Kings Game

Chapter 49 - Options & Chapter 50 - Rendezvous

(1)

Nul placed another book below the amulet, stepping back to watch as the device split open and absorbed the book's contents. Beside them sat a small pile of books that remained to be cataloged.

"Won't you rest?" asked Akanos.

"I slept well enough at the manor. I want to get this done so we can focus on settling the others here."

"I don't want them in the library, they'll-"

"I don't care what you want. I defeated you, remember? You yourself said this library was mine to do with as I please, and what I want is to welcome my friends and give them somewhere safe and comfortable to relax until we go home."

"You've been snippy ever since your little friend lost her fight."

Snapping, Nul turned and yelled, "She almost died! Again!"

Nul's voice echoed through the library. The word again echoing over and over. Softer, Nul said, "She keeps pushing herself. She keeps putting herself in danger. This isn't the first time she's almost died in a fight. This isn't even the worst that she's been injured. If she keeps it up...her luck is going to run out."

"That's why she has you, to support her."

"For all the good it did. We just sat there, watching. Roran should have told her how to win, that's his job. He's our strategist. And I...I should have..."

"You should have created etchings to combat an opponent that you've never fought before and know next to nothing about? Phalyn was—is—a fierce warrior. Even at D'Lator she was in a league of her own."

Nul didn't respond.

"The etchings you put on your friend were some of the best combat markings I've ever seen. Simple yet elegant, each design woven into the next while still compartmentalized. Despite her loss, it was clear that she was stronger and faster than Phalyn. And Phalyn has only grown in strength since her death. In all honesty, Nul, you should be proud of your work and Kellsinora should be proud that she wounded the Spear Maiden at all."

Nul sighed, their shoulders falling. They fell back into a chair and rubbed their face feeling defeated.

"Call her Kell, don't use her full name."

"My apologies, Kell it is."

"What is D'Lator?"

"I'm not entirely sure. A military compound of some sort. I only recognize the name from the hole it left in my memory. Given that Phalyn was from my homeland, I would imagine she was involved with defending it."

"Phalyn was from the lost kingdom?"

"Of course. How many dark haired, blue eyed Uhlarans have you seen? I'm sure she has ties to Uhlara, given the folktales about her, but she was most definitely one of my kinsmen."

"And you don't know the details?"

"Only what the Uhlarans say about her, the rest was taken by the Godspell. After a fierce and miserable battle, Phalyn dragged the bodies of her comrades—all of which were said to be Uhlaran—up to the tomb where they now reside. While most of them died, several survived and went on to become the royal bloodline that rules over Uhlara to this day. At some point they changed the story so Phalyn was Uhlaran herself. I don't know what other revisions were made over the years, but we know that much at least."

Nul nodded, slowly putting the pieces together.

"The survivors were probably the ones that started settling Uhlara in the first place, that would explain why their bloodline still rules."