Chapter 1: Out of the Rabbit Hole
Morning. It was like someone up there wanted to rub the fact that I had never seen a real one in my face. This was the only problem with my life; no real light. From the sun, from the stars, form the moon. Nothing. Just a bunch of flickering lights and the occasional candle.
Sometimes I wondered to myself if the sun really does exist or if it's just as real as the supposed 'life' I live now.
The sound of quick footsteps down the hall pulled me from my gloomy thoughts. That was new, since I'm usually the only one up so early.
"Violet?" the voice whispered softly as she stuck her head in. "Violet, sweety. Are you awake?"
Oh no! If she catches me again, I'll be forced to deliver items for her again I thought to myself as I feigned sleep. Unfortunately, I didn't fool her for a moment.
I heard the squeak of my ancient floorboards as she made her way through piles of clothes books, and other things, until she reached the foot of my bed. I though I was doing a fairly good job of acting when I heard her giggle and say, "You weren't planning on going outside again, now were you?" She proceded to grab my ankles and pull; I fell out of bed immediately.
"Oomph. You can't prove that I was even thinking about that." I childishly stuck my tongue out at her thinking I had won. Wrong.
"Oh? And since when did you start going to bed in your traveling cloak and boots?" Shoot! I had forgotten that I was already dressed. I thought miserably to my self as I got out a simple blue dress, a dark vest and threw on an apron. I looked at the source of my torment, my older sister Dinah. She wasn't technically my sister but she always treated me like one.
In fact she was the one who raised me. I never had known my parents and she had always been there for me. Her skin was milky white and her face was soft and warm. She had her long beautiful red hair pulled back into a bun and wore a long sleeveless red dress over her cotton shirt. It seemed she was already setting up the bakery for the day.
"Come upstairs when you're finished. I left you some breakfast on the table." Dinah turned around and walked to the door, when she suddenly turned around and pulled me into a big hug. "Happy Birthday Violet!" she cheerfully purred.
Happy. . . Birthday. . . .I just stood there as she quickly disappeared out the door. I quickly ran to my calendar. There it was, covered in stickers and glitter; May 5.th I can't believe that I forgot about it! The day I've been looking forward to all my life. My seventeenth birthday, the day when I was finally old enough to go on the trip to gather food and medicine for the village. The day where I could finally go see the outside for myself. See the sky and the sun. Taste the fresh air and feel the earth beneath my feet. And I had to waste it making deliveries.
I made my way trough the door, throwing clothes into the hamper and cleaning up here and there in my small damp room. It was a little too small for my tastes but I loved the color, a deep blue like the sky. Or least, I thought it was. I walked briskly down the hall and pushed open the door at the very end. As I walked in the aroma of freshly baked bread and other treats hit my face. I walked up the two small steps to the dining room and sat myself down on one of the chairs lined with blue and white cushions.
As I quickly ate the toast and eggs Dinah had prepared for me, she walked in carrying the last batch of bread from the oven. For a few minutes it was silent; I eating and her working. She soon spoke up and almost made me choke on a spoonful of eggs as she said, "Since today is your birthday, I'll let you go with the traders as soon as you finish delivering these lunches to Colonel Ceil and First Lt. Rina. But you must not get in their way, understand?"
I violently nodded my head up and down, and then managed a small "yes" when I remembered her back was turned to me. I thought I heard her mumble about having a talk when I got back but I wasn't too sure what she meant, so I ignored it. As soon as I ad finished my breakfast, I ran back to my room and began packing for the five day trip. Needless to say, I was bursting with excitement. After all, this trade only happened three times a year and you had to be at least seventeen to participate.
The point of the caravan was to collect supplies and trade with the neighboring town, Dumon, the only city I knew of on the surface. I had always wanted to live in a town like that where everything was not lighted by candles and electricity and the air was fresh. Just thinking about it made my heart hammer. I grabbed a few items of clothing and hastily shoved them in my bag. I turned around and looked at my cluttered room and said a silent good-bye. Then I ran back down the hall to Dinah in the bakery.
