Chapter 3- Risk & Reward

The group trudged through the clearing of the snow. We had made it this far, without much hassle. Green, fresh grass sprouted from the ground, signaling a new beginning. Clay heaved a wagon cart ahead of the group, which kept small amounts of food and Estelle. After a few failed attempts, the girl had eventually given up. We kept her arms and legs bound by some rope stolen from the deceased trader from far back. Intel of the dead body most likely reached The Rising Sun, and so, we would be branded all around the country as dangerous convicts.

 

We had come across many small and deserted villagers planted around the outskirts of the forest. The majority have already lost contact with the Rising Sun, so it makes it easier for us to hide and gather the supplies we desperately needed. For example, I was running low on medicine, Clay needed more steel and Lorelei yearned for some soap. We did not know what Estelle wanted, instead she kept quiet and became something of a sentry for us.

"Three mice." Clay bargained at the counter, in the small pub. Since these villagers had no electricity, Rising Sun updates were not known over here. However, they have all been implanted. Or 'infected' as Clay enjoyed calling them.

"You got the money for 'em?" The pub owner retorts quite rudely, which annoys Clay.

"No . . ." Lorelei sighs deeply. I quickly flicked my head outside, to see Estelle guarding her wagon with our limited supplies inside, and smiled.

 

Lorelei and I had to pull a steaming Clay out of the pub, since the bargaining began resorting to insults. Lorelei said she would 'give it a crack' and disappeared inside the pub.

"So where are we heading off to then?" Estelle speaks for the first time. I turned to Clay, unable to answer the question.

"I'm joining the rebels." Clay says, excluding the rest of the group.

"I'm just . . ." I began, but stopped. What was I trying to do? Where was I going? I did not know the answers to these questions. These vital questions which shaped my fate and the path I had to choose.

 

"Boys! And . . . Thing" A familiar high pitched voice came from the pub. I snapped my head in sync with Clay, to see Lorelei strutting towards us with two bags of vegetables. Her hair was still in tact and her clothes appeared quite orderly, so she obviously had not slept with them.

"How did you. . ?" Clay bet me to it.

"He knows who I am" Lorelei's eyes gleamed from the popularity. "He knows of my parents." Lorelei rolled her eyes and threw the bags inside the wagon. I carefully opened the sack and was greeted with a mixture of fruits and vegetables.

"The best quality this s**t hole can produce." Lorelei clapped her hands and grinned. "Thank me later."

 

 We skipped the town and headed down a path in the middle of fields. Farmers worked hard alongside us, some shot glances towards us. None seemed to recognize Lorelei. Rustling and the scrunching of paper drew my attention. I turned around and caught Lorelei reading something big.

"Lorelei . . . What is that?" I asked curiously and somewhat offended.

"A map"

"Map!?" Clay snapped his head to us and dropped the wagon, Estelle groaned.

"I got it from the owner . . . Of the pub" She read the map and continued to ignore us.

"And you didn't tell us?" I asked. Clay snatched the map from her paws and angrily spread it out on the wagon.

"I'm telling you now. If I wanted to keep it a secret, I wouldn't have brought it out here, would I?" Estelle snorted at her response.

"Yeah, you're right" I said foolishly. Why didn't she just show us in the first place? If I was to start troubles, I would have acted like Clay. Despite being annoyed, it would be stupid to get angry. A thought of her betrayal to us lingered at the back of my mind.

 

We eventually decided to make it out of the farming district first. The rebel's base was a secret, despite having a significant influence over the Western Districts. It would be smarter to visit them first. The Westerners were most famous for their fishing exports. The rebels were also recognized for their navy. It was obvious where their whereabouts were.

Author's Note

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