1 Village

Do you know the feeling of stepping inside a village you never been to before. Forgotten by the outside world, the villagers live their mundane life, even if it's simple and monotone. Food on the table and a house to sleep in. That is enough for them to live happily in peace. But when an outsider steps inside their little world a tension is created, a tension that won't disappear before the outsider leaves. You see, they are afraid of the outsider the unknown. The unknown is scary it can be anything and it can be something that destroys their mundane life.

Our at least that's what I think they think. It could just be that they are wary of strangers. Maybe that's the reason for them to glance at outsiders. But is it just me, are the villagers starring a little too much at me. I feel a little uncomfortable as I look down at the road with my hood down to hide my face.

My shoes that were light brown when I left master, had somewhere on my journey been dyed red by the red soil. Once when I was younger I asked

master why our house wasn't red with white corners like the houses in the village nearby. Master said that the red colour in the paint comes from red soil. The reason master didn't want to paint our house red was because the red colour in the sand comes from a bloodshed, thousands of years ago, that dyed the sand red on this side of the mountain. Master didn't want to live in a house painted in blood, especially in blood by resentful spirits. Master said it would attract bad thing and cloud the mind. I should wash my shoes when I leave the village.

Lost in thought I wander around the village searching for supply to cross the mountain. But good supplies doesn't solve the biggest problem, to cross the mountains is on of the most dangerous things you could do. There is a reason why the people on this side doesn't move to the other side of the mountain, what is the idea of going to a better place if you lose your life on the way.

It seems I'll be drawing attention wherever I go in this village, the villagers doesn't seem to get enough of staring at me. Well it's not as if I'm surprised, as master said "Every village on this side of the mountains are a little weird." Well not that I can judge what is weird, maybe I'm the weird one. Living alone with master in a forest for most of my life, can be counted as weird, when everyone else lives in towns and cities.

Maybe I'll become more normal if I spend time with normal people. Well I haven't been succeeding so far. I look at the empty circle that has formed around me, as the villager try to avoid contact with me.

Trying to avoid the starring eyes and the tense air in the village I walk with big strides towards an ally. When I'm about to enter the alley I see a fruit stall selling big red apples. My stomach protest as I try to pass the stall. I convince myself to spend masters money to buy some apples, by saying to myself that I need the energy. "Two apples please" I whisper as I give the macho looking stall owner two coins. "Oh, and is it safe to spend the night outside here?" I look at the people around me."It doesn't look like anybody here would welcome me to stay over the night in their house. "A little girl like you, pore you, it's fine, go ahead, just be careful okay, here is your apples." The talkative macho gives me two of the reddest and biggest apples in the stall. I don't think I look so pitiful to be worried about like that, I think as I walk towards the ally. Still feeling the gazes of the villagers I rush my last steps.

Entering the ally I see some boxes stacked randomly and a dead end. Well it's not perfect, but i have three walls around me. Behind the boxes is space just enough for a person to sit down. I make myself as small as possible and squeeze myself between the wall and the boxes.

Even when I don't feel any gazes on me, I feel as If someone is standing on my chest. "Why are you so bad with people looking at you Iruna", I sigh to myself, looking at the two red apples.

"Hello there mrs. and mr. Scarlet you look as red and delicious as always." I say to the apples as I take a bit of mrs. Scarlet.

"Delicious!"

"Haa…" What am I doing, maybe I shouldn't have left master, I'm becoming more wired with no one to talk to. "What should I do", my eyelids feels heavy, "I need to cross the mountains as fast as possible, but I`m too…""

—

"W.at do you … find it…"

"I put it on the… right there…"

"W... do you… it on a place like that…"

Drowsy I open my eyes slightly, when I hear two men whispering in angry voices only to see a faint blue light. The light so faint that if it wouldn't have been in the middle of the night, I wouldn't be able to see it. I stretch out my hand reaching for the light. I grab the light, you can grabb light? I feel a smooth and cool surface like glass against my palm. As I try to move to see what it is I hit one of the boxes with my elbow. A dull sound echoes in the ally. Damn it, that hurt.

"Who's there!"