When I had finished packing and my chores, I pulled on my dark hooded cloak and grabbed the lunches. After a quick good-bye and many thank yous to Dinah, I ran out the door and into the streets. I narrowly avoided getting hit by a carriage as I ran towards the North Entrance-The Rabbit Hole-of Baroque Town.
Running down the sidewalk, many people wished me a happy birthday. Mr. Garvan-the owner of the fruit stand-tossed me a bright red apple and wishing me a good one. I smiled and put the apple in my pouch for safe keeping. As I rounded the finally corner I saw Rina directing some of the townspeople who were going on the trade. I raced up to her and out of breath, and excitedly repeated what Dinah had said to me before. Rina held up one perfectly manicured finger and closed her eyes, no doubt sifting through my words to see if you could pull out something intelligible.
Then she laughed and practically pounced on me screaming "HAPPY BIRTHDY" at the top of her lungs. "I can't believe you're already seventeen! That's amazing! I remember those days. . ." she trailed off her small slender frame shaking with giggles.
"Maybe that's because that was only last year," I countered.
"True. So you're finally old enough to come on the caravan now, are you?" she concluded, eyeing my brown bag.
"Don't act like you've been on it loads of times," I smirked as I escaped her death lock.
"Oh, but I have. Three times as of today," she babbled excitedly as she held up three fingers. "When are you turning seventeen?"
"Midnight tonight," I grinned.
Rina and I have been best friends for who knows how long. She was always popular with both guys and girls, probably because of her odd pink hair color. I would never admit it to anyone but Dinah, but I was always jealous of that beautiful, curly pink hair. For some reason, Rina loves to dress in bright gothic like dresses, complete with bonnet and parasol. Her hairstyle and manner of dress made her look like a glowing porcelain doll. But she was much more than just some doll, she was kind and bubbly when she was in a good mood and crazy and shrill when something didn't go her way.
"Hey, did you bring the lunches of me and the grouch?" she twinkled.
"You really shouldn't call your brother that," I said handing her the basket of bread and cheese. "I mean, he is a Colonel after all."
She clapped her hands together and did a not so silent cheer before grabbing my arm and puling my through the crowd. We finally located Colonel Ceil checking the wagons and making sure everything was in order. Rina dragged me over to him screaming at the top of her lungs, "Ceeeeeeeeeeeeeeil!"
Needless to say, Colonel Ceil tried his best to ignore his screaming sister until we got closer. He sighed and turned around with a smile, wishing me a happy birthday and then turning to Rina ready to scold her for yelling.
"You really need to stop behaving like such a child Rina. People look up to you, you know," he lectured for the fifth time.
Rina just replied with the typical, 'but it's a special reason' excuse.
Colonel Ceil turned back to me, "We're glad to have you along on this trip." And then he quickly added, "How is Dinah doing?"
Rina and I both smiled slyly and stared at the Colonel who was currently shifting his wait from foot to foot. We all knew that he had a crush on Dinah but was too shy to tell her how he felt.
"She's busy writing a daring love letter to a great man of the military who has whisked her heart away. What a cruel fate for a brave baker to fall in love with such a shy man," I recited dramatically as Rina fell over laughing, clutching her sides. Colonel Ceil blushed and told us to get ready to leave before walking towards the head of the caravan.
"I have to go bring up the rear, so you should probably stay in the middle," she said before hugging me and jumping on her horse. I was watched as she raced to the back of the line.
I surveyed the area, exciting to be able to run around the outside. As I looked around, I realized that not that many people were going this year. In fact only about twenty were loading up the ten wagons. I hopped on the back of the second wagon in front, wondering about the fate that awaited me outside. I heard Colonel Ceil give the signal to move out and then the ground beneath me began to pass by. We rolled through a seemingly endless tunnel, barely lit by two rows of old lights.
Good-bye Baroque Town I thought to myself as the wagon sauntered on.
The only sounds I heard for a while were water dripping and the wheels of the wagons rolling and rolling and rolling. I was eager to reach the end of the tunnel. It was quite depressing to say the least and I was beginning to feel a bit claustrophobic. I resisted the urge to close my eyes, for I really didn't want to miss any of this.
