Capítulo 53: 3 weeks at sea
Today marks three weeks since we have been at sea. In addition to the experiments I have recently carried out, Omar showed me an interesting animal that he brought on board the ship. It is a type of pheasant altered by the Blood Mages that existed in Valyria. In addition to this animal, there were many others like it in the city of Valyria.
Omar had said something about solving the problem of eggs and proteins, but it was only now that he showed me the little creature. There were a little over 2 dozen on board and their specialty was laying eggs. Each pheasant could lay up to 60 eggs in a month. The only disadvantage of such a creature would be its tough meat, bad taste and short life span. Excessive egg laying meant that these animals had a life expectancy of just 2 years. Two other animals on board were goats to obtain milk, and some pigs that were also altered. They grew faster, shortening the fattening time by half that of a normal one. We could kill 1 of these a month and have a good supply of meat for several days and with luck we would have a few more fully grown when we reached our destination, these altered animals along with the plants with accelerated growing times were the reason food was so cheap in the Summerlands.
Leaving the animals aside, I have made great improvements in languages in these last 3 weeks. I have prioritized the difficult Asshai'i in private lessons with Aisha, but I have still made good progress in common since it is very similar to the English of my world. I have also made some progress in the sword, Sir Arthur was kind enough to help me learn the basics. In return, I am teaching Omar everything I can about magic, more specifically blood magic, after testing him and Zhang with the magic ink I realized that Omar may have the magical affinity with water, so I gave him the book and even all the sapphires I had with me. He was very excited to discover an elemental affinity that matches his family. Fatty has already made comments that this weak element was not suitable for him, well, it makes sense that he would be frustrated, since he will be a few months behind me and Omar when it comes to learning spells.
Unfortunately, I don't know how to test someone's element and I hope to clear up any doubts with Jhon first before negotiating something so simple with Esmer, since that would make me look like an amateur, and the next time I talk to him I want to try to maintain an equal position using my knowledge of the future. Speaking of which, I invited him to dinner with me tonight and to my surprise he accepted. Right now I'm going over the details of the dishes with the chef and I even put one of the valuable wines on the menu for today that costs 100 gold coins a bottle, its name is Gold Summer, it's a bit wasteful of me, but I want to make a good impression and I know that someone of Esmer's status will recognize that.
***
Esmer had been wanting to talk to Rafael for a while now, ever since he learned and confirmed his foresight talents on the day Valyria was destroyed, he had been worried and anxious. He wanted to know how much he knew about himself, and if possible, learn a little more about the future so that his plans would go well. But he didn't want to demean himself by inviting such a young sorcerer to visit him, and now after almost 3 weeks of thinking about it, Rafael finally made the invitation.
He prepared a good wine from his collection and took it as a gift to the host according to Valyrian customs. Rafael looked at the bottle, thanked me and asked his servant to keep it. After sitting me at the table, he asked me how I was on the ship, if everything had been pleasant or if I had any complaints about anything. Which I clearly didn't have, their chef was very talented and the food was good and fresh considering we were at sea. I heard that he even gave free lessons in Common and Asshai'i to everyone on board, my two servants were participating and even my apprentice has been watching discreetly, that boy has a king in his belly so he never admits inferiority to anyone.
Rafael's care for cleanliness and hygiene also impressed me, he must know about the tiny creatures that cause diseases, could he be a Blood Mage too? I digress a little before he asks me if I liked the food, dinner is being served in a strange way, I've never seen anything like it before. It's very elegant and we're already on the fourth course. Each of them brings a small amount of food, and there are several different cutlery for each one, he explains to me about each dish every time one arrives.
When the food stops coming I'm surprised by what his servant brings us! A rare wine even in the homes of the 39 families! I heard that only 120 bottles of Gold Summer are produced per year in a colony that is probably no longer in Valyrian hands. Their red wine is undoubtedly one of the best, and its rarity and quantity make it a delicacy even among the Lords. The Blood Mages would only get their hands on a bottle after the Lords had taken the majority, and everyone would treasure it, only displaying it in their cellars but rarely drinking it. But here he was, a young man serving such wine at a ship's dinner!
Only then did Esmer realize that Rafael treated him with respect, since he served such a valuable wine, he certainly wanted his friendship.
While I was distracted by smelling and tasting the precious wine, Rafael asked:
"Do you like this wine?"
"Yes, it is one of my favorites, thank you." I replied.
"If you like it, then I'll give you another bottle as a gift, consider it a gesture of my friendship."
Will he give it to me? How many of those do you have to go around opening one and giving another just on a whim! Of course I won't refuse, who would be foolish enough to refuse? I thank him again and then ask:
"How have you been? Have you had any recent problems with some mystical knowledge? Don't be shy to ask, I may not look like it, but I'm quite old and experienced…"
"I'm glad you asked, Mr. Esmer, I've had a lot of doubts about that egg, I don't have the methods to hatch it, nor a technique for domesticating it, I just wanted to know more details about the creature."
