2 Cairo - The First Step (2/2)

The beast sighed boringly, and that brought my tally of being fooled to two times today. It was Mooks. There was no denying it.

The white fur covering his body like a blanket of snow in December. The glowing red eyes like two cherries fallen into the snow. The sharp, deadly teeth that can eat and pierce through nearly anything. The nose that smells fear from hundreds of miles away, and of course, the self-proclaimed reputation of being the sneakiest wolf in the world.

”Why are you out here this late?” Mooks asked innocently.

”Why did you try to attack me?” I also asked innocently.

Mooks chuckled, but his laugh always sounded awkward since it came from a wolf's mouth. ”Fair enough… Did they kick you out or something?”

I pulled back my hood, giving him the answer he needed.

My face was surprisingly not so bad compared to the rest of my beaten body. I would say I have a handsome face, but since I never reveal it, I didn't have any vouchers to prove my claims. I've been with a handful of women, but that was years ago, and an experience I didn't truly enjoy too much. My hair was dark like a starless sky, and I had a few streaks of white running through random parts of my hair. I had a faint undercut, but it was hard to tell with the length of my hair dropping to the top of my eyes half the time.

\tI also noticed my clothing wasn't very welcoming. Having countless knives and small vials holstered along my legs and chest probably wasn't the best idea I've come up with. I usually kept them hidden within the dim light underneath the table, but sometimes I could feel Rina looking when I opened my cloak to eat. My arms had bandages covering most of my previous wounds and scars. However, there wasn't a chance in hell I'd be taking those off.

I proceeded to tell Mooks everything that had happened in the tavern. From Rina's plan to reveal not only my reflesex, but my past as well. All the way to me leaving the tavern without giving her an answer. I made sure to leave out the part about her being one of the gifted, thinking Mooks would do something irrational that I wouldn't be able to stop.

”Why would she care?” Mooks concluded after my story. ”There are plenty of war victims. Even if she's one of them, and let's say you were too, why would she care?”

This is exactly why Mooks and I traveled together. Our minds think too much alike.

”However,” He interrupted my train of thought. ”This is the first survivor you've met since the war. Perhaps it would be best to befriend them.”

This is another reason we traveled together. Mooks would usually always suggest something I haven't considered, making me consider it even more.

”What good will it do.” I said, lowering my head.

”What good will it do to always run away from opportunities? A life without risks is a life not worth living.”

I gave him a wry look, one that'll show him he's right, but I was too afraid to accept it. ”Say I go back. Say I tell them about me. Then what? We live happily ever after?” My voice was strong, and Mooks knew what my strong voice meant.

”All I'm saying is to take a chance. You need some friends. Friends could be your first step in finding what you're looking for.” He smiled, but it looked more like he was hungry rather than happy. Besides, there was no way to differentiate those two states from him anyway.

I sighed desperately, slouched my travelsack over my shoulder for the tenth time today, slid my hood back in its place, and started heading back to the tavern.

When I arrived, I told Mooks to wait outside until I gave him the signal of coming in. That is, if everything worked out the way I hoped it would.

I gently shoved the swinging doors out of the way for my entrance, but there was no one there. Well, besides Cartuja who was clearly passed out drunk on the bar table. Fortunately, my entrance somehow woke him, and he popped up from his seat as if he wasn't even asleep just seconds ago.

”Ayy! The hooded dude is back!” He yelled, loudly.

The back door from behind the bar table swung open, and Rina came out, polishing another unclean glass. She looked confused, but there was a slight tingle in her eye that made her look more excited rather than puzzled.

I slid down my hood, revealing my face to her for the first time in the long six months that I knew her.

As soon as I did, the glass she was polishing shattered across the floor, and the excitement I saw on her face vanished. Her expression faded into one I've seen far too often when revealing my face. Even Cartuja, who seemed like the type to always have a smile on his face grew dim, perhaps even afraid.

I didn't know what I looked like to them. I didn't know if they were afraid, confused, or a mixture of both. No matter the case, there wasn't a chance I'd be able to escape their questions now, so I prepared myself, and began to decide my next words carefully.