I was almost at my breaking point when I finally saw it; a dim light. It wasn't like the artificial lights I was so used to; it was clearer and welcoming. As we droned onwards, the light got bigger and bigger and the sound of the wind rushing through the tunnel got louder and louder. I tightened my grip on the board I was holding on to, wondering what was awaiting us at the end of the light.
At last the light was so bright I had to cover my eyes momentarily and when I opened them again, I was surprised at what I'd found; the surface.
It was beautiful, no, more than that it was calming. I felt like I'd finally returned home and the land was welcoming me, beckoning me, calling my name softly. I was so mesmerized that I fell out of the wagon and landed on my head, after it ran over a bump.
"Ow," I muttered, sitting up and rubbing my head. I looked ahead of me and the caravan wagon still moving. As I got up to chase after it, I suddenly felt faint and put my hand to head. I shut my eyes tightly and strained my ears to the strange sounds I was hearing. At first, I couldn't tell what I was hearing, but then it got louder and clearer. I realized that is was screaming. Someone-I didn't know who-was in great pain and a baby was crying hysterically. I fell to my knees and shook my head.
And then I heard it. A name. My name. But it wasn't Violent. Another voice, like the whisper of a breeze floated around me chanting over and over again, "She hath return to her people. She hath come to taketh her right. She hath return to her people. She hath come to taketh her right." Over and over again the voice whispered, faster and faster until I couldn't bear it any longer and screamed.
The next thing I knew, Colonel Ceil was pulling me from the ground and onto his horse. He was shaking me, demanding I explain myself.
"Violet! Violet! What were you thinking?" he questioned. "You could have been killed! Why were you in the front of that wagon sobbing and screaming?"
I knew I had been screaming but sobbing? I touched one of my eyes to find that I had indeed, been crying. What was that voice just now?
"Didn't you hear the voice before?" I questioned him, looking as serious as I could. I wiped my face with the edge of my cloak. Colonel Ceil just stared at me, like I was crazy.
"Violet, what are you talking about? What voice?" he asked slowly.
How could he have not heard it? It was so loud. "The voice! It was screaming at me in a whisper, saying something about she returning to her people and her rule or something. And then there was a woman screaming and a baby crying!" I looked down.
"No one was screaming and there is no baby with us, Violet," he said slowly. "I think you may have a concussion from falling off the wagon." I quickly snapped my head up and frantically searched his face for some sign that he was joking. There was none.
"No. no. no!" I should my head back and forth. There had been voices, I was sure of it. So then why didn't Colonel Ceil hear them as well. Maybe I was just hallucinating and had a concussion.
"Let's get you to a doctor Violet," was all he said. I decided to give in and nodded my head. He headed back towards the front of the line and we road on for several more hours, until I heard him blow his whistle and call out orders to Rina. I looked up and saw ahead of me what I thought at first to be ruins. It wasn't until we got closer that I realized it was a small village. Children ran up to greet us and old men and women looked up from their board games.
I was shocked. I thought that Dumon was some utopia of sorts. It looked more like a ghost town, until we got closer and I could see the people better. Men came over to help us unload and women came over with water and food. As I looked at all of them, I realized how scrawny and dirty some of them looked, yet they all wore expressions of joy on their face. How peculiar I thought to myself.
Just then, a little girl with braids ran over to me and stuck out her hand. I just stared at her like she was some strange creature. Impatiently, she grabbed my hand and let something fall into it. Then she closed my hand and skipped off. I looked down to find a piece of colorful wrapping; candy. I smiled and carefully unwrapped the sugar coated ball and plopped it in my mouth.
I smiled as I savored the taste; candy was a rarity in Baroque Town. We hardly ever had any and when we did it was only for very special occasions. I was suddenly pulled form my thoughts when I felt gravity pulling me down. Without looking up, I already knew that it was Rina. She probably heard about my fall, because she was screaming at me, saying, "Violet! Are you okay?? What were you thinking dozing off in the middle of the road? You could have been killed? Then what would I have done?? Hmmm??"
