Chapter Text
I finally managed to start this after so much time planning, taking notes, and comparing ideas. All comments and analyses are welcome as long as they are constructive. Now, without further ado, enjoy the prologue of the story.
Leonardo Da Vinci POV
Ah… what a beautiful circle we have here. But not because of the aesthetics, but rather because of its efficiency and refinement. The invocation lines were precise but not excessive, just correct.
Whoever had called me was not trying to impress anyone. They were trying to get it right. That, in itself, already left me excited, even more considering the desire I heard before.
When the light of the circle dispersed I could see that I was in a room without furniture with white brick walls cut by stylized golden metal supports to look like a decoration when it is obviously a reinforcement for the walls.
Oh. This got interesting fast. In front of me was the master. Well let's see who is behind this magic circle.
A beautiful young adult of slender silhouette, with long lavender-purple hair falling silky to hip height, a rebellious strand curving gracefully at the top of the head.
She wore an impeccable white suit over a black dress shirt and a tie of the same color discreet in appearance, yet made with high-quality fabrics that betrayed refinement and power. The type of clothing that said "I don't want attention, but I know exactly what I'm doing."
Over the eyes rested a black blindfold ornamented with silver filigree, engraved with subtle Hellenic, Egyptian, and Norse patterns. In the center, a milky gem devoured the light instead of reflecting it. Fascinating. Very elegant. Extremely functional.
Both the blindfold and her cane are very well-made mystic codes, although I can see several layers of concealment in the tie which is obviously her hidden trump card. Not that she can hide it from me.
I can feel my master's magic she smells like ancient magic, some traces of divinity and curse. Well, this girl looks like she will be much more promising than I initially thought, she piqued my curiosity. But first I must make the introductions, after all we are both cultured people.
"I am the one who defines the concepts of genius and Renaissance man." I opened my arms with an impeccable smile. "The servant caster whose true name is Leonardo Da Vinci. But you can call me Da Vinci. It is more elegant." I announced, with a small smile as the anchor of the contract fixed itself.
"Greetings Da Vinci, I am Stheno Gorgon the one responsible for summoning you here." She spoke in a polished and formal tone, but that name along with the ancient magic, this curse I feel along with the blindfold.
Gorgon. Ah. Ahhh.
I opened a smile wider than I should. The surname, combined with that signature of Greek curse in the environment, practically screamed unresolved history. Athena, petrification, divine punishment… and something different. Something altered. This is very promising.
"So our contract is complete. When shall we seek the Holy Grail master?" I asked, lightly twirling my staff with lightness.
Hm. Interesting. So that was how you called me. Just… paper. A worn notebook, with marks far too familiar. I expected one of my paintings.
"The Gorgon family does not wish to participate in the war, I summoned you for a different motive, more personal we could say." Well I was already intrigued about the girl so I will hear her motives.
"Ohh. Tell me your motives master." I didn't even need to feign curiosity about them, even already knowing at least part of them.
"It is easier if I show you, follow me." With that she took her cane. And began to walk toward the door of the room. Soon I noticed that the sound of the cane hitting the floor is very light. Combined with the fact that she was not approaching the walls of the corridor and nor was there any type of tactile marking on the floor that she could follow. So she is either pretending to be blind or very accustomed to circulating through this place.
Just a few steps through the excessively decorated corridor in a superficial observation but that each piece, column and object clearly was stylized to
look like decoration hiding its utility as in the room where I was summoned. We were approached by a maid in a uniform of traditional shape and colors. And with a considerable magical power although smaller than that of my summoner.
"Milady I came to warn you that the meals you requested are ready and waiting for you and your guest. And that the items you requested were delivered and are stored in your workshop."
"Very well keep it hot we will go to the table in a few minutes."
"It shall be done milady." She bowed and went back the way she came.
I thought about saying something but my master started walking again even before the maid turned her back so I gave up.
Passing through another corridor after three turns we arrived at a room with the door and walls reinforced not only by magic but physically with visibly thicker walls and with metal reinforcements at strategic points like a prison.
Upon entering, the room confirmed to be a prison with a single cell inside. With thick bars made of an unknown metal being reinforced by more metal supports all enchanted.
