Sitting just outside the prefecture was a village of tents. Campfires in every direction.
The ground looked like nothing but dirt and stone covered in green algae. The kids either played around with sticks and stones or helped their parents bring buckets of water to the tent they resided in.
But Friza makes her way through the village. Neither Balmung or her straw hat with her.
But people knew exactly who she was, better yet, what she was. She got stares as she walks up stone steps to a higher part of the village. The sound of kids muttering and people whispering brought Friza to the conclusion they were talking about her. From the way she was dressed to the sleeved tattoo, people could see she was not one of them. But a Soul Eater in which they haven't lied eyes on in so long.
Friza looks to her left to see a man hand crafting clay into what looked like a vase. His hands dirty as she noticed this entire village had no shoes on. The location was a few miles from the prefecture.
She could smell fresh veggies being boiled not far from where she walked. Word got around rather quickly. People started poking their heads out from their tents just to get a glimpse of what a Soul Eater in real life looked like. None of the people in these villages in this area got a chance to enter the prefecture. In fact, they were blocked off three miles before reaching it for safety purposes. But this village had a fair share of their safety. Guardians were sent to patrol the village when the stars made the light so dim people had to use lamps to make their way around.
Friza entered another pathway of what looked like a wooden shop. Hanging inside were blankets and vases. A fruit stand outside with apples and a few veggies on the side for buying.
Friza stops, looking inside the shop that had no window but an open doorway that showered everything inside which wasn't much. Like a sheetless tent.
"Can I help you, miss?" Friza hears.
Her eyes drift from the fruit below and into an elder man's eyes. His left eyebrow raised as he glanced down at the fruit.
"You'll need to pay for that. One crystal a piece." He holds out his hand.
"I'm looking for the Horse Keeper." Like she was annoyed, she reaches into a small pouch and pulls out what looked like a piece of glass. In the center the star light shown what seemed to be a rainbow of dark colors. These were crystals. Their type of crystals. She places it in his rough hand.
A grin runs across his face as he motions for her to take a fruit. Friza did so. Taking an apple and tossing it in her hand waiting for her answer.
"He's just down thataway. Can't miss him." The old man turns away from Friza taking a good look at the crystal she'd given him as if it were some trophy. Friza did as she was told.
People still stared at her. She takes a juicy bite of the purple fruit. Her eyes squint at the taste of it. How good it was.
Coming up from afar looked like a clear land. People carrying buckets of water on their heads as they stare her down as she makes her way past them. Friza paid it no mind. She swallows and approaches two men dressed like simple bums doing some drug deal.
Off to their right was a large stable of different kinds of horses. A black one, white one, brown. All fairly large and with beautiful hair. Their eyes glow dimly yet in an extra terrestrial way.
That's when the white one stepped forward, showing off its wings. The feathers so pure and white. It flapped them creating a gust of wind that lightly hit Friza from afar. The two men stopped talking, turning as Friza approached them without the slightest fear of being judged.
"Look who we have here," one man says.
Friza takes another bite of her apple before tossing it at the black horse. The horse catches it, chewing the entire thing with a single chomp.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! We don't feed horses unless you ask me permission, ya hear, missy?" the man angrily speaks. Friza just looks at him. She looks at his bare, crusty, dirty toes before moving her eyes to his ripped pants that were high waters. His shirt had one sleeve missing has his face looked like he got through playing in dirt.
"I'm here for my horse. I believe a few Guardians have paid for them for our needs. I'd like to be quick." Friza looks at the other man who looks away.
"Proof of pay." The man holds out his hand.
Friza sighs as the second man scuffs and smiles at Friza. "Sir. We've paid. I'd like my animal. Or I'll just take one." Friza once again demanded.
"Proof of p-" Before he finished, Friza held out her hand. His body tobbles down in an inhuman way before he was pulled by an unknown force. His neck collided with Friza's palm as she looks down on him in such a way people would think she was choking him or robbing him.
"Proof of what?" Friza looks into his fearful eyes. His mouth ajar showing off the rigged yellow teeth he had.
"We.. got… choo. Choose one." He struggles to get the words from his mouth. Friza lets go of his neck, letting him fall backwards onto the ground. The other man had clear fear. His eyes wide as he backs away from the stable of horses.
"Stand." Friza demanded. She looks at all four horses in the stables. Each one moving as if they were ready to run off and never stop.
The man quickly got to his feet, rubbing his neck that had Friza's handprint around it.
"What are the names?" Friza asked. Her hand rubs across the nose of the black horse. Its eyes looking into Friza's.
"That one is Sacar. He's fast, but has bad stamina."
Friza takes her hand away and looks at the white one.
"Ah! Fisher. I'm sure you'll love this one. Very beautiful, intelligent creature. I think-"
"No. Soul Eaters don't do heights. Not that we're scared, but it's not in our culture to obtain such a creature who has the ability to lift us simply due to trust issues of our enemies." Friza informs.
"Ok ok ok. How about, this one?" The bum moves aside Friza and points to the brown one.
"Name?"
"Malus. He has a very very strong healing factor. It's saliva heals any wound you may have. It can-"
"No. What about that one?" Friza points away from the stable to another with one horse inside of it. The bum's eyes widen as he gives a nervous chuckle as if he were in hopes she hadn't found out about that one.
