Knight has donned the tactical uniform Raven procured, since they don't exactly make fancy silk robes in his size, and a heavy Surhiiran scarf partially covers his silver mask. He still looks likea walking weapon of war, but at least he's a slightly disguised one.
As we disembark, I feel the weight of every guard's stare locked on us. They watch Knight with particular intensity, hands never straying far from their weapons. But Raven's bribe, or his contact's influence, holds. No one stops us as we make our way to the waiting vehicle, a sleek, low-slung thing with tinted windows that's clearly meant for important visitors.
"Knight won't fit," Cosima says immediately, studying the vehicle with a frown.
"He can walk alongside us," Raven replies, already opening the door for her. "The settlement isn't far, and it's better than trying to cram him inside."
Knight growls softly but doesn't object. Cosima hesitates, clearly reluctant to be separated from him.
"I'll go with him," I offer before I can stop myself.
Four pairs of eyes turn to me in surprise.
"What?" I growl, defensive. "The giant needs a keeper, and I could use the exercise."
The real reason is more complicated. Being trapped in that small space with all of them, with the memory of what I witnessed still fresh in my mind... I need air. Space. Distance. I need to stop seeing Cosima nestled against Raven's chest.
Raven studies me for a moment, then nods. "Fine. But stay close to the vehicle. No wandering."
"I'm not a child," I snap.
"Could have fooled me," he mutters.
We set off, the vehicle moving at a crawl to accommodate Knight's and my pace beside it. Through the tinted windows, I catch glimpses of the others.
The road leading from the outpost is surprisingly well-maintained. No cracked asphalt or debris here. The surroundings, too, show signs of recovery that we haven't seen in the Outer Reaches. The scorched earth gives way to actual vegetation. Stunted and sparse, but alive. In the distance, I can make out what might be farmland, patches of green against the dusty landscape.
Knight walks silently beside me, his heavy footsteps the only sound besides the quiet hum of the vehicle's engine. I expected to feel uneasy in his presence, but there's something almost companionable about his silence.
We understand each other, the monster and I.
We both know what we are.
The vehicle slows as we approach a small settlement nestled at the base of a rocky outcropping. It's not much to look at from a distance. Just a cluster of white buildings with domed roofs surrounded by a low wall. But as we draw closer, I can see that the structures are in remarkably good condition. The walls gleam in the fading light, unmarred by decay or violence.
The gates stand open, and a few robed figures move about the streets inside. No visible weapons, no obvious security beyond a pair of guards at the gate who watch us approach with mild interest rather than suspicion.
"Remember," Raven calls through the vehicle's open window as we near the gate. "We're just a pack traveling together, seeking a better life for our omega. Nothing more, nothing less."
I nod, the words settling uncomfortably in my chest. A pack. That's what we look like to outsiders, isn't it? A strange, mismatched collection of alphas centered around an omega. Broken, all of us, in different ways. But somehow fitting together into something that almost makes sense.
When didthathappen? When did we start functioning as a unit instead of as reluctant allies forced together by circumstance? And why the fuck does the thought of its inevitable ending hurt so fucking bad?
The guards at the gate eye Knight warily but wave us through after a cursory glance at the papers Raven presents. The settlement opens up before us, unexpectedly beautiful in its simplicity. The streets are clean, the buildings well-maintained. People move about with purpose but without the constant wariness I'm accustomed to seeing. No one clutches weapons or glances over their shoulders expecting attack.
It's... peaceful. In a way I'd forgotten the world could be.
Actually, that's bullshit. Forgotten implies I've ever known a world where it was possible. I was born into a warzone and came out swinging.
The vehicle stops before a three-story building with a sign in flowing Surhiiran script. Raven emerges first, speaking briefly with someone at the entrance before beckoning us forward.
"An inn," he explains as we approach. "Best accommodations in town, according to our friend at the border."
"Must be desperate for visitors," Geo mutters, eyeing the white stone. "Place looks like it belongs in a fucking fairy tale."
He's not wrong.
Geo helps Cosima out and we leave the car with an attendant who comes out to greet us, exchanging a few words with Raven before he takes the car off to park. The entrance of the inn is framed by delicate archways carved with intricate geometric patterns. Inside, the floor is polished stone, worn smooth by countless feet but meticulously maintained. Not a single speck of dirt or dust anywhere to be seen. The air smells faintly of some spice I can't identify, something sweet and warm that instantly makes me think of Cosima.
