The bedroom was small but tidy. A cupboard for belongings, a small chair and table and a comfy bed with far too many blankets and pillows on it. The floor was cold but a rug along the bed stopped Elkay’s feet from getting too cold. There was a window but it was hidden behind blinds and a metal screen.
“Does it suit your needs?” a Skyan voice asked from behind Elkay. “Or do you want something fancier, High General?”
Elkay grunted. “Please, just call me Elkay.”
“Does it suit your needs, Elkay?” the Skyan tutted.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Elkay turned back to the Skyan. “You do this for everyone?”
“You are the second vok to arrive, to be honest…”
“Huh… Also, you seem…” Elkay looked the Skyan up and down. “I thought my memories are foggy. I know you. You are Teekay, leader of the K-Class Ksa.”
Teekay nodded awkwardly. “Yes, you’re correct…”
“What are you doing here?”
“I could say the same to you…” Teekay grunted. “Dining area is down there, self-stocking. Bathroom is down the other end. Kitchen is free for everyone to use. That door there leads to the hospital areas in case you turn into a slime ball or something. My room is opposite, if you need anything. The only other vok here is Phovos, and he likes to keep to himself.”
“Sorry, did you say his name was Phovos?” Elkay asked, glancing down the hallway.
“Yes. He is just a young Thraki though. No relation. If you see him, be nice and wave but only talk to him if he talks to you.”
Teekay wandered off towards the dining area. Confused and curious, Elkay followed. It was just a basic living room with sofas and a dining table. There was various foodsorts on the dining table, as well as four plates, all clean and empty. Teekay sat down at one of the empty seats and put himself some pale meat and some root vegetables, topped off with gravy.
“So how did you end up here?” Elkay asked. “I heard that you were… irreplaceable.”
“I want to know how you got here first!” Teekay immediately replied with a snappy tone. “The High General of the Retha, seduced by the Thantophor. I was always replaceable, you though, you are…”
Elkay sighed. “It is a horrible mess. The Allbirther took me hostage, I was presumed dead and, when I managed to get free, ended up being recruited as a prison guard for the…” Elkay paused. “You are not aware of the fact that the Thantophor was under house arrest for a while?”
Teekay shrugged. “Yes, but Arkadin didn’t tell me much about it. I just got his daily emails. It was not fun, not being visited. He told me about you, but I wanted to hear it from your mouth rather than his.”
“So you knew…”
“I did. I am sorry to hear about what happened though. With your illness and everything.”
Elkay took a deep breath, then sat down next to Teekay, putting himself some food. “Do not be sorry. I was essentially dead anyway. Essentially lost it all. But I do not want to remember all my losses…”
Teekay smiled. “I am sorry though. And since you spilled your guts… literally as well as metaphorically, I shall as well.”
“You have a story?”
“Not one as exciting as yours. Simply put, I ended up following a trail that led to the Thantophor and had both my legs broken. He took pity on me then built a hospital for all those he had hurt. I have been here ever since, mostly because some bastard leaked the fact that I secretly worshiped the Thantophor a little…”
Elkay glanced at Teekay. “I did not think you the religious sort.”
“No vok did. The Thantophor told me to stop, then asked if I wanted to be his friend. Then he fixed me up and left me here.”
“In secret?”
“Mostly.”
“And now you are… stuck here?”
Teekay leaned back. “I thought that at first. But I nearly worked myself to death, and here the death god is, giving me all I desire. Except, well, social things…”
Elkay blinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“You will find out, when you realise only the death god is your friend…”