Jovan's Gaze

Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

The park was quiet. The odd bird chirped, and a slight breeze rustled the trees, but other than that, a silence blanketed the area. No, there was a sound. It crept towards me from the edge of my awareness. In the distance, and from all directions, there was a low hum, or rumble. I held my breath, trying to discern its origin, or at least its cause. I worried that perhaps dragon-ships would descend on me from above, but I saw no moving lights in the sky. Indeed, there were few lights in the sky at all. The towering buildings which reached skyward blocked out the stars.

The towers were massive beasts, not the simple towers of my world, and far more impressive than even the great palace itself. These great constructs, shaped every which way, from curved spires to sharp, right-angled towers, rose so far into the sky that in the darkness it was hard to tell just how tall they truly were. Windows glowed brightly in the evening sky, giving the great towers a glow, a pulsing life all their own. I saw no battlements nor guards. Only lights, and on the lowest floors, the odd shadow of movement. I wondered how many thousands of people each tower could hold. Towers of this sort spread out in all directions, and from what I had seen while flying in yesterday, the city sprawling out such a great distance I could only imagine the sheer population that must surge through these streets. There were likely more people in this city than in all of Theris, before the war.

I slowly moved among the trees, circling around the open area from which I had emerged. One of the nearest tables, empty, was in the shadows. I set the soldier's pack down on the table, and opened it. I had to be sure there was nothing inside that could be used to follow me. The soldiers had not found me by luck. I wondered if the tiny machines would whisper a warning, or keep silent at the sight of such a thing.

There were medical supplies inside, bandages, and some of the burn gel used on me on the shores of Theris. There was a small cylindrical device inside a case. I recognized the same device from the rifle. This was obviously a replacement part. A smaller version of it was also present, and after some fiddling about, discovered that it was meant for the pistol I had taken from Corporal Danlis. It somehow powered the weapon, a battery, or so the machines whispered. Besides the batteries, there was a meal bar, very similar to the food given to me by Captain Jin on the beach.

Tucked to one side of the bag was a small folded pouch, containing small cards made of plastic. Some had an image of a face on it. Identification. The soldier I had taken this from was a younger man, and he had a family. One of the cards displayed images on it, shifting from one to the next as I tapped the edges of the card. The soldier had two daughters, a son, and a wife. For the briefest moment, I wondered if I had killed him or simply injured him. Had I created a widow? The shots had been point blank, and he did not move afterward. I took a small handful of coins and a currency card from the pouch, and put the rest of the cards back.

I fastened the entire pack back up, and set it aside. As I looked about me, considering my next move, I noticed a foul smell. Unfortunately, it was me. I looked myself over. My clothing was dirty, and with the sweat and debris of the last few hours, certainly not fit for use. Between the filthy clothing and the wrecked boot, I would stand out. I needed clothing before I dared appear in public. In my current state, the police would have me in a cell very quickly.

I heard laughter then, and quickly retreated deeper into the shadows. I held my rifle ready, but by the sound of those approaching, I had nothing to fear. The truth of that quickly became obvious. A young couple walked into view. The boy, perhaps seventeen, had his arm around the girl's shoulders, and she held him at the waist. Young lovers out for a stroll. I smiled, and wondered if the boy's clothing was big enough for me. In the end, before I could decide, they wandered out of view.