Enjoy,
R. Wesley Nance
Chapter 3
Three days later Esmerelda's wagon rolled into town, Krethos was with her, more because of his desire to find some answers than to help his benefactress. Esmerelda pulled the wagon up to a supply store.
"Go, order what you need, I'll be along in a short while to help load up." Krethos said as he walked off down the street to find some answers. Out of the corner of his eye Krethos caught sight of a shop, with keys on the sign. Krethos walked in to a dimly lit room full of shelves and bins, full of keys.
"Ah! Krethos!" a voice said from somewhere hidden in the back corner, "So, you've finally come."
A dusty man came crawling and stumbling over the various boxes in his way.
"Do I know you?" Kresthos asked.
"No. And I don't know you, but I know Glaxon, he sent word that you might come this way."
"Glaxon, He is alive then?"
"Yes, but getting you up to Ahk-hatta was a hard feat for him. Come sit down in my back room with me, Glaxon said you'd probably have some questions."
Krethos followed after the man, expecting to have to climb over boxes, but was surprised to find a path to the back room. He walked in and sat down, "First, I think, I'll ask your name?" he said.
"My name is Kleis, I make keys, and I have fought in several battles with your friend Glaxon."
"What, is the Keyschnect, Mr. Kleis?"
"The Keyschnect is a destiny, to have and use the Keys to the Dark World. The person with this destiny is called the Keyschnect. I don't know when the legend appeared, I don't think anyone knows, but most view the Keyschnect as a savior, one who will right the world."
"What do you think, Mr.Kleis?"
"Nothing, I don't hold to legends, Oh, I believe the keys exist, but I don't know about a savior."
"Who is Jack Von Bondahar?"
"An assassin, just as simple as that, a highly trained and deadly killer."
"Why does he have the keys?"
"Same reason you're looking for them, he thinks he's the Keyschnect."
"What?"
"There is only one reason anyone ever has something, they believe that they should have it, in this case, you believe that you should have the keys, as does Bondahar. Your reasons for it may be different, but nonetheless, you both feel entitled."
"What will the keys do?"
"Ahh… there is a question, to be blunt, I don't know, there are many tales, the one you heard and a thousand more. And all of them are different, but the vast majority require the Keyschnect to open another world. What lies in that world, is a matter highly debated."
"Will they bring my friends back?"
"Perhaps, there is always that chance, always that hope."
Krethos sat back in his chair, this was a lot to take in, he looked around the dusty room and one more thought came to him, one more doubt, "Am I the Keyschnect?"
"Yes, I believe so, you are the Keyschnect, Ahk-hatta was not, Bondahar is not, but I believe you are."
Krethos stood up, his questions had been answered, "Thank you, Mr. Kleis." He said.
"You are welcome, Krethos, Glaxon may come and meet you along your journey, he said that he may try to find you."
Krethos made his way out of the key maker's shop and stepped into the busy street. He made his way through the wagon and carriage choked road to the mercantile store.
"Where is Esmerelda?" he asked as he stepped up to the counter in the store.
"You are looking for the girl?" the clerk asked in return.
"Yes, where is she?"
"She stepped out to visit a friend."
Krethos walked out into the street to wait for Esmerelda to return, all at once screaming erupted at one end of the town, people in the road scattered and twelve men on horses road through the street, and came to a stop just in front of Krethos.
"Ah, Krethos, so you've made it this far, good job, boy." The man jumped off his horse and removed his helmet, "You look surprised to see me, and perhaps, surprised that I look upon your face."
Three days later Esmerelda's wagon rolled into town, Krethos was with her, more because of his desire to find some answers than to help his benefactress. Esmerelda pulled the wagon up to a supply store.
"Go, order what you need, I'll be along in a short while to help load up." Krethos said as he walked off down the street to find some answers. Out of the corner of his eye Krethos caught sight of a shop, with keys on the sign. Krethos walked in to a dimly lit room full of shelves and bins, full of keys.
"Ah! Krethos!" a voice said from somewhere hidden in the back corner, "So, you've finally come."
A dusty man came crawling and stumbling over the various boxes in his way.
"Do I know you?" Kresthos asked.
"No. And I don't know you, but I know Glaxon, he sent word that you might come this way."
"Glaxon, He is alive then?"
"Yes, but getting you up to Ahk-hatta was a hard feat for him. Come sit down in my back room with me, Glaxon said you'd probably have some questions."
Krethos followed after the man, expecting to have to climb over boxes, but was surprised to find a path to the back room. He walked in and sat down, "First, I think, I'll ask your name?" he said.
"My name is Kleis, I make keys, and I have fought in several battles with your friend Glaxon."
"What, is the Keyschnect, Mr. Kleis?"
"The Keyschnect is a destiny, to have and use the Keys to the Dark World. The person with this destiny is called the Keyschnect. I don't know when the legend appeared, I don't think anyone knows, but most view the Keyschnect as a savior, one who will right the world."
"What do you think, Mr.Kleis?"
"Nothing, I don't hold to legends, Oh, I believe the keys exist, but I don't know about a savior."
"Who is Jack Von Bondahar?"
"An assassin, just as simple as that, a highly trained and deadly killer."
"Why does he have the keys?"
"Same reason you're looking for them, he thinks he's the Keyschnect."
"What?"
"There is only one reason anyone ever has something, they believe that they should have it, in this case, you believe that you should have the keys, as does Bondahar. Your reasons for it may be different, but nonetheless, you both feel entitled."
"What will the keys do?"
"Ahh… there is a question, to be blunt, I don't know, there are many tales, the one you heard and a thousand more. And all of them are different, but the vast majority require the Keyschnect to open another world. What lies in that world, is a matter highly debated."
"Will they bring my friends back?"
"Perhaps, there is always that chance, always that hope."
Krethos sat back in his chair, this was a lot to take in, he looked around the dusty room and one more thought came to him, one more doubt, "Am I the Keyschnect?"
"Yes, I believe so, you are the Keyschnect, Ahk-hatta was not, Bondahar is not, but I believe you are."
Krethos stood up, his questions had been answered, "Thank you, Mr. Kleis." He said.
"You are welcome, Krethos, Glaxon may come and meet you along your journey, he said that he may try to find you."
Krethos made his way out of the key maker's shop and stepped into the busy street. He made his way through the wagon and carriage choked road to the mercantile store.
"Where is Esmerelda?" he asked as he stepped up to the counter in the store.
"You are looking for the girl?" the clerk asked in return.
"Yes, where is she?"
"She stepped out to visit a friend."
Krethos walked out into the street to wait for Esmerelda to return, all at once screaming erupted at one end of the town, people in the road scattered and twelve men on horses road through the street, and came to a stop just in front of Krethos.
"Ah, Krethos, so you've made it this far, good job, boy." The man jumped off his horse and removed his helmet, "You look surprised to see me, and perhaps, surprised that I look upon your face."
Copyright © 2008-2009 Robert W. A. Nance
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