Aaron and Iccos finally found themselves in view of a small village after walking for hours since the early morning. They were covered in dirt, were parched and hungry, yet didn't have a coin to fix any of their problems.
As much as Aaron had not enjoyed the strenuous activity of getting to the village, actually arriving at the village had him even more worried. Iccos had made his intention clear of what he'd be doing at the village, as well as his general thoughts on Aaron as a person.
Neither had spoken a word since the night prior, leaving Aaron's paranoia to stew and fester in his own mind. He was also concerned about his immediate future, but that somehow felt less paramount than whether or not his traveling campion enjoyed his company and would stay his companion.
"There."
Aaron turned to see where Iccos was talking about.
Iccos had his arm pointed to what appeared to be a cross between a butchery and taxidermy shop. Nailed to the outside was a sign that read 'We'll buy anything if it came from something'.
Aaron felt that he understood what Iccos was saying, but unsure as to how they would be able to do anything.
"Right, but what do we-".
Before Aaron could finish his question, he saw blood starting to drip from Iccos' mouth and his fingers with a pincer like grip around a tooth in the back of his mouth.
"My-,wh-?"
Aaron could barely get his words out of the confusion and shock he felt.
Iccos pulled the tooth with his mouth with a final grunt and yank, his mouth and the tooth still producing some blood.
"I'll explain soon." Iccos said, his words muffled as his tongue was trying to keep any more blood from leaving.
He wiped the blood from the teeth's roots onto the bottom of his tunic, before handing it to Aaron.
Aaron's response of disgust led him to try to recoil his hand, but Iccos closed Aaron's hand before he could drop the tooth.
"The meat shop."
Iccos gestured his head to the store Aaron had seen, his dominant hand was resting on the side of the jaw where a tooth was just ripped out of.
It suddenly clicked for Aaron, and he nodded with a grunt of confirmation, and headed quickly to the store.
...
The first thing that Aaron noticed was the smell, as it seemed to be equal parts natural deterrent and a welcoming aroma, and his senses were in a constant battle of which.
Behind the worn and blood stained counter, stood the shop keep, his arms crossed.
"Hello?" Aaron muttered meekly.
"Hey. What can I do ya for?" The shop keep replied, his low voice sent a shiver through Aaron's nervous body.
"I've got something to sell, if you'll take it."
Aaron placed Iccos' tooth onto the counter before the shop keep, who changed nothing about his posture, only his eyes moved to see what was in front of him.
"Where'd ya get it?"
"Huh?" Aaron responded mindlessly.
"The lizardman's tooth, where'd you get it from?" The shop keep asked again, waiting Aaron's answer.
"Oh, right."
Aaron was unsure how to answer. He had yet to think of a convincing lie to tell, since everything had seemed to happen so fast.
"I, I killed him, and ripped it from his mouth." Aaron said in a fake excitement he hoped the shop keep wouldn't catch onto.
The shop keep leaned into Aaron more, the counter creaking from the added weight and pressure.
"You? You killed someone?"
The shop keep's voice was somehow more intimidating now that it was near a whisper, and Aaron could feel himself in a cold sweat.
"Y-yup." Aaron responded, losing his confidence more and more each time he opened his mouth.
"And took nothing but the one tooth?" The shop keep held the tooth between two fingers to emphasize his point.
"Well you see I-there was-he..." Aaron could no longer even form a coherent sentence, let alone string together a convincing enough story.
Aaron sighed before composing himself.
"You're right, I didn't kill anyone. He was already dead, just lying on the side of the road. I only have one tooth because that's all I could manage to pull."
The shop keep took in a deep, loud breath before exhaling.
"Right then. Now, mister slayer of the lizard men..."
The shop keep chuckled at his own remark, and Aaron forced a weak chuckle in keeping to be polite.
"How much are ya wantin' for the tooth?"
"How much is reasonable?"
The shop keep leaned his head back a bit, and scratched his beard.
"I'll give ya..."
"Three coins for it, deal?"
"Deal!" Aaron said, too excitedly.
The shop keep took out the coins from behind the counter, and placed them down. As Aaron took them and left the store, he wasn't sure as to if he had been swindled or not, but he was pleased with himself in being able to get any money.
...
Aaron excitedly shown the coins to Iccos.
"Well, you were definitely swindled."
Aaron's smile dropped with his heart.
"But we got something, and that's what's important."
Iccos rubbed his jaw. The bleeding had stopped for now, but Aaron could only imagine what kind of pain Iccos was still having to deal with.
"Still better than anything I'd have been able to manage, you never know what kind of clientele they actually serve in some places." Iccos said quietly, almost in a murmur to himself.
The two of them unintentionally shared a moment of silence before either said a word.
"So what should we buy first?" Aaron asked out of genuine curiosity.
Aaron knew three coins wasn't much, but something can feel like everything when you have nothing.
"We?" Asked Iccos, staring at Aaron the same way you'd look at someone who insulted your family.
Aaron realized that Iccos was well within his right to not share the payment, but had been hoping that Iccos would-
"C'mon, I'm just giving you a hard time. Let's go to the bar first, we can figure out what to do from there."
Iccos smiled to Aaron reassuredly, and patted him on the back before starting to walk over to the tavern they could see from where they're standing.
Aaron sighed in relief, and found it in him to have a small smile spread across his face.
Aaron wasn't sure for how much longer, but he did know that him and Iccos would stick together, at least for now.