S a l e t é I V

XXXVII - Plumes - Trois

"Did you bring anything with you?" Chief asked the girls as they jumped the perimeter wall again in their way out, taking notice of their backpacks now as he allowed Cassia to go before him, patting her shoulder as she went by.

"No. We were aiming to find valuables to take home today." Monet replied, waiting for Cassie below.

"Yeah, it's pretty much the same deal for us. I reckon we should hit the junkyard first then, maybe have a sniff around on the way over. Not much point in going over the road yet."

"Very well."

With a plan swiftly in place, Cassia was prepared to scout ahead with Spears like they'd always done, her resolve firm now that she had an idea of what they had to do. 

Whilst he took the lead, he refrained from going too far, the boy staying within talking distance as she tailed him closely, the first few lanes that would lead them into the housing sector darker than she'd remembered.

Maybe she had to get used to the area again? She could recall most of those initial paths, only they soon ended up taking a different route. She'd been so used to heading up to the complex that she'd almost tried to go the same way, as if by instinct.

It was a strange feeling. Not exactly pleasant. 

Walking through the sector, there was no sign that anything was wrong. Everything seemed unchanged. People went about their responsibilities without concern or fear. There was no trace of smoke in the air between the numerous buildings and shelters. It was like the fire hadn't occurred at all, or like it was something that had befallen some other realm entirely. 

Maybe there were people along the way that had been affected, those individuals merely having no choice but to adjust and get on with things, much like they were now doing themselves.

Maybe she and her friends had been even luckier than she'd thought, having those few days to process what had happened.

"I don't think we should hang around here. Some of these paths are kinda closed off." Spears said to Chief, looking back only briefly as he made his observations.

There were plenty of alleys leading away from the route he'd chosen, many of them leading to spaces that might have been of some sort of interest - boxes, bins and the occasional dumpster serving as vessels for possible finds - such corners often dark and dingy. As much as Cassie didn't want to spend any time in such places, she would have gone ahead if it meant that she could find something for the group.

"You alright, Cass? Lemme know if you need a boost. I don't mind carrying a princess." He said, giving her a nudge as she continued to stick by his side.

"I'll be fine. Let me know if you need carrying too, princess." She replied, her gaze only partially sly as she looked his way, the lad returning it.

His guidance ensured that it didn't take long to reach the exterior of the scrapyard, his memory of the housing sector's layout genuinely impressive, no major difficulties occurring along the way. Their greatest obstacle had been a path he'd wanted to take that had been in dire need of a good cleanup, numerous broken crates that had presumably been dumped blocking most of it, their contents the putrid remains of what might have once been food. 

How such a mess even ended up in such a place was another mystery to add to the list that the underground had already presented them with.

"Cut around the back. I wanna get a good look before we go in." Chief said, directing everyone to take a right as the sizable fence that marked the edge of the yard came into view.

"I was gonna, don't sweat it."

Spears continued to lead them as they sought a spot similar to the ones they had used in the past when surveying the grounds below, cluttered materials like wood and worn out metals making it harder to navigate as they skirted around the outside, the boy always pausing to lend Cassie a hand whenever it was necessary.