Chapter Thirty-Eight

Tell me a secret...

An assistant that bore tentacles at its oral orifice whispered to the Dictator, seated upon his throne, in a foreign language limited to a few scavengers. The Dictator's eyes shone brightly as new information had come to light. He nodded to this assistant, and the moment seemed to take an eternity until a prisoner was dragged to the Dictator's feet. The sack over the head revealed the Dome soldier Shyva met in the prison months before. She had a fair share of winnings in the pit and had been tossed to the highest bidder.

She was nothing like Shyva had met her. Her hair was scraped, and her suit was replaced with tatters and strips of leather. She had become a scavenger, and her skin was burnt a darker shade, increasing the difficulty of recognizing her. Piercings could be observed over her cheeks and ears, and black paint coated her lids and lips.