Chapter 148
It was finally time for Dron to meet with the rest of the people in the town.
The ones Tine was certain would have information on what happened in the poor class back on Thraqe. He knew the people were cynical. They didn’t trust him.
He couldn’t blame them but he needed to get through to them.
Not only because he was ordered to find out what happened but because he knew that if it could happen to the poor class, it could happen in other classes. It could happen here.
Tine brought him and the rest of his crew to a small spot deeper into the trees. Instead of just a clearing, Dron recognized what looked like a meeting place. There were large rocks that seemed to look as if they were carved into benches. There was a fire pit.
It looked old as if people had been meeting here for a long time.
It was a part of history.
Dron waited for Tine to tell him where to go. She ushered him to what looked like the head seat.
"Come sit here with me."
"I can stay in the corner, I don’t want to intrude."
"You’ve already intruded into their lives. It’s time that you tell them your real intentions. Let them know that you’re not just some spy from Thraqe. Let them know that you are here to help." Tine patted his arm.
"I don’t know if I’m the right alpha for this job." The uncertainty washed over him.
Tine grabbed his chin so he had to look at her, "You are. I feel it in my bones. You are the right alpha for this job. The one we need. The one the moon goddess has blessed us with."
A blessing, he’d never considered himself a blessing to anyone before.
"What is going on here?" Krazek questioned. He was standing next to Dron. The rest of the crew had sobered up a bit and were standing around as well. No one knew what to expect.
The tension got even higher when Dron saw a large congregation of people, most of them armed in some way, coming toward them.
"This is bad. We should get out of here." Krex scanned the crowd. His hand already dropping down to his weapon. Dron put his hand out to stop him.
"We’re not here to fight. Until they make the first move that is how its going to stay." Dron ordered. The last thing he wanted was to lose all credibility he had with both his men and the people closing in on them. They were on a razor’s edge right now. One wrong move and it could tip the scales in the wrong direction.
After a few moments, Tine gestured for Dron to sit. She gave him a look that told him he wasn’t to refuse under no circumstances.
He took a seat on the hard stone bench and everyone else around settled as well.
Tine took a step out and in a quick motion was able to light the fire pit. The flames roared and licked up to the sky. It burned the atmosphere slightly, colorful lights snapped in the air.
"Skoq and our people have always been a proud people. We fight for what we have. Work hard. But it seems that even with all of our hard work the moon goddess has still found us wanting. She’s testing us in a way that we are not prepared for, and now we have learned that in other lands the ones who are meant to be protecting the people are the same ones cutting them down. It’s only a matter of time before they set their sights on bigger targets." Tine looked around at the people in attendance.
She was getting them riled up.
"No."
"We’ll kill them first."
"Not again."
The responses from the crowd let Dron know that they had the same fears he did.
Tine put her hand up to calm the people, "I’m doing everything I can to make sure that it doesn’t happen but we are going to need some help. I think our new visitors are just the help that we need."
"He’s one of them." Someone screams from the back of the crowd.
"They don’t even trust him. Why should we?" Someone else says.
It was getting harder and harder for Tine to keep everyone under control, Dron knew he was going to need to say something soon.
"I know it’s not our way to trust the Thraqen but let’s be honest, most of us are from somewhere else. Most of us are refugees in some way or form. And none of us want the Thraqens to come over here and start poking around. With that said, in order to make sure the Thraqens don’t come over here we need to give these nice alpha men some information. Information I know some of you have."
Tine focuses her eyes on a man in the crowd. He looks like he was in some sort of accident. He was limping, and from the looks of it his face was badly burned at one point.
Dron gasped when he realized what he was looking at. This man was in the poor class. He was there when the attack happened.
"You." Dron stood up and pointed at the man.
The man backed up as if he were scared to be pinpointed. Dron put his hands up to show that he wasn’t a threat. "I’m here to help like Tine said."
Dron looked around and realized that he was going to do more than just question the man, he was going to have to get them all on his side.
