KingSweet

A Journey's Beginning

The knock on my door woke me at noon. Sparx wandered in a moment later, smirking to find me still in bed.

"Everyone else is downstairs and ready you know."

I stretched luxuriously, tensing each muscle before I rolled out of bed.

"I realized that we won't be sleeping in warm fluffy beds for a while." I said, shrugging. I pulled on the captain's ensemble I had worn to the recruitment a few weeks back. "I figured I should make the most of my final opportunity. Besides, this is my quest... mission... thing. They can't exactly leave without me."

"So... you want to make an impression," Sparx laughed. "I can respect that. And it gives me a better excuse to be in here. The real one would never do."

"And that is...?"

"I figured you'd forget something important; like the Kingblade that's still sitting on your sword rack. Oh and I wanted a few more weapons, and your quarters are the closest thing to an armory we have."

"We have one." I said. "People just take whatever they fancy and never put anything back that isn't rusted or off-balance. We're pirates after all."

Sparx rolled her eyes and started flipping chests and closets open that I hadn't bothered to look in yet. She gathered a bunch of belts and straps, and then began sliding knives through slits and into scabbards. Knives were slid into her boots, tied to her forearm beneath her sleeve, and tucked against her ribs. She took one of my cutlasses, and added a dirk to the side of her belt where she'd sheathed the red-hilted dagger. Over all of this she draped two belts of throwing knives.

"You define that as a few more?"

Sparx shrugged. "I don't want to miss an opportunity because I couldn't get to a blade. The throwing knives are for you, and you haven't seen Grim yet. He practically bristles. I mean, he couldn't exactly pull off cute and harmless before, but with all of the visible steel he goes from intimidating to deadly."

"Your choice," I said. "You'll be the one carrying all of the weight. I don't even want to bring the Kingblade. The stupid thing is heavy, and I feel like a child whenever I draw it. It's another reminder that the word 'king' usually means male leader. But I should bring it. You're right."

"Which is why I have your throwing knives," she said. "There is no good way for you to carry the Kingblade across your back while you have a belt of small knives around your torso. Your pack is downstairs. I already checked it. Jumé gave you cold weather gear, boots, food, a bed roll, your hat, and some sort of rain cloak. He gave you a map too, though I don't know why we'll need it if we have Tithe. I added in the rings you got from Vidan, and a few pretty trinkets in case we have to trade honestly for some reason. Can you think of anything I've forgotten?"

I shook my head and walked out the door, leaving Sparx to trail after me.

"I probably would have forgotten the cloak if it had been up to me. I can't even remember the last time it rained here."

"But this may not be the case in other worlds."

I nodded to Jumé as he came out of another hallway and joined Sparx and I as we headed down the stairs.

"You would know better than I would," I admitted. "I haven't had much time to gather information about where we're headed. I've left that up to you."