Gift Of Justice #NaNoWriMo2k18

Chapter 7

 The click of a door alerted Niel to the presence of someone in the room. He sat up in bed to see a thin shaft of light quickly vanished again. Confused, he pulled on a thin black jacket and dashed over to the door, only to see Akira trying to creep back down the corridor.

"You - "

"Argh! Come on, it was an accident! I was trying to knock, but the door lock mustn't have been working or something. I swear I didn't look inside..."

He felt his face burn, and ran back inside the room to get dressed. Reaching for his bag, he double checked to make sure his bag of coins and the food he packed was safely secured inside. He opened the door again a few minutes later, and Akira was staring sullenly at her feet, refusing to make eye contact.

"Come on," he muttered, tapping her on the shoulder. She followed silently behind him out into the lobby, where he handed over the keys and left the inn. The second he stepped out, Thora swooped down on his head, with Beaver running up to Akira, barking happily, seemingly not noticing his mistress' depressed expression.

Niel turned around to face her. "Hey - don't think too much about it. Please."

She let out a long sigh. "I'll try not to. I just feel like I've messed up before we've even begun."

He blinked rapidly. "What are you talking about?"

"This whole mission. If we can't work together as a team, then, well..."

He shook his head a little in exasperation, secretly hiding his relief. "Akira, don't be so alarmed. If an issue as small as this can tip us over, then nothing will work. Just trust me." He glanced into the sky though, noticing the rapidly climbing sun. "We have to hurry though. We need to leave before the rest of the city fully wakes up."

"Right." She tugged her shoulder bag around her waist and started walking out in front of him quickly, Beaver trotting behind like a dog. Thora squeezed herself into a pocket on his bag and refused to budge, so he left her there. They passed quiet houses, shutters drawn down hiding the inhabitants. The roads were almost completely deserted in the early sunrise, a sharp contrast against the hustle and the bustle of the midday markets. Niel glanced around, suddenly realising this may be the last time he will see the city of Ershire from the inside for quite a while. He sighed a little, worried, but not exactly sorrowful. He knew he'll be able to come back in the future.

With the edge of the city rapidly approaching, Akira squared her shoulders, taking a deep breath. "We're very close to the destination now, right?"

"If we've been walking in the right direction, yes." He glanced forwards, and finally noticed the long mountain peaks stretching outwards in the distance, filling his view of the horizon. The peaks rose through the sky, wreathed in clouds. Long, smooth lines ran along the sides, deep  valleys carved from wind and flood during the Event. Trees grew on either side of the ravines, leaving contrasting bands of sullen grey and soft green. She suddenly picked up the pace and dashed ahead of him, waving frantically at a chariot about to pull out of the arching city gate. Niel quickened his pace as well, eager to catch up. The driver waited for them, looking a little surprised when he saw Beaver and Thora, but didn't question it.

"Just two, mister and madame?"

"Yes please." Niel handed him a Centuri, and they climbed into the back compartment, a large enclosed compartment with open windows and doors, placing their bags below their seats. There was one other person, who seemed to have fallen asleep. A large black cap covered his face, and he could hear him snoring under it. His collared hands were grasped in his lap, and he was leaning almost completely backwards in his chair. Thora started squawking in her pocket, but he quickly shushed her before she could make a racket. The horses pulled the chariot out fully from the city, and they set down the road towards Cascenda. Niel turned around in his seat to look behind him as the city gradually faded from view, slowly growing smaller as details blurred until all he could see was a blob of houses and buildings, with the city gate still standing where they left, standing tall and shining as if waving them goodbye. He only turned back around to face the front again when the whole city melted into one ball of colour, finally losing sight of his home.