NOVGO.NET Chapter 1989 Bed of Gravel
Chapter 1989: Chapter 1989 Bed of Gravel
— Kat —
Steel had his head in his hands and just looked so done with everything. Lily had woken him up, sadly, but it needed to be done. Now that she was back in his house and Lin had gone off to terrorise someone else. “I suppose I need to go speak to the king then…” sighed Steel.
“Why didn’t we do that when we were in the palace earlier?” asked Kat as Steel stood up and started to get his armour on.
“Because the first explosion, by all accounts, was an old relic. It had plenty of time to take in mana for the explosion and even more time to break down. It was unfortunate but you can’t simply find something like that everywhere. Most buildings aren’t even that old. The issue, is we now have proof that someone can make their own, and they’re willing to use them,” groaned Steel as he finished putting on the lower half of his armour.
“So now it’s time to see the king?” asked Kat.
“Indeed. I wish I didn’t have to be awake for this, but you made the right call waking me up for it. It seems like I’m going to be extremely low on sleep for a bit… but we just can’t risk extra bombs going off around the city. The problem now is that it might make certain advisors, and maybe even the king himself more stubborn…” sighed Steel.
“What do you mean?” asked Kat as she helped with the last pieces of armour. Steel still did most of the work but she could hold things in place while they were buckled up. Enchantments made it possible to do it yourself but not necessarily easily.
“If this is an attempt to force us to open the city up… the advisors might decide to cancel the tunnel project simply because someone else was trying to force their hands. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the perspective but it sucks because their forceful attempts are going to cause me a whole lot of problems and seem, at least to me, to be far less effective at solving the problem. Especially when it should have been wrapped up within a week. Less if I had my way…” grumbled Steel.
Kat nodded, and left with Steel once he was ready. She gave a quick few scratches to Lily, not wanting to wake Hedera, and then left soon after. The route to the castle was quite familiar at this point and it was simply a matter of traversal… but with the recent explosion Kat wouldn’t deny a tense feeling seemed to hover around the area. She was actively using little bits of demonic power to try and use her senses to detect anything off. Not really focusing on something in specific, just hoping her instincts would clue her in.
She didn’t feel any sort of urge one way or the other in the end. Kat didn’t know if there was nothing to find, or if she simply couldn’t. It was exceptionally hard to test that sort of thing after all. Kat had managed to avoid things moments before they happened in the past, so it seemed reasonable to try and utilise it more effectively, but if this was the way Kat couldn’t say that with certainty.
“Steel here to see the King,” said Steel at the front gates.
The guards glanced to each other. “We have been told the King is unavailable for more casual meetings at this point in time… but we understand, Captain, that this is likely a serious issue. I’m afraid we’ll still need to contact Charles for his final approval.”
Steel winced but nodded, “Are things so bad already?”
The guard looked unsure. An odd thing to be able to do while wearing a helmet and completely hiding their face. “I couldn’t possibly comment. Of course, I can inform you, as Guard Captain, that my orders were put in place fairly early on in the day. Earlier then some other events, surely.”
Steel frowned when the running made his way by, before heading off to get Charles. *Does that mean he was already out of commission when the meeting with the advisors was happening? Steel didn’t seem too concerned at the time but perhaps he should be… but Charles didn’t seem worried and he clearly knows what’s going on right?
And… and Charles looks like Charles right? I suppose if there was an illusion on him I wouldn’t necessarily know. It could be like the illusion over Feng and Bing’s parents. I didn’t notice her Mom looked weird until someone commented on her appearance and it didn’t match… something to mention to Steel perhaps? I don’t think Lily has seen him without a helmet so I can compare…*
[I have indeed not.]
*I thought you were going back to sleep?*
[Eh… that was the plan, but I’m still a bit tense and obviously this is all interesting.]
Charles did eventually show up and gestured for them to follow them. They were taking… a notably circuitous route around the castle, looping back a few times and even crossing the same set of stairs more than once. Eventually, Charles said, “Kat, you have a first hand account of whatever Steel is coming to speak about right?”
“Um… yes?” asked Kat uncertain.
“Good, I was told that the King was only to be disturbed if something of significant importance to the city come up, and that only people necessary to inform him of that information were to be allowed to see him. I’m definitely going against the spirit of the request allowing you to come along… but he deserves it,” stated Charles.
Steel let out a long, groan filled with suffering. “He didn’t.”
“I’m afraid I cannot comment on what the King has, or has not chosen to do,” Charles demurred.
“Really? You cannot,” asked Steel.
“Indeed, I cannot,” agreed Charles. Despite not really saying anything to each other, the pair seemed to have a good idea of what was going on, and what the other was thinking. Kat however, was feeling awfully lost. Literally and figuratively considering the weird route they were taking.
Eventually, they got to a non-descript door that when pushed open revealed the King’s bedroom, or perhaps one of them. Where Kat had been expecting something extravagant it was… well it was a tiny room with a single bed that looked kind of old. It had a small desk filled with papers in the corner and a wardrobe fit for a bachelor. It looked like it could hold maybe twenty sets of clothes max.
The King was lying in the bed, not looking all that good. He groaned and rolled over to see all three of them. “Is this how I die? All three of you come to kill me?” asked the King.
“Stop being silly, Steel has grave news,” Charles informed him.
“Ah yes, I suppose I’ll just have to live with the embarrassment. Which is, I suppose, why there’s three of you,” sighed the King.
“Perhaps,” cut in Steel. “But first, I must ask my King. Are you well? Is it poison? Do I need to triple the guard? Ensure you are watched at all times? The city is at risk of great unrest but I assure you that should you require it I will assign a whole squad of guards to watch you!”
Steel seemed oddly cheery about this… and the King was slowly sinking lower and lower in his bed. “No, I didn’t get poisoned,” the King admitted pained.
“Not poison? In that case the royal healer should be called immediately!” Steel said with false concern.
“He’s already seen me,” admitted Gravel.
“Ah? And what did he say?” asked Steel, seeming quite interested in the answer. “I need the official diagnosis.”
“You really want me to say it?” sighed Gravel.
“It is necessary. For my report you understand,” Steel offered.
“You will NOT be putting this in a report,” Gravel bit back.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” Steel countered.
Gravel sighed, “His official diagnosis was ’Terminal I’m afraid. If your idiocy remains after such an extended number of years I’m afraid you will never be free of it’. There, are you happy?”
Steel was of course, laughing out loud at this point. “Really my King. Is this not the third time? Allergies again?”
“Ok, hang on. The first time I was a young child and didn’t even KNOW I was allergic to the fruit. The second time, I didn’t know what the real thing looked like. Just its name and taste. This third time… admittedly might be more of my own fault but I was sure it was fine!”
“It clearly wasn’t. Though could the healer really not do anything for you?” asked Steel.
Gravel sighed. “He said, and know I’m only telling you this because he’d do it in a heartbeat. He said ’I could remove the symptoms, regularly casting my magic on you to ensure you seemed well… but it would not fix the more serious of your symptoms. While the idiocy appears terminal, perhaps a measured dose of pain and suffering will ensure it can be managed for at least a few years before a second application is required’”