Wood chopping in the distance, as someone was hammering away at a wall rebuilding it. Commotion on the streets left and right, as someone continued to shout out materials.
" Get your sapphire here! Sapphire the most beautiful gem for a lady ! "
A woman noticed the male that was selling it, as she was wearing a revealing attire, and smoking. Leading against the side of a building, before walking off and tossing the cigarette in the dirt.
" Tch, men. " She remarked as she approached another young lady who was gazing at the lake a bit ways from the town.
Turning to face the other lady, she would motion with her hand in front of the other. The woman did not bother to look around, as she already knew who it was.
The other would form a grin, as she liked teasing her friend a bit.
" Come on Abigail ! Haha— you love staring at the lakes and ponds, you daydream all the time when you know you should be working…. " She teased.
Abigail would breathe in deeply and exhale out before she would sigh. Her arms crossed over her chest, as she would rock her foot back and forth.
Her head eventually turned to look at her friend.
" …. Yeah… I know… but I like the calmness that I can get every now and then. "
" Clean that up right now you dumb fuck! " A man would shout at another young man, as he tossed him into the ground.
Abigail notices it before glancing back at her friend.
" This place will turn you into something….. you… never wished to become. " She remarked as she looked down at herself.
The girl would laugh at Abigail's wondering mind, as Abby was a bit confused but decided to fake laugh about it too.
" Yeah…. Some mind huh. "
" Haha— you are too funny, honestly Abigail…. It sounds like to me you had too much wishful thinking yeah? " The woman would remark.
Hearing a door swing open towards them, as they both looked up. The woman became frozen as the owner looked at her.
" The fuck are you doing out here?! The breaks are over! Get your ass in here and make me some money! " He snapped, pointing inside.
The woman quickly rushed past him, as he looked down at Abby. He sneered at her before speaking roughly and spitting on the ground.
" …. The fuck you looking at? Get outta here… you are starting my customers away…. "
Abigail would slowly sigh and rise to her feet, as she looked rundown and somewhat beaten up. Indicating she must've gotten into a lot of tussles with the wrong people.
" …. How can I scare them away, when you're here? ….. you do that all yourself… " She mocked.
The owner slowly stepped out of his business and got directly in front of Abby. Abby, unfazed and not fearful of him, stood there.
He would chuckle to himself a bit before he would lean in and whisper in her ear.
" ….. You keep talking like that…. And you'll find how scary I can be…. When I fuck you and leave you for dead…. And trust me… no one will miss ya… "
Abby, hearing his words, felt a twitch in her left eye, as she would look away briefly before coming around and slapping him in the face. The slap would stun him briefly before she kicked him in his nuts as he collapsed on the ground.
" Oh yeah! I'd like to see you try ! " She snapped as she started to wail on him, as someone came and pulled her off of him.
" Okay! Okay! Relax Abby! Sorry pal! My friend here can be a lot at times. I'll take it from here! " A young male would remark before pulling Abby away.
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.
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Nightfall had come as the male would come for Abby slapped her face with some ice and a rag. She hissed from the pain, as she before nightfall got jumped by some guys again.
" …. Abby…. Dude… you gotta stop making enemies….. " He remarked.
Abby listened but tried not too, as she didn't wanna hear it.
However, the male would look at her and turn her around to face him entirely.
" I'm serious! … okay? Like— I'm running out of places to hide ya… "
" I never asked you too, okay?! " Abby shouted as she slammed down the ice and rag and got up from the stump and walked off in the direction of a nearby lake.
After several minutes the young lad came over to find her and bring her some food in a sheet. He would bend down and hand it towards her, as she was sitting beside the lake.
The male would sigh, as she looked up at him.
" …. Take it. " He would tell her.
Abby, unable to really refuse, due to the fact that she was genuinely hungry. She would also sigh from her nose, and carefully take it from his hand.
" Oh? No snatching today? …. I call that a win. " He would mock as he slowly sat down beside her.
" …. Well, the last time I snatched it I had to eat bread with dirt in it…. So … I don't wanna do that again… " She remarked.
The two of them chuckled a little at the remark, as it grew silent for a moment before he spoke to her once more.
" …. Abby… "
" Zack. Before you even start… don't. " She would tell him.
" …. I'm just saying you should go and stay with him. You said you always wanted to go to the city… and besides every town you've been going to…. I mean… you'll just end up at another brothel… " He explained.
Abby remained silent as she watched the lake. Zack continuously tries to make her change her mind.