"You tell me," I huffed as I squirmed out of her hold, gasping for air.
She grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the caravan.
"We're finding you a doctor right now," she called back to me.
I swallowed. Rina would get her way no matter what I did, so I just let her drag me through the own while she continued chiding me. I took this chance to get a better look at the town. The buildings were made of wood and there were a few stores. Everything looked so much grander up close. The sidewalks were made of stone, the road of dirt, and every now and then a carriage would pass us by. At last we reached a small cottage at the end of the town.
Rina marched in without bothering to knock. A plump woman with horn-rimmed glasses looked up at us from behind a large desk on the right wall.
"My friend here hit her head and has a serious concussion!" Rina exaggerated.
I sighed and said meekly, "It's only a bump, but everyone is insisting that I get it checked out."
The lady looked me up and down and suddenly yelled, "HORRIS! PATIENT!"
Rina and I removed our hands form our ears when a small bearded man appeared from behind the door. He took off his glasses and cleaned the lenses while bickering with the lady at the desk.
"What in the name of Cards is wrong, woman!?" he yelled at her.
"You have a patient that has serious head trauma!" she yelled back.
"Head what?"
"Trauma! T-R-A-U-M-A."
The man was slightly taken aback and approached us. He grabbed Rina's hand and started pulling her towards the door he came from, interrogating her and leaving me standing where I was, dumb and confused.
Rina pulled her arm back bringing the small man with her.
"Not me! Her!" she fumed pointing at me. The man stared at me then at here and then at me again.
A small "Oh" escaped his lips. He waltzed over to me and introduced himself, "I am Dr. Horris B. Junior, the 'B' is silent."
I blinked like an idiot as he continued.
"How many fingers do you see?" He held up his thumb and pinky.
"Two," I replied curtly.
"Wrong," he immediately answered.
"But you held up your thumb and pinky! That's two!" I argued; I was in no mood for childish pranks.
"Not at all my dear child, for you see the thumb is not an actual finger, so you would have been correct if you had answered one. Therefore, you must have serious head trauma. Tell me, have you vomited or felt dizzy at all as of late?"
I blinked again. What did he mean "the thumb is not a finger"? Then why did he hold it up? I was so confused that I didn't bother to answer his question.
His next words surprised me, "It looks like you will need to have surgery immediately." Wait, what? Surgery!? No, no, no, no, no, no. Dinah would never let me go on the caravan trip again if I had to get surgery.
I tried to protest, but Dr. Horris B. Junior just kept on babbling on and on about what he had to prepare and how much it would cost. Throughout his mumbling monologue, Rina had grabbed my hand and pulled me outside. As soon as we were a few blocks away from the house, she burst into laughter. At first I refused to join in, still annoyed that I almost lost my privilege to go to Dumon, but Rina's fits of giggles convinced me otherwise.
She was barely able to mange her words, "I think he must have head trauma! What a crazy guy he is!"
Still laughing I imitated the short doctor, "I am Dr. Horris B. Junior, the 'B' is silent." That incited another round of laughter.
When we had finally managed to calm ourselves down we headed for the center of town where the market was going on. We ran excitedly through the many stalls, trying on jewelry, feeling the fabric, and making sounds at the animals.
I heard Colonel Ceil's voice calling out, "Rina? Where did you go? We need your help setting up camp!"
Rina sighed and hugged me before running off towards Ceil, screaming back at him, "I'm coming Mr. Grouch!"
I watched the small figure with bright pink hair disappear into the crows, then sighed and turned around. Might as well enjoy the market while I still can I thought to myself. I rounded the corner of one of the larger stalls and continued to weave my way in between hoards of people. I walked up to a fruit stand and eyed the fruit hungrily. A small child crept into my line of vision, also eyeing the food like it was delicious piece of meat.
