Province of the Blind

PROVINCE OF THE BLIND

Von just finished packing their belongings for their travel later that day. It's their last day on that place. Few hours from now, they'll take the road again for their new adventure.

Von slumped down on the bed. "Haaa… I'll miss this soft mattress." She sighs.

"We'll be traveling on the road for days again, Eli" Von's eyes glint in excitement when she informed her partner while she stares at the roof. Eli whinnied as a sign that he agreed.

Von stood up and fixed her clothes that got wrinkled. She looked at her horse and gently pats its head. "Ready for another adventure, Eli?"

They went outside from the place they were staying at, then bid their good bye to the owner. Von hopped to sit on the back of her horse.

Eli gallops while Von holds the reins to control where the horse should be heading.

"What do you think of that province, Von?" Eli started the conversation while they were on the road.

"It's...hmm" Von thought for a second while Eli patiently waits for her answer. "I don't know" Von shrugged.

Von noticed that Eli suddenly kept quiet as if it was thinking hard on something. "What is it?" Von asked.

"Well.., I was just thinking, maybe that province left you with a bad memory. After all, you just killed someone there" Eli said worriedly.

Von smiled to give proof to her partner that he has nothing to worry about. She even tried to comfort Eli by gently rubbing its fur.

"I'll kill if I have to kill. It's part of the path that I'm taking, Eli. Don't worry about me. As the matter of fact, I'm more worried for the people in that province" Von said as she reminisces the 3 days they've spent in that province.

•••

Three days ago...

"Von, we're almost at the next province" Eli reported to Von. Von smiled when she sighted the houses that are not too far from them anymore.

"Yes, Eli. I could see it. I wonder what kind of province it is?" Von asked in excitement.

Eli canters when Von asked him to. When they are almost at the entrance of the province, Eli return to trotting as they slow down their pace.

"We're here" Eli announced as he stopped. Von looked at the guard that was waiting for them. The guard seemed to notice their arrival when they saw Eli from afar.

"Welcome to our province. Are you here to stay or only for sightseeing?" The guard asked.

Von hopped down from Eli's back before she gently taps its head. After patting Eli's head, she faced the guard.

"We were planning to stay here for 3 days. I wonder if there is a place for us stay at?" Von curiously asked.

The guard nods, "There should be"

The smile of Von went wider when she heard this. "That's great! Come on, Eli! Let's look around the province!" Von said as she invites her horse.

Eli softly laughed at Von's excitement. They were about to enter when the guard stopped them with his words.

"Hey! Just a tip, don't mind anyone else business or you might see yourself getting killed" the guard warned them.

Von turned her head to look at the guard, "Yes. I've heard the rumors about this province. Thank you for the tip" Von said as she holds the hilt of her sword that was hanging on her waist.

Von and Eli continued to walk inside the province. While they were walking, Von can't help herself but to frown. Eli noticed this and asked Von about it.

"What's the problem, Von?"

Von stared at Eli with her poker face. "Can you please transform into human? People are staring at us, look!"

"Nah. I like this form better" Eli said as he refers of him being in the form of a horse.

"Tsk" Von rolled her eyes as she walked faster.

After a while, they finally found a place to stay at for 3 days. They even got the chance to talk with the owner and chatted with him for almost a hour. They talked about a lot of things and it seems like they never lose a topic to talk about.

That is how their first day on the province was spent.

Von happily laid down on the bed. She even roll on the bed like a child would, as if she never got the chance to lay on a bed for how many months. When the truth is, only 9 days had past when the last time they got the chance to lay on a bed.

"The rumors about this province... I wonder if it's true" Eli wondered while he transformed into his human form.

Von lazily stared at Eli, "Really? Now you'll transform into human form?" Eli just laughed at Von's remark.

"Well, about the rumors...We'll soon know after we spend our days in here" she said as she thinks deeply.

Eli went closer at where Von is and then he brushed her long hair with his hands. This is the reason how Von suddenly become sleepy. "Rest and sleep, Von" Eli said softly. Von then went ahead and sleep like what Eli said.

The next day, Eli and Von looked around the province.

Popo, a guy who resides at the province for how many years already, become the tour guide of Eli and Von.When they got tired, they rested and eat at the near tea shop on the area.

"Sorry if I'll ask this, Popo. But, why is the place like this?" Eli bravely asked when he saw how the police officers kicked the poor children outside.

Popo got startled from the question and it's body shook in fear

Popo tried to smile but it was too obvious that he was nervous, "W-what do you mean?"

Eli squinted his eyes to analyze Popo further, but Von suddenly holds Eli's shoulder to stop him.

"One golden rule of this province is : Turn a blind eye or we'll make you blind. This is the rumors that was flying around outside. It looks like its not only a rumor but its a fact. You're scared of the consequence if ever you'll help someone in need. As long as it doesn't affect you, you all think it would fine" Von said in serious voice which Popo to be surprise when she knows about this rule.

Von stood up as she hold the top of the of her sword. She coldly looked at Popo which makes him to shiver more in fear. "How selfish" She coldly said.

She stared at Popo for how many seconds before she sighed. "Well, it's not your fault"

She looked up as she thinks deeply and whispered, "I wonder who should we blame this for"

Von decided to go where the police officers at, wherein the police officers were already spitting on the children as if mocking them. Popo and Eli tried to stop Von but both of them failed to do so.

"The children look so pitiful" Von coldly commented.

The police officers hear this so they turned to face Von. One of them smirked as he said, "Why do you care? Do you want to replace them instead?"

Von smirked back at them before looking back at the children that was on the ground. "Stand up, kids" She commanded.

The children weren't able to follow Von since they were still too weak to stand up. Von heard how the police officers laughed.

"Are you a hero, boy? Hah! We are just teaching the kids a lesson on how to respect their elders" One police officer said. Von glared at him.

The police officer was not happy at how Von reacted. They immediately cocked their gun before pointing it at Von.

"You've asked for this" the leader of the group said in a serious voice.

Von looked around and she noticed how people really doesn't seem to care about what's going on. All of them are focusing on their own business as if nothing extraordinary was happening.

"If you're going to ask for help, it's no use. No one's gonna help you here" one of the men said.

Von sighed as she unsheathed her sword. In just a split of second, the guns pointed at her were all sliced in half.

The officers were surprised at what happened and the people on the area finally looked at them. "I don't need a help, officer" she coldly said as she look them in their eyes.

Von pointed her sword at the leader's neck. "You do" she said before she mercilessly killed him.

The people were shocked but they didn't even bother to know what's really going on. Yes, they were scared, but they thought that its better to just keep their mouth shut.

Von scoffed, "No one really does care if someone dies"

She blankly stared at the other officers that was surrounding her. "Turn a blind eye or I'll make you blind, huh?" Von repeated the province's golden rule.

She shook her head as if she disapproves of this, "But everyone is already blind of their own selfishness"

Von re-sheath her sword. She walk closer to where the children at and the police officers didn't tried to stop her anymore. Maybe they were already too scared after what happened.

Von knelt down to whisper at the children, "You're weak that's why you're getting stepped on. Next time, learn how to stand up"

She saw how a young child clenched its fist after she whispered those words. She smiled in satisfaction before helping the children to stand back up.

Von guided the children to get away from that place and the officers just glared at their back without doing anything else.

When Von returned where she left Eli and Popo, she was welcomed by their worried eyes.

"Hey, you okay?" Eli asked worriedly. Von just smiled at him.

•••

Present...

"So? Where are we going now?" Eli asked to Von.

Von smiled as she look up in the sky, "Wherever our feet drags us".

Eli laughed at Von's remark as he agreed with her.