1 On the Streets

Vinhell, a bustling city standing high in the valley where the gods conceived the creation of man. A writhing, thrashing, merciless kingdom that didn't sleep. The rich suffered just as the poor did but in different ways. The streets snaking their way between the glorious architecture and broken shacks never laid empty. Noise constant and maddening as vendors screamed their products, the homeless cursed the gods, the prisons rioting relentlessly and the wealthy partying away till they were blind to the suffering below. No, this place is not a pleasant metropolis where birds fly to your window sill and sing beautiful songs of nature nor do flowers bloom along the streets in spring and people converse civilly amongst each other. Here only smog and smoke greet you at your window, mother nature had been killed off in and around the walls and men are hateful towards their brothers. Though, one little girl with eyes a bright blue and shining with curiosity roams these decrepit streets. Her short blond hair gleaming even through the blackened air and her pale skin like a beacon in the night. Her name is Allara, a young orphan lost in this pit of a city destined to wander the snaking roads to survive. Her tummy always growling for any scrap of food she can find.

On this dark morning in late summer Allara slowly stirs awake curled up into a tight ball behind a few barrels behind the livery. Her small frame shivers and trembles trying to fight off the bitter cold of the night. In the distance, she heard the same couple shouting at each other again they seemed to make a game of it because it was constant. On the other side of the barrels, she heard the backdoor to the livery creak open as the butcher threw out the useless parts of animals into the street or at least the parts that others were too proud to eat. Allara hopped up from her resting place and clambered over the barrels to see what her breakfast would be; hide, entrails, and heads scattered across the alleyway. She dropped to her knees in front of the slew of guts and picked through until she found a liver. She wished the church hadn't exiled Mrs. Vera who would set out a slice of glazed bread with strawberries on her windowsill for Allara to take but she was too hungry to wait for something better. She bit into the liver hardly chewing before gulping it down the juices filling her mouth with each vicious bite tearing the flesh away. Once she was finished she scrounged for another piece of entrails to fill the rest of her stomach only wiping her mouth once she was done. Her stomach gave a satisfied gurgle in response as she finally got breakfast again. She slowly stood up from the pile of guts and fluids she stood still for a moment to scan around for anyone who might have watched the display of animal need before wandering off to finds something to do. Maybe she could play with the O'Reilly twins if they had finished their chores and if their father was already off to work. Mr. O'Reilly had forbidden the boys from interacting with Allara, always claiming she was street trash or septic water but the little girl and twins would always play their games while Mr. O'Reilly was out. Usually, they would go down to the flooded district and spend the day crafting shabby rafts from the splintered boards of the ruined houses and lazily float down through the streets. Occasionally stopping to explore a building they hadn't ventured into yet. Allara weaved through the legs of the shifting crowd ducking under horses and climbing over carts to continue on her path as she neared the small home at the end of the street. Her eagerness rising as she began to jog to the home hoping the twins would be able to join her in an adventure but as she grew near something caught her eye and made her heart drop. She slowly climbed the stairs to the home and upon the old wooden door was a large bright red X painted across it. The church was here and now the O'Reilly's were gone, vanished. Either they were exiled like so many, executed at the heart of the city, or being put on display for whatever they had done. Allara hung her head just peeking up at the large familiar X once more as her eyes grew wet. She moved her little hands over her face as her little frame trembled and shook fighting to hold back the tears building quickly. After a few moments, she drew in a shaky inhale and slowly turned to leave the memory of her friends behind.