- Snakes in the Garden of Colorlessness

Sleep doesn't come to the wicked, their grief often spikes them like needles embedded with poison, tipped to kill any it pieces the flesh of. But grief often harms the innocent and he just, more than it harms the wicked. A double-edged sword that has no leash. No control. No sense of safety.

It was in these dreams that came like a flooding gate of water, Lia found herself. Standing in the midst of a world of shadows and darkness, the light of life having vanished from the world and cloaked it in a sea of black. Like the night that dyed the sky with blinking star light.

She knew she had to be dreaming. She was smarter than that. She knew people smarter than that.

But even as her eyes passed over the many bright constellations that lit up the sky like a distant torch, the shaded trees cloaked in shadow, or the gray ground that stretched on for miles. The world was like an endless sea of gray, balanced on any color at all.

It was just dull, lifeless, and quiet. Even the wind didn't make any sounds as it crossed over the gray grass and the dark colored leaves of the many trees that dotted the distance. She could see forests stretching for miles beyond her sight, beyond the horizon as the plains stretched out for miles.

It seemed impossible for her to see that far, but she did.

She turned her eyes to the ground where her feet stood in the ankle high grass, the small patches of life crushed beneath her feet like lambs to the slaughter. It seemed pointless to move, the world was so dead and quiet, where would she go?

But she dared herself anyway.

With one step forward, she set off into the world of silence and wonder. As she turned her head, she noticed a large set of mountains not too far away, their white tops and black rock appeared still and quiet. Oddly placed amongst plains and forests.

She could have reached it if she walked in that direction, but she didn't. She continued, passing it by as the morning shifted into the background, her eyes located on the horizon.

The moon didn't move, so the sun would never rise, nor would it set again, sending the world around her into a sea of eternal darkness like the one that seemed to be endless to the bounds of time and space.

Like all life here would continue forever until there was nothing but the darkness, nothing but the mad men that wandered the woods, nothing but the insane that clung to the ground afraid that it would flip over and they would fall to the sky.

Nothing but the eyes of the world watching her as she walked through the plains, now turned marshes with small puddles of mud that dotted the ground around her. She could see her reflection in many of them, her eyes glowing in the night against the still waters that acted like a mirror to the darkness around ehr. To the dull gray of life that stretched endlessly before the horizon.

The sun wouldn't shine here. The moon offered little light and what it did was but to only highlight the dull serenity of the world and its expanse. Nothing would change. She knew that.

But she kept walking. She kept going, pushing her feet and toes though the grass and the wet ground until she was walking over roots and over rocks.

Forest. She knew this home. It was very different from the city, its tall buildings holding nothing against the majestic and looming figure of the trees that rose to the sky with an imposing sense of strength and power.

The trees were mighty and wise, and as Lia ran her hand over the smooth and rough bar, two sides of the same coin, she felt their wisdom and knowledge come to her, like they had seen the creation of the world itself.

But she kept walking, she kept dancing though trees and over roots, rocks and underbrush. It was like she was in Morden all over again, its wonderful landscapes, the sight of which Lia knew she would never see again. There was nothing like it anywhere else, and she knew that if she ever had the chance to return to that land then she would without hesitation. She could run through the fields of flowers, climb the tallest mountains and echo through the forests like a ghost or ghoul.

Like a soul fading in the wind.

But she kept walking, walking, walking until her feet found sand, dirt, and ocean. The smell of salt was in the air, and for a dream Lia knew this was all too real. But she didn't care, for the world had a strange effect on her, its dull appearance causing her heart to beat like a dull drum.

She felt nothing as she stared out beyond the horizon, beyond the gray waters that leveled out the ground, appearing like a wall that snaked across the land. It was a line that marked the end of this walk. A line that marked there was nothing further.

The waves beat against the sand, the sound echoing in her ears like a dull ring that calmed the atmosphere to a chill that hadn't been there before. There was no warmth here, nor cold. Just emptiness.

She turned her head back around to face the world that she had left, to get a picture of what lay on the other side of the world if she chose a different path. And then she saw the mountains, the forests, and the marshes he had walked through. They weren't even that far. They were barely more than a few minutes' walk away, but this very walk felt like hours.

