Episode 26

Towering above them were buildings all lit like gleaming creatures of the deep, flashing with colorful lights. How long had it been since she last walked these streets? It seemed to be an eternity.

She could hear scraping behind her as Helfeirch pushed the lid back over the sewer. Scarlet turned and slid down the wall of the building next to her. They had emerged in a back alleyway, which was very convenient for them.

The night air was cool, and they quickly found themselves chilled. Being wet with sewage did not help this. She did not sit there and rest long… she knew that in their current state, they would stand out like a sore thumb to any authorities.

She picked herself up off the ground and found Helfeirch was ready to follow her. For the first time since she left the hotel in Junker's Brim, she was in the lead. It was an odd feeling. For so long, she had been dependent on someone else. Now it was her turn to have someone depend on her. She quietly walked to the end of the ally and peered out into the expanse of the city. It didn't take her long to figure out her approximate location and where she would need to go.

'I need to get to Flinch. He's the only one who might be able to help me.'

The two set off, sticking to the shadows as much as possible and avoiding main roads. It took them longer than she would have liked, but finally, they found their way to their destination. Walking down a matter of stairs, Scarlet came to a familiar metal door. She pounded hard at the door and, at first, was met with silence. She gave another round of pounds to finally be met with a voice.

"What's the word?" shouted the voice from the other side.

"Winter can never come if it's already here," Scarlet answered.

"...Scarlet?"

"Yes."

She could hear the door being unlocked before it squeaked open. She was met by the shocked face of a man. His mechanically modified blue eyes locked onto her.

"I know. I'm not really recognizable, but I promise it's me."

The man hesitated a moment, looking at Helfeirch.

"It's cool. He's with me," Scarlet insisted.

The man nodded his head and opened the door. "Come in, come in."

The door was quickly locked behind them, and they followed him deeper into the corridor and down more stairs, coming into a room with no windows.

"So, how you been Flinch?" Scarlet asked.

The man sat down on a stool crossing his arms. He was a medium build fella who was slightly on the taller side but still quite a bit shorter than Helfeirch. His blonde hair spiked up slightly to one side. His eyes continued to stare uncertainly at Scarlet. "I'm alright," he answered.

"Well, you can probably tell I'm not doing so hot myself. I didn't know who else could help me." Scarlet hesitated. "For starters, is there a place me and my friend can get cleaned up, maybe a fresh pair of clothes?"

"Yeah, shower's through the back." Flinch answered. "Use as much soap as you need."

"Great. We'll talk more after I don't smell so bad."

Scarlet soon found herself under the cascading waters of a shower. The hot clean water washed away all the filth from her recent travels. She could feel more and more chunks of the scabbing falling away from her and, in its wake, a complete feeling of relief. She washed herself three times before she was satisfied. Climbing out of the shower, she dried herself off.

Between the hot shower and wiping herself with a towel, nearly all the scabbing had fallen away, leaving only the shimmer of her crimson scales that now covered her body. Catching herself in the mirror, all she could do was stare. Even she couldn't recognize herself.

The incision down her chest and her knife wound had become nothing more than thin indentations in her scales. There was no sign that her leg had ever been burned. All her wounds had healed. Her nails had grown longer and stronger, almost like claws.

She stared long and hard at the unfamiliar eyes looking back at her. Her pupils were both now vertical slits and their jade color seemed richer than she remembered. The one thing that remained the same, that had not changed, was her crimson hair that now dripped with water.

Not wanting to deprive Helfeirch of a shower any longer, she quickly dressed herself in the clothes provided and left the bathroom. She was in a pair of fitted black pants, a black tank top, and black boots. She stood there combing through her hair as Flinch brought her some food and sat it on a table next to her.

"Figured you might be hungry."

"I am. Thank you," Scarlet answered.

Flinch sat down on a stool next to the table. "So, where you been Scarlet?"

"Places I don't want to go again. ...after my last job, I somehow ended up all the way down in the Scavenger Lands. Spent the last few weeks making my way back up here."

"Weeks?" Flinch's brow furrowed.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm only guessing. It's hard to keep track of time while going days without sunlight."

"...Everyone thought you were dead."

"Yeah, me too," Scarlet smirked as she began eating.

Flinch sat there silently watching her eat as he thought about what he'd just heard before readjusting himself. "Scarlet… you've been missing for over four years."

Scarlet nearly spat out her food. "What?"

"You've been missing for over four years," Flinch repeated, his face remaining hardened.

Scarlet stared off at nothing. "That's not possible. I just..."

"Scarlet, it is."

Scarlet said nothing as she looked at her scale-covered hands, which had begun to shake lightly. Clenching her fists, she pushed the food away from her.

"I need to find out what they did to me."