The Eyes Of 'Rah

The City of Six Souls

The city of six souls got its name from the first six brothers who inhabited the settlement. Among the stories about the brothers were how they ran from their home and came across a forest which was now the present city. It was heard that they worked tirelessly both day and night to clear the forest and make it habitable. Building huts and houses which later became a city.

The brothers lived there for a long time, protecting and maintaining the city. It was believed that the six brothers had so much attachment to the place that after they died, their souls still roam the city at night, protecting it from evil. Few people had had a claim of seeing the souls in the middle of the night carrying a long sword and large shield while some claimed to hearing them in the city, chanting songs to ward off evil.

One of the popular rumours about the city was that once any of the souls does not allow one to settle there, one will be hunted till they leave.

Seraphine observed the ambience of the strange city, unlike their town where there were hustling and bustling of people especially in the market, there she stood in the middle of what look like a market but didn't look like it at the same time.

It has the display of different wares and farm produce similar to how they display goods in her town, however, there were no one in the shops looking over their goods.

Seraphine was in awe at how quiet and few the people were, in an attempt at asking for the location she was going, she was surprised when she got to a shop and didn't see anyone, waiting for a while, she saw a woman took some goods in the shop and placed the money in a container.

"Excuse me" she approached the old woman, "I'm looking for Meredith of the house of Mere"

She thanked the woman after describing how to get to the place. Curious to know why people were not manning their goods, she hesitated before asking, "pardon my forwardness but where are the owners of these shops?"

"It shows you're a visitor" smiling, "we don't need to stay by our goods, the souls of the brothers will protect them. No one can steal them"

Forming an O with her mouth, she nodded as she continued her walk to the location.

Seraphine knocked on the thatched cottage, which lookeda worse for wear. The wooden door had bean beaten by rain and sunlight, it's rough and dull surface could bear witness to how old it had become.

The creaking sound the hinges made after the second knock could wake people up in the middle of the night. She was about to rap on the door the third time when a young girl appeared.

"Hello, I'm looking for Meredith of the house of Mere"

"Seraphine?" The girl asked

Nodding her head, she hesitated when the girl opened the door wider, "come in, grandmother has been waiting for you"

Peering in to see the inside, the innocent smile of the young girl encouraged her to go in.

Hearing the wheezing sound of a cough made her turn to the part where the rays of the sun was unable to reach. She saw a frail old woman lying on a straw bed.

"Seraphine, you've turned out to be a beautiful young lady" wheezing, the old woman beckoned at her.

Moving close to the woman who seemed to have an insufficient time left to spend on earth, Seraphine declined the cup of water offered, thanking  the girl as she showed her her satchel of water.

"Do you know me before?"

The girl helped the old woman up, making her more comfortable while sitting up, "I used to hear so much about you from your father" smiling as her gaze was fixed on the roof, like she was recalling a memory of the past.

Meredith sighed, "your father wouldn't stop talking about how beautiful you are, saying he would have to get some dogs to chase away persistent suitors when you grow older"

Seraphine's shoulder slumped a little, her poor father was no more to see how she had become.

"I'm sorry I took so much time to look for you" she held Seraphine's hand, "I didn't know how and where to find you until someone came from the town to tell us about a girl with an unusual eyes. I had to send my granddaughter to find out your name."

After another series of cough, she continued, "we were not sure if you saw the first one we wrote, pardon her handwriting " pointing at the girl who was sitted at the corner, busy with something else, "we had to engage the service of the local writer to help us with the second one"

Understanding why there were different handwritings in the two papers, "you said you know what happened to my father" She had been anticipating the moment for too long, she needed to know exactly what happened.

With pure remise on the woman's face, she sighed, "I don't know if you were aware but Patrick heard about the factory work from some men, those men came with him and had always been together. I used to work along with other women to cook for the workers and clean up the place"

Listening attentively as she continued, "I was cleaning one day when I overheard some men arguing. I peeped and saw your father with those men arguing on joing some people to steal some of the products. Your innocent father disagreed and walked out on them. Since they were standing on my path, I had to wait for them to leave. While waiting I heard one of the men suggested that they should implicate your father before he rat them out"

Grabbing Seraphine's hands once again, tightly this time around, "I'm so sorry I didn't speak up when I was supposed to. The image of your father being stoned to death for a crime he didn't know anything about still hunt me till today. I had to keep my mouth shut, I was afraid of what more they could be capable of to save themselves."

"Do you know the name of those men" Seraphine's voice had become croaked, overwhelmed with sadness all over again, she solemnly spoke.

"I have never paid any of those men an attention, I only know that one of them had a mark under his eyes."

"Can you describe the mark?"

"It's like a mark of a moon shape"

Long after she left the old woman, she was deeply in thought as she ponder over the description she gave to identify one of the men. She didn't think she had come across a man with the shape of a moon before. Besides, if the person was still alive, he would be quite old.

She was too engrossed in her thought that she didn't see the body blocking her path until she rammed her forehead into a hard chest.

"There you are"