Lizard highlighted the map approximately where New Langit would be, completing a triangle that connected dots labeled Beaute 9 and Vevilla. It was a pretty broad area, three hundred and twenty miles to cover, mostly made of the Cobalt Desert. The length between territories didn't matter to Lizard, the farthest distance between any of the three cities was a only a bit less than fifty miles, but the nearest of the three, Vevilla, was at least a nine day journey on foot, and that was without rest.
The covers stirred on the mattress beside her, as she reclined in a dusty armchair.
"You up yet?" she asked, glancing at the bloodstained heap, browned from being old and dry.
River twisted to face her, pulling the covers from over his own face. His thin yet numerous locs fell over his eyes as he stared vacantly at the wall.
"Yes."
"Good."
Lizard's attention returned to the map. River absolutely would not survive the Cobalt Desert. He couldn't even handle himself in a place like Bandsland.
"I'm sorry," said River, still gazing into nothing.
"For what?" asked Lizard, dryly.
"I messed everything up. And I made you walk into the trap."
"You did very well on Monday," Lizard sighed, "You held out much longer than most hunters would. And even though you got yourself caught, and wasted my money on anons, you got us the info we needed."
His discovery was pure luck but there was no point in mentioning that now. Best to put that far behind them. They had larger issues.
Lizard pulled a robe and a bottle out of her mirror, glancing back at River. She needed to find somewhere safe and, most importantly, alone.
"Go back to sleep," she said, before walking out of the room, leaving River alone to deal with his own angst.
The communal bath was empty until Lizard entered it. Her sandals patted the emerald tiles, the hot water warmed her skin and softened her. She checked her surroundings one more time before pouring the contents of the bottle on the floor near her, then said in a hushed tone:
"Mod Nadine."
For a moment nothing happened.
"Mod Nadine."
A familiar, stern voice answered. "There has to be some sort of emergency for you to call me at this time."
"I need a vehicle. Car, bike, scooter, doesn't matter as long as it can fit two people. Preferably steam or pressure powered."
"That's a wild way to ask for something expensive. Why should I give it to you?"
"I have a lead, but my target is too far away to walk. It would realistically take about two weeks. Also I have reason to believe they're traveling North and we need to be able to overtake them."
"We?"
"Yes, I have a partner for the time being."
Nadine paused for a moment, then said in a harsh tone, "I hired you. Not that random teenager you decided to pick up."
"I didn't 'pick him up,'" hissed Lizard, speaking with more venom in her tone than she intended to. She softened once more and said, "I kept him around because he's useful to me. I know what I'm doing."
Nadine paused a second time.
"Ok," she said "I'll send coordinates to where you can pick it up."
"Thanks-"
Nadine left the water without a "goodbye" or "you're welcome." Not that Lizard cared, or was in anyway surprised.
Lizard dried herself off, looking for old scars in the mirror. Her skin was reset for whatever reason, and so it looked smooth and bare and foreign.
She threw her loose clothing on haphazardly and returned to the room where River lay staring at the ceiling. Lizard reclined on the armchair and checked Nadine's coordinates, a black dot ten miles to the east of her current location, dipping into unclaimed territory: wildlands.
Lizard fumed. Nadine purposely stuck it two hours away, in a danger zone just to spite her, Lizard was sure of it. But she had to address that later. If she was going to walk a distance like that, she needed to go now to gather supplies or they'd end up stuck in this town for another day.
"I'm leaving," she told River, "I'll be back eventually. Keep your head down."
River hummed a tired "OK" without looking away from the ceiling.
................................................
River gingerly pulled the sheets away from his skin. His wounds were closed but his fluids had become a maroon crust that attached him to the bedding. He didn't bother trying to wipe down before exiting the room, so people stared. Upon entering the public bath, the bathers took one look at him and left, not wanting share water with him. River didn't care. He wanted to be alone anyway.
