Creation - The Path of a God

Chapter 10

Sally woke up from her short nap, looking around at the grungy and fragrant alley where she would often sleep. Taking off her blanket, which was just several vegetable sacks sewn together, Sally stretched out her arms and rubbed her arms to help warm them up. Though the day would get swelteringly hot, the nights tended to be the opposite with being frigid. The blanket was only used for psychological support considering how much shivering she did as she tried to sleep.

Rolling up her blanket, she headed over to the market to see if she could swipe a breakfast. If she got lucky, one of the shop owners will be a little sleepy from too much drinking and not react fast enough as she stole some food. Life in the Kingdom wasn't an easy life, especially in the southern parts where resources were limited. Being near the desert acquiring supplies meant that a premium had to be paid. This town served as a depot for nearby villages and towns, so many headed to this location to find a living but often failed to receive one.

Sally's mother was a prostitute who was knocked up by one of her clients and was forced to give birth to her. Even though life was difficult for Sally's mother, she did a great job at raising Sally. The two of them lived in the slums but were happy to have a roof over their heads and each other. Sally learned that even without money being happy was possible, as long as there were people who cared about you.

As a prostitute, her mother often came home with bruises on her body. Sally would make her mother some dinner and feed her, then afterward apply a salve on her wounds. Even though Sally would beg her mother to stop the work she was doing, Sally's mother would just smile and tell her that everything would be alright. Compared to the rest of her face covered in bruises, Sally's mother had a beautiful smile that lit up the entire room. They would hold each other as they went to sleep, while her mother sang a lullaby to help Sally go to sleep.

Everything seemed to be going great, even with their difficult life until one night her mother never returned home. Thinking her mother was with a client, Sally had gone to sleep, but the next day her mother still hadn't returned home. While Sally went through the day doing her usual routine, a fellow resident of the slums came to her house and informed her that her mother was found dead in one of the alleyways. One of the prostitutes that worked around where her mother set up shop had seen a passing noble pick her up. After the body had been discovered, many thought that it was likely that this noble had become angered and had Sally's mother killed. This was a common occurrence where prostitutes were murdered by the people that used their services.

Sally remembered crying in her home, knowing that she had lost the only person that cared about her. When the end of the week came, the person they were renting the home from had kicked her out. With Sally's mother being dead, she had no ability to afford to stay there and was removed from the premises. She quickly learned that the streets were unforgiving and had to adapt quickly. Initially, as a young girl, Sally was able to use her age to catch people off guard and steal their possessions. Neighbors would often tell Sally's mother how adorable Sally looked, so she knew that manipulating people would be an easy task. Targeting visiting merchants and travelers was her bread and butter, especially since they didn't know that Sally was a thief.

As she got older and became a young woman, it became harder to catch people off guard. Most of the people knew who Sally was and would be wary of her. Though her innocent features were lost, there were other tools that she discovered. With her body developing into a woman, Sally learned that she could get guys to help her out if she gave them a little attention. Flirting became her strongest weapon, allowing her to survive in such a harsh environment. Not wanting to end up like her mother, Sally stayed away from being a prostitute.

Entering the market, Sally kept to the shadows and observed the various stalls. With the sun still low and the many obstructions, there were plenty of places to hide.