Chapter 80
Looking For A Healer
It had taken some time for the rain to end, but Erin’s group was eventually able to continue their journey. However, with Erin’s condition, she was unable to walk, which forced the others to look after her.
Durge was able to hunt down a large beetle-like creature, whose shell Lexton was able to make into a makeshift stretcher. Durge and Ryle took turns in dragging the stretcher with their friend on it, this allowing the other one to be ready in case another attack came their way.
Lexton had also increased his efforts in making healing potions, which was turning out to be much harder due to the area they were at. He was still able to make a decent amount of them, so that they could take care of any possible injuries and provide some relief to Erin.
Despite all the healing potions, though, the redhead’s injuries were so bad that simple potions couldn’t fix them. All they could do was provide some relief for the pain she was in, but ultimately it wasn’t really helping. The redhead needed to see an actual healer, who was specialized in this type of work. The problem was finding one, as it turned out that they couldn’t just walk into a clinic and expect treatment.
“Guys, I don’t think Erin’s getting any better,” Ryle said in a worried tone as she looked over the redhead she was dragging on their makeshift stretcher. “Haven’t you given her plenty of your healing potions, Lex? How the hell aren’t they helping her?”
“Because the potions I make are just your average basic healing potions,” Lexton explained. “While they can help your body heal, they can only do very little in the end. At best, they can cure bruises and wounds, but anything beyond that requires far more advanced methods.”
“What would these methods be?” Arkay asked, worried over Erin’s well-being.
“Either better healing potions or high-level healing magic,” the kobold answered. “My skills are not good enough to make better potions, even if I did have the materials for them. And healing magic is something only very few people can do at all.”
“...So which one should we look for?” Durge asked. “Do we look for a healer or a better potion?”
“Either one would be ideal. But if I had to choose, I’d say that we should look for the potion,” Lexton said. “Not only are healers very rare, but they often charge insane amounts of money for their services. While there are those who simply want to help the people around them, they are so rare you might as well expect to bump into a golden unicorn. Our best bet is to find some black market vendor selling high-level healing potions and either buy or steal one.”
“Wow, you did not hesitate at all in going down the criminal path, did you?” Ryle asked sarcastically. “You do know that the last time we listened to one of your criminal schemes, we ended in a death game run by a bunch of psychos?”
“Do you have a better idea!?” the kobold asked with a hint of anger in his voice. “Erin needs treatment as soon as possible and we are not exactly financially secure here! Besides, we can’t go to a hospital, as we are wanted people! We’d only end up arrested or killed!”
Silence fell over, as no one knew how to respond to Lexton. They all knew that what they needed to do was going to be very risky, no matter how they went about it. It seemed like they were stuck in a situation with no other way out.
“Hey… Don’t worry about me, guys. I’ll be alright,” Erin called out in a weak voice, while trying to give a reassuring smile to her friends. “I’m sure with enough rest, I’ll be just as good as new. No need for you to risk yourselves for me.”
“You are the furthest thing from alright!” Ryle said. “If you think we are just going to ignore the state you’re in, you’re mistaken big time!”
As the blonde was lecturing the redhead, Lexton motioned for Durge to follow him, as they walked away from the rest of the group. This was so that they could talk to each other, without the others hearing.
“We are really going to need to do something about this or it could get bad,” the kobold whispered. “If she doesn’t get proper treatment as soon as possible, there might be irreversible damage to her body. In the worst case scenario, she might even die.”
“It’s that bad, huh?” the orc asked with a slight frown. “How much time do we have?”
“Unfortunately, I have no idea. While I can make potions, the actual workings of a body are mostly unknown to me,” Lexton answered. “I just know from what I’ve read and heard that the after effects of the potion I gave her are very serious. I was hoping that she would have gotten over the worst of them, as that would indicate the damage wasn’t so bad. But seeing as how she can’t even walk, I fear the worst.”
“...So what do we need to do?” Durge asked. “I’m guessing you have a plan of some kind.”
“I do, but I don’t really like it myself either,” the kobold answered. “Once we get to a town, we’ll look for the black market there and try to find either a merchant selling high-level potions or a healing mage selling their services. If we can’t purchase their services, we either steal a potion or force the mage to heal Erin.”
