(Third Person Pov)
(Y/N) sat at the bar of Barley's place with a drowsy expression. They had slept in a little longer than usual and unfortunately missed the breakfast rush, making them feel a bit annoyed. "Hrmmm..." They looked around the bar, noting that there weren't as many people here today. Weird. Usually, there would be the loud chattering of citizens and brawlers or Bull and Bibi causing a ruckus in the back.
"You seem distracted (Y/N)..." Barley murmured sheepishly, making (Y/N) come to their senses. "Where is everybody? There's hardly anyone out today.." Barley brushed his metallic mustache with a soft, thoughtful hum. "Now that you mention it, there really isn't anyone on the streets either."
He looked to his beloved customer with a shrug. "I went to get supplies and I only ran into Rico and Piper." (Y/N) listened to the bot and sighed wearily. "I guess that means another boring day then-" "We've got a problem!!"
Colt shouted as he slammed the doors of the bar open, making Barley and (Y/N) jump. "I believe you spoke too soon." Barley chuckled as Colt walked over to the bar with the click of his spurs following him.
He walked next to where (Y/N) sat and placed his hand on the counter, leaving what looked like a poster. "Oh. Another advertisement?" Barley said as he shook his head. "Terribley sorry sheriff, but I don't want anymore-" "No, no, no! You're missing the point!" Colt grumbled as (Y/N) picked up the parchment.
It was indeed an advertisement but it wasn't anything like (Y/N) had ever seen before. It seemed to be supporting the sales of poisons and odd oils for potions and spells. "'The Traveling Snake Merchant..?" (Y/N) muttered with a sort of questioning tone to their voice. "And what do you expect us to do with this sir..?" They asked with a cocked brow.
"The man who sells these weird things is a criminal! A murderer..." Colt stated seriously as he looked between the two. "I hear he's coming here! To the town! And I'm not the only one who has heard. People are locking themselves in their homes, already aware of the man."
(Y/N) and Barley exchanged glances and then looked back to the red-headed man. "Alright, Colt. We'll be on the lookout." Barley stated as he continued to speak with the sheriff. What they didn't know is that (Y/N) continued gazing at the poster.
They always had a little knack for poisons and oils. Whether it is to solve the rat problem in their house or to experiment to make antidotes, they always enjoyed stuff like that. Of course, it was just their little secret.
No one ever expected the precious (Y/N) in the woods to be a wizard/witch...
(Y/N) looked to Colt with a soft gaze and smiled gently. "Sheriff, if I may..." They started, making the two gentlemen look at them. "What does this man even look like? What's his name even? It will be hard to find a man whom we have no information on."
They spoke innocently as if they really wanted to catch this man. Colt smiled and put his hands on his hips as he leaned against the bar. "He's an older man who goes by the name Byron. White hair, small glasses, thin and tall. He sticks out like a sore thumb. You can't possibly miss him if you see him."
(Y/N) nodded gently as they rose from their seat, paying for the drink they had before. "I'll look out for him! Don't worry!" They chirped with a smile and winked at the two. "I'll head straight to the sheriff's department if I see him." They lied with crossed fingers.
Colt nodded with a grin as Barley waved and cleaned (Y/N)'s old glass. "Thank you. It means a lot!" He said as (Y/N) walked out of the bar with a devious smirk. 'Byron huh? Better stay sharp as I promised~' They thought as they skipped carelessly through town.
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The sun was slowly setting, leaving the skies a beautiful pink and orange. (Y/N) was at their little hut, cleaning up around the yard before they headed out. They wore a dark cloak and carried a (favorite color) backpack under the fabric.
"Alright! Looks like I have just about everything." They murmured to themself as they checked their bag one last time. "Money... Jars... I think I'm all set." They quickly pulled out a dagger and stepped it to their bare leg, hiding it under their pants for safety.
"Excellent." They hummed as they took their bag and covered it with their cloak, hurting off to the desert. The walk wasn't anything they couldn't handle. With it coming close to night, the temperature dropped significantly.
The civilian traveled while humming their favorite song gently, starting their search among the vast desert surrounding the town.
