Chapter 36 - Treating the poison 2
The glow slowly spread from her hand into the Sealord's chest. From there it moved through his body like quiet flowing water. Within moments his entire body began glowing faint green.
Because he was not wearing anything above his waist, we could clearly see what was happening. The green light spread across his chest, down his arms, across his stomach, and up toward his neck and face.
But the green glow was not perfectly clear.
Inside it we could see dark blotches.
Small patches of black floated within the green light. They appeared on his chest, on his stomach, along his arms, even faintly on his face.
Syrio Forel stepped forward in alarm when he saw it.
But Leaf did not stop. She did not explain anything and continued chanting. Her hand remained firmly on the Sealord's heart.
Slowly, the dark patches began to move.
From the tips of his fingers, from his arms, from his face and chest, the black blotches began drifting inward toward the center of his body.
They moved slowly but steadily, gathering closer and closer to his heart.
The process was not easy for the Sealord.
We could see sweat forming on his forehead. His face tightened slightly with pain as the dark poison moved inside him.
But he did not cry out.
He did not move.
His will was strong. For a man who had ruled Braavos and faced danger for many years, enduring this pain without sound was not surprising, but it was commendable.
Time passed.
Perhaps half an hour or longer. Eventually every dark patch gathered near the center of his chest. The rest of his body now glowed with pure green light.
Only his heart remained different.
There, a large mass of black shadow swirled beneath the skin.
Leaf's chanting grew louder now. The rhythm of the words became faster.
Then she slowly lifted her hand from his chest.
As her hand rose, something unbelievable happened.
The dark mass began rising as well.
It lifted out from inside the Sealord's body like smoke leaving a fire. Slowly, painfully, the shadow emerged into the air above his chest. For several moments it hovered there, twisting like dark gas.
When the final thin strand of shadow left his body, the Sealord suddenly shuddered. It looked as if his body had just been freed from a terrible burden.
Leaf quickly cupped the floating shadow between her hands. Her palms glowed bright green again as she began chanting once more.
This time the sound of her voice was stronger.
From inside the shadow we heard faint sounds, almost like screams. Slowly the green light began consuming the black shadow. Bit by bit the darkness faded as if it was being burned away.
The black shrank smaller and smaller. Then, finally, it vanished completely.
Leaf lowered her hands. She looked little tired now, the effort clearly costing her energy. After catching her breath, she stepped back from the bed.
"You may rise now, Sealord," she said gently. "The treatment is finished."
The Sealord slowly sat up. For a moment he looked surprised as he was testing his own body.
Then he stood up from the bed. He looked down at his chest and arms.
"I… feel stronger," he said slowly. "It is strange. It feels as if I have just recovered from a long illness. My body feels lighter. I have not felt this refreshed in years, or maybe ever."
Leaf nodded.
"The poison has been removed," she explained. "And while treating it, I also helped your body recover some strength. A few minor injuries and weaknesses from age and past battles have also healed."
The Sealord looked at all of us with deep gratitude.
"Then I owe all of you my life," he said sincerely. "My thanks to you, Leaf… and to you as well, Lord Manny."
"Do not thank us, this was only a deal," I said calmly, "If you wish to thank someone, thank the leader of the House of Black and White. If he had not sent us here, we would never have known about your illness."
The Sealord nodded slowly. He understood what I meant.
He looked at the rest of us again, his expression warm with gratitude.
"Yes, you are right. I will thank them as well. But even so, I am grateful to all of you," he said sincerely. "You helped save my life. That is something I will not forget."
He paused for a moment and then continued.
"You will receive the dragon eggs as promised. They will be packed carefully and delivered to you soon."
Then he asked another question.
"Now tell me, will you remain here in Braavos for some time? Or are you planning to travel elsewhere soon?"
I thought for a moment before answering.
"We will stay in Braavos for a few days," I said. "There are a few places in the city that we wish to visit before we begin the next part of our journey."
The Sealord nodded again.
"Very well," he said. "Then you must stay here as my guests. My residence is open to you. At least allow me to offer you proper hospitality."
I smiled slightly.
"That would be most welcome. Thank you, Sealord."
The Sealord then turned toward Syrio Forel.
"Syrio," he said, "please make sure our guests are comfortable."
The First Sword nodded respectfully.
At the same time, the Sealord called for one of the servants waiting outside the chamber.
"Show our guests to their quarters," he ordered.
The servant bowed and led us through the halls of the mansion. The corridors were quiet now, and the evening light was beginning to fade outside the tall windows.
Soon we reached the guest rooms prepared for us.
There were two rooms arranged beside each other. Both were large and comfortable, with proper beds and simple furniture.
We quickly decided how to arrange ourselves.
Viserys and Daenerys were given one room. Emma stayed with them as well, partly to keep an eye on them, mindful of Viserys, and partly because it would make the young siblings more comfortable.
In the second room, Val, Leaf, and I stayed together. The rooms were right next to each other, so it was easy for us to move between them if needed.
After settling in, I brought our belongings from the place where they had been stored earlier. We had done some shopping in the last few days while searching the city. It did not take long to arrange our things.
By the time we finished, the sky outside had already grown dark. The evening lamps of Braavos were beginning to light up the canals and bridges of the city.
It had been a long day for all of us. Because of that, we decided not to explore the city that night. Instead, we agreed that we would begin visiting Braavos properly over the next few days.
I informed Viserys, Daenerys, and Emma of the plan so they would be ready.
The Sealord had also been thoughtful about our situation. He had already instructed his servants to provide proper clothing for the Targaryen siblings, clothing suitable for guests of his house.
Their old clothes were worn and in rags, so this gesture was appreciated.
Still, there was another matter to take care of.
In the coming days, I would need to take them through the markets of the city to buy lighter clothing for them.
That, along with exploring the famous sights of Braavos, and it's mysterious places, would occupy us for the next few days before we moved forward with our next plans.
As we retired for the day, Leaf said, "Manny, can we plant a Wierwood tree here in Braavos"?
End of Chapter 36 - Treating the poison 2