Four weeks had passed since the bloody raid on the Lankins' compound, word had spread through out Amon that there were no survivals. Not too long after the raid, Chancellor Aaron took charge of the farmland and vineyard, rumor has it he was behind the raid but no one is speaking out in order to avoid the same fate befalling them.
Derek had to survive the past weeks begging for scrapes from houses and the market stalls on the main street, yet nobody considered taking him in. His warm honey eyes has become wild with hate - giving him a cold and emotionless look, his knee length white tunic garment was muddy and the stench around him was sour and choking. His once unblemished skin was now covered in dirt, not to mention his cinnamon color hair which was now home to flees, all ruffled up - always itching.
There was nothing that could be done with the way he looked, he would roam the town by day then retreat under the humpback bridge by night, though it was dry the nights were still cold, for some nights he couldn't sleep he would shiver all through. After six nights he was finally able to make a fire pit of stones which sustained him but yet the nightmare of seeing the corpse of the stranger he killed kept on hunting him, there were times he heard the stranger calling from behind, but he would always ignore.
It was a warm afternoon in Amon, birds and swallows twittering as they flew about in the clear blue sky, while town folks and traders go about their various activities. It was a festive day - the day freshly plucked juicy fruits were sold. The main streets was flooded with people and various fruit stalls on each side, from the town square down to the bridge.
Derek had tried asking various vendors for some fruit, but their disgusted - scowling expression gave an unwelcoming aura, so the next option he had was to steal. He didn't have to make his way through the crowd, just his stench alone made them give way when he got close.
Surveying through the stalls, he fixed his gaze on one, the fruits were packaged in small brown sacks, easy to carry and the stall was stationed in front of an alley familiar to him. He approached the fat vendor, whose size covered half the small stall. The pale neck-less man looked down on Derek wiggling his nose.
"Get lost runt." He spoke calmly, watching the passing folks.
Derek didn't flinch one bit, his goal was clear and he wasn't backing down. He stretched his hand towards the fat vendor then opened it, the vendor glanced at his hand, on it was one bronze oz coin.
"Do I look like a cheerful giver, get lost or I'll kick you."
"What if I tell you I can turn this to a silver oz." Derek's voice croaked, he gave a feint smile which faded in no time.
The vendor laughed out then glared at Derek, "Try me."
"I'm going to throw this, but you will have to catch it." Derek proposed.
"Fine, do your silly joke."
Derek tossed the coin up high which twirled in a fixed position then dropped back down, the moment it got to the vendor's eye level he swiped the coin then opened his hand, it was still a bronze oz coin.
"Bad luck la…" Derek was gone. "What?" He turns over to his stall and found a sack on the lower section missing. "That runt." He gazed back at the crowd, peering from side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of Derek.
Derek ran with all his might through the alley, embracing the sack like his life depends on it, just after he took a quick turn into another alley the vendor peered into the alley then back at the street.
Derek took a peek behind but found no one chasing after him, he continued through a bend then crossed a narrow scanty street into another alley. Sure of his safety he stopped running, leaning against the wall to catch his breath.
He opened the sack, it was filled with rash berries, he sat on the ground munching on them, not minding the seeds.
"Nice moves." A wheezy voice spoke out.
Derek straightened up immediately, lips dripping red as he crunched on a mouth full of berries, he glared to the side - there stood three boys around his age or a year old or even two years older, didn't really matter to him, all he knew was they weren't taking his catch.
"I saw your moves back there." The slim wheezed voice boy spoke, gently approaching Derek.
His steps were edging and his expression was a jaunty one, it reminded Derek of Lankins, but this one was much more handsome, his hair was short, dark and wispy. The belted black tabard he wore proved him out to be the leader, though the marching unbelted green tunics had singled out the boys behind him.
Knowing the lad could be trouble, Derek turned around to leave, there stood two other boys - chubby and bald, there was no difference between them, round heads and squinted eyes they had.
"I'm not here for your stuff." The wheezed voice boy assured.
"Hard to believe that when I'm surrounded." Derek glared back at him.
"Mich, Ron, back off." he ordered the chubby boys, who stepped out from the alley. "My name is Ryan." He touched his chest.
