Dec 23, year 230
"Miss Flori, miss Flori, can we go there?"
As usual, Ana was as vivid as ever, constantly hopping from one destination to another. This time, she had set her sights on a miniature wooden horse in the middle of a small square. Rose smiled and followed the little girl to the artwork. She started petting it and talking to it like a real animal, but of course it didn't answer. Both of them laughed.
In exchange for letting Ana guide her around the city, she obediently followed her impulses. It was not like Ana was asking anything important, and without her she would definitely get lost again. Rose felt kind of ashamed, having to rely on a little girl like that. But yesterday had proven that her sense of direction was even worse than she'd thought, and she had no other choice than to rely on someone else.
Yesterday, after she had departed from Lance's home, it took only a few streets to make her lose her way. Every single street was a copy of the other to her. Navigating through them was like walking blindfold. However, she did not have much choice, because she needed to scout the city for signs of the person of her memories. Ultimately, after many detours, she had landed at the docks. Rose had decided to search that place first, because it seemed to be the most important entrance and exit point in the city. If she were arriving or were about to leave, it was highly likely she would turn up there.
However, she never found any trace of her. It was to no surprise of course, because despite the size, the docks were still only a small part of the city. The chance Rose would find her by coincidence on the first day of her search, was probably smaller than the chance she would miraculously get all her memories back. Both were close to nihil. However, Rose would not give up that easily, on neither of them.
The problem posed itself when she was about to leave the docks. It had already been way past dusk, so most people had stopped working and had gone home. The only people who were still busy, were some of the sailors and shipmen. Some of them seemed to be preparing for the upcoming festival, decorating their ships and shipping boxes full of booze and food. She had tried asking directions a few times, but most of them were very unresponsive or rude, shooing her away. She noticed that the ones with a strange accent, similar to Sam's, tended to be more aggressive towards her. Also, the interaction those people had with others was minimal. Rose suspected they were merchants from somewhere else, and were just here to deliver and depart. They did not want anything to do with this city's people.
In the end she managed to find a local passerby who was on her way home, which by chance was located nearby Lance's house. The woman took her home, while asking her all kinds of questions and telling stories about her own life. Rose politely answered and listened, but nothing out of the ordinary got told. When she finally arrived at Lance's house, she let out a sigh of relief and thanked the woman greatly. If not for that stroke of luck, she probably wouldn't have made her way back.
Rose had told the guards not to tell Lance about her misadventure, but as soon as she woke up the next morning, the first thing she heard were the loud giggles of the maids. Not much later, when she entered the dinner room and saw Lance's pensive face, she instantly knew the guards had sold her out, to about everyone in the house.
Lance proposed to take Ana with her when touring the city, so she would not get lost again. At first, Rose politely tried to decline, but Lance forcefully insisted. He argued that he had a lot of work that day, as did his maids. Ana would probably be left alone, without anyone to give her any attention like the last couple of days. Rose's peculiar situation gave her a good reason to bring Ana along, so she wouldn't get bored inside. Ana seemed not that fond of the city, but Lance didn't want her to be stuck at home every day. Maybe going with Rose would make the trip an entertaining experience.
In other words, Rose would have to take care of her and in place, she would help her navigate around.
Of course, Rose accepted. While she still had someone to look for, her chances were bigger if she could move freely within the city without losing her way every several minutes. Even if she stopped once in a while to play with Ana, she would still be way faster than when she'd go alone. And so, the two of them departed on a small city trip.
"Do you like animals, Ana?"
Rose remembered she had been fond of a cat doll earlier.
"Yes, I love them! Cats, dogs, horses, sheep... They're all so nice! When I've grown up, I want to have at least one of each!"
"Wow, that's a lot of animals you are going to get... You'll need a really big house to keep all of them!"
"That won't be a problem, because I am going to become a farmer later! Then I can have as many animals as I want!"
A farmer, huh... Immediately she vaguely recalled the farmland from her memories, and somehow replaced the old farmer with Ana, trying to till the soil with her petite arms. Unintentionally, she let out a small chuckle.
"H-hey, what's so funny about that?" She started pouting because of Rose's reaction.
"I'm sorry Ana, it was not my intention to ridicule you. I did not expect it, but I really think it's a lovable dream! I'm sure all the animals will be very happy at your home! Why do you want to become a farmer, though?"
"..." She clearly hesitated to answer that question. It seemed that she was not ready to open up that part of herself to Rose yet.
"It's okay if you don't want to tell me, Ana. Everyone has their own reasons, and I'm sure yours is a great one too."
Rose patted Ana on the head to comfort her. She nodded happily. Child's dreams were often pure and utopian, but that's what made them so beautiful. No matter what Ana's particular reason was, she was sure it was a well-thought and honest one. Even if she didn't tell her, Rose had seen the determination in her eyes. That was already enough of an answer for her.
"So... Where do we go next?" Ana was done playing with the horse, and had come back to her side. Together they walked towards one the streets connected to the square, while deciding their next destination
"Um..."
