𝔇𝔢𝔣𝔦𝔞𝔫𝔠𝔢 (𝔏𝔢𝔳𝔦 𝔵 ℜ𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔢𝔯)

LVII - Eyes In The Shadows

I'd give up many things to live one night just like that. I'd give up more for it to be a permanent lifestyle. The dreams of how I wanted to live always were out of reach, teasing me with its taunting temptation. A dream, is what it will remain.

I walk down the streets, my attire not exactly helping with the warm nor the cold. A casual pair of black pants paired with a white t shirt, a small satchel hidden beneath a tan poncho, my hands running through my hair in order to either make it look better or worse. Somewhere on my figure, I had a dagger tucked away for precaution, just in case something bad happened. My expression distorted into one of annoyance, mind still swinging back to that irritating reminder of how I wasn't sure what day it was. An anniversary, of some sort? I internally groan at myself, facepalming at my lack of attention on recent days. A scent of incense filled my nostrils, my thoughts momentarily hushed to enjoy the smell of burning cedar.

An amazing way to wake up the senses, dull them down as you enter a state of peace. I've always been fond of nice smelling things, more than other people. It draws me in, a magnet of sorts. Venturing off the street I enter a store, a cozy little room laying under a dark shadow, blanketing the items across each shelf. It was a mystical place to say the least. The shelves had small items sprawled across them, such as wooden carvings of animals or handcrafted leather cover books, each cover of each book detailed with delicate patterning of sorts, including forests or vague images of animals.

Masks, cloaks and jewelry were on display throughout the place, the vast variety of masks catching my eye. I bend down slightly, getting closer to a mask that I had taken a particular liking to, admiring it. It was similar to what people stereotyped as a demon, though it was pure white with what looked to be brown spotting, almost like a rustic effect. The mouth was pried open from the large horn like canines on both the upper and lower jaw. Two horns protruded symmetrically from its forehead, the white turning to a grey towards the points. The brows of the mask were pushed down, an angry stare intended from its expression.

"It's a very nice piece, isn't it?" An elderly lady smiled at me. I glance at her in surprise, her presence being so sudden I didn't realize she was there.

"It is, I've never seen anything like it before." I reply back, carefully picking it up and raising my eyebrows in revelation at how light it felt compared to how it looked.

"A unique mask made by an unknown clan from the Eastern side of Maria. They now reside in the Northern part of Rose, their family names disclosed to no one but themselves." The lady explains, a smile on her face through it all. "Delicate, mysterious and very obviously talented. Most of the masks here are crafted by those very hands."

"An unknown clan you say?" I ask, looking from the mask to her, her silver hair pulled back into a low bun that rested at the bottom of her head.

"Supposedly a family that might have migrated here two thousand years ago, before the walls appeared. The bloodline has been here ever since the reign of King Fritz." She tells me, smacking her lips together every few moments.

"Anything about loyalty?" I ask hurriedly, my hopes through the roof for answers to the empty book. She shook her head, my hope deflating just as fast as it appeared.

"Just a family from elsewhere. A land free of titans, countless lifetimes ago." She looked at me with a crooked grin. "My, you truly are a beauty!" She exclaims, wobbling in my direction. I step toward her, making her journey that little bit easier as she leans in to examine me.