Poisoned Fortunes - Prologue
The sky above the city was alive with stars, glittering down at its inhabitants. The buildings were still, people in their beds, nothing but the soft buzz of street lanterns and insects. The city was one surrounded by hills, a secluded place; yet many lived there, and it bustled with activity as soon as the sun came up.
Two figures stood outside a small building, disrupting the blanket of silence covering the town. Two bags sat alongside them, fit to burst with equipment and essentials both figures found necessary. They both spoke in hushed tones, covering their mouths with gloved hands. It wasn’t fully clear what they were discussing, but it was likely relevant to the bags packed and the other, much smaller town directly over the hill.
One of the figures was speaking now. He was taller than the other, and clad in a scarf and puffer jacket. “Are you absolutely sure you have everything you need? You know we can’t come back.” The man spoke with a serious tone, his words coming out as puffs in the air. His voice, almost patronizing, cut through the still twilight despite being muffled. In response, the other figure shifted his weight onto his right leg, rubbing his hand up his arm casually. He wore a pair of gloves and a much thinner jacket, complete with a beanie. He seemed unconcerned, but there was a certain lingering tenseness in his stance. “Yeah, man, I’m sure,” he replied, much softer and more insistent than the other. His voice had a natural singsong quality to it, something he tried very hard to smother. It rarely worked well. “Can we get going yet? It’s kinda chilly out here.” The taller man shook his head in near endearment. “Okay, then. Let’s get going. It’ll take us an hour and a half to reach the top of the hill, and another forty-five minutes to reach the first building in the Valley.” The underdressed man shrugged, grunted out an “Okay” and waited for the taller man to lead the way.
Not fifteen minutes later, both men were well on their way to the hill, and the Valley they spoke of. They trudged along, the shorter man occasionally slumping down for a quick stop before continuing on their journey.
When they reached the first building in the Valley’s settlement, it welcomed them with open arms. While the door was locked, the two men decided to camp by one of its walls.
They drifted off, leaning against the building's walls and nestled in between their bags. The lull of crickets chirping and trees rustling their leaves in the wind helped them reach their dreams quickly.
When they woke up, the sun had not inched high on the horizon, but morning was readily approaching. They decided together to locate the mayor’s building, and see what they could do to start lives as residents here. Luckily enough for their air of secrecy, no one seemed to be up and about just yet.
Upon finding that the mayor’s residence was no more than an ordinary townhome, the two men shared skeptical glances. They, however, had been planning this move for over a year. There was no turning back now. Confidently, the underdressed man plastered a brilliant smile on his face and sharply rapped on the door. Soon after, a rumpled short woman came to answer the door, still blinking away sleep. When she realized these two men were complete strangers to her, she jumped to alertness. “Who are you? I’ve never seen you two around town before. Oh- and um, what do you need?” The underdressed man, still smiling brilliantly, extended a hand. “I’m Ryan WIlliams, and this here is my good pal Zayne. We’re new residents.” The woman, slightly hesitant, offered her hand to the both of them for a handshake. “I’m Dahlia. Pleasure to meet.”
The time of day was around noon when Dahlia gathered the community of Snake’s Eye Valley together to greet its new residents. The square buzzed with excitement and anxiety, everyone whispering among themselves. Some words cut through the quiet din before merging smoothly back into the rest of the hubbub. “Your attention please, everyone!” Dahlia’s voice rang out sharply through the square, and everyone soon fell to a hush. “I would like you to meet our newest residents, fresh from Pristine Gardens. These are Ryan and Zayne; I hope they’ll find their place here soon.” Ryan and Zayne both waved, Zayne far more sheepishly than his companion. They were met with warm smiles and waves in return. Ryan covertly looked over to Zayne with a well-disguised smirk. “This is definitely going to be fun, partner.” He spoke in a whisper.