It was a tick of the mind, and one Lia fell for like a drop of water down from its rain cloud.

Then, in the blink of an eye, she found herself in the same spot she had stood in before, unable to see the sea, or the other bits of this world she had walked though. She could see nothing but what she saw before. And her heart was dull to it all.

She felt no warmth in her body, nor heart beating with a purpose, and no breath in her lungs. There was no life here, and neither was there inside of her. She was like a floating soul in an endless expanse.

She wanted to close her eyes, to sleep and fade away like the rest of the dead and pretend this had never happened, to pretend that he was still at home in bed, resting under the covers in her room.

But she wouldn't have been welcomed here. They hated her. In Morden she was loved, but she was also feared. And no one knew anything about her at Denny's, so the sense of fear came with each passing second, growing quicker and faster like a poison in her chest.

Truly, she was a ghost passing by in the wind, as her eyes slowly came to close, and sleep reached out to take her.

But then, ever so slightly, she caught a glimpse of gold in the distance. Like the sun had just caught sight of some jewel pieces that rested on someone's hand.

But when he turned her head around to face the woods, she saw no jewelry or gold. Only a figure, a dark figure made of pure black abyss standing between two large trees. His eyes glowed Golden in the endless night.

Lia didn't care, she didn't pay any attention to him, or the other eyes that began showing like stars that appeared, dotting the landscape around her. They ranged from Purple to Pink, Red to Yellow, Orange to Green and everywhere in between. There were ten of them as far as Lia could see, but secretly she wondered if there were more.

But then again, she didn't care. She just slowly let her eyelids fall as she was whisked away into sleep. But before they did, through the cracks of her eyes she could see a small warm glow appear, dying the world in color in its seemingly colorlessness.

She looked won to feel the warm glow of a fire in her hand, a crimson flame that sprouted from her palm like a red flower. The ten eyes watched her, they watched as the fire grew, as the world began to light up, and as their darkness was chased away.

As the world began to fade and fade and fade, bit by bit the gray was lost, and the crimson flame won against the darkness once and for all.

Then she woke up.

***

The streets were crowded with people and carts, many voices shouting amidst the many more voices that shouted even louder. Even the average child would get lost here if they did not know their way around or did not cling to their mother's hand.

But then again, what could be expected from Main Square.

Amidst the city of tall buildings and allies, streets made of stone and iron, there were thousands of shops and squares that were always full of people going about their business and day. There were always places to buy bread and wine, large quantities of hay for the stables from the outer farms and even some freshly minted steel weapons that were shown off in valiant bouts between customers.

There were always places to get these things.

But they were nothing like Main Square.

Thousands of shops all crammed into one large space that stretched on for miles, starting from the North end of town to the south, never stopping until the day was done. If one were to try and hit every shop along the way, they would be here for months.

But with Main Square only open to the public like this on one day of the week, thousands crowded to get their palace on the roster, while though down more crowded the streets for things to buy. Whether you were noble or a slums boy, this place was for everyone to enjoy and anyone who had the money to spend.

And amidst the crowd of the morning day shoppers who tore through the street looking for the best deals and the best prices, looking for the best goods and the most useless, Lia walked with Chris shoulder to shoulder.

They had been sent here to gather the cheapest and high-quality goods they could find, often coming up with barrels of ale and good hearty crops that filled people's stomachs after only one plate full. It was these items that Denny had sent them for as he manned the Diner himself.

It was the one day a week they were closed, and no one blamed him because no one would have shown up if he hadn't. Everyone loved the Main Square and all its loot.

Except Lia.

"So, what's next on the list then?"

She balanced one large basket on one of her arms as she pulled a long shopping list full of items they needed to get from the market. She wanted this to be done with already, but Chris, despite the grouch he normally was, wasn't having it.

"Forget the list, just enjoy the market for a change."

"Absolutely not. There are too many hands and too many thieves lurking the streets."

Chris rolled his eyes; he knew this was just another lie - an excuse Lia made up to repel any question she threw at her. No matter how much he wondered and questioned, he could never find out why she hated the Main Square so much, yet still went every week to do Denny's bidding.

It didn't add up to him.

"Oh, come on. If you're really worried about some thief, give me the money and be done with the place then."

