Chapter 360: Lady Veres
The Veres manor stood as tall and imposing as ever. Even from the distant carriage, Callum could make out the enormous dark grey towers that circled the mansion. It was more of a castle than a mansion. Despite the manor being situated near the Central District, as far as one could be from the city walls, the Veres family had built the manor as a fortress, a testament to their martial prowess, or paranoia Callum guessed.
As the carriage rolled up to the manor, Callum noticed a red-cloaked figure waiting at the gate. She was clad in silver-steel armor from head to toe, no doubt enchanted by the finest brown mage smiths in the city. Like most Gales, she was tall and carried herself in a mantle of solemnity and duty. Her hair was braided for efficiency and as dark as the ebon wall.
The carriage door swung open and Callum hopped down with the grace of an exhausted cat who had been walking nonstop for over a week.
The red-cloaked figure hid her smirk over her hand as she pretended to cough.
“It’s good to see you too, Lynette,” Callum sighed with an air of exhaustion.
“Welcome home, young master.” She looked him up and down questioningly, “I hope the carriage ride was comfortable?”
“Oh, you mean the carriage that brought me here from the city’s gates? Yeah, the last stretch of a several hundred leagues journey on foot was definitely made ‘comfortable’ thanks to a half-an-hour carriage ride. Thanks for asking.”
Lynette raised her eyebrow, “I take it things did not go as planned?”
Callum shrugged and stared at his feet. He hadn’t been able to feel his toes for the last few hours. “You could say that.”