Late Night Visit
This was written back in September of 202. Once again, please ignore awkward wording or typos. For context, Galena was forced to fight this guy named William, and she maybe accidentally blew him into bits. She's pretty out of character in this, but she wasn't as developed back then.
The sound of quiet boots walking on stone join the harmony of nighttime. The breeze passes through, sending a few fallen leaves scuttling along the path. Looking up, the sky is clear, the stars and planets in full view, twinkling down on many unconscious residents of Beaumont.
It’s around 2am, the moon still making her nightly journey across the sky. Walking down the cobble path away from the castle goes Galena, she’s silent, face void of any emotion. Hands clasped behind her back. She stares at the walkway as she goes, uninterested. The night is quiet, unusual considering the party she travels with. It’s a miracle Maxi hasn’t shown up to interrupt her evening plans.
The cobble pathway fades out, blending into a lighter, softer soil that mutes the sound of footsteps. Galena stops, scanning the area, listening for any soul who might still be awake at this hour. After confirming to herself that she had not been followed, she turns off to the left of the town, heading to the small wooded area.
The tension in her body becomes more noticeable, and her calm steady walking pattern from before turns into a slight shuffle as she approaches the large trees. She knows the area well, her previous visits have started to form a slight path in the brush. Looking up at the tall, looming trees, she feels small, the trees seem to lean towards her, branches reaching out to grapple, smelling the shame of her past mistakes still swirling around her.
Shaking her head a bit, she continues forward, hands at her sides, until she reaches a small opening. A rock circle formed around an unmarked grave stands off to the side, flowers placed thoughtfully around it, giving a small sense of life to the darkness within. Most of the flowers are fresh from previous visits, the skeleton of others strewn around and off to the side, becoming one with the earth again.
“Hey, I’m back” Galena speaks softly, approaching the grave with shaky hands.
“I uh, I know I said I wouldn’t be back so soon but,” She kneels down, resting her hands in her lap, fidgeting nervously, “I feel like you could use some company out here.”
A gust of wind blows through the clearing, making her shiver. A yellow flower gets thrown loose from its bouquet, and Galena barely manages to reach over, catching it by the end of its stem. Putting it back in its rightful place, she takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
“Things have been going well in the party. Balthasar has been checking in with my parents, Baby’s been growing and developing just fine, Feragold’s been making a lot of progress with figuring out the shadow demon’s messages. I think all the practice is paying off, you know?”
The cold silence greets her. She looks down, smoothing out the wrinkles in her pants nervously. She’s been here so many times, restless nights where her memories are so strong she could barely keep her eyes closed without crying. Pulling her cloak towards her a little more, she rubs her left shoulder absentmindedly.
“I hope you’re doing okay. Wherever you are, if you're even aware that I visit.”
Feeling over her god symbol carefully, the metal cold to the touch, she sighs. She can feel the slightest bit of heat from underneath it, a reminder of her past forever haunting her. She glances at her wrist, wincing.
“I hope you’re safe and happy, maybe you’re with your family on the other side...”
Her last statement trails off, as if speaking is becoming more difficult, the words escaping her. She closes her eyes, memories of painful cries, blood, pain, and fire flash before her once again. She squeezes her eyes shut, curling in on herself. She snakes her arms around her midsection, her nails scraping over the seam of her corset. Tears began to dwell in her eyes, her head shamefully bowed, refusing to look up.
“I’m sorry, I-I’m so,” A dry hiccup breaks from her mouth as her body trembles, “I didn’t mean to I- I didn’t want to-”
Quiet sobs fill the air as Galena lays sniffling in front of the grave. Her nails dug into her sides, trying to ground herself despite the strong emotions. Her tears stream down, falling onto the rocks, then sliding down to meet the soil.
A few minutes pass as the moon continues to travel, finally reaching the peak of her journey. Illuminating the clearing, she shines down on Galena’s crumpled, crying form. Galena looks up, noticing the change of lighting. A sense of calm washes over her. A warm feeling that radiates love and understanding, a guiding hand through the vulnerable state she has found herself in. Galena wipes her eyes, resting her loose fists in her lap, smiling up at the sky. Her god symbol glowing ever so softly in the moonlight.
Moments pass and the light fades as the moon continues on, leaving the clearing dark again. Galena wipes her stray tears, the smallest smile on her face as she gets up, brushing herself off. She reaches back and pulls out a small purple flower.
“This was hard to find, but I thought you might enjoy it.” She places the flower gently with the others. “It’s a Michaelmas daisy. I read somewhere that it means ‘farewell, I will miss you.’ I known i’ve said a lot of farewells, but one more isn’t going to do any harm, right?”
Galena smiles softly to herself, straightening up in a slight stretch before turning around. She takes a few steps then turns,
“Goodnight, William. Sleep well.”
Clasping her hands behind her, she walks out of the forest, up the dirt path, back to the cobblestone pathway she was on not too long ago. As she heads towards her room, she takes a moment to stop and glance at her party members, each one sleeping soundly. She smiles, knowing they’re all safe, before turning into her own room, ready to finish her night's rest without her clouded mind keeping her awake this time.