The Island of Narid
Chapter 12: The City
Nope, don't own FMA,…..yet. BWAHAHA nah just kidding.
Sorry, I can't be serious all the time! -wink-
"Did you sleep well?" A sneering voice hissed.
Rose did not look up, knew the homunculi woman was there with the small boy. Her dark hair formed a curtain around her face, shadowing her surprisingly gentle features. Rose was no longer chained to a dark stone wall, but sitting on a grand bed of gold and silk. But she was miserable no less.
"Now don't be cold. You'll have to get used to us for now anyways. No others can speak our tongue."
The little wild-haired boy ran forward, clasping her arm and wrenching it forward. "Come play."
"You don't have to stay in this room—you're no prisoner. Don't you want to see the city?"
Rose raised her violet eyes then. Her hand reached up and pushed her pink bangs from her face. Very slightly, she nodded. Anything to get moving again. Maybe she could run if the chance came. They had said she was no captive, so there would be no problem in her leaving, right?
"Wrath, step out of the room for a moment."
"Yes, mommy." The boy sped out the door.
'Mommy?' Rose had heard that the homunculi didn't have mothers, or friends. Why was this boy—
"You can call me Sloth if you feel like speaking." The woman turned gracefully around to one of the large wardrobes placed in the room. Wresting open the two doors she rummaged fro a moment before pulling out a wondrous gown of marvel. The dress itself was white; however, it seemed dusted with a layer of the glowing blue stones, giving the fabric a radiance unmatched by anything Rose had ever seen. The long, slender sleeves faded from white to dark silver. The same fade was present on the bottom hem of the dress. At its girth, the gown slimmed with a tie of silver.
"Put this on. You can't look like a normal townsperson."
Rose's eyes betrayed question, but Sloth didn't feel up to answering. She simply waltzed out of the room and shut the large door. Outside Rose could hear her voice conversing with the boy outside.
Sighing, Rose stripped the dress she had been wearing off herself and donned the blue-white gown. Its material was surprisingly light. Having lost her sandals, Rose stepped out of the room barefoot, eyes seeking Sloth. The woman was there, but looked at her disapprovingly.
"Don't you know how to take care of yourself?"
Rose narrowed her eyes. She knew very well how, she was forced to after all family left her. When Sloth came forward Rose turned from her and went back into the room. As long as she was here, she wouldn't let those things wait on her. Slamming the door of the room Rose came to one of the dressers and dug through the drawers. There must be something. She came to one with a pearl comb. Finding a mirror in a corner of the room she struggled with her violent locks of hair. It lay matted on her head and refused to tame. Suddenly frustrated she tore at her hair with the comb until it fell straight over her shoulders. Looking at her reflection she wrinkled her brows and turned sharply away.
Then she stopped and stood for a while, calming herself. Why was she suddenly angry? Sighing, she realized that she had never felt so confused before, so lost. Many times in her life she had felt betrayed, but now there wasn't a soul she was even the slightest bit ready to trust. How would her friends find her if she couldn't even find herself? A flash of anger passed over her features once again. She always had depended on someone else for her rescue, deeming herself too clumsy to do anything of worth. Throwing her hair over her shoulder, she vowed to bring herself to escape this wretched place, this barbarian-like place by herself. Nothing was as it should be.
The door opened and Sloth walked inside. "Much better. Come now, you'll need no shoes." The woman took hold of her wrist and led her outside, where her boy followed.
Rose gazed at the hallways, at the paintings that lined their walls and found the similarities between them and the pictures in her own temple in Lior. Then her eyes landed on the boy, whose gaze was directly at her, as if examining her. Rose wrenched her own gaze aside, shaken. They still sickeningly frightened her, though she tried to be brave. Closing her eyes and steadying herself, she followed the two out the double-doored entrance of the building they were in.
Outside Rose found herself in a huge city, enclosed within a cave. The sky was simply rock with scattered blue stones. They were almost like stars. Dropping her gaze, Rose saw the city below them, houses made of rock and paths of the blue glow. Despite her hard resolution, it was beautiful. Realizing Sloth and the boy, Wrath, were walking down the many hundreds of steps that led to the city, Rose followed. The ground wasn't hard beneath her feet; it was as if walking on soft sand that never sank. Hesitantly, she continued.
Though her legs ached the more she went, she kept herself resolutely firm and didn't slow her pace. The others in front of her seemed to show no signs of fatigue.
At the bottom, their feet touched the smooth surface of the blue stone path. Lightly stepping on its surface they walked through the town. At first there were many people out, each garbed in a simple dress or shirt, but they murmured a quick prayer and fled from them. Rose looked around, hoping someone would be bold enough to stay so she could see them, who they were, but once she came close they would scramble away. What was this strange place?
"Welcome to the city," Sloth was saying, "the city of Bloch."
"Hierra, hurry up." Edward turned around to see the small girl lost in thought, standing still. She heard her name and obediently ran forward to him, as if wanting to understand what he meant. She seemed to understand the severity of the situation.
For many long hours they walked in silence, occasionally stopping to get a drink from a stream that trickled by. But they didn't stall. Edward was too upset to say anything more.
Splashing cool water on his face, Edward felt a small hand tug the sleeve of his coat. Turning around, he saw the small face of Hierra looking sadly up at him. She was crying.
"Hierra?"
"Ahurta kil stvak Rawse." Her voice cracked and she wiped the tears away from her eyes before continuing, louder and more panicked. "Rawse ka—Rawse. Rawse ka tawa Sera. Sera Chto. Sera Chto!"