?"

"Oh, don't worry about payment, kupo! That stuff is old, I had to get rid of it eventually! I just hope it is enough to help your friend. I wish you the best of luck!"

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Riku's cloak was draped over him like a blanket, and Lea hoped it's effects against the darkness weren't lessened by that fact. He had dipped into his own water supply in an effort to clean the blood and pus away from the wound. It did little to improve the appearance of it, if anything, it made the angry-looking infected veins around it stand out in greater relief. Riku cried out and struggled the whole time- the fabric Lea had been using was rough, each stroke to clean the wound aggravated the already-sensitive area.

Aqua stumbled into the dwelling, clutching a pack containing the supplies she had just purchased to her chest. She had to be careful to insure nobody would try to steal the valuable items she was currently holding.

"Did you have any luck?" Lea asked as she set the pack on a table and began to rummage through it's contents.

"I think we did..." Aqua said as she retrieved the pouch the Moogle had given her. "It was a Moogle running the apothecary in this town, they've always been such business-minded creatures, and friendly too..." She explained the burst of luck she experienced, along with the generosity of the Moogle.

"If we ever find ourselves back in this area, we should thank him..." Lea said, getting a snort of humor from Aqua.

"I doubt I'll ever want to see myself back in this realm again once we're out of here!" She said in response. She was focused on filling the syringe with the contents of one of the vials. The syringe was just big enough to hold every drop of the medicine. Going to Riku's side, she noticed how Lea had been trying to keep the wound clean. It still looked awful.

Riku hissed in pain as he felt the sting of the needle going into his arm, just below the elbow. Aqua worked with an air of competence, her actions both gentle and efficient. She had gotten the entire contents of the vial into his body in the span of a few seconds, but it would take several hours before they would notice any results.

"I guess, all we can do now is wait and watch..." Aqua said as she looked at the prone, sleeping figure before her.

End of Chapter 5