"...Interesting." I paused. "And deeply wrong."
Inside the cell there was a single young woman asleep with an appearance equal to that of my summoner except for the scales on the arms, torso and
legs and the purple hair with several black snakes also asleep coming out of it. I think I already know where this is going.
I observed the cell for a few seconds before speaking. "So your family descends from Medusa." My hypothesis is right. "It makes sense. She is recognized, but the records in mythology have several versions and some of them contradict each other."
"Yes. This is Euryale. My twin sister." I let her continue speaking without interrupting, while analyzing both the cage and the person inside it.
"The eyes stayed with me." She lightly touched the blindfold. "The rest… stayed with her." The methods as to how this division occurred and its consequences remain unvoiced.
"Separating something like this… does not weaken." I paused, observing the sleeping snakes. "It only makes each part more… extreme. Right master?"
"Yes. Considering what you became famous for and your feats in life, am I right to suppose that you already discovered what I wish to do regarding the curse?" It is really obvious in these circumstances.
I feel a bit of pity for the other sister, but it's not like that would change my plans or anything of her life. Although I foresee that trying to discover the inner workings and how to break one of the most famous Greek curses will be a very interesting challenge in itself.
"Master…" I smiled sideways. "You are not trying to be subtle about it. But this raises a series of important questions."
"I am listening." She showed no reaction beyond the words she said, very respectable.
"First is the reaction of the rest of your family to this. I believe you already have at least two or three plans ready and already have preparations for one more. Considering all this thing of pride and paranoia of the magi that occurs currently."
"True. I will let you review some of my plans, even if only to have a third opinion on them."
"Second what does your sister think of this plan? Or did the division of the curse into aspects have some effect on her mind that I should know about?"
"Her consciousness comes and goes in cycles. Before they were fixed and she spent most of the time conscious, but she has been spending less and less time in sound consciousness. She is still there …sometimes. One of my theories was that this division would be the cause but I was not able to prove it until now or find a viable solution."
"So you decided to take advantage of being chosen as a master in this war." I made a dramatic pause. "To summon a caster who could help you find a solution? Preferably without either of us needing to fight in the war or go after the grail." She only nodded in response.
"All your assumptions are right. So will you be able to help me?" She maintained the same polished and formal tone throughout the whole conversation and barely moved or showed any reaction, but I can see the cracks. From the light and almost imperceptible tremor in the arms, the slight movement of the fingers and the way her mouth is positioned. All of this reveals quite a bit how she is feeling now.
So young and already so good at hiding and controlling her emotions I also have sympathy for her, if she already mastered skills like this at such a young age, she did not have an easy life.
"Third, are you prepared to lose your mystic eyes? It is one single curse even if it is divided between the two of you. Breaking the curse will affect both and not even I can change that."
There was a brief silence. Too short to be hesitation… too long to be irrelevant. "I am prepared for that possibility and also for a possible final divine interference be it from Athena or any other deity, be it real or not." I could feel a sting of fury pierce her impressive self-control in the pronunciation of the word deity.
"Saving your sister… defying a divine curse…" I smiled. "You know how to choose interesting problems, Stheno-chan." I paused. "I hope you also know how to survive them."
"So?" She still speaks in the formal tone but I can feel her expectation in my answer.
"I recognize your discipline and effort Stheno-chan. You can count on the support of this Da Vinci, one of the greatest geniuses of humanity to save your sister and to deal with this 'X' whoever they are."
Now I broke her composure completely by the way she is agape and paralyzed staring at me, so she really can see through that blindfold. I couldn't help but open a smile at that.
"How?" She let out quietly, but not enough to not be heard by me.
I assumed a didactic tone easily. "When you called me. I heard, not only the words of the spell, as well as your desire behind it and about whom you wanted to summon. You want to save your sister. To be freed from the war, although not exactly from this one and from the influence of this existence 'X', whatever it may be."
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Here is also a link to the image of Tanya's appearance for this fanfic. Unfortunately, it was made by an AI as I don't have money to pay an artist for it. If anyone wants to give their opinion or suggestions about her appearance, feel free to do so. Discussions and conversations are good as long as they don't turn into fights or threats start happening.