The Persistence of Rain and an Internal Promise

The bright sun stayed trapped behind dense clouds, leaving the sky above us a dull gray as we walked along the yellowish dirt path. The mountains far beside us looked endless as they stretched toward the horizon. We stayed close to the forest as we traveled, the scent of salty water warning us of possible rainfall.

“Master Matthias, if the weather worsens, it would be wonderful to have shields cast over us.”

The girl quickened her steps to walk beside the hooded man. I lingered a small distance behind, not in any mood to use more energy. I knew I’d be the one to hunt for food today, and the threat of rain was dampening my mood.

“I’m not your master. If you wanna learn some protection spells, you’re better off teaching yourself.”

“So if the rain does fall, you would rather leave us to our fates.”

Matthias made a sort of disgusted expression while he looked down at Vivian. He turned his eyes to me and sighed.

“Fine. But this is just a one-time thing, got it?”

Vivian’s face reflected pure happiness as she nodded eagerly. Matthias slowed to a halt, and we stood in a triangle, a small distance between each of us.

“Close your eyes. Concentrate only on the mana surrounding you. Feel its power enveloping your entire body from head to toe.”

Vivian and I complied with Matthias’s orders. Finley’s body was not meant to be attuned to magic. Thanks to my source code, I was still able to sense the faint mana surrounding me. The mana was like specks of warmth fading in and out as it traveled around me.

“Imagine the mana hardening around you, like an eggshell. Then…”

I heard a snap in front of me. Another, lighter snap beside me followed.

This is the same spell… the one Eris used before.

My fingers twitched. I snapped half-heartedly and opened my eyes.

Standing before me were my two companions. Each of them was surrounded by an egg-shaped barrier of faint light. I looked around me to see one closely surrounding my own form. I reached out my hand slowly, hoping to touch it.

“It… it worked! Thank you, Mas— Matthias!”

I walked up to my companions, each wearing a near-opposite expression. Vivian beamed up at Matthias, who averted his eyes in feigned annoyance. Their eyes moved to me, their expression shifting into worry.

“Miss Velda, are you alright?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“You look… I think, pained?”

I noticed how cold my face felt. My hands were clasped together tightly, and I tried to relax my tight jaw. Matthias stepped forward, blocking Vivian from my view. His brow was furrowed slightly, but his expression remained otherwise neutral.

“Hey, mind stepping aside with me for a moment?”

I nodded lightly. He moved to enter the forest, and I followed a distance behind.

“Okay, ah… I will stay right here, then.”

Vivian’s voice faded as we passed the trees and into a small verdant clearing. The air was becoming humid, made clear by the dew lightly dappled on the grass. Matthias stopped walking and turned back to face me.

“Magic is magic, no matter who the wielder is. The magic I use is derived from the power of the moon goddess Matriluna. The same goddess Eris worships and swears heritage to.”

I felt a strong anxiety well up in my chest. My head screamed at me, but I refused to let the memories come. I never wanted to see what Finley kept hidden. Not without her permission.

“The face you’re making now… it’s the same one she made back then, when she denounced all magic. You’ve seen it yourself, haven’t you? I’m sure you have her memories, like the bodies from before.”

I narrowed my eyes. I could feel my smile tighten awkwardly as I prepared to speak.

“I’m trying not to remember.”

“Why?”

“It wouldn’t be right. She’s still alive… I’m not going to invade her privacy.”

Matthias’s gaze shifted, as if he was trying to see into my mind. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration and sighed.

“Fine. You’re the one in there, so your reservations are hers. I’ll back off.”

Matthias’s usually unwavering tone of voice became laced with anger as he finished. He brushed past me, the barriers around us clashing with a faint light. I turned and followed after a moment.

He’s right. Finley has a strong hate… and fear, for magic of all kinds. Although when it comes to magic used by Eris, there seems to be a stronger reaction.

I stopped walking and watched my companions greet each other. Vivian looked from Matthias to me, smiling patiently.

I would love to just comb through Finley’s memories— to see what made her the way she is, but I can’t. Because if I do… it will feel like I’ve given up on getting her back, so that she can tell me herself.

Without looking back, Matthias began to walk off. Vivian’s eyes widened in surprise, and she followed. I rushed to catch up, slowing down as I reached Matthias’s left side.

I looked up at him hesitantly. His eyes moved to meet mine, darted away, then back at me. He sighed and made a weird, sort of apologetic smile. I shook my head lightly and returned a similar expression.

We returned our gazes toward the path ahead. As we walked, we spotted a group of pheasants. Matthias readied his bow, and I pulled out my sword.

A fog set in as we chased the pheasants, our visibility greatly lessened. Eventually, I managed to wrangle one that had been separated from its group. Relief set in, and we continued on our journey, a small meal awaiting us.

As the sky darkened, the fog dissipated, and a light rainfall began. Raindrops pitter-pattered above me as they fell onto my barrier. I looked up at the cloudy sky, the moon doing its best to peek from behind the crowded clouds.

The forest began to wrap around our path, filling the space below the horizon. Matthias looked back and motioned for us to enter the dense woods. I nodded and turned to Vivian, whose eyes wavered with uncertainty.

As we stepped into the dark forest, the trees blocked out what remained of the moonlight. The near pitch-black space around us was filled with whistling winds and the distant hooting of owls.

I moved closer to my companions. I could still see the outline of their bodies and the dim shape of their faces. A small hand grabbed my sleeve.

“Can anyone see a way out? Hold on, I’ve got this.”

A small orb of light appeared ahead of us, floating above Matthias’s palm. He turned back to check on us, his expression relaxing when he confirmed our presence.

“Matthias, there is a dim light far ahead of us…”

Vivian pointed somewhere before us. I turned to look, a pale white light coming into view as we walked ahead.

“A clearing?” Matthias muttered as the dim light grew closer.

We stepped out from behind the dense thicket to find an old abandoned hut. The door was all but missing, the roof was filled with a large hole, and the windows were shattered. Vines covered most of the hut’s walls, and were beginning to make their way inside.

“Looks like we’re staying here tonight.”

I gawked at Matthias as he declared his plan. He stepped closer to the dilapidated hut and turned on his heels to face us.

“Hate to break it to you, but those barriers won’t hold up while we sleep. As long as we stay under what’s left of the roof, we should be able to sleep unbothered by the rain. Any objections?”

I closed my mouth and defeatedly shook my head. Vivian, who was still clutching my sleeve, gulped audibly and agreed. Matthias cleared a space on the ground and prepared a small barrier. Vivian and I caught on, separating to prepare items for dinner.

The rainfall became an almost unnoticeable sprinkling as we set up the fire. Matthias collected berries he believed to be safe as I prepared the pheasant.

~

We ate in a comfortable silence, the rain slowing down as we finished our meals. I crawled into a corner of the broken hut, curling up tightly to hold onto every bit of warmth I could. A light snoring sounded from somewhere behind me. The gentle dripping of water from the hut’s roof accompanied the snoring and gentle winds to lull me to sleep.

I dreamt of rainy days and walks home through the dimly lit streets of Solagard. My close friend with obsidian-colored hair walked beside me, showing me dazzling bursts of light and swirling colors. I clapped happily as I enjoyed the show.