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Post by Noa on Nov 1, 2019 22:52:25 GMT -6
Going to the job board together had been Rhys's idea. Aster hadn't intended to take him along, though it wasn't as though he had a good reason; the thought just hadn't occurred to him until Rhys had suggested it himself. But Rhys had seen Aster go out with Avander and Summer the previous month, and maybe he'd heard Aster talking about it too, from time to time. That was enough to pique the Felusine's curiosity, and now that Aster was giving him a little more free reign, Rhys wasn't as shy about asking for things he wanted. It seemed harmless enough. If the month's request was too dangerous, Aster could always accept it and leave Rhys at home when the time came to fulfill it. Why not? {What kind of things do they ask for anyway?} asked Rhys as the board came into view. Aster frowned, taping his arm idly in thought.
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Post by Noa on Nov 1, 2019 22:52:47 GMT -6
"I can't really describe it. All kinds of things. Some want you to get rid of a monster, some want you to retrieve something for them... Avander and I got sent out to squash bugs once," he said. He fought back a grimace at the memory; it hadn't been difficult, but it wasn't exactly a pleasant thing to remember either.
Rhys blinked at him. {Oh,} he said. {I thought they were all really serious. The way you talk about them...}
"Some of them are serious," Aster said. His voice went hard at that, a flinty look in his eyes as he turned his gaze to the board. "Avander and I squashed bugs once, sure, but we took a beating getting rid of a monster some mage cooked up in a tower once too."
Rhys fell silent at that, and Aster felt a little worse for it. It hadn't been his intent to shut Rhys down about this.
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Post by Noa on Nov 1, 2019 22:53:55 GMT -6
But he didn't want Rhys to think it was going to be all fun and games either. He hadn't been lying when he'd said that there were all sorts of requests here. It was like one of those grab bags you got at the candy shop--- not that Aster had been to one himself in a long time--- you never knew what you were going to get.
But it certainly seemed like they'd have no shortage of pickings this month. Aster sighed as he got a good look at the front of the board. It was a new establishment, put up just this year, so he didn't know if there was a precedent for it, but... winter was a hard time for everyone. Maybe it was just that the board was taking off through word of mouth, but somehow he doubted that was the only reason there were so many postings now.
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Post by Noa on Nov 1, 2019 22:54:10 GMT -6
{Whoa,} said Rhys. Aster wondered how it looked to him, seeing it now for the first time. {And we just pick one from all of this?}
"Yeah," Aster said. "Keeps the volunteers from getting too swamped is what they say, but I don't know if there's more to it." He hadn't thought about it too much, since to him, the quests were just a way to make a little easy money here and there. Well, maybe 'easy' wasn't really the word for it, with that tower debacle and all, but...
In the meantime, however, something had caught Rhys's eye. {What's this one?} he said, fluttering down to indicate a colorful piece of paper tacked loosely to the bottom of the board.
"Don't know," Aster said, pulling the pin so he could grab the posting. Upon closer inspection, it was written in a child's scrawl, words misspelled and a few letters written backwards.
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Post by Noa on Nov 1, 2019 22:54:21 GMT -6
But it was still legible, and the request was simple enough. "Looks like some kid's dog got sick."
{Oh!} said Rhys, {Can we take that one?}
"Sure, but why do you want it?" Aster said. It didn't sound dangerous, so he had no objections, but he hadn't expected that much enthusiasm.
{You said he was sick. I can make it better,} Rhys said, looking up at Aster with bright eyes.
Right. Rhys had been... engineered to be a healer, even if he hadn't had much of a chance to put it into practice up until now. A few weeks ago, Aster might have argued on the grounds that Rhys didn't know how, but he had just learned how to heal poison and close wounds not too long ago. There was no guarantee that either of those were what was bothering the puppy, but Aster would be going too, and he might be able to offer solutions for a more conventional illness.
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Post by Noa on Nov 1, 2019 22:54:45 GMT -6
Besides, it was hard to turn down Rhys when he looked like that. "Alright," Aster said with a shrug. "Why not?"
