The cobblestones were uneven. That was what Lucid noticed first. Not the chaos. Not the noise. Not the fact that Port Vexis seemed to operate on the principle that if something could be louder it should be louder. Just that the cobblestones were uneven and his feet kept finding new ways to almost trip.
'Focus. You are here to find a medic. Not catalog street maintenance failures.'
But the city made focusing difficult. It threw sensory input at him like a merchant throwing samples at potential customers. Overwhelming. Relentless. Designed to prevent thought.
To his left, a crowd had gathered in a rough circle. Men shouted. Money changed hands. In the center of the circle, two scorpions the size of dinner plates circled each other with the patience of creatures that knew violence was inevitable and were in no rush.
'Scorpion fighting. Of course. Why would people not bet on scorpions fighting.'
He kept walking.
Cargo workers hauled crates that should have required three people but were being managed by one through what looked like sheer stubbornness and possibly spite. Merchants lined the street. Some honest. Some less honest. Some so blatantly dishonest it looped back around to being almost refreshing in its transparency.
"Young master!"
"Fine silks!"
"Rare spices!"
"Weapons blessed by three separate covenants!"
'Three covenants. Right. Because one covenant blessing was not enough for a sword.'
Lucid navigated through the verbal assault with the practice of someone who had already been scammed once today and learned his lesson. Keep walking. Do not make eye contact. Pretend extreme deafness.
It was working until she stepped directly into his path.
Not grabbed his sleeve. Not called out. Just appeared in front of him with the timing of someone who had calculated exactly where he would be and when.
She was young. Maybe his age. Maybe younger. Hard to tell with the cap pulled low over her eyes, casting her face in shadow. Merchant clothes hung loose on a frame that suggested either deliberate styling or genuine poverty. Her smile though. Her smile was engineered. Crafted. The kind of smile that could take a person off their feet if they were not careful!
"Hello there!" Her voice matched the smile. Warm. Inviting. Dangerous in ways he could not quite articulate.
"Not interested," Lucid said automatically.
"Not interested in what? I have not offered anything yet."
"Whatever you are selling."
"How do you know I am selling anything?"
"You are standing in the merchant district. Wearing merchant clothes. Smiling at me. The math is not complicated."
She laughed. Bright. Genuine sounding. Probably practiced to sound genuine which made it more impressive!
"My! Such cynicism in one so young! What happened to you to make you so distrustful?"
"I got scammed buying dishwater earlier."
"Dishwater?"
"The merchant called it healing potions."
She laughed again. "Oh dear! You do need help then!"
Lucid tried to step around her. She moved with him. Not blocking exactly. Just maintaining the conversation distance through some kind of merchant spatial awareness.
"Is this how you treat future potential customers?" Lucid asked. The irritation was creeping into his voice now.
"It worked!" She grinned. "Seems to have gotten your attention."
'She has a point. Damn it, she has a point!'
"Fine. You have my attention. What do you want?"
She tilted her head. The cap shifted slightly but not enough to reveal her eyes. "The question is not what I want. The question is what you need."
"I need directions to a medic named Jing Xiu."
"Interesting! But that is not what you need right now. Right now you need something else entirely."
"And you know what I need?"
"I am a merchant. Reading people is literally my job." She stepped closer. Not invasive, but rather friendly. "You are new to Port Vexis. Probably arrived today or yesterday. You have been scammed at least once already. You are looking for someone specific which means you have a goal. And you are walking alone which means either you are very confident or very stupid."
"Could be both."
"Could be! But I think you are neither. I think you are just tired and trying very hard to seem like you know what you are doing."
Lucid said nothing. The accuracy stung more than he wanted to admit!
She reached into her merchant bag. Produced a small box. Opened it to reveal a ring sitting on velvet that had seen better days.
The ring itself was simple. Silver band. Small stone that might have been glass or might have been something more expensive. It caught light in ways that seemed almost deliberate.
"This," she said with the reverence usually reserved for religious artifacts, "is exactly what you need."
"I do not need a ring."
"Everyone needs a ring."
"I do not even wear jewelry."
"Then you are overdue to start!"
Lucid looked at the ring. Then at her smile. Then back at the ring. "Why do I need this?"
"Because it is blessed by Mother Alisia herself!"
'Oh no. Here we go.'
"How much?" he asked. Might as well know the scale of the scam before walking away.
"Ten gold."
"What!"
"Yup!"
She leaned in closer. Close enough that he could see the edge of her cap. Close enough to smell whatever perfume she wore. Something floral. Deliberate. Part of the performance.
"Of course, for you I can make special price."
