Chapter 10: The City
Chapter 10: The City
Sol continues his journey to the city. It's supposed to be a 2-hour driving distance but with his current speed, he will be there in 16 hours.
All around the way is covered in snow, everything is white. If not for the slightly elevated ground, Sol wouldn't know where he is going.
After their last conversation, Sol and Nerodia haven't talked to each other. Sol just walks silently and Nerodia warps around his hand like an inanimate object.
"hey, can you walk on your own? You are quite heavy" Sol started.
"No way, snows are cold and I don't like to slither on the snow," it says without moving.
Sol doesn't reply, he doesn't want to waste his energy, taking to this selfish animal. "it's just lazy, it doesn't even move when it talks." Sol mutters to himself.
The only advantage the snake provides him is that its scales provide him with warmth. Its heat is not that hot that it burns his skin like when it strangles his arm.
They stopped talking to each other and Sol continue his walk. The sky has gone dark and the moon can be seen in the sky.
Today is a full moon without any cloud in the sky. Sol decides to continue his travel so he can reach the city when morning comes.
It becomes easier to locate the city in the night and he hasn't met with any creature since he gets out of the mountain.
"Shhh... Shhhh.." Sol can hear Nerodia's hissing
"Fuck, it gets to sleep when I need to walk all the way" Sol curse. He wants to hit it just so it wakes up but the pact makes him unable to do so.
The sky is already bright when Sol can see the city clearly. Outside the city, there is twelve giant building that looks like a western temple. All of them have a bone white color with a giant double door.
Around each temple, there is a lot of camp and people. "It looks like a refuge camp," Sol said in his heart.
The city itself looks like it has been through a war. Broken buildings and cars can be seen from Sol's location.
"Do creatures like the one on the mountain appear in the city as well? And what with that temple?" a lot of questions appear in his mind but none answered. "I need to find some information"
Sol about a hundred meters from the nearest camp when someone shouts at him, "Stop where you are!"
Half a dozen of armed men in police uniform point their guns at him. The one that shouts at him walks a few step forward and say, "Drop your weapon!! Who are you? Where are you from? What are you doing here? Which temple are you from?"
Being surrounded Sol raises his hand up in the air in surrender and throws his rifle to the side.
"My name is Sol Vestitor, a high school teacher. I live in this city, but when the voice can be heard in the sky, I was on the mountain for a school field trip. As for the temple, I don't know what temple is" Sol answers the man's question one by one.
The polices don't seems to be convinced by his word "do you have any proof that you are human?"
Sol feels alarmed, not because he can't prove that he is human but because he is carrying something that isn't human.
He tries to behave normally and say, " I have my Id card with me, you can check it"
"Lay with your belly on the ground, hands on the back of your head and leg crossed!!" the police command.
Sol obeys the command and lay on the cold snow. The cops get closer slowly, they seem wary of him.
Well, they are supposed to be wary if they met someone suddenly and he comes covered in blood and rags. Sol's current appearance is highly suspicious.
One of the police point a gun behind his head and another check his body. After they find his wallet they check for his Id but don't take his knife away.
Sol struggles to hold himself from fighting back the police officer. What he worried about the most is Nerodia.
If it decides to kill everyone here he can do nothing to stop it. If he fights it the one will be dying is him. Well, the pack makes him unable to fight it in the first place.
"Please don't do anything to them" Sol pray in his heart.
Out of his expectation, Nerodia doesn't move at all. It stays silent and unmoving like an actual bracer.
After the search, they tell him to get up, "Follow me to the camp, hand behind your head! Don't think of anything funny or my man will shoot you in the head."
Sol follows the man with a gun pointed behind his head. They never pull the gun away from his head.
"Fuck, why do I feels like being kidnapped!" Sol can't help but swear in his mind.
He follows them near the camp. He can see a statue of a man on the temple when he gets into the camp.
The statue looks like a muscle man in war armor. It looks majestic and divine, with a look Sol feels like he knows the man that the statue based upon.
"Mars, The God of War!!" Sol screams in his mind.
All around the camp, Sol can see a lot of polices and military men. Some of them were training with a gun while others were using a sword and spear.
"WTF! How much has changed in three days?" Sol feels perplexed.
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