“Do you know what you’re thinking about doing?” the orc asked. “If things go wrong even slightly, it could mean that the whole criminal underground is coming after us. Not to mention, I can’t help but have suspicions as to how you’ll force a mage to give their services to us…”
“I know I’m risking a lot, but I can’t think of anything else!” Lexton explained. “I’ve managed to prevent Erin’s condition from getting worse with the potions I can make, but what if we run out and I can’t make more!? She needs proper treatment as fast as possible, so we can prevent the worst from happening!”
“...And you’re willing to risk it all in order to do so?” Durge asked.
“I owe her that much… So I’m willing to go through with this,” the kobold said. “I know that I’m going to need help with this, so that’s why I’m asking you. I can’t ask the others, as Ryle doesn’t like the type of plans I have and Arkay shouldn’t be involved in anything like this. That’s why I have to ask you. I’m sorry…”
Lexton was surprised when Durge knelt before him and put a hand on his shoulder before looking at him straight in the eyes.
“Lex, You don’t need to apologize for asking my help in this. I also owe Erin, so I want to help her out,” the orc explained. “Just tell me what the plan is and I’ll do my best to see it through. Okay?”
The kobold nodded, before the both of them rejoined the rest of the group, so they could continue their journey.
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It took some time from there before the group had reached their destination, Burrow’s Deep. By the time they arrived there, it was already evening.
As much as Erin had suspected, the place had changed from the way it was back when Five Realms was nothing more than a game. Originally, Burrow’s Deep looked like one big animal farm with different vendors selling all sort of creatures for you to use. However, with that business having been shut down, the place seemed almost dead with only a few people walking about. Most of the stores that she could see were your typical bars and motels, and they looked very rundown. Besides them, there were only a couple of street vendors with assortments of random goods that looked more like junk than anything.
But while the town did look rundown, there was one large structure that could be spotted at the other side of town. From what it looked like, it seemed to be a metal tunnel that was big enough for a dragon to walk through, but it seemed to end almost as soon as it began.
“Hey, Lex. What’s that thing?” Erin asked as she weakly pointed towards the large structure. “It looks like a tunnel that doesn’t go anywhere.”
“That? That’s the reason why we came here in the first place,” Lexton answered. “But I’m afraid we won’t be using it until we get some more money. And get you cured first.”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Oh, you shouldn’t worry too much about me,” the redhead said with a smile. “I’m sure I can handle-”
“Stop. Just… stop that,” the kobold said without even looking at Erin. “I don’t want to hear it. We are going to get you fixed and that’s it, okay?”
Knowing that she was in no position to argue, the redhead decided to stay silent. With that, the group moved in to look for a place to rest.
It didn’t take too long for them to find a motel to rest at. While they didn’t have much money on them, they could afford at least a couple of nights there, even if it meant that they would have to share one room together. But when you don’t have much in terms of options, you can’t really afford to be picky.
“Well, at least it’s better than the stinky RV we had to live in at one point,” Ryle said as she inspected their room and saw just how bad the condition was. “Although, it’s not much of an improvement…”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure you’ll soon think of my old RV as a freaking palace when compared to this dump,” Lexton grumbled as he opened the door to a closet, causing several insects to scurry into any hole they could find. “Hopefully more of us won’t get sick. We already have one person out of commission…”
“Beggars can’t be choosers, as they say,” Durge said as he lifted Erin up and placed her on the only bed in the room. “Think of the bright side. At lest we won’t have to worry about getting attack by bandits or beasts here.”
“We might not get killed by bandits or beasts, but we might get killed by this place itself!” Ryle complained as she gave a light punch to a wall, causing a brick to fall out of it and go through the floor. “See what I mean?”
As the group was getting settled in, Lexton looked at Durge and gave him a slight nod. The orc understood the signal and the two of them started to make their way out.
“Where are you two going?” Erin asked, just as they were about to walk through the door.
“We’re just going to take a look around,” Lexton answered. “We won’t be long. You just try to rest in the meantime.”
“...Please don’t go do anything stupid,” the redhead asked. “I don’t want you two to take unnecessary risks.”
“We won’t, so don’t worry,” Durge said with a small smile. “You just take it easy.”
With that, Lexton and Durge walked outside. Their mission was clear, as they went to look for the local black market.
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It turned out to be much easier to find the black market of Burrow’s Deep. All they had to do was ask one of the street vendors and they were pointed in the right direction. Because of this, Lexton couldn’t help but feel like it had been far too easy. This feeling only grew stronger, as they found the actual place itself.
