Velina

Velina is like no other creature in all of Sornieth. She is trapped between forms, with one half firmly in the physical world of the living, and the other in the mysterious world of spirits. She shifts between corporeal and incorporeal, though the change is extremely inconsistent, oftentimes happening at the most awkward of times. In the middle of dinner, in the middle of an exorcism, in the middle of a conversation, it seems to happen regardless of inconvenience. She has no power to decide when to move between them, as she does so independent of her will.

There are plenty of theories to explain her state of being, from an unfortunate dip in the wyrmwound to the impossible coupling of a ghost and a mortal. However, she can’t disprove any of them. Her memory stops around the time when she first became what she is. She doesn’t know what happened to her, who her parents are, or even how old she is. She spent years alone because of dragons that didn’t understand her, and wouldn’t accept not knowing. Those that aren’t afraid of her want to study her.

Perhaps that was why she latched onto Ardolen so quickly, as he was so far the only one to see her even when she was in her ghostly form. He was the only one that didn’t scream with fright when she disappeared. He never tried to capture her, to make her feel even more like some form of freak. He never pushed her foggy memory to demand answers. She was just an acquaintance that became a friend. Even in the supernatural mess, he has become the source of constancy, proving to her that maybe not everything needs an explanation.

For Velina, I wrote:
“Someday, you may have to move on.” His words sounded tight as he played idly with the end of a bookmark. She noticed briefly that to page was turned to a section on earthbound spirits. Most of the passage he had written himself. There weren’t many true authorities on spirits in Sornieth, as ghost-seers were about as common as an eclipse involving both moons simultaneously.

“I don’t think I can.” The thick rug indented slightly under her feet as she shifted her weight. “Anymore.” He kept the stone floor covered in carpets and towels, as her feet tended to get quite cold in her mortal form. Her circulation was not quite on par with those who were completely alive all the time.

“I know.” He sighed, almost defeated. He studied the page for several moments, though he didn’t appear to actually be reading it. She could feel his attention reaching out toward her, focusing on her solid form.

As she moved to settle down lightly beside him, he asked quietly, “I don’t get it, what keeps you here?” The question made her heart constrict ever so slightly. There was a time when she had no idea what the answer to the question was. Now she was just afraid of saying it.

After a few moments of silence, his eyes flicked to her face for just a moment before turning back to his book, almost as if to prompt her. His fingers traced the plague flight symbol mindlessly.

She took a steadying breath. “Maybe it’s because … because I love you.” The execution was rough, the delivery was worse, but she honestly couldn’t think of another time to say it. She couldn’t think of anything else to say anyway.

“Haha, very funny, Vel.” When she didn’t say anything, he turned slowly to look at her face. She tried to keep her features as smooth as possible as he studied her expression. If her blood pumped more normally, she was sure her pale skin would have showed the vibrant blush that she saw on others. His pale eyes widened slowly. “Oh gods. You’re … you’re not kidding.”

She shook her head looking down as she bit her lip. “I’m not.” She reinforced, reaching out her fingers to brush his arm gingerly. Her fingers tingled, the silent reminder that she wasn’t quite mortal. While it normally didn’t bother her too much, this time it made her feel the prickling notes of shame.

But when she chanced a look up to his face, what she saw there wasn’t shame, or horror, or disgust. His normally sharp features were softened by the expression on his face. It was sort of a kind protectiveness. He leaned close as her fingers slid up his arm. “Vel …”

“Yes?” She found even harder to breathe than she usually did.

Just as his lips met hers, he passed through her suddenly. He made a small noise of disappointment before chuckling lightly. “I know you say you can’t control it, but that timing was horrible.”

As she laughed lightly, she watched him close his eyes. Her fingers slipped down to his hand, though the sensation was long gone. She could almost, almost feel him. They stayed that way for several moments, both of them focusing on the place their hands met. “I love you.” He murmured quietly. She smiled so deeply she could nearly feel the tears gathering in her eyes.