While they both were in deep thought, Ana strayed away slightly from Rose. Before Rose came back to her senses, it was already too late. A moment later Ana got knocked back onto the ground. Tears started to stream down from her face. While she didn't seem hurt, the shock had definitely startled her.
The man who she had bumped into, stood there unfazed. He was pretty well built, nearly bald and his cheeks were unshaved. She had seen a lot of similar people like him the night before, at the docks. In contrast to Rose's expectations, he did not reach out to help at all. Instead, he started belittling the little girl.
"Hey, gutter girl. Can't you watch where you're walking? Or do they all walk with their eyes closed where you're from?"
The waterfall of tears only got stronger with each word. Rose quickly ran towards Ana and intervened.
"How can you say that to a little girl?" She countered angrily.
"How can I say that to a little girl? How can you even see that filth as a human? Are you her master maybe? Then next time, keep a leash on her so she can't try to run away, like she was trying to do. You should be glad I kept her from doing so!" The man had been keeping his distance after Rose had come in between, but now he was slowly getting closer.
"Or maybe... are you one of them, too?"
"One of them?" Rose did not understand.
"Don't act like you don't know. Those disgusting third district people." He pointed at Ana. "Are you one of them?"
"So what if I am?" Rose lied. She was aware she shouldn't be poking at a beehive, but the way he was disrespecting Ana made her furious. There was no good reason to talk like that to an innocent, good-natured little girl. Even if it cost her life, she would protect that pure, honest fragility from everyone who tried to tried to force their dishonest, egoistical emotions onto them. She would not tolerate anyone treating the person of her memory like that either.
The man suddenly stormed forward in a rage. Her answer had definitely thrown oil on the fire, instigating whatever fury the man was still withholding.
"You people... You are weak, filthy and useless. You're murderers, thieves and rapists. The lowest of the lowest!"
He swung his fist forward. Rose felt a slight trace of magic in his arm, but it was nothing more than a weak rank F spell. By the nature of the prana, Rose sensed it was a reinforcement one. It had the same feeling as Sam's power, that's how she could determine it so quick. However, in comparison to Sam, this guy was a complete novice. Rose easily dodged the attack while shielding Ana, and the man stumbled a few meters further.
It would not be hard to beat him. However, his movements and shouts had managed to stir up a small crowd that had approached them out of curiosity. Rose did not want to show her powers before that many people. She did not know anything about her past, and this seemed far from an emergency like the wolves earlier. Maybe they could just walk away, pretending this has never happened. However, Rose's hopes got shattered quickly enough.
"Yeah, he's right! Why do we have to keep supporting people like you, who are nothing but a stain on this world?"
"Go back to where you came from! You are not welcome here!"
"Disappear! We don't need you!"
Countless spectators somehow associated with the cruel man's feelings. They were shouting all kinds of insults towards them, each one worse than the previous. Also, the mass had closed any gaps for escape. Simply walking away seemed a dream far off now. Rose tried to help Ana up, but she struggled. Probably she had closed herself off from everyone to escape the madness. It was only a natural reaction, however, it didn't help their current situation at all. Rose finally managed to drag Ana on her feet and put her on her back, where she hung like a lifeless doll. These words had no meaning for her, but for Ana they seemed to be extremely destructive. The sooner they got out of here, the better.
"Our money, our food, our work. We pay all of those for you and what do we get back? Nothing! You're just living there, beyond the wall, profiting off our hard-worked earnings."
"That's not true, we-" Ana screamed. The man's words had hit a nerve. However, Ana didn't get to finish her sentence.
"Don't lie! All we're seeing is our goods being pumped into your district, while some of us can barely meet ends. My wife... She died last month because I had no money to pay her bills! All because of those high taxes, to keep YOUR people alive! If only you people didn't exist, she would still be here!"
His eyes got watery. While Rose didn't think he was lying or simply acting, his underlying motive was clear as water. Getting the surrounding people on his side. It seemed like the hatred against Ana's kind was more widespread than she feared. Almost all the people in the crowd now joined the fray, after they empathized with the man's story. The few that pitied them, did not feel like mixing into a lost cause. They either watched from a distance, or walked off to a better place, while closing their minds from the grueling spectacle. The bystanders shouted even more cruelty at her and Ana, this time in unison.
"Disappear! Disappear!"
Wherever this hatred sprung from, it had clearly rooted deeply within a portion of the population. It almost looked like a cult, trying to get rid of the evil that befell them. However, in front of them there was a weak, harmless little girl. Even with the best will in the world, she could not see what would drive these people towards this. This was definitely not a one-day issue. These screams came from the cores of their souls, punctuated times and times by spears of despair, until they finally broke. And now, upon seeing the girl, they were releasing all that pent-up fury onto them.
...She wondered, where had the man had gotten his information on Ana in the first place? As soon as he had seen her, he instantly knew Ana had been someone who didn't belong in this place. However, to Rose she didn't seem to stand out in any way. Additionally, she seemingly had been gone from the city for a good while, and after she had returned she had stayed in Lance's home all the time. So how did he know? None of the other people they had interacted with, seemed to have noticed. Except for the guards at their arrival, who had probably been informed by Lance beforehand, and that was only after she had told her name.
