Chapter 8 – Chase of Slaves (2)

Leiko waited for the news. She looked at her sister. Her eyes shining dimly and brightly, as her thoughts brew like a storm.

Should I really trust that human? He’s kind to my sister. But knowing humans, they are two-faced beings. Should I trust my sister’s safety to this human?

She was sitting quietly. Nibbling on the bread she eats. Kioko looked at her sister. She raised her brows and wondered what her sister is thinking about. She thought, “I wonder if Big sister is having deep thoughts again?” and continued eating her bread.

Shig can be trusted. He had done things to save us. I can trust him with my life. That crazed bull is good for us. But that human...what did he did for us? He drove us here but that was it. He is good to my sister. But, but, I just can’t trust any human...not after all that they did.

Her tribe was lost to humans. Her family lost to humans. Her body’s chastity was lost to humans. All she had was her sister. And she almost and might lose her. She could not trust the human named Joshua. Not because of whom he was as a person. But because of what race he was. He was not the person who enslaved them. He was just some unlucky foreigner who could not even speak the common tongue. He’s not a bad guy. Or at least that’s what she thinks. But her prejudice and racism against humans made her reject what goodness Joshua has.

He’s been good to Kioko. Shig thinks that he’s pitiable. No, maybe this could work. I can watch over this human. Indeed, maybe they trust him but I just can’t.

Blinded by prejudice she was. She could not begin to trust Joshua. Consideration was all she could offer the human. That was all she could give. After all, if she could. She would keep Kioko away from him. But her sister was her weakness. What her sister wanted. She would give it. She was her everything. She was her light to this cruel world. She wanted her sister to be happy. Being hated by sister would break her. Her sister is her pillar of support. Once that ‘pillar’ is gone. She would fall apart.

That’s why even though she wanted her sister to be by her side all the time. She could not do it. For whatever reason, her sister was fond of the human who sees him as her playmate. She would play with him and just yesterday she took the human to see the rain of stardust that made the human stun. Leiko thought that was the human’s first time. And the look he gave was rather innocent and strangely pure.

It was also because of that look that her head brew a storm. Her prejudice and thoughts clashed. But in the end, the prejudice and the cynical thoughts she had about humans won. That’s why she can only sigh helplessly while the bread is in her hand.

The door leading to the garage opened. Leiko looked. She saw Shig’s burly body enter. He looked at the room before landing his eyes towards her and saying, “It looks like the engine will be delivered soon. Get ready Leiko. Barbados said that bounty hunters are looking for us. Expect resistance and hopefully, we survive this. The sand gator mount will be waiting. We’ll follow Barbados. Make sure to cover yourself with the robe.”

“Sure.” Leiko nodded.

Joshua followed Shig. Looking at Joshua, a clear frown appeared on Leiko’s mouth. Joshua noticed the stare. He looked at the Cattus sisters before nodding his head at them. Although he could not speak, he can at least do that gesture.

Leiko crossed her arms. She pulled Kioko near her and made her wear the robes and sweeping her cat ears back. Like Kioko, Leiko did her head and covered her cat ears. While she was adjusting her robe, the dwarven who had grease all over him entered the living room and went up to his room. Shig and Joshua came down with the bag of gold and trinkets. Followed by that, Barbados came down sporting a cloak, covering her muscled arms.

“Try to not act. Let the human with the guard armor lead us. That should let us blend into the crowd. Make sure he draws his rifle and raise his chin up. That should make him look human.”

“How the hell do I convey that?”

“Just try.”

Helplessly, Shig acted like a mime and gestured Joshua to do what Barbados said. It took a while, but Joshua did what Barbados instructed. With that done, the five of them went out of the workshop. Barbados locked his workshop and then pushes his cart that contained the engine.

The five of them started walking through this box-shaped house lined streets. There were people walking around the street. And on the side are peddlers hawking their merchandises while buyers gather around them. The buildings had smiths hammering heated metal. There are merchants shouting their accessories, showing them off to the pretty ladies that pass by.

The streets were narrow. So it took a while for Barbados to make his way through. Then, the five entered a much wider street. They continued strolling down this street until they went to the general direction of one of the gates where the mount seller was. They arrive at the mount seller’s shop. It was fairly big place hugging the wall of the city of storms. There, Barbados called another fat dwarf who wanted to see the engine. This fat dwarf examined the engine and see how brilliantly it was dismantled. He didn’t lollygag and told Barbados to complete the payment. While the payment was happening, the Dwarf said.

“Would you like for the gates to open for two minutes?”

Which made Shig listened in. The fat dwarf wanted the other bag of trinkets. With that bag, he would make way for them out of the city. It was a tempting offer which Shig did not refuse. He accepted the offer and together the four mounted the sand gator. That sand gator has a massive toothless mouth. It was about three feet tall and has a length of about ten feet.

This massive sand gator had a built-in carriage behind its back. Shig controlled the sand gator using the specially made reins and made the gator move. The sand gator’s four legs started to the gates. The guardsmen who were near the gate tried to stop them to check their identities. But suddenly, the gate opened on them and they were pushed away by the gator. One of the guards who was far from them quickly got alerted and operated the crank siren.

With a very loud noise, the siren echoed and was met with a reply by various sirens. With the siren going out, many of the hunters assured that the slave’s that has a big money on them was escaping. And rather quickly, the chase for the slaves happened.