Art Sales

You enter a cavern, the diseased soil dry and cracked beneath your feet. A low humming fills your ears, but it might as well be your imagination. The light is red, like the soil, like the walls around you. There are holes in the rock and there are shadows in them, but you don’t dare to look closer. You keep your gaze aimed straight ahead, towards the final chamber.

The witch lives here, you’ve been told. Child of the Plaguebringer, child of the Gladekeeper, neither, both; you have heard everything. You have come here seeking salvation, but the voices whisper you won’t find it here. The sweet smell of decay clings to the air and wraps around you like a thick, warm blanket. Breathing is difficult, and you know that with every breath you take, you inhale the disease.

The dragon looks at you, flowers around her blooming and rotting in a never-ending cycle. “You came here in search of something,” she rasps. The poppies between her claws die, replaced by lavender. “I can grant it to you.” Tulips. Lilies. Your lungs hurt and your eyes water, but you nod. Everything else in this word has left you. She is your only hope. Maple vines and wisteria wrap around you like a caress before withering away, dried and crumbling petals raining down your shoulder blades. “Then come with me, Searcher…”

You obey.

The noise in the marketplace was overwhelming and Worn, who had just arrived here after a week’s journey, tensed when a Coatl merchant bumped into her. He mumbled a quick apology and scurried away. Even though this marketplace accommodated to all dragon breeds, Worn still had troubles not stepping on anything or knocking against one of the Faes that were flying around, carrying goods or seeking to make their daily errands. It was decidedly too crowded in this part of the market and Worn decided to search for a quieter place where she could get properly used to her new surroundings.

The Ridgeback made her way towards the back of the market where the booths were sparser, all while trying not to knock anything over with her tail. Suddenly, she heard angry voices arguing and soon spotted two Mirror dragons disputing heatedly over a crate of salmons. She slowly walked closer until she was able to understand what they were talking.
“This is usury! You want to sell this fish to me for almost double the price of yesterday!? I won’t accept it, it’s way too expensive!” one of them spat.
“I’m telling you, the political situation lately results in vastly differing prices by the day! It’s difficult nowadays to get good salmon all the way out here. They are worth every coin!” argued the other.
His customer only scoffed angrily. “Double the price of yesterday, that’s not normal! I’m one of your most loyal customers and I refuse to be swindled like this!”
They continued arguing while Worn approached them. They didn’t pay much attention to her, being too busy with each other to care about their surroundings. Worn looked at the offending crate of fish. She didn’t like others arguing, so she figured she had to solve this issue somehow. The decision was made, and she quickly snatched the crate before either of the Mirrors could react and dumped the salmon into her own waiting jaws. Delicious. She had been hungry anyway.

The two dragons were suddenly silent. Worn cheerfully placed the empty crate back on the ground between them. “There. Problem solved. Now you don’t need to argue anymore!”
The Mirrors stared at her incredulously, before the fish merchant started shouting again. Not at his customer though, but at Worn. The other chimed in, and the Ridgeback was puzzled. She had solved the dispute, so why were they shouting?

The commotion they caused had attracted a small crowd by now, and a cream-coloured Skydancer with pink wings made his way over to them. “What’s happening here?” he asked, looking at the three dragons sternly. The merchant pointed at Worn. “She stole wares from me while I was still negotiating with my customer here!” The other Mirror nodded in affirmation, and the Skydancer turned towards Worn, who didn’t understand anything. “Is that true?”
Worn was getting increasingly uncomfortable with all the dragons gathering around her. She had just wanted to help, how was that wrong? “They were arguing about the fish. If it’s gone, nobody has to worry about it anymore. Isn’t that right?” Worn asked, tilting her head in confusion. The Mirrors started shouting again, but the Skydancer silenced them with a motion of his wing. He considered Worn for a moment. “My name is Altair. It is clear to me that you wanted to help, but you misunderstood something. The fish still belonged to the merchant, so you need to pay him now that you took it. Do you have treasure on you?”
“No…” The Ridgeback looked miserable now that it dawned on her that she had made a mistake. She still wasn’t sure what exactly she had done wrong, but it was clear that everyone was upset about her actions. She hadn’t wanted that.
Altair sighed. “I feared that would be the answer. Then I have no choice but to ask you to remain in this clan and assist this merchant with his work until your debt is paid. Would that be fine with you?” The fish merchant looked at him incredulously. “A Ridgeback in a fish shop!? You’ve got to be kidding me! No, I want my money now!” He crossed his arms grimly and glared at Worn, who cowered a little.

Altair rubbed his temples. “Fine then,” he finally said, “I will pay you for the damage and the Ridgeback will come with me and be my assistant.” He handed a purse with coins to the Mirror, who counted them and nodded in satisfaction. “What is your name?” Altair finally asked Worn, who told him in a small voice, still distraught by the events.
“Okay then, Worn. Let’s get going then, shall we?” He turned around and walked away, Worn following on his trail. She hoped she could make up for the damage she had caused.