Love In A Sinking Realm ⊰BTS⊱ Steampunk

CHAPTER 15 ➣ Asymptomatic Village

Y/N galloped alongside Taehyung, both drained of strength and vitality. The girl checked her pocket watch and saw that it was already past noon.

The sun was faintly shining, smothered behind approaching thick clouds. At one point, their horses stopped, whined, and snorted when their hoofs gently splashed on water.

Taehyung removed his oxygen mask and breathed in the mist that hid the swamp in front of them.

Y/N examined her boyfriend's pallid and sickly appearance, but her eyes caught the sight of a wooden platform floating on the puddle. Next to it, a wooden road sign stood crooked, with a smugged white inscription.

"What is that?" Y/N pointed at it as she dismounted her brown horse.

She carefully stepped on land, avoiding the mud puddles of the swamp. She removed a few moist plants from the sign and read:

SWAMPVILLE - 10 MILES
~ If horses are in possession, use the ferry to cross.
~ If not, use the boat.

Y/N searched with her eyes for a boat, but nothing was there. The ferry was their obvious and only option.

"Someone used the boat," she said in a low voice, with her eyes narrowing and carefully observing through the fog.

Taehyung also dismounted his horse and went to stand next to her.

"Swampville. Never heard of it. Must be one of those God-forsaken villages of the swamps of the southern continent," he commented.

Y/N hushed him when the noise of the water rippling reach her ears. Her hand instinctively went for her revolver, which she loaded and pointed toward the noise. Taehyung simply rested his hand on his firearm without drawing it out.

The noise turned into a clear paddle. The tip of a boat emerged from the mist, followed by a boatman. An old man, wearing clothes he clearly hadn't changed in a long time. His wrinkles contorted his face with a frown while he was trying to focus his old eyes on the young couple.

"Who goes there?!" He shouted, with a coarse voice produced by aged vocal cords.

Y/N kept her gun aimed at his head, edging to fire. Her fingers clenched around the handle, her emerald eyes firing up, like a predator gawking its prey. Taehyung gently lowered her arm with a small headshake.

"Good afternoon, sir," he called.

The old man grabbed a wooden pole submerged in the water, to steady his boat.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" he asked suspiciously.

"We were just passing by. We're looking for refuge. We saw the sign indicating Swampville. We mean no harm."

"If refuge is what you seek, Swampville is the opposite of that," replied the old boatman, after he finally managed to focus his myopic eyes on them, "Two young peoples such as yourselves shouldn't go near it."

"Sir, I'm afraid we don't have much choice. We're starving, tired, and in desperate need of sleep."

"Young man, don't make me repeat myself. If you don't want to die, go about your road."

"Sir, I beg of you," Taehyung begged, his voice letting slip his exhaustion.

"Kid, I'm trying to save you, alright? It's not a matter of suspicion or hostility towards newcomers. Believe me, if there's something Swampville needs is new blood and doctors."

"Doctors? Why?"

"Why?! Because this place is writhed with the plague!"

Y/N and Taehyung exchanged an intent look of eagerness.