Private Tales I ain't scared of no ghost

[Kaida]

It was early in the morning, crisp autumn air whistled through the changing leaves of the forest. Fog still crept upon the soggy ground, but that did little to stop the force of a very bored dragon.

Kaida was in her human form, she couldn't remember the last time she had shifted. It was much easier to fit places this way. Her steps were muffled by the leaves that littered the ground, and she hummed softly to herself as she trudged.

There was no goal in mind, just exploring filled her with happiness. New things to smell, new things to discover, it was what she loved most.

Auburn hair bounced as Kaida hopped over a particularly large and rotted length of tree, her tunic and breeches already filthy.

There was only a pause as her belly grumbled, and a hungry dragon was not a fun dragon. She found a spot to sit, an old ruin that had nothing but a few crumbling walls remaining. It was here that she determined breakfast must be had.

Roebin Featherwind

 

[Roebin Featherwind]

The summer months were a rough time for ghosts. Something about the long daylight hours, and dry, noisy air. Roebin survived by sleeping through most of that heat, his head groggy and his sense of time blurred. So when the first drafts of cooling air swept through the forest and the autumn mists clung to the ground past dawn, Roebin Featherwind found himself in good spirits.

In that I'm a spirit who's good... He mused to himself. Too bad nobody was around for him to hone his platitudinous jokes on.

His form, translucent and shifting, was nearly impossible to distinguish from the early morning light, unless one was specifically looking for a ghost. Through the old ruins he drifted, humming cheerfully to himself. It was a really old song, the sort that these days would be played by stuffy aristocrats who were trying to show off.

"Music, music for awhile,
Shall all your cares beguile,

wond'ring how all your pains were eased,
and your disdaining so pleased..."

For anyone who overheard, it would sound the wind picking up and whistling discordantly through the gaps in the crumbling ruin walls. In an open space that must have once been a room, The leaves on the ground rustled on their own, crunching underneath some invisible weight in the rhythm of footsteps.

 

[Kaida]

Kaida opened her pack with anything short of delicacy. She rummaged, her tongue sticking out as she searched the canvas, her belly protesting even louder. Her cheeks were still red from clambering around, and the chill that autumn brings.

A soft "Aha!" Escaped her lips as she pulled put the food she had been searching for between quills, and journals, a bottles of ink. She prepared her meal quietly, the breath of wind between the walls of the ruins giving her pause, but only for a moment.

She pried a soft roll apart, sticking a tick slice of salted ham and a lump of sharp cheese between the sections. She grinned and readied for her first bite, the sound of leave crunching interrupting her meal. "Hello?" She saw nor smelled anyone, and yet footsteps were definitely there.

Roebin Featherwind

 

[Roebin Featherwind]

Ah, the flavor of fresh bread and cured meats! The smell still wafted through Roebin, even though he had no nose nor vitals anymore to enjoy food. His aimless wandering stopped at the scent of the simple meal, and the little voice that accompanied it. A few more crunching steps, as he followed the signs of life to the edge of the ruin. Sat upon a toppled length of wall, was the young dragon squire Kaida.

Now, Master Featherwind knew almost everyone who walked through the halls of Astenvale Monastery. But fewer knew of his presence there. Most people could not see Roebin, unless they were looking for him with a spell, or if he summoned up enough muster to make himself opaque. This might be the first time Kaida had noticed him.

The polite thing to do would have been to announce himself and reassure the squire that he meant no harm. Unfortunately for Kaida, Roebin had lived and died a rascal.

"That looks good," he said, making sure to bounce the sound from nowhere in particular. He came to float above the dragonette's head, and leaned over her. An invisible presence, a chill that was colder than the autumn air, and a hollow voice that rang right in her ear. "Can I have a bite?"

Kaida

 

[Kaida]

As Kaida readied her first bite, she felt a chill colder than the already chilled autumn air. She tilted her head with curiosity, trying to pick up a scent that didn't exist. She raised the simple meal to her lips once more, once again interrupted by a voice? It seemed to come from nowhere, and yet everywhere. She tried to pin it down, tilting her head at various angles. She huffed, unable to discern anything out of the ordinary.

She blinked slowly as a cool wind ruffled the top of her head, a voice following after it. She tilted her chin up, looking for the source, her eyes glinting with curiosity. A slow smile slid across her lips as she slowly started to puzzle it all together. She held the sandwich aloft, laughing with nervous excitement. "If you have teeth and the ability to taste, you're more than welcome to it." She was still searching for the invisible person or thing that was invading her space.

She wasn't afraid, even if she thought she wasn't invincible, she knew if the voice had wanted to hurt her, it wouldn't have announced itself so readily. She waited, her hand still raised, she loved new things and she wanted to know about this too. Was it a monster? A spirit? A very small bug? She trembled with the unknowing, wanting to pin it all down and record it.

Roebin Featherwind