Which was how they'd ended up at a residence in the middle of the city the next day. Rhys hadn't wanted to wait. {What if he dies?} Rhys had said, and Aster hadn't been able to rule out the possibility.
He'd forgotten that house calls meant, well, houses. And people. People who came to the door when he knocked--- a weary looking woman, and behind her legs, a glimpse of a little boy, staring solemnly up at them.
"Can I help you?" said the woman. She didn't seem like she had been expecting anyone. Aster's gaze fell on the boy, eyebrows arching; the boy shrank back against the woman. Subtly, she angled herself to shield him further, and some of the weariness left her face, replaced by something stony and cold.
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Post by Noa on Nov 1, 2019 22:54:57 GMT -6
The boy hadn't told her, then. That much was abundantly clear.
Fortunately, he had remembered to bring the request with him. Aster didn't care much for paperwork, if this could be called that, but even he had to admit it came in handy sometimes.
"I'm here about a request from the quest board," he said, holding up the scrawled note. "This is the address, isn't it?"
"Ah, that's---"
The boy caught himself, looking up uncertainly between the woman and Aster, but two words were enough. The woman narrowed her eyes at him, then turned to Aster. "This is a private residence," she said.
"But mom, what if he can help?" The boy sounded desperate, his hands clutching at the woman's skirts. Ah, so it was his mother after all. Aster couldn't be sure; there were all kinds of living arrangements, both here and elsewhere. Still, if she was his legal guardian, that did make some things more straightforward.
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Post by Noa on Nov 1, 2019 22:55:13 GMT -6
"It's sanctioned by the board, so we're here to fulfill the request," Aster said. "You can supervise us, if you want." Frankly, he would rather that they didn't, but at least he could understand where she was coming from. He wouldn't have wanted to welcome a random stranger into his home either.
... He hoped Rhys never got a bright idea for a quest board request. Aster hadn't taught him to read and write yet, but he did plan to eventually, and for the first time, he wondered if he'd regret it later.
The woman stared at him, still obviously on guard. Admittedly, Aster knew that he himself was a bit of a hard sell to someone with children--- wild hair, brusque manners,the works. The boy was staring up at her with pleading eyes, but he could tell she wasn't convinced.
"Well, I tried," said Aster with a sigh. "Maybe you should give it a shot, Rhys."
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Post by Noa on Nov 1, 2019 22:55:24 GMT -6
The Felusine, who had been waiting by his feet, now sprang up to sit on his shoulders instead. {Hi!} said Rhys. He couldn't smile the way a person would, but his voice was bright enough to convey the idea of one. {We saw your posting. We really want to help! Oh, er, actually, it was my idea to come, see, since I know a little healing and all... And it's not good for babies to be sick.}
The woman stared. Evidently she hadn't expected to be addressed by a creature today. The boy stared up at Rhys, distracted from his woes by the spectacle of the Felusine's telepathy... or maybe just the shimmering wings on his back. Rhys, for his part, seemed to be trying to look as earnest and harmless as possible.
The woman blinked for several long moments, before finally relenting and opening the door just a little more.
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Post by Noa on Nov 1, 2019 22:56:29 GMT -6
"Come in," she said, sounding even more tired than she had before. "But stay with me. Gabriel, you go and bring Poppy."
The boy nodded once, then ran off into the house, his bare feet thumping against the floor as he ran. The woman ushered them through the entry hall and into the living room.
It was a small residence. The living room was cluttered with the lived-in accouterments of a young family--- clothes and toys strewn across the single small couch, childish drawings tacked up on one wall. The rug beneath the low table was worn and threadbare. "Sit, if you like," said the woman. Hospitality came to her only reluctantly. Aster sat uncomfortably, though if Rhys sensed the tension in the atmosphere, he didn't show it. He was all too happy to drink in his fill of the interior, staring at everything like a tourist on a trip.
Then again, in a way, maybe he was.
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Post by Noa on Nov 2, 2019 16:51:13 GMT -6
The woman spoke. "What is that?" she said, indicating Rhys. Rhys blinked up at her, while Aster reached out a hand to pull Rhys closer to himself before he realized what he was doing. Even so, he didn't retract his hand, keeping up a subtle pressure as a warning to Rhys not to stray too far.
