Black Dress (oneshot fiction)

Note: Black Zodiac was the original name, but I figured Black Dress would be better. XD

She wore a black dress. Around the collar were thirteen silver symbols, stitched of glittering metallic thread. The sleeves were short and capped--a newbie then. I winced as I watched her cross the stone courtyard. That was always the worst time, being a newbie. She carried herself with the quiet strength and silent acceptance of her lot, though, the way the older members of the Black Lot did. Cinched tight around her upper left arm, a silver band with a single strip of black stone in the middle gleamed on her pale skin. Long hair, piled up on the top of her head in a bun slowly loosening itself, was dyed black. Red roots showed through, though--ah. That might explain why she was so strong. She had already been through this many times.
As her bare feet slid across the smooth stones of the inner courtyard, people stopped to stare, even spit on the ground before her. Many made the ward-evil sign with their fingers, turning away from her in disgust. She passed right beside me, her eyes not moving from her destination, a black shadow passing quietly through the world. The wooden door creaked as she pushed it open, her fingers splayed across the splintering boards. As it thudded shut behind her, I paused, wondering what life would be like forever branded as she was. I saw it every day, but to be a part of that would be devastating.
A group of women in their middle twenties were moving along the walkway toward me. Their bodices were black, but their full skirts were white as snow. Black fabric slippers encased their feet, and two heavy silver bands graced their wrists. So they had finally bent back toward what was acceptable, hm? I had seen them passing through the village in the pitch black dresses before, and they had declared they would never surrender. Now here they were, halfway back to public acceptance.
Some people still spat at them, some still made the ward-evil sign as they passed, but many smiled, and openly waved at them, making pleasant conversation.
That was the hardest part of being a Black Lot. The conversation. Being around other people. Being able to speak. That was always hard. Solitude did not suit many people well, and completely silent isolation broke many of the strongest Believers.
The Silver Zodiac was still engraved on the walls of the town, but only because nothing could remove them. The walls would never fall, even in the test of time. Bombs had fallen on those walls before, and they stayed strong. Those stones would never vanish. But to believe was wrong; it was illegal. People dressed up as them in the yearly Festival,while all the year long, men and women were branded with the sign of the Black Lot, and wore the draping black clothes until they were either broken or banished.
I knew we all would regret the decisions the Leaders had made concerning the Believers. One day we would all suffer for it, and there would be no one to turn to for aid. We would rightly fall.