Ah, the egg… It makes sense… So I decide to explain:
"That is a modified egg of a fireworm. We have always studied these creatures native to the 14 flames. So we have tried everything to remove their aggressiveness and try to domesticate them. But without much success… This egg is the closest I have come to making it more docile. However, it has not been tested yet, so it may be quite aggressive."
I then take a paper from my bag and give it to him. It is a method to hatch and bond a pet. But whether it would work on the fireworm or not would depend on his luck.
"Then I will thank Lord Esmer for his kindness."
He says this, quickly putting the item away, then he continues:
"Lord Esmer, I believe that information is something considered very valuable these days, especially information about a dangerous future like what happened in Valyria… I wonder if you would be interested in some information on such matters and in exchange I would like to know about one or two subjects as well."
He actually brought up the subject I wanted to know about… Good… Good, very good! So I say:
"Sure, if there's anything I know that's of interest to you, I'll answer it."
"Then think carefully and ask two questions. If I can't answer one of them, you can ask something else. Before that, I'll ask my two questions first: I want information about a Blood Mage named Kalindor, everything you know. And second, I want information about a stolen item that should have been destroyed in Valyria."
I'm surprised for a moment, Kalindor... I remember who it is, is he alive? Yes, I have information to answer that. A stolen item that should have been destroyed? It couldn't be... My pupils dilate for a second before returning to normal. Does he know? If he knows, why ask? Couldn't it have been another item? No... Only something of such value could catch his attention. I remember how I could be dead. If it weren't for the Immortal's information, I would still be there in the central district during the disaster. Alright... My two questions, what should I ask? Dangerous places or if I'm in danger? I need to be more specific, so I say:
"Sure! If I know anything about the item you're looking for, that's fine, and I'll tell you everything I know about Kalindor too. But isn't Kalindor dead like the other mages in Valyria?"
"Is that your first question?"
"No!"
I quickly deny it as I almost wasted one of my questions.
"My two questions are: Did the family I worked with in Valyria survive? And the second is if there are any dangerous places I should avoid in the next few years."
"There were no survivors from the 39 families that were in Valyria. The only survivors are those who were in the colonies, but most of them will die when they try to return."
That was extremely accurate and scary... Will anyone who returns to Valyria die? That's even more important... Does it count as a second piece of information? If I remember correctly, there should have been 1 or 2 dragonlords from the Nytaryen family who weren't there. They must think I'm dead too, so I should be fine. If I had known that, I would have taken more eggs... Rafael then continues:
"You didn't specify a time for the danger, your second question is very vague, but I'll still answer. In the next 100 years, avoid the entire continent of Essos, especially in the former territories of Valyria. Almost all surviving dragonlords will be there. These 100 years will be called the Century of Blood due to the declaration of independence of many Valyrian colonies. But that doesn't mean there aren't dangers elsewhere."
Another accurate prediction, there's no hesitation in his voice, his pupils haven't dilated, his breathing is normal, and his tone is one of extreme certainty. Has he already predicted things this far? How much further has he seen? I should have been more specific, but he was generous in giving a lot of information in that sentence. I should be grateful and not greedy. So I tell you everything I know about Kalindor:
"Kalindor is one of the oldest Blood Mages, and was responsible for 2 Valyrian families out of the 39. Lately, during the last 2 years, he has also been responsible for magical investigations of serious crimes committed in Valyrian territory. His elemental affinities are fire and lightning. He has a powerful pet, but it has never been seen by me or Immortal. That's all I know, I have never fought him nor do I know if he has any magical items or relics."
"Does he have any method of resurrection?"
"If he does, it would be something about the fire element or Blood Magic, but those methods would be in the 14 flames and would not be useful now."
'I wonder why he is interested in Kalindor... Did he also survive? Well, it doesn't matter, it has nothing to do with me.'
"The item I want information about is a dragon egg. It should have been destroyed, but it was taken from Valyria and is now an item with a strong mark of destiny. Depending on how it is used, it can bring great danger to both the person who stole it and those around them. Leading to even more serious consequences over the next few centuries."
'He knows, but is he giving me a warning about the dangers?' So I answer:
"I'm sure that if someone stole such an item, it would only be to study these creatures or use it as an ingredient for some magical experiment."
"As long as it doesn't hatch and can grow wild, that's fine, as long as it doesn't have a new rider, that's fine too. Besides, it would be too late now to throw it away and try to get rid of it, so I can only trust that the person will be careful."
I reflect on Rafael's last statement, and then I say goodbye to him, but before I leave he asks about my apprentice, and if he would be interested in participating in a meeting on board with other apprentices. I warn him that due to his bad personality he probably won't want it, so I tell him that maybe Zaya and her sister will. He's surprised that she's an apprentice, so I tell him that she's my apprentice too, but I leave out the part about her being my daughter.
After I leave Rafael's cabin I put my hand on my necklace. It should protect me even from the current greenseer. How did he find out about the egg? Then I remember a phrase he said: "An item with a strong mark of fate." Could it be that such an item is affecting my protection? I must get rid of it quickly...
As Esmer leaves his cabin after dinner, Rafael can finally breathe easily and is sweating heavily and even turning a little pale, finally thankful that this night is over.
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