Xander nodded. "Yes. The earlier we do it, the better."
Gato observed Xander as he strapped the cart tight and then covered it with dirt.
There was a lot he wanted to say.
After all, he just realized Xander’s true identity as Prince of the Bedsheet kingdom.
But he had a feeling nothing good would come of that now.
"What of your left hand?" Gato asked.
The Assassin had stabbed it to the table moments ago.
It looked bad.
Even as Xander prepared the cart, he did it shy of his left hand.
"Shouldn’t we at least rob it with some ointment?"
Xander shook his head. "There is no time."
Regardless, Gato walked into the Forge, and soon came out with his left over bottle of wine.
He popped the cork open with his teeth, "bring your hand."
"Is that not your expensive bottle?" Xander protested.
"Bring your hand!" Gato spoke again, with no room for negotiation.
Xander did as he was told.
Gato poured some of the wine on the injury.
It stung.
But Xander had been through worse.
"At least this way, it won’t get infected." He placed the cork on the bottle and placed it on the cart.
"Thank you." Xander muttered.
"I am a father. It is my job to look after my son."
This made Xander smile.
"Are you ready?" Xander asked Gato.
He nodded. "Levi is sleeping. We should hurry with this."
Xander nodded as he began pulling the cart.
Unfortunately, Gato had no horse or cattle capable of pulling load.
They were not cheap, and were even more more expensive now that the country was preparing for war.
It was night time, people were sleeping in their beds. Even if they weren’t, Gato’s home was luckily too far from town.
Meaning that no one would see Xander and recognize him as a negative profession.
Xander pulled the cart through the path, Gato walking beside him.
After a certain distance, he stopped. "It’s your turn." Xander muttered, climbing into the cart, and covering himself with some of the dirt.
Gato nodded, taking over pulling the cart.
He stopped at a wooden gate. Two soldiers were stationed here.
Armed with swords on their sides, their job was to ensure the clear separation of the incinerator and the rest of the town.
One of them yawned as he approached, holding a lamp in hand, "Old Man Gato, why are you coming to the incinerator so late at night?"
Gato smiled. "As you know, I have no one to help me, pulling the garbage in the day time leaves me very tired and exhausted. This old man can’t take it."
"Oh, that’s true. I too can’t wait for winter."
"That’s what you’ll say," the second soldier commented. "But we both know you will start another round of complains when the time comes."
The first soldier rolled his eyes at his colleague as he walked around the cart, observing it closely.
He leaned in.
Xander, underneath the dirt, held his breath. He was close to the still bleeding Assassin.
Gato had a bad feeling rise in his gut. He couldn’t let the soldier find Xander.
The soldier sniffed. "Something smells..."
"Oh, you must be talking of this." Gato raised his cherished bottle of noble wine.
The Soldiers’ eyes brightened. "Old Man Gato, that’s incredible." They chuckled as they approached.
Gato laughed with them. "Yes, yes. As you know today is my grandson’s birthday, so I decided to bring out this old gift.
You two can enjoy."
The first soldier took the wine. "By Socrates beards, this is quality stuff." His cheeks gave a red hue."
"Hey, don’t hoard it all for yourself." The second guard pulled against his colleagues arm.
Soon, both of them struggled to have the bottle.
"Gentlemen... cough" Gato gestured towards the gate.
They nodded, opening it for him to pass.
Xander could still hear their voices in the distance. But now, he could come out.
He made his way to the front. "Thanks for that."
Gato nodded. "Such a shame about the wine though." He sighed.
Both of them pulled the cart past the numerous pits.
Click click click.
The familiar sound of scavengers echoed around them.
And then Xander stopped before one of the pits.
"It’s this one." He muttered.
And then he turned over the dirt from the cart, pulling out the Assassin.
She was awake. "Uuu eee jooo." She tried to talk, but her words were gibberish after Xander took her tongue.
[Ding]
[Physical Connection Depth: ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ 100/100]
[Congratulations...]
Xander ignored the alerts as he lifted her to his face by her clothes.
"I promised you a fate worse than death, remember?"
As he spoke, some of the Scavengers had already began climbing the walls of the pit towards him.
Xander turned to them. "I brought a gift, boys." He pushed her into the pit. "You may have her arms and legs, but please keep alive...for as long as you can."
With a loud THUD she fell in the dirt.
The Assassin was paralyzed and could not move, but her eyes darted around— horror obvious on her face as the Scavengers approached.
Click click click.
They leaped on her, ripping apart her arms and legs, as her gut wrenching screams echoed out, mixed with Crunching sounds.
Gato looked into the pity, and then back at Xander’s cold gaze. He could not help but swallow at Xander’s ruthlessness.
"Again, I ask. Why didn’t you just kill her, and be done with it."
Xander shook his head, "They were able to know I was alive because of a Life lamp. I reckon Leopold has his means of tracking an assassin he sent after his little brother."
"But won’t she still die?" Gato asked.
Xander did not answer—stretching his left wounded hand for a steadily approaching Scavenger.
Gato backed away cautiously. "Xander, get away from that thing."
But Xander did not move.
The Scavenger brought out its tongue, licking Xander’s wounds.
Gato watched as the knife wound in Xander’s hand closed up before his eyes.
His mind flashed back to the sticky substance Xander poured into Levi’s chest.
He was left speechless.
Old Man Gato felt like his eyes were being opened to a whole new world.
He sighed loudly.
"That reminds me. Once we throw out the dirt, how do you intend to leave this place without anyone seeing you?"
Xander stared at empty space.
A certain alert made him crack a side smile.