6 Chapter 06: Outside
Stella came into his room early in the morning helping him into some decent-looking clothes.
He would not pass for a noble, but he did not look shabby either.
Even in the simple clothes, he was wearing, his light golden hair stood out, and all he could do was tie it up in the back, leaving it to hang and rest on his shoulder.
"Let's go".
He was sitting in his wheelchair, and Stella went behind him, wheeling him out of the room.
The stairs took longer to overcome than he had thought, and he was relieved to get back in the wheelchair after descending them using his legs, every step going down had put a strain on them.
Soon they wheeled outside.
No one was there to see them off, and they were mostly ignored. Many didn't even recognize that it was the young Lord that was the one leaving, even with the wheelchair.
A regular carriage pulled up, and Kilian got inside while the coachman secured the wheelchair at the back. Stella joined him and sat across from him in the small room.
A window was open, bringing in the fresh air, and Kilian was excited to finally feel the wind on his face.
Had the original Kilian of this body ever felt like this? No… He hadn't. He could tell from the many memories the young kid had never felt the fresh air or the warmth of the sun on his face.
He would make sure to live well for the Kilian who couldn't.
He gave the maid a smile, trying to focus back on the agenda for the day.
"Will you be getting anything in town? Miss. Stella".
"I.. I am here to help the Young Master, I won't be doing any personal shopping".
It was hard to get conversation from her, she was already blushing with the close space between them, and she seemed to be trying to look anywhere but at his face.
He smiled again, turning to show her his profile, letting her sneak in peeks while he pretended not to notice as he looked outside, watching as they passed the landscape.
There were big fields as far as the eye could see, but they were currently either barren or overgrown with grass.
Seemed winter seeds were not as common here as in his old world.
They pulled into the town, stopping outside of one of the bigger stores on the main street.
The coachman prepared his chair and he got out, stepping down from the carriage to get into the seat.
The street was bustling, and no one was paying attention to the people joining them from the carriage. Some even almost walked into his chair not noticing him in the strides to their destinations.
Kilian looked around, he did not know where he needed to go specifically, luckily Stella soon spoke up.
"What is Master Kilian looking for today".
"A smithy, or metal worker," he replied immediately.
"Ah!, I know someone who might be able to help the young master".
She seemed happy she was able to help him and quickly wheeled him down the street, turning at an ally, bringing them to the entrance of a run-down store.
"Here?" Kilian asked, not expecting the look of the front of the store to be this... shabby.
"Yes, they don't do fancy work for nobles, but their work is good," she paused.
"It is what we can afford with the allowance the young master got from the head maid".
He sighed, he should have expected that at least.
Stella wheeled him past the threshold and the inside was open with plenty of space for Stella to move the wheelchair around, allowing Kilian to see the items up close.
A lot of items that were displayed were made out of different kinds of metals. It was not just swords and daggers, but items with intricate designs or decorated small containers, maybe for women.
A man came out from a back room, walking over in front of them, giving them a slight nod as a greeting.
The man was of average height with short tussled brown hair. He seemed to be in his thirties, and stood with crossed arms, waiting for them to speak first.
Kilian decided to get right to the reason as to why he was there.
"I need a cane".
He looked up at the man with a smile, his hair moving away from his forehead.
The man cleared his throat when noticing the smile, and looked away for a moment.
"Aye.. I can do a cane, what kind of design are you looking for?".
Kilian thought about it for a bit, he had not really thought of the outward appearance, it didn't matter to him, he was mostly interested in the extra function he had wanted from it.
"Hmm, a simple cane design thin at the bottom going up straight ending in a rounded knob… Maybe with a jewel at the top ''. Somehow he wanted it to have some flair if he had the option.
"I can not do jewels, I do not have a license to trade with jewels, how about something else?".
Kilian thought about it for a moment, not a jewel, he probably would not be able to afford it either. Then perhaps, maybe that would work?
"Amber… Do you have amber?"
The man raised his brows, staring at the young man in the wheelchair. Amber was not used very much, it was considered the poor man's jewel, and was found in abundance on the east coast of the country. It was not considered rare, making it a cheap material.
