Chương 21: CHAPTER 20

The Dreamers prophecy

The road the women had took led away from the forest into a huge metal gate. The gate was ajar but Rex hid behind a tree and surveyed it for any guard. The rough wall surrounding whatever was inside was way taller than any fence he had ever seen. It was a gray wall, which might have once been white. The algae on it made Rex wonder how long the wall had stood. Not a part of it was affected by an agent of denudation. If these people were always here, where were they when darkness plague the world and sent the people of Anadan on their heel? Rex couldn't place an answer to that question. Convincing himself that the path was clear, he sneaked into the gate quietly, with his right hands steady on his belt, where his shocker gun rest.

To Rex, it was like travelling back in time, from a computer age to a stone age. Noise filled his ear and dust fogged his nostril. Rex stood by the city wall keeping a good distance from the busy street. The walls had different carvings and designs on it. Taking a closer look at the ancient white wall, Rex observed the reddish patterns of a man holding a tablet in one hand and another with a goblet of fire. The painting was vague and strange, but from it Rex was able to observe that the man was running away from a dangerous beast behind him. Maybe it's a story, Rex couldn't guess less.

The people in the city wore jovial looks, making the dusty air smell with a mixture of festivity. Nobody spared him a second glance, the ones who did laughed at him like he was a fool. Most of the people wore different scary costumes as though they were celebrating Halloween. Some masked their face with animal skull; others were in animal hide and little skeleton tied round their waist. The noisy busy street was piled with masked men on horseback, carriages, and wagons. Along the road were different goods displayed for sale, ranging from fruits to sea food, skewed animals, caged birds of different spices and sizes. Beside a fish trader were two men in patched colored clothe. One of them was juggling four colored balls and the other was playing a harp. They had a cloth spread out in front of them, where people toss coins as they passed by or stopped to watch.

Despite the oddity in this big city, the place looked beautiful and neat. At the center of the street where there was a cross road, was a huge lion, with fountain of fresh water pouring out of its mouth. The houses here were built with white stones and had intricate patterns, designed identically with the city wall. It was hard not to stare.

Rex stood beside the old wall trying to hide behind a neat stable which was totally empty. Someone coughed behind him and Rex turned in time to see a masked face, supporting his weight with a strong cane. It was a man in a leopard vest, with wrinkles running down his whole body like the scale of a reptile.

"Because we call this feast the iron feast, does not mean you should come with iron costumes." The man laughed but his laughter roared like the cracking of a stormy cloud, making him to cough. The four remaining brown teeth on his mandible, made the animal mask he wore appear alive.

Rex stared at him with confusion. He hadn't understood the man's language. The man was struggling with his cane to maintain his balance and his body convulsed at interval. A man at his age in Anadan was well taken care of by the government.

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