(S1) Chapter 12 – Eyes of Freedom (4)

“Will you please stop?!” Haywin yelled, but the man didn't listen. He was a stranger, yet Haywin felt as though he had stolen something precious from her. Haywin was a skilled runner, with S-class dexterity, and running long distances posed no threat to her. But due to the recent circumstances, her mind was still blurred, but not enough to stop her strange devotion to continue to persuade the man.

The chase resumed all the way towards the city of Fictus, the man walked inside the main gate, which was mostly surrounded by sand, and a lot of steel and wooden debris, a strong wind suddenly whiffed with great force upon the surface, forcing Haywin to cover her eyes. More than enough time for her to completely lose sight of the man.

“Damnit!”

Nevertheless, she continued her debouch. Into the city of Fictus.

It was an open space with countless tents sitting everywhere, they were presumably meant for the construction workers to either sleep or confine their supplements in their tents. People shouting and conversing were to be heard from every single direction. It was busy, and crowdy. It all served to make Haywin even more nervous.

She walked a fair distance further through the crowd as they were all walking past her holding buckets filled with steel, some had repairment tools in their hands, and some even held abandoned weapons, and blasters that were completely devastated.

“Hey, sorry.”

“What?” A man dressed in a short white shirt, his overweight body was to be seen from the outline of his shirt, leaving an open space at the bottom of it. The white shirt was completely stained, as were his hands, and face. A sweaty bearded man, but his face seemed generous.

“Sorry, I have a ques-”

“Aren’t you a soldier?” The man interrupted.

“Yes, I am. Have you seen a grey-bearded man running past here?”

“There sure a’ many o’ them peers here. So me don’t know who you mean.”

“Erm, it was a man… with a cigarette, and he simply looke-”

“Aha! Hol’ on a good ol’ second!”

Is he not going to let me talk? Haywin thought.

“Someone did seem to be runnin’ atta fast pace over there, he had his face mostly covered, but that fella’ surely wore a beard.”

“Okay, thank you.” Haywin replied as she turned her head and ran to the northern-side of the city.

The place was unusual. The northern part was practically the dead-end of the “city” itself, it was nothing but a mere beautiful view of a large sea. Haywin didn’t think this through, and a few minutes later, she found herself completely lost.

She stood in the middle of a narrow path that led towards the open space, the place she stood in was consumed by the shadows, it was a picturesque sight to behold, as the descending sun was obscured by the clouds, leaving a magnificent view on the large sea. But, something felt very off…