"Show yourself"

I hear the two men shouting, I try to keep my calm but, damn it I think I hit a nerve. My whole arm feels numb. The numbness spreading through my whole body. Is it even possible to hit an elbow so hard. What should I do, I can't move, I need to hide but the only thing I can do is be as quiet as possible. My heart racing, I try to breath as quiet as possible, why does it feels so hard to breath. I see gray dots flying around, it feels like someone is hitting my head with an hammer, I hear footsteps closing in, where did this head ache come from. Is this the out come of bad timing and bad luck, I laugh to myself.

I see two shadows approaching, looming over me. This brings back bad memories, memories from before I met master memories from a time when I was helpless. A time where I could only watch as my world crumbled to dust around me. But this is different, then I was to scared now this, this is despair, when you want to, must to do something but can´t. I´m loosing the power in my body. I hear one of the "shadows" speak.

"Jake the sound came from where the boxes are" a man said with a voice resembling a squeak from a terrified mouse.

"Of course Bill, that's so hard to figure out yourself." Jack answers with an arrogant voice.

I´m loosing focus from the world around me, as the splitting headache spreads through my body. My body feels limp, I try to stand up but I cant move a muscle. This is not going well, trying to find a way out. I look at the now visible Jack and Bill, one round and short and the other tall and thin as a stick.

"Nice to meet you Jack and Bill" I said with a strained smile.

"Jack, why does she know our names!?" Bill said, surprised.

"Idiot we just said them" Jack said, walking towards me.

I see Jack's arm stretching towards me. Even when my body cant move, I look calmly at the slowly approaching hand, when the hand is right in front of my face I try to bite it, but fail miserably. First I can´t even open my mouth properly, second the strength I used in my jaw couldn't´t even hurt a fly. The only thing i succeeded with was getting my saliva on Jacks already slimy hand and a sweat taste in my taste buds.

"Dammit now my hand is dirty!" Jack said with a disgusted voice.

"I think it was dirty enough from the beginning, considering how bad the taste is" I said with a strained voice.

"You!"

I hear Jack shout in anger and then I see something coming flying at me before everything becames dark.

---

"Jack what are you doing hitting her?!" Bill said.

"First she salivated on me and the she said my hand is dirty of course I hit her!" Jack shouts, kicking a box.

"Well I was just wondering how she entered the alley. George is outside guarding the alley so nobody without the right password can't enter." Bill looks at the girl laying on the ground.

"But how did she enter the alley George was standing guard! Bill we should capture any suspicious person near the base!" Jack said as he tries to lift the girl.

"But Jack, I just said tha..." Bill tried to say.

"Shut up Bill come an help me this girl weights a ton! I think she is even heavier than you" Bill looks whit dark eyes at Jack.

"Oh come, don't take it so hard. It was just a joke ,you're just are little chubby." Jack said cheerfully. Bill continues to look at Jack

"Sign! Alright, my bad, I'm sorry Bill. But she is really heavy, so come and help."

"I don't know if I want to help" Bill said with his squeaky voice

"Oh come on, I already apologized, didn't I?!" Bill could clearly hear the irritation in Jacks voice.

The two men with both contrasting personalities and character tries to lift the little girl from the ground, but she really was to heavy for them.

"Jack maybe she is one of those mutants disguised as a human" Bill says.

"You know that the monsters don´t come down the mountains, idiot"

"Don´t you call me an idiot again!" Bill continues, more calmly,"No humane would be this heavy much less a cute little girl"

"Maybe she has some weights on her." Jack guesses.

"Good point, lets see" Bill inspects the little girl. "Jack you were right, look this girl has weights warped all over her body" Bill discovers after taking of the girls cape.

"See, I´m the brains in this duo" Jack says proudly.

"Just, shut up" Bill throws an angry glance at Jack, as he throws the weights in the ground. A loud sound resonates in the ally.

"Wow wow, calm down okay." Jack takes a few steps back. "So what are we going to do we cant find the rune-stone and we find some random girl instead."

"Well I have an idea, we just take the girl to the boss instead." Bill said

"And then we can avoid being put into the room" Jack said.

"Exactly" Bill said with a smile.

As the the two suspicious men continue carrying the little girl in silence, the morning mist begins to roll in. In the distance you can hear some early birds chirping. And before you notice the two men named Jack and Bill carrying a little girl had disappeared in the alley with the night.