As · You · Wish

My friends and I play DnD. Yes, we are cooler than you. The following short story was written after we ended the last game because I was not ready to let go of Raina. I had grown to love her like a piece of myself, and I had to know she was going to be okay when her story ended.  It's not finished yet, but I wanted to post what I had so far.

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                Raina stared around the room at the bottom of the pit. Two members of the party had turned into Kyser, which was extremely unnerving. She was moving into position to sneak attack the man in the black cloak when she heard Kyser/Karvin give an order to get everyone out. She reached out and touched the two people closest to her. The next thing she knew, she was in a field. The bard girl stood over Inari’s body. Raina, like everyone else, found a place to sit. While she was relieved to be out of battle and alive, she’d had an opportunity to not be a coward and had to leave it.

                She sat watching at Inari came to, only slightly paler than usual. Adrian was angry. “What did you do to her?”

                The bard shrugged apologetically. “I healed her as best I could.”

                Just as Raina realized that Adrian could no longer see Inari, Karvin was in front of her. Raina did not feel the surge of raw anger she has been feeling around him. She didn’t move as he approached her and knelt in front of her.

                “Looks like there’s going to be a fight,” he said.

                “Looks that way,” she agreed. Then he punched her in the face. Raina was too stunned to react and he kept hitting her.

                “Well aren’t you going to get up and fight me?”

                Raina stood, and he hit her again.

                “Aren’t you going to fight back?”

                “You know I can’t touch you.”

                “You have before,” he taunted.

                Raina’s temper flared instantly. Karvin kept hitting and kicking her. Finally she saw her chance, and she took it. She gave him a well-placed kick between the legs, dropping him to the ground. Raina ran straight to Avery. The loving, blonde cleric healed her wounds, which made Karvin target her. When he had successfully got Avery out of his way, he turned back to Raina and only pummeled her more.

                Raina gave up trying to be strong and begged Kyser to come help her. Only a few moments had passed when Raina looked up and saw Kyser standing on the other side of the field. Relief flooded her. He had heard her and he had come.

                Karvin stopped hitting her. “Works every time,” he grinned maniacally, and turned away from her. She saw him flinching as he walked toward Kyser. She guessed Kyser was trying to do something to him. Someone said something she didn’t quite understand, and then Karvin was writhing on the ground in pain. Kyser apprised the girl who had done it, obviously impressed. For a brief moment, Raina was jealous of the girl. Only a short time ago, she would have given anything to have Kyser look at her like that.

                Out of the corner of her eye, Raina saw Inari approaching Kyser. “Hey, dick!” Kyser looked at her and she smacked him.

                He gave her the look Raina knew only too well. “Well you’re… different. Who did this to you?” Inari pointed at the bard girl. Kyser turned and slapped her. The next second, Kyser’s eyes were turning red and he was growing fangs. Raina recognized the signs of bloodlust, she had seen it before. But she had never seen Kyser do it. For the first time since she had known him, she was terrified of him. Inari was the closest to him. He grabbed her and fed on her before Raina even knew what he was doing. Without a second thought, he ate Karvin as well. Then he turned his attention to where Lunin still worked over Avery’s lifeless body. But before he could move, a swirl of shadowy figures surrounded the bard girl, who still had not moved. Her short chocolate brown hair grew longer and faded to shimmering white. When Raina saw Kyser’s face, her heart sank. All along he had been telling her she reminded him of a girl. He cared for her but couldn’t love her because there was a girl. This was the girl. She had been alive the whole time. Raina smiled sadly to herself. At least Kyser would finally be happy. Raina began walking away from them. She didn’t go far, just far enough that she couldn’t hear their conversation. When she turned around, they were both gone.

                Adrian was just sitting in the field like he was waiting for something. Lunin finally had Avery stabilized. Karvin and Inari’s corpses lay pale and bloodless in the grass. Raina felt a strange sense of loss as she surveyed the scene.

                “Adrian?” she called softly as she neared him. For the first time in nearly two days, he looked at her. “Adrian, I am so sorry.”

                “Is she gone then?”  Raina nodded solemnly. Adrian did the same and stood. “Thank you, Raina,” he said, and disappeared.

                Avery was alive but weak when Raina turned around to face them. She threw the orb that grew her instant fortress and Lunin helped her inside. Raina followed and went straight upstairs to her room. The familiar space comforted her. She curled up on her bed, rubbing her stomach lightly. She had only been pregnant for two weeks and she already had a little bulge. Now that Karvin was dead, she wondered what would become of his child, which she now carried.

                “You can keep her if you’d life.” The deep voice was all too familiar. Raina rolled over and Kyser was sitting in her window. She would miss his face and the bright blue eyes under the fringe of black hair. Kyser smiled absentmindedly. He could hear all of her thoughts. “Don’t worry, Raina. I will always be around. Besides, I want to check in on my girls every once in a while.”

                Rain was confused. “Your girls?  And I thought you found her.”

                Kyser didn’t look at her. “Yes, that was Heaven. But things are not going to work out for us right now.”

                “I’m sorry,” Raina whispered after a brief pause.

                “Don’t be. Things happen. Sleep now, Raina. You’re going to need your strength.”

                “I’m sorry I couldn’t be stronger for you.”

                “Don’t be ridiculous, Raina. You have been very brave since we last saw each other. I am proud of you. Now get some rest.” Then he stood and was gone.

                Raina didn’t realize just how tired she was until Kyser was gone. She drifted into an easy slumber as the last rays of sun disappeared under the horizon.

                The next morning, Avery and Lunin began their journey to take Raina back to Cornell, as she had requested. She wanted to live with Harlow until the baby was born. She would be safe there, and she would be well cared for. Three days later, the front gates of Cornell rose in front of Raina’s eyes, a symbol of hope for her. Harlow and Mile welcomed her back with open arms. As she hugged herself tightly to Harlow, her friend, her protector, she felt a very real sense of home. This was her home. Harlow kissed her forehead and led her inside to her new room. Avery and Lunin were continuing their travels, but promised they would return in time to help Raina deliver the baby.

                The next few months passed without much of anything. Raina grew bigger every day. The baby was growing faster than a normal child. She was treated very much like the lady of the keep. Every whim was seen to with haste, but she was loved and respected amongst the burly fighters who lived there. When he was not training, Mile was her constant companion. They took walks, played games, or even just sat and talked. Harlow came to see her when he could, usually at least once a day. She had not seen hide or hair of Kyser, but she was trying very hard not to think much about him. She just hoped where ever he was, that he was happy for once. Lunin and Avery returned after nearly three months, and Raina knew it was almost time.

                About a week after their arrival, Raina awoke to the worst physical pain of her life. She rolled into a ball, clutched her stomach, and cried. “It’s time,” Avery announced. She laid her hands on Raina and let a gentle calming sensation flow over her body. It still hurt, but not quite as badly. She rolled Raina on to her back and started getting her ready.

                It’s time, Raina thought, more for Kyser’s benefit than for her own. She thought she should at least keep him informed. As soon as she finished the thought, he was there. “For the love of God, Kyser!” she cried in surprise.

                “Sorry,” he apologized quickly. I didn’t want to miss it.”

                “You have time,” Avery soothed. “It’s going to be a few hours yet.”