Chapter 2: "Friend of"

The instant the boy heard someone approaching him from behind, he turned himself around swiftly to face the figure. What lay before him was a young girl, no older than 8, by the looks of it. Her clothes were in tatters, and it seemed as though she hadn’t had a decent meal in ages. Upon first glance she seemed… small. Not just her physical form, but it was as though she tried to make herself as unnoticed as possible. The boy simply stared at her and analyzed her for what felt like an eternity. She averted her eyes whenever the two would meet, but she would stand perfectly still, waiting patiently for the boy to speak.

“Mel?” Finally, the boy spoke.

The girl looked puzzled, unaware of who the boy could be mistaking her for. Noticing her confusion, the boy then spoke once more.

“Ah sorry, no. It’s just that you look a lot like my little sister Melanie. Sorry that I had you confused for someone else. Could I get your name please?”

The girl stayed silent for a few moments longer before she finally began to mutter her next words.

“M-my name is Rhea.”, she whispered.

“Sorry, Rhea? You said?” The boy asked for confirmation.

“Yes”, she replied.

Again, a very long silence broke between the two. It wasn’t awkward however. For some reason, perhaps due to her striking resemblance to his younger sibling, the boy felt comfortable around Rhea. She too, as if sensing his emotions, felt a sense of calm while looking at him. After thinking for a while longer, the boy then knew what he should ask.

“So Rhea, Where exactly are we? I woke up not too long ago and I’m not sure what this place is. It looks to be a castle of some sort with the huge throne sitting here, but if that’s the case then where is everyone?”

Rhea, as if knowing what he would ask, then replied.

“We’re at castle beaufort and um, everyone is out because uh…”

She paused, she had forgotten the reason the castle was empty. This certainly wouldn’t help the boy in understanding how and why he was-

“Oh yeah, It’s the harvest.”, she said candidly.

“Um, I don’t really know how to explain it very well. It would probably make sense if you go see it for yourself”, she continued.

Of course, going to the event would have been simple had he any idea what it was, or even where he was to begin with. Still, it seemed like that would be where he would get most of his answers, and this child would tell him little else regarding his whereabouts. In fact, it seemed like the child was just as lost as he.

“You seem a little lost, how did you get here if you don't mind me asking? '', he asked the little girl.

“Oh I live here! Well… not here, but in this castle. I'm not ‘posed to be outside of my room though.”, she replied.

“Ah so I’m guessing you snuck out of your room while everyone was out at the festival. They must keep you in there a lot huh”, he surmised.

“Ah! Yea, how’d you know?”

“My sister was the same way. Not really a troublemaker, but my mom would never take her out anywhere so she would always find her way outside her room somehow.”

The boy wondered where his sister was now, if she was safe, and eating well with him gone. After all, their m- no, it was best not to think about that woman for the time being.

“Ah that’s right. I almost forgot to give ya my name. Sorry ‘bout that. My name is Moraine.”, the boy said.

Rhea looked up at him in awe, as if she had heard music for the first time, and proceeded to repeat his name.

“Moraine, Moraine, Moraine”

She paused. Then asked a question

“Hey Moraine, Does this mean we’re friends now?”

Moraine gave Rhea a puzzling look. He pondered for a moment, then gave his reply.

“Sure, I don’t see why not.”

The moment he said those words a large grin grew on the young Rhea’s face. She became ecstatic, jumping up and down. For someone so frail, her energy seemed limitless. Then suddenly, she stopped.

“Wait a second, do you promise?”

Moraine, familiar with how children tend to work with these sorts of things, gave a firm answer.

“Of course I do, we’re friends for life now.”

The boy then gestured his hand outward toward the girl. Keep it simple, he thought. The girl in response, took his hand and shook it. The moment she did, he felt something well up inside him. The arm he used to shake her hand grew hot, painfully so. Soon after he saw scribbles, words, begin to form on his arm. His arm then began to cool. He felt himself become calm, almost tranquil, after a few moments. The text then formed on his arm, friend of Rhea, before finally fading. After that moment, only one thought came to his head.

“What was that?”

Rhea looked at him happily.

“It’s proof you meant what you said, that we’re friends.”

Those words weren’t enough to explain what just happened. What Moraine just experienced was indescribable. He also wondered why despite that occurrence just now, Rhea seemed perfectly fine.

“Did you feel that too then, that burn?”, he asked worriedly

“Burn? What burn? I didn’t feel anything, but look I have an oathesmark too”

Rhea showed her arm, and there it was, friend of Moraine written alongside her forearm.

Moraine picked up on a particular word Rhea mentioned just now. Oathesmark, is that what this text was? Moraine then knew his next question.

“Rhea, what is the significance of an oathesmark”

She looked at him for a moment, perplexed. She paused for a while before finally speaking up.

“Uh-um, what does significate, sorry significance mean?”

Moraine looked at her in understanding. He couldn’t expect such a young girl to know every word there was. While significance itself wasn’t that uncommon of a word it still wasn’t fair to judge a child on their vocabulary, especially since it seemed she didn't interact with others too often.

“Basically what does an oathesmark do, what is it exactly”, Moraine asked.

“Oh that’s what you meant. Well it’s proof of our friendship, silly. Sorry, I don’t think you’re silly, it’s just that everyone knows what an oathesmark is. If you had lied when you said you promised, we wouldn’t have one, and also something bad might have happened. I knew it wouldn’t though, because you seem like a good person Moraine.”

A good person huh, that's one way of putting it I guess.

Moraine couldn’t help but wonder what exactly the something bad might have been should he have lied, but he figured that if he didn’t experience it, he was better off not knowing. That being said, he still had no idea where he was, or how this little girl had gotten here.

“Rhea, how exactly did you get here, I know I asked before, but I'm curious if you were aimlessly wandering from your room or if you had another destination in mind.”

Rhea muttered a word under her breath, “aimlessly”.

“I was trying to get to the library. I’m not usually allowed out of my room, but when I am I go to the library because there are tons of books. I don’t get to talk to people often so I like to read a lot. I was gonna stay in my room, but everyone has been gone for so long and I’m so bored, ugh. I hate that stupid harvest.”

Rhea began moping as her wrists hung low. She clearly had been waiting for some time. Moraine quickly thought of an idea.

“Hey Rhea, if I go with you to the library, will you promise not to tell anyone if I take a few books?”

Rhea replied immediately, “Of course, I take books from the library all the time. Wait, dont tell that to Orvane or he’ll get mad again. Oh yea you don’t know Orvane, he’s the Library’s keeper. He takes care of the books and stuff. I don’t like him, he’s super old and is always like, ‘young girls should stick to simpler books’ ugh he’s so annoying. I hate him, he’s gross. Anyways, even he is gone today, so don't worry, we can grab all the books in peace. Besides, I would never betray you, after all-”

Rhea showed her forearm once again. The words that had faded out began to reappear, friend of Moraine. She raised her nose in pride as she showed off her oathesmark.

“Anyways, enough waiting, we have books to read!”

Rhea turned on her heel and began marching with her finger pointed toward one of the double doors.

“C’mon Moraine let’s go!”

And so the two made their way to the library.