Thin beads of light slowly rose upon the horizon, their warmth touching every corner of the city, save for the dark, grimy corners where those ostracized from society slept. Gylippos took one look at the well-dressed man lying upon the stone table, his wounds dressed messily, but the worst had passed. For some unknown reason, Gylippos saved the man, spending his only gold coin, the value of his sister’s life. Yet the young man felt at peace, he had nothing left to live for, and at the very least his sister’s life, the coin that represented that had allowed him to hire the doctor to save another.
In this way at least, his sister’s death, her suffering meant something, however small that may have been. A voice traveled from the adjoining room as Gylippos approached the comatose man he had saved. “He will have to stay here with me until you collect the rest of the money, one gold coin isn’t enough to keep him alive. So, if you want him to live, then you’re going to have to pay the rest first.” The doctor walked in; with his hands drenched in blood. He didn’t seem to even mind as he grabbed and downed the cup of wine, hands still bloody.
“I know, you don’t have to remind me. I will get your money by tonight, just make sure he stays alive.” Gylippos refused to leave until the drunken doctor swore upon the gods that he would do his best until Gylippos’s return that evening.
“Fine, you have your oath, now leave. I have more work to do, and my clients do not pay me unless the work is done. Be glad I owed your father that gambling debt, with this and the payment we’re even, I don’t want to see that slimy bastard ever again… understood?” Gylippos nodded in acceptance, the doctor wasn’t aware of his father’s fate. At the very least it was a promise that he would have no trouble keeping.
Now the only issue was earning the money to pay the doctor for his services, a service that did not come cheap. Doctors were limited in number, and it was difficult to find skilled doctors who had trained at the Medical Institute and ended up in such a wretched state. Word around the slums was that the man had been a noble’s private physician, but that he cast black magic upon his employer upon discovering that his wife was having an affair with the nobleman.
There was never any truth to such rumors, but as was often the case, a vindictive noble would find ways to ruin such individuals. It was likely that the doctor refused to play the internal political game, refused to take a side, and declare the noble’s death as murder at the hands of one of the many siblings vying for control. Whoever had gained dominance in this struggle likely blacklisted the physician, souring any chance at working for another family of noble status.
Ever since the appointment of the Noble Council medical doctors were fewer in number, the applications for the Institute more stringent and the job opportunities restricted. The aftermath of these changes to the medical system saw a dramatic decline in quality of life for the poorest residents in the last decade. Life had returned to the squalor that the poor were used to, all the while the noble’s amassed wealth, power, and longevity to some extent.
However, one man’s misfortune is another’s salvation. Those residents of the lower strata would not allow such a commodity to go; the many underworld societies were quick to pounce on the opportunity. A war would have ensued had the Scylla not mediated between the different zones, the doctor was neutral ground, any could make use of his service, so long as they had the appropriate compensation.
Gylippos might not have had the money, but he had something just as valuable, information. He had presented information to Argades which should have bought back his sister, but the reality was there were always others looking for those with an ear to the ground. For Gylippos it seemed as if he had been born with his head scraping the ground, he was the lowliest of the low, but if Argades was so desperate for information on that woman. Then it was safe to assume the Scylla might be interested in what Argades wanted.
The two groups detested one another, the Scylla being honorable and upstanding; the Taureas their opposites. At least Gylippos could trust their word and more importantly their coin, and just maybe he would be able to slake his thirst for revenge in the process.
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“Dammit!” Apollonius slammed his fist in anger, striking and cracking a piece of the mudbrick wall. “We have been searching all night; and have found nothing! We don’t even have an idea of who took mother! Let alone where they might have taken her!” The group of four were frantically searching the area around the Gateway market, having worked there way here from their starting point.
