-Hollow-

 

Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot. That’s all I’ve been doing for days. With no clear aim of where I need to be or where I want to be. All that lies ahead is grassland and endless twilight skies. Along with a persistent ache of want…and need of something unattainable.

“Tsk.”

I kick my thoughts from my mouth. This caused my dark hair to swing in front of my face. Annoyed, I swung my long hair back.

“Having long hair is a pain in my ass.”

I complained as I walked in the endless field. The click of my blade gives me solace. We’ve been together for so long now and I relied on him to butcher my foes.

“Heeeeeey! I got a boar! Let’s get going guys!”

My hips swing and I gain a stance, ready to slice the heads off anyone unlucky enough to cross me. But then my heart begins to calm as the footsteps of around 3 or so men died down.

“I must be nearing a human village.”

I concluded as I let go of my shaft. I patted my long dress as I cleaned up my look.

“Calm…”

I etch the word into my mind, making my dark angelic wings hide into me. My features are human enough to pose to the village. My only problem is my pale skin but if they don’t get too close humans won’t notice.

“I’ll sleep at an inn then continue my journey.”

With my ears, I followed the cheery men to a reasonable size town. There aren’t too many of these nowadays. As the war has terrorized many settlements. Both demons and human ones.

“Tsk, it’s all meaningless.”

I scowled, as I made my way into town. Nothing was welcoming here. Scum littered the streets.  Children ran around with makeshift swords…likely parents teaching them to fight earlier so they won’t be killed too fast.

“Oooh!”

I reached for my blade as I turned and met eyes with a small boy. He held his wooden sword dumbfoundedly. Lucky for him I had no plans to slice him in half.

“Get…”

With that he raced off, joining his group of 4 or 5 others.

“Just make it to a rest home, Hollow…”

I don’t require food, or a bath, I just need a place to lie my head…then I can continue my search for…her.

“Hey, you! The lady in the dark dress.”

I turned to see a skinny man approaching me. The way he acted all familiar like pissed me off. If he stepped too close to me, I’d cut his arm off first, then his right leg, and end his life with a slash across the neck. It would be over in less than…2…no 3 seconds.

“Here, are you hungry?”

He held out a piece of bread. Now that I looked at him, he wore a circular pendant on his neck. A member of Ave’s church. In other words, my mortal enemy.

“Tsk…no, save that for someone who needs it.”

Or…and one point that would have been true. As I journey through the sorry excuse for a homestead, I reached a loud district. Music was playing, people were hopping around. In other words, it was annoying. So, I continued to move.

“Hey!”

Why are these people calling out to me? When I swung around, a long blond with an obnoxious smile walked up to me.

“Hm, you don’t look like you’re from around here.”

My eyes glanced around. If she had something up her sleeve, I would do what I planned to do to that man then escape to the roof before anyone noticed.

“Wanna have a quick dance? It’s only 1 Chill.”

Her smile didn’t change. Matching with her deep purple eyes and pumpkin-colored vest, no bra, or anything underneath either. She seemed to be a beggar pleading for money. With short shorts and the winter months coming she better beg else she’ll freeze to death in that getup...

“Hmm….”

She swung her small hips around but that just irritated me more. I contemplated my response before walking over to an elderly man. He was playing the banjo with a hat nearby. So, I set a bundle of gold coins…or Chills, next to him.

“Huh?”

The crowd turned to me. Oh, that’s right…I made a mistake.

“That’s super generous of you!”

That blondie's smile never changed but her eyes felt more intense now. Her lips curled as she put her hands on her hips.

“That’s enough to feed this entire group for days! Are you sure you can part with that money?”

I signed in annoyance and made my way away from this dirty group.

“Hey! That’s worth a lifetime of dances! Hey!”

They all jeered so I rushed down an alleyway.

“Idiots.”

In the dark, I scratched my head. I had no reason for these gold things. I only picked them up…because they're shiny. Birds…like shiny things. Oh, and I use them to sleep too.

“Hey!”

I felt a tug on my arm. That was it…what I didn’t want to happen. My body moved in the rhythm I trained in. I spun around and sliced the figure's arms off. Then I went for the right leg. Finally, I met eyes with…the blond. Her thunderous eyes glared at me…as I sliced her neck in two.

 

A bloodied mess lied in front of me now. The poor thing didn’t even scream. Sadly, if I left her like this and someone found her…I’d be culprit number one.

“4 seconds…I need work.”

I scoffed at my inefficiency while looking at the mess which only aroused my irritation levels.

“You shouldn’t have touched me…”

I rebuked before reaching out my hand and bringing up a light purple flame. This should only take a second. The area might smell like charred meat, but she’ll be ash and in the wind before anyone suspects anything.

“May you rest in peace, fool.”

Oddly, her smile stayed while her skin peeled back like an orange. It creeped me out a bit as her bones seared and vanished in the twilight wind. The blood on the walls darkened. It was obvious to tell that someone bled out here, but I could care less about that.

With that over, I found myself walking out of the alley and into a nearby inn.

“Room for one?”

“Yes…please.”

“That’ll be 3 Chills.”

I set down the 3 Chills this time, not wanting to attract attention, and made my way up to the third floor where my room was. Now I was going to do what I wanted to do. I set my sword to the side and opened my window. There I climbed out onto the roof and…watched the people go by. There I perched, gazing for…her.

“One day…I’ll find you.”

I chanted as I always did. Ever searching for the impossible, shrouded in ambiguity.