"You don't need to worry," Lewn said, catching Cyrus staring at the window. "Lord Verihos may be an intimidating man, but you can trust him. Although he doesn't promote magic, he won't turn on you for possessing it. Not to mention, he too, dislikes the Dilthane Order, and its presence in the kingdom."
They were met at the door by a middle aged man, with thinning brown hair, and a bone-thin face. He stood several inches taller than both Lewn and Sylven, though his wiry body revealed itself as he bowed.
"Master Lewn. It's a pleasure to see you again. Lord Verihos is waiting for you and your companions in his office."
"Thank you, Quill. I know the way," Lewn said, gesturing for Cyrus and Sylven to follow.
Quill bowed once more as they stepped inside, but eyed Cyrus and Sylven with a sharp glance. As the door clicked shut behind them, Lewn led them to a set of winding stairs leading to the second floor. As they passed through the foyer, Cyrus noted how clean it appeared, without a speck of dust to be seen on the redwood railing, or the dark oak ledges.
Overhead, a beautiful glass chandelier hung from the ceiling, twice as large as the one in Lewn's house. The light reflecting from its crystals bounced off the dark stone walls, and pedestals of armor.
"Lord Verihos has always been a bit… materialistic," Lewn whispered as they made their way upstairs. "You'll see what I mean once we reach his office."
An open room laid at the top of the stairs, decorated with cushioned seats, and large paintings. A set of oaken doors nestled the far wall, a lifelike serpent carved into the wood. After two knocks, a deep voice responded.
"You may enter."
Lewn pushed open the doors, revealing a spacious room, with high arched walls, and sleek redwood shelves. The skeleton of a sea beast hung from the ceiling, at least six meters long, with a snake-like body, and two tusks jutting from its maw.
Cyrus's eyes widened as he took in the rest of the room. More strange objects lined the shelves, from unique animal skulls, to gems and crystals. His gaze swept over the wooden carvings, silver artifacts, and glazed sculptures, until he reached a small alcove, where a bronze tear-shaped artifact rested, inlaid with a ruby hourglass.
Across the room, the bearded man leaned against his desk, watching them with a grin. His eyes glinted as Cyrus quickly shut his mouth, and straightened his back. As he uncrossed his arms, his tunic pulled taunt, revealing broad shoulders, and a muscular chest.
"Lewn. You've kept me waiting quite a while."
"My apologies, Lord Verihos. Cyrus only awoke a few hours ago, and I had a bit of work left to do."
"Yes, yes. Your alchemy. I know. Did you happen to finish the potions I asked for?" Lord Verihos asked.
"Ah, yes! They're right here," Lewn said. He unhooked his pack, and flipped open the flap. "Four for health, four for strength, and four for stamina. A total of twelve, and all properly tested."
Lord Verihos pulled one of the vials out, and swished the purple liquid inside. "Good. I'll have Quinn pay you when you leave. Now then, shall we move onto the other reason you've come?"
He motioned towards a set of couches beside the fireplace. "Please, have a seat."
Cyrus sunk into the cushions as he sat, and he grabbed the armrest for support. Lord Verihos chuckled as he took the seat across from them, and he shifted his gaze between him and Sylven.
"Lewn has explained the situation to me," Lord Verihos said. He rested his elbows on his knees. "The two of you are looking for a ship to the Cilthrin Shores, is that right?"
Cyrus nodded. "It is."
"I see," Lord Verihos said, nodding. "I know of a few ships headed in that direction, but I doubt any of the captains would be too keen to take on passengers. Especially during these times."
Cyrus frowned. "Would the stone plague have anything to do with it?"
Lord Verihos scowled. "So it would. At the moment, most of my ships, and many of the others have begun to become wary of this so-called stone plague, and are acting overly cautious. Of course, I can't say I really blame them. There's nowhere to run when you're stuck in the middle of the sea, and a number of ships have already been found cast adrift, their entire crew turned to stone."
"It sounds similar to what happened in a village we passed through," Sylven said. "A few of the people were affected, and they've closed their borders to outsiders."
"Yes, I received that report, and sent out a group of the city's guards to investigate. If it's true, I'll have to send word to Galeden, now that the mountain pass has been cleared."
"The mountain pass is already cleared?" Cyrus asked. "When did that happen?"
"I believe it was a week ago. Although a few of the larger boulders remain, messengers can now get through," Lord Verihos said. "Besides that, I'm certain you can understand why so few captains would be willing to transport passengers at the moment."
"We can, but…" Cyrus said, frowning. "Is there another way?"
Lord Verihos grinned. "I'm glad you asked. I do have one ship, who'd be willing to take you, if you're willing to work, that is. Captain Erdmun, one of my younger captains, is a bit short of his crew this year, and needs a few more hands. What do you think? Would you be willing to work for your passage?"
Cyrus glanced at Sylven, who shrugged, then turned back to Lord Verihos. "I don't see why not."
Lord Verihos rubbed his hands. "Good. If you want, we can meet the captain right now. He sets sail in a week, so it'd be best if you could become acquainted beforehand."
The old man rose back to his feet, and led them back downstairs. From there, they made their way through the house, to a door in the right wing. Upon opening it, they were met by a path that led to the harbor, which only took five minutes to traverse.
As they neared the bottom, the crash of waves drowned out the rattle of the city's carriages, accompanied by the shouts of sturdy men as they tossed crates and barrels off the ships. To Cyrus's surprise, anyone they approached quickly moved out of the way, and busied themselves with whatever work was closest.
As they walked the docks, Cyrus noticed the men gazed at Lord Verihos with looks of respect and admiration, a few even murmuring amongst themselves in hushed tones. Lord Verihos kept his attention on the dock ahead, and his back straight, though he nodded to a few of the older men as they passed.
Eventually, they reached a storehouse, brimming with men transporting crates, barrels, and chests. Leather tarps were draped over the boxes near the back, protecting them from leaks in the roof, or prying eyes, while a short balding man with a hooked nose watched the men like a hawk.
"Afternoon, Valmen. How's the preparation for departure going?" Lord Verihos asked.
The bald man whirled around, his serious expression breaking into a smile. "Lord Verihos! It goes well. As long as we keep up this pace, we should be able to allow the men a day off before setting sail."
"I'm glad to hear it," Lord Verihos said. He glanced around the storehouse, and frowned. "Is Erdmun around? I'd like to introduce him to these two young men."
Valmen eyed Cyrus and Sylven, then motioned towards a door at the back of the building. "He's in there. Spent the morning going over the route, and supplies list. Would you like me to get him?"
"No, that's quite alright," Lord Verihos said. "We'll go see him."