As the moon ascended into the night sky, two vigilant guards, Gruff and Wren, stood firm at their posts near the imposing city gates. Both men wore stern expressions and bore the emblem of Eldertown on their chestplates, symbolizing their unwavering dedication to safeguarding the city from any potential threats.
It was on this fateful night that a lone lizardman, cloaked in the shadows, approached the city gates with cautious steps. His emerald scales blended seamlessly with the darkness of the forest, making him almost invisible to the untrained eye. He knew he had no invitation, no identification that would grant him access to the city, but he had a desperate reason for wanting to enter Eldertown.
As the figure approached Gruff and Wren, ever watchful, stepped forward, their spears poised and ready.
"Halt!" Gruff's voice rang out firmly. "No one enters without an invitation or proper identification."
The figure froze in his tracks.
"Please," the figure implored, his voice soft yet urgent. "I understand the rules, but my tribe is suffering, and I need a rare herb from your city to save them. I mean no harm."
Wren and Gruff exchanged a glance, torn between their duty and the desperation they heared in the figures voice.
Gruff sighed and lowered his spear slightly. "I sympathize with your plight, but we've been ordered not to make exceptions. Eldertown hasn't been itself since the moment the great alchemist Syzoth betrayed both the hero and his cohort. The lizardmen are already having a not so appealing life and we can't take any chances."
The figure started shaking and he fell to his knees before the guards, his scales shimmering under the moonlight. "Please, there must be something you can do. My tribe will die without that herb."
Wren and Gruff exchanged another hesitant look, their hearts heavy with the weight of their decision.
They weren't sure what to do, but orders were orders, even when there was a man in need.
The lizardman was on his knees, crying and begging for the guards to let in.
With every second passed, he crawled towards both of them, all the while asking to be let in.
At the end Gruff couldn't handle it anymore, picked the figure up by his shoulders, and stared at him.
"Sir, I am really, really sorry, but I can't let you in."
"Bu-bubububut mister, please! I have a sick wife and three little beautiful hatchlings. I need that herb! Please. I will do anything what you want. I…
"What do you need?", Wren asked.
"Wren, what are you…"
"Quiet Gruff. What herb exactly do you need?"
"I… you would get it for me? Really? Oh, by Gor Roaks! May the heavens bless you with luck and a healthy life. I shall…"
"Yeah yeah, you can thank me later. Now tell me that herb."
Shortly after that, the lizardman started counting not one, but about twenty very rare and incredibly expensive herbs. Wren was about to tell him that all those herbs were almost impossible to get, but the lizardman then threw him a leather bag with something heavy inside.
"Take this and use it to buy whatever you can. If there is any rest, keep it. I don't need those things as much as the herbs."
Wren opened the bag, and as both Wren and Gruff looked inside, they were absolutely baffled.
"GGGGold Coins?" Both of them exclaimed.
"Yes, and big guy, catch."
Gruff looked back at the figure, only to see something fly into his face.
"What is this?", he exclaimed.
"Sorry, it is custom for us lizardmen to throw pieces of cloths at out benefactors as gratitude"
"Strange. I lived with Lizardmen for over two decades, and I never heared of their custom for throwing pieces of their clothes at their benefactors."
Then he caught a strange smell from it. After giving it a small sniff he realized that it was, It was...
"Wren, stop gawking at the money and smell this! It has literally an almost godlike smell!"
Wren, finally blinking after looking at the money in his hands, looked first at his partner, then at the piece of cloth in his hand, then at the lizardman, and did it all over again.
"Are you sure?"
Gruff only took the cloth in his face, and took another hefty smell.
"Ahhhhh. Truly godlike"
Curiosity then got the better of Wren, and he too took a sniff.
Soon after, both of them were smelling the small piece of cloth like their lives depended on it.
So preoccupied were they with what they were doing that they have completely forgotten about the lizardman.
They didn't realize how he slowly walked past them, all the while grabbing his bag of money that Wren accidentally let go.
Giving a small cackle, he entered into the city.
And the sad part was, that if the guards looked at the cloth more intensively, they would have seen the words:
"I am glad you like my product.
Your dear friend Syzoth, the best alchemist in the world.
Haahahhhahahahaha
You suck."