Reaper's Crown

Ch. 13 | Cats and Dogs

The walk from the northern gate to the man's house took them about thirty minutes, mainly because they were a little sluggish considering everything that they carried or were subjected to.

Treading neatly laid stones with the now wet grass peaking out, they followed a path that stretched further from the main roads. As suggested by Atomu's descriptions, this part of Prope Portam was the Medulla district, named after the fact that most of the town-like things happen here. Medulla in Old Manjuno meant centre or middle. Again, simple Paladian mind, but at least it wasn't something stupid like Midcity.

Rowan rolled their eyes with a smirk.

Even though they stepped behind houses, wells, small bushes, gorges splattered throughout, benches and tiny park areas next to modest fountains, everything in the world suggested the district's presence. Be it, the screams of Paladians trying to run from the storm because they overestimated how long they could stay outside, or the bells ringing, mostly because there were lots of thin clotheslines hung around various buildings or narrower streets connected to those metal alarms.

Atomu beamed lightly, chuckling and thinking about the times his mother scolded everyone for such. Not only were their dried-out clothes completely soaked again, but the bell wouldn't stop ringing throughout the night.

His expression shifted into a more stern approach.

"We're almost there." the man announced, sticking his lantern forward, as a horse passed, carrying a few drunken Paladians. The woman who steered the animal sighed in exhaustion, and the hooded guy gave her a nod of reassurance.

Chyuuichi turned, squinting his eyes. "Why don't we get a ride as well, eh?" he bumped Rowan's shoulder. "Mr Horse!" he waved.

"They're not for free," Atomu muttered, putting a hand over his mouth. "...and I'm sure we're in no position to interrupt h-her work."

"Not many carriages ride around town at these hours, especially in such conditions." The man added. "They should be thankful for the hard work that lady's doing." he smiled a little, his grin sticking out from his green hood.

Atomu beamed as well. He couldn't help but recall that one night he and his sister wandered a little too far during Dearfest, and ended up stranded on the beach side of Prope Portam, far from home. Then, a similar thing happened, much like a blessing from above, a lady swung by and gave them a free ride home.

"Bummer." Both Chyuuichi and Rowan said, both surprised at this little coincidence. While the Mirillian wanted to high-five the Tributal, the latter seemed embarrassed, mainly because they expected a more complicated vocabulary from their lips.

Dry lips despite the rain. Rowan opened their mouth a little, craving water or some sweet liquid to soothe their needs. They turned to the trees at the sides, growing right above the wooden gates and then as they took a few turns, straying further away from Medulla, more sporadically appeared, amidst fences separating tents from houses from pens full of animals. These coops now had makeshift roofs made of linen, silk and wool, shielding the few animals from the storm.

A Tributal would mutter of such sights proving Paladian idiocy, but Rowan was too fixated on the mentioned barks. It was a well-known fact that the sap of Lignorian trees was rather sweet. They were already embarrassed and soaked to the point that normal notions were rare, but Rowan still took everything they had in themselves to subtly commit to such heinous (in their mind) acts.

With careful glances, they stepped to the side, making sure no watchful eyes met their strange decisions. Putting a hand on a tree that grew up into the sky, penetrating through the makeshift roof and spawning seven big, green leaves, they searched for a crevice in the bark, sticking their tongue out.