Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
FRID
Adry gust of wind hit my face with particles of sand and dust, I lowered my head and shielded my eyes with my arm.
There were only two ways to get to the Scars’ compound unseen.
I could shapeshift and fly, but there was a strong possibility that they could spot me when I went to land.
The other option would be to go through the city on foot.
It would take longer, and I could encounter herds of crawlers, but during the day they were not that fast. That way I would be mostly protected from the crawler dragons.
I crouched, looking down, finally making my decision to walk all the way to the building I had discovered on my last mission.
When my feet touched the ground, I rolled, quickly recovering, and took out my dagger.
The sun was agonizingly hot, melting the bleak, washed out bricks of the buildings and pavement.
Even the remains of the crawlers looked like they were bleached of all color.
I stepped around the broken chairs and a table that remained in the middle of the street.
Papers littered the sidewalk, scattered around by the hot wind.
There was nothing written on the blank pages, the ink too had disappeared under the blazing sunlight.
On the corner stood a woman with her neck bent at an odd angle.
Her sparse, dark, matted hair hung down her back, barely supported by the peeling skin of her scalp.
I froze, gripping the handle of my dagger.
She swayed from side to side, but otherwise, remained motionless.
There was a purse with faded and torn flowers that, by some miracle, was still attached to her forearm.
She probably had been walking down the street when it happened, oblivious to the danger.
I kept moving along, monitoring the sky for the presence of the crawler dragons.
I had to get what Mahin wanted and get the hell out of this damned city where all that remained was death and decay.
Finally, when the road ahead of me was clear of obstacles, I started to jog almost instantly feeling the effects of the sun beating on my flying suit.
I realized that without its protection, my skin would simply fry.
I could already feel tingling on my face and on the top of my head.
When I made it around the corner, I saw a whole crowd of crawlers keeping close together.
The stench that came from them intensified tenfold.
I wrinkled my nose and swiftly turned to my dragon form.
My muscles tightened, unused for so long.
Trying to be as quiet as possible, I lifted myself up, staying below the rooftops of the buildings until I found a safe spot to land.
My feet touched the shingles and I transformed, taking cover behind the steep side of the roof.
Everything seemed quiet up above, not a shadow, not a fluff of cloud was visible on the horizon.
No crawler dragons either. I continued moving over the rooftops, making frequent stops to check my surroundings.
Everything seemed quiet. When the familiar, low standing structure appeared up ahead, I crouched, watching the entrance.
From the roof of a neighboring building, I could see steam rising up in the air.
It was faint and barely visible, but my trained eyes picked it out easily.
It was not just one girl, or one family.
It was an entire settlement behind the heavy steel doors.
I looked around and noticed another building that faced the side of the Scars’ compound.
That would be a much better post. Slowly, I made my way toward it.
The unpleasant scent of burning leather filled my nose as I walked along the roof.
It was so hot, the soles of my boots were smoldering.
Finally, I made it to the building and immediately settled in a shadowy recess in the wall, concealing myself from view.
From this angle, I could see what was happening inside the structure through the thickly set windows in bulky wood frames.
I once heard that before the disease, people used to work together in the large buildings.
That was something that had completely vanished from dragonborn culture after the outbreak, when the entire economy rolled back hundreds of years.
I took out the piece of bread Amira gave me and chewed on it, watching the windows. There were certainly people on the other side of the wall. They walked from side to side, talked. Women worked, cooked and carried buckets. Nothing appeared suspicious.
I could easily count dozens of males in well worn clothes that probably had been scavenged from the nearby buildings.
Everywhere I looked I saw repurposed goods, dirty fabric, and malnourished children that ran about.
These people were certainly struggling, but they looked nothing like the ruthless lot Mahin described.
Her words made me imagine violent savages with skeletons on the walls, and disturbing rituals.
So far, people were just going in and out from the building carrying buckets and dragging pieces of broken furniture inside.
Something’s not adding up right.
I sat cross legged on warm shingles until my legs went numb. If only Victor was here, more than anything I wanted to hear his opinion on this.
I checked my pockets, but all the remains of my breakfast were long gone.
I had to make a decision about returning to the compound, before it was too late to go through the city on foot.
Crawlers were incredibly dangerous at night, much faster, more agile.
Flying was also not ideal since crawler dragons could be nearby.
I kept checking the windows, but the Scars had covered them for the night.
I made my decision and moved along the roofs toward the entrance to the settlement.
Below, crawlers were moving on the pavement so fast that I could barely make out their shadows.
When the rooftops finally came to an end, I transformed and soared up in the sky, in hopes that no crawler dragons were around.
My heart was ready to explode in my chest when I finally landed on the side of the hill.
As soon as my feet touched the ground, I transformed, taking out my dagger.
Everything seemed quiet, only the high pitch crawler screeches were well distinguishable in the distance.
I made it safely all the way to the heavy set steel door and knocked.
“Where’s Victor?” I asked as soon as I saw that our room was empty.
I turned to Amira who had guided me through the compound.
She looked back at me with indifference. “Probably having a good time somewhere.”
“What?” For a moment, I thought that I did not hear her right.
“Having fun while you are out helping Mahin. While that behavior is not encouraged, it’s not forbidden,” she added.
My heart stopped and tore at the seams and nothing that concerned me before mattered.
No!
That was impossible.
He would never.
But the small voice in my head whispered.
He’s a ladies' man, and always has been. There’s nothing unusual in his behavior. You know perfectly well who he is. You know what he’s like.
I swallowed and my eyes burned with unshed tears.
What did you expect? That he would want you? That he would choose you and forget about all other women?
I rubbed my forehead, feeling that the pain I felt was going to crush me. My eyes burned.
“Where is he?” I asked.
My voice sounded weak and muffled. Every word plunged straight into my heart with the precision of a razor sharp dagger.
“I will find him for you.” Amira’s face resembled a cold mask of perfect indifference as she left the apartment.
At that very moment, I hated her. Almost as much as I hated myself for believing that something between us was possible.
Ten minutes later, two males dragged him into the room.
If I had any suspicions about Amira not telling the truth, every doubt evaporated into thin air.
I took in his unfocused eyes. He could not even keep himself up right.
I clenched my teeth, noticing his pale skin, and dilated pupils.
His shirt was unbuttoned, and the scent of alcohol filled the air around him.
“Men are weak,” Amira observed, not even waiting for the two male guards to be out of the room.
She scrutinized my face for some moments before turning to the exit, leaving me alone with Victor.
I could only stare at him, unable to make sense of any of it.
Victor had never been a big drinker, but apparently, the temptation was too great.
He had found some company, even among the sisters.
All while I was risking my life. I stepped toward the bed, watching him.
He reeked of essential oils. Sandalwood, maybe patchouli.
I never paid any attention to what women used for perfume.
His hair was disheveled, a blush spread over his cheeks.
“Victor?” I called.
Right then, the tears I had been holding back forever rolled down my cheeks.