The air outside the inn was so thick you could cut it with a knife. We both turned our heads at the small voice, her cheeks puffing out. After a few moments, Sky's expression softened; she removed her hand from her weapon and sighed. Alice, standing in front of me, looked fragile yet determined. Her declaration hung in the air, echoing in the silence that followed. The morning dew hit my face as I waited for Sky's response, my throat tightening.

Sky glared right through my soul. Her mouth finally moved again, "I've got my eyes on you. One misstep, and this ends badly for you. I've seen my fair share of charlatans. Convince me you're different." Well, at least from the looks of things, this drug seemed legit; for once, I actually wasn't scamming anyone.

I smiled. This was the opening I needed. The truth was much easier to work with than lies, after all. "I think once you see how the drug is made, you'll be convinced. Please, let me show you at my stand." Sky nodded, taking a more relaxed stance, "Lead the way."

I proceeded towards the market. My stand was where I left it, with my cart still close by. I had paid someone to take care of my horses overnight, so they would take them until I was ready to leave town, only costing a couple of silver for a few days. I still had a few elixirs prepared in my padlocked cart. I unlocked it with the key and pulled them out onto the stand. Only about ten or so were left from yesterday, so I would need another ninety, but they were very easy to make, so I wasn't worried. Realistically, I could prepare that big of a batch myself in a day or so.

The town itself only had a couple of hundred people, and out of those people, about a hundred or so had the disease. I hashed out the details at the party with the mayor. He would buy about a hundred of my elixirs at the price we agreed on: a gold apiece. Should this go smoothly, I would be rolling in it. I was serious when I said money like this would put me on the map. It wouldn't make me rich, but I would be very comfortable for a long time. Hell, I could maybe think of buying a legit shop in town or something else. All of that for some mystery cure I discovered by accident and for a few days' work. Something about that made me feel guilty. I felt like a lucky scumbag who found money on the side of the road.

Alice seemed to sense my anxiety; she gripped my hand harder. I snapped out of it, "Let's get to work. Can you take care of Alice a bit, Sky? I need both hands to work."

Sky nodded, "I will watch over her while you work. Just pretend we aren't here." I nodded and took out my materials, handing Alice to Sky. Alice seemed to grunt a little at the unfamiliar hand, but Sky kept her busy. She spotted a ball from my goods and began playing with Alice a little. Sky asked, "She doesn't talk a lot, does she?" I felt nervous again, "She is very shy with people she doesn't know." That seemed to satisfy Sky as she played with her.

I began getting to work. I cleared the table, putting up my "closed" sign. I wasn't actually selling anything, so I wouldn't want people getting the wrong idea. I wasn't sure which herbs or fruits were doing the trick, so I just mixed everything exactly as I had before. Some of my random herbs, some fruit, honey, some roots, and my red-colored water into a mixer, and I began the process.

Sky looked at me, her eyebrows raised, "I don't know much about medicine, but please explain to me the reason you mixed in the red dye? From what I am aware of, it shouldn't have any bearing on the medicine." I kept working, not even bothering to look up, "It has nothing to do with medicine. This is a merchant tactic. Tell me, would you want to drink something brown and gross?" Sky frowned, "No." I smiled, "Exactly. I want people to buy my medicine, not be revolted by the looks." This wasn't fully true. It was only partially true. In reality, it was to sell the idea that it is a vitality elixir. When you buy something mystical or something that is magical, you want it to look the part, after all.

I made this stuff in bulk. It would probably take about half an hour to make ten vials, which was pretty fast, all things considered. I moved my hands as I did the math. In total, I could probably make all of the vials in about five hours. However, I wanted to pace myself. I wanted to visit the mayor today, talk business, and see his daughter. I needed him to think the process was something labored, not something I could whip up in the same time it takes to make a cup of coffee. I would try to do about three hours' worth today, and then two hours' worth tomorrow. In total, I should make about sixty vials today.

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Sky spoke up as I worked, "What about Alice? Should I feed her? I thought she was your partner. Is she not going to help you?"

She was perceptive. This was vexing. Alice couldn't help me at all as she was right now, and lying here would be bad. I chopped up some fruits as I thought for a moment. Alice was useless to me right now in the shop, but maybe I could further her education a little. I nodded, "Yes, usually she helps me, but seeing as you are here today with nothing to do, I was thinking you could help her instead. I can create my medicine fine alone, as you can see. She usually just speeds up the process. However, as she is obviously being homeschooled, I was hoping someone could teach her today. You can feed her as you teach her. She and I communicate mostly through body language and bell ringing, to be honest, hence why she doesn't talk well with other people. Maybe you could teach her some basic language skills?"

I was hoping to make Sky my fill-in teacher for today since I was busy. Hopefully, she could teach her a few things. Sky looked at Alice thoughtfully, then back at me. Her stern demeanor softened a bit as she nodded. "I can try. I used to help my younger siblings with their studies, so it shouldn't be too difficult." She turned to Alice and smiled. "Come on, Alice. Let's learn something new today." I added, "Keep it very basic. She doesn't know many words. You can feed her the sandwiches I made earlier use the food as a motivator. She knows her name, my name, and 'protect.' I mean, I can have full conversations with her in our little language, but as for real words, she is no better than an infant. Please teach her basic sentences. Use stuff like the ball and other items around the stall for reference."

Sky seemed to get it, taking Alice's hands. Alice hesitated for a moment but then took Sky's hands, her trust in me seemingly extending to Sky. I felt a surge of relief as I focused on my work, knowing that Alice was in good care. As I mixed the ingredients, I kept an eye on Sky and Alice out of the corner of my eye. Sky was patient and gentle, showing Alice small words like "ball," how to count on her fingers, and other useful words. Alice seemed to be catching on quickly, her usually blank expression brightening with interest. It was a pleasant distraction from the guilt gnawing at me.

After about thirty minutes, I had ten vials ready. I sealed them carefully and set them aside, then started on the next batch. The repetitive motions of mixing and pouring were almost meditative, giving me time to think. Sky's presence was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, her scrutiny kept me on my toes; on the other, she was genuinely helping Alice, which gave me a strange sense of gratitude. By the time I had finished the third batch, my back was starting to ache, and my hands were sticky with honey and fruit juice. I wiped my hands on a rag and glanced at Sky. She was deep in conversation with Alice, who was smiling and nodding. It was a heartwarming sight, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of hope. Maybe this town could be different. Maybe I could do some good here, even if it started with a lie.

I took a break and walked over to them, offering a cup of water to Sky. "Thank you for helping Alice. It means a lot." Sky took the cup and nodded. "She's a quick learner. You should spend more time teaching her. It will benefit both of you." I smiled, feeling a bit embarrassed, "You're right. I will try to make more time for her." As I turned back to my work, I felt a bit lighter. Sky's initial skepticism seemed to be easing, and Alice was thriving under her attention. Maybe, just maybe, I could make this work.

The morning passed quickly, and before I knew it, I had sixty vials prepared. I carefully packed them in a crate and secured it. I turned to Sky, who was now helping Alice with a small word puzzle. "I think that's enough for today. I'll deliver these to the mayor and see how his daughter is doing." Sky stood up, brushing off her hands. "I'll come with you. I want to see the results for myself."

Alice smirked a little, "Key good. Key help." That sentiment made me smile with pride. Sky grabbed one of Alice's hands, and I grabbed the other, and we left the stall towards the mayor's house. Sky still looked at me with a cautious glare, but it was less thorny than it had been. I knew I still had to prove myself to her, but for now, this was a step in the right direction.