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Previous: Chapter 22
Chapter 23 (Stupidity)
Aisa groaned as she plopped into
the towering bed of the Yus-Market Inn, smiling. The bed was so soft, and when
she rolled onto her side, it gave her a nice view out the window.
Behind her in
the six-person suite room, Iomat was still unconscious, and together, Rokki and
Tesol lifted her up of the rock-forged stretcher and placed her on the bed
beside Aisa.
Regime
Hunters roamed the streets just outside their window, but none of them seems to
have noticed Aisa or her group. A sign on the lamppost across the street said
why there were so many Regime Hunters in the streets and why there were so many
guards to go along with the thick crowds: preliminary rounds for the
Gladiatorium were being held in Jutzoran this year.
“Good thing
Tima and his group won’t be passing through this city,” Aisa said. “I would
hate to see—”
Tima, or at
least someone who looked like him, strode down the street with someone who
appeared to be Yalrein then disappeared into the crowd.
Aisa rolled
over onto her back and sat bolt upright. “Impossible.”
“What?”
Rokki asked.
“By the
One, Tima is here. In this city. And the others aren’t with him.”
“That’s not
good.”
“And the
mayor was only slightly crazy.”
Rokki
blinked. “Slightly? He released some monster and blew up the village.”
“I was
trying to match your understatement.” Aisa climbed down from the bed and
stomped over to the door, grabbing her bracer and a piece of bread before
stepping out into the hallway on the third floor of the inn. .
Rokki
stumbled out the door behind her, belting on a pair of daggers and checking his
ring. He panted, and like her, his clothes were grimy and disheveled from their
long rolling hike. But unlike her, dark bags decorated his eyes from constantly
molding the tunnel and helping with the burden of travel. “You shouldn’t go
alone.”
“With this
many guards and Regime Hunters about, I doubt anyone will give me trouble.” She
started down the stairs.
“They’re
the ones I’m worrying about.”
“With that
secret weapon, I doubt our descriptions were sent ahead. At worst, they will be
looking for someone coming from that direction. Like Tima. Which is why we have
to get him out of here before fingers start pointing in his direction.”
“I hope
you’re right.”
“I always
am.” Aisa grinned back at him before hurrying out into the sunlight, Rokki on
her heels like a jealous older brother.
Next: Chapter 24
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