"He's a Felusine," Aster said. At the woman's dubious expression, he shrugged. "He's a... specialty breed. A lot of modifications. His abilities are healing-oriented, if that's what you're worried about." Never mind the fact that Rhys didn't even know how to use most of his abilities yet... But Aster didn't think she'd be reassured to hear him say that.
{I really don't want to hurt anyone,} Rhys added. {You don't have to worry. We just want to help.}
Whatever the woman had to say to that, however, was postponed by the arrival of her son.
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Post by Noa on Nov 2, 2019 16:51:32 GMT -6
"I brought Poppy," said the little boy, coming down the stairs. He wasn't running anymore. Instead he was walking carefully, holding a Rakai puppy in his arms--- wobbling a little under the weight, but trying desperately to keep as steady as he could so as not to jostle his precious cargo.
The woman rose, reaching down gently to take the pup from him, though Aster could see that the boy resisted a little before letting go. Even after he relinquished the Rakai, Gabriel stayed close, staring worriedly on, as though he were afraid to take his eyes off the Rakai.
Even Aster found it a little painful to watch.
"What's wrong with him?" he said.
"We don't know," said the woman. "We think he got into something when they were playing outside."
"He was fine last week," said Gabriel plaintively. "But now he won't eat anything, and he whines all the time..."
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Post by Noa on Nov 2, 2019 16:51:45 GMT -6
The pup did make a pretty pathetic picture. Curled up in the woman's lap, he whimpered occasionally, ears drooping. Aside from that, he didn't move, his eyes squinted closed with pain.
"Rhys?" said Aster.
{I'll ask him,} said Rhys.
Rhys must have been reaching out to the pup with his telepathy, but the conversation they had was a private one. There was nothing he could do but sit back and wait. After a moment, Rhys spoke up again, but it was only to say, {He's very sick, so his thoughts are slow. Can I ask everyone to be patient please?}
Aster said nothing, but turned to the woman and her son. Gabriel nodded enthusiastically, and the woman, though still grim-faced, gave a slight nod as well. "Go on," Aster said softly.
At length, Rhys finally broke off to address them again.
{I think it's poison,} Rhys said, {though I won't be sure until I try to cure him.}
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Post by Noa on Nov 2, 2019 16:52:07 GMT -6
"So you can help him?" said Gabriel.
{I think so,} said Rhys. {Will you let me get close to him?}
Gabriel turned to look at his mother, who sighed and nodded again, once. Rhys fluttered over to where the two of them were sitting on the floor with the pup. At Rhys's approach, Poppy opened one eye, turning weakly to look at Rhys. {It's going to be alright,} Rhys said.
Aster wondered where Rhys had learned this--- this bedside manner business of reassuring people. Aster had certainly never taught him anything like that. He looked on as Rhys bent his head to the pup, and his horns began to glow with a soft radiance, the same way they had glowed when Aster had been teaching him how to undo the effects of Avander's poison.
It went on for a long time. The poison must have been more severe than Rhys had let on. That was bedside manner too, maybe; the woman and her son had no way of knowing how long it was supposed to take.
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Post by Noa on Nov 2, 2019 16:57:02 GMT -6
But then, they had no way of knowing whether Rhys was really helping either. It was obvious that the mother was thinking much the same. Her hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists, one of them wrapped around the small hand of her son.
"Mom, you're hurting me," he said softly.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart." Catching herself, she let him go, smoothing her fingers over his.
"You don't have to be nervous," the boy whispered to her. "They're here because I made a wish at the wishing board. They're not bad people."
Aster wondered what she thought of that. No, he could probably guess; the boy was too naive, and she didn't believe for a second that they could rely on such a flimsy justification. Still, she didn't contradict him, only making a noncommittal sound of acknowledgement.
In her lap, the pup stirred a little. Aster saw the woman go stiff, saw the boy's eyes light up with hope as he sat a little straighter.
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