City of Sinners

Chapter 4

“It’s Sitri!”

The voice of Gaston was the first thing that I heard when we finally reached the safe zone which Valour has told me earlier. Luckily, we reached the place without any problem or any hindrances. We did not meet any kind of creature similar to what I saw earlier before he saved me. Still, I was being carried by him on his back and my energy hasn’t came back through me yet.

Soon as Gaston called my name, other members of the gang suddenly became alerted. They all looked at the direction where Gaston was looking, and of course, to where I and Valour were coming from.

When they finally saw that it was indeed me, the whole Vulture gang suddenly rushed towards me and Valour. They were all smiling as they ran, all of them wanting to save the poor situation that I was in.

“Sitri, yah’ okay?” Gaston asked. His face was worried.

“I am fine,” I answered.

“She’s okay, Gaston. She just needed a few rest,” said Valour.

Gaston nodded. He hurried on a certain worn tent, and unhesitatingly opened it.

“This tent was reserved for you, Sitri,” said Gaston, “people say here you probably dead and hasn’t survived from the meteor crash, but we don’t believe.”

“Yeah, that’s right!” one of the Vultures said, turning his back, and shouting at other people, probably from other gang groups, who was looking and watching our scene.

“Well, it’s a big slap I’m still alive,” I answered with a smirk.

“That probably is,” Gaston smiled too. And then, “hey, Valour! Whatt’ya doin’? put Sitri here and let her rest!”

From that, Valour sighed. He walked and has me placed inside the tent. My legs were still numb but I think it was because of shock. Sooner or later, I would be able to gather my energy up, and would be able to walk again. But for now, I think I need a few more rest.

As I looked back at the entrance of the tent that was given for me, I saw Valour, Gaston, and other of the Vulture gang members looking at me with concern and worry.

“You guys,” I said, “I’m fine.”

“You really okay? No problem on your body? Your head? Anything?” Gaston asked.

“No, I am really fine,” I said, smiling. “Bad weeds take long time before dying, you know?”

From that, Valour had once again, sighed. “Let’s leave here. She needs to take another rest, so she could gain her energy back. She’s somehow traumatized earlier.”

“Why?” Gaston asked. The rest of the Vulture gang was as curious as him.

“She met a Sinner.”

Hearing that, I found it peculiar when the whole gang, even others who have heard Valour, had allowed the grim silence to eat them.

Without any hesitation, I looked at Gaston and called him.

“Gaston.”

He swallowed his own saliva, and with a frightened eyes, he stared back at me. “I know. But you must rest first,” he said. He probably knew what I am going to ask him, that is why he answered it already even before I could ask.

“Promise me you’ll tell me all of the things you know about what’s happening in this place. The legend. The City of hell.”

Gaston nervously nodded. “I promise.”

I bit my lower lip, and even though I badly wanted to know what was happening; what was the legend; what was that creature called ‘Sinners’; what was that Circles of Hell, I pulled the curtain of my tent down, and I let my self isolate. Be here, lonely, inside a small, badly-cramped tent.

Because I badly need to rest.

*****************************************

I wake up from a noise that has suddenly erupted from the surroundings. My long sleep was disturbed because I have heard a someone shouting from the outside of my tent. Though the noise was quite far, it had still managed to make me awake from my slumber.

With a grunt, I started to get up from lying. My bed wasn’t as comfortable as what I am sleeping at in my house, but still, I think I have slept for a long time. Probably because of the fatigue and the trauma that I have experienced earlier.

Instinctively, I looked at my feet. I stared at it as if there was something vital that I needed to watch for. I remembered that I am not able to walk earlier because of the trauma that I have experienced and of the draining of my energy. I started to feel my toes, moved it, twisted it, and assessed whether if I could finally move it. With a sigh, I started to stand up. Slowly. God must have blessed me as I saw myself finally able to stand up again. Little did Valour, or Gaston, or the rest of the gang knew, that I was being internally worried of my legs—whether if I will be able to walk again. Because seriously, I was worrying I could not. But now the worries were gone.

That was the time that I started to feel hungry.

My stomach growled, making me hug my tummy. I looked around the area to see whether if there were any food found in the place but I did see nothing.

Another shouting voice has erupted from the outside. It was inaudible inside the tent, but the angered shouting of the man was somehow disturbing. Because of that, I decided to get outside. Perhaps Gaston has food stored in his tent? Maybe I could ask some.

When I got outside of the tent, I was stunned when I saw that the whole sky was now dark. Black. Earlier, it was red. But now, it was as if I was looking at the vulnerable state of the outer space (that has no stars). But peculiarly, the place wasn’t dark. I could literally see everything even though there were no source of light from the sky. Right, even inside the tent, I was able to see everything—which could be impossible. But hell, it was happening. The rest of the tent standing on the ground were isolated. I looked at it, and I saw no people sleeping or taking their rests.

Until I’ve spotted a source of light from behind the clusters of tent. From there, I saw a giant fire dancing in the middle of hundred men circling through the heat the fire was giving. That’s when I felt the teeth-chattering chill licking through my skin. From that, I hurried towards the dancing fire.

A man looked behind, and saw me coming. Because of that, he loudly talked.

“The other witness was finally awake,” said the man.

Now the men surrounding the fire all looked at me. I can feel their stares, and it is utterly uncomfortable. However, I did not show to them that their stares were making me vulnerable. Instead, I focused my gaze only to the man who have just called me ‘the witness’.

“What’s the matter?” I asked. “What made me the witness?”

“Sitri!” From the opposite direction of the circles of men, I saw Gaston calling me. Along with him, Valour and the Vultures all stood up and went towards me.

There was a man standing in the middle of the men’s circles. Because of the blazing fire, I wasn’t able to look at who he was. But when he got away from the blocking of the fire, I finally saw his face. I was familiar at him. At this man. At this highly dominating presence he was exuding.

“Sitri, why ‘ya here? Should’ve just rest. You still need to get back your strength,” I heard Gaston speaking to me at my back. But I did not mind him. My gaze were all pasted to the man in the middle that was also looking at me.

“Tell me,” the man said. “Did you see it?”

“Solomon,” Valour called. “Not because you’re the leader of the Ravens, you can order everyone according to how you like.”

Solomon looked at Valour. He was also behind me, along with other Vultures. “I don’t order her, Valour. How can I order a woman as beautiful as her?”

Yes, Solomon was the leader of the Ravens. The leader of the gang who was always first in the ranking of the gangs. He is the man behind the triumphs and victory of the strongest gang ever existing in the Sao Garde City. The brain of the Ravens.

“He’s right, Valour,” I said, smiling with the hint of insult. “Why would a gentleman like Solomon order me around? He’s just asking me.” I shrugged.

“Sitri, you really fine?” Gaston asked me. He’s still quite concerned about my health.

Again, I did not answer him. Instead, my attention were all to Solomon. Still, I am displaying a smile of insult. “Now, tell me Solomon, what are you ‘not-ordering-me-to-tell’ about that I saw?”

I saw how Solomon clenched his fist. His mesmerizing ashen eyes (yes, it’s mesmerizing) was looking at me with disgust and hatred. I can feel it.

“Oh, I wasn’t ‘ordering’ you, Solomon. Please don’t misunderstand it. I was just … ‘asking’,” I said.

Solomon deeply exhaled. He then asked me. “Have you seen the arc? The portal to the first circle of hell?”