The Spirit of Sorrow
By: Sedi
1
It was on the seventeenth of Qarto when my father died.
I stared down at his pale body on the table. He looked so weak and helpless, nothing at all like the valiant lord that had stood tall on his horse as he was leading the army that drove away the Ani-Curei rebels. It was then when I saw with my own eyes him falling off the horse, a stray arrow shot from a desperate Ani-Curei pierced through his chest.
Two hands gently pulled me back away from the body. I looked up to see my older cousin, Fior, who I have lived with for two days since my father died. He patted my head and placed his hands on my shoulders, then continued to stare at the body. I also turned my attention back to it.
The lights dimmed. One of my father's servants walked up to the table and started pouring a liquid on him. A priest started droning in Earvae, an ancient language rarely anyone uses anymore. The servant flicked a match and quickly tossed it on top of my father. He burst in flames, his body slowly turning to ashes. The choir in the background started to sing sorrowfully, but it sounded more like the priest's droning than an actual song.
As the body burned, Fior's grip on my shoulder tightened until they started to get sore. But it wasn't because of my father being cremated. I know that Fior hates me, and would rather take in an Ani-Curei teenager instead of me, his only male cousin. I guess he hasn't quite forgiven me for accidently burning down his room when I was only a little child.
"I'm going outside, Fior," I mumbled. It wasn't just because of my cousin I needed to get away, but the stench of the body burning made my stomach churn and it was hard to see my father turn to ashes.
I looked up to see Fior give a short nod as he let go of my shoulders, allowing me to silently walk out of the room. My pace quickened as I strolled the cold, dark hallway of my father's manor. The funeral and burning ceremony were held in his manor, so that his spirit would know that everything in his home was intact, everyone and everything was fine, and he will be able to move on to the beyond world more restfully. Or so the priest said.
At the front door was a guard who was leaning against the wall, but he didn't say anything as I passed him and headed outside towards the garden. It was even more cold outside than it had been in the manor. Even though the first days of Lakte were very warm, the nights were very chilly.
I sat on the bench in the middle of the garden and looked around. The flowers and plants were basking in the moonlight, looking even more beautiful than they would have during the day. I swung my legs on the bench and lied down on it, closing my eyes. It was only a minute or so when I heard soft footsteps heading my way. I opened my eyes and saw an old man approach me.
"Afka." I slid my legs back to the ground and sat on one edge of the bench, allowing him to sit by me. "I didn't see you at the burning ceremony, and you might have just missed it. What are you doing here?"
Afka was King Yory's advisor. Some people say that Afka was the one who was actually king, and was using Yory as his puppet, but I don't really think so. Even if he had a short temper and was all-around mean. They are just rumors, most likely fabricated by an Ani-Curei or Ani-Guro. Typical of them.
"Can't you say a proper hello, Suhdke?" Afka gave me one of his glares that made me shudder, then said, "I should be asking you the same question. Shouldn't a lord's son be at the funeral of his dead father?"
"I was at it," I assured him. "But the fumes got to me and I needed to come out here for some fresh air."
"Ah." He looked away from me and turned his attention toward the sky. "So you're staying with Fior? Hm. Then I believe you're going to have to get a job soon and make a real living. Right boy?"
I stared at him. What was he talking about? Get a job? "But aren't I going to take over my father's manor and become the new lord when I am old enough?" I questioned him.
Afka let out a blood chilling laugh. "Suhdke, your father was a very good lord, our best in fact. He kept the Ani-Curei around his area in line more than anyone else has. But neither me nor His Highness thinks that you are up to the task. So we're giving the manor to the new lord and you'll be staying with your cousin until you're one hundred and ninety-five, when you'll be able to fend for yourself."
I couldn't believe what was coming out of that old man's mouth. I was being bumped from a noble to a middle classman, maybe even someone from the lower class! And I don't know anything about being someone other than a noble.
