NOVEL NEXT Chapter 63: Crooked Street
'To go see the Labyrinth Square?’
"No. Not right now." I shook my head at Ria’s question. There were more pressing things to do than satisfy my curiosity.
"So, the Crooked Street?" the little kitare asked, taking off as soon as I gave her the nod. "Alright, follow me."
"Do you… do you know of any stores on the way where I could buy cheap clothes?" If my crappy budget would allow it, at least a pair of pants and a shirt would be nice to sport. The sheer shame of walking around naked aside, it might get me rid of those annoying stares - at least most of them. I kind of doubted that whoever had been on my tail since the City Hall would just give up. Actually, the prickling feeling at the back of my neck gave me no peace of mind, making me question the decision to see Scoresby. Bringing trouble to his doorstep was the last thing I wanted to do after all he had done for me.
"I know of a few," Ria said, thinking. "Not in this part of the city, though. You want me to take you there, Korra? Crooked Street is just around the corner, though."
'Shit! We were already there?'
As if the runes behind my ears lit up, I found myself lost on what to do. Leave Scoresby out of it, or perhaps seek safety with him? Maybe showing whoever was out there that I wasn't all alone in this city wasn't a bad idea, either.
"The… the Crooked Street, first." I made the decision, saying a silent sorry to the old man as I followed the little kitare. We stopped, just like she said, at the next corner.
"Um, do you know where your friend lives exactly, Korra? Crooked Street goes all the way to the wall from here, you know."
Trying to catch a glimpse of the city wall in the distance, I annoyingly had to shake my head. "All he told me was that I couldn't miss it. Scoresby's Goods & Wares. No number."
"What number?"
"The house number - wait! The houses aren’t numbered?"
"Why should they be?" Ria cocked her head, puzzled.
"To find them faster," I said, no less confused. 'How the hell did people here know where to find anything?'
"Why would it be faster?" The little kitare asked, genuinely curious.
"Well, if he told me he lived at 8 Crooked Street, I'd know it was the eighth house on this street. Even better if they had the number on the front."
'Seriously, all that magic, and no one thought of that?'
"That's an amazing idea," Ria beamed, her tail wagging wildly behind her. "But it's not that hard if you know street corners or the name of the nearest square."
"Well, I'm afraid I didn't think to ask."
'Damn you, old man!'
Seriously, why didn't he give me a proper address? He had to know.
'No way - did he give me a fake address? To get rid of me? That couldn't be.'
"Hmmm...give me a moment." After a brief thought, Ria suddenly blurted out and ran off to the nearest human. "Excuse me, do you know where I can find Scoresby's Goods & Wares?"
Horrified, I watched her in awe, doing something I wouldn't have been able to do. The little kitare fearlessly asked stranger after stranger, some nice, some making me wanna rip their throats out until she found someone to point her in the hopefully right direction.
"It's not that far," she beamed at me, leading the way. "It should be on the corner with Broom Lane."
"Oh, great."
'So the place was here.'
Well, perhaps the old man just forgot to mention that little detail. Kind of relieving if true - that and having my little guide back safe and sound.
"Ria, that… that was very brave of you."
"It's my job," she said proudly, giggling, and then she took off, tail wagging.
Without saying another word, I followed her, trying to remember if the old man had actually mentioned this Broom Lane. But either he hadn’t, I had misheard him, or the old lady on the street had just blurted out the address to get Ria off her back.
Thankfully, the latter turned out not to be true.
"There," Ria announced cheerfully, pointing to the building ahead of us. And indeed there it was. Not as unmissable as Scoresby had claimed, but the wooden paneling of the brick house, painted a vibrant green that contrasted with the white of the window frames and storefronts, was certainly eye-catching. No diaglyphs, just signs in the same colors: [Scoresby's Goods & Wares].
"Korra?" Ria raised her voice as I stood frozen in front of the door, distracting my mind by looking at the brick foundation of the house, encrusted with some kind of black stuff.
'Mold, maybe?'
"Korra!"
"Y-yes?"
"You're not going in?"
'Well, perhaps I shouldn't.' There was still that annoying bite on the back of my neck, so...
"... no… I mean, yes, I am; I just..."
The doorbell ringing interrupted my train of fearful thought. While I wrestled with the idea of facing the old man again, the little kitare walked in without hesitation.
"Oh, my. Look at you. What an adorable little guide," I heard an old woman's voice - definitely not Scoresby's - come from inside. "What can I do for you? Are you looking for something?"
"Hello, ma'am." Ria giggled. "Not me, but she's looking for her friend."
Cast into the spotlight, I hit my mind with [Indomitable Will] and did what the little kitare did so easily just a moment before: I walked in.
The store seemed smaller on the inside, but that was because of how many wares were inside. From frying pans and pots to various tools to a large number of leather straps of all kinds, the reason for the latter being obviously the elderly woman standing behind the counter.
[Knacker: 63 sigils]
Holding an unfinished leather belt in one hand and some tool in the other, her gaze followed the outstretched hand of the small guide. The moment she found me partially hidden behind one of the shelves at the entrance, her old eyes widened, and a smile grew on her wrinkled face.
"Oh my, you must be the half-Terr that Liam told me about. The one from Esulmor. Korra, was it?"
"Y-yes. Korra Grey." Despite doing my best, the jitters got the better of me. "And y-you must be Marlen, Mr. Scoresby's wife?"
"That old geezer told you about me?"
"Y-yes, he gave me your sweet bun. It was delicious… really. I haven't had anything that good in years."
"A sweet bun?" Ria asked, ears perked, Lia, her tail betraying her thoughts.
The old woman pushed her gray hair back from her forehead and smiled at the little guide. "I baked a new batch yesterday. If you want, I can give you some to try. YOU, though - oh my, Liam mentioned that you must have had a hard time, but… I'm not that good a cook to deserve such praise."
"N-no. It was delicious. I even cried."
"Thank you, that's sweet of you," Mrs. Scoresby said and paused as I found the courage to step closer, the frown deepening the wrinkles on her forehead. "What that old geezer forgot to mention, though, is your lack of clothes. Did you get robbed on the way here?"
"No, I asked. She did not," Ria said helpfully, infuriating the old woman even more.
"LIAM!"