Riveildian tales

Luciana's secret.

Rainfall in Riveildia, since time immemorial the people of the land have known the dangers that come down with the drops of rain. Whoever walks in the rain unprotected would receive an onslaught of the most terrible curses and attacks from the unrested spirits of the fallen.
It has become very well-known norm in Riveildia for its people to hide in shelters during a downpour. Be it the covering from the roof of a market stall or from the roof of one's home, all would be protected from the terrible dangers of the rain as long as what covered them from the raindrops was not easily swept away by a heavy wind. Only the best knights of the kingdom, the most skilled mages, witches and wizards are known to move under the rain with no consequence.
But what Oliver saw this day would have him question all he knows about the rain.
Oliver sat by the tree scribbling down what he considered the half-success of finding Mr Hamphyll's lost brother. The winds whistled a gentle song that lifted small locks of Oliver's hair. Once he was done with his journal, Oliver got to his feet and began heading home.
The walk was silent, Oliver often enjoyed the calm of the gentle midday winds combing through his hair. But the winds became stronger all of a sudden. Its gentle whistle gradually turned into a bellow as the skies darkened. This was not normal, in Riveildia, every rain was well foretold by the mages of the kingdom. But very, very rarely, the people would see an unexpected downpour of rain, and all its consequences. It could have been a natural anomaly, or most probably, it could have been caused by a powerful display of magic. Either ways, Oliver wasn't at a luxury to ponder the cause of this rain. He, like many other people who walked the streets ran, desperately seeking shelter from the rain.
He made it to a small wooden stall by the street with very old paintwork, a lot like old man jakes', small, but sturdy enough to do. Oliver rushed to its door and knocked as hard as he could. An elderly woman cracked the door open to see who it was, her eyes shot down to Oliver initially expecting someone of a taller stature.
"Please let me in." Oliver begged.
"Well you don't seem like a spirit." She grunted before opening the door wide enough for him to enter and immediately shutting it close, one cannot be too careful with the rain.
"Don't touch anything boy." She said pointedly to Oliver who was already eyeing the contents of her small shop. It was really a lot like Old man Jake's, but never being inside his shop left Oliver with a lot to imagine concerning its insides. There were all kinds of strange items like a living eyeball or potions of swirling colours all placed on spiralling shelves.
The old shopkeeper shut the curtains of stall and sat by a stool where she prepared a cup of tea. Understandable as the chilled breezed of the rain was easily felt through the wooden walls of the stall. As she stirred her cup of tea, she eyed Oliver in a sour manner as though directly telling him she hadn't prepared any tea for him, and she wasn't willing to make any more for him.
"It's quite all right ma'am" Oliver said with a wry smile. His gaze then shifted to the stall windows, unlike old man Jake's Oliver didn't have to stand on the tip of his toes to see through it. He slid the curtains open a little just so he could see what was going on outside. By now the streets of Riveildia were completely empty. But even Oliver could still tell that whoever stepped in this rain would not be alone. He could hear the voices in the winds whispering their curses, he could feel the ominous presence blurred by the rain, and he could tell that they moved around in search for a victim.
And then he saw someone;
This was no spirit, this was a person, a girl. She sauntered through the streets as though it was a normal day. Unbothered, and unharmed. Oliver's eyes widened in shock upon seeing her. For not only was she a girl his age walking beneath the rain unscathed, it was one he knew very well.
Yes, Oliver could recognize those violet eyes anywhere. Her pale white skin and her straight long raven hair. It was his own classmate, Luciana.

It was a new day in the Riveildian institution for young minds. As always, Thomas wore on a bright smile being one of the few children who looked forward to classes. Amice was half asleep on her desk and Oliver was late as usual. He had been known for coming into classes' right after Mr Hamphyll did, one of the many things Mr Hamphyll disliked about him. Thomas often cherished the early mornings, he always saw them as the part of his days that were the most normal. Considering both Oliver and Amice would come along later on.
But a normal morning didn't always mean a peaceful one. Thomas' bright demeanour instantly faded away as he saw his classmate approach him. He was a bit chubby and had smooth brown hair that almost looked like it had streaks of gold in it. His eyes were a dull green much like the vest he wore around his shirt.
"Hey there Thomas." Gilbert said with a toothy grin. Gilbert was always very much fond of costly pranks and making jokes at the expense of others. Even though he was aware most of the class didn't care for his attitude, he thrilled endlessly at the sniggers and chortles he got from the class when he made his jokes. Thomas and Amice especially didn't care for Gilbert's trying tendencies since he dumped Thomas's collection of gems and magical stones in a stream. That day, the three had spent hours at night picking out what they could from the stream. However, they could only pick the few that would glow under the cover of the night.
"What do you want Gilbert?" Thomas said not bothering to hide his scowl.
"What's with the mood? Are you worried I'll take your glasses again?" Gilbert said as he laid a finger on the rim of Thomas's spectacles.
