(CHAPTER 15: CIVILISATION)

Their trip across the desert was actually going well for the past few days. It is sure that she may weight down their time a bit, but that is all it takes to at least make Hero felt a little bit better, clearing the guilt in his mouth. She also enjoys the ride, she love the felling of bumping around, leaning against his back. Although she couldn't see what is in front of her, the image was all within her mind. She could see the vast desert that stretches endlessly, she could fell the sizzling sound on top of them, the dust storm that keeps annoying her. She may lost her sight, but she never lost her heart toward this mysterious yet beautiful world. Every so often she would gave him a drink, or maybe ask whether he is tired, whether she is too heavy for him and would often wipe his sweat off his forehead, which often make him blush, but they are at the desert, and luckily she couldn't saw it.

And sure enough, at the end of day, they've found something. Across an enormous dome, was what they've seek for so long.

Civilization.

"Brine, there is a village in front of us!" Hero shouted as he turn his head back.

"Really!?" She turn her head around as she screamed and kick her legs excitedly. "Quick! Hurry!!"

"I am running, the village won't disappear!" He slide down the dune as he sprinted towards the village. Blood was rushing in his mind, this is what they have wanted for so long. But when they approach closer and closer, he found something was off regarding the village. First the village was a lot larger than he expected, more like a town. But town appears rather dead, with no crops and only a few camels which look awfully skinny, roaming arrow nibbling on any edible thing that come within sight.

"How did the village look like? Are there tons of crops with tons of animal?" She was still hyped about it as she asked anxiously.

"Well Brine, it appears rather off, as if something has happened before."

"But what?"

"I am not sure, but maybe we could stay here for the ni-"

"HELLO TRAVELLER!"

A man suddenly appear right in front of them as he greeted with his deep booming voice, cutting off Hero. His sudden appearance almost gave him a heart attack. He look at the man closely. He was wearing a white, sandy yellowed cloak that match the design of the desert, so long that it almost dragged across his feet. His eyes were green and he appears bald, the kind that was spotless, with an abnormally long nose stretching down to his lips.

"We are having a 50 percent discount at the Inn, and if you are interested, you could-"

"I am not." Hero cut as he walk across him, trying to shake him off.

"What an annoying fellow" He thought in his mind as he dwell deeper into the city. But when he enter deeper, more and more people started to swarm him. Some inspect at Brine closely, which make her blushes as she hung her head low. Most of them are here for Hero to trade emeralds for their crops or item but some of them are here to watch these outsiders. He was getting quite furious with what's happening, and he get even furious when kids join the group. They are always crying and shouting and asking the stupid question like:

"Are you a boy or girl?"

"Why is your shirt blue?"

"Why are you carrying a girl?"

And soon things tip over when people found out he is not replying them and start to mock them.

"A group of scavengers!"

"Is he deaf or something?"

"Well the girl he carry was blind, so maybe he is, too."

"Why is he carrying a blind girl?"

"What a dumb blind girl, she refuse to even say something when I show her my handmade wool cloth, is she dead?"

And that has pull the lever on him. Maybe they may not understand his feeling towards her, but Hero knows it, he know that she is blinded because of HIM.

A fume started in his heart as he stopped, the idiot still doesn't seem to know that though, as he kept on calling. Even more excitingly, like a monkey on lice, jumping up and down like a total fool.

"Say that again."

He took out the diamond axe out of his backpack. Suddenly everyone shut up, it was dead silent for a second, no one make a move.

"Hero, no." Brine whisper to him softly, her voice seemed chocked up, she is crying.

And boy, when she cries, someone is going to die.

The idiot seems to know that too as he kept on cursing while backing up to his house, before opening the door and slip back. Hero turn around as he stare at the door for a few minute, before letting out an awful roar and throw his axe towards the door with all his might, as if he was going to release all of his pain, anger and guilt on that one single throw. The force was so strong that it break the door in half before settling on the sandstone wall, leaving a large thump.

He kicked open the rest of the damaged door before looking at the idiot, whimpering at the corner of his house, begging for mercy.

A coward.

He cursed in his heart as he reach for his axe and turn around to leave the house, and he bump right into the man he met earlier on. He was smiling with a room key in his hand.

"So, inn sir?" He reach out the key at his face and jiggles it a bit, creating a crisp, sharp noise.

Hero rolled his eyes, he took the key as he threw him a few emeralds he have mined on the last mining trip. The man let out a wink as he signaled Hero to follow him.

"So what's your name sir?" Without even ten seconds he started asking.

"..." He refuse to answer.

"I need to register your name in the logbook, or else you can't stay." He took out a leather book from his pocket.

"Hero." He reply without making eye contact.

"Ah yes, a name for a hero. And the dashing young lady behind?"

"Brine." She reply softly, her noise is still chocked.

"Weird name perhaps but I'll take it." He wrote down the name with a quill.

"Better than your nose." He say sarcastically.

"Well what brings you here fellow traveler?" He seems relentless when it comes to talking.

"None of your business" He replied coldly before Brine could ever answer.

"You know you look a lot like my brother, not the chatty type. Do you know that once he-"

The group looked as they proceed to travel towards the one and only inn within town. What a lucky fellow, at least he got business. People let out a sigh of disappointment as they all return to where they belong. Hope that they will not stay at here for too long, cause this place is a living hell.