" … This place…. It's not meant for you… " He said softly.
Abby slowly looked over at him, her hair dirty, as she ended up growing bangs in front of her face. Her eyes became sharper, and her complexion was much rougher.
She had bruises and scares here and there, but her facial recognition was always gorgeous. She looked like a woman who worked in a brothel, or could work in the city.
" …. And what do you know what's meant for me…. " She would state coldly.
Her body language being distant, as her voice got much more mature and profound. She was able to remove her accent so those who she had enemies with wouldn't come looking for her, or recognize her.
Zack would shift his eyes away briefly before he would sigh once more and slowly rise towards his feet. Looking down at Abby, who had a loose ponytail in the back of her head.
Her hair is still long as ever.
" …. I don't. But I do know— you don't have anything here…. So it's better to start somewhere new. " He stated as he turned and began to walk away before stopping.
" … Everyone has lost someone Abby….. and from what you told me about your father…. I know for a fact he wouldn't want you living like this…. " He finished saying, before he slowly walked away entirely.
Abigail, hearing Zack's words, kept her head down and didn't bother to turn and look at him. Though his words penetrated her tough exterior as she formed tears in her eyes.
Disappointed in herself she shoved bread in her mouth and ate with an attitude, as she would cry as she did so. Eventually, stopping entirely from eating and sitting there and sobbing.
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The next morning, Abigail had gone to speak to Zack again. The two shook hands with one another, as Zack had told Abigail farewell. Reminding her of several things before she would take off.
" Now remember, he's not going to let you crash for free. You'll have to do some chores to earn your keep. " Zack stated, as he continued while helping her put stuff into a wagon.
" Oh! And he's also sometimes really grumpy, and hates whenever you aren't back in time for work. So be sure if you go out exploring, you aren't gone too long. "
Abigail felt as though the old man he was referring to reminded him of her father. She stood there for a moment thinking about him.
Although, her mind became blank again, as she climbed into the wagon along with another friend of Zack's. The two males would exchange something with one another before Zack looked at Abby.
" …. Take care of yourself, alright? " He remarked.
Abigail looked at him, and her lips was going to form words before her friend spoke aloud.
" Alright! Let's go! " He said cheerfully, as he hit the horses for them to move, as they pulled the wagon along with them and Abigail.
Abigail continued to look back at Zack as he became smaller and smaller the further they traveled away. The other one eyed her up and down before he shook his head.
" Don't worry about him, he'll be fine. You might see him again if you are able to go to the festival. "
" The festival? " Abigail questioned.
The male nodded.
" It happens every four years. "
" …. I was told it happened every year… " Abigail replied back, remembering what she had overheard when she was younger.
" Nah— I mean— maybe it did— years ago, but ever since the royal new king came into power he no longer prefers consistent parties. " The male proclaimed with a chuckle.
Abigail turned her head away to look at their surroundings, as she simply would listen to him speak.
" Tch— I mean what a spoiled one huh? — if I were him I'd have parties every damn day! Then I would take some women and go swimming, and have some fun~ " The male would tease.
Abigail felt somewhat disdainful by such a remark, as it made her itch. Though, she looked back over at him and shook her head.
" …. Really? …. Why am I not surprised.. "
" Tch, hell yeah! I mean— if I was the king my damn self what would be stopping me from doing what I pleased…. I have no idea why that king is locked in his own castle… it's strange if you ask me. "
Abigail couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved that he wasn't king. Considering his remarks towards her, he was no better than other men she had run into.
Using women as mere tools, and then looking at them to disregard whenever he wanted too. She just hoped that she wouldn't have to slit his throat on the way there, otherwise Zack would lose a friend.
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The journey itself was long and hard, as Abigail and the man had to stop a few times for rest and the horses eating. Though, Abigail always insisted that they pressed on.
She had never experienced such a vast land before, and all these territories were new to her. Scary even, as she could never be too careful around unknown places.
Abby at this point as well had cleaned herself up as best she could. Though she no longer wore dresses and instead wore pants like men.
Sometimes it turned men off to see women in such attire, as they had assumed something was vile and wrong with the women. Which is what Abigail was absolutely hoping for.
She didn't want anyone coming onto her if she could help it. However, that didn't stop other men from trying, as even though she dressed like a boy she looked as stunning as a young woman.
Her complexion now clean, and her ocean blue eyes, that her father used to tell her, he could drown in them by her beauty. It was the most flattering thing Abby ever heard a man tell her.
