Story of a Ghost

Both the spirit and Tevlen were avoiding her.

It was not paranoia on her part to think such a thing. 

Whereas Skyla would normally help Tevlen with the tasks and chores around the mansion, now she had nothing to fill her days between missions. All housework was completed before Skyla had even finished her breakfast. And for the rest of the day Tevlen was out - where Skyla had no idea. Even Bastet was growing frustrated with Tevlen's absence (and when Bastet grew frustrated it was on Skyla to bear the brunt of it).

The spirit - Artemis - was less easy to pin blame onto. With only one face to face interaction with the other, Artemis was not a normal part of her daily life. But Skyla had grown almost accustomed to seeing glances and glimpses of white in the corner of her eye. Yet she saw none of that in the weeks following her confrontation with Tevlen. There was no way for her to track a creature that left no trace, nor anyway to reliably summon them. So Skyla was left with little other choice than to simply wait.

A shimmer of silver stood by the open window, almost blending into the pale moonlight that filtered through. She was still, serene even, a swan drifting on a still midnight lake.

Anger billowed in Skyla.

How dare she appear so unaffected when Skyla had spent days searching for her. Fur bristled as she marched towards the spirit.

"Where the fuck have you been?"

Artemis did not even deign to turn and face her.

"I have been here." She answered.

"Bullshit." Growled Skyla. "I haven't seen a whisper of you for weeks."

"I have been here." Repeated Artemis as she finally turned to look at the other female. "You have not seen or heard me - I do not know why before you ask."

Silence held for a moment, as Skyla silently mulled over the truth of the spirit's words. While her explanation was outlandish and hard to believe - Skyla had to remind herself that she was talking about the ghost of her friend's dead clanmate, the concept of 'normal' had been long since left on the curb. It should be no surprise to Skyla that Artemis could not be seen all the time, she had confessed to her that it has been many years since anyone had seen or heard her.

Skyla huffed, but let it go.

"I spoke to Tev, like you asked." She said instead.

"How did it go?"

"About as well as you'd imagine. I'm surprised you weren't listening in on us."

Artemis seemed afronted by the accusation.

"I do not spy on Tevlen."

"Oh?" Skyla was unconvinced. "Yet you'll happily spy on me."

"Of course. I'd never betray my brother's trust without due cause - and how else can I check if that's what you are without watching you?"

Skyla offered only a scoff in response, turning her gaze to the night sky instead, seeking solace in the never changing stars and dependable moon. Even when the world around her was a turbulent mess, the sky was always calm. 

"What did he say exactly?" Artemis queried.

Though her face was calm, unmoving, Skyla could hear the anxiety seep into her tone. Even as blank eyes gave no ques. 

"He didn't believe me." Skyla's gaze returned to the sky, away from blank set sorrowful eyes. "Accused me of playing a cruel joke on him, almost stormed off."

Finally Artemis' expression cracked. Remorse. Guilt. Woeful. She had had hope, it suddenly clicked to Skyla. Hope that Tevlen would believe, would understand (and perhaps even hope that he would finally be able to see her, that she could finally explain everything to him.)

"He did, after I fucking pressed him, give me a question to ask you." 

Hope blossomed on Artemis' face, striking something old and cold in Skyla's heart.

"Who was the best hunting team?"

A rapid series of emotions flashed across Artemis' face. Confusion. Anger. Frustration. Fondness.

"Of course the fool would ask that." Artemis shook her head with a bitter laugh.

It was like a joke that Skyla simply wasn't privy to. Something between old friends that she was expected to be the messenger for.

"Hunting was not a competition." The change in tone to something more serious drew Skyla out of her own head. "We hunted for the good of the clan, to feed us all. To turn it into a contest - into a game - is to insult the very laws we live by. No one was the 'best' hunter, there was no crown to win."

Creators, you could've just said there was no best hunter. Skyla thought to herself as she struggled to restrain the urge to roll her eyes. A passionate display over a topic that meant nothing to Skyla but clearly everything to the spirit. She seemed to calm down, taking a deep breath (did a ghost even need to breathe? Or was it purely a reflex?) before continuing to speak.

"Tell him; there is no best hunter, no concept of the best hunter." She paused for a moment. "But there is a worst hunter. Camlin and his team."

Her typically (and quite eerily) serene face twisted into something much more malicious. Much more hateful.

"Always boasting. Always so arrogant. Yet they never had the evidence to back up their claims - nor the hides and bones to confirm their 'kills'. Passing off market bought meat as their own spoils."

She let out a disgusted noise, shaking her head as if to dislodge such thoughts from her head. (Notably, she did not attempt to take another deep breath - perhaps realising such action was pointless.)

"I had no proof of my accusations, so I never told anyone - only Tevlen. That should be enough evidence for him."

Skyla only hummed her affirmative.

Something didn't feel right to the young Kamishiba. Something heavy settled in her chest, making itself comfortable while she was not. It nagged at her, picking and pecking at her heart until she could take it no more.

"Don't you think it's a bit cruel?" Skyla asked, glancing at the spirit from the side of her eye. "Giving him hope that you are still around when he can neither see nor interact with you at all."

Artemis blinked. White eyes stared at her owlishly. Had the thought of Tevlen's feelings not occured to her? Had she been so wrapped up in her own ego - in proving herself that she forgot about-

It didn't matter. It did not matter and Skyla had to let that thought go. Passing judgement on a ghost was a pointless exercise. Making assumptions of another's thoughts was a fool's errand. She had to focus on the here and now. Focus on the facts and tangible things she could grasp.

"Ah. Yes." Murmured Artemis. "I see what you mean."

Silence held over for them for but a second before Artemis spoke once more.

"Tell him I just wanted the chance to say goodbye before I rejoined our ancestors."

"You want me to lie to him?" Skyla hissed. 

"It will bring him peace-"

"It will also break him!"

Flash of grey in the corner of her eyes. Artemis snapped around, viper quick, and loomed over the smaller Kamishiba.

"Yes it will break him." The ghost snapped, feathers quivering. "Better to break him now and let him heal, than to keep him suspended in hope."

Skyla held her gaze with her own, stoney eyes. Loathe as she was to admit it, the ghost had a point. Tevlen would be able to mourn and move on. Still it didn't feel right to let him believe such a lie when she could see the truth with her own eyes. (Oh and wasn't that just hypocritical of her - showing distaste for allowing someone to believe a lie for their own good.) 

Perhaps it was that hypocrisy that caused her to eventually sigh.

"Alright."