The Night Rider

Chapter 33 - Past

It was a Memory Weave; depicted as if he had walked through time itself. 

Two young girls kicked muddy puddles together, pushing and tussling as the youngest tried to spin around the elder in an attempt to get her dress muddy. The older girl giggled, swinging her arm back and forth, dust scattering against the cobbled streets of Brinehearth.

The eldest tried to drag them away from the puddles and from their chaperones glares but the young girl was entranced by the Blistrfall festival. The glowing lanterns danced underneath the soft glow of the moonlight. 

The dappled raindrops skimming off the edge of the Brinehearth roofs, the air still tinged with sulfur and alcohol. The sights and smells slowly faded into a far drearier day than the weather could provide. 

The courtroom. 

Deep in the Halls of Mediation, the very same moon waned above as Rin stood before her family, attempting to be impassive towards such withering scowls. Her only family had abandoned her, cast her out to the person they had once respected and now feared. 

All to favour a younger prodigy hardened by only a few years of brutal training. The very same girl, mesmerised by such a small festival in Brinehearth was now echoing her mother's uncaring sneer and gave the order and sold her to the highest bidder. Her father.

Hawkins broke into a cold sweat, his smoke disappearing instantly as a cool breeze washed over him. Rin was nestled up with Mantis, attempting to stay awake and positive as the Air Traited attempted to entertain her Agar.

Thea was being lifted up by spurts of wind and was laughing, Mantis unable to stop the small smile from forming on her face. Hawkins looked towards the abandoned notebook, the pencil completely whittled down to a small stub of a thing.

"Do you want to take a look at the black grimoire, Rin?" Hawkins asked awkwardly, unsure of how to help her.

The Fire Traited tried to smile politely and refuse but Mantis' annoyed glare told him enough. She still held Rin's shaking hand, quietly seething but decided to focus on calming her down instead and gently hummed a familiar song. 

Hawkins' eyes went wide as he recognised the same tune Cricket had hummed before she had changed and tortured them. Rin began to tear up, hiding her face with her hair as Mantis gently held her close. She tried to continue the muffled singing but her expression told them she didn't know the rest and just repeated the parts she knew. 

Suddenly, Odi carried the tune expertly as Mantis faltered with the last verse but the Scale Shrieker continued to sing. Slowly Rin settled down into the crook of Mantis' neck and joined in as the song ended with a quiet lull and a small smile.

"I didn't know you knew that song." Mantis said, her judging tone softening a little.

Odi's initially shocked expression hardened into something unrecognisable and then returned a kinder look in her eyes. She blinked as if clearing a bad memory from her thoughts and Hack's solemn expression confirmed what Hawkins already knew.

"It's...been a while since I sang it. I can't remember all of it but...I remember the stories behind it."

Hawkins couldn't help but smile. Of course she did with all the books there were in Grimmordials. No wonder she had spent all her time revelling over different Trait techniques and history.

Rin wiped her eyes, snuggled into her seat with Mantis and let Thea gently sit on her lap and rest her wings. The fire slowly dimmed as it reacted to her mood and settled into a low glow and flickered shadows against the stones.

"I'd like to hear that." Rin asked, sniffing finally before waiting patiently.

Odi nodded, closing her eyes as she began to remember the tale, wincing painfully as Hawkins noted how bad her injury truly was. The black grimoire burned against his pocket but the feeling wasn't of anger though. It was...concerned.