"That'll do Gilbert, leave him alone." Amice said approaching him. Gilbert eyed her for a brief moment before a coy smile tugged at his lips.
"What? Am I supposed to listen to you or something?" his smile grew into something more irritating. "What are you going to do? Pull out a bug from that nasty hair of yours?" his remark at Amice earned him a few stifled sniggers. In spite of herself, Amice felt the tips of her ears redden, but it soon replaced with a heat of fury rising within her. Normally, Amice would have schemed with Oliver and Thomas to hex him in a way that would make him speak gibberish for a week, or give him a hairy tail. But they knew better that to try anything with Gilbert.
You see, Gilbert fancies himself the most important person in the school because of how influential his parents are. While everyone knows better than to put him on the pedestal his perceives himself on, it is a fact that doing anything to him would mean serious consequences for whoever tries to. And Oliver and Amice's methods are anything but subtle and can always be traced back to the three.
"What's wrong? Oh I bet you're scared to say anything without little Olly around."
"Don't call him that!!" Amice yelled, she looked now as though she could explode with how red her skin was. But her frustration wasn't acknowledged as Gilbert simply barked out a loud laugh.
"What good is he anyways? All he does is write down in that diary of his." With the way Amice fumed, Thomas feared this could turn into a brawl, and while was certain Amice would not be too hurt if that was the case, the consequences would be far more severe. He got to his feet and grabbed Gilbert by his shoulder as firmly as he could and veered Gilbert to face him. This took everyone by surprise, especially Gilbert. The mild green of his eyes was soon covered beneath furrowed brows.
"And when did you grow a spine to do that?" he said trying to mask his rising rage. Thomas nodded towards Gilbert's desk and said;
"Go take your seat Gilbert." The whole class was taken aback by his boldness, but Gilbert seemed to have grown more furious than Amice now.
"What are you going to do if I don't?" He said with a grimace in his voice.
"It's not him you should worry about." Mr Hamphyll's voice drawled from behind Gilbert. He whipped his head around to find the class teacher staring down at him with his eyes as cold as ever. "Get to your seat... now." The whole class gazed so much at Gilbert as he returned to his seat in humiliation that they didn't even notice Oliver sneak into the class right after Mr Hamphyll. Even Amice would admit that Mr Hamphyll was equally distasteful to all his students, no matter who they were.
The class went by very slowly, Mr Hamphyll's lecture on dancing hobgoblins wasn't nearly as exciting as it should have been. It felt like an entire school day had passed when the talking clock signalled the beginning of the midday break. Oliver watched as all the students scampered off to the hallways. His eyes remained fixed on Luciana however. She moved the exact same way as she did under the rain, her feet silent and steady and her eyes with no care for anything. Oliver had spent hours lost in his own thoughts, trying to make sense of what he saw that day. He tried to convince himself that it somehow a deception made by the spirits or curses of the rain to try and lure him out. But even he would know an illusion conjured by a curse would look like.
No, even though they were dim, there was colour in her eyes.
He thought to himself, Oliver was sure that it was Luciana he saw walking unharmed under the rain. But he couldn't begin to fathom how. This was another level of weird, even for her. Just as she reached the door of the class, Luciana turned around to look at Oliver. He could feel a chill run through him the moment their eyes met. The violet in her eyes twinkled a bit as she stared at him for a brief moment. She then gave an awkward bow to him before rushing out of the class. Oliver could tell from the last time he met her that the bow was her idea of a friendly gesture. Or at least the only gesture she could bear to do in public without wanting to bury herself.
"What are we looking at Olly?" Oliver regarded Amice who stood behind him as though she had just appeared there, she looked ahead to the point where she guessed Oliver's gaze led. She was able to catch of glimpse of Luciana's straight black hair as she exited the classroom. Amice looked at Oliver with narrowed eyes. "Did she threaten you or something?"
"No, it's not like that at all." Oliver got to his feet, he packed up his books and left the class with Amice. "What do you think about Luciana Amice?" Oliver asked. Amice's honey-like eyes shifted upwards as she tried to find the words.
"Well, at first I assumed she hated everyone and everything that lived, I mean I've heard rumours that she was made entirely out of curses and bad luck." Something hopeful danced in her eyes giving them even more life. "But then she helped us that day. Even though she had her own ends she willingly helped us. It made me think maybe she's not as our classmates fear her to be." Amice gave Oliver a lasting glance, "Although I'd still be careful around her." she said pointedly at him. She noticed the crease in his brows had still not disappeared. He had obviously listened to her, but something still bothered him. "Which begs the question," she said nudging him with her elbow, "How did you two meet in the first place? I know for a fact that you were also scared of her." They had arrived at their favourite cherry tree, the both of them sat down by the tree and brought out their lunches. Amice had brought a few honey-cakes and some berries while Oliver's mother had prepared him some roasted caramel-apples. His favourite. "Well?" Amice asked bringing up her question again.
"It was the day right after the clock had told me about Mr Hamphyll's missing brother."