He started with a shower, too hot, hot to punish, and closed his eyes, letting the water poor down his scalp, back and throat. Behind his eyelids he could almost see them, Gatling, broad and stout, Lily, tall and leathery, Rose, round eyed and round faced. The smell of iron and ash filled his senses, twisting his stomach. River threw up. He hadn't eaten so it was nothing but slimy yellowish, globs of bitter tasting fluid and he felt bad for whoever had to clean it up.
He finished his bath quickly, with the goal of finishing before anyone came in and saw the embarrassing mess he'd made. The housekeeper probably already hated him for what he did to the bed. It would be better if he didn't go back yet. The room had a mild stench, and dusty air that did little to improve his mood. Before long, he found himself standing outside of the inn, facing a busy, unfamiliar road. Thankfully, it was spore-free.
The arching, high roofs of the buildings mirrored the steep slope of the hill their floral painted walls were built into. River looked to the right. A shimmering lake was at the end, and looked as if it would touch the sky, if the outlines of a distant city didn't act as a border. He turned his back to the scenery and followed the road downhill. Before long he was wandering the city aimlessly, allowing the hiss of steam bikes, and purr of pressure quads to drown out the cries in his own thoughts. Allowing them to drown out Lily's froggy voice asking:
"Why him?"
Gatling replies coolly, without hesitation, "Because he's perfect for the job."
Maybe Gatling saw something in River back then that River never saw. Whatever it was, River could stand to see it now, but it was too late to ask.
The roads became narrower and less crowded, the buildings became less ornate and closer together, and the sky cast a yellow glow, warnings of an upcoming sunset.
"Hey!" someone shouted.
River turned towards the voice and realized he was being beckoned by a male, about Rivers own age, who's lower body was somehow melded to the wooden staircase he sat on. River took a moment, wondering if this was some kind of trap, then decided to approach.
"What is it?" asked River
"You're a glitch aintcha?"
Rivers heart skipped a beat.
"Don't worry, I wont tell. Besides, anyone with a brain could figure that out. You've got a bounty on you the size of an elite runner and you don't look like no elite runner to me. What's your glitch by the way? Mine is kind of obvious."
"I don't like to talk about it?"
"A mysterious stranger, huh? We don't meet new glitches so often, the down post will love you."
River squinted his brown eyes. "What's the down post?"
A grim smile spread across the guys oily face.
"So you're not here to join. What brings you to town then?"
"It's a long story, but to summarize, my glitch was exposed, and I got sent on a mission to save my village. I'm looking for someone named Tank now."
The guy shook his head.
"It's a shame. The glitches are always the first to get thrown out in a crisis situation. Even the mods hate us. You ever wonder why were always have such high bounties on our heads?"
"No."
"Because they want us dead! And the regs don't care about our lives they just want their points! They slaughter us and call us bugs and nobody cares but us. That's what the downpost is for. It's like this. Me. I can't walk or move at all anymore. Do the regs care? They try not to look at me! They want to pretend I don't exist. They don't even speak back when I talk. My glitch sisters and brothers walk five miles just to bring me a meal and make sure I'm ok, and then walk five miles back just to make sure they're safe. They look out for me! We look out for each other there. You get what I'm saying?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Look at it like this: If you weren't a glitch, would they have sent you?"
River paused.
"I'm not sure,"
"Ok. Look at it like this: Do you have a skill set that would make you good for this job?"
His stomach churned.
That answer was obvious. "No."
"I'm sorry you have to hear this, but you got thrown out, just like the rest of us."
He dint need this right now. He wanted to escape.
"Know what, it's getting dark-"
"Hey, I understand. But look. Someone from the downpost should be here around ten or eleven tonight, You should come meet them, let them show you how it is back home."
"Ok, thanks. I'll see."
River turned on his heels and walked briskly towards the inn. Had his village really thrown him out? No, they were relying on him to bring them a merchant... just because he was a glitch. But it was more complicated than that.
Maybe he would go to the downpost tomorrow, just to check it out.