"Here you go, this week's supply of food", the madame gestured as the handy boy gave the old quack wizard a sack of goods while I observed them from the terrace.
A few more days had passed since my arrival here and finally, I am now able to speak, though with a hoarse voice. My throat still itches a bit too but at least I can communicate. They were surprised that I could speak fluent Edzhilan, I never cleared up the issue of me being a foreigner. I just need to find transport and I'm out of here.
"Sorry it was a bit delayed, thank you for the medicine, Doctor"
"That's alright", the old quack slowly nodded as he took the food and walked back down the hill to his little cave hut.
I noticed he was blind and has a stench odor even though he looks decently cleaned enough.
"His conditions getting more and more worse"
"Do you think he'll be able to make it past winter?"
"I don't know, might be a little tough for him"
"Don't worry, we'll just have to check on him from time to time"
"He's not very good with practical health medicines after all", as I listened into the girls conversation I got intrigued, so I tugged on Spi En's skirt and looked up at them and I asked.
"What do you mean, not very good with medicine, isn't he a wizard who specializes in it?"
"Oh my, are you curious?", Spi En giggled.
"Well, I'm not sure. He is nether a healer nor a doctor. He isn't very talented in his field but for the sake of expenses he had to compromise, dear". I continued to stare at the old man from the distance.
"Really? Then, what is he good at?"
"A bunch of other stuff!", the others joined in on the conversation.
"He's great at making potions that prohibits ovulation, otherwise the lot of us would have been very knocked up by now", Juna cracked a joked and everyone laughed.
"That's true, but the most he did for us was heal the Madame's blindness. Eye problems are the easiest recipe for him", Spi En continued to chat on with the others as I looked at the distance.
This is a small territory in the south border and according from the story, there can only be one wizard around this place that forsakes everyone's health.
The Florence viscount family territory, the head's daughter had always suffered illnesses throughout her childhood one of which most grieving was her fading eyesight. So they searched for every specialist in the country that could help their daughter's eyes get revived but none could fully heal her from her impending blindness. Up until they heard stories of a man living in a hut down a mountain. An old wizard, who was the only one capable enough of saving their daughter from blindness.
And if this hunch is correct then, that exact man is possibly the quack wizard who treats whores for free food while living in his small hut down by this small hill, then I have finally found some use for my time here.
The old duchess who is going to be my next family has blue orbs while her beloved husband had amber colored eyes which she dearly admired and I have orchid pink eyes that Drazhan recognizes. I could change my clothes and hair, the way I speak and behave but the eyes is the most distinctive feature of anyone's face. And an expert at that is right around my vicinity.
So when the next time came for the old quack's supply of food, I insisted on bringing him the food myself. It took a lot of convincing my 'older sisters' (that's what they forced me to call them) and the madame but I argued that I had to be useful for something and help them out ,so they soon agreed.
They waved their careful worries for me at the terrace as I am now down the hill waving back at them. Through the blanket of snow of winter I made my way down through the small path he paved for the way to his home and reached the old quack's hut. I have already expected the bad smell, so it didn't bother me as much as the first time.
There was a small fire lit inside. 'Good, he's home'
I knocked on his door that was made of long sticks tied together tightly in sections and called a door. Did he not hear me or just got blatantly ignored, he only opened the door when I was standing about 10 minutes out in the cold and sneezing.
"*Who dares?", My eyebrows perked at the chills I got from hearing his voice. It was very deep and stoic, but he had spoken a language I have never heard of yet. But I understand that it's a threat.
"A child", I sighed. "….With your food"
Silence came after and moments later, he finally opened the door.
"Ah, The little foreigner", the old quack chuckled as he looked down at me with a welcoming smile.
'I am not a foreigner'
He is blind so I got chills staring at his plain gray eyes because it was like he could still see me despite the fact. But I didn't say anything and just went inside instead and placed the bag I was carrying on his messy table.
"This place reeks of a dying old man"
"Does it?", he laughed.
"Why do you think I have this flower crown around my neck?", I gathered the fragrant flowers just for this.
"I apologize for the smell but yes, I am indeed a dying old man", the quack sighed and slowly walked back to his station with his cane. Continuing on whatever he was working on before I got here.
"What's your estimate?"
"And you reek of ancient time, even though you are still a child", he said. Completely ignoring my question.
"You're an eye doctor aren't you? Why not just heal yourself?", I asked as I walked up to his station and observed him mixing potions and placing his hand on crusty book pages to read spells. A language for the blind, I presume.
"A week or two. Why bother healing my eyes when my body is rotting internally?", he finally answered.
"Curse?"
"Poison"
"I know the antidote too, are you also going to tell me to make it and heal myself?"
"Why bother when you're suicidal"
"HAHAHA!", the old quack's laugh echoed in the small hut.
"Why is it that you came here anyway? Aren't you afraid, my illness might be contagious?"
"I know what your illness is, I've read about it in a book"
"Charming". He didn't even budge that a poor orphan like me could read.
"And the ladies allowed you to visit me or you must have sneaked out"
"It's not contagious, people are just fools", I say as I got distracted looking through the materials in his place and skimming through the books he has. Some were crusty and some were written, probably from the time he still had vision.
The quack released a small chuckle as he shook his head. I stared at him in silence. He did heal blindness so my simple request should not be a hassle for him.
"My eye color…I want to change it"
"Well, I beat they are beautiful why must you feel the need to change them?"
"They remind me of my mother and I despise her", I simply answered.
"Mother's should daunt on their daughters but I understand…", he nodded to himself as he brushed his long beard.
"So?", I anticipated the correct answer.
"I am not going to", I was about to retaliate with his answer but he followed up a second one.
"I'll just have to teach you instead", he turned to me with a smile.