Zahn Und Klaue

Chapter Seven: Cinder

Chapter Seven: Cinder

"Hope not ever to see Heaven. I have come to lead you to the

other shore; into eternal darkness; into fire and into ice."

- Canto Three, "Dante's Inferno"

Konrad rolled out into the hallway, closing the door behind him, his mood foul.

Wheeling himself through the mansion halls, observing the various paintings that he passed by, he cast his eyes around, listening intently. His ear twitched as he passed a corridor; Spinal was still struggling to get out from his bindings upstairs to wreck some havoc.

He frowned. He should remind either Jurgen or Dieter to get some soundproofing equipment or walls constructed up in the attic. The little bastard was making a lot of noise and if left unattended it could spell problems.

Konrad wondered if the servants had heard the commotion.

'Speaking of which, where is everyone?'  he wondered.

The building seemed oddly empty.

Moving down a corridor lined with the ivory busts of his ancestors on either side, Konrad glanced upon each member of the Sabrewulf household. On his left was Wilhelm Von Sabrewulf, the first of the Konrad's lineage who received the title of Freiherr during the time of the Holy Roman Empire. Outside of his having been so along with the fact that he had participated in a war, quite possibly the Thirty Years' War, little else was known about him. In fact, much of the same could be said of the other men whose likenesses were depicted in ivory form. Jurgen and his father Max tried to make it a point for Konrad to recognize the achievements and greatness of these men, along with some of their faults, but the only thing Konrad felt toward them was bitterness.

Shifting his attention away from the busts, he ignored their staring eyes as he passed them by.

* * *

Once Konrad had gotten downstairs, he looked around suspiciously.

Nobody seemed to be around.

What the hell was going on?

"Hello?" he called.

He waited for a response.

"Hello?" he repeated.

Jurgen appeared from around the corner with a tray in hand.

"Ah, just in time, Herr Baron," he said. "I have your dinner prepared and was just about to put it onto the dining room table. Just give me a moment, sir. I'll be right with you."

Konrad waited as the man disappeared briefly, then reappeared to guide him in.

"Where is everyone?" Konrad asked.

"I gave the servants a day off," Jurgen said as he wheeled the aristocrat through a set of doors leading to the dining room. "I also cancelled your appointments with Dr. Gupte and Mr. Zhou so that you would get the chance to heal from your injuries."

Konrad winced as he recalled their last interaction. He felt ashamed of his behavior. He very nearly hurt the servant, the one person he counted and depended upon for years. While it was true that Dieter was a loyal friend, Jurgen was more than that; he was family. A brother. One who had seen Konrad at his worst, something that would have driven many away. And yet, despite everything, he continued to serve by his side with unparalleled patience and dedication.