Categories > Original > Fantasy > Afterlife
Chapter 2 — Discovery
Eva tried to get used to flying, as it was currently her only method of transport, but it felt weird. It was, simultaneously, unbelievably strange but also oddly natural, like it was what she had been doing her whole life. Another thing she had discovered was that she had newfound psychic powers. Only very weak, just strong enough to lift up objects, with a very limited range, but she supposed that they were meant to replicate the arms she so sorely lacked. They might have also been what was allowing her to float, but she didn’t know how to find out, nor was she thrilled with any way she could think of, like finding some way to temporarily disable her psychics. She wondered how she had died. Was it a tragic accident, a fall? Did she get lost in the wilds, and starve or freeze to death? Or was it something more sinister, like a murder? The ghost had no idea the life she had lived, which was less than useful. Oh well. The only way to find out was to get her memories back.
The girl, seeing lights on the horizon, flew faster.
Eva didn’t know what a city would look like, or sound like, or how its inhabitants would act. It was, in essence, her first time visiting a city. She imagined towering castles, grand libraries, students of the arcane arts waving their hands and fixing stuff, the like.
She didn’t know what any of those actually were, but that didn’t stop her from imagining them.
As she approached, however, she noticed a striking absence of ghosts. All the farmers, humanoid and alive. The single bedraggled guard wearing ‘one-size-doesn't-fit-anyone’ armor, human and alive. As she floated into town, everyone was humanoid and alive.
Huh. This would definitely require further investigation.
Eva finally came to the conclusion that there weren’t any ghosts in the entire city. It was entirely human-owned and run. Or maybe the ghosts only came out at night. She herself had found herself enjoying the night sky full of stars. Maybe she just found the bright sun too glaring on her large eyes, or maybe it was just an instinctual thing for ghosts, but whatever the reason, she felt more nocturnal or crepuscular. Old habits die hard, though.
Eva wanted to hide. She didn’t like being the center of attention, with all of these strange people pointing and murmuring. The air felt tense, the calm before a storm, almost, except it wasn’t a very calm atmosphere. No-one looked particularly friendly. The ghost was getting nervous.
Also, she was concerned about the gathering which was looking more and more like a mob by the moment.
“Hey you. Ghost.”
Eva turned. The man speaking was tall and muscular. On his face were a plethora of scars, like someone had been trying to remove it from his head. He had a sword drawn.
“Your kind aren’t welcome here,” he stated.
“I just want some help,” she replied. “Please?”
“Well, you can go find it in Moonbane!”
And he took a swing at her.
As his sword whistled through the air to take a chunk out of her, it glowed with a white light that startled her into jumping back. It was hot. The air heated up around the blade as it sliced where she had been floating a half-second before, the heat radiating off the metal was enough for Eva to feel it, even though it was only near her for a fraction of a second. She yelped and sped away.
Then, too late, she realized that the reason the mob had waited was to get everyone into position for an ambush. She turned a corner, and was greeted with a knife slash to the head, just barely missing. Too surprised to stop, she collided straight into the man with the knife —
And went through.
There was a tug of resistance that lasted for the blink of an eye, like bursting through a wall of molasses, and suddenly she was on the other side of the now-shivering man. She didn’t stop to check if he was okay — he had, after all, tried to cut her face off — instead running away at top speed. She heard cries of “after her!,” and "stop that ghost!,” but she paid them no heed.
But why? Why are they chasing me? Did I do something wrong?
The ghost turned a corner, and ran into a wall.
When she emerged on the other side, she was face-to-face with a woman. They stared at each other.
“I can explain…”
Eva tried to get used to flying, as it was currently her only method of transport, but it felt weird. It was, simultaneously, unbelievably strange but also oddly natural, like it was what she had been doing her whole life. Another thing she had discovered was that she had newfound psychic powers. Only very weak, just strong enough to lift up objects, with a very limited range, but she supposed that they were meant to replicate the arms she so sorely lacked. They might have also been what was allowing her to float, but she didn’t know how to find out, nor was she thrilled with any way she could think of, like finding some way to temporarily disable her psychics. She wondered how she had died. Was it a tragic accident, a fall? Did she get lost in the wilds, and starve or freeze to death? Or was it something more sinister, like a murder? The ghost had no idea the life she had lived, which was less than useful. Oh well. The only way to find out was to get her memories back.
The girl, seeing lights on the horizon, flew faster.
Eva didn’t know what a city would look like, or sound like, or how its inhabitants would act. It was, in essence, her first time visiting a city. She imagined towering castles, grand libraries, students of the arcane arts waving their hands and fixing stuff, the like.
She didn’t know what any of those actually were, but that didn’t stop her from imagining them.
As she approached, however, she noticed a striking absence of ghosts. All the farmers, humanoid and alive. The single bedraggled guard wearing ‘one-size-doesn't-fit-anyone’ armor, human and alive. As she floated into town, everyone was humanoid and alive.
Huh. This would definitely require further investigation.
Eva finally came to the conclusion that there weren’t any ghosts in the entire city. It was entirely human-owned and run. Or maybe the ghosts only came out at night. She herself had found herself enjoying the night sky full of stars. Maybe she just found the bright sun too glaring on her large eyes, or maybe it was just an instinctual thing for ghosts, but whatever the reason, she felt more nocturnal or crepuscular. Old habits die hard, though.
Eva wanted to hide. She didn’t like being the center of attention, with all of these strange people pointing and murmuring. The air felt tense, the calm before a storm, almost, except it wasn’t a very calm atmosphere. No-one looked particularly friendly. The ghost was getting nervous.
Also, she was concerned about the gathering which was looking more and more like a mob by the moment.
“Hey you. Ghost.”
Eva turned. The man speaking was tall and muscular. On his face were a plethora of scars, like someone had been trying to remove it from his head. He had a sword drawn.
“Your kind aren’t welcome here,” he stated.
“I just want some help,” she replied. “Please?”
“Well, you can go find it in Moonbane!”
And he took a swing at her.
As his sword whistled through the air to take a chunk out of her, it glowed with a white light that startled her into jumping back. It was hot. The air heated up around the blade as it sliced where she had been floating a half-second before, the heat radiating off the metal was enough for Eva to feel it, even though it was only near her for a fraction of a second. She yelped and sped away.
Then, too late, she realized that the reason the mob had waited was to get everyone into position for an ambush. She turned a corner, and was greeted with a knife slash to the head, just barely missing. Too surprised to stop, she collided straight into the man with the knife —
And went through.
There was a tug of resistance that lasted for the blink of an eye, like bursting through a wall of molasses, and suddenly she was on the other side of the now-shivering man. She didn’t stop to check if he was okay — he had, after all, tried to cut her face off — instead running away at top speed. She heard cries of “after her!,” and "stop that ghost!,” but she paid them no heed.
But why? Why are they chasing me? Did I do something wrong?
The ghost turned a corner, and ran into a wall.
When she emerged on the other side, she was face-to-face with a woman. They stared at each other.
“I can explain…”
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