Ren poked his head out of the water again. His breath came out in quick bursts, the cold sea water stinging his skin as he tried to stay at float. The boat wasn't moving, just waiting at the dock while a loud clamour went on aboard the boat. It sounded something like the men asking the captain what they were going to do to hide Asaph's rancid corpse if the Imperial guards decided to check through their stuff, and something about the captain and the rest of the crew pointing fingers at who was the dumbest to not check twice.
Ren swam around the boat to the other part of the dock where he saw some men loading off metal boxes from a smaller boat. They were too busy to notice him approaching, but when he climbed up to the dock, eyes turned in his direction.
He froze for a second, thinking they would alert any guards. He was in fact disappointed that they went on with their business.
The dock looked like a deluxe version of Outliers port.
"I can't believe I'm actually here," he said to himself, grinning.
He spotted the Imperial guards approaching the merchant boat and he walked further away.
The dock was not a quiet haven. Ren tried hard not to yell each time a loud horn blared. Ahead of him, he saw a ship that he couldn't take his eye off. A ship with the Imperial emblem.
In front of the ship, armed guards waited with men in suits, women with classy dresses and umbrellas stood smiling in anticipation, a convoy of the most expensive vehicles he had ever seen were steaming up, and of course, more guards.
The merchant boat he'd jumped from had sailed off and the merchants were being paraded by some guards.
In front of him, some men with suits and elegant robes descended from the Imperial ship. Behind them young boys and girls with cuffs around their hands were being led by guards.
Just like the old guard at the pub said, the slaves were well dressed.
"Not again," Ren muttered through gritted teeth.
The men filed into the cars with tints as black as their suits and the women waiting with umbrellas joined them. The slaves were led into a trooper by the guards. Some armed guards cleared the way for the convoy as they drove out to the road. The convoy was led by two sleek carriages, drawn by mechanical steeds that hummed with a soft, almost ethereal hum, their polished frames gleaming in the last light of the day.
Ren shook the water from his hair, his eyes scanning the streets. He could already hear the loud traffic, the rush of people, the distant clatter of fancy vehicles. His heart pounded.
'I have find out where they are taking them.'
The cars moved slowly, as though they didn't have a care in the world. Ren tailed behind them, but to them he was just another common face who would trail like others. Some people waved and smiled, while others just watched.
Ren jogged to the nearest street corner, watching as the convoy turned down a side street. He didn't hesitate. The city felt both overwhelming and invigorating at the same time, but Ren wasn't looking at how big it was, it was the convoy he cared about. If he could just stay close enough, follow them undetected...
A vehicle rolled up next to him. The large, square-shaped carriage had glowing blue runes etched into its sides. The driver, a balding man with a thick mustache, glared out of the window, scanning Ren's appearance before speaking.
"You need a ride?" His voice was gruff, but not unfriendly.
Ren could barely contain his excitement.
"Yes, to follow that convoy."
The man looked at Ren like he was insane, then down at his watch.
His eyes narrowed. "That convoy?" he asked, pointing at the long line of black-painted carriages ahead of him.
Ren nodded.
"Those are nobles, son. A-Ranked citizens."
Ren didn't care about the warning. He needed to follow them. He nodded eagerly, trying to hide the unease in his gut.
"Can you take me?"
The driver sighed. "You sure you're headed to the right place? You don't look like one of 'em," the man scanned him from his wet hair, down to the wet cloak and his soaked boot.
Ren bristled. "I have my reasons."
"They threw you off the boat for wrong uniform?"
"Are you taking me or not?"
The man seemed to consider this for a moment, eyeing Ren up and down before muttering something to himself. Then, he pushed the door open.
"Get in. But no funny business. It's fifty crowns."
Ren climbed in, sitting across from the driver. His heart pounded as the vehicle jolted into motion. The streets of Zenith was so busy, unlike those in the safer Outlier Region. The buildings around them were taller, grander than anywhere Ren had been before.
All that aesthetic would have anyone dropping jaws, especially if they came from a bleak, horrid and dead place like the Outlier, but hat didn't matter to Ren. All that mattered was the convoy.
The vehicle swerved, following the convoy with perfect precision, weaving through the city's bustling streets. Ren watched through the window as the noble convoy made its way through the city, its destination unclear to him, but every turn they took seemed to drive him deeper into the heart of Zenith.
The driver suddenly slowed down, his gaze flicking to the rearview mirror.
Ren stared at him with an inquisitive look.
"Why did you slow down?"
"Why are we following an A-Ranked convoy?"
Ren frowned, "Because I really need to catch up with them. Come on, kick it up before we lose them."
The driver's eyes flicked over to him. "You don't have any business with those people. You're just a young man. Where do you think you're going?"
"I'm going to the same place they are going."
"Which is?"
"I can't reveal that to you. That's why you have to step on it."
The driver's lip curled into a snarl. He shook his head, tapping the wheel impatiently.
"I can't be having this. No one follows an A-Ranked convoy without reason. You're either a thief or something else."
Ren's eyes flared, his fingers tightening around the seat. "I'm not a thief," he said, his voice dropping dangerously. "You'll keep driving, or I'll make you."
Ren's eyes flared with a scarlet red hue.
The driver stiffened, eyes narrowing. "I fucking knew it! You think you're threatening me?" He suddenly slammed on the brakes, bringing the vehicle to a screeching halt.
"Get out, kid. No one follows nobles like that. I don't care who you are."
Ren's heart skipped a beat. His fists clenched. He didn't have time for this. He couldn't afford to lose the convoy, even though he already had.
Ren muttered, "I said keep driving," with a dark edge to his voice.
The driver hesitated, eyes flicking nervously. "No."
The man reached for the door on Ren's side and pushed it open.
"You're not following me or them. Get out of my car, or I'll call for help."
Ren's mouth curled into a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Go ahead. Call whoever you want."
The man's face twisted, and with a grunt, he reached for his comm device, his fingers shaking. "I'm calling ZeCO. You'll regret this."
'What the hell is ZeCO?'
Shoving the man's resistance aside, he stepped out.
When he stood on the curb, he heard the driver's voice on the comm device.
"ZeCO. I've got a rogue Awakened here. He forced me into following an A-Ranked convoy. He's dangerous, he threatened me. Yes. Willow Street, that's where I last saw him."
Ren's pulse surged.
"What are you doing?" Ren tried to open the door but it was locked.
"Hey!"
The driver dropped the call and sped off. Ren almost fell as the car sped away.
He cursed under his breath, realizing his mistake too late. He didn't know who ZeCO was, but it did sound like trouble was coming his way.
He sprinted down the street towards where he had seen the convoy turn into.