Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 624: Into The City 2 ()
Neveah slowed her horse to a trot, her eyes wide with disbelief. She had thought they would need to ride some distance from Scabbard Tower into the city,
However the very moment their mounts were but a short distance from the gates of Scabbard tower, Neveah and her group already met the first signs of unrest in the city of Scabbard.
"Open the city gates!" A burly male called out.
"Let us out! Do you intend for us all to die here?! Great Lord, have mercy!" A young woman cried in a loud, devastated tone.
Many more of such loud yells and calls echoed for a long distance and they had not been riding for so long when Neveah picked up on traces of it.
Neveah quickly lifted a hand to halt the group from advancing any further.
"Slow down...there is a crowd in the path far up ahead, right after the bend." Neveah said quietly.
"Veah, you cannot let them see you." Everon said quickly.
Neveah nodded and pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, her golden tresses were the most discerning feature that would give her away at first sight, even from a long distance away.
"Continue on, but take the narrow path and go around them. We have not come for confrontation, and it is without a doubt that the mob ahead will not take kindly to authorities not in dragon form." Neveah instructed.
Neveah stirred her horse in a different direction, through a thin path that forked off from the main road. It was not so far from the main road that they could not see the road, but far enough that they could bypass the mob without being noticed.
And as they continued on, just as Neveah had predicted, right after the bend,
It did not take all that long for Neveah and her group to notice the small mob that had gathered on the main road leading up to the Scabbard Tower.
There were about three dozen people and though they did not seem aggressive just yet, agitations were clearly rising as they marched on.
Clearly, they did not dare approach too close to Scabbard tower but they had still come within distance of the tower to express their discontent knowing the dragons circling above would report back.
"I did not realise the rioters had come this far... they would never be so daring to approach Scabbard Tower, this must be in a bid to pressure Lord Mycroft to grant them audience, but this is as far as they go." Estelle murmured from beside Neveah.
"For now, perhaps...but do not underestimate the desperation of mortals... the deeper the fear and panic eats, the bolder they become." Neveah replied to Estelle.
"The flight patrol will keep an eye out." Estelle assured Neveah.
Neveah spared a glance up to the sky, catching a glimpse of a dragon lord soaring overhead just as he went by.
Neveah nodded, the dragons did have an eye on everything and only interfered when it was absolutely necessary. They knew that was the best they could do for now to avoid increased agitation.
Neveah adjusted the large hood over her head properly so her hair was well hidden.
"Come on then, we should go into the city." Neveah said as she stirred her horse into a gallop.
The city of Scabbard was not so great a distance from the Scabbard Tower, and the closer they got to the city, a sense of foreboding hung heavy in the air.
A variety of smells were thick in the air, as one would expect from a populated city. However, the smell of smoke and ash overpowered most of the other smells.
The smell of burning wood and smoke was potent in the air and so Neveah was not at all surprised to see a trail of blackened smoke rising from somewhere out in the city.
Once a vibrant and bustling city as Neveah had heard, Scabbard was now in a state of complete pandemonium, barely a ghost of its former glory and it had only been a month.
The streets that were once bustling with life and activity were now eerily quiet, save for the distant sounds of chaos and despair coming from the rioters at the city centers.
The streets were in a complete mess, abandoned stalls, overturned carts and goods strewn about.
A good majority of the people were holed up in their homes, too terrified of the contagion and the rioters to step out into the streets.
And so, other than the points where the rioters were gathered, the city of Scabbard was mostly desolate save for a few lone passersby quickly scurrying past here or there.
Neveah and the group rode slowly through the streets, intently avoiding the rioting mobs, and Neveah’s gaze roamed around.
Neveah stared in dismay, she did not know what Fort Scabbard used to be like a month ago, but if it was anything like the other great fortresses she had been to, anything like Dune City, then this state of devastation was alarming.
"Do not tell me they have begun destroying properties..." Everon muttered in displeasure as they rode past a few crumbled stalls.
"A few radicals here or there, attempting to incite the crowd and accelerate agitations. But they are quickly suppressed by the dragon lords and taken into custody." Estelle explained.
"Exactly how many can be taken into custody? There will be a new radical at each moment." Everon said with a shake of his head.
"As long as the root of the troubles remains...if the contagion is not cured, the situation is bound to grow worse." Neveah said,
Her words trailed off as her attention was drawn to a young pair passing by. The young woman broke into a coughing fit suddenly, pausing in her step.
The sole companion she had by her side shirked back away from her, and scurried off down the street in alarm, leaving the violently coughing woman to herself.
Neveah winced visibly at that, nodding to Everon who dismounted his horse and hurried over to the woman.
"Elle... those who exhibit symptoms of the contagion..." Neveah trailed off, too distracted by the sight of Scabbard to continue her statement.
However, Estelle understood Neveah’s question.
"They cannot be allowed to live amongst their families...they are taken to the infirmary or the city halls to be quarantined. All needs are provided for by the Scabbard authorities." Estelle explained.
"Take me there..." Neveah murmured.
