[ P ] Stray Rain

The comfort of words could be shallow, only whispers that might serve the speaker more than the one who required solace. Rafiel realized this, how powerful or empty his words could be—he would have to choose them wisely, fairly, with all the empathy he could conjure.

There was no stronger force than a mother’s love. That was what Tyra told him when he was a pup whenever he would feel obstinate or wish his parents would make another dictation. Rafiel was by no means a bad pup, but he was mischievous and somewhat willful about his ability to explore and relax in his freedoms. Tyra would gently tell him otherwise, and Rafiel would inevitably relent, his mother a guiding force in his life.

Here, Merrin was, sad and mournful about the loss of her child. It was no different for her, and Rafiel bowed his head, appropriate for the quiet moment. “Are you ready to go?” The wailing had already begun to fade in his ears; perhaps the phantom was gone now, ready to haunt the next being that stepped into the forest.

But even as his companion stood up, and he nuzzled her to her feet, she stared past him—at something. Rafiel whipped his head around to look, but all he saw was darkness. “What do you see?” he said, not doubting for a moment that Merrin did, indeed, experience within her visage a ghost he could not. “Is it Etherea?”

@Merrin

Art by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Surely, he would be just as unnerved as she was, but when Rafiel turned to look behind him, he acted as though nothing where there at all. Merrin looked between him and the plagued child in disbelief. “No, no…it’s not…you don’t see see her? She’s hurt…” Every time she placed her sights on Rafiel and then returned them back to the phantom, it seemed to have moved closer. This was more then unsettling to Merrin, but she held still, watching with a mixture of horror and concern overtaking her tear-stained features.

The terrifyingly misshapen pup came within a few feet of them, so close Rafiel could have reached out with a paw and touched her. She could see now that the little girl’s eyes were endless pits of black. A rattling breath was drawn from the ghost before it spoke again, ”Mama?”

It struck her in the heart and Merrin’s eyes glanced to the golden knight, before taking hesitant pawsteps forward, though keeping near to him. She then lowered herself slightly, looking over the sickly child with sympathy. “Hello..?” The transparent image of the pup shivered, the girl’s face showing recognition that it had heard her before disappearing. Merrin recoiled and stood again, moving closer to Rafiel until their flanks were touching as she began looking around frantically for any other signs of the ghost. “Where did she go?”


@Rafiel

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da], click for attributions

Phantoms and specters were not a commonplace subject matter—in fact, if you asked someone like his brother Edric, he would probably say that ghosts did not exist. However, Rafiel thought he might believe in them. He believed in souls and spirits, remnants of his loved one who perhaps did not choose to leave this land in favor of the afterlife.

He had to, of course, for someone as optimistic and loving as he had to believe that there was a place for his kin after they died here.

The alternative would seem… hopeless and cruel to him.

Thus, even though Rafiel did not see this phantom child, he believed Merrin. “I don’t see her,” he said, his voice gentle and quiet. He wouldn’t want to spook the little ghost, now, would he?

“If you do, I wonder if she might be trying to communicate with you? If she’s hurt, perhaps, she can’t find her way to the afterlife. She might need your help.” He watched as Merrin stepped forward, greeting the girl, even though she remained unseeable to him, only for her to recoil. “Come,” Rafiel said. “Let’s find her again. She clearly likes you.”

@Merrin

Art by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

“I don’t see her.”

“Oh…” Merrin’s ears flattened slightly to this news and she lowered her head, her lips tugged downward into a frown. She let her eyes settle onto her feet, feeling self conscious under the weight of Rafiel’s gaze. Would he think she was mentally unwell? She bit her lip, unsure of how to navigate through the awkward silence.

When he spoke again, she peered up at him timidly at first. Eventually, her body language became more open, as a rose would unfurl to the warm radiance of the sun, in response to the soothing resonance of his voice. Merrin’s lavender orbs lingered on Rafiel, perhaps a moment too long, though she could not seem to grasp at how the knight, time and again, remained supportive, kind, and compassionate towards her.

Her eyelids fluttered and she finally blinked the spell away, keeping all of her senses alert for the child. “Alright, let’s try to find her then.” She moved in the direction that she could only assume was deeper into this forest. There was no turning back for them now.