"Yes.. I have amber, I can work with that". The man replied.
Kilian continued explaining.
"I want the metal to be plated in silver, and as said have a rounded amber piece embedded on the top of the knob where my hand will rest".
The man nodded, scribbling down notes on a small piece of parchment.
"Also… I want it to be a two-piece, I want to use the handle of it to pull out a thin durable sword hidden in the inside of the cane like a scabbard. Something like a rapier"
The man paused, hearing the explanation, staring down at the young man with a curious expression. Why would this young one need this, it was not as if he would be able to use it well, confined to that chair, he thought.
"Can you do it?" Kilian asked, ignoring the stare. He was getting tired of people staring at him already.
"Yes...I can, you can pick it up here in a week" the man said with confidence, intrigued by this new item he had never made before.
"But first I need to get your height, to make the cane's height comfortable for you, would it be possible for you to stand, maybe with the help of the maid, only for a moment".
The man sounded apologetic, that he had to ask for this, but Kilian stood up, letting Stella move the chair away from him so he could stand unhindered.
The man came closer, bringing out a thing to measure the height from the floor to Kilian's arms.
At that moment the door opened and a tall man dressed in a long black coat walked in.
Kilian looked over, curious as to who it was, and saw a man with half of his face covered in scars, like a paw had ripped at half of his face, with long deep talons.
However, he gave the man an indifferent look, turning his head after giving the man a small nod in acknowledgment of his presence.
Not everyone's scars were visible to others, and he had several on his lower legs and was not going to stare or judge someone for the unfortunate things they had encountered like him.
He didn't have scars on his face, but stares on his face were uncomfortable, and he was sure this man got his own fair share of eyes looking his way, just not for the same reason.
"Oh, Mr. Rayden, I have your item ready, it will just be a moment".
The owner gestured towards Kilian, indicating he was busy with a customer, and the man's eyes laid on Kilian's face.
Kilian sighed inwardly, not meeting the eyes that were turning his way, but instead concentrated on keeping his stance, his legs were more used to it now and it did not hurt as bad when he wasn't using them to walk.
"Ok, I am done, as I said one week from now".
Stella walked over with a small pouch, and Kilian watched to see a few silver coins change hands. He needed to ask her later about the currency.
"Thank you…".
He shook the owner's hand and turned to look at Stella, who was already lost in the items on a shelf nearby, not noticing her Master needed his chair.
Kilian was about to call for her, but a sudden jolt of pain shot up through one of his legs, and his knee gave in, sending him to the floor almost immediately.
He cursed in a low voice, just waiting for the impact as if the floor was coming at him in slow motion.
Strong hands grabbed him and pulled him up, his feet losing their footing completely as his whole body was pulled into a hold against the scarred man that entered.
The hand was holding his arm, and the other had found its way around his waist to support him.
Kilian looked up at the man in surprise, then turned his expression to that of annoyance, creating a surprised expression from the man holding him, as he realized Kilian was less than happy with the help.
Stella came hurrying over bringing the wheelchair with her, and when the man saw it, he instead of letting go, held on to Kilian even tighter, almost lifting his feet completely from the floor to keep him up.
Kilian smiled up at the man, still with an annoyed look, making what he said next seem less than genuine.
"Thank you… Sir?"
"Rayden". The man responded in a deep husky voice.
Kilian tried to get out of the hold, unsure why the man insisted on continuing to hold him like this.
His weak arms and legs were unable to get loose, and it wasn't until Stella had brought over the wheelchair in front of them, that the man suddenly picked up Kilian in a carry and placed him in the chair.
Kilian was annoyed, did the man think he was someone to be touched and moved around as he pleased? It just made him feel even more crippled.
He kept his smile sharp with an obvious annoyance in his blue eyes as he nodded at the two men in the store, not saying another word as Stella hurriedly wheeled him out of the store.
The scarred man was still in the store wondering who the young man had been. When he held him, he had been alarmingly skinny and light.
Rayden found the young man interesting, with the many expressions, and it seemed the pity he had shown him was just as unwelcome as the pity he saw in people's eyes when they laid eyes on his ruined face.
