OutCasts

City of Caelfall

The dark, damp City of Caelfall wasn't always dangerous. It's now poor streets, dingy, amber lamps and wary, tired buildings were once a very beautiful and well-respected place amongst the country. Filled with children's laughter,  melodious music with performing street arts, aromas of freshly baked bread produced from bakeries and shop windows filled with the most intricately designed, delicate jewelry. People would greet each other on the streets merily, none of the now wary gazes and taut features. City guards that were once friendly, now shone blinding fear into everyone's souls. Money, once not a problem, now sacred and scarce leaving begging and thieving to be normal. The building that once stood magnanimous with hot water, and dry, clean rooms now consisted of being rat infested, damp ceilings and the cold crumbling pieces of walls, barely holding itself up. Blood splashed against walls, bullets holes becoming its new design.  The stench of urine mixed with death and heaven knows what other disgusting mix. Shops abandoned due to unstable structures, filled with gangly people, trying to live another day, another hour, holding onto useless hope. Hope, that a new age will come. Foolish hope of course. How can something so full of light, downed into darkness, become alight again? Instead of becoming a harmless flame, a roaring land of chaos and huge fires could burn down this city. But perhaps that would be best. Best for the people to let go... 

One would ask, how such a prestigious place could become so tainted and torn. Another may question how the once kind hearted, respected people, could become so downgraded as to having to beg, steal, or hurt. How can something once beautiful become so destroyed? There is a saying amongst the young and old. 'Nothing lives on forever. The loyal can become the betrayer. The giver, become the taker. The healer, become a killer. The liberator, become the oppressor and a builder can become a breaker.'

Sitting on the rooftop of a once delicious bakery, Alina stared down at the place she once called home, acknowledging the broken buildings with disgust, watching the brawl begin to brew just metres below. What a truly amazing place, she thought with a dull look in her eyes. How ever did anyone manage to breathe here, truly amazed her though. The stench was beginning to make her gag even with a mask covering half her face. Sitting against the rooftop, Alina let out a bored sigh. Why did these things always take the longest? As she watched the brawl begin to take fold more violently, she felt her mind begin to wonder. Suddenly the street looked brighter, the smell of bread wafting through the air. She could see a little girl, with black straight hair, jumping giddily towards the direction of the bakery. The taste of the cake already on her tongue. It always came to Alina in third person, always watching herself as if through another person's gaze. The little girl, no more than 8 years old, ran ahead to her favourite place. A tall muscular man, with clear blue eyes and swept back, brown hair, looked up from the counter as the girl burst in, running towards him. Jumping over the counter he picked her up all giggling and swung her around. Blinking Alina found herself hit with the iron tang of blood. Quickly surveying the scene below her, she jumped, skidding down the wal, landed perfectly. Years of practice had made her agile and swift, like a ballerina. A deadly ballerina mind you. The scene in front of her made her pulse race. Finally, she thought with a grin, the good part. Slipping her gloved hand in her pocket, she produced a small yet sharp blade. Several guards were at the scene, breaking up the fight. Blood mattered the dark stone. Alina sought out the guard that she had been given the description of. Indeed he was at the scene, his light brown hair soaked with sweat, dark brown eyes, bored. Stepping forward she knocked into him, causing him to let go of the agitated man. He grunted as the blade slipped past the armor and into the side of his stomach. Adding just enough force, Alina brought the blade down and chuckled as he let out a blood curdling scream. Funny, you seem to enjoy inflicting screams onto innocent people, she thought ironically.  Quickly drawing the blade back, she slipped past the crowd she had rigged with ease, pulling her dark hood over her head. Shaking off the blood that encased her blade, she disappeared, without trace.