Theurgy: The Journey's Dawn (Book One)

Chapter 22 The Manticore

"Greetings, Colt Mires," she gestured to the seat next to the armored women. Her voice was smooth and charismatic, like many noble children talked as they got older. "Please take a seat. I believe we have a discussion before us."

He took his seat, carefully positioning his sword so that it wasn't in the way of anything and he could draw it quickly. Both of the noblewomen looked similar, but one was clearly older than the other. A mother and daughter. They both had braids wrapped in some green fabric, the same trend he saw in Silondras, and matching verdant green dresses made for travel, but luxurious. The daughter had a more distant stare, as if not looking at him but past him. She squinted in his direction as if trying to capture something small and distant.

"You have blond hair?" she asked him. There was little formality, and it was an odd question to ask. But Lyse nodded.

"He said yes, my dear," lady Mirthia said, putting a hand on her's. She turned back to Lyse. "My daughter is blind, so please be sensitive in your actions."

"I'm not fully blind," she protested in the general direction of her mother. "I can . . . vaguely see shapes, you know. But finer details and some colors are hard to distinguish."

"Yes, yes," her mother said impatiently. "You see, that is why we are heading to this city, Colt. There is a doctor there who appears to be able to cure blindness. Isn't that amazing? The journey has been long, but well worth it."

Lyse waited a few seconds to make sure they won't make another comment before finally speaking. "May I ask something that could be sensitive, Lady Mirthia? What caused your daughter to go blind?"

There was a slight dip in that polite smile, but she did answer. The daughter did not seem to respond beyond an uncomfortable shuffle of her feet and rub her eyes with a small handkerchief.

"Well, my daughter has always been adventurous," she said. "Always sneaking out with friends and such. Fate caught up to her in the form of a basilisk. Spit venom in her eyes. The doctor got to her before any major damage, but ever since, she has been slowly losing her vision."

"A basilisk," Lyse repeated. He had heard that the venom is lethal if injected directly into the bloodstream. Some of the most dangerous variations, mostly seen in the Barrens, can completely turn people into stone at merely a glance. Blindness is actually a mercy. "I see, how unfortunate."

"Yes," the mother gave an unconcerned sigh. "Maybe this would motivate her to be less . . . adventurous and conduct herself as a proper lady."

The daughter kept wisely silent, but it was Lyse who began the next discussion.

"I am truly sorry for what happened to your daughter," he said. "I'm quite adventurous myself, and it has left me in . . . interesting places. But is this the reason you called for me? I doubt this is a matter concerning a guildsman."

"Indeed," Lady Mirthia said. "Actually, it was Pheobe who asked for you."

"I heard your voice from outside," she said, almost in a hurry. "I just wanted to speak to you. I don't have enough chances to interact with guildsman, and Windel and Liam aren't much for conversation."

"You are right," lady Mirthia's eyes suddenly turned to much more like a predator, a feline stalking something quite curious, and was during up a way to approach it in the right way. Lyse did not notice, but by instant, he put up a guarded, blank expression. He felt exposed again, sitting just a few feet away and a sword, not in hand.

"How much to buy you away from your employer?"

The question immediately shattered his attempt of stoicism, and he was left with a gain mouth and confused expression. "What? Employer?"