Chapter 10

The path toward the city was narrowing quickly. The pair had left the other Ravens behind some time ago, after Martha had told them to stay at the "Speckled Cat" hotel, across from Three Jequitibá Square.

According to the Raven, the owner of the establishment was discreet and would pass messages between the group, including when meetings were necessary. It had been an interesting conversation, Gabriel pondered as he walked beside his partner on a stretch of ground that the Ancients had called asphalt. They had two points where they could start their search, but first, they needed to get to know the city.

People moved in all directions along the path, and caravans entered and exited the Cove frenetically. Strange white birds flew above the heads of the passersby, gliding on the sea breeze. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks that lined the path made the air feel humid.

"Amazing," exclaimed a child beside Gabriel, pointing toward the city.

The Raven felt compelled to agree with the child. Buildings and structures pierced the sky, some towering in height, others vast in width, occupying entire blocks.

Palm trees, each more than five meters tall, flanked the path, spaced evenly apart. The entrance had no arch or gate—the city simply began, leading onto a wide, two-way street, wide enough to accommodate six caravan wagons side by side, which almost happened, as two wagons occupied each side of the road. The path that had slowly narrowed now opened up, revealing a large breakwater to the left of the city, with a brown sand beach stretching along much of the coastline to the right.

Shops crowded the entrance to the city, with some shopkeepers haggling over prices with members of the caravans, while street vendors desperately tried to announce their goods. An old man, sitting by the roadside, grumbled at some children to be careful not to get run over.

Gabriel noticed the intense heat of the area, which distorted some objects in the distance, likely a result of the sea, he thought. The sea breeze made his hair and clothes flutter in a different direction every moment. The air itself was slightly salty.

A building that occupied an entire city block rose before the duo, and the onyx statue of a raven, standing a meter and a half tall, made it clear that it was one of the Nests. The structure was made of thick wooden beams, each two meters tall, with another beam nailed on top to make the walls even higher. Several enormous cables, as thick as an arm, wrapped around the walls, and rusty anchors and wooden ship wheels were attached to the timber. The extremely thick doors were open, and Ravens were constantly coming and going. The roof of the Nest had various ship hulls built into it. It was an impressive sight, Gabriel thought, feeling a bit ashamed of the simplicity of the Nest he came from. Except for the area surrounding the Nest, the rest of the street buzzed with people shamelessly seeking the products they desired. A vendor passed by Gabriel, selling roasted bird wings, claiming they were from a creature called a seagull.

"Naomi!" called Gabriel. "Hey, Naomi!"

The young woman had been looking at a shop displaying various aquariums filled with colorful fish, with fishing rods mounted on the wall behind the seller. Up front, an older man was calmly trying to catch a reddish fish.

"Yeah?" she replied, turning to Gabriel.

"What are seagulls?"

"See those birds flying near the beach?" she said, pointing to the white birds. "That's them."

"Cool," Gabriel replied dumbly.

They continued along the avenue, and dozens of smaller streets branched off from it, leading to others. Where they were felt like the artery of a body. A new cluster of shops cut across the road ahead, marking the end of the street. At its end, they turned right. While not as spacious as the first street, it was still packed with people. The entire entrance to the city was focused on commerce, giving a warm first impression, but that quickly began to change.

As they ventured deeper into the streets, the environment, which had once felt relaxed, now carried a sense of tension. It felt like a pressure cooker, ready to explode at any moment. Suspicious and fearful looks were common among the crowd.

"We're finally seeing the city's true colors," Gabriel whispered.

Naomi agreed. The more they explored the city, through less crowded streets and near-empty shops, the more it felt like chaos was on the verge of erupting.

Widely spaced streetlights stood dark due to the time of day, but it was common knowledge that Cove Two, along with the Bunker, were the only places with electricity, thanks to their gasoline-powered generators. Of course, each Cove's Nest enjoyed this luxury due to having its own gasoline generator. Although the number of people had decreased significantly compared to the entrance, there was still some movement, but everyone either traveled in groups or hurried along. There were no children without an adult nearby.

"What do you think?" Gabriel asked, assessing the situation.

— It's a little better than I expected — confessed the young woman, who from time to time ran her hand over her pants to make sure her coin purse hadn't been stolen. — It's not chaotic. Tense, yes. Martha made it seem like it was much worse than it really was.

— Yeah, but still, for a popular revolt to start, all it takes is a spark.

Naomi nodded. She didn't like dealing with revolts, but she had to because of her job. Thinking about it, she realized she hadn't seen a Raven in some time. They passed by a narrow corridor that smelled of urine, where a man lay sleeping, holding a bottle.

The skyscraper in the center of the city was just a few streets away from them, and they headed towards it. Despite the false initial impression of the place, there were some interesting spots to visit, and this was one of them. As they entered the street that led to it, they saw the first Raven.