"I can’t talk on what you all have to had endured to find your peace here. I thought what I went through as being the cursed one was tough but I see it’s nothing compared to this. My land is being torn apart from within. I’m no psychic but I know that the same people who are doing this to my land will do it here. I want to stop that. I need to find out who is behind this and the only way I’m going to do that is with your help. So help me. Help yourselves. We can keep our peace. Together." Dron looked around and felt the same way he’d felt when he was in front of the group that spoke with the high royals.
He felt like he was important. Needed.
"It was soldiers." The man who was limping said.
"Soldiers." Krex spoke up in question.
"Yes, I saw them. I work earlier then most, when everyone is still sleeping. I watched the soldiers come into town as if they didn’t have a care in the world. I should’ve alerted the rest. I could have—"
Dron recognized the spiral before it started.
"No, you couldn’t have. There was no way you could’ve known that they were there to do anything that they shouldn’t have been doing. I’m sure soldiers have come into the poor class before." Dron spoke.
"Yeah, but never to do anything good. The last time they were there was to check if there were any more omegas. They left empty handed."
Dron knew of the practice. He didn’t want to comment on it.
"What happened after they got there? Was there an altercation?" Krazek asked.
"No, there was no altercation. I watched a scientist, at least I think he was a scientist, come out from the crowd of them. They walked over to Aixen’s home. He was examining the new additions. The ramp."
Dron closed his eyes. He had held up hope that maybe what happened in the poor class was in direct correlation with how she and Tempest helped them. Seems like that wasn’t the case.
"Who was the scientist? Did you recognize him?" Krex asks.
"Suqit. I think that was his name. He’s a member of the Puxyn clan."
Suqit?
Dron was amazed, there was no way.
"Suqit isn’t a scientist. He’s a high leader." Krazek said what Dron was thinking.
"I didn’t know." The man from the poor class said.
"What was he doing there?" Dron asked.
"He was leading them. Telling the soldiers where they should be. I stayed hidden. I could see them walking through the town. They were laughing. Laughing the entire time, they lit up the sides of the houses. Talking about how the poor class should just learn to stay in their place. I can still hear the kids screaming. They couldn’t get out. Families all burned to death for the enjoyment of some high royals."
Dron felt sick to his stomach. This couldn’t be real. Couldn’t be all that happened.
"What else? What else were they saying?"
The man swallowed hard, "They were saying how disappointed they were that they hadn’t gotten there before. They wanted to get rid of the problem. Tempest."
Dron nearly lunged at the sound of her name.
She was in danger.
Even now, wherever she was, she was in danger.
Dron’s alpha instincts were going crazy once again.
"Mark Chief, easy." Verux said from where he was.
’No, I’m not going to be easy. I can’t be easy." Dron snapped at him through clenched teeth.
"You have to. We’re not going to be able to go through everyone here. The space is too tight."
Dron knew he didn’t want to start a fight, but if he didn’t calm himself down, that’s exactly what was going to happen.
He didn’t know what he would do if something happened to Tempest at the hands of the same people who sent him on this mission.
"I need to leave." Dron turned to talk to Tine.
"You can’t leave. What about the people. They are going to—"
Tine’s words are cut off, and the entire area shook.
Dron fell to the ground. His ears ringing from the force of the explosion. The dust shot up all around him, and he had to blink his eyes a few times to try and focus his eyes.
A moment later he heard the screaming. It was pure chaos around him as everyone ran in different directions trying to find cover.
"Report!" Dron yelled out, hoping with all he had that none of his men were killed in whatever was going on.
One by one they yelled back.
"Tine!" Dron called out once he was able to get up from the ground. He didn’t stand but more crouched where he fell.
There was no response.
"Tine!" Dron called again.
This time when he looked around, he saw the woman’s body lying awkwardly on the ground.
Skoq was under attack, and it looked like they already had one victim.
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⏸ PAUSE■ STOP