"Nope! That's what I'm afraid of. Your eyes are always wandering over to the blacksmiths shop so don't even think about holding my money."

"You never bring any!"

The two continued to argue amongst themselves until Chris spotted a really nice blade, one made of shining silver and a golden handle embroidered with jewels. The type a noble would wear for fashion on his hip, but to Chris it was a symbol that he was from the higher class.

That he wasn't the boy who grew up in the slums. It was a reality he always fought against accepting, and in the end, Lia couldn't blame him. She was like that too once.

'He will come to accept the past, just as you have.'

Cain's voice echoed through her mind as she eyed the shopping list one final time, marking all the vendors she would have to visit before lunch when the shops were closed for hours to restock and eat.

In truth she didn't need to worry about the money, since Cain was always watching her even in moments like these. And those eyes did come in use several times as he would often lead her to the better deal out of all the Vendors in the markets. It was why Denny entrusted her with this shopping trip, despite how much she hated it.

'...sometimes I wonder if your goal for sending me to Morden was just to forgive my past. Almost like you planned it.'

'If I did, that would make me-'

'A genius who knows every card to play.'

In truth, he knew what he was really going to say. But right now, she couldn't hear the word 'monster' come from him, especially when he was talking about himself. She had seen a small measure of his world, just a small fraction of his life, and it nearly broke her.

Even now she could hardly stop dreaming about it, and secretly she wondered if last night's dream was the cause of that. Her mind snapped again as it had been doing for a while now.

"Welcome, what can I do for you?"

The Vendor's voice brought Lia from her stupor and suddenly she realized she had been standing before the man for at least five minutes, staring at her shopping list. She knew the man, she had passed him any items and bought many of his radishes before. They were large for their size and delicious, so this was a 'must stop' spot.

"Uh, sorry. I'll take twelve radishes, please."

The man plucked twelve of his biggest radishes that sat before her on a large wooden crate that was practically overflowing. The man had packed well for this stall.

"Here you are, have a nice day."

The Vendor waved her off just as Lia was about to pull the money from her pocket, coughing her to frown in confusion. The coins were in her hand, it would cost ten gold for fifteen when it would normally cost twenty, but now they were free. That didn't make sense.

"Um…so how much do I owe you?"

"Hm?"

The Vendor looked at her in surprise and then suddenly broke out into a smile as he rubbed the back of his head. He was laughing now as if she had just told a funny joke, but all Lia could do was frown with the money still in her hands.

"It's no charge, rally. Enjoy the day-"

"How much?"

The Vendor blinked several times, his eyes wandering amongst the crowd behind her, as her face changed from one of confusion to one of annoyance and anger.

"No, really, it's no trouble. Your one of my best consumers so please -"

"How much?"

She wasn't careful with these words, and her stern tone reached the other vendors to the side as they stole glances at Lia from a distance. It wasn't their place to speak, but in secrecy they sympathized with the man.

"How much did he pay you?"

"...he didn't. He…He just told us you were coming."

Lia threw the coins at the man's feet and turned to leave, muttering under her breath so that only the Vendor could hear her as she spoke, like a threatening tiger that told its prey it was the beast's next meal.

"Tell the Duke I don't want his help."

The Vendor lunged out after her hand and grabbed on tight, not letting her leave or disappear into the bunch of people that moved in the crowd, unaware of anything that was happening around them.

"Let go."

"Listen, please. The Duke, all he wants is for you to consider his offer. If you do that you'll be set for life-"

Lia pushed the man back, knocking the air out of his lungs as he fell in his chair, causing the wooden legs to creak and move as if they were about to break. He didn't bother looking up from the floor, he knew he was beat. The girl had found him out and there was nothing he could do any longer to stop her.

"It's only been a day, so tell the Duke my answer is the same as before."

As Lia was setting off to leave, the man called after her once more, his voice barely a whisper amongst the large and loud crowd.

"The other stalls know! The man's told everyone about you!"

But Lia was already gone, her figure disappearing into the crowd as it moved along the narrow streets, unnoticed by all but the eyes of a few.

One man who stood from the rafters of a distant building. His white suit dancing in the wind.

A man named Mente.