It turned out that the black market of Burrow’s Deep was inside an old hotel that looked like it was on the verge of collapsing. Not only that, but the front door of the building had a crudely made sign above it that said “Black Market.”
“...This can’t be it, right?” Lexton asked. “There’s no way this is the place we are looking for.”
“Well, the sign does say that this is it and we did follow the directions,” Durge said with a shrug. “My guess is that this whole town is in such a sorry state that it even affects the criminals. Not only that, but any law enforcement that is here probably can’t be bothered to come here.”
“I hope what they’re selling is at least a bit better…”
Much to the kobold’s disappointment, things didn’t look much better on the inside, especially when it came to the merchandise. In total, there were only three shops. These included a weapon shop, a potion shop and one that seemed to just sell random merchandise. All of the things that were being sold looked like they were either picked up from a landfill or were made by a complete amateur.
“So, what do you think? Does any of this stuff seem like it’s worth buying?” Durge asked as he picked up a sword to inspect it, only for it to break in half right away. “The way I see it, we’d be better off making our own stuff.”
“I’d have to agree. This is nowhere near the level of stuff we need right now,” Lexton said as he inspected a vial that was supposedly a potion with a frown on his face. “Not only can I make all of this stuff and do it even better, but I’m pretty sure most of these “potions” will only kill you. We already have more than enough issues as it is, so might as well not waste money on this crap.”
“Hey, if you’re not buying, then get the hell out of here already!” one of the shopkeepers shouted angrily. “This place is for paying customers only!”
“Oh yes! Please forgive us, as I can see the hordes of invisible customers just waiting to get their hands on all this junk!” the kobold said sarcastically. “I can see why you are so busy all the time!”
Lexton and Durge simply ignored the curses of the shopkeepers as they walked outside. With their investigation of the local black market ending up fruitless, they needed to find another way to get Erin the help she needed.
“So what do we do now?” Durge asked as they walked down the streets. “You got any ideas?”
“Not really. The black market was honestly our best shot at finding what we need,” Lexton replied. “In all honesty, our best hope at this point is to find a traveling healer and get them to-”
The kobold was cut off by the sound of a heated argument. Deciding to investigate it further, both of them walked towards where the sound was coming from and found a street vendor talking with a man who appeared to be suffering from a stomach pain, as he was holding it with a pained expression on his face.
“You have got to help me! The pain… It’s unbearable!” the man begged as he was holding his stomach. “I heard that you were the only healer in town, so can you please help me!?”
“Oh, of course I can. My personally made elixir is sure to cure anything that hurts you,” the healer said. “But I do have to ask for a small payment…”
“Urgh! Just name your price! I’ll pay it!” the man said. “Please just give me the elixir! PLEASE!”
The healer smiled as he took out a bottle with a clear liquid in it. The man with the stomach ache practically threw all of his money on the ground for the healer, before he was handed the bottle. The man wasted no time in opening it and drinking it empty. As soon as he did so, his pained expression melted away, getting replaced with a look that could only be described as pure bliss. He then happily walked away, as Lexton and Durge watched.
“Well, this is certainly convenient for us,” Durge said. “Seems like we found our healer, huh?”
“...Yeah, it seems that way,” Lexton said as he observed the now healed man, before turning his attention to the orc beside him. “Hey, Durge, mind kneeling down for a bit?”
“Huh? What for?” the orc asked.
“It’s for a bit of an experiment,” the kobold answered.
Durge shrugged, as he knelt next to his short companion. Once he had done so, Lexton took out his pistol and hit the orc in the face with the back of it in one swift move. Durge was taken completely by surprise, as he grabbed his now bleeding nose with both hands.
“OW! WHAT THE HELL!?” the orc yelled angrily. “What was that for!?”
“Like I said, it’s an experiment of sorts,” the kobold answered. “Now follow my lead.”
With his preparations ready, Lexton walked up to the healer with Durge following close. Said healer appeared to be an older human with a gray beard, wearing white robes that one would affiliate with healers. Seeing potential customers walking up to him, the healer immediately put on a friendly smile and got his customer service skills ready.
“Why hello there!” the healer greeted the newcomers in a friendly manner. “Is there anything I can do for you fine sirs? I see that one of you has a bit of an issue that I might be able to help with…”
“Why yes! Thank you!” Lexton replied in an equally friendly manner, putting forth his best performance that was normally meant for customers. “As you can see, my friend here has a bit of an issue with his nose. He kind of walked into a wall while not paying attention. What a clumsy fellow, am I right?”