"But you can't do that, I've been a noble all of my life!" I shouted, which was a mistake. Not even nobles are supposed to raise their voices to the king's advisor, or the king himself.
Afka stood up, a look of rage on his face. "You dare question me, Suhdke? I suggest you hold your tongue. No one likes you the way it is, and no one even knows what your father sees in you. He was the only one who cared about you, but guess what? He's gone. So your rank is going down as far as your father is." Slowly he walked away, still talking. "And if you don't straighten up your act, I'll see to it personally that you're punished. You might even be sent to the deserts of Diaspora in exile."
Diaspora. I looked away from his retreating back. Diaspora was filled with demons, Ani-Curei, and Ani-Guro that had either fled or had been sent into exile themselves. It was a very dangerous land. I wasn't going to risk being sent there, even if it meant lowering my social status.
2
The moon's rays poured through my only window. Even though Fior had made sure that I got the smallest room in his house, it was still big enough for me. Enough to be comfortable. The bed, which can fit two people on it, was on the opposite side of the window, and there was a dresser against the wall by the bed's wall. The door was on the opposite of the dresser. And the whole room seemed to be made of stone, including the ceiling.
I lay down on the bed; it was softer than I had expected. Grinning, I stood up on it and started to childishly bounce up and down on it, then back flipped off of it after a particularly high jump. My feet slipped on the stone floor. I fell backwards and banged my head against the wooden dresser. The world went a little fuzzy for a minute, but soon my senses returned and I saw Fior standing in front of me, glaring.
"I... slipped," I sputtered, silently hoping that he would stop looking at me.
My wish was answered when he turned and strolled off. But at the doorway, he stopped, peered back at me, and spoke. "All of your clothes are in the dresser. That's all you have. Everything else now belongs to the new owners of your father's manor." With that, he disappeared out of sight.
Anger frothed within me. What right did he have, giving away my things to strangers? Slowly, I brought myself to my feet and settled myself down on the bed. I still haven't gotten used to the strange room, and sleeping in a new bed was going to be difficult.
This was going to be a long night.
3
I woke up in the middle of the night, shuddering, then curled up under the blankets. Before now, I had never known how cold nights could be. The room back in my father's manor had been quite warm, even during the coldest month, so I hadn't bothered getting any nightwear. Now I regret that as I wrapped the blankets even closer around my bare body.
Giving up trying to again fall asleep, I slid my feet to the floor, skin hitting the cold floor. This caused me to shudder, but I progressed in standing up and softly walked to the window. I held the blankets up around me as I poked my head out of the window and gazed up at the moon and stars.
A soft breeze flew into the window, the blankets not solid enough to prevent me from shivering. I stepped backward and began to turn around, but a pair of warm arms suddenly wrapped around my waist and pulled me against someone's body.
One of the arms raised up, a silk sleeve touching my cheek, and began to smooth out my ruffled brown hair. His fingers lingered at my neck for a moment, then ran through my hair yet again. His other arm was still wrapped around my waist.
Realization hit me. I didn't even know who this person was, and I'm letting him do this? He could be dangerous! Quickly, I pulled away from him and spun around. Again my feet slipped, but strong hands caught me before I could hit the ground. I looked up at golden eyes staring down at me, and let the person lift me back to my feet.
He was slightly taller than me, and had the most beautiful blonde hair going down his back, almost touching the floor, that I had ever seen. The stranger smiled, his eyes searching up and down at my body. It was then I noticed that during my fall, I had dropped the blanket.
Blushing, I quickly grabbed the blanket from the ground and wrapped it around myself, then asked, "How did you get in here?"
"The window," he answered in a soft voice. "I've been here for an hour now."
Needless to say, I was perturbed and slightly nervous. This man was just not right in the head. I backed into the dresser and reached behind me for something to throw at him, but the top was empty. And I don't think throwing cloth at him would do any good. So I just stood there staring at him like an idiot.
The man walked back up to me, then drew me in a hug.
