Dean got perplexed when gazing at that refuge from far away. He wasn't expecting something so big due to what his group told him before. They let it clear that not all refuges would be the same as the refuge he was born into.
However, differently from the Three Greatest, that refuge didn't have a huge wall surrounding it. The structure was poorer, there were fewer buildings, no farms, and not too many establishments and trades could be seen there. It wasn't even half of only one zone of Refuge Sarah.
It was true that the boy was expecting something poorer than Refuge Sarah, but it got him by surprise since he didn't expect to be THAT poor.
'It is... It is too poor... How can humans survive there? How can they stay still in this place without walls surrounding them? Do they have a powerful Ascendant? I doubt that someone would be so powerful to this point!' Dean tried to think about something that could make sense for him, but when Dreads were constantly lurking around, it was impossible to guess how someone could live without any major protection.
"I knew he would get just like this..." Hector mocked, nudging Kevin's strong arm with his elbow. He tried to laugh sarcastically, but the heavy pack on his back prevented him to do so.
"Well, that's the expected, he is privileged since he was born, after all," Kevin said. The word privileged left his mouth bitterly.
Clay just nodded in agreement, crossing his arms, but never looking at Dean.
Rick also kept his eyes from looking at the boy and just focused on their destination. For him, it was obvious that Dean would react like that, and he didn't care about it as long as the boy followed him.
'He should keep up with us, I want to end with all this pretending right now. We played enough already.' He spat on the ground before adjusting his backpack and starting to go down that slope.
"Don't stay here looking at that place as if we were going to a playground. We have gotta get this reward and head to another place soon. Also, the other brat is waiting for us. We can't let him starve here forever."
The group nodded to Rick and began to follow him as soon as he finished talking.
Dean kept looking to his leader in confusion, wondering.
'Leave him starving? Is it an expression to use when you let someone waiting for too long? We had some expressions on Refuge Sarah that I used before and they didn't understand as well, after all.'
The boy brushed off that matter, making a ponytail on his hair quickly and following them afterward.
The group got into the refuge quickly. While walking inside there, Dean realized how small it was. People wandering around there had quite worn-out clothes. Their pale skin, black circles under their eyes, and skinny bodies showed that they were not only starving, but exhausting themselves in nonstop work.
"Look well around while you walk here, Dean. Pay attention to the minimum details. Maybe this way you will understand the aversion of most of Saphyr's folk toward the Three Greatest."
Rick didn't need to tell him to do so, he was already doing that. From the nearly collapsing houses to the exhausted survivors of that refuge, and even the dirty streets, Dean was absorbing everything.
'I can understand their frustration now. That's indeed reasonable. I still am confused as to why they blame those three refuges for their poor conditions, though. Is it envy? Or maybe we stole something for them? Maybe it's because the Three Greatest hide from its folk that there are other survivors and refuges out there, isolating them from the outside world and not letting anyone enter?'
Dean was yet to understand the conflicts happening in Saphyr, also as its history after the Crimson Apocalypse. However, he decided not to pursue the matter now. The boy just kept analyzing everything silently.
The group crossed the dirty streets. The survivors were always looking to the group with somewhat hope and admiration.
They quickly got to the center of that place, which would last hours if it was in Dean's refuge.
They stopped in front of the wealthier house of the refuge. Rick went ahead of the group and knocked on the door, more violently than Dean expected.
"Where is here?" The boy asked.
Before Hector, who was beside him, could answer, someone opened the door in a rush.
"R-Rick! It's a pleasure to see you again. My folk warned me about your arrival. Please, enter."
Rick clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"News here surely travel fast. What a small world, don't you think, sir Major?" He crossed the Major, who opened the way of the house's entrance door for him.
Dean and the others entered there right after.
"Ah! Yes! They do travel real quick. But that's because we were expecting that you would arrive around these days, so we were keeping an eye on that slope, trying to spot someone coming." The Major was visibly nervous when talking to them. He was sweating, and his eyes were darting around.
Rick and his group didn't seem to care too much about it. Dean, though, looked to that man, suspecting him.
The Major, at some point, seemed to notice his existence and made a complicated expression once Dean's eyes met his.
'What's with this guy?'
"A-Another one, I suppo--"
"Shh." Rick put one finger on his lips, making the Major stop to talk immediately. He gave a brief pause while sitting on the sofa of the living room, followed by his group.
"Did you get a problem with my new member?" He asked in an intimidating tone.
"N-No! Not at all! He seems to be promissive!"
Rick nodded his head, smiling faintly to Dean.
"We will talk about our reward later. For now, we will stay in the city for two days, so we can rest properly. After this, we will get what now belongs to us and then make our way. Got it?"
The major nodded, smiling nervously.
"Yes! You can stay as much as you want. I will prepare rooms for you all."