City Walls

The bustling streets of Glearstheim were packed, filled to the brim with the husky smell of goods being pulled on wagons, the sweaty stenches of mercenaries on duty, weary travelers calling for rest, and the average cityfolk going about their daily business. It was the busiest city in the north, wherein every minute of every day was a rush hour.

On the grimy cobblestone road, there came the pitter-patter of shoes. Over the unbearable noise of the crowd, they went unheard. A young girl stood there, out in the open, bracing her frail body, telling it to withstand the force of the people's flow. She was no older than the age of fifteen; her messy hair fell to her shoulders, her dark green dress was dirtied and torn, and her brown eyes refused to leave what they were staring at -- the ground.

She was shoved this way and that. The crowd didn't care to take notice of the girl, who stood rooted to the spot. Why couldn't she move? Perhaps it would have been much better if she dashed into an alleyway, free from the commotion taking place around her. No. She wouldn't move. She didn't want to.

The loud noise drowned her ears. She closed her anxious eyes for a second, listening closely. Everything slowed down; time slowed down. It was as if she was submerged deep in crystal clear waters.

The girl breathed and heaved a sigh; a sigh that came from her tired heart. She had had enough of this tiny kingdom; she was tired of its laws, its rulers, and most of all, its guardian walls. Raising her head high, she stared. It was nearly impossible to miss them, the great, brick walls that towered over the city, encircling it and its inhabitants in its silent prowess.

She frowned at the ominous guard towers, with their pointed turrets and blood red flags. She hated the columns of white steam that erupted from the mechanisms that opened the four steel gates.

To her, it was simply a prison, a torture chamber.

More than anything did she want to experience the world outside. She had heard of the vast, blue oceans, the rich pastures, the craggy mountains, and the enchanted forests. Tales were told of the magical beings: the fairies, the elves, the dwarves, and the mermaids. Legends were exchanged by many about the evils: the demons, black citadels, and raging volcanoes.

As mesmerizing as they were, the girl had lived her life believing that she was a weak person, a delicate flower buffeted by piercing winds, that is, until that time her opinions changed. It was the day the towering walls revealed to her her own cowardice.

What path in life was she treading? She realized that by staying in that city, her life would evolve to be one of solitude, of limitations, and of sighs. She didn't want that.

In fact, she feared such a life.

The girl wanted to be free, to go wherever she pleased, not bound by anything except her own body. She yearned to explore the world around her, to go on adventures she never had a chance to experience. It made sense to her now. Her dreams would never come true if she remained locked up behind those brick walls, behind that frightening gate.

"Out of the way!" a large man barked, using all of his strength to push her aside.

With a loud thud, the young girl stumbled backwards. She fell down, crashing into a pile of old boxes, yet she did not scream, nor wail, nor cry in protest.

That had been it, the catalyst for her final decision.

She stood, her gaze fixed upon the southern gate. Step after step, she approached it, a black mouth that concealed whatever was to be found elsewhere. Finally, she paused under its looming shadow, her eyes closed once again. The girl knew that her family was waiting for her back home, but she was already beyond stopping herself. Her feet wouldn't come to a halt. They wouldn't turn around and send her walking back to where she came from.

Every fiber in her body was screaming for it, a word she wished to call out and savor: freedom.

A smile formed on her cracked lips. Despite her muddied clothes and lack of preparation, she was happy. She didn't regret her choice, though she was aware of all that she was leaving behind. She wasn't carrying any food, just a little bit of money, yet she didn't care. She knew she would manage. The heavy gates rose with an eerie creak, and the young girl no more than the age of fifteen joined the throng of people who were about to journey to the outside world, a land of hopes, dreams, mystery, and magic.

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A/N: It's a bit symbolic, in a way.