The Rainlands: Grand Delusion

Chapter 17: The Rain

"Well?" She demanded, her breath still heavy.

"I was trying to wake you. What were you dreaming about?" Levi wasn't sure whether or not to talk about what he'd seen. It didn't seem real, that terrible, terrible darkness. It couldn't be real. I just...must have hit my head when I fell.

"It's none of your concern." Jasmine sniffed, but it came out more like a whimper. Levi lifted his head off the ground to look at her, and saw her reach up to touch her face, only to realize her mask was in the way. She reached under it, wiping her eyes before looking at him. "If you must know, my sibling is always searching for me. People say family will never let you go. I find that true. They never will when you can help win them the throne."

"Oh...I see. I'm sorry." Levi couldn't imagine it. Siblings so bad that they would inspire terror like that. Even in her dreams, she's afraid! "I always wanted my sister to be closer to me. I can't imagine what it'd be like to be afraid of her."

"Levi." Jasmine's voice caused him to sit up. Something was off about it. He could tell. This is serious.

"What is it?" He murmured, watching the princess against her tree. She looked rumpled, her clothes wrinkled and covered in dirt after thrashing around.

"If I...if I can't do this." Jasmine stopped talking. Her mask tilted down a bit as she thought about what she was going to say. "What I mean is, is if I...I can't go with you all the way...could you finish this without me? Warn the capital?"

"What? Why wouldn't you be able to come with me?" Levi felt afraid. A shadow of fear slipped into his heart. "How could I do this without you? You're the princess! The Emperor won't listen to me, I won't even be able to get close, I don't have a Reincarnation, I'm just a nobody!"

"No, no, no. You can. You have your sister. Just...just listen to me for a second ok. It's going to be a long road. A dangerous one. Even if I can fight better than most, that's all I am. Just a strong Warrior Reincarnation. I need to know that you're willing to go all the way. It's too important Levi. Even if I'm not here, you need to keep going. Find a way to get to the House of Yi. Find your sister, and convince her of the danger." Her voice grew frantic, and Levi had never seen her so distraught. He pointed at the stolen sword beside him in the dirt.

"I don't even know how to use this thing, or the way to the North. I wouldn't make it two seconds out here without you." Levi began to panic at the thought of being alone again. On his quest with no direction. Alone.

"I could teach you how to use a sword. My Reincarnation taught me to use many weapons, not just a dagger." Jasmine nodded at the blade, her silver hair swaying from side to side in the wind. "Look, it's just a possibility. I was taught to plan for every possibility, every eventuality. Things happen. That's the way of things. It could happen, so I will be ready should it happen. Now come on then. We have a long way to go to Ceird and I don't have any food. Do you?"

Levi checked his pockets even though he already knew the answer. He shook his head and the princess pushed herself off the tree. He smiled, a little bit confused. When she saw, she cocked her head.

"What? Something on my face?"

"No, I just realized. You're shorter than me now." Levi grinned. "When I first met you, you were taller than me. I think."

"Does that matter?" She asked, annoyed. "I could still cut your throat faster than you can blink."

"I know! I know!" Levi quickly agreed, throwing up his hands in defeat. "Just seems funny, you were always taller in my head." She looked at him without replying, turning around and going back to the trail.

"We'll have to be careful during the day. If you hear anyone coming, get off the road as fast as you can."

#

The two traveled slowly, cautiously. Levi was honestly less worried about people, and more about any wild beasts which they might happen upon, but perhaps it was just luck, or perhaps Jasmine had been right that Direwolves wouldn't attack armed humans, for the whole day, he barely saw so much as a squirrel. When they passed a stream, they pulled off the trail a long-ways for safety, and she showed him how to make a fire and boil clean water with a hollowed-out rock. Levi watched as Jasmine crossed her legs, using the back of her hands to test the water. After deciding it was cool enough, she took a sip before passing the makeshift cup to him.

"So, what's it like?" Levi asked. She glanced at him sharply. "What it's like to have a Reincarnation? To know so much about fighting even if you've never done it before?" He couldn't quite tell but she seemed to soften a bit when she realized what he meant. She leaned back, motioning for him to drink.

"I...I'm not sure how to describe it." She waved at him. "I've never had to before. I kept it a secret from all of my siblings and my mentors. You're the first person I've ever met who I haven't had to...kill." She seemed tired, her voice absentminded as she took the rock back from Levi and took a sip.

"Do you...do that a lot? Kill that is?" Levi was a little bit afraid of what she'd say. That she'd be a stone-cold killer. He was relieved when she shook her head, the fox face shaking side to side.

"No." She said curtly. "But I'm not afraid to if it's necessary. Something you should learn." Levi thought he was growing a little bit better at reading her through the mask. I think she's frowning at me.

"I'm not judging you! Just wondering. I don't have a Reincarnation so I've always wanted to know..." Levi trailed off. The birds cawed loudly, and as the wind blew, a few leaves blew into his face. When he brushed them off, Jasmine spoke again.

"It's complicated. I've never had to describe it before. I suppose you could say it's just like knowing it. Like an old memory you'd forgotten you've had. The more you think about it, the more you practice, the clearer it becomes. At least for me that's how it was as a Warrior. But you know most people get useless Reincarnations. Peasants, beggars, who cares if someone was a clown in their past life. Don't feel down just because you weren't born with one." She looked at Levi, and at first he thought she wanted the water cup but when he offered, she didn't take it. "What would you want if you could have a Reincarnation? Be anyone? Who would you choose to be?"

Levi put the water cup down. He struggled to find an answer.

"I guess I always wanted to have a Reincarnation. I never put too much thought into what it would be. Somebody strong, I think. I'd like to be somebody strong enough to stop the Deathless City. To protect people from outsiders like that. It doesn't really matter much. Maybe a wizard of some sort. Aren't they super strong?" He asked and watched as Jasmine stretched, her slender arms popping as she bent them.

"A wizard? I've met people who could do magic before. They're not as powerful as most people think. But they're rare, you'd never meet one this far from the Capital." She rose to her feet, turning back towards the road. "Reincarnations don't solve everything. Even the ones which are useful have their limits. Trust me Levi, I've hidden my Reincarnation my whole life, people see you as less because of it. But they still eat, breath, and scheme all the same. There's nothing special about them. They aren't heroes who can always save the day. In fact, heroes is exactly the wrong word for them."

Levi wasn't sure what to make of that. He didn't want to agree. He didn't want to think that all these people he had wanted to be like could be the same as Jonah. I refuse to believe that. Things were quiet as he followed Jasmine to the road. A strange smell hit his nose. He couldn't quite place it. It was like the smell before a rainstorm, but rancid, like fresh dew had fallen into toxic mud. Instinctively, Levi looked upwards. The sky had darkened slightly, the blue clouds thickening, though not quite stormy. Jasmine also sensed something was wrong.

"The clouds...this feels wrong." She slowly scanned the sky, seemingly confused. "I think we should get out of the open. NOW!"