169 Is The Dessert Edible?

Lycster was rather hesitant to take a bite despite how delicious it looked. The suspicion they had was written all over their faces. To the people at the other end of the table, this was a common sight. Hence, the man with the beard and brown eyes assured them that it was safe to eat.

"Let's put it that way, if we wanted to poison your food, why wait till dessert?" he declared with a chuckle.

He was right, but what if?

"Well, you could be doing so to gain our trust, so that we would lower our guard," Vy pointed out.

Usually, they did not get much push back after they stated their piece. This was a first for them. The three people tried hard to hide their disbelief. They were impressed. Seeing their quizzed expressions reassured Vy.

Vy decided to trust her gut and her instincts. Furthermore, the aromatic fragrance of vanilla, sugar and eggs was making her mouth water. If she was to go out after having a taste of such a delicious smelling dessert; she would have no regrets. Vy dug her spoon into the plate of dessert. Did we mention it was also covered in a freshly made vanilla cream sauce?

Seeing Vy eat it, made Lycster follow suit. Both of them did not regret their decision. The perfect blend of sweetness and warmth fused into a spoonful of dessert. It was divine. Not to mention, the hint of cinnamon that helped to enhance the flavour of the dish.

After they began to take a couple of bites of the dessert, the man with the beard introduced himself as Norvak Gresley. The woman who sat next to him introduced herself as Zylphy Tremaine and the man on the right introduced himself as Wilfred Jones.

"We're members of Future Eye. We are very excited to finally meet you in person, Miss Blackfire," Zylphy said as she smiled.

"We're glad to have gotten your invitation as well," Vy returned the courtesy

Going into their meeting, Vy did not really know what to expect. The information she had on them was extremely limited. She could not help but wonder why they were keen on meeting both of them.

"You must be wondering why we invited you here to meet us," Norvale commented as if he had read her mind.

Vy nodded, "It was definitely unexpected. Although I am not entirely sure what the Future Eye does either. How could we possibly be of use to you?"

Sometimes it was best to get straight to the point. Zylphy chuckled as she shook her head. Her bun up hairstyle kept her black curls in place.

"I understand your concerns, Miss Blackfire. The first invitation I received was sketchier than this," Zylphy said as she leaned back in her chair as she revisited the past in her mind.

"But I can assure you, that we mean no harm. Well, this is not entirely true… " Zylphy continued.

As she spoke, Vy found herself reaching for her dagger on instinct.

"You're making our guest nervous, Zylphy," Wilfred commented, "Apologies on behalf of my associate, Miss Blackfire. Our words can be cryptic. I don't want us to waste time chasing each other's tails. So let us get straight to the point."

Wilfred paused as he took a sip from his teacup.

"We have a proposal for you."

"A proposal?"

"Yes."

"Pardon me for being cautious but I've had some turn sour for me recently. So pardon me if I'm wary of proposals," Vy snapped back.

Remembering what happened in Arkwing Castle only caused the fire of rage and anger to burn inside her.

"Ah yes, the Arkwing Castle incident," Zylphy lowered her eyes, "That was a rather unfortunate event. Our condolences,"

-So, they knew about it.- Vy thought to herself.

Vy arched her eyebrow, did this mean that they had eyes in the Capital City? She realised that this was not the first letter of invitation the Future Eye had sent her. The previous letter she had received from them at their home in the Prism Sector was the first.

They knew her movements, through and through. Dipping her spoon into the bread pudding, she thanked Zylphy for her kindness.

"What proposal do you have in mind?" Vy asked as she took another bite.

"We would like to offer Lycster Blackfire, an arm," Norvak explained.

"An arm? For me?" Lycster lit up.

He turned to look at Vy and back at the three adults that sat across from him.

Was it even possible? If even the Elves were not able to reconstruct his arm, what other options would they possibly have? Vy wondered about it too. Could this all be simply a ruse? Vy's Familiar, Aether, who had been silent the entire exchange, stirred at the response Norvak had given.

His voice rang in Vy's mind. -Hear their offer before making a decision.-

Although they might not have gotten to know each other much since the summoning ritual, Vy felt that Aether understood her completely. His presence often reminded her of Dotty, but wiser.

"What sort of proposal do you have in mind? An arm for an arm?" Vy mused.

Wifred chuckled, "We aren't savages, Miss Blackfire. Nor do we require your blood. We simply require your services to complete some tasks."

"Tasks?"

Zylphy raised her hand showing the number three, "Three tasks."

Vy leaned back in her chair as she finished the last mouthful of bread pudding. The little raisins that were baked into the dessert were plump and sweet. She enjoyed biting down on them as she pondered over what they had said.

"So for the lack of a better term, you would like me to be your errand girl?"

"That will be one of your roles, yes," Wilfred replied.

"Three tasks. No more? No less?"

"No more, no less," Zylphy echoed Vy's words.

-They do not sound like easy tasks.- Vy thought to herself.

Lycster knew better than to interrupt the adults who were discussing. But it was his arm in question after all! Shouldn't he have a say in it? Shouldn't he have a part to play? Lycster bit down on his lip, trying to keep his mouth shut.

But it was his arm on the line after all! Why was it his sister who had to pay the price? While he was eternally grateful that his sister was willing to go through any lengths to do anything for him, he was worried about what it would mean for them.

"I know how all of this might sound right now. But unfortunately, that is all we can reveal for now," Zylphy sighed.

"Alright, I'll do it," Vy replied swiftly, "But I have one request."

The Future Eye associates were surprised by Vy's swift reply. They had expected more questions, or at the very least, more resistance.