A young man was walking along the corner of the street, looking at everyone, searching for something suspicious or noteworthy. Gabriel had to stifle a laugh. It was clearly one of the rookies, and he had acted the same way when he was new. Many didn't survive in the beginning.

The Corva could already see the entrance of the building, but in front of it was a small square with few trees, and many bushes and flowers caught her attention. Iron benches painted in peeling green were occupied by people, and unlike the rest of what they had seen so far, these inhabitants of the Pit seemed calm and at ease. As they got closer, she understood why. The skyscraper was one of the city's Nests, where Ravens came and went constantly. The building had a completely black façade, with darkened windows as well, making it impossible to see inside from the outside. An eight-step marble staircase led to the revolving door. Gabriel noticed that pigeons were frequently entering and exiting a window higher up, which made him whisper to his partner.

— This is where the messenger pigeons stay — he pointed with his head towards the window. — And with the number of birds, I seriously doubt it's just messages from this Nest.

— Gabriel, remember what Jonas said: all the messages received by the Bunker indicated that things were being investigated.

— I remember, why?

— If what you said is true and this is the only place with pigeons out of the five Nests, then it's possible the letters are being altered here. — Seeing the look on the young man's face, she quickly added. — This is just a theory.

— I hope it stays that way — the man said nervously. — But we won't get anywhere if we keep walking around aimlessly. Wait a moment.

Without waiting for a response from her, Gabriel headed straight for a bench where a group of men were having an active conversation. As they noticed his approach, they frowned. Naomi simply watched as Gabriel chatted eagerly with them, and they slowly warmed up to him. In less than two minutes, the Raven returned, satisfied.

— To get to Praça Três Jequitibás, we need to go straight down this street, according to what they told me. It's literally the next square, but it's a bit far.

Leaving the Nest behind, they began to see Ravens more frequently. Even though there were many, it was clear that managing such a large city was impossible without some blind spots. But the presence of the Ravens did not lessen the constant feeling of distrust.

The journey continued without any major problems, though they had to dodge hurried people or someone passed out drunk or high in a corner. There were no caravans or carts carrying food, which made them realize that only the city's entrance was receiving them.

Naomi was happily eating a fried seaweed snack beside Gabriel, something she had bought from a boy with impressive sales skills, leaving even the Raven from the Infiltration Circle speechless. The sounds of the frying continued to follow them.

— It must be here — the young woman said with her mouth full.

They followed the direction the men had pointed to, and it took nearly ten minutes before this new square appeared. Unlike the first one, which was large and full of pedestrians, this one was circular, with three giant jequitibás arranged in a triangular formation in the center. Some wooden benches were scattered beneath the colossal branches of the ten-meter-high trees, and in the center, there was a dry fountain.

Gabriel stopped to observe the condition of the buildings in the Pit as he searched frantically for the hotel that had been indicated. Even though the buildings were in an acceptable state, patches could be seen everywhere. Due to the size and weight of some buildings and houses, iron beams or stones were used. The enormous skyscrapers had no residents in their upper areas because of instability or were completely abandoned. The same applied to some houses. The duo had just passed a place that was nothing but rubble from one of the buildings that had collapsed, and the normalcy of everything around them at the moment made it seem like the event had happened a long time ago. The streets, except for the main avenue made of concrete, or what was left of it, with patches of clay and stones, were completely paved with cobblestones.

With a gentle touch, Naomi brought Gabriel back from his thoughts. Once she had his attention, she pointed with her thumb to a two-story building wedged between others of the same height.

— It must be there — Naomi said, pulling her partner by the hand.

Seeing that above the door of the establishment was a two-meter painting of a cat stretching with its rear end up, Gabriel understood why Naomi thought it was the place.

They passed by a bar, where several elderly men with sun-baked skin from the sea were drinking a green beverage while listening to a musician playing an obscene song about a boy who slept with his fiancée's twin sister, thinking it was her. At that moment, Gabriel froze, feeling a bitter lump in his throat.

— What is it? — Naomi asked, looking at him curiously.

— Nothing — he replied, moving ahead. — I just remembered someone, let's go — he added, giving a light tap on his partner's back, but felt something hard.

— Naomi, are you wearing the chainmail?

— Yes — and seeing the expression on her colleague's face, she quickly added. — I don't intend to take it off anytime soon, so get used to it.

The hotel entrance was lined with flowers, and a welcome mat lay in front of the door. They pushed the door open and entered. It was a cramped entryway with only a counter and a board where the keys were hanging. A corridor turned left beside the counter, and just two steps down the hall was a staircase. The walls were covered in wallpaper depicting cats playing, stretching in all directions.

— Wow — Gabriel exhaled.

— Welcome! — said a hoarse, friendly voice.

Turning suddenly, both Ravens were startled by the arrival of the hotel owner. An elderly woman, dressed in a long pink dress with frills on the collar and sleeves, her hair tied in a bun, was looking at them with bright black eyes.

