NOVEL WEB Chapter-60 Burden
The tram tracks led the way, Ewan and Nana followed it, heading to the market. Rubble and debris replaced the intact houses and buildings; the sides painted the picture of absolute destruction. The only missing piece was the corpses—which by the courtesy of the new Crown wasn’t an issue anymore—and the scene of carnage would’ve been complete.
“How much further?” Nana asked, looking around, sticking close to Ewan.
“Shouldn’t be too far,” Ewan said, his vigilance at its peak. The pin-drop silence tested the limits of his nerves, even his Ryvia didn’t give him much comfort. The sun had traced it routine and edged on the horizon; the day had set, and the night would begin. An ambush was the last thing he wanted in these conditions.
“That’s what you said last time,” she whispered.
“I’ll say the same when you ask again.” Her sudden mood changes aside, bickering with her eased his mind, he was glad of her company right now.
“Why is it so silent here?” she muttered, grabbing the edge of his t-shirt.
“'Cause everyone’s dead,” Ewan said.
She gripped harder. “You didn’t have to tell me that.”
Still, it was unusually quiet in this area, his brows wrinkled. Even if the residents died, some Astylinds should’ve been active. The howls, the roars, and the bays, they sounded faint, so far away. His instinct was throbbing again.
He braked; Nana bumped into his back. His nostrils twitched as he sniffed, the floral smell was stifling the hint of urine in the air, he only differentiated them now as a strong stink wafted by him. This was different from the stench on the outskirts. Much stronger, more pungent, and distinctive; this was deliberate.
Ewan turned and looked at Nana who was rubbing her nose. “Did you wear perfume?” he asked. She smelled like the night-blooming jasmine again.
“I didn’t, it makes my throat itchy,” she said.
“What’s this floral scent then?”
“My hair? I washed it before leaving, it’s your favorite smell,” she said with a beaming smile.
“Stay here, don’t move,” he said, stepping away from her. The moment he left her range, a heavy reek of urine assaulted his nose.
Fuck…
This intentional spread of piss, it could only mean one thing—someone had marked this territory. And because he missed it, they now stood in the middle of it.
“You’ll be the death of us someday,” he said, grabbing Nana’s hand and racing to the nearest high-rise building. It was one of the few in the area that stood intact with little damage to its structure.
“W-What happened?” she asked, matching Ewan’s pace by force.
“We can't go in this way, let’s climb,” he said. Wreckages blocked the only entrance; it would take too long to clear it. And the stairs’ condition wasn’t clear either.
So, he climbed. He jumped, latched, flipped, pulled, and his agility saw him on the roof in seconds. Nana stood on the ground, gawking at him.
“Come up, do what I did,” he said, looking down from the edge of the roof railing.
“I-I can't,” she said.
“You can, just follow my instructions. First, grab onto that.” He pointed at the lowest ledge. But before she had moved an inch, a wolf bayed; the sound came from the vicinity.
Shit!
Ewan looked to the side, a pack of black and orange furred wolves sprinted towards them, threading through and over the rubble. A wolf one size larger than the others led them with its lasting howl.
“Hurry! Climb!!” he yelled.
“What?” She looked where he was looking. Her face whitened; her knees trembled, she backed off, stumbling. “I-I…” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked up at Ewan.
The wolves’ fangs would soon crush her throat and snuff her breath, they would tear her apart. In seconds, she would be no more.
She was weak, she cried a lot, she pulled him back and was a burden on him. She wasn’t even good bait, and made irrational decisions based on emotions. Would he be devastated if she died? A question assaulted him. Would he care if she didn’t exist anymore? No one to save, no one to protect, no one to look after, he would become free. No one would pester him, no one would bicker with him, no one would annoy him anymore….
“AH!! FUCK!!!”
But she was Nana…
His spirit strained to its limits and beyond, dust and stones blasted away from him, pieces of concrete powdered under pressure. His Ryvia exploded and flashed to the ground, to where Nana was. His face reddened, veins popped up on his forehead, he grinded his teeth and growled a desperate roar.
The area around Nana became a void, it forced all the air out. She gasped and struggled to breathe, clutching her throat, stretching her high-neck collar. The wolves collided against the invisible barrier and halted, they snarled. This single moment of respite was enough for Ewan. He concentrated his spirit on Nana and yanked her up. She soared in the air with a rolling scream, flailing about, and before the hungry wolves’ eyes, gently landed onto the roof safe and sound.
“E-Ewan,” she said, sniffing, her legs wobbling, and her knees buckled.
“Don’t…talk to me right now,” Ewan said, clutching the railing as his support, blood trickling down his nose and eyes. His ears rang and her voice stung him. He was nauseous, his stomach churned, and the retch beat on his throat with each heave. The throbbing wave of pain hammered his head and the world spun before his eyes, there were three Nana in front of him, soon she split into four.
I’m…never…doing that again…blegh…
“D-Does it hurt?” she asked with a worried face.
“Don’t talk…just let me lie down for a while,” he whispered, leaning on her as she came close. Her lap became his pillow, and he closed his eyes while she wiped the blood off his face and cleaned him up as tears trickled down her cheeks.
