Chapter 12: The Town of Maroud
Ronald's POV
I looked at their wagon's wheels; it has broken axis in sections of the wheels. Thankfully, yours truly have brought a wheel repair kit since I had a feeling it would be handy to have on hand. Look at the broken part, using the tar glue, gently putting together so once the glue dries, it would hold in place.
"There you go!" I beamed with pride "I have repaired your broken wheel!" which Sirena claps for my efforts. "Thank you! Thank you!"
"So where's the animals that carry you freaks?" Kai asked, shocked at his behavior.
"I beg your pardon! We aren't freaks, mister!" The wife clenched her fist. "What is your problem with us?"
"Kai! These people are heading to Maroud! We should welcome to the opportunity to get to know more about the city!" I pleaded with Kai to see reason. "Why you are judging these people?! They have done nothing to deserve this."
"Why do you care about these freaks?" Kai speaks with contempt "I don't trust them at all, how do you know they won't try to kill us the first change they get?"
I narrow my eyes at my colleague's narrow backward thinking. This should be an opportunity to get a free ride to maroud and perhaps learn more about the city.
"Kai… Would you prefer to continue on foot as opposed to take a ride with them?" I asked.
"Yah! Better than traveling with these freaks!" he shouted at me.
"You know… I'm with eggsy, here!" Todd stands beside me. "Beside, I ain't quick to turn down the kindness of strangers."
"We have saved their lives, you know!" Sirena put her arms on my shoulders.
"You mean you saved them?" Kai is being resistant here.
"Would you prefer to walk on your own, wait for more raiders to show up?" I asked him. "Or would you rather ride with the 'freaks' as you call them and avoid a possible gunfight?"
When I saw Kai mumbled under his breath, he must not like magic users or anything that is not human. Something tells me he must have been through a traumatic experience for him to hate them as he did, especially with the woman saved our lives.
"Fine! You better be right on this, you fucking worm!" He bellowed at me.
"Okay, let's get going people!" Her husband yells for us to get onboard.
Road to the City
As I watched her husband transformed his arms and legs into wheels where he functions like a vehicle. I know the Hybrids for their ability to Automize with the ability of turn themselves into any form of weaponry or machinery. He turned him into hover tank form to speed up their family travel around the wastelands.
I took down vital notes in what I saw during that time and I spoke with the woman, her husband and their kids about the city of Maroud.
City of Maroud
Travelers who wanted a place called home founded the city. They welcomed everyone regardless of age, gender, sexuality, race or magic.
They produce milk, cheese, leather and yarn which it makes them precious. You can definitely find work here if I wasn't a ranger.
They also have no tolerance for any form of discrimination or trouble in their town.
Also, I've learned that they unquestionably welcome magic users with no issue, I'm sure Miss. Saravayt will be interested in that.
"May I ask about the town mayor or consul?" I asked the wife about the town mayor.
"You mean Mayor Chelsea? She has been our mayor for many years and she made good judgement calls that made our city prosperous." She smiled.
"Did you have time to meet her?" I asked her.
"Meet her? You kiddin' me?" She eyed me with skepticism. "She was my customer, me and my husband ran a leather shop, selling good leather and clothing."
"What? Did you have to slice and dice, some animals you feral freak?" Kai is at it again'
When he made that comment, the woman quickly the stop the wagon and then turned to Kai. He shouldn't have said it, though we were getting close to the city.
"If you don't like it here, mister! You can get the fuck out of my wagon and walk by yourself!" The wife yelled at him.
"Yo What the-" The wife generates a blade from her arm and puts up to his neck.
I had forgotten to mention that Sparrow Enhanced can generate a redline blade when they need to defend themselves.
"Kai! Just stop, for god's sake! We are almost there." I express my frustration. "You can't even go for one moment without being prejudices toward them." I quickly turn toward the wife. "Look, I am so sorry about my friend's attitude. But you let me deal with him since I have owed him my life."
"Is that true?" She asked him while pointed her blade at his threat "I'll ask again! IS. THAT. TRUE?!" she moved it to closer his throat.
"Yeah, it is true!" Kai yells. "Get off me, freak" as the woman released from her grip.
"Please, we are almost at the city-" Sirena tried to speak on the matter.
"Look, missy." the wife speaks. "The only reason we haven't kicked all of you off because we still owe you our lives! But your friend is not making things easier here- "
"Yeah, your bitch-ass tried to kill me!" That does it!
"KAI! YOU NEED TO STOP RIGHT NOW!" I yelled for him to stop.
"Or you'll what? Kick my ass?!" as he gets into my face.
"You. Need. To. Stop. Right. Now!" I clarified that my patience is thin with him.
"I've asked you or what?! Bitch-ass, pussy!" I am clenching my teeth at him.
"I won't say it again, Kai. I am at my -" He punched me in the face.
As I fell back onto the floor, Sirena wasted no time punching him squarely in the face. She really wasted no time laying it out on him, which the woman wasted no time firing a laser from her arm.
"ENOUGH! The both of you will need to stop! We are almost at the city! Afterwards, I don't want to see any of you again! Ever. Now get up and sit back down or you all can walk all the way there on. You choose!" The wife issues an ultimatum.
"Honey, is everything all right?" her husband asked her. "We need to hurry it up, I won't be to stay like this forever."
"Yeah, your ass-" Kai notices Sirena glares at him with the "I'll kill you" look, daring him to say it.
"If you finish that sentence, partner." Todd pulls out his revolver. "I will blow your brains out, right here and there."
Kai raises his hands in resignation.
"Look, I'm sorry all right! It won't happen again, alright?" Kai apologies to the wife.
"All of you, just take a goddamn seat and let's go." She commanded all of us to sit down.
The entire time as we got to Maroud was total silence the whole time. We were not only shocked by Kai's uncultured, barbaric behavior, but he almost got us kicked out of the wagon. What has gotten into him? First Magic, now him being a racist prick, too?