"Yeah? How special?"
"Very special! Because I like your face!"
"You cannot even see my face. The mist."
"I can see enough! You have trustworthy eyes!"
"You cannot see my eyes either!"
"Trustworthy mist then!" She waved a hand dismissively. "The point is this ring is worth far more than ten gold coins. If you were to sell it you could get a decent amount of platinum!"
"Then why are you selling it for ten gold?"
She placed a hand over her heart with theatrical sincerity. "Because! The real duty of a merchant is not to acquire a lot of profit. No no no!"
"Oh?"
"Rather we shall provide for the people what they truly desire! What they truly need! If that makes you satisfied then I as a merchant have fulfilled my duties!"
"While gaining money of course."
"How blunt!" She looked genuinely scandalized. "The money comes second!"
"Does it though?"
"Absolutely! Customer satisfaction is paramount! Now sir! How much can you afford?"
Lucid thought frantically. He had seven gold coins. That was it. His entire budget since Karmen had given him funds before everything went sideways. And that damn princess! She had not even financed his mission properly! Shit shit shit!
The girl leaned in closer with a smile that suggested she knew exactly how much he had and was enjoying watching him calculate.
"Seven," Lucid said. "I have seven gold coins."
"Seven!"
"That is all I have."
She considered. Tapped her chin. Looked at the ring. Looked at him. Back to the ring.
"You have a deal!"
"Really?"
"Yippie!"
She plucked the seven coins from his hand before he could reconsider. Pressed the ring into his palm. Closed his fingers around it.
"Pleasure doing business with you!"
And then she was gone. Disappeared into the crowd with the efficiency of someone who had perfected the art of the quick exit.
Lucid stood holding a ring he did not need. Seven gold coins poorer. The bitter taste of defeat settling in his mouth.
'I got scammed. Again. I got scammed again!'
He pocketed the ring with more force than necessary and started walking. Asking for directions now. Actually asking instead of just hoping he would stumble onto the right building through sheer luck.
The responses varied wildly. A drunk man told him to check the eastern district. Another drunk man told him the eastern district did not exist and he was thinking of the western district. A woman said Jing Xiu was a myth. A child said Jing Xiu was her uncle and he lived in a boat. A merchant told him to piss off because of his fogged face.
'This city is a nightmare. This entire city is a coordinated nightmare designed specifically to make me suffer!'
The day was still young when he hit someone.
Not metaphorically. Actually physically walked directly into another person and sent both of them stumbling.
The other person dropped what they were carrying. A package. Purple lilies scattered across the cobblestones in a explosion of color and petals.
"Oh no! My wares!"
Lucid scrambled to his feet. Started gathering the flowers. They were beautiful up close. Purple so deep it was almost black. Petals soft despite having hit stone.
"How will I get them to my destination now that they are damaged!"
The voice was playful. Theatrical. Enjoying this!
The young man Lucid had hit was picking himself up with exaggerated care. Yellow curls caught sunlight. Black coat fell to his knees. Golden eyes watched Lucid with something between amusement and calculation.
"I am sorry!" Lucid said. Extended a hand. "I was not paying attention."
"Oh Mother Alisia!" The young man clutched his chest. "I demand fifty gold coins!"
"I do not have fifty gold coins!"
"Then I suppose I will have to sue!"
"Sue?"
The young man took Lucid's offered hand. Pulled himself up. They stood face to face. Or face to mist in Lucid's case.
The young man's golden eyes lit up with intrigue. Then ot got replaced by something else. Something calculating.
"Woe! You got Such an ugly face!"
Lucid recoiled. "Excuse me?"
"I suppose I will forgive your actions after all! I pity you! No one will engage a contract with you! Especially the way you look!"
"What!"
But the young man's movements had become graceful. Deliberate. He gathered his lilies with practiced efficiency. Bundled them back into the package. Straightened his coat.
"Well then, I shall take my leave!" He executed a small bow that somehow managed to be both polite and mocking.
Then he was walking away. Black coat swirling. Gone around a corner before Lucid could form a response.
"Weird guy," Lucid muttered.
He stood there for a moment. Processing. Then shook his head and continued walking.
Finally. Finally! After what felt like hours but was probably less. He stood in front of a building that matched the description someone had grudgingly provided.
Sleek. Carved. Architecture that suggested the Dao Dynasty's influence. Precise. Geometric. Beautiful in a way that felt almost aggressive.
This was it. The residence of Jing Xiu. Practitioner. Medic. Possibly the person who could provide answers about what the hell was happening to his body!
Lucid breathed. In. Out. Straightened his shoulders.
Opened the door.