Friza could feel herself being drawn to it. A beautiful grey horse. The hair long and white, the muscle build on it was near perfect. She could feel the scorching black eyes gleaming into hers as she began walking towards it.
"She! Hehe, she isn't… uh… for sale!" The bum follows behind Friza who seemed to ignore what he'd just said.
The bum twiddles his hands together nervously as Friza looks up at this creature. His was so calm.
She places her hand on the nose of the horse. The soft fur on her hands made her smile as she could feel the good energy it had gave off. The soul of this creature so pure and perfect. As if it were speaking to her.
"What's its name?" Friza asked.
"Her name is Lilly. But like I s-"
"Four crystals for her. I'll add three more if you give me a test run." Friza holds out her hand in which the deal seemed to shut the bum up. His eyes wide as he shakes her hands before a smile began forming on his face. He looks at his partner who was grooming one of the horses, listening to what Friza and him talked about.
He rubs his hands together before all of a sudden changing his attitude towards her.
"Seven crystals you say? Wow. I mean. Hehe, a little test run won't hurt… would it?" the bum speaks while opening the stable.
Friza watches his with a blank expression. Her eyes scanning his moment as he grabs the rope around her Lilly's snout.
"Make sure you ride it around the trail in the forest. Should be five miles all the way around." He holds out the grey rope for Friza to take. Friza rubs her hand across the fur of Lilly. A smile growing on her face.
Friza patted the back end of Lilly. Mounting the horse, Lilly moved nervously, shaking Friza before Friza held onto her neck in hopes to calm Lilly down.
"Whoa whoa whoa! I'm no harm, girl. You're safe." Friza felt the tension in Lilly's muscles lighten up as Lilly became more accustomed to Friza sitting on top of her. Friza smiles. "That's a good girl." Friza rubs the side of Lilly's body.
Friza grabs the rope, sitting straight up and looking down on the bum who holds both his hands out as if he were begging for food.
"I'll give the crystals to you when I come back." Friza had an angry expression on her face as the bum rolls his eyes in annoyance.
Lilly began moving nervously. Shaking her head as her hair began to fly in the wind she'd created.
"Ready, girl?" Friza yanks at the rope. Lilly began walking along the trail the bum had shown her with his dirty palms.
The treeline of the woods stood out. Inside, Friza could already see little insects flying around. The forest was thick with bushes and logs. A red dirt pathway lead through the forest, being lit up by the stars above. Like red powder as Friza looks down on it.
She smiles as she rubs Lilly again. "You're so… precious!" Friza grins harder as she looks at Lilly.
Her hands grip the rope. With a large yank, Lilly took off. Wind began gushing against Friza's face as she and Lilly soar through the woods as fast as wind. Friza began yanking harder. The more she yanked, the faster Lilly seemed to get. Friza had no trouble staying on. Friza's heart began racing the faster Lilly began to run. Lilly ran so fast it felt as if Lilly were flying now.
Trees move past them so fast Friza hard trouble making out what they looked like.
"LILLY!" Friza screams.
Coming up was a large lake. The forest had been cut off by a large body of water. From afar, Friza could see the trail continuing on the other side of the lake. Lilly didn't stop. Friza pulled on the rope to try but nothing seemed to work. Lilly kept going. Friza looks around for any way she could jump off this horse.
There was no where. Lilly was simply too fast. Friza couldn't see a full path or spot to jump to.
The lake approached and Friza ducks down, hugging on Lilly as tight as she could. Her life began flashing before her eyes. The sounds of splashing filled the air as droplets of light water mist touches Friza's skin.
Lilly was still running. Friza's eyes open slightly to see her reflection in the sparkling water below.
She's… she's running on.. water…, Thinks Friza.
Lilly's legs dent the water surface below yet kept the afloat of the lake. The other side of the forest was coming up. They reached it and Lilly had slowed down a lot more than she'd had before.
"Wow, girl! You are amazing!" Friza smiles. Her teeth showing as they began circling around to go back to the horse keeper.
They made it back and Friza looks at the bum with all happiness. The grin unable to be taken from her face as she looks down on the bum.
He smiles as if he knew she'd love her. As if he knew she'd pick such a wonderful creature.
"And the crystals?" The bum holds his hands out.
"I keep my word. She is a beauty. I'm glad I found her when I did. The finest in all of Tarrif," Friza replies.
Friza hops off the horse, patting Lilly before reaching into her pouch and counting out seven crystals. The bum rubs his hands together, eager to get his fingers on such wonderful value.
"And… a fee for having me-"
Friza pulls her hands back with the crystals gripped in her palm. "Don't push it, rookie. You're lucky I'm being this generous." Friza looks the bum in his eyes as he nods in fear. Friza looks at Lilly one more time and back to the bum before placing the crystals in his gritty hands.
Friza watches as he places them into his pouch. His melanin skin shining in the star light.
Friza always admired the people on this side of Tarrif. Their skin beautiful and brown. All different shades of brown. Friza had no melanin. Master Kaijin too had melanin and Friza envies him. She envied everyone here. Her and the two last Soul Eaters, Zola and Arlo seemed to be the only people on this side of Tarrif who had pale skin.
Friza yanks the rope again as Lilly began slow walk in the direction Friza had taken to get to the Horse Keeper.