Elicerent

VI.

The sights and sounds of the marketplace both delighted and offended my senses. Some were so luscious, my stomach growled in hunger and others made it backflip in revulsion. It wasn't long before I found eyes lingering on me for longer than normal. Some stared with such curiosity and others, with what seemed to be fear. I heard continuous whispers as I made my way past stalls. It would only be a matter of time before I would begin to see mercenaries making rounds through the streets. Finding a place to conceal myself became my priority. On the southern side of the city, furthest from the Facility, lay a large network of alleyways that fed directly into the marketplace. The stone carved statue of The One's Eye oversaw it all and was freshly stained with what I could only assume was the blood of a rebel. The smell of the congealed mess had attracted swarms of insects, turning what was crimson to black.

Some of the alleys were only a mere two feet wide, strewn with the unwanted mess of the citizens. I was able to weave in and out, ducking behind rubbish to avoid the weapons of the mercenaries. They were easily identifiable. Skin exotically dyed a greyish blue, with clothes that hugged the curves of their muscular bodies. I had been programmed with some close combat training, with a concealed weapon place neatly in my knotted hair. But this training would not help me if I weren't caught be the mercenaries. They travelled in threes. And the triads fought like one. They bonded young, never leaving each other's side. They fought, slept, ate and bathed together.