It was more precious to her hearing it from her father first. Which meant that if any other man had told her that— it never hit the same.
In fact, it made Abigail realize that no man she had ever found lived up to her father's expectations. He was the protector she always needed, and now with him gone— she became her own protector.
She had taught herself self defense and how to train, along with the help from someone she had meant in previous towns ago. Between stealing, and bouncing around from a man's place to another.
Taking things she needed, and when the man became conscious of what she was doing. Well, that was when she would take them out. It was as if she was a thief, mixed with an assassin's blood.
She had no choice in the matter really, as she had become what she most feared. Which almost made her take her own life, if it wasn't for that woman finding her.
Abigail often wondered why that woman intervened, as she even asked her why she didn't let her kill herself. Though, the woman had simply told her ' You have too much to live for, you're still young— you can die when you're old. '
Words that sounded foolish towards Abigail and still do. Stopping out the wagon, as the man would make the horses drink. Eyeing Abigail every now and then, as he would see her training with a dagger she carried.
Due to her past, Abigail remained vigilant and barely slept. If she ever did fall asleep, she would take some bells she found and wrap it around her wrists.
So if someone ever tried to pull her, lift her, or kidnap her, the bells would wake her and she would fight them off. She was now more cautious and paranoid.
Drifting off to sleep, sometimes she heard the screams of her father, and the roar and growl of that dragon she knew. She had told herself she would kill that beast one day.
Sometimes asking questions, such as why women are never picked for guard duties. Why it seemed that women were fragile and weak, lifeless even. Her purpose in life was simply to satisfy men, with nothing else?
' This is goodbye… Abby… '
' Live… for us… Live Abby… '
Dragon fire and flames, as it scorned her father and house alive. Abby screamed, and crying, as she shouted back.
' Daaaadd!!!! '
Abigail immediately jolted up out of her sleep, cold sweats as she panted nervously back and forth. Gripping her dagger as she pointed it to a man who was only but a few inches away.
Moving back some more as he lifted his hands up in the air.
" Relax…. It's me— you were having a nightmare again… " He told her.
She grunted and started to look around, making sure it was only him and him only. Speaking somewhat in a distant tone of voice.
" …. Oh yeah? …. Which nightmare this time?… " She said sarcastically.
Her bells jingled on her wrists, as she looked around at the night sky before lifting her head up. Slowly she would rise up a bit, and look up at him without a word.
" I hate nightmares…. But you seem to have them quite often… you consistently mumble in your sleep saying ' dad ' … "
Abby, hearing the man, wouldn't speak, her orbs darted towards him before looking away and slowly rising to her feet. The man would motion with his hands for her to rest.
" Hey, you should take it easy, you seem exhausted, and I can tell you need it— "
" I'm fine. " She immediately told him in a distant tone.
The man eyeing her, as she rose towards her feet entirely and slid her dagger back into a holder.
" How far is it? " She requested to know.
The man stared at her for a moment, before he would turn sideways a bit and point to a nearby valley way ahead along with a mountain pass.
" Over that valley there— and past that mountain and the city is beyond that. So we're pretty close now. "
" … Good… " She softly responded back.
" We should hit the road soon then— before something bad happens. I don't wanna waste any more time sleeping on the hard grounds…. again and again… " She told him.
The man fake chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders.
" Look. I get you're traumatized by things, but forcing this traveling, I mean you'll exhaust the horses… and besides it's not like I'm gonna do anything to— " He was about to say, before Abigail pulled out her dagger and slammed him into a nearby tree.
" Stop talking! … " She ordered him.
" Let's get one thing perfectly clear. I'm not traumatized. I'm pissed. Secondly, you don't know shit about me. So stop pretending you do. And thirdly, this is strictly about getting me to that goddamn city and nothing more… " She proclaimed, her orbs piercing at him as she pushed the dagger down into his skin.
" If you try anything! And I do mean anything, I'll cut into your neck until I feel bone. Zack may trust you, but I never said I did…. " She threatened, before releasing him and walking off to get some space.
The man nodded to her words in a bit of a fearful manner, before she released him. After she had however, he rubbed his neck and looked at his fingertips making sure she didn't draw blood.
In his mind he was traveling with a psychopathic woman, someone who he was becoming more and more fearful to be around. He had no plans on doing anything to her, but in her mind all men think and want the same.
The man exhaled some air, as he would speak to himself once she disappeared.
" …. By the God's… What a fucking psycho… "