47th of Summer 518 A.V. 6th Bell
Syna was only just starting to peer over the horizon by the time Kynier walked out of the city’s limits heading west. A mile ahead of him stood the Westwatch Tower. With no actual government in control the two watchtowers stood without purpose. Kynier expected them to be abandoned, making them an isolated, quiet place for the task he had given himself that day. Having spent several days now surrounded by kelvics and the constant need for connection, Kynier felt the need for a break from it. All of them were nice, but he still wasn’t used to all the interaction. One day to unwind from it should be plenty to keep him from having an unnecessary outburst.
There was something else he had noticed about the Midnight Gem during his stay. There was very little to no decoration. Granted, while he lived alone there had been no thoughts applied to interior design. But his old home only ever had four visitors. One was dead, two had died there, and the last had, in a way, rescued him from that life. Kynier suspected that the kelvics’ social natures would lead to having guests over and frequently. So he elected to make a drawing to decorate at least one of the walls. While his sketch of the café and Tove was still incomplete, that was more for him and exercising his growing talent.
Kynier approached the short watchtower in his brown shirt, dark green vest, dark pants, and dark high boots. Cold Iron short sword on his left hip, dagger on the right, and an assassin’s dagger tucked away in his boot. A pack was slung over his shoulder with his artisan’s kit and a stand to hold the canvas. His intention was to find a high window that over looked the city and capture the landscape. The drawing would probably take all day so he had brought with him some fruits and nuts to eat as well as a full water skin of water that was actually clean. By the gods, he had almost forgotten what it was like to drink clean water.
After crossing the last mile Kynier stood at the base of the tower. It wasn’t an impressive sight at all and barely stood any taller than most of the Sunberth structures. He shook his head disapprovingly. This may not provide the view he had hoped for. Regardless, he was here and may as well see what he had to work with. Kynier entered the old stone structure. Dark gray rocks that had been piled and mortared were slick with the humidity of the summer. It hadn’t rained in days but the air smelled musky inside. Kynier spent half a bell roaming around the interior before he found his way to a window that stood facing the east.
The overview of the city held his breath in the early light. Despite being a collection of petching khur-vas huddled inside precious piles of rubble, from afar the horrors within were less apparent. Kynier gave it an approving nod and began to set up for the day. After a few chimes the stand was unfolded and standing. Kynier set a canvas on its ledge and took out a fresh stick of charcoal. He looked out the window and thought on where he should begin. He decided to stick with the method that had worked well for him in the past. Begin with the foreground. Kynier set the charcoal to the lower region of the canvas and began making light strokes across the surface. Beginning the first of many structures that he would capture the essence of.
Boxcode credit goes to Nellie!