“I’m starting to see why Ryle has issues with you, you asshole,” Durge mumbled just loud enough for the kobold to hear, which earned him a quick kick to the shin.
“We were hoping to find something to help him, but have been unable to find a proper place to buy anything for it. We were just about to give up, when we happened to see you sell your elixir to that poor fellow with the aching stomach,” Lexton explained, making up as believable of a story as he could. “Do you think it could help my friend here?”
“Why of course! Just one sip of my elixir will surely make your friend feel a lot better right away!” the healer said happily. “I can guarantee that with the help of my elixir, any possible ailments will be no longer an issue to you!”
“That sounds marvelous!” the kobold said happily. “How much for a bottle?”
The healer showed the price tag on one of the bottles. Lexton took out the exact amount of money and handed it to him, receiving the bottle in return. Durge, thinking that the elixir was for him, got ready for the bottle to be handed to him, yet the kobold did no such thing. Instead, he opened the bottle, dipped his finger in the liquid inside and licked it.
“Uhhh… Lex?” the orc called out to his companion. “Wasn’t that meant for-?”
“Do I look like a moron to you?” Lexton suddenly asked in a tone that had no trace of its previous friendliness.
“Huh? Good sir, what are you-?” the healer tried to ask, but wasn’t allowed to finish.
Before anyone could react, Lexton smashed the bottle of elixir against the healer’s face, making him cry out in pain. Before he could do anything to defend himself, the kobold had grabbed him by the front of his robes, pulled him close and held a gun against his forehead.
image [https://i.ibb.co/Bg9gfbr/Ch-80-Pic-1.jpg]
“I ASKED DO I LOOK LIKE A MORON TO YOU!?” Lexton yelled angrily while pressing the gun against the healer’s head. “The fact that you have the goddamn nerve to even try screwing me over with such garbage is so outrageous that I should just blow your goddamn brains out!”
“Holy shit, Lex! Calm down!” Durge said, shocked by his companion’s sudden change in behavior. “What the hell is wrong with you!?”
“The fact that you think you can just sell some shit diluted drugs as an actual potion should earn you a bullet to the freaking head!” the kobold ranted, ignoring his companion. “You actually have the balls to ask such outrageous amounts of money for this shit as well!? I don’t know if you’re just stupid or ballsy!”
“Wait… What?” the orc asked. “Diluted drugs?”
“You saw the guy with the stomach ache, right? Right after drinking his “elixir”, he stopped feeling the pain and acted all dazed, almost like he was drunk,” Lexton explained. “The reason for that is because this bastard used the nectar you can get from an insect called the Sweet Beetle. In high concentrations, it can leave predators confused and unable to act, sometimes even kill them. When diluted with water, it makes for a simple yet effective drug. We saw the symptoms for ourselves. Slight dizziness and a dazed look, lack of pain that was caused by a sudden feeling of pleasure. Once I tasted it, I knew right away what it was.”
“P-Please, good sir… Have mercy on me,” the fake healer tried to beg. “I’m just an old man, trying to make a living. There’s no need for-”
“ENOUGH WITH THE BULLSHIT!” the kobold shouted angrily as he tore the faker’s beard off, revealing him to be much younger than he actually was. His facial hair had just been a fake that was used to throw people off. “You’re not a helpless old man and you sure as hell are not a healer! Why should we have any sympathy for your sorry ass!?”
“P-P-Please sir! Be merciful!” the fake healer begged with tears in his eyes. “I-I had no other choice! You can see how poor this place is with your own eyes, right!? I had no other choice but to-”
Lexton’s response to the pleas was to simply put the gun inside the fake healer’s mouth as he glared at him.
“And just WHY should I even consider that?” the kobold asked. “You’ve just wasted my time, which I don’t have all that much to begin with, and tried to take my money. What can you offer to make up for it?”
The fake healer tried to say something, but the gun in his mouth made ot very difficult. Despite this, while Durge couldn’t understand a single word that was just uttered, Lexton’s eyes went wide as he managed to pick up what was said.
“Mind repeating that?” the kobold asked, as he took his gun out of the man’s mouth.
“I-I said that if you’re looking for a healer, there is one,” the fake healer said. “I know where you can find a real one.”