Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 597: Unfamiliar ()

"There now, don’t you feel so much better all swaddled up and fed?" Veah murmured to the child as she passed his feeding bottle over to an exasperated looking Everon.

Everon took the bottle and placed it in a bowl of hot water before he turned to Neveah, crossing his arms over his chest.

"This is my study, you know. Not a nursery." Everon pointed out.

"I am well aware of that. The stench of herbs alone makes it quite hard to forget." Neveah replied to Everon’s words, her gaze still fixed on the slumbering baby in her arms.

"I do not know when babysitting became a part of my duties." Everon lamented.

"It happened when you decided to ignore Kirgan and Imagor’s pleas to return to Dragon Keep and instead chose to stay here with me."

"You are here to help me maintain a calm and stable mind state, all of this will achieve just that. You are doing a wonderful job, Ron." Neveah commended.

"I cannot believe you would even take advantage of this." Everon muttered with a shake of his head.

Neveah shrugged casually as she set the baby down in a makeshift cot that Everon had reluctantly prepared.

"I now live everyday with the fear of losing my mind and tumbling into insanity at any moment, and there are still things I do that you cannot believe?" Neveah replied with a question of her own.

Everon scoffed beneath his breath but there was a pained look in his eyes at Neveah’s words.

"You will not lose your mind, Veah. I am doing everything I can to make sure of that." Everon assured Neveah.

Neveah smiled slightly, leaning back against the chair she sat on.

"I know... I have burdened you." Neveah murmured, her tone guilty.

"You will never be a burden to me, Veah. Someone has to look after you...in the absence of Jian and Xenon." Everon clarified.

Neveah hummed quietly, her eyes going closed for a moment.

"Rest now, I will examine you while you sleep." Everon said as he carried on with his activities.

Neveah was just about drifting off to sleep when Coran’s familiar voice called to her.

"Dune Lord." Coran greeted as he walked into Everon’s study.

Neveah’s eyes snapped open and her finger shot up to her lips to hush Coran.

Coran raised a brow, his gaze moving down to the baby sound asleep in the makeshift cot and then they widened in understanding.

Coran gestured with his head for Neveah to step aside with him and Everon also followed along.

"A report came in from the city guard. While turning away the throngs of people at the city gate, a certain couple insist on seeing you before they leave." Coran relayed to Neveah.

Long before the breaking, Dune City had been on a total lockdown. It was all the more so since the breaking as none were allowed in or out of the city except on official or urgent business.

"At the gates? They wish to see me? How do they know me?" Neveah asked with a raised brow.

"I do not know, but the report from the commander says they asked for you in particular, Lady Neveah Vairheac. And they will not leave until they see you." Coran reported.

"Veah is not someone just anyone can request to see at will without providing justification. Demand for their reasons or send them away." Everon instructed Coran.

"They are humans..." Coran added uncertainly.

Neveah exchanged a look with Everon. She had no business with the human population beyond Dune City and even here in Dune City, Neveah had not interacted with the human population as she did when she was lieutenant... not since the breaking.

"That is rather unusual." Everon admitted.

Neveah pondered over it for a moment before she nodded.

"Very well, I will go see them. What harm could be done?" Neveah asked.

"I will accompany you." Everon offered, reaching for his coat but Neveah shook her head.

"No, you stay here. Isalder will come seeking her baby any moment now, you should watch over him till she is here lest she comes for my head. Coran will not leave my side." Neveah deterred Everon.

"I will not." Coran agreed.

Everon nodded slowly and Neveah grabbed her coat which was strapped over the chair. She passed a look to the sleeping child before she strode out of Everon’s study.

"You should go ahead, I will get my horse." Neveah told Coran.

"Horse it is." Coran replied without even considering Neveah’s words.

Neveah did not argue, the two fetched horses from the stables and rode for the city gates.

They arrived in a short while to the rowdy sight that had become the reality of Dune City.

With terrified commoners seeking to escape the Dune City in fear of the canyon eating into the territory, while there were others outside seeking entrance into the city for reasons best known to them.

As Neveah’s horse drew closer to the gates, the crowd parted to let Neveah through and the city guards hurried over to greet her.

"Lieutenant, right this way." One of the city guard took the reins of Neveah’s horse and stirred it over to the gates.

Neveah dismounted and she and Coran followed the city guard through the small portion of the gate that was opened for only the city guards to go in and out.

There were guards on the other side, turning away guests to the city and Neveah sighted the commander of the city guard before he saw her.

Neveah quickly studied the couple standing opposite the commander, they had been escorted to the side, probably because they refused to comply and return back.

They were a young couple, most likely in their early thirties and the man stood slightly shielding his wife from the commander of the city guard.

Neveah’s gaze moved to the wife, she was a petite woman swaddled in large coats and if Neveah did not look closely enough, she would not have been able to tell that beneath the coat, the woman shivered violently.

However, the occasional violent cough was obvious to all.

"Familiar?" Coran asked Neveah.

"I have never seen them before." Neveah whispered to Coran.

Neveah walked over to the commander of the city guard.

"That is enough, commander. I will handle it from here." Neveah reassured the commander who quickly stepped to the side at the sight of her.

"Lieutenant Vairheac." Neveah introduced, her arms crossed behind her back.

Before either of the couple could say a word, the woman who had been coughing violently swayed, lost her balance and fell backwards.

By reflex, Neveah moved forwards, catching the woman with a hand around her arm before she could hit the ground.