Void of Dreams

Chapter One

It was dawn. A few tendrils of sunlight lazily made their way towards Miyo, and she cursed them for it. The patrols of the wastelands would be coming soon, and they would have their questions.

Questions that she didn't want to answer.

Miyo raced away through the thinning shadows, her sturdy boots the only things keeping her tethered to the ground. On her way out, she picked out the last few trinkets she could see, foreign objects from a  time forgotten that she would sell in the coming day. The public were almost sheep: they always followed when pointed due to their sense of either curiosity, duty, or fear- and Miyo's findings always intrigued. Never mind that they couldn't even see the colours of the objects they desired so.

Miyo let out a sigh of relief when she finally  arrived in the town square. Maybe now she could make it in time and get to the market before the first regular customers came to demand things of her. She slowed into a brisk walk,  conscious of how dishevelled and tired she must seem to the other villagers, never mind her running around like a madwoman.  And anyway, seeming mad led to gossip, and gossip led to attention. And attention was not a good thing.

When she finally arrived at her stall, she was corned by a indignant regular visitor. Miyo never quite remembered her name (and didn't really care one bit) but the particular customer just breezed past thatparticular fact. The regular immediately started chiding Miyo for her dishevelled state, tardiness,  and "the behaviour of the young these days" all in the same breath. It was a particular talent of the regular, so Miyo just quietly put down any signd of her annoyance m and responded with a monotone,"Yes ma'am."

"It's Miss Blackthorn to you, missy! As I was saying,  would you believe the young these days? Why, just this morning one of you tried to tell me that there was an expensive operation that would help me see colours! The cheek of it! He soon knew where to go..." The old lady rambled on without even taking a pause, so great was her exasperation. Miyo nearly rolled her eyes at the tale. What an idiot.

Everyone knew that there was no such "operation to see colours" whatever that man had been on. The entire populace was absolutely colour-blind for Gods sake, all except for the King and his heir. He and his heir were the only ones who were supposed to see in colour. Supposed to, anyway.

But Miyo could see them as well. And if anybody found out, she would be dead.

"What are those strange markings on you?" Miyo nearly jumped out of her reverie, barely hearing the lady's question.

"Tattoos. " The lie rolled swiftly off of her tongue. To be honest,  she didn't even know herself, but she certainly couldn't pass them of as birthmarks. They were almost blue, swirling  beneath her scalp and head and tucking just out of sight under her black hair.

The woman went on with her tirade, bought something and left. Few other customers arrived after: it was a slower day for Miyo than most, but at least today she could get some sleep- although her nightmares had been getting worse lately. They reminded her of things she didn't want to. Of things she wanted to forget.

 Eventually, twilight emerged, and the market was silent except from the sounds of  Miyo locking up and the comforting clink of of the trinkets in her bag. She would not have to roam the wastelands that the King had saved the Kingdom from becoming, and he would never let them forget it.

Miyo walked back towards the village square musing upon all of these things. Maybe she could save up to upgrade her stall-

She  froze in her tracks. Miyo had almost forgotten the reason that she had avoided going through the town square in the past. Now, however, her memory had returned.And what an unpleasant one it was.

The Blood Diamond. It was a flawless engineering of ivory and steel, a fountain that towered over most of the cottages nearby, the pride of the entire Kingdom. But its evil was plain to any who did not close their eyes, to any who refused to acknowledge the truth: for the Blood Diamond's waters ran red with the blood of the rebels- or at least the ones unfortunate enough to be caught.

Maybe at another time, Miyo would be sickened. Maybe. But those would be the actions of a kinder version of herself. One that had not learnt yet who not to trust. One who had trusted all.

So for now, she spat on the fountain, disgusted with the message, the ignorance.

The rebels.

It was all the rebels fault. If it wasn't for them, her parents would still be alive. If it wasn't for them, this filthy trophy would not exist to defile the very existence of her mother and father.

If it wasn't for them, they would still be alive.

"Good lass. The rebels are scum! " A man yelled, and Miyo's smile was, for a change, real as she echoed him.

The rebels were scum, and one day, she would have her revenge on them.

And they would never see it coming.