Merchant

"There is a merchant of sorts that I know," Pacificia said. "We will be going there."

"You didn't answer my question," Natalia frowned.

"I know what I heard, girl. But first, I need to rest my legs. We can't travel the whole country like this."

"The whole country?"

"Well, yes. How else are we going to restore the shards?"

Natalia slowed her pace. She was not ready for this. They were walking through a thicket of pines. She saw some groups of cones hanging on them, and Pacificia collected what was lying on the ground. "What are you doing, girl? Go on," Pacificia said waving her hand.

Natalia picked five or six and kept them in her pocket. She was sweaty, and the blood from the monsters felt icky over her skin. But baths were uncommon for everyone living in the dark lands.

After some time, they rested under a tree. Its leaves were meager, but it would have to suffice. "So this guy that you mentioned, why are we going there?"

Pacificia checked for the cones that are edible. "Did you think we are going to walk the whole way?"

"Well, how far can it be?"

The old woman sighed. She stood up, clutching her cane. "My back is not how it is used to," she complained.

Then with the point of her cane, she started to draw on the dirt. It almost looked like a wiggly circle, and below that, she drew another smaller one. "Well, I guess that has to do for now. See this, girl. This – is the map of Astrea."

"Astrea?"

"That's the name of our continent, girl. Don't ever forget it. It isn't the Dark Lands, that name is like a chain to the minds. Now here," she placed a point with her finger on the larger circle. "That's where your village is."

"Was," Natalia thought standing up. Does that mean that, In the grand scope of things, she was like an ant? Does that mean that her living or dying has no meaning?

"And now, we have to travel along this way," her staff followed a path throughout the circle and reached the circle below. "And get here. If we went by foot, it would take our whole lives."

Natalia curled hugging her legs. She didn't want to go that far, and frankly, what was in it for her?

Pacificia saw the doubt in her eyes. "Now girl, I know you have qualms about going on this journey. But hear me out. Others would take your place in a heartbeat. Do you know why?"

Natalia did not, and so she shook her head.

"Because this journey, and hopefully its success – that is what is going to change their lives."

Natalia didn't know how much of that Pacificia meant true. They rested there for an hour or two, and the walk was continued. Natalia didn't notice the woods getting denser, and then, she heard the sound of a stream. "Hear that girl. We are going to follow that."

The stream was muddy, but Pacificia filled her canteen still. They walked by its side and Natalia noticed that Black hadn't taken his eyes off it after seeing it. She wanted to know what he was thinking. "You never answered my question," Natalia said.

"What question?"

"About Black," she was getting annoyed.

Pacificia took a deep breath. "Frankly, I don't know."

Natalia wanted to scream and scream she did. "You don't know? Then what is the point of us going?"

Pacificia gave her a glare. "Tell me, girl," she said pointing at the red squirms over Black's body. "Have you ever seen anything like that?"

Natalia was silent.

"Thought so. Well, I haven't seen anything of color in a long time. Maybe longer than you've been alive. I had my doubts, but when he touched those things – I've become certain. He will be able to change everything back to normal."

Natalia couldn't say anything back. There was the smell of smoke in the air. "That idiot," Pacificia stomped her staff and walked.

Soon enough, they were in front of a hut made of baked clay. Smoke rose from inside. "Hope he is still here," Pacificia walked to the front door, checked the surroundings, and tapped with her staff.

Suddenly, the smoke stopped. It was silent inside, and Pacificia smiled. "At least the man has wits to do that," she thought.

"Relax, Cartern. It's me," she knocked on the door again.

She signaled the two to step away from the door, and soon enough, the door opened and an eye peeked through the gap. "What do you want, woman?" it narrowed.

"Come one, Cartern. Open the door. Help out an old woman," she pushed the door, and the chain from inside clanged.

"Pay for all the things that I have given, and then, we will talk."

"Well, when you see what I've brought with me, you'll write all my tabs away."

"I highly doubt that."

Pacificia was getting impatient. "Open the door for gods' sake, Cartern."

Cartern's eyes narrowed. The door was closed, the chains turned, and he opened the door again. "You've brought a brat with you? That's your big surprise?"

He was a thin man, nearly forty years of age. Perhaps he could be younger, and Natalia would never know. He had a shirt that was dark grey, and pants that were also grey; everything was grey for her until a few days ago.

"That's not what I meant," Pacificia said. "I meant him."

Cartern's eyes turned slowly and uninterested. And then, he saw Black. "No," his lips shivered. "You get him out of here, RIGHT NOW." His voice was like a grinding stone.

Pacificia scoffed. "Are you going to sit in your hole, when the key to making everything normal is right in front of your eyes? You need to help us."

"Leave this place before those monsters smell and find . . . whatever this thing is."

Natalia walked to him. "You mean to say that you don't know what he is?" she had expected that everyone knows about Black.

Cartern gave her a sorry look. "Did she fill your mind too with hope, young girl?" He then turned to Pacificia, "did you?"

"It's not hope," she argued. "It's the truth."

Cartern gave out a chuckle. Not the happy kind, he was mocking the insanity in all this. "Run away while you can, young girl. There is no hope in this world, not anymore."

Natalia almost believed him. Why shouldn't she, she had just lost her mother and everything that she had ever known. But deep down, she was holding on to it. Natalia walked to Black and grabbed his hand. Slowly, strand by strand, her hair turned red.

"What?" Cartern's eyes widened.

Then Natalia walked him to the man's side. Then the threads of his changed and turned Crimson. His eyes turned to awe. "I thought I would never see that," a tear puddled in the corner of his eye.

Pacificia straightened her back. "Now, do you believe?"

Cartern looked at her, took a step outside, and surveyed the surroundings. "Get inside," he said. "We can talk there."