The city threw itself at Uma when she was thrown out of the orphanage and into the world; towering buildings, the sun being blocked out by smog or whatever harmful craps in the air nowadays burned her throat, that's for sure. Today was the day; her 18th birthday. Normally, it'd be you got to pick what's served for lunch and a cupcake with a candle on it. She, however, got the gift of being someone else's problem
As she wandered the streets, bumping into people who looked just as miserable as her, she ended up walking into an alleyway old habit back at the, orphanage shed always found the quietest spots now the alley aint no noise cancelling room but it was enough
Uma slumped against the concrete wall, hugging her knees and crying softly. Afraid someone might hear her over the noise of corporate slaves toiling and heavy machinery that were destroying the world. "What am I going to do..." she sobbed.
She had tried to apply for jobs during her time in the orphanage but with you needing to know someone for just an entry position she had no hope her mom ran off with some minor big shot and her dad dropped her off happy to be rid of her
Uma closed her eyes and tucked into her knees. "Why me, God? "As she sank into utter despair, she suddenly felt herself being bumped, and did she hear horses…? Vast open land met her eyes, replacing the solid concrete walls she'd seen. She looked up, and the sun attacked her. She hadn't seen that in years. A woman bumping into her interrupted her moment of shock. "S-sorry," Uma said softly. The woman looked at her as if she were speaking a different language.
"Did that lady wear a gown?" Uma thought as she quickly gathered herself and moved out of the hustling street, finding her way to a nearby table outside what she assumed is a cafe of sorts. "A-am I high???" she wondered as she looked around
Three girls approached the table and said one said something with an annoyed that Uma couldn't understand as all three looked at her expertly
"I-I don't," is all Uma choked out before she decided to just stand up and walk away "Maybe i was at their table?"
Uma ended up walking back into an alley. "It's okay, I'm just in a manic episode or whatever they call it," she slumped back against the wall, trying to recreate the pose she had just made. "Okay, I'm going to open my eyes and wake up from this." Uma tucked in tighter. The sleepiness that her sorrow and shock were suppressing suddenly hitting her "Gonna…wake up"
Uma had fallen asleep right there in the alleyway, tucked in a ball, and she must've been more tired than she thought as she slept throughout the busy day. A rough-sounding voice only woke her. As she jumped up
The voice repeated. It sounded like a question; Uma put her hands up trying some way to show that she couldn't understand "Ah crap, did i sleep behind this dude's shop. i hope he's not mad he's fucking massive," Uma thought, praying the world didn't throw more at her
The man she was looking at was, as she suspected, very imposing. His arms were like those of Greek statues, but he also had a soft, rounded belly and a beard and mustache so luxuriant they could have housed a family of birds.
The man just signaled for Uma to follow "Oh No i hope he doesn't think I ran away from home" uma debated just bolting, but she almost felt compelled to follow the man.
After some time, her faith was rewarded when the man led her to a stable and performed an action Uma understood as an invitation to rest for the night. Uma conveyed her thanks with a silent bow, her only method of expression without speaking.
The man gave a chuckle that came deep from the belly as he shut the door to the stable and Uma wasted no time making herself at home, laying on a pleasant set of hay and quickly falling asleep
The next day came quickly, probably because of how tired she was as she stretched the sleepiness out of her body before reality snapped back at her "Wait... Im still here?"
Uma looked around and even slapped her cheeks a few times "So not a dream...?" the gears sure turned in Uma's head before she jumped up in excitement "IM FREE!!!" she yelled out which even in a different language is still a yell and manged to make the nearby rooster howl
"Shit," Uma thought, covering her mouth this time with a new hope as she stepped out the barn, no longer worried about her future, a giant smile painting her face as she skipped over to where she last saw the kind man
It wasn't hard as the now lit buildings came into view the sound of what she assumes is metal on metal
"Holy moly. Was that guy a black smith" Uma thought as she approached. She would soon have her answer, as there he was hammering away at what she assumes is a sword of some sorts
She hesitated to enter but went in regardless, the intense heat striking her the moment she cautiously moved forward. The man saw her right away, stopped his activity, and made a loud greeting sound while hugging Uma.
She thought, "So sweaty," as the man's two boulder-like arms crushed her small frame. The man said something else as he released her, but Uma couldn't understand what it meant. "Right, I should probably pay the man," she thought.
Uma searched her pockets, and a fly nearly escaped. "Oh, right, I'm broke," she muttered, digging into her back pocket. There, she found... 93 whole cents, she offer'd it to the man "Maybe coins have more value in this world?' she hoped.
Mr blacksmith the made-up name Uma just gave this guy looked at the coins, titled his head then gave a hearty laugh the man just as he took them and immediately dumped them into his molten forge an action which both shocked uma and wounded her "My money…" she thought as she made a pouty face
Mr. Blacksmith noted the look on Uma's face, cocked his head, and then a sudden realization seemed to strike him. He led Uma to the door, Pointing to another building a block away and speaking words Uma interpreted as a direction to go to that spot.
As Uma got closer, she recognized the building as a library, evident from its warm atmosphere and a window revealing rows of books.
Uma put two and two as a lightbulb also formed "I know he wants me to learn how to speak" right as Uma reached for the door it shot open knocking her on her ass
"Owwww," all Uma could make out as she came to was red hair as the woman darted past her
"What a jerk," Uma thought as she rubbed her forehead and walked inside