#ship:stealingcrowns

[ghostingships]

Four ( Favor for Favor )

Ghost had tried to creep quietly back into the ravine, taking their time on the ladder and not wake any of the inhabitants of the ravine. The forest was still once again as they approached the living part of the Ravine, starting to take off their armor as quietly as they could. Unfortunately for them, Vist walked out from behind the curtain, looking at Cassius with an expression they couldn't place in the dim moonlight.

"Vist—"

"Where did you go?" Vist interrupted, crossing her arms, "I woke up and you were just gone! I was so worried."

Ghost scrambled for the right words to say. "I…I thought I heard another wolf pack, so…so I went to go check it out." Well, they sounded suspicious as hell. Vist could definitely see right through their terrible lie.

"Uh-huh."

After a beat, Ghost sighed. "You have to promise not to get mad."

Vist narrowed her eye. "This ought to be good."

"A few days ago, over in Wayford, a bunch of piglins had come from the nether and I did what I do best. Then, when the square was almost clear, I saw one who had just left his pockets open! I…I didn't think he'd—"

"No…"

"He caught me, and I've been so nervous about him catching us at the Ravine. I've seen him in the woods twice since then, and he said he's looking for some ancient legend."

"You talked to him?" Vist put a hand to her face, taking in a deep breath.

"Not only that, I saved him from a wolf pack."

Vist glared at Ghost. "That's where the pelts came from."

Instead of mentioning the fact Chad had also seen them use forbidden magic, they just nodded, a knot forming in their throat. "I'm just scared, Vist."

Vist looked at Ghost for a few seconds more before blowing out a breath, uncrossing her arms. She walked over to Cassius and put a hand on their arm. "It's ok to be scared, Ghost. I just…don't know why you kept this from me."

"You're already dealing with preparations for the winter, and I just…I just didn't want to add to that," Ghost's voice wavered as they looked down at the ground, wishing that they hadn't just started to cry. Then, they felt arms wrap around them, a good, solid hug enveloped them. Vist leaned them into her.

"It's ok, Ghost, it's ok." Vist muttered while Ghost silently sobbed into her shoulder. All of the weight of the winter and having to live in some cave instead of a nice warm house had worn them down. They just needed to lean on someone and let them help.

"…thank you," Ghost whispered, having wrapped their own arms around Vist.

"I would do it again one hundred times."

Ghost was the first to let go, wiping their face on the back of their hand. "I'm…I'm gonna take off my armor and go to sleep."

Vist smiled at them. "Sounds good. Have a good night, Cassius."

Ghost nodded, then got to work unhooking their armor, setting it down near the entrance to the living section. After this night they decided to ditch changing and just went to bed in their everyday clothes, almost instantly passing out as soon as their face hit the pillow.

And then they were awake again, in the pitch black place with the two glowing orbs. They sighed, looking around them and seeing absolutely nothing. Ghost turned back to the orbs, which they knew were the Twin Gods, Una and Verset, the green and blue entities.

"They awaken." Una said.

"They were always awake." Verset answered.

"Why am I here again?" They asked the orbs, tired of having the most restless dreams out of their family.

Una. "To learn."

Verset. "To remember."

"Remember? What would I need to remember? I have a pretty clear memory as is."

"Remember who you are."

"Remember who you were."

Cassius fiddled with their robe sleeve, having expected to get no answers. "Alright, fine, I guess I'll try to remember."

"You'll get help."

"You have help."

"Ah. So I'm guessing Vist—"

"No. Not her, help approaches."

"Help has already approached." and

They looked at the orbs in disbelief. "I'll keep that in mind, then. Can I please go back to regular sleep now?"

"Our time grows short, the darkness nears, Creator"

"Our time grows short, the dawn approaches, Creator"

Ghost woke up, seeing the sky having taken on the dark, deep blue of the predawn. Running their hand through their hair, they decided they'd try to grab a few more minutes of sleep before everyone else woke up. The rest they did get was dreamless, and entirely what they needed after another dream of the Twin Gods. When they did wake, they saw the sun shine almost overhead, and panicked, running out of the sleeping area. They saw Mellick and Vist working as they usually did, but when Vist spotted them, she smiled and chuckled, walking over to them.

"Last night take you out? You haven't slept that heavy since summer."

"I…Yeah, I guess." Cassius scratched the back of their neck, looking around at the ravine. "Is there anything else that needs to be done before winter?"

"Not at all, we're all ready to hunker down." Vist clapped a hand on their shoulder. "You don't need to worry so much anymore."

They let out a breath they hadn't realized they'd been holding, a wave of relief crashing through them. "Well, that takes a lot off of my chest."

"I'm glad," Vist said, chuckling, "You deserve to rest."

"So do you, Vist."

"Ghost!!"

They looked over at Mellick, who was waving them over. Ghost walked over, a smile gracing their lips as they looked at the notebook which, of course, was now full of notes and doodles he had made. Vist had been right, the notebook was good to get for him, and he had already made it his own. He held up the notebook so Ghost could see the glowroot he had sketched, which was sitting in front of him. His sketch had many details, and Mellick's handwriting around them was surprisingly neat for someone who was always going a million miles per hour.

