SURVIVORS
Chaptre 105. Port Town
After breakfast, Dean asked all his friends to gather for a moment.
"What's up, Dean? Usually you talk right away when we eat." Sunil asked in wonder.
"I'm afraid you're choking on this news." Dean's answer made them curious.
"What information might choke us? Is the earth really flat?" asked Nastiti with a very serious mimic.
"Pppftt.your face and words are not synchronous," Widuri held back her laughter looking at Nastiti's expression.
Dean shook his head and couldn't wait to tell me his findings last night.
"I saw a ship, and a port city."
Dean observed the expressions of the four friends with interest. Their faces look funny.
"You're serious?"
"When did you see her?"
"What was last night when you were on your guard?"
"When are we going there?"
Questions from his friends made Dean just smile thinly.
"I meant to check it out today. Alan, we're both going."
"Checking? Why don't we just go together?" nastiti asked disappointed.
"No. Alan has to clean the fish today. Also help prepare the fumigation place of fish." Widuri strictly forbids.
Alan's down. Well, it was his fault. So it has to be cleared up first, or Widuri and Nastiti will continue to nag him later.
"Then, Sunil." Breakup Dean.
"You haven't answered my question, Dean" Nastiti protested.
"As it used to be in the snow forest, I'll check things out first. If it's safe, then we can all go together. Isn't that better?" Dean asked back.
"alright. You guys check it out first. Anyway today our main task is to smoke the fish caught by Alan and Sunil." Widuri.
"But Dean, before you go, can you cut some firewood for us?" ask Alan.
Dean took out the iron tools of the axe and machete they forged from the iron ore before.
"Use this. Look for dry tree branches for firewood, ", Dean said.
Dean and Sunil are preparing to leave. After storing the drinking supplies, they left.
While Alan went to kaut to clean all the belly of the fish he kept. Then leave it to Widuri and Nastiti to be seasoned.
Alan took an axe to look for firewood. He occasionally flew to pick up the dry branches attached to his tree trunk. In a short time, the job was done.
Alan helped the women make a fish smoking place. They work with passion.
*
"Are we going to fly to that port?" ask Alan.
"We flew first to check things out. If it's conducive and wants to go there, then we'll go down on the outskirts and walk in" Dean replied.
"OK," Sunil said.
Both of them shot out quickly and left a faint yellow and blue light behind.
It did not take long, they arrived at a cliff which was the end of the forest area. The trees that grow in this part of the forest are no longer as close as where they live.
Behind the lush leaves on the treetops, they observed the situation ahead. A small port city that looked not very advanced.
"Don't the port seem so outdated? The ones leaning are also not electric or steam-powered ships, but sailing ships." Sunil looked at it in wonder.
"You're right. There are no heavy vehicles like containers or even no trucks as freight vehicles." Dean scrunched his forehead.
"Let's take a look at this little town. Find out the situation up close." Take Sunil impatiently.
"Come on."
Dean watched the surrounding area, lemudian drifting down from the top of the tree. Arrows and bows were removed from the storage.
"What's that bow for?" Sunil looked at it in wonder.
"We'd better find one game and sell it in the city. That way we can have a little money." Dean answered briefly.
"Do you want to buy something there?" Sunil finally followed, taking out his bow and arrow as well.
"By looking at the currency, we will know what country it is. Didn't we?" ask Dean back.
They ended up looking for game animals around. No animals were seen that morning. Finally they gave up and walked unsteadily into the city.
"Stop. Where are you guys from?"
A long-dressed and ancient man reprimanded and dismissed their footsteps.
"We tried to hunt. But I didn't find any animals" replied Dean honestly.
"Huh.. still no game animals? It's been months like this. Where did the whole animal go?" The man speaks for himself.
"Yes already. Go there."
Dean and Sunil return on their way into the city.
"You heard that? Months and months of game animals disappearing from the woods." Dean whispered.
"Continue, why?" That means now they're just relying on fish in the ocean for consumption" Dean replied.
"Do you want to sell our smoked fish?" sunil asked confusedly.
"Let's think about it." Dean took a leisurely walk looking at the state of the city. Several male and female residents passed by while carrying the goods on his back. Others lead mules full of stuff.
A little donkey wagon would pass by, all the pedestrians pulled over giving space. The streets of this city are quite crowded as well.
"Isn't this transportation very old-fashioned?" sunil whispered to Alan who answered a nod of the head. They continue their journey.
Several horses passed quickly on the streets full of people. Dean quickly pulls Sunil to avoid a collision. Some people screamed at Sunil who was almost beaten by a horse.
"What are they? Drive horses in crowded streets."
"I heard this morning there was an announcement of the death penalty in front of the Duke's residence."
"What's? Who else would he kill? One month has 5 people killed at the hands of his executioner."
"Yes, will the city leaders keep turning a blind eye?"
Those talks were captured clearly by Dean and Sunil's sharp ears. Both agree.
"You know where Duke is?" sunil asked kindly to the people nearby.
"Are you not here?" ask the guy to watch Sunil and Dean.
"No. We boarded a boat to get here. Just heard you say there's a death sentence at the Duke's residence. We want to go see him" Dean explained.
"Oh, I deserve it. You follow that road, then turn right. The largest house with the only green stone wall in the city. It's Duke's house." replied the man, then left.
"Let's see."
Sunil and Dean walked over hurriedly. It turned out that there were quite a number of people who were also heading towards that place to see. Dean and Sunil who came later could only see the backs of the other spectators.
"Let's find another way." Dean pulled Sunil away, avoiding the crowd.
Behind a building, Dean darted up to the roof. Sunil followed. They jumped over the roofs of the houses, arriving at the last house, right in front of the death penalty stage.
An executioner with a large and long shiny sword, was already pacing around the two people crouching in the middle of the stage. One of them brushed his dirty long hair. His face is very dirty.
But that face left Sunil and Dean shocked to death.
"Isn't that Michael?" sunil asked in disbelief.
"Did Robert's team get caught by them?" ask Sunil again.
"Who is next to him?" mumbling again.
"Dean, we have to save them." Sunil could not wait to see Dean who kept quiet.
"Let go Marianne. Just kill me!" michael shouted at a young man standing at the side of the stage.
"Haha.. Duke wants to kill people. You two are the most useless slaves. Don't blame me," came the snobbing laughter from the young man's mouth.
Michael growled furiously and thrashed. But the weak Marianne instantly collapsed from her squat. The executioner immediately pulled his hair so that he returned to squatting.
"Let go! Fucking animal!" michael shouted furiously.
Bugh!
"Aagghh"
Michael soon woke up from the fall. Wiping his bloody mouth and staring hatefully at the executioner who punched him in the face earlier.
"Dean, it's Marianne. We have to help them." Sunil's eyes had turned blue from being so angry to see his friends being treated so badly. He was ready to destroy the place right now.
*****