Cairo

Chapter 31: Fighting Fire with Fire

The crumpled note grinded against Cairo's skin. He glanced down at it from the bottom corner of his eye, the handwritten scribbles of Aidan catching his attention. A scoff came up through his throat, and he shook his head as he looked at the bullshitted directions he was given. They made no sense, getting Cairo lost more than once. If he had any guess, he'd say it was purposefully done by Aidan. Nobody would dispute him if he said it out loud, Cairo was sure.

A gust of wind picked up the sandy dirt along the path. It swirled in the wind, brushing against Cairo's eyes. He scratched his arms, squinting his eyes as he lifted a hand to shield the glaring rays of the sun above him. By the height of the sun, it looked to be around noon. Cairo sighed, shoving the paper back in his pockets. He looked at the small town in front of him.

"It only took us around six hours," Cairo said, looking over to Aerie who was deeply engaged as her eyes wandered the map she held tightly in her hands. "I've never even heard of this place before. Fire mages don't get sent to little towns like these. I don't understand what could be so wrong here that I'd have to come out of my way."

"Something happened or we wouldn't be here," Aerie said. "Aidan's gotten us in trouble a lot in the past, but there's always been something to do. Why would it be any different now?"

Cairo shrugged. "For some strange reason that I don't find all that strange since Aidan is involved, I don't have a good feeling about this at all."

Aerie looked up from the map in her hands, her eyes staring blankly at him as if she was asking him what he wanted her to say. He shrugged to the unsaid question, and with a discontented sigh, he stalked along the dirt-ridden road to the small city whose population couldn't be more than two-hundred.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

There were people running all around the small town as Cairo walked in. He watched in silence as they moved like stealthy troops on a mission, barely making any sounds as they trekked through the broken clay-bricked roads. They wore rags for clothes, patches of different colors highlighting the ripped texture of the clothes. Their eyes were dark against the bright rays of light. Parts of their cheeks caved in, revealing their bony mass under the thin layer of flesh covering them. Most carried buckets over their shoulders that look two sizes too big for them.

Some of them paid Cairo no mind, some looked over their shoulders with harsh glares darkening their faces. What they all had in common was making known the indisputable fact that a boundary had been made. If there was a ten foot wall, it would be standing clear as day in front of Cairo. He moved his hand out in front of him, waving it a couple of times absentmindedly. People stopped their busy strides to slow their pace for a few more seconds to catch a glimpse at what Cairo was doing. It as if he was out for public display.

Cairo rubbed his shoulders, massaging the muscles for a second as he looked around. His patience was wearing, and he still had no idea what Aidan wanted him to do. The feeling of dread deep in his stomach was stirring. No good came from Aidan. It was best to get in and out, and that's what he wanted to do. If he knew what it was he was supposed to do.

"I should have asked what he wanted," Cairo mumbled as he peaked in through the door at a pub.

Aerie looked at him, watching as he observed the inside of the building. "Why didn't you?"

"I..." Cairo closed his mouth, closing the door as he kicked at the ground, stirring up a small gust of dirt. "I was distracted."

.

For the next hour, Cairo spoke his complaints out loud, mumbling rather loudly at that as his face scrunched together more with every passing second. Everything was dull. Melancholy. Nothing stood out. By the time that Cairo had gone to the edge of the city and back to the market center, he stood there grinding his teeth, silently cursing Aidan under his breath. A couple might have made their way accidentally out of his mouth.