"Nice job, Mellick. Pretty soon you'll have a whole catalogue of every single species in the woods."

"Yeah! I can't wait for spring, so I can see all of the plants and start sketching out how they look in the wild. It's gonna be a big help."

"It really is," Ghost said, mood lifted by Mellick's excitement. "Hmm…Know what I think we should do today, guys?"

Their two friends turned to them, a confused expression across their faces.

"We should go walk around Wayford, just take in the sights."

Mellick scrambled to his feet instantly. "I get to go to Wayford with you two! In the daylight!"

Vist, however, looked more concerned. "Cassius, are you sure? I'm not sure how long the hiding potion will hide his spider features, and I know you wouldn't want him to get caught by someone in the middle of the square."

"It'll be fine, Vist, it'll be a short little outing before winter sets in and most of the stalls close up."

Vist huffed. "Fine, if you're sure on it." She waved to Mellick, "C'mon, Mells, let's get the potion ready."

Mellick let out a small squeak of excitement and ran off to join Vist while Ghost was alone with their thoughts. They weren't just going on an outing just because, they were trying to find out what the gods had been saying. Help approaches? What could it mean? And what about the name Creator? The dreams wouldn't stop until they knew the answer, they felt this assumption was true, but they didn't have a clue where to start looking. It seemed like an impossible task set upon them by the Twin Gods.

"We're ready!" Vist called, and Ghost spun to look at the pair. They'd mostly gotten used to how Vist looked when the skeleton part of her was hidden, but Ghost had never seen Mellick this…human before. It almost scared them; they would have thought he was a stranger if the same voice didn't come out his throat which Ghost knew well.

"What do you think!" Mellick half exclaimed, half asked, "I think it looks good!"

"It does look good, Mells. C'mon," They said, turning towards the ladder, "let's get going."

And there they went, Mellick chattering away the entire walk up to Wayford, and even when they got into the square. Ghost had to keep a close watch on him, because he was bouncing from place to place, looking at all of the wares and food and people around him. These sights were a lot more than he'd ever seen, and Ghost was glad they'd get to watch him experience Wayford for the first time.

Then, out of the corner of their eye, they spotted someone. A tall, broad piglin they'd already bumped into three times. Chad. Of course, just when they went looking for answers, another obstacle had gotten in their way. There was no way they'd be able to ask around about the Twin Gods. Worship of them had been forbidden, along with the ancient language, and Chad was likely to watch their every step as they went about Wayford. They pinched the bridge of their nose, letting out a long suffering sigh. Whatever, let today bring whatever it wanted, they'd be able to deal with it.

Chad approached the trio, trying to look casual instead of just marching straight towards Ghost. Of course, with him being taller than most and the most grim face this side of the sea, most people backed out of his way. Cassius saw him approaching, keeping it to a small glance before turning back to Mellick, who wanted to show them something he had found while running around the square. It wasn't enough to steer the piglin away completely, but it allowed them to gather their thoughts on how this interaction was going to go.

"Hello," Chad said, dipping into a small bow, "it's a pleasure to see you again."

They scoffed. "Since when did we get this cordial, Chad?"

Vist turned to look at the two, looking back rapidly from Ghost, to Chad, to Ghost again. Eventually, she just gestured at Chad, to which Ghost nodded. Chad watched as all of this went on, a slightly confused look on his face. What was going on between these two? He had no idea, no idea at all. "Uh. Well, I…"

"At a loss for words, Chad? I thought you'd be a smooth talker, being a noble and all."

"Hey, I'm not just a—"

"Ghost!!!"

They whipped around to see Mellick running at them, almost running into them with how fast he was going. Ghost put out a hand to slow him down, and Mellick looked at Chad. "Who's this?"

"This is Chad, a piglin a met while in town once."

"Woooooah, so cool!" Mellick exclaimed, grabbing and shaking the piglin's hand. "So you're from the Nether? Is it hot? Well it probably is hot but I heard theres places where it's not so hot so I figured you'd know more about those places than I do…"

Mellick continued to ramble at the helpless piglin, who just glared at Ghost, who only returned a smirk to him. Vist had a hand up to her mouth, resisting the urge to chuckle at this giant piglin trapped in the questioning of a small teenager. It truly was a sight to see.

"Yes, there are places that are cooler. Now, I don't have time for more questions—"

"C'mon, Chad, there's always time for questions." Ghost cut him a large grin, splitting across their face, daring him to actually leave.

"Not when you're—"

"Hey!" Vist exclaimed, an idea suddenly coming to her, "We should go somewhere to eat, especially since Mr. Noble here seems to be loaded."

Mellick looked at Vist and then back to Chad. "Can we? I've never eaten at any of the restaurants here! It'd be so cool!!!"

Chad looked to Cassius again, an almost pleading look in his face. All Ghost did in reply was chuckle. "It would be cool, wouldn't it?"

Now knowing Ghost was refusing to be of any help, Chad sighed. "Alright, fine! But that's all I'm going to pay for, just a meal."

