The dark horse slowly pulled the buggy down the dirt road towards the small town.
It's one of the busy days of the week, because today is the day that travelers and traders from all over come to exchange their wares and treasures for anyone willing to spend the coin.
Sitting atop the buggy, holding the reigns behind the large, dark horse was man wearing a black, worn out robe which covered his entire body and wrapped a hood that draped over the man's head. The buggy also looked old and worn as it creaked and bounced along the unpaved road as it entered the town. The other traders and travelers had their carts and carriages parked along side the buildings as they advertised and sold their wares to anyone walking by that would listen. Anyone that was at the time, stopped and watched as this new trader rode past them. Along the side of the buggy, painted faintly in yellow in the finest calligraphy, "Doctor's Delights", and below, "Cures and Treatments for what ails the common gentleman..."
The gawkers began to slowly follow the buggy as it slowly bounced to the center of the small town. By the time it did, it seemed like half the town surrounded it. Shop owners and traders left their possessions unattended, common folk dropped whatever chores they were doing or whatever destinations they had originally planned on visiting. All out of curiosity for this new traveler.
After sitting for a moment and the people around it began to chatter, a loud pop came from the buggy and the side of it released and swung down opening it up. An excited young man jumped out and landed on the outside of it.
Hello, my friends!
The Young Man spatted off immediately.
He was dressed in pure white, from his long white hair pulled back tightly against his scalp, to the white suit that seemed to give off a glow in the sunlight. A large monacle was attached to his left breast pocket via small chain that he would occassionally lift up to his left eye to make certain things a bit clearer.
Everyone jumped back at the sight of this energetic young lad as he spoke in loud volume to the crowd.
My name is Doctor Louis D'Ville! I am a traveler and trader quite like most of you and I've come to this quaint little town to share with all of you... The future in modern medicine!
The Doctor reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small vial filled to capacity with a bright violet liquid.
Is there something that ails you, my friends?
He points to an elderly man, bent down nearly a full 90 degrees, bracing himself on a wooden cane.
Are you feeling weak? Feeble? Has the years been not so kind?
He points to a tall, slender, not-so handsome young man.
Are you feeling that certain good graces have not made it as far as yourself? Perhaps, the almighty has left you felt slightly forgotten?
The Doctor takes the monocle and rests it on his left eye as he slowly scales his eyes across the crowd.
Perhaps, you not only a need a slight pick-me-up, but a cure for all of those things that have made you felt punished for nothing! Allow me to introduce to you all, one of my many Doctor's Delights...
He holds the vial into the air and it glistens in the sunlight.
Behold!
Not only a cure for the very common cold, but also so many other ailments including
Rheumatism!
Lumbago!
Headaches!!
Neuralgia!
Earache!
Toothaches!
Swellings!
Backaches!
Sprains!
Anxiety!
Ravaged nerves!
Stiff joints!
The list goes on and on, my friends!
The crowd gathered closer around the Doctor at attempts to get better look or maybe even try this new tonic brought to their town. Some fling money the Doctor's way in excitement to get a chance to change their very lives on the spot with just a drop of this elixir.
Months Earlier...
The Librarian stopped for a moment and looked behind her. She could have sworn she had a follower, but when she turned no one was behind her. She continued to walk through the dark path slowly leading up to her own little cottage. She reaches the front porch, stops again, and turns her head a bit to look behind her.
Hello, my dear.
She smiles and turns around completely.
"Hello, Doctor."
The Librarian.
The Doctor met her on his travels to this small town once before. They became acquainted, they met several times, and there's been a few fireworks along the way. The Doctor slowly approaches her.
"It's been a long time, Doctor. Still going about selling your medicine, I presume?"
A humble, travelling doctor such as myself must make a living, my dear. Still caring for your books, I presume?
"I am. A humble, lonely girl such as myself must make a living somehow..."
The Doctor smiles back at the Librarian. She can nearly see her own reflection through his eyes, which twinkle just like the stars above.
"You know, you do have the most beautiful eyes, Doctor..."
The better to see you with, my dear.
The Librarian smiles even wider at the Doctor and turns around to reach for the handle to the door.
"Would you care to come in, Doctor? We've have much to catch up on."
The Librarian...
The Doctor remembers his sweetheart from so long ago... He looks off of the corner of his eye and sees the small bookstore off in the distance, down the street a bit. As the crowd surrounds him, shouting and throwing their hard earnings at him in exchange for his new tonic. Many of them pop the bottles open on the spot and begin drinking the bright elixir. Others, rush home with plans of sharing it with a sick loved one, or a friend, perhaps.
