The Non-Human Society

Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Six - Vim - The Lost One

      More than our kind lived down here.

Slowing my pace as I approached a pair of people... I forcefully calmed myself.

I had to. Since I was getting worried. It's been nearly half an hour since I had delved into this maze of drainage tunnels. Half an hour of running around like a fool without anything to show for it.

The stink of non-humans was everywhere down here, and it made it impossible to narrow down the source. It was likely that they've been down here for decades, based off the way their scents were so overbearing and stable. How'd none of us ever notice?

To top it off these blasted sewers and drainage systems were joined with the old city. They merged and melded with each other, creating a labyrinth. Only further complicating my search.

But I had finally found people.

Or well... humans, at least.

The two were sitting down next to each other, covered in pelts and blankets. They had a small fire burning in front of them, which had been what had let me find them. I had smelled the burning fish being cooked upon it.

Least I hoped those were fish. I tried not to look too closely at them, since they seemed a little oddly shaped.

"What...?" a man's voice entered my ears as I slowly approached the two.

"Who?" a woman's voice. She sounded scared.

The two hurriedly stood, and I realized I wasn't going to need to keep my anger in check.

These two were human. And old. Too old to be down here, in fact.

"Who are you?" the man asked worriedly. He sounded more than scared... he sounded expectant. As if he already knew I was a threat, but wasn't able to do anything about it.

"My name is Vim. I've come down here in search of a family member," I told them.

The small fire casted deep shadows on their weathered faces, but upon my words I was able to see the worry drain from their faces. The two looked at one another, and I noted the sad realization on their faces.

I must not be the first to have come down here saying such a thing.

"I see... you're probably looking for those people down below then," the man said.

"Below?" I asked.

He nodded, and he gestured for the old woman to sit back down. She did so slowly, and not because she was still worried. She simply couldn't move too quickly. The old man made sure to wrap her back up in the pelts and blankets, which I now noted were... well...

Lacking, to say the least. They weren't just old, but thin. Too thin for down here, in this cold.

"If you're alone, son, I recommend not going down there. There's quite a few of them... and they're not... well..." the old man coughed as he stepped away from the woman, who was now bundled up. He stepped towards me, putting himself between her and myself.

"What route do I take to get there?" I asked him.

He frowned at me, in worry. The kind that told me he had just decided I was going to die.

"If I tell you, you'll also get lost," he said softly.

"My life is not yours to risk, old man. Do not spend a moment to worry over it," I said gently.

He blinked, and then quickly looked behind him. I couldn't see her, thanks to him being between us... but I knew he had just looked at the woman. Maybe for conformation.