Chapter 91: Xylar the soulless

A cart moved through the bustling hoods of Astoria. Gustavo sat hunched in the rickety cart, his body shaking with suppressed coughs.

Every few moments, a harsh wheeze escaped his lips, followed by a sharp hiss as he struggled to regain control. Try as he might to stifle the sound, his efforts proved futile.

Between wheezes and hisses, he caught snippets of conversation from the streets:

"...prices gone up again. Bloodsuckers, the lot of them..."

"Get out of my way, you lout!"

A child's wail pierced the air, quickly followed by a harsh, "Shut your mouth, brat!"

Unable to contain himself any longer, Gustavo rasped to the driver, "Stop. Here." He tossed a few ward of Thalens at the man, who snatched them with a grunt. He stepped out of the cart, almost staggering as he landed on the stone way.

The street swallowed him as he stumbled onto the uneven cobblestones. Bodies jostled past, faces set in scowls or blank stares.