Adventures of Tik Tik: Curse of the Moon Part 1

Tags: M/F Human Kobold

Tik Tik sits in the small trading outpost, writing out a letter. Her feet kick as they dangle over the edge of the stool. The sound of furious scribbling fills the building The door to the little cottage post swings open, and on the other side, a strong, yet lean man comes in, carrying with him the pelts of various creatures. He himself dresses in loose-fitting furs, his eyes glancing over towards the busy kobold before he plops them down.

The old woman at the counter adjusts her tiny glasses as she counts the furs and nods. “Another good batch, Fesrin. I’m quite impressed.”

“Yeah, well, it’s getting harder and harder to have these,” he says, his hairy arms around his chest. “After all. The monsters have become much more unbearable as of late.”

“Well, there’s nothing we can do about that,” the trader says, sighing as she takes the pelts aside. She hobbles over towards a little safe in the corner of the room and pulls out a small bottle. “This should be enough for you, I’d wager. It’s all I had left since Gladys was… acquired by the Queen.”

Fesrin snorts and swipes the potion from her. “Well, I am an expert at rationing. Shame about the witch, though.”

Tik Tik pokes her head up, looking towards the two of them. “Tik Tik is wizard!”

The two glance over at her, a genuine surprise upon the trader, and a dull surprise from the hunter.

“If know what that is, Tik Tik might help make.”

The hunter walks on over towards the table, pulling out the stool and plopping down upon it. “Oh, yeah? And what do you get in return, wizard?”

Tik Tik blinks, scratching her chin with her quill. “Hm… Tik Tik get learn new magic. Tik Tik also learn from you some things? Has a journey to make. Writing letter to guide, asking if she be here soon. Should meet Tik Tik soon, but haven’t heard. Waiting for lots of friends to go on big quest.”

“A big quest, you say? What sort of questin’ might you be doing around these parts?” Fesrin asks.

Tik Tik signs her name, folding the paper up and sealing it with a bit of wax. “Those monsters attack Tik Tik and look for her. Tik Tik go to the source,” she says, looking towards the window.

The hunter looks over himself, and the late afternoon light fades out to a pitch darkness the closer to the horizon that they get. And yet, standing tall and easy enough to see, is the Tower of Darkness, seat of the throne of the Dark Queen Estrasa

“So, you’re on a suicide journey? Not much I can do to help you with that, I’m afraid.”

Tik Tik takes her letter and walks on over towards the trading post. The trader walks around to reach the pint-sized desk where she does business with halflings and others of their like. She takes the paper and a few pieces of gold that TIk Tik provides, and then she puts it into a little slot by the back of the store.

“Tik Tik no need furs. Tik Tik no need guide. But Tik Tik wizard, and she likes research.” She says this, pulling her book out and opening its pages. “Let Tik Tik know about potion, and show Tik Tik some things you know, and Tik Tik make potion for you while wait for friends. Kill time, Kill boredom. That’s what Tik Tik like.”

Fesrin snickers. “There are plenty of things you know. Information doesn’t come cheap. It depends on the kind of information you’re looking for.”

Tik Tik lifts up a book to him, open to a page on male humans and their anatomy. “Tik Tik want dick dick. Okay?”

The man pushes himself up, gripping the bottle. He paces, rubbing his thumb over the container a moment. “And you think you’ll be able to replicate these effects?” he asks.

“Yep, yep! And Tik Tik can do quick. Learned from book special alchemy skills. Need ingredients, though.”

“Oh, we have all the ingredients here,” says the trader, “save for the one that’s out in the woods.”

“I got that,” Fesrin says. “I always do.”

“Well, then!” Tik Tik says, clapping her hands together. “Shall Tik Tik make things quick quick? Just hand to me and Tik Tik will see if can’t make!”

He frowns and heads out the door. “No, follow me. Our transaction requires things to be much more… private.”

Tik Tik, of course, notices the implication of the man’s words, and the idea does make her quite intrigued. She gathers up her stuff and follows him out into the woods, far enough so that the trading post is no longer in sight, though not out of earshot.

Fesrin sighs and squats down in front of a purple bell-shaped flower. He pulls out a knife and cuts the flower off, white milk seeps through from it. “There, collect that.”.

Tik Tik scrambles for a vial among her pack and quickly collects the material. When she looks at some of the flowers, she says, “Tik Tik see funny plant before. in alchemy lab place. It poison!”

“It can be,” the man says, sighing, “but for some of us, it is a lifesaver, either our own or many others. The formula requires a specific amount. Any less will be ineffective. Any more could kill me.”

“No pressure on Tik Tik,” the kobold says, looking at the vial.

Fesrin sits down, spreading out a small bundle of other materials, from strands of silver fur to powdered spice. Tik Tik looks over each, nodding.

Tik Tik quickly sets to looking over the ingredients. She flips through her book, seeking similar mixtures. The day wanes on to late afternoon by the time she is ready to start mixing, and she does this with care and precision as the drop of the flower extract mixes in with the rest of the alchemical mix.