"Who are you?" I asked the first thing that came to my mind, the question that had been floating in my head ever since I had first noticed his presence.
His reply was again short and simple: "The Spirit of Sorrow."
This confirmed the thought that the man was completely psychotic. I stared up at him, about to push him away, but he held me even closer. Now my death day seemed even closer. Won't Fior be happy; he won't have to deal with his annoying little cousin anymore. Maybe the man will murder my cousin too.
"Don't think like that," the "Spirit" suddenly said, startling me. "It's wrong to wish of other's deaths."
I was angry, and very confused. If it was true that he was a spirit, then he wouldn't have been able to go outside because of the moonlight. Spirits cannot come in contact with moonlight.
"I have a cloak. Hanging over there." He pointed at the door, where indeed a cloak was hanging on the doorknob by its hood.
This was too much for me. I pushed away, stumbling backwards towards the wall. "What do you want from me?" I shrieked, trying to back even more away from him. I felt the edge of the window with my left hand, then side-stepped to get in front of it. If he truly was a Spirit, then he wouldn't he able to take a step near me without his flesh being burned by the moonlight.
He just stood there, looking at me with those beautiful golden eyes. We stared at each other for who knows how long, me fidgeting a bit and him not even twitching a muscle. Nervously, I tightened the blanket around me, ready for him to give up the "Spirit" act and spring at me. But the move never came.
I looked down at the stone ground and watched my shadow slowly wilt away as the moon disappeared behind the clouds. The "Spirit" smiled and walked over to me, holding out a hand.
"There's no reason for you to be scared, I just came to talk to you."
"Who said I'm scared?" I asked, glaring at the hand then looking away from him.
"I can see it in your mind," he answered. He stuck his hand in my hair and stroked it for a moment, then dropped his hand to my cheek and caressed it. "Please calm down."
A wave of comfort almost immediately washed over me as he wrapped his free arm around my waist and pulled me close yet again, but this time not in a full hug.
"I know what you're feeling," he said in a soft voice, slowly drawing himself closer to me. "Don't get bothered over your father's death; dwelling in it won't help your situation get any better."
Why was he tormenting my mind like this? He put his hand on the back of my head and gently pushed it to rest on his shoulder. The smell of flowers flooded my senses, calming me down even more. Out of the bottom of my eye I could see the moonlight slightly creeping back into the room. He took notice and started to back away from the window, leading me to the bed.
"Go to sleep little one, and tomorrow you'll feel much better."
I opened my mouth to object, but the only thing that came out was a small murmur. He lowered me onto the middle of the bed and slid in next to me, holding me close again. I fought to keep my eyes open, to tell him to go away and kick him out of my bed, but my sudden tiredness was overwhelming me.
The last thing I heard was: "-too pretty of a boy to deserve his fate-", then I felt soft lips press against mine before finally I fell victim to sleep.
4
The bright light going through the window woke me up. I just lay there, staring at the stone ceiling. Then the memories of the previous night came to my mind, and for a moment I dismissed it as a dream. I felt beside me where the dream "Spirit" had slept, and frowned when I felt that the spot was warm. It couldn't have possibly be real; people rarely get visits from Spirits.
The door burst open and Fior walked in, his boots clanging loudly against the floor. His head loomed down at me, staring, as if wishing for me to just disappear.
"Get up, lazy boy, we haven't got all day. Your breakfast is getting cold," he said, his voice as cold as ever.
"Yes, cousin," I answered in a low mutter.
As quickly as he came in, Fior swept out of the room and slammed the door behind him. At this moment I would have been quite nervous, possible scared, but...
I felt the spot beside me again, and let it linger in the warmth. I felt more hopeful. Maybe... Just maybe this won't be so bad after all. For the first time since my father's death, I let a smile spread on my face, and I looked forward to the future.
-The End
© Sedi
Layout created by Sawwa and edited by Sedi
Elemental
Designs, 2002