Kings Game

Chapter 111 - Suffering

(1)

Someone was shaking Roran. Someone was always shaking him awake. Why couldn't the world let him sleep. Why couldn't he be allowed to rest. Ever since he was ripped from his home, it had been one nightmare after another, a never ending string of events as the world unraveled around him.

"Hey kid, you alive?"

Roran groaned and rolled over. It was unusually cold and the ground beneath him was hard. Groping around, he realized that he had been sleeping on cobblestone. Roran had passed out in an alleyway somewhere in the city.

A man was standing over him, an annoyed look on his face. "You shouldn't sleep here, you might get robbed or killed."

"Sorry," was all Roran said. He forced himself into a sitting position and rubbed his face. He felt awful, not surprising given that he'd slept outside on the ground. "What time is it?"

"Time for you to leave. Come on, let's go."

As much as his ego protested at being treated like a vagrant, Roran forced himself to his feet and stumbled out of the alleyway. Brushing himself off, he tried to find his bearings. He remembered his encounter with Murrin and leaving the immediate area, but from the moment he let go of his godspell everything became a blur. The snapback effect had left him utterly drained and disoriented. Matriarch Gwendalyn was going to scold him when he got home.

The sky was overcast and gray, again, making it impossible to tell what time of day it was. The chill wind had subsided, which was a blessing, but the weather was unseasonably cold. It felt like a bad omen. He wished he could have asked someone about it. Sarah and Karyn would both have answers. Sarah had centuries of knowledge tucked away inside her like old memories, and was always happy to share them. If Sarah didn't know something, then Karyn could divine knowledge out of thin air. Both of them had been so magical in their own ways. He missed them dearly. Roran pulled his hood down low and tucked the robes around his body, hugging himself. Someday, if he survived, he would get Sarah back.

Roran found that he'd passed out on the border of Mount Balaki and Mount Vassilis. He must have followed the slope down into the little valley between them before his body finally gave out. Knowing where he was told him where to go and he made the trudge home.

As arrived at the front door, he was surprised to see Kell walking up the street as well. She was covered in dirt and dust, with fresh bruises on her chest and neck. She looked like she'd been thrown through a building and out the other side.

Kell gave him a once over. "You look like shit."

"You too," said Roran.

"Made some poor decisions and lost a fight. You?"

"Ran into some people from Millgrove. Ended up passing out in an alley on the way home."

Kell grunted. "Since when did we become so pathetic?"

"We've always been a bit scruffy."

"Speak for yourself, I used to be a proper lady."

Roran grinned. "Emphasis on the past tense, unless you're about to swear off violence and start wearing poofy dresses again."

"Oh shut it," said Kell, opening the door and heading inside. "And I still like those poofy dresses! Even if they're not good for fighting."

As Kell and Roran walked in the door, they nearly ran into Matriarch Gwendalyn who gave them both a horrified look.

"I thought I heard you two outside. Where in the heavens have you been? By god, you both look awful."

Kell shrugged. "Just out tramping around. Is there food?"