The crowd quickly grows smaller as he has plenty to go around for all of his needy new patients. It seems every town, every customer, every patient, no matter how many times he arrives selling the same old glowing water, there's never a hassle. Never questioned, the Doctor sells his entire stock of medicine to the flock of ailed beings.
He quickly closes up shop and readies himself for a short reunion.
He walks towards the tiny library off in the corner of the town. As he enters the building, the door closes in behind him. He inhales a large breath, smelling the air. It definitely smells like books. He begins slowly pacing around the room, zig-zagging between the few bookshelves that filled the store.
"Can I help you, sir?"
The Doctor turns about and his smile slowly fades when he does not recognize the young woman standing before him.
Hello, my dear...
"Hello. What can I do for you, sir? Looking for anything in particular?"
Hm.
The Doctor ponders and he looks around for a moment.
"Sir?"
Yes. I'm sorry dear. Not so much looking for something, but someone. Perhaps you could help me... The young woman who shared the same interests in you. The books, dear. Where is the woman who once occupied this store?
The girl seems a bit confused for a moment.
"You may be talking of my aunt? She ran this store about nine months ago."
Where has she gone, may I ask?
"Well, I'd be glad to tell you, sir. May I ask your name?"
But of course, my dear. I am the Doctor. Louis D'Ville is the name, deary. At your service.
The Doctor closes his eyes and takes a short bow.
"I see. The same fellow that was here all of those months ago selling the same foolish medicine that doesn't do what you speak of?"
The Doctor raises a brow and stands in attention once again.
Has my tonic done you wrong, my dear?
"It hasn't done anyone around here right that's for sure! What is your business here again, Doctor? The town may not recall your ways, but a few of us here certainly do. I believe you should be lynched for your ways."
Now, now. What brings on such hostility?
"My father. Your 'flame's' brother, dear doctor."
What of him?
The young woman begins to sob and at the same time tries her best to hide it.
"Your 'tonic' killed him! That's what of him. His back ached, day in and day out. He grew sick from it. The weather, the farming... everything took it's toll on him for years. I was walking through the town during one of your visits and purchased one of your miracle cures!"
The sobbing begins to increase a bit as the young woman struggles more and more to hold herself together.
"He punished me for spending our hard earned money on something so ridiculous. But you... You insisted that it worked! You promised us!"
If he was so disgusted with you for the purchase, why did he take the tonic? Why not just dispose of it?
"Because I hid it from him... I spliced it with wine and made him take it... He grew very sick and in less than a weak the Good Lord took him from me. It was your tonic that did it! Your medicine killed my father!"
The Doctor taps his foot and slowly waves a single finger back and forth at the girl.
Tsk, tsk, deary.
Any book would tell you, you should not mix medicine with the nectar... It could pose as a deadly combination!
"No!"
Oh yes. It was not my tonic that took your father. It was the effects of what you did to get him to consume it.
You killed your father.
"No! Impossible! It was such a small amount! I was trying to help him! YOU said it would help him!"
I'm sorry to be so direct, my dear. But placing the blame where it does not belong could get someone into a bit of trouble around here. I'd hate for any nasty rumors to start regarding my business.
"I've already tried ruining your name. I've already tried telling the people that you tonic doesn't work! That it kills people!"
And?
The girl leans against the desk and continues to sob.
"And no one ever listens. No one has ever listened. I'm just the daughter of a shoemaker, forgotten by his whore sister married to a nobleman..."
A flame bursts up the Doctor's spine.
What was that you say?
"The woman you seek is a whore! A whore who---"
Where is she?
The Doctor's voice changed to a deep growl. The force from it sent an invisible force that threw books off the shelves and threw the girl to the ground. She braces herself between a couple of chairs and catches herself. In an instance the Doctor is standing over top of her looking down.
Where is she.
The Doctor's eyes are nearly growing red with fire as he peers down to the broken little girl.
Hello, my friends.
Tell me, who doesn't love a good love story? I hope that you don't mind that I try to pull away from everything going on in the XWF these days to share with you a piece of, what would seem, a bit of a haunted history.
I'm sure that everyone here has something in their past that they wish they could eventually bury and never think of ever again. A piece of themselves that's missing, lost in oblivion, never to be reclaimed again. Stolen from them to never be retained. Wronged and never corrected.
That's why I'm here, right?
Even the shoulder used to cry on needs a place to drop their own tears every once in a while.
You are, indeed, such great listeners, afterall.