Merrin’s heart rattled against her ribcage, fear and curiosity wrestling with one another inside her chest. She parted her lips, wanting to call out to the child, but not keen on how to address her. Merrin thought back to her own children, channeling on the briefest of fond memories as she cooed after the pup, “Little one? Where are you, darling? You can come out. We mean no harm.”


@Rafiel

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da], click for attributions

Where Merrin lacked confidence, Rafiel wished to build her bridges and towers, cliffs along the country hillside, castles and courtyards by the sea. She was his dear companion, after all, a woman with rich history and scars that could only be healed over time.

Still, there was nothing wrong with adversity. Even Rafiel had met the wildfires that destroyed his homeland, moving past them with both sorrow and determination. His siblings were here, strong and lively, and he would create the House of Zyphear—perhaps never restored to its ancient and former glory—but they would make it better.

He let Merrin lead the way as they searched for this ghost child. “That’s right,” he said, agreeing with her. “We’re here to see you. We just want to talk and see your pretty little face, my dear.” They walked and walked within the wood, and while Rafiel could not detect the phantom, he focused his attention on the lady at his side. She would tell him if she saw anything.

@Merrin

Art by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

There was sudden laughter from behind them and Merrin stopped, whipping herself around quickly. It was a child’s laughter, it was her laughter. She faced the direction of the lighter, more pleasant sound of the giggling to see a pup that has no traces of illness, playing with two others. She straightened up as her eyes grew wide, feeling that this is the same presence as the pup from before…yet this appeared to be an image of her in life.

Merrin’s attention flickered between the three children as they tumbled over each other and for a moment, she’d forgotten she was fearful at all. A small chuckle even slipped past her lips as she simply observed. She then turned to Rafiel curiously as she looked between him and the rambunctious pups. “Are you seeing this now?” Merrin asked, her gaze hopeful while studying his expression.


@Rafiel

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da], click for attributions

Rafiel was a believer, a man who felt no shame in admitting that he saw ghosts and danced with phantoms—why, he would invite them all to dinner, if that would make them gleeful!

The chill seemed to lift, the mist dissipating, as the sun leaked through the forest canopy, shining its golden afternoon glow. Rafiel’s ears folded forward, flitting in curiosity as he thought he heard giggling, the sound of pure joy and laughter, a reunion threaded within them.

“I can’t quite see,” Rafiel said, the sun blocking his sight, even when he squinted, “but I daresay I hear them. Pups. Just like you said, a little girl’s voice in the midst. It sounds like you guided this pup back to her family.”

He looked to Merrin and grinned. “You did well, my lady. Your behavior is fitting of a Zyphear knight!” Then, he nuzzled her neck, the gesture an affectionate one. “Come! Let’s leave this ghost family in peace. It seems that the weather has cleared, so as long as you have no qualms, we can be on the road again.”

Rafiel exits.

@Merrin

Art by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

Merrin’s gaze lingered on him for a moment, her spirit lifting when he seemed to have heard something. She smiled when he confirmed it and then glanced back over to where the group of pups played only to find their images fading with the sunlight. “I suppose I did help guide her…didn’t I?” Her brows furrowed with concern and almost a tinge of disappointment at the loss of the children’s presence, but turning her attention back on Rafiel she found that hs wide smile shining nearly as brightly as the sun and overcoming the gloom.

The praise he offered filled her with joy, beaming in unison with her companion. To even be worthy of comparison to a Zyphear Knight meant the absolute world to her. “Me? A true knight?” She could hardly believe it, though she soaked up this feeling of pride in herself while she had it. When Rafiel nuzzled into her neck she returned the gesture with a pleasant sigh, though as he withdrew she stood there blinking at him as he announced their leave.

It took Merrin a moment to register it, however, for all she could hear was her quickened heartbeat in her ears. “Ah, yes, erm…where to next?” She shook it off and then cast one more glance back at where the lonesome ghost child had once been and then moved after Rafiel, onto the next adventure with him.

[Exit Merrin]

@Rafiel

table by Yahtzee-Penguiduck [da], click for attributions