They called the traveling Hellkin, "teuf'al", and the kobald a col'by. They were not trying to be rude, but, sadly, illness had made speech slushy. So while it sounded like insult slurs, it was, in fact, an unfortunate speech impediment. They hoped people would understand. -- Anon Guest
[AN: Changed a couple of words in the prompt to make it align better with my fantasy world]
In a world where certain people are unwelcome, it's natural that they find a way to live while moving. Travelling attractions often have clusters of them. Merchants often have one or two, strictly for curiosity's sake.
These two were travelling apothecaries, selling potions, simples, and remedies on request. Most of their wagon was ingredient storage. One side advertised that it possessed the world's smallest Dragon. That was a Kobold who happened to have wings. The one driving the cart was not instantly recognisable as a Hellkin until an observer got closer to him.
"Pofficary," said the farmer they were passing. They limped noticably as they hurried towards their post fence. "Pofficary... need s'm help. No coin... but I got... schtuff."
The kobold woke up from their nap on the roof. Took in the farmer's appearance, and then glared down at his business partner. "Vigor," he warned, "No..."
"Old friend's in a shit-and-honey situation[1]," said Vigor. "C'mon Draco. We can do a little good for the sake of it, can't we?"
"Ugh, don't give me those baby critter eyes..." whined Draco. "Fine. Let's help our new old friend. If we get hanged for it, it's on you."
"Tank you, Col'by. Tank you Teuf'el."
They both flinched. Winced. "You saw my tail, then," said Vigor. "And you still ran to us for help."
"Yeth. If any'un can... it'th a Dev'l anna Dwag'n."
"Shit and honey," cooed Vigor.
"All right. You win. I'll unpack the big deals."
Farmer Ansley let them park by their barn and offered them fresh bread, stew, and a pie they had cooking in their hearth. Through all this, and fussing about well water, both Vigor and Draco noticed that Ansley was only using their right side. Their left was weak, if usable at all.
Vigor helped, repeating, "You asked for help, and this is part of the process," until it sank in that Ansley wouldn't be allowed to treat the two as honoured guests.
"Did you take a funny turn once or twice? Have a big headache or a sudden fainting spell?"
Ansley showed them a rock. "It fell from th' sky," they said about the pebble-sized thing with glass pockets in it. "Clip' my hat off an' made it powther."
"Powder," said Vigor, nodding. Peering closely at the starmetal mixed with skyglass. A small fortune traded casually around like a child's toy. "You were lucky it hit your hat first. May I see your scar."
"It hurt'th ev'ry rain," said Ansley.
The wound was on their right side. Vigor probed the area carefully, especially the line where hair never regrew. Vigor drew a sigil on a piece of bark and lit some candles around it, chanting, before repeating his examination.
"Ah. Some of the skymetal and glass stayed in your skull. It's harmed your brain. It's going to take weeks to reverse the damage and remove the cause."
"Weeks?" yawped Draco. "We'll hang for sure."
"I'll keep 'em off, Col'by," said Ansley. "They haff t' get through me 'fore they get t' you."
"First... the fragments. I'll need to cut into your head and take out part of your skull. Don't worry. We'll replace it with pieces of coral[2]."
"Starmetal can eat bone if it's cursed," added Draco, putting tools and devices on the table. "And then it makes tumors. I've seen cursed stones eat away whole parts of a body 'ere they died."
They were not mages, but they could work magic rituals, and had a few very useful cantrips. They also had potions that could obliterate pain.
They could work miracles. With enough time and hard work.
[1] Known in the modern day as "shit with sugar" in which the desperation to cure their affliction is so strong that the sufferer will take anything to get rid of it. Even shit with sugar on it.
[2] A well-known bone replacement method in our own world.
[Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash]
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