Powerless

5. Cadel

The walk to Kyn's home was a long one.

After circling through the labyrinthine streets and hiding under the coverage of boggy shadows and crevisses, Kyn and Idi finally passed into a new semi-urban area less populated with buildings and people. The structure of the street complex was still there, but the rigidity of the tenements and shops had receded with the first hinting of foliage coming into play instead. Grass dotted with different toughened shrubs increased in patches, and few small trees, alive but too malnourished to reach their full prime, were interspersed throughout the roads.

"Over here," Kyn spoke softly, turning a corner as he motioned for Idi to follow. They continued down a small road, passing a few men wearing overalls and an old woman carrying a basket of clothes before coming to a stop in front of a dirty complex of many interconnected apartment houses. The structure was quite dilapidated, infused with a hodgepodge of materials—wood, clay, and bricks.

It was his living quarters. A place he had moved into quite recently, a place without too many attachments, but still a place to call home. For the moment, that is.

Kyn approached the third door on the right, stepping up a few makeshift stone steps and reaching into his back pocket to take out a dull metal key. He swirled it around his index finger a few times before glancing back at Idi.

"This is where you'll stay for the time being," he spoke quietly, knowing from experience that a loud voice only attracted trouble. "You remember the rules I explained earlier at Denny's, right? No need for me to repeat myself?"

Idi nodded. Her features were haggard, but despite her exhaustion, her eyes held a silent curiosity. A question was forming on her tongue, one that she had likely rolled around in her mouth for a long time now.

"I... was wonderin'," she ventured carefully.

"Go ahead."

She fidgeted. "I get the stuff about ratwork and findin' info, but I don't understand the part 'bout your brother. You said he's been like in this way for a long time." She raised her head.

"...then how'd ya get by earlier?"

Kyn twirled the key around his forefinger.

"There was a woman who helped out as a semi-babysitter. She took care of him."

"But where's she now?"

"Dead."

"Oh..."

Kyn turned away, "So as I was saying before," he tapped his foot on the ground. "I want you to report to me on every errand I send you on as well as anything that happens with my brother." He gazed her down. "Be very transparent with me, no bullshit, alright? I can usually see through that."

"Yeah, I know." Idi did not backtrack into the previous topic of conversation. Sensible.

He nodded. "Remember, this a two-sided relationship. If you help me out and do as you're told, I'll be more willing to help you out and even find you some contacts for a more permanent residence. If we don't cooperate, however..." he trailed off, "Well, I'd rather not have that happen."

Idi bristled slightly, "I know what I signed up fer."

Ky raised an eyebrow, "Then I suppose we'll be well-acquainted with each for the duration of your stay then." He reached toward the door and slid the metal key into the lock, jingling it a few times before he felt the soft click at his fingertips. Placing his palm against the bark of the door firmly, he prepared to push.

"Let's go in."

It was a crash that Kyn first heard, followed by a slight ooph. Once the door swung fully open, Kyn was greeted by a boy sprawled on a straw mattress pile, straggled arms flailing about for balance with a few fallen books strewn around him. The boy stopped his momentary struggle the moment Kyn entered his vision, and he tilted his chin with almost too much leisure considering his predicament, eyes glazed and smile wide.