The woman was sitting in front of them, separated only by the counter. Naomi noticed that she was short, even while seated, and her back was hunched.

— Ah! — she spoke again. — I know that feeling you two are going through. We must have a mutual friend, right?

Gabriel was amazed at how quickly the woman had identified them. But he needed to be cautious, so he spoke.

— Nice to meet you, I'm Gabriel.

— Naomi, — replied his partner.

— And you are?

— Apologies for my manners, my name is Guilhermina! — she said, tapping her fingers on the wooden counter. — And did our mutual friend request some sort of discretion? I don't intend to say any names.

— A wise decision, — Gabriel said, leaning against the counter and bringing his face closer to the old woman who smelled of flowers. — Did this friend leave us a room?

— You youngsters, — Guilhermina said, turning slightly red as she fanned herself with one hand and slid the other across the keys on the wall. — Yes, here, — she said, tossing one to the young man.

Because he was so close, Gabriel managed to catch the small metallic object by sheer luck, but the movement made him step back from the counter. He opened his hand to reveal the key, with the number twelve engraved on the metal.

— Thank you, — he said, shaking the object toward Guilhermina.

— Just don't forget, — the old woman said, a little more seriously. — Just because we have the same mutual friend doesn't mean you've skipped paying for your stay.

— I was starting to like you, — murmured Gabriel, making a little pout with his lips.

— Sure, — Naomi replied. — How much would it be?

— I charge three coins per day, — she said, adjusting herself with the same sly smile on her face. The frills on her sleeves brushed against the wood of the counter as she straightened herself. — But I'll give you both a discount, one coin will be enough.

— Once again, I like you, — Gabriel remarked.

— Here, — Naomi said, pulling out a bag of coins, taking out four, and placing them on the counter. — I'll pay for four days in advance.

Guilhermina looked at the coins with a satisfied smile on her face, and with skill, she grabbed the four coins that disappeared between the frills of her dress. Stretching one hand toward the stairs, she spoke.

— Your room is the second one up the stairs, the first one in the hallway.

— Thank you so much, — Naomi said, heading straight for the room. She needed to get her thoughts together. Gabriel followed closely behind.

— One last thing! — shouted Guilhermina, stretching over the counter. — Prepare yourselves, a storm is coming soon.

Stopping on the second step, the Corvos looked out through the door of the establishment, and they could see a piece of the sky, which was very blue and cloudless. Gabriel looked at the old woman, raising an eyebrow.

— Are you sure?

— Young man, — Guilhermina replied with authority. — I've lived here long before either of you even thought about being born. I know exactly what I'm talking about.

— Thanks for the heads-up, — Naomi quickly said before Gabriel could continue.

They resumed climbing the zigzagging stairs. The upper part was the same as the first, with wallpaper featuring playful kittens. The last step led them to a door with the number "11" painted on the wood in red paint, in easy-to-read handwriting. Next to the door, a hallway like the one below lined with doors, and the floor was covered in a fluffy brown carpet that made it seem like it would swallow their feet when they stepped on it. As the older woman had said, their door was the first one in the hallway, with the number twelve engraved in the wood.

— I hope there aren't any cats inside too, — Gabriel remarked.

Smiling at the corner of her mouth, Naomi opened the door, revealing a simple but very well-kept room. A double bed was at the far end near a low window. To the left, a wardrobe and a nightstand were against the wall. Next to the head of the bed, there was a small desk. A yellow square rug lay between the bed and a two-seat couch that was against the wall near the door. Fortunately, the walls didn't have wallpaper; they were just white.

A door next to the wardrobe led to a small bathroom, with just a toilet, no shower or bathtub. Naomi would need to ask the woman later where they could bathe.

— Not bad, — Gabriel commented, entering the room before his partner and putting his bag on the floor. — I've been in much worse places, a lot worse.

Naomi had to agree as she entered; the room had its charm. She went to the window, feeling disappointed when she realized it looked out onto an alley at the back of the building, facing a construction with no windows. But soon, her disappointment turned into understanding, as she realized the reason for it.

— What's wrong? — Gabriel asked, noticing his partner's smile.

— Martha really thought this room through, — Naomi said, pointing to the alley. — From here, we can leave without drawing attention.

— Smart, — Gabriel agreed, sticking his head out the window to look both ways, then returning inside. — But it's not perfect.

— Why?

— This! — he said, pointing to the wall next to the bed.

Naomi paid attention for the first time, and she had to sit on the mattress to keep from laughing too hard. A nearly one-meter painting was stuck to the wall, and the central image was of a basket full of kittens, all looking with cute eyes at whoever was observing the painting.

— Really, — Naomi said, wiping away a tear. — We can't escape the cats.

— Yes, — Gabriel replied, inspecting the picture more closely. — We've got a cat lady among us.