"You mean Click-clacks." Amice said swiping one of Oliver's apples. A habit Oliver learnt to tolerate.
"What?" Oliver said wondering how much thought she had put into naming a clock.
"What do you mean what? Everyone deserves a nickname." If Oliver knew anything about his friend Amice, he'd known to accept whatever nickname she gives anyone. However he or she finds it.
"Anyways, I ran into Luciana that day, strange as it may sound she was worried about me. She said I'd been too quiet throughout the day." He let out a dry chuckle, "Funny for her to say that right? I was alarmed at first, but then I noticed that she too was. She forced every word out as though she forced herself to speak, and her nerves compelled her to keep fiddling with her hair." Oliver took a bite out of an apple and continued. "Turns out she is just extremely shy... and awkward. After that day I made an effort to know her, and while I learnt that it's no lie that is a strange person. I also learnt that she is a very kind person who just likes to keep to herself. That was why I had no problems asking her a favour that day." Amice was surprised at the words she heard, although she guessed most of the rumours she heard about Luciana was untrue, she couldn't have imagined her in this light.
"If that's so, why do you seem so bothered today?" Amice said studying Oliver as he stared wistfully ahead.
"I saw her walking in the rain... alone." Nothing could have prepared Amice for what she just heard, and her eyes did well in telling that. 
"You probably just imagined it, the curses are known to make people hallucinate you know?" Amice tried to believe her assumptions, but Oliver's gaze was unwavering.
"I know what I saw Amice."
"But it's not possible, it shouldn't be possible for anyone our age."  At that moment, Amice doubted if the rumours about Luciana did her justice. "So what? Are scared of her now?"
"No, I just wonder what exactly she is." The question lingered in the air and no one could offer anything close to an answer. Thomas arrived with his own lunch in his hand. He sat by Oliver's right, as far as he could from Amice. He was never as willing as Oliver was to share his lunch.
"What's wrong with you two?"  Thomas asked opening up his lunch box.
"Why would you assume something is wrong?" Amice asked leaning over to see him.
"Well for one thing, you're not laughing or making any noise, and I can't think of any reason we'd want to scheme against Mr Hamphyll today." Thomas said.
"It's about Luciana." Said Oliver. Thomas's jaw would have hit the ground along with his spiced breadstick had it not been attached to his head.
"Did she threaten you?" he whispered, shooting glances left and right.
"Relax, were just wondering what kind of person she is." Amice chimed, Thomas returned his gaze to his food.
"Why don't you ask Click-Clacks? He seems to know a lot." he said. Oliver looked at Thomas a bit surprised, "What? You know it will stick eventually." He said shrugging.
The day passed as fast as it came, the evening lectures were even more strenuous than the morning ones. As usual, the duskbell's chimes was cause of merriment for everyone in the school, except for Mr Hamphyll. He had barely dismissed the class before all the students swiftly bustled out of the class, and he himself followed soon enough leaving no one in the class, except three.
Click-clacks came to life with a smile on its face watching Oliver and the rest rise from beneath their desks. Oliver knew Mr Hamphyll definitely wouldn't want them staying in the classroom after school hours, but wouldn't care to check the classroom before leaving. The three started towards the clock.
"I see you've brought your friends this time Oliver" Click-clacks said. "Is this about your friend Gilbert?" Both Amice felt their hair prickle at the thought of him.
"He's not our friend." Amice said sharply. Thomas didn't say anything, but the clock could tell from his glowering that he agreed. 
"We actually want to know about something else." Oliver said as they took a seat on Mr Hamphyll's desk.
"What is it?" Click-clacks asked.
"What do you know about Luciana?" Oliver asked, Click-clacks took a moment of silence, if it could breathe, it would have a taken a deep-breath in before it said to Oliver.
"You know, you kids should try and pry into people's personal lives, it's considered rude."
"He claims he saw her walk under the rain." Amice said. This took both the Click-clacks and Thomas by surprise.
"We just want to know what exactly she is." Oliver said, Click-clacks scanned the three of them for a brief moment, it then said;
"Do you know who the best kinds of magic users are?"
"Sure," said Thomas, "They are the mages."
"No Thomas," the clock said, "Renowned mages are very powerful because they are well learned in the arts of magic. But there are a few special ones who are born with the magical abilities... Witches and Wizards, they are the most powerful of all."
"Are you saying Luciana is a witch?" Oliver asked,
"I'm sure of it, that's why your little plan with the bats the other day could work out so well. Only a witch could conjure such a spell at your age."
"So that's why she could withstand the rain." Amice asked, something about the clock's features told that it had gotten serious.
"No, even for a witch she's far too young to walk alone in the rain. There is something strange going on."
"Perhaps her parents would know." Thomas said brightly. The clock's face however remained grim, the three realized that the next words the clock said to them was hard for it tell.
That night, neither Oliver, Amice nor Thomas could stop thinking about it. None of them were surprised by the fact that Luciana was a witch, in fact it explained a lot. But there was still something else amiss, something they couldn't wait to find out.