Kings Game

Chapter 21 - Moving Forward

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Kell's spear bounced on her shoulder as she walked, leading the way through some interior corridors towards the administrative district of the city. Roran watched as the buildings shifted from brick to stone to marble. Each section of the city had its own palette of building materials. This particular part of the city was made from various types of stone and rock. While each structure was a little different, they were all hard angles and sharp corners. The buildings were sparsely furnished, utilitarian in nature. A good match for the clerical staff that managed the day to day operations of the city.

Roran followed after Kell, marking how each building changed as they passed through the interior walkways. Nul stalked behind Roran, bleary eyed and miserable at being awake at sunrise.

"Almost there," said Kell.

Entering a hallway made of dark stone, Kell turned and headed up a set of stairs. The building was uniform in nature, the stairs and hallways quickly blending together and becoming indiscernible from each other. It reminded Roran of the hallways beneath the Crucible.

Kell stopped at a door marked with a number and a name: 2097 Carrick. Kell knocked twice. Carrick opened the door and poked his head out. He peered down the hallway in each direction before letting them enter.

The interior of the apartment was quaint and cozy. A plush armchair sat in the corner with a bookcase on either side. There was a small kitchenette that was well stocked with pots and pans of all shapes and sizes. The door to the bedroom was open, offering a glimpse at a large bed with big pillows and a fluffy comforter. Portraits and trophies hung on the walls along with a small collection of halberds.

The apartment had everything it needed to be warm and comforting, yet it felt cold and lonely, like a fireplace that had gone out in the middle of the night. A thin layer of dust covered most of the furnishings. The kitchen appeared not to have been touched in years save for a handful of plates in the sink and a kettle on the stove. Even the brief glimpse of the bedroom revealed a pile of clerk's robes lying on the floor.

"You're early," said Carrick, stoking a few embers in the stove and putting the kettle on to boil. He moved about, closing the bedroom door and tidying the kitchen so that it appeared completely untouched.

"I said we'd get here a little after sunrise."

"Has the sun risen?" Carrick went to a window and pulled back a heavy curtain. He sighed as rays of light filtered into the apartment, revealing just how dusty everything was. "So it is. Sit down and I'll have the tea out in a moment. And before you ask, no I don't have coffee."

Nul deflated and went to the table to sulk in silence, taking a moment to brush dust off their chair before sitting down.

"Looks like you still haven't had breakfast," said Kell. "Want me to cook something?"

"I want you to sit down and not touch anything," said Carrick.

"Fine. You sure are grumpy in the mornings."

"I just don't like visitors."

"We could have done this at my place."

"I'm not carrying my weight in books across the damn city. Just sit there quietly and give me five minutes."

Kell looked at Roran and mouthed, 'grumpy.'

Roran shrugged and took a place at the table, brushing the layer of dust off the placemat in front of him. He examined the portraits and trophies on the wall. The portraits were mostly of a woman. Likely Carrick's late wife. She did have a little resemblance to Kell, though she was much taller and had a fuller figure. The most striking resemblance was the grin. They both had a mischievous smile that lit up their faces. A pair of wild women a generation apart.