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Dust, the passage of time upon still space with no guest. Yet, still remain none in a room with no visitors, or rather not one that can be seen. A myth has begun to spread around Grannvale, some say that there are ghosts that haunt the lands. Everyone knows of this legend but rather two specters have been stated to be in many places, just in the corner of your eye or gaze upon you in the castle windows within the country. When you manage to get in close, or double check something you may have seen, they are gone entirely. It’s unknown if they are vengeful ghouls or sorrowful wanderers, forever bound to this plane.
For Elakey, he has always heard these rumors, listening from the shadows always gives you the most valuable information. Walking through his mother’s room as he has always done, he imagines what it may be like for her to still be here today. Long ago he remembers his mother’s doting nature, but not much else. Would Lady Ishtar still be just as doting with him and his twin today? Or maybe just a hopeful dream. Just the tinge of warmth still left of his memory of her. All this time he doesn’t wanna let it go, it’s all Elakey has of her. In this empty room it holds many things, yet none truly for certain about what they are. Lastly on the dresser holds a small box, filled with two rings. Elakey can connect that it’s his parent’s engagement rings, their lives were too short lived for them to get married in the end.
Down the hall, the Friegian heard approaching footsteps and chatter. Gently he closed the box and swiftly teleported away, slowly, he counted to 20. He knew they should be gone by time his count was up. Upon teleporting back in, he was left with an unexpected, but familiar sight.
“You know you don’t have to hide away all the time, Elakey, you live here,” said the soft spoken woman. “It’s okay to say hi every once in a while.”
Before Elakey was one of his guardians, who he dubbed Aunt Tine. Taking a quick note, he surveyed that the group left, but she stayed behind.
“How did you know I would be here?” asked Elakey, keeping it vague as to not give that he was here a little bit before.
Tine gives a sigh. “You’re a lot like your mother, you know? When she wanted to be alone, she would go to great lengths to stay alone, except without the teleportation part.” She started to look about the room, “But also, you two share the same presence. When you are here, it feels like she is as well.”
Slowly walking past Elakey, Tine takes a seat on Ishtar’s bed, patting the spot next to her for her ward to join, “Come on, lemme tell you more about her.”
Hesitant at first, Elakey eventually sits next to her, pulling out Mjolnir and setting it on his lap. “Please, tell me.”
Tine gave a small smile before starting. “I grew up with Ishtar after my mother died, for the longest time I knew she was the favorite in the house. Although she did her best to treat me as an equal, even spoil me when no one was around to stop her.” She did a small sniffle before continuing, “She was all I had back then, I barely knew my brother, I was made to believe he died. You had an uncle you know? His name was Ishtore, he even had a fiance, but died very early on in the war. He was a noble soul too, dedicated to his family.”
Tine took a deep breath, and swallowed down that feeling of anxiety she felt long ago, “That family was still terrible, sometimes I was treated like less than human by your grandmother and grandfather. Didn’t even realize it at the time, but I was suffering from abuse and neglect, it wasn’t anyway someone should be raised like that. Not to mention that during the war, your uncle nor mother stood down. For so long I regretted not being able to sway the family I cared for, but in the end they made their choices. If I could have saved them I would've tried harder. No…I should have tried harder…”
The Friegian looked over to his warden to see her with knuckles going white and a tear streaming down her face. “Aunt Tine, we don’t have to continue if you don’t want to keep going…” Offered Elakey, simply not wanting to push her too far.
Slowly she relaxed her hands and whipped away her tear before shaking her head, “No, I want you to learn more about your mother, but not my regrets. Maybe… you can tell me about what you know about her, first hand.”
Elakey looked away, setting a gentle hand onto the cover before taking a deep breath, “I’m gonna be honest… I don’t remember a lot about Mom… I see glimpses of her from when I was so young. I would even see my Dad on occasion. For the rest of my memory, I’ve only had Sudbina. She remembers as much as I do, but not as much about Mom. When I hold Mjolnir, I feel her warmth and hear her words more vividly, I always hold it close. If I don't, what if I forget those memories?” The Friegian sighs before continuing, “You know, on those foggy days, I feel like I see her staring at me when I am outside Castle Belhalla, like an actual specter that haunts me, judges me, like if I am even living up to her name. I’m sorry that’s all I know.”
Tine reaches over and places a hand on his back, just a bit of comfort to aid him, “If she saw you today, I think she would be proud of you, trust me on that one.” She looks up and around some of the stuff in the room, “It’s strange, when I see you sometimes, it’s like staring at her, you both are intelligent, and dedicated. I just wish she was here to see you and your sister. She never had to die…”
Tine stood up and dusted off her dress before offering a hand to Elakey, come on let’s go and have some tea, all this talk about the past will blind us of the future.”
Elakey got up and took her hand, “Yeah, thanks Aunt Tine.”
As they were both heading for the door, Arthur suddenly popped his head in, “Is everything alright in here?”
A shriek was heard followed by a sudden thoron blast going right past his face. When the smoke cleared, Tine looked around and saw that Elakey teleported away.
“You alright? Also where did…” Arthur pointed to where his sort of nephew once was.
Tine put away her thoron book and gave a small smile, “I’m alright, scared me good, and probably him too. Best that we wait till later, let’s go, lord brother.”
As the two leave the room and close the door, a ghastly figure watches from the fog. All before turning around to disappear to rejoin the mist. Maybe those ghost stories are real after all.