So how? How did this random man, with a deep hatred for people from the third district, know Ana? If Rose hadn't been here, she would've been in a big trouble. Maybe that's why Lance had insisted so badly to take Ana with her. He might've predicted this could happen. But why hadn't he told her anything about this, then?
She could no longer think clearly, because the rowdiness had transcended her inner thoughts. The first thing she needed to do, was to get out of this place. After that, she could try to find the answers on the spontaneous thoughts that had risen within her. The longer they stayed there, the worse it would get. While Rose would like and fight this iniquity, Ana's mental condition was her biggest concern now. She was clearly breaking down, and couldn't take much more than this.
When she readied herself to leave, some men came forward out of the crowd. They were standing on all sides, clearly trying to block any path of escape.
...It seems like they wouldn't let them go that easily.
"Where do you think you're going? We're not done here. Or did you think we would let you go back to your kingdom behind those walls that easily? So you can be happy, while we're sweating and crawling just to stay alive? Well, I won't take it anymore! Neither of us do! Aren't I right?" The sturdy man turned around to the spectators, which cheered on his speech.
"Yeah, yeah! We're working our asses off, while they're doing nothing!"
"Everything is their fault! If only they didn't exist, we would be so much better off!"
Rose bit her lip. While she hadn't seen the place herself, Lance's story had made clear that it was not a place someone would voluntarily live in. However, these people had the complete opposite idea. For them, staying behind those walls was an unfair privilege which they paid the price for. They projected their self-made image onto Ana and her people, and blamed all their mistakes and misfortunes on them.
...
It frustrated her to no end. This selfishness, this irrationality... Shifting blame on the weaker people, because they knew they wouldn't fight back... It boiled her veins and turned her heart into a raging volcano. If not for Ana, she would break this injustice, right here, right now.
Then, why don't you? These humans are all the same. Hurting someone else because they don't want to admit their own mistakes, or their own inabilities. The world would be better off without them...
She ignored the voice in her head. Her anger was nothing in comparison to the pain Ana was feeling. It was her task to keep her safe, she had promised. And she would not break that promise to give in to her selfish desires, and forsake the one who was relying on her the most.
That's why...
She calmly answered the man. Not because she wanted to reconcile him. But because she needed to break this wall of hate in preparation for their escape.
"I am sorry about your wife. But none of this is Ana's fault. Don't you think your wife would want you to work towards the future instead, instead of blaming others for the past? I'm sure she wouldn't want to see you bullying a little girl just to vent your own frustrations. If I were her, I would want you to cherish our memories and continue to the future, with a happy smile on your face..."
"You wench! Don't speak as if you know my wife! I will avenge her, right here, right now!"
While her words had the reverse effect on the man, Rose did not care. Her target was not him, but the people around. She could not subdue extreme feelings like his, but most people had just gone with the flow. By talking sweet words, she needed to separate those from the hardcore ones, so that they could get away without hurting anyone.
And her intention succeeded. A few people backed off, not sure if they wanted to be part of this anymore. Before the mass could react in time, she had launched herself with a shot of wind prana. Shrieks of surprise and disbelief filled the air. Rose could not move as fast as before, because she had to make sure to hold onto Ana tightly. However, the surprise effect had given her more than enough time to escape the circle.
She disappeared into one of the streets, and took a few lefts and rights. She didn't know where she was going, but neither did the other people. Since it was impossible to predict where Rose had vanished off to, they had no option but to give up. Maybe for once, her bad sense of direction was actually helpful.
Rose halted inside an alley, and put down Ana on the ground. Her hair was completely messy because of the high speed they had been going at. When Ana looked at her with teary eyes, she instinctively hugged Ana.
"I'm sorry, I should've kept you by my side. I'm sorry, Anna..."
Ana squeezed Rose's back with her fingers. Her fatigued eyes started to shed tears again, this time a mix of relief and misery. Rose, now completely able to organize her thoughts, finally realized that she had failed her job.
If only she had reacted faster, or she had kept better attention on Ana, none of this would've happened. Because of her whirlpool of thoughts, she hadn't managed to protect her properly. She had been so focused on escaping without hurting anyone, but in her hesitation she had allowed Ana to get hurt. Moreover she shouldn't have provoked the man to start with. She should've simply walked away. There was no good reason to do so, except to make things worse. The only thing that had been on her mind back there, were her own ideals. And the result was this...
She wasn’t much better than those people back there, was she?
Upon that realization, tears started to stream down Rose’s face, mixing with Ana’s on the cold floor. Her lost past, her incompetent present, her intangible future… The burden she received from when she first opened her eyes, finally came crashing down. She barely knew who she was, the only connections she had were a letter and some vague memories, and she ended up in a place that was both unfamiliar and unwelcoming. And now, even the ideals she stood for, the only thing that she could define herself with without any doubts, had hurt someone who had put her trust in her…
For a moment that seemed to last an eternity, the only sounds in the alley were the two's sorrowful sobbing, added with the distant noise of a city in turmoil.