***

I watched that woman for nearly a year. She passed silently through the town, down to the villages, to the markets, and up to the Black Towers for the nights she would spend locked in a cell. Her duties consisted of keeping the dungeons clean with three other Black Lot, sweeping the courtyard every other day, running errands for the castle servants, and bringing medicines to the villagers. She would never have a moments peace to pray alone, but I knew she was still strong. I could see her lips move as she blessed the food she carried back to the castle, and I knew she prayed for the healing of the sick ones she visited. I knew all day long, the hymns written so long ago were dancing through her head, and every new moon, I knew she whispered thanks as she set out a part of her dinner on the window ledge.
As the months passed, and she went about barefoot summer and winter, her dress never changed, and her hair was constantly redyed. Those women I had seen with their half-black, half-white gowns, now wore pale white dresses and cream cloth in their hair. The men they hung out with in their infrequent time off wore similar outfits, and they laughed cheerfully, carefree, though everyone knew they were outcasts everywhere now. Not even the Believers were going to stay with them now that they had turned their backs on their faith, and those that had never Believed would always keep a wary eye on them.
As the mark of a year came up, the woman and her fellows gathered in the courtyard, meticulously swept and washed the night before. In front of them were the officials, ready to begin judgement.
"Those who have seen the light and the wrong of their ways, please step forward." A tall, thin man in the highest position said, standing up and placing both fists on the table. He was one of those who advocated the death sentence for all Believers, with no chance for redemption.
Everyone leaned forward. The entire town was watching. I waited, expectant. There was always someone who no longer wished to live in such harshness, regardless of their personal beliefs.
Murmurs swept through the crowd as the silence stretched out, and not one of the Black Lot stepped forward. The man's eyebrows slowly lifted, nearing his hairline in disbelief. All of the Black Lot were constantly preached to, forced to take lessons in the proper ways and faiths. Always, two or more of the year's group left their old ways. Always.
"If any one amongst you have seen the error of your ways, step forward now. You will have no further chance. And I warn you: this year you will not be getting off lightly, as before. This year....stricter....methods have been put in place."
Again the brilliant silence. I couldn't help myself, I was smiling. Twenty-three women and thirty men all stood immobile, facing the Leaders down, refusing to give up their Beliefs--the same beliefs that had brought this city to its height and strength.
Shocked murmurs bled through the crowd. No matter how the Leaders demanded silence, the crowd got louder and louder. Family members attending the gathering were openly weeping, though I knew not if it was because they were glad or saddened by the public choice.
I began to clap. Many near me stared at me, appalled, shocked that a grown man would condone this. But several took up the beat, and suddenly the courtyard was full of clapping townspeople.
"SILENCE! SILENCE!" the Leaders and their Guard roared, but still we clapped. Still the Black Lot stood, defiant.
"Escort the Black Lot to the city walls. They are to be banished immediately on pain of death. If they refuse to leave, those tarrying are to be shot."
Though we protested, the Guard shepherded the black-dressed group to the gates of the city.
"My lord!" I called above the crowd, and the clapping abated. "If you do insist on banishing the Faithful, I believe that many of your townspeople shall go with them, and leave your harsh ways behind."
I could tell he was furious. I could see his eyes bugging out in fury, his face turning red with suppressed rage that an upstanding young noble like myself would dare say such a thing. A cheer went up with my words, affirming them.
I turned and followed the Black Lot and their escort to the gates, and as I passed, more and more people joined me. There were many who would not leave their lands behind, and a few who could not leave because of their ill family members, but I knew there would soon be another group of fine townspeople leaving with us.
"You have until sunrise to be gone!" The Leader shouted, waving his fist in the air. "All you sympathetic to the Black Lot deserve to be banished! Good riddance!"
Even more of the crowd raced from the courtyard at this, hurrying to their homes to gather up supplies. The Leader's face was purple at this obvious show of dissention, and he swept out of the courtyard in a fury.
By nightfall, a chain of torches lit the rocky terrain as the town emptied. By sunrise, much of the city would be deserted. Even though they had never shown any friendliness to the Black Lot, many people gave the banished ones food and clothing as they passed, donating wheelbarrows and other boxes to carry their newfound possessions in. Several of the Black Lot stayed to help people get their sick and elderly out of the city with their families, and I was pleasantly startled to see the woman I had watched amongst them. I stood at the gates, gates that the guards had long since abandoned, and helped people pack up hurriedly grabbed belongings and aid their grandmothers and fathers out of the city walls.
Murmurs of wonder and astonishment caught my ears all night. No one had been outside the walls before, except the shepherds and ranchers, all of whom had permanent residence outside of the city's protection.
Gone were the stone roads and shaded walkways. Now we were outside on the grassy, rocky terrain, with narrow dirt tracks away from the city and Beyond. Three hours before dawn, the last of us were outside of the city, and I began to walk away from the home I had had all my life. She was there still, getting everybody off on their own, before picking up her new backpack of goods, and setting off too. We each carried a torch, the light illuminating the grey stone and pale dirt with a strange orange glow.
The flames flickered along for miles in front of us, as newly freed townspeople hurried away, adrenaline and shock fueling their speedy getaway.
"Hello," I said, nudging her arm with mine. I felt the cold metal of her armband through my jacket.
"Hello," she said, her voice sounding musical.
"I've been watching you for a year. I'm still surprised you didn't bend."
"If you had truly been watching, you wouldn't have been surprised," she said, looking up at me, the boldness and strength all summed up in that one look she gave.
"I have been watching. But everyone was surprised that no one gave over to the 'right' ways." I sketched a quote mark with my free hand.
"Yes, they were. It should have happened long ago. Too many of us were harried for too long--we lost too many good believers through their evil ways," she was nearly whispering now. I wondered briefly when she had eaten last.
Behind was a massive crashing sound, something that filled my ears and nearly burst my eardrums. The smashing of rock splitting open and tumbling down was enormous. I whirled around, as did everyone on the path and the woman beside me, and saw the walls of the city falling down with a great roar, smashing into the rocky valley floor. The gleaming silver symbols of the Thirteen Zodiac signs faded, and were gone from the stone altogether.
Bolts of lightning were raining from the sky down onto the city. I could feel the electric charge in the air. Three bolts combined into one at the tip and struck the Leader's Tower, bringing it crashing down as it burned.
Shouts rang through the night air as the city was exposed to the valley around it, and the gusting night winds. The remaining townsfolk were running through the streets, terrified.
The Believers had left, and the city had finally fallen.
I turned to her, and held out my hand.
"Alexander." I said, shaking her hand. She smiled at me.
"Sharon."
Together we walked away from the ruins, two Believers in the night full of wonders.