CHAPTER 45: TITANIUM (1)

                                                          KEVIN KOERSOMBRE POV:

While I was standing up to fight, Excafol appeared behind me and holds me down. Why is he here?

"What are you-"

"Shhhh, quiet. We can talk all you want but later. For now, hold me tight and close your eye." What is he doing? I hold him around the waist and close my eyes. Then, I don't feel the ground anymore. When I open my eyes again, WE ARE FLYING.

"How? What?"

"I told you to close your eyes!" Excafol suddenly accelerates like never. It feels like I have had this sensation before. Yes, when mom told me to hold her hand that day. It was pretty much the same feeling. We continue for an hour and then, Excafol lands, he is exhausted I think, because his breath is unsteady and loud.

"Kid, you are holding me too tight. We have arrived." When I open my eyes, in front of us, there is a vast savanna. It goes very far ahead. And behind, I see a fault, a big fault of at least a hundred-meter width. And so deep, you couldn't see the end of it. I look at the old man but, he is looking elsewhere. Then he starts walking.

"Where are you going? Why are you here?!" Excafol doesn't answer. He just walks, like he is all alone. "I didn't ask you to do this!!! You own me nothing so why would you do something so stupid?! Are you retarded?!! Answer me already!!" Finally, Excafol stops and turns.

"Can you wait until we reach the nearest town? If you can't, we might as well stay here and die. This savanna isn't safe and I am tired." Then, he starts walking again. He was looking so serious that I don't know what to do right now. Let's just follow him for now.

We walk until the sun rises. Then Excafol stops and looks to the north.

"NARGIL should be this way now. Let's hurry, I need to sleep."

***

We walk for another three hours or so, I am sweating a lot. Excafol also. I take water from my bag and give it to him. Like he saw a piece of meat after eating vegetables for a long time, he takes it and gulps it down, almost choking himself in the process. After coughing a bit, he looks at me like he wants to ask something but I answer before he can.

"I drank enough so don't worry." I was thirsty but not as much as him I am sure.

We finally reach Nargil. It is a city with big walls all around it. Those walls must be made from cement as they are all grey. But there are black traces and small fractures here and there. I wonder what caused that.

"Okay, finally. Kevin, this is Nargil, one of the four major cities in Titanium. We should be safe here since Floras doesn't have a lot of influence. Let's go to an inn to eat and rest. Then we will talk all you want. But, before all that. I will ask you one thing: until we are in the inn, you don't talk and let me do my thing, alright?"

"You better explain yourself later old man." I agree, although reluctantly to his request.

We reach the city entrance. It is a big gate with a drawbridge. There is a line of people also entering the city. When it is our turn, the guard asks us for our papers. He is wearing a leather armor and helmet. Holding a spear, he doesn't really look intimidating, I am sure I can take him down any time. Excafol simply reaches for his pocket and presents something I have never seen before.

"And for the little one?"

"He is my grandson and as you can see, he got seriously injured during a recent expedition. Only us two survive in fact. He has lost his identification plate. But I am sure a kind man like yourself would not block him here right?" While talking, Excafol holds the guard's hand and I hear the tinkering sound characteristic of coins. The guard makes a big smile and looks at me:

"You poor boy, don't worry. I will let you in. How difficult it must have been for you!" Your smile and your words don't match, you know that?

***

The city is big, no, the city is really big. There are buildings everywhere, people and people and people. Darker skins people like me seem to be dominant here. Unlike Onklah or Tatradum. We reach an inn called the BOAR. Inside, there is a black plump woman at the counter who greets us. Her dress somehow makes her look slimmer than she is.

"Hello, do you need a room? Or a meal? Wait…Excafol?!"

"Yo."

The woman jumps from the counter and lands right before us. She literally jumped from that counter.

"You sneaky old bastard! You go without even a word and now you reappear like nothing!! You think I am a pushover?!!"

The woman is angry for some reason, she removes the scarf she used to tie her hair. Her black hair falls down her shoulders and neck. It gives her a nobler aura now.

"Sorry, Selene. Things happened." Excafol bows and apologizes to her.

"You!... Anyways, who is the scrawny little kid? Some orphans you pick up on the road?"

"Well, he is more or less that. But first, we need to rest, I will tell you everything later."