Scorched Starlight

Chapter Five

Kido

Chapter Five

I'm eerily calm as I approach the ghost.

For a moment, I regret having tucked the Light Blade into its hiding place under my bed before I left the castle, rather than having it here with me now. But the spirit is presumably dead, so there's not much she can do now, anyways. The phantom girl is lost in the fruit she seems to be enjoying, taking no notice of the person nearing her. I wonder if she might not know she's dead? That would be nice, I suppose. A sort of blissful ignorance to numb the pain. I would be glad to think that Mother is currently lounging in a tree, restored to full health, no longer bearing the agony she suffered on her deathbed.

As I become increasingly closer, I begin to ponder whether she's even aware of her surroundings, or if the girl from the glass and I are existing in two different worlds simultaneously. I suppose I should be frightened, but this is already inexplicably the most at ease I've felt since arriving in Kaze. And besides, if she really is a ghost, there's a chance she could know Mother. Once I reach the base of the tree, I sense a movement from above, and look up at just the right time to catch a glimpse of the girl falling backwards headfirst off of her branch.

Before I can even move to attempt to catch her, (if one can really catch a person that no longer exists), she's standing fully upright in front of me. She casually takes another bite out of her fruit whilst glaring daggers at me. She takes time chewing, clearly not planning to speak until she's good and ready, and very clearly expecting me to wait for her inevitable remark.

What fascinates me is that, for some reason, I oblige.

Once she's finally swallowed the bite she's indubitably ground to a pulp, as she opens her mouth to speak, I feel a slight exhilaration. I can't imagine the kind of spiritual wisdom the nonliving might have to offer.

"You're not supposed to be here." There's an edge to the ghost's voice laced with anger, and my mind begins to pool with questions. I muster a few words as politely as I can.

"Did you know me in life," I struggle to think of the proper way to address the ghost. "Ghost?" I wince inwardly at the wretched placeholder for a name, and, not sure how next to proceed -

- I bow. It becomes a sort of kneel, actually, in its awkwardness.

The ghost does not look impressed. Her eyebrows furrow in what appears to be enraged confusion, and again I wonder if she's unaware of her fate. I quickly open my mouth to apologize, but the ghost doesn't give me the chance.

"Get up."

I shoot up to my feet as she continues, her arms folding as her glare intensifies.

"First," She removes one arm from where they're folded in front of her, and jerks her pointer finger into the sky. "You come to Kaze, and make it well and clearly known that you have no interest in including the Fae in your royal festivities, knowing full well that the highly respected stature of the Fae General and his family is meant to be recognized under Ishigaki law."

It's my turn to furrow my eyebrows as the ghost continues to ramble on nonsensically. What in the stars is she talking about? Perhaps she died in an earlier time period and doesn't realize this all doesn't concern me - Ishigaki hasn't thrown a royal ball in decades.

"Second," A second finger of hers is thrown madly into the air. "You have the nerve to traipse through the Glade as though you own it, when it was determined years ago that this spot is Fae territory - Stars, we almost went to war over it!" My ears begin to ring at her overemphasized words; the ghost speaks as though she's rousing troops and battalions at all times. Perhaps that was a role of hers in a previous life?