(Byron's Pov)
Night approaches. That means the cobras of the desert are hiding in their burrowed homes. I've set up camp behind a large wall of rocks. Not that I have anything to worry about. I've been doing this long enough to know how not to get caught.
The fire I build burns strongly thanks to the fine oils I crafted. It gives off an aroma that is undescribable to any normal man or woman. I sat down against a rock and placed my cane to the side, letting out a long sigh.
Today was quite tiring. All that traveling is rough on these bones of mine. The stars are simply divine tonight. There's not even a cloud in the sky! I could sit here for hours on end looking at each constellation.
"Hello..?" A voice struck my ears and I quickly hop to my feet, grabbing my cane, and holding it as a weapon, ready to strike at any given moment. I shouldn't answer. Perhaps this person will leave and not have any second thoughts about coming back.
Unfortunately, that's not the case. I hear the rocks crunching against their shoes and the sound only comes closer. "It would be wise to leave this place unless you're looking for trouble." I stated with an intimidating voice. I truly don't want to deal with bounty hunters at the moment.
"I'm not here for any conflict..." The voice was soft and sounded very close. "I'm looking for a man named Byron. I heard he sells different poisons?" My ears perk at the mention of making a deal, but I refuse to lower my guard.
"Reveal yourself to me. I won't give information till I am face to face with a customer." I have my cane at the ready; the venom bubbles as I see a silhouette appear from behind the rock.
I am ready to strike..! But... Something stops me... The figure quickly removes their hood, looking up at me with (eye color) iris's. I'm... I'm quite stunned. Who is this gemstone from these dry, deserts that approaches me?
They're mysterious, peculiar, and... and beautiful to my eyes.
(Y/N's Pov)
Oh fuck... Yeah, I found him alright. He fits Colt's description perfectly! He's a lot taller than I expected though. If I were closer, I'd have to bend my head up almost all the way to make eye contact with him.
He clears his throat and adjusts his spectacles as he puts his sizzling staff to the side. "I'd like to have a look at your stock. I'm curious to see how strong you make your oils." I muttered with a polite smile.
He blinks a few times as his cheeks turn light pink. "I- Yes. Yes, I have quite the variety of snake oils and poisons." My lips curl into a smirk at his words. "Snake oils?" I question with a chuckle. "Now that's pretty interesting! I'm curious to know how you manage to make it!"
This guy is more interesting than I expected! I usually make poison out of special berries or deadly beetles but, snakes!? That's something I'm defiantly interested in. Byron nods silently. He seems a little distracted but I guess I understand since I kinda came out of nowhere. He's probably on guard so I should be too.
"I keep a large supply of snake products. Their poisons are some of the worst in the world so of course I collect and create for business." He stated as he opened up his bag and showed me a couple of vials and bottles.
Ohohoho~ This is gonna get interesting...
(Third Person's Pov)
Byron's hands shook slightly from the new feeling that bloomed through his cold heart but (Y/N) was far too excited about the products to notice. The man looked to the side and coughed to himself. 'What has gotten into me!?' He thought in frustration as (Y/N) looked at the bottles with sparkling eyes.
"Woah... What kinds of snakes do you make these from?" They asked as Bryon's face turned into a soft red. He has never had a customer be so infatuated with snakes just as he was. he put the bottles to the side and huffed.
"I use what I can get my hands on. This desert has plenty of rattlesnakes and cobras so I use those for both oils and poisons. I also use their skins for bottles and containers for their teeth, scales, and-" Byron choked on his words as his face turned redder. (Y/N) locked their fascinated eyes with his flustered ones.
Byron looked to the side and coughed once more as he put his items away. "P-Plenty of things I assure you! They are q-quite useful for many things!" He stammered as (Y/N) thought and looked at his bag. "I'll take as much as I can get!" They said with a smile.
A dark plan came into (Y/N)'s head as they narrowed their gaze. Maybe they could bribe this man into a discount? They hummed as they put their bag down and removed their cloak. "So how much would a few bottles of the cobra oil go for? I'm dying to get my hands on some of that."
