Wild Tiger Chase | Book #2 (Complete)

7: remorseless bastards

— Léon —

 "Is this edible?" Léon asked. He smelled it again, grimaced, and offered the fruit to Modraniht. "It's a no, right?"

He sniffed it and pinched his nose. "Yeah. It's a no, kid. Smells like sulfur, just like the bananas." Modraniht sipped from his flask and shook it. "There's so little left."

"What's the worst that could happen if we ate the fruits?"

"Death, I suppose."

"Death?"

"Think about it, kid. If not even the flies want to eat them, there's a good reason for that."

Léon clicked his tongue. He tossed the fruit aside and looked around. They were in what looked like a very fertile stretch of land. There were peaches, mangos, and flowers bigger than his head with heart-shaped, weird-looking fruits hanging from the center of large petals. They were all untouched.

"At least now I know why there are so many synthetic things to eat in NC," Léon said with a frown. "Nature is tainted."

Modraniht hummed. "Meaning you didn't know already?" He motioned Léon to follow him, then started pushing long branches and palm leaves out of the way.

"More like I never stopped to think about it." Léon shrugged, jumping over a massive root.

"That's a dangerous thing to do, kid. If possible, avoid not thinking with all your might."

Léon's cheeks warmed up. He remembered saying the same thing to Roberto when he first started working at Invidia almost five years ago. After a moment of hesitance, Léon decided to ignore Modraniht's remark. "It's just... there's no shortage of synthetic food or nutritional pastes in New Continent. Do you know when was the last time I had to worry about food?"

"Never? You look born and raised in NC, even with that scar on your face."

"I was born in Old Continent, Modraniht. I know what it's like to starve." Léon crossed his arms. "How old do you think I am?"

"I don't know, peanut. Eleven? You kids look all the same to an old man like me." His voice was ironic and drenched with laughter.

"I'm twenty-six. Like most Old Continentians, I knew what it's like to depend on a deputy to have food on the table. I just forgot what it's like."

Modraniht peered over his shoulder to look at Léon. There was something in his eyes that Léon couldn't identify. Still, it made a shiver climb his spine.

"What made you forget?"

Léon paused. He blinked a few times while his body followed Modraniht by instinct. He didn't know the answer to that. Léon was so absorbed in his thoughts that he almost gasped when Modraniht stopped. He was older, sure, but he moved like a panther when he jumped aside, pulling Léon against him.

"Hush," he whispered, pressing an index finger against Léon's lips. "There's someone coming."

When Léon turned to his left, his heart raced.

"Are you sure this is the way to the smoke column you saw yesterday? Smoke," he drawled. He stumbled a few steps and grimaced. "Do you even know what an airNAV looks like?"

Léon didn't need to see the second person to identify the anger in her voice. "Sir, we speak the same language, and I'm not ignorant."

"Well, you wouldn't know if you were, would you?"

Classic Phillip making new friends.

Against his will, Léon opened a smile and twisted his arm to free himself from Modraniht's grip. "Phil!" Léo said in a breathless voice.