"Good, now you back off'." Derek spoke unkindly, reviewing every possible escape route.
"It's alright to see us as trouble makers but I assure you, there's food and shelter for you."
Derek reconsidered his decision, checking out Ryan's brown eyes to sift out the lie in his words.
"What's your take?" Derek asked, knowing nothing goes for nothing.
"I Just need your skills."
It was a tough decision for Derek, if he accepts the offer he'll escape sickness and maybe death in the next days to come, for there is no guarantee he would survive the coming situations. Moreover, he knew he could take them all if they should pull a fast one, they were just five and there's nothing they would do to him that'll hurt more than James' fast and hard punch and the lashes of Lankins, so it was a win for him.
"Lead the way then." Derek concluded.
"You won't regret it friend." Ryan smiled.
"Its Derek" he made sure Ryan got the name.
"Oh! Derek." He offers his hand which Derek accepted hesitantly. "To our partnership, come on boys."
Behind Derek, not just Mich and Ron walked into the alley, three other boys joined them, still in same outfit like the rest. Derek glanced back at Ryan who was on his way already, there's no mistake, Derek thought, this guy gives off a bigger Lankins presence.
"Nice of you to join us Derek." Mich and Ron spoke simultaneously in their flat voice, walking pass Derek with the other boys.
Derek made sure they were no more surprises from behind then followed them still eating his rash berries.
They trended through the long alley - venturing into a place Derek never knew, the buildings were old and high floored, up to three floors. The air was damp and dusty and the path swarming with wastes and faeces, harboring a chocking smell of piss.
Getting close to a curve Derek could hear loud ripples and splashes, at the end of the turn they arrived at a small passage having stairs on each side, leading down to the rough - stony seashore. They were now at the East outskirts of Amon, just a glance Derek could tell, James had once told them about the East outskirts and its lawlessness.
For a moment Derek's frown deepened, standing still on the passage staring at the raging sea hitting hard on the shore. Suddenly he could hear the voices of Laura and Crystal screaming out with joy, it felt like they were present, their white chemise all wet, sticking to their bodies as they bath each other with water, he could see himself alongside Jerry and Jude being chased by Brandon.
"Derek." Laura's voice echoed.
"Derek" the voice became clear but deepened.
"Derek" Ryan called out from the stairs to the right.
Derek snapped out from the thought his eyes already heavy with tears, he turned over to Ryan then followed behind him down the stairs, they continued through the corners of the wall of the high foundation supporting the buildings. when they got to a part which was covered up with vines, they began walking into it. Derek had to pause - making sure he saw right.
"Its safe." Ryan assured before walking in.
Derek followed behind him, coming out the other end it was a cave, narrow and dry, floored with red soil. It was illuminated by the reflection of a light coming from a bend not too far ahead of them.
Getting to the end of the bend, the cramped space opened up to a wide spherical shaped cavern of red stone walls. It was like nothing Derek had ever seen - beneath the ledge they stood on which also went round the cavern was a shallow pit, forming the base of the spherical room. Around its edges were nine beds in total, then in the middle was a camp fire burning up slowly, having four short logs round about it. The smoke from it rose out of the cave through a hole at the top, it had a well curved wooden cover - probably built to prevent rain from pouring in.
"Over here." Ryan stopped Derek on his track before he could join the others down the wooden crate stairs.
Derek followed behind Ryan into another chamber, he had failed to notice it when they arrived, through the opening was another cave, having a granite wall and flooring, smaller but the top of it was high from reach, it had tiny holes allowing clusters of light to illuminate the pool beneath it, causing the milky water to glow with the pink and red petals floating on it; the scent of lavender and mint refreshed the air, a perfect smell for a nice relaxing bath.
"Meet with us when you are done." Ryan smiled, "there's a new set of cloths by the corner." He points over to a wooden chest.
Derek nods in agreement then approaches the pool while Ryan walks out.
He sniffs his shoulder looking forward quickly while wiggling his nose from his own stench, he takes a deep breath then drops the sack of rash berries by the pool side. He quickly takes off his garment, gently steps into the pool, it was cool by the top yet warm at the bottom, the pool measured up to his thigh, he stoops down to sit then relaxes on the wall of the pool - hands stretched out.