Chapter 33, He Kind of Got Lost

Chapter 33, He Kind of Got Lost

Free and already lost.

The whole city was laid out before him, with the thick river intersecting the whole of it, small and big bridges hopping over it, cars honking and people walking and complex architecture that Kreig barely even recognized. It was beautiful, and he didnt know where to start.

Or, well, he did know where to go, but he had no idea how to get there. Maybe those people expected him to recall his way since this was the city hed grown up in?

If that was the case, they were wrong. He couldnt even recognize the signs, much less the buildings and landmarks. All he knew was that everything looked extremely high-tech, save for some singular buildings made of regular brick and glass. These buildings, although rare, reminded him of the buildings hed seen in the capital of the Empire. Robust, well-made. Slightly nostalgic.

But before he so much took a step into this brave new world laid out before him, he made a little promise to himself not to cause a mess. He wouldnt crack any skulls, he wouldnt burn any houses. Just get from point A to point B. And he especially wouldnt sprout any wings to get there faster. He would walk like a normal person, talk like a normal person, act like a normal person. After all, he was a normal person.

Not a disaster, not a prisoner, not a captain, not an inquisitor, not a chosen one. Just a normal man.

And that was all he longed to be.

But faced with the seemingly endless city that seemed to go on forever with its hurried humans and noisy cars, he suddenly felt almost overwhelmed. There were so many paths he could walk, so many places he could go. And somehow, he felt like whichever way he went, he would fail in getting home. It was a dreadful feeling, and the only way he could combat it was to just start walking.

He went straight ahead. Right across a road, through a bush (that gave an unhappy crack as he passed), and into a little park adjacent to the airport and the hotel beside it. It was a very pretty park, filled with trees and bushes and a small flower bed beside a fountain. It would probably have been filled with people and dogs, had it not been so close to a noisy airport. Terrible design. Kreig didnt really notice it, since he had his hands full veering out of the way of a tree.

And then, he took a pause. Looked around. God only knew where he was, but if he went straight ahead, hed get out of the park and into the actual city. Which was what he did.

The city wasnt quite bustling by modern standards, but to Kreig, who had never seen a city with anywhere near that many people in it, it felt crowded. Crowded and tight and he really wanted to get away from there. So, as any sensible man would do, he shuffled through a crowd (no few of which shot disbelieving glances his way - he was, after all, quite big) and entered a small bystreet. There were still people there, but fewer. Room to breathe.

With the rustle of paper, he came to realize that he was still holding the map pointing him home. Thankfully he hadnt held it too hard, but he still couldnt really understand what it meant. He was good with maps, downright great (hed done very well to get his squad home that one time), but he couldnt even fathom how this map worked. It was a map of a city. He had only ever used maps of forests and plains and mountains. There were no indicators of different kinds of texture, just a general square everything.

At least his home was marked with a red X. He knew what that meant, despite it all. He just had to get there.

...Maybe he could try using Voice of the Earth? Just a quick try. To know which way to go. Nobody would know what he was doing.

College could wait. Right now, she had to guide this man somewhere.

Somewhere that was the police station.

She wasnt an idiot by a long shot, and she had her sense of justice. Enough to know that X probably marked the spot for something heinous. Like drugs. Or children. Either way, she was about to bring this massive crime-man somewhere he might have to answer for his crimes. If he couldnt find his way to the X himself, he was not about to notice her bringing him to the station. And if he did She could just scream and run away. The city was packed with people! If he wanted her dead, the middle of Space Circle Avenue would be the wrong place to do it!

She gave a cackle.

The big man gave her an odd look.

Uh-, um, say, youve been awfully quiet? Any chance you could she grinned to herself, preparing to form a testimony, -tell me what X marks the spot for? You dont have to. Unless you wanna.

The mans eyes seemed to light up in a hidden smile. Family. His voice was subdued. Brass. Unlike how she would expect a criminal to sound like, but it was okay. Because they were right by the station, and she was about to bring him in for-, for something, she wasnt sure yet. But the map was really suspicious.

The man stopped. Didnt follow her inside. -Huh? Arent you, um, coming?

The man pointed at the building they were headed into. It was made of bricks and had a glass fixture at the front. A brass plate above the door said in bold, capital letters: POLICE STATION. The man shook his head softly, making his long black hair whip to his sides.

Erica motioned towards the inside of the police station. Its right in there. I promise. Pinky promise.

The mans face just turned disappointed as he glanced about the proximity. -No green.

Shoot. He got her. ...Fine. Follow me. Erica proceeded to actually follow the map (despite the good chances that it might lead to a shallow grave), finding that whoever gave it to him really didnt consider him too highly. There were little red arrows marked on many turns and a few tips and tricks on how to survive in the city scribbled in the perimeter with a scrawly handwriting. Still, they did get there.

As it turned out, there happened to be a small residential area beside an equally small park. Likely the living-quarters of many students and up-and-coming families.

...Maybe, just maybe, this guy wasnt a criminal, but had actually gotten lost and was trying to find his familys home?... It was a radical thought, so unthinkable from how the man acted and seemed that it took her by surprise. The man in question appeared uncertain even as they had arrived. Its in there. Ill Ill be going now, so you just You do you. Ill do me. No-, wait, that-, the man fiddled with his thumbs for a few seconds before entering. I didnt mean it like-, shit.

At least hed gotten where he was going. And she was late for class. Shoot.