Soulless

Oblivion

Year 749; Day 102

Attiva: The 1st Village of the Black Circle

 Dusk. On this cloudless day, the sky radiates a brilliant orange as the sun hides itself from the world. Were this any average day, I would venture to the far side of town, where civilization ends and the valley begins. The sunset is most beautiful when viewed from atop the hill, before the ground slopes into the vale. It is rarely as perfect as the view on the ocean, but I have never traveled that far, and I have never seen the sparkling waters with my own eyes.

 Today I will not linger to watch the sun’s descent. Instead, I remain in the marketplace of a small but bustling village, of which I fail to recall the name. The buildings are small and packed close together. Some have cracked windows; others have ivy clinging to the walls. Some are so ramshackle that I almost pity their inhabitants.

The square is filled to the brim with humans, every one of them occupied with something. The sides of the street are lined with merchants, attempting to sell the last of their wares before nightfall. Young children splash in the fountain, the square’s centerpiece.  Pristine water flows smoothly through cracked stone turned gray with age. Women stand in various areas, gossiping with each other as if they were the wealthy women of larger cities that had no work to trouble themselves with. I notice a few suspicious figures in the corners; a few glare at me as I slip through the crowd. No doubt they are like me and know my purpose for being here. I shiver as I think of what they may be here for.

 This village means nothing to me. I would originally have no reason to spend time here. I come only for the valley for which the sun displays its true magnificence. But today, I am here for the great fortress in the distance, a bastion that is thick with the aura of despair and pain. I have never once been curious as to what was inside, to wonder if anyone was insane enough to actually make a home there, or if the mysterious legend behind it is indeed true. If someone had approached me back then and told me I would one day venture inside, I would think them to be crazy. Now, my reasons are perfectly justified, reasons for which my past self would surely accept.

 I push through the crowd, not once opening my mouth to mutter an “excuse me”. I have “borrowed” a cloak from a merchant stand; they were distracted enough to not notice my hand grasp the brown fabric and pull it towards me. I keep the hood up so no one will see and remember my face. Of course, there is also the slim chance that someone here would recognize me. I receive annoyed glares and frightened gazes as people notice my form. No one in this village hides their face. Everyone is so open and welcoming to each other, that my presence must disturb them. I smirk as I think of how ridiculous I must appear to them.

Once I emerge from the square, the road winds through the village, to the back, where an enormous, ornate gate stands, to prevent anyone from entering the fortress. As soon as I turn down the cobbled road leading towards this gate, heads turn and people turn towards each other, watching me as they whisper amongst themselves. I must appear foolish to these people, for anyone with common sense would know to stay away from this area. Nonetheless, I press on, determined to reach the gate. As I arrived, I am hardly disheartened when I notice the large locking mechanism that keeps the gate closed tight.

 As a girl, I knew all too well how to pick a lock. The one on this gate is way more complex than the ones in the village, so it will be tough. The lock is bound to the gate via rusted chains, and the mechanism inside the lock is extremely complicated. A key is needed to open it, but according to the ancient text I discovered hiding in the back of the history bookshelf at a merchant’s store, the key is forever lost. The metal has been fortunately weakened, for it is thousands of years old, and a lot of rust has covered it. It was made of weak metal, and I forcefully press one foot against the side of a bar, and push it inward. The bar bends under pressure, and a large gap is created that is wide enough for me to slip through. Any human could do such a thing, right?