The tall man watched (Y/N) with wide eyes as they removed their cloak and bent over to grab some coins from their bag. "I also was hoping to get some of the poisons. I've never worked with snake products before~"
They looked at Byron from the side with a grin as they continued rummaging through their bag. "I have a few coins to pay with... But of course, I wouldn't mind making a little bit of a bargain for some of my own items..." (Y/N) hummed and looked at him again but when they looked, they noticed Byron towering over them with a glare.
(Y/N) gasped in panic and shock as they hopped back with gritted teeth. Bryon's expression was dark and serious as he put his hands behind his back and approached the smaller figure. "Are you trying to bribe me?" He asked with venom laced in his words.
"N-No! I-I mean, I do h-have nice items to trade for! It's n-not a bribe, I-I'm just trying to m-make a deal..!" They stammered, slightly horrified from how scary the man could be. Byron noticed their nervousness, giving him a large boost of confidence.
"I don't want your 'items'! I have enough of my own things as it is." He said sternly but a toothy, twisted grin formed on his lips. His teeth were just as sharp as a snake's, if not sharper! It honestly puts Mortis to shame.
"However... I do have a simple deal to make with you..." He hummed as (Y/N) gulped. "Wh-What is it?" They tried to sound brave but it didn't work out well. Byron chuckled as he put his hand on his chin and stroked his beard.
"As a criminal, I can get oh so lonely on my travels..." He purred as he leaned down close to (Y/N)'s height, causing them to blush. "So if you stay the night with me, we can talk about those... deals you're so excited about..." His sharp green eyes pierced their's as the wind blew through the cold night.
(Y/N) swallowed hard and huffed softly. This didn't sound like a good idea to them yet, the idea of those vials could really help them in their research. They finally sighed shakily and looked up at the thin man.
"A-Alright... Only f-for tonight though..." They mumbled shyly as Byron put a hand on their shoulder and led them to the cozy fire. (Y/N) sat awkwardly as they looked at the flames. "S-So... What brings you t-to the desert anyway..?" They asked softly with a nervous gaze.
"I was forced to flee. I knew the deserts would be safe to run to and the snakes here would benefit me greatly." He stated as (Y/N) looked at him. "Flee? From what?" "Eh. Angry customers and business partners. They had the audacity to say my poisons were frauds!" He growled as his nails dug at the sand he sat on.
"Of course I let them have a little sample just to prove a point... Since they were simply DYING to make such false accusations..." He spoke with a hiss as he let out a laugh. (Y/N) was dumbfounded by what they were hearing as they watched with wide eyes. But... was it bad that they've heard and done worse?
They nodded gently as they let the man vent and discuss his ventures across the land. As time went on, the two didn't notice that they slowly scooted closer together as the hours went on. "Sounds like you've seen some disasters yourself..!" Byron muttered with surprise as (Y/N) shrugged.
"It's hard practicing the dark arts when everyone around you thinks you're normal! I wish I could show my creations to the world but... I'd be looked down on by everyone I care about..." They said softly as Byron furrowed his brows in frustration.
He gently wrapped his arm around them and looked down with a gentle gaze. "(Y/N), if they truly care about you and love you as the person you are, then they will never leave your side." (Y/N) looked up to Byron with a frown as he continued.
"Now, will they agree with your ways? Maybe not. Will they want to learn what you do? Possibly. But the point is, if they really want you to be a part of their life, they will stay by your side. No matter what you are or what you believe in." (Y/N)'s eyes widened as small tears formed.
With the confidence they had gained from Byron's words, they leaned up and pushed their lips against his, making his eyes widen greatly. A chill ran through his body as he shakily wrapped his arms around them and melted into the kiss.
It felt like an eternity passed before they finally parted and looked into each other's eyes. "Thank you... That.. That r-really means a lot to me..." They muttered as Byron smiled sweetly. "Of course darling... You deserve to be happy and a frown doesn't look good on you." He said with a sweet giggle.
The two laughed together as they cuddled sweetly and looked up to the night sky, admiring the stars together as the fire kept them warm and happy.
This by far had to be the best deal ever!
Thank you for reading! I hope you all enjoyed it! I plowed through this one in one setting and now I'm very tired lol! I'll try to write more soon! Thank you again for reading! :)