He was much too short to reach any of it and he seemed to be alone. The boy was frail and dressed in tattered clothes; he was most likely an abandoned child. Pity moved my hand to the ripe red apple that Mr. Garvan had given me that morning. I crouched down and offered it to him. He looked at it and then at me. I smiled and nodded and he grinned in return, took the apple, and ran down the street to another boy in rags. Probably his younger brother.
I was not used to seeing kids living on the streets and it made me sad to say the least, but I was glad that I was able to give him a bit of food. I stood up and began to walk towards another stall down the road when I felt something latch itself onto my wrist and pull me back.
"Are you gonna pay for that apple or just run off?" a gruff voice said to me.
I looked up to see a wrinkled man with dark hair, who smelled of . . . whiskey? His words were slightly slurred and at first I didn't know what to say.
I replied much softer than I meant to, "I-I-I'm sorry. I don't k-know you're talking about."
"I'm sure you don't," he countered, his voice dripping with sarcasm and his grip on my wrist getting tighter.
I tried to pull away as he continued, "It's bad nuff that that damn Hajin comes and collects unbearable taxes. We don't need trouble makers like you around here, stealing our goods." He pulled me towards the stall as he said all of this. Now I was scared that I was in serious danger. It was all a misunderstanding! Why couldn't he see that? I tried to scream but it caught in my throat. I could feel my hands shaking and my vision blurring. What was I going to do when I felt so vulnerable, so paralyzed with fear?
Then I heard it again; the screaming and crying. The voice returned, chanting the same thing over and over once again.
"She hath return to her people. She hath come to taketh her rule."
I shut my eyes and tried to think of something-anything-to get away from this man and the voices. Suddenly, a beautiful ringing voice drifted to my ears from behind me and the screaming stopped.
"There you are Mary-Anne! I've been looking for you everywhere. Where in the world have you been hiding?" I felt a large strong hand grasp my other wrist.
"Who is she to you?" the man spit at the newcomer. I dared not open my eyes to look at my potential savior.
"Absolutely nothing, but a very troublesome maid. What has she done this time?" The voice was lathered in honey and the words circled round my head.
"She was stealing apples from me!"
"Oh my, Oh my. Dear me, such a naughty maid she is. How much do you need?" I couldn't believe my ears. This sweet voice that had no relation to me was actually going to pay for my mistake. I thanked the Heavens for this savior, but I still kept my eyes shut.
The man was slightly taken about and mumbled the answer.
"I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that," There it was again, that singing voice.
"Five leers."
I could hear the sound of clinking coins as the man let go of my wrist and the other one pulled me back. It too, released my wrist only to reposition itself atop my head. It was a soft gentle touch and I was enjoying more than I should have when it forced my head down into a small bow.
"Now, now Mary-Anne. You owe this kind sir an apology."
I decided to play along and without looking up, I muttered a quick "please excuse my previous actions."
The man grunted and went back to his stand. I took this as my queue to turn around and escape any more danger. Once again I was pulled back by my wrist. I looked up-expecting trouble again-and met a pair of amber eyes.
I was stunned at their sparkling color when the voice came again, "Well? Aren't you going to thank me?"
"T-Thank you. . .?" I managed to choke out the words. He released the hold on my wrist and shook his head.
"Is that really a proper thank you these days?" I couldn't help but look him up and down in that moment. He was about a head and a half taller than my 5'3 and his hair was dark and shining, contrasting his pale skin. He wore white gloves and a black-green jacket. His face looked like it had molded by expert hands and he wore a smile upon his lips. What struck me as odd was the small metal frame hat he wore. A card that read "13/6" was tied down to it with a small thread. On his tie was a metal clip of a black clover.
I ignored his question and asked one of my own.
"Who are you?" Instantly, I regretted saying those words. Way to go Violet! This man just saved your life and you act totally ungrateful, I silently scolded myself. But I needed to know who this man was.
To my surprise and relief, he didn't walk off or drag me back to the fruit stand. He chuckled, a sound that sounded like thousands of tiny wind chimes. It was irresistible.
"My dear, my name is not important to someone of your class. But if you must call me by a name, you may call me Master M.H. or Raven."