Kings Game

Chapter 6 - Nul (4)

Leaving the clerk behind, they headed back out into the hallway. Instead of heading towards the apartments, Kell began leading them down through another hallway.

Roran imagined this must be what ants felt like, constantly traveling through tunnels, out of the sunlight and only catching wisps of fresh air as they passed by entryways. All of King's City may as well have been a massive ant hive, dug deep into the ground, with the three Kings ruling over everything from their special chambers.

"How much money do you have left?" asked Nul.

"How much money do you have on you?" asked Kell.

Nul groaned in response.

"Oh relax, we're already paid up through the month. I just need one good win in the King's Arena and we'll be set."

"What are you planning, King of the Hill?" asked Nul.

"Maybe, I was hoping for something a little more chaotic. Maybe a game of War, I can earn quite a few points in War."

"Yes, but the other team can also ambush you. You've made a lot of enemies, they would love the chance to gang up on you."

Kell shrugged. "You know I love a challenge."

Roran listened to their back and forth, only half understanding. He knew that the arenas had other games besides the death matches in the Crucibles, but he didn't know what they were or how they worked.

"You could apply for a grudge match," said Nul.

"Oh, so now you want me to kill someone?"

"You are known for being violent."

"Let's just see what the schedule looks like and we can play it by ear. No matter what we do, I want Roran to watch."

"Me?" asked Roran, surprised.

"Yes you, are there any other Roran's here?" asked Kell. "It will be good for you to see a proper bout in the arena, it will also give you a chance to see how I use my focus markings."

"I meant to ask about that," began Roran, "what sort of magic do you use?"

"Mostly physical enhancement, nothing too flashy. We can get into the details later, for now, we need to buy you some gear!"

Kell turned abruptly and kicked open a door, leading them out into the sunlight. Around them was a market square full of people, smoke, and the sound of metal being worked over by hammers.

"This is one of the better metal markets," said Kell, "It's where I get most of my spears. We'll be able to set you up with a proper sword and shield here." Kell stuck out her hand. "How much do we have to spend?"

"This much," said Nul, handing a fistful of coins to Roran.

Kell glared at Nul. Nul shrugged. "He needs to learn how to count money."

Roran already knew how to count money, he just needed to adjust to the prices in the city. "I'll let Kell haggle," he said, "but I'll hold onto the coins."

Nul and Kell found this agreeable and they went through the market, looking at the various stalls with their weapon on display.

During the war, weapons had flooded into Millgrove, turning the farmers into soldiers. Those that couldn't afford weapons and armor fashioned it themselves out of the metal tools they had lying around. All of the weaponry and armor of Millgrove's militia combined paled in comparison to the sheer amount of weaponry for sale in the market.

There were swords, spears, halberds, axes, sickles, knives, daggers, rapiers, flails, maces, and hammers; and that was just what Roran could see. There was armor, metal and leather and plated. There was clothing, both thick and protective and light and maneuverable. There was everything a small province would need to wage a war, and it was all condensed down into a single market square.

"You should stick with a short sword and buckler for now," said Kell. "It works for your body type and you don't need finesse to be effective with them."

"The shield will be more important than the sword," said Nul.

"What? Why?" asked Kell, her eyebrows shooting up, "You need a good edge to get anywhere in the arena."

"A good edge won't matter if he's dead," said Nul. "Focus on keeping him alive, you can make him a killer later."

Roran didn't add anything to the conversation. He was already a murderer and yet was completely helpless when it came to killing.

"Fine, let's look at some damascus shields and then we can use the rest of our budget on a halfway decent sword."

Kell led the way, weaving them through the maze of stalls until they came upon an armorer. He had a wide variety of shields and armor sitting out on display. Kell handed him her marker medallion then began digging through his wares, tossing the occasional buckler shield at Roran.

After trying on half a dozen different shields, he found one that fit his arm and felt like a good fit. It was a little smaller than the others, and plain looking, but it had a good heft to it and the armorer swore up and down that the steel was of the highest quality. Kell spent a few minutes haggling with him before Roran counted out over half of their coins and paid the man.

Next, after collecting her marker medallion from the armorer, Kell dragged them off to a swordsmith. This time, when they reached the stall, Kell nudged Roran and pushed him towards the vendor.

The smith held out his hand, "Medallion?" Mimicking Kell, Roran handed over his freshly minted marker medallion. The smith gave it a quick once over before pocketing it and gesturing to his wares. "What can I interest you in?"

"We're on a budget," said Kell, "Just something halfway decent."

The smith jerked his thumb to a table at the end of his stall. "Cheap stuff is over there, holler if you need anything." Then turned to the next customer.

Kell picked over the swords while Roran watched from a few feet away.

"Not going to try out the swords?" asked Nul.

"I wouldn't know what to look for," said Roran. "Whatever Kell picks should be fine for me."

"For someone that took Kell head on, you're an easy going person."

Roran shrugged. "I control what I can and figure the rest out as I go. That's what my mom taught me."

"Mother's are kind like that," said Nul. Their face turned sour as they watched Kell dig through the swords like an excitable child. Even though the swords were cheap, Kell was still having fun weapon shopping. "Most mothers anyway."

"This should do!" Kell handed Roran a short sword of polished steel. He gave it a few test swings. Kell grimaced. "Don't worry," she said, "We'll work on that."

Satisfied, Roran paid the swordsmith and collected his marker medallion.

"Great," said Kell, "now I just need to show you how to use it!"