Last Life Part 1: Homecoming

The Living

Saul

I nudged the cane off of my shoulder and looked back up at the man. To say the least, I was a little surprised. He was short, with a scrawny build and bony features. Half of his leathery, withering face was obscured by a trim salt and pepper beard. What an odd creature.

"I haven't had the pleasure of making your acquaintance, sir. I believe you've mistaken me for someone else." I replied, disdainfully regarding his cane. Anger lit up his eyes, but his expression remained the same, cold and taut.

"No, I've made no mistake, Saul. You know Sparrow, don't you?" His words formed like a threat. I got up and stood (over him really) and narrowed my eyes. Verres gave a low growl, and I set my hand on his tusk.

"I do know her, kind girl, may I know who interrogates me?"

"Dominic Cruz, not that it matters anything to you." Shaking his head, he put his mask back on.

"What the hell's gotten into you Dominic... Have some civility. I won't tolerate you treating one of my boys like that." Alice had her hand on Dominic's arm, her eyes turned hard. I knew that look.

"Alice please..." I pleaded. She was nothing but kindness as a foster mother, but as Legionnaire... well... she was the personification living hell.

Dominic raised his eyebrows, thrown off. Perhaps he didn't know of her past. He was new around here then. "Sorry, ma'am." He gritted his teeth.

Marcel marched Verres and I away, taking us through the inner wall and into the city. Fire burned my face as I heard Alice raising her voice. I've never seen her get like that over what seemed to be so little.

"It's nothing, really." Marcel caught my eye. "He pisses her off for reasons I can't fathom." He paused, "Though it worries me, I'll admit."

"Why not kick him out... or kill him?" Verres mused under his breath. Looking up at him with shock, Marcel stopped walking and stood beside me. Verres snorted, "That was a joke, young one. Do not fear... I wouldn't sincerely suggest such an action unless I see a real reason to..." He grinned crudely, grinding his molars together to produce a bone crunching sound. Still seeing that Marcel was still a little shaken, Verres rolled his eye, "I can make jokes, you humans don't have it special at all."

"Good to know, Mr. Boar." Marcel said, his face slowly turning back to it's normal color. I chuckled at his expression, patting his shoulder.

"You may call me Verres, young one. I'll see you two later, I am going to lie in the shade for a little while, don't mind me. I need some rest." Verres sighed and trudged off in search of a shady nest. Guess he doesn't need anything to eat or drink... But now that I think of it, he never seemed to need to.

After a few minutes of silent walking through the city, all on our own now, I was suffocating in the atmosphere. Something had to be said. "So... How have you been?" I sputtered, awkwardly kicking at the blast-marked concrete to break the silence to avoid his glance. I felt terrible.

"Okay, I suppose. For the longest time I'd thought you were dead. I missed you so damn much." We stood for a moment, looking down the lane ahead of us. Blackhill was more unkempt now than ever. Broken glass and molten metal had simply been pushed to the sides of the street, along with the debris and decay of the city that had been swept there. Dark grey rot tangled itself among the litter and crawled up the walls of crumbling brick.

I wondered who was to blame for the decay of the city. Many of the sights I had once recognized now stood obfuscated by mildew or sunbleached as bone.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled as we passed our old childhood hideout, an overturned shipping container, now covered by matted thistle and wild dodder. "I shouldn't have left... I should have left you especially." Guilt boiled up in my throat, and I could feel myself start to choke on tears.