“I think we acted far too rashly. Even with the four or five scouts under Timeaus we don’t have enough people to scour every sector of the city. If there is a clue it had to be back at the compound… it would be best if we returned.” Niko tried to act as the voice of reason, it was clear that those related to Leucena were on edge. It was understandable their reactions, yet the sun had already risen and none of them had gotten any sleep. Even if by some stroke of divine luck, they were to discover Leucena’s whereabouts, they had no information on the enemy, their strength, or their numbers. They were essentially flying blind.
“So, what! You want us to go back… to abandon our mother and wait for Maatilani to move. We can’t wait, who knows what could be happening to her while we stand here debating!” Mera had not spoken the entire time, Timeaus was entirely focused on scouting alongside his men, looking for any clue that would lead to Leucena. It was only Apollonius who was lashing out, signs of agitation clear within his reactions, fear, and worry for his mother.
Niko could do little to calm Apollonius, to avoid further conflict it would be Spurius who accompanied him in his search. Niko would support the silent Mera, the drastic change in her attitude had the others walking on eggshells. Every few minutes while they were scouring the streets and stalls, she would come to an abrupt halt, walking off in some other direction. Niko would often find her picking at strange fruits, putrid plants, and numerous strange insects.
Almost an hour later of this mindless wandering there was some positive information, Timeaus’s friend, the woman Jezebela had come through. While the younger members stayed behind, he rushed to one of the Scylla meeting points, an informant was going to deliver what they had collected.
“This is ridiculous, why didn’t uncle take us with him! We have just as much right-” Spurius had reached his threshold, the lack of sleep and exhaustion from the night of combat had left him on edge. In a fit of anger and irritation he swung his fist, striking Apollonius in the jaw and leaving him with a bloody lip.
Apollonius was in shock for a second, wondering what just happened, but quickly regained his wits and responded with a hard right hook straight into Spurius’s gut. Apollonius was well trained, and the hit left the former gladiator winded, yet a lifetime of training had tightened his core and Spurius weathered the blow well enough to respond with a quick left jab. A single instant of irritation, coupled with a lack of sleep, and high-strung emotions had led to an all-out brawl on the side of the street.
“Will you two idiots give it a rest… This is my first and last warning.” Mera finally involved herself, the silence making way for her venomous tongue. She spoke with such hostility and finality that the brawl between the two was stopped cold. “Do not disturb me again, or I will make sure you don’t talk for a week. Understand?” Apollonius quickly responded with an affirmative, yet silent nod. Spurius seeing the normally combative young man’s rapid turn, he also realized that it was best he follows suit.
Niko for his part remained silent, watching as things unfolded, all the while his attention remained glued to Mera’s hands. She had not once switched her focus from the vial she was working with, her hands moving in unison. Grinding the insects, plucking the flowers, mixing a multitude of colorful ingredients into a sweet-smelling liquid. It was strange how such foul items could combine to create an opposite result.
“It might smell sweet, but it is anything but that. I call it midsummer’s dream; it will allow you to witness a wonderful dream before tearing it all down. A hallucinogenic poison, that’s why you should cover your nose… don’t want you running as if you were born with two left feet. Also don’t worry about the poison, it is lethal but has to make contact with your skin to be absorbed.” Just as Mera finished her explanation did the effects of the poison kick in, Niko was afflicted by a state of disorientation. He had slight difficulty in remaining upright, forcing him to press his back against the wall of the nearby building. Mera had long since sealed the clay bottle, yet the effects remained for at least a few minutes.
Niko didn’t know what the poison would do, but he was certain that if the effects of the smell was this strong, then the poison was bound to be much worse. Luckily for them their timing couldn’t be better, within ten minutes a runner had arrived with news. An informant from the slums had come to the Scylla with information, stating that a woman matching Leucena’s description was wanted by the leader of the Taureas family. A man by the name of Argades.
After they heard the name of the man and what his underground organization was known for, both Mera and Apollonius jumped into action. Word had already been sent to Maatilani, with both Jezebela and Timeaus heading towards the western district, aiming to cut off any escape routes for Argades and his men.
The Taureas didn’t know it yet, but they were out of time, they were a mouse and the snake was already circling the den.