It is the season for love, is it not? A few days removed from a national holiday to celebrate. Let's talk about love.
I'm sure that every one of you here has that special someone, or something, for that matter that you all care about and put before everything else. When things look grim, scary, sad, or gray... You always have that special feeling inside to banish any type of pain that you're suffering. Tonics, elixirs, and medicines cannot scale even close to the heights of that special feeling inside. The most depressed people in the world today remain kicking all for that simple thought.
Now I'll admit, the Doctor doesn't have too much going on for him in the ways of 'having someone to lean on' these days.
But.
There is a crutch.
There is something there for me. Or someone for that matter.
And that is all over you.
All of my wonderful patients.
Not only am I your doctor, but I've proven myself time and time again that I am without a doubt your King.
The King of the XWF.
Now, one of my newest patients has been so kind to announce of my few accolades to all of you recently. Goat Face Killa. The next challenger for the XWF X-Treme Title.
Thank you, my friend. I do enjoy hearing my fine achievements told back to me. It's quite fullfilling, to be perfectly honest.
Here's the kicker though, we're both Kings of our kind apparently. Mister Killa, are you comparing your precious four-legged beasts to an entire XWF roster of several types of vicious animals? Don't get me wrong, it's great that you find certain passion in something, I suppose. You care for your... goats.
Does your passion equal my passion?
I have been the X-Treme Champion for three and a half months, my friend. I'd say I'm quite passionate for what I do around here. You plan to take this passion away from me? You threaten my reign? Mister Face, do you realize that you're not the first person, or.. whatever you are, to step forward and make feeble attempts to take my most prized possession from me? It's got to the point that no matter how many times I ask, how many times I beg and plead, that no one wishes to even attempt this feat?
Honestly here, no ones even attempted one of those sneaky little pins on me in.. Ohhhh... A few days. I suppose I've let down my guard a bit, but why not? It's the same old thing over and over again to be honest. The same simple fellows come after me looking for the 'easy-way' to the top.
Is this your ticket, gentlemen?
Herod must be busy with Asylum affairs as of late.. But Mister Goat, you've let your opinions be known.
Perhaps it's you that will be the one to finally end the reign of perahps the greatest XWF X-Treme Champion that's every graced this fine organization. A simple, easy ticket to the top. I don't believe your priorities are too straight however. Instead of focusing your attention on what could make you great, you've been focusing your attention elsewhere... Maybe a certain gauntlet match?
How did that pan out for you anyway? I believe you were taken down by a certain... Queen of the XWF. You seemed to plow right through the competition up until that point anyway. Good for you, my friend. It does seem lately that I've been getting the left-overs from the Television Title runnings. Take Mister Fernando for example. This gentleman had it all laid out for himself. He won a ladder match which named him at least one of the number one contenders for the title.
You know what he did?
He gave it up.
He gave it all up at my request, for myself to defend my XWF X-Treme Title against him.
It didn't pan out for him very well. A wasted effort on his part. He would've had better luck sneaking in and taking out Jacob or the Knight when he had the chance and steal the Television Title under their nose.
Instead, at my request, he gave up his shot at the Jacob's title and came after the Doctor.
Foolish, rookie mistake, my friends.
You on the other hand, Mister Killa. You seen a great opportunity in front of you and with your gaping horns you grasped it with all of your might! A simple challenge laid forth by the Doctor and it did not take you long to respond to it. You recognize a good opportunity when you see one then, don't you?
After the months I spent in the dark, letting my days as X-Treme Champion build up... Awaiting any challenge from anyone, only two emerged with such a thing.
Mister Pest and Mister Fernando.
We all know the outcomes of those, of course. But I was proud to answer their challenges. A few stipulations later and we had ourselves two epic sessions, my friends. Two that will go down into the history books as another tally under the Doctor and under my reign as the X-Treme Champion. The day approaches again, my friends. The day approaches where the Doctor will receive another prize for his great abilities. Another 24/7 Briefcase. Now what would one single person want with not one, but two cases? Hm. Time will tell, I suppose, right?
Mister Goat Face liked to talk about how important and how much his beloved goats have meant to him... Well, friends. Although I'm very glad that he has accepted my challenge, he should stick to his goats and leave the X-Treme Title to the greatest champion to ever grace this fine federation. For I, Doctor Louis D'Ville, know how much this very title means to XWF. I know that it's torturing certain souls that I continue to hold this title high above their heads. Teasing them with it every chance that I have.
What I'm waiting for now, is someone to do something about it.
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