Mellick let out a whoop and started running circles around them, excitement in the air. Ghost and Vist looked at each other, a large smile on both of their faces. This was going to be fun, an absolutely hysterical time.

"So, Mellick, where do you wanna eat?" Ghost said, catching Mellick out of his circling by grabbing his shoulder. "Since it was your idea and all."

"Oooooo, I don't know! Maybe you and Vist can choose?"

"We sure can, buddy!" Ghost gently punched his shoulder, whirling back to the other two. "I think I know a place! The Seaside, it's one of the best places out here."

"And the most expensive," Chad grumbled.

"What was that, my dear noble friend?"

"I said, I'm not a—"

"I'm bored let's go!!!" Mellick exclaimed, starting to walk away from the group. Ghost and Vist hurried after him, leaving Chad in the dust. For a second, he considered just walking away from all of this, but he still needed answers, and he knew this Ghost, had them. He hurried after them, trying not to bump into the surrounding stands and carts.

Mellick, Ghost, and Vist were all crowded around one of the windows to the restaurant, looking inside with dazzled faces. Chad saw this as he approached, not understanding. Surely they'd been here at least once? Even if Ghost had to thieve in order to make ends meet, they must have had enough to go here once? It wasn't too expensive, not by any standard. Chad sighed, tapping Ghost on shoulder. "Are we gonna go in anytime soon?"

"We were waiting up for you," Ghost said, tapping Mellick and Vist on their shoulders. They both spun around, and looked sheepish, like they'd been cause doing something they weren't supposed to do. "We're going inside, gang! Best behavior."

"Aye aye captain," both Vist and Mellick answered, giving Ghost a sarcastic salute. Ghost barked out a short laugh. In they all went, the restaurant seemed so much fancier inside than through the window, the walls a nice white color with gold accents, paintings hung up on every wall. It looked absolutely beautiful.

"Woaaaah," Ghost said, looking around, amazement clearly on their face. Chad frowned at them. Where exactly had they been living? Most houses in Wayford almost looked like this on the inside, bar the gold accents, and even if the house didn't look the best, it'd still look like this.

Eventually, Chad broke his silence. "This is nothing, you should see some of the Nether restaurants. They're five times fancier than this, and gold is in much more abundance." Chad walked in front of the group, turning to talk to them. "Lava fountains and high vaulted ceilings, a wither rose on every table, absolutely stunning."

The group fell silent, all looking at each other. Nether restaurants sounded like a stunning place to eat at. "That…does sound amazing," Vist half whispered to Ghost, looking around the room again. She almost couldn't imagine it.

"Well, let's get sat down, then, shall we?" Ghost said, having broken through their wonder. "Chad, can you…do all of this for us? We don't do this, at all."

"…at all?" Chad quietly questioned to himself. "Uh, yeah, I can do it." He approached the front, clearing his throat, "Chakdtht'Bulgd, requesting a table for four, please."

"Absolutely!" The receptionist exclaimed, "right this way."

Chad gestured at the others to follow him as they followed to their table. Mellick ran his hands over the tablecloth, stunned by how it felt against his fingers. Vist also looked at the tablecloth, as if trying to glean how to make it from just how it looked alone. Ghost sighed, shaking their head at the two, a soft grin playing across their face. Chad felt genuinely bad at this, at how amazed they were by something Chad had seen a hundred times before.

A waiter came over and handed them all menus, pouring water into glasses for all of them. Mellick stared in wonder at the glass, how anyone could carve and shape it into the crystalline structure before him. Vist looked at the water, seeing how clear and pure the drink was. They'd been drinking water from the stream for years, and though they boiled it, it always had a murky look about it.

Chad looked over at Ghost, who was sipping on the water, looking out the window. The bright, cold day outside. If only they had time to ask for answers before Chad had spotted them, then they would have loved this day even more. At least they could say they got an…enemy to buy them a meal. Where they actually enemies with Chad? Sure, they held some animosity towards each other, but they had still helped them out, not of their own accord of course.

Ghost finally noticed Chad looking at them. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"No, not at all, I just…" Chad trailed off, looking away from Ghost and sipping his water.

Ghost shrugged, looking through the menu. Half of the things on here would take forever to afford, even if they had the best luck in the world at finding things like wolves. Mutton? They'd never even heard of it. "Hey, Chad?"

Chad looked back over at Ghost, "Yeah?"

"What's mutton?"

Chad stared at Ghost, blinking in surprise. They'd never heard of mutton? What did they mean 'what's mutton?' Had they never heard this term be used before? "It's, uh, it's sheep meat."

"Oh!" Ghost softly exclaimed, "That's what they call it."

"Did…you not know that?"

Ghost shook their head, "No, people usually just said sheep meat, not…mutton."

Chad frowned again, looking at the other two. So that's how poor they were? They were fugitives or something, but Ghost had saved him multiple times, even when it would have benefitted them to leave him for dead. There was no way they'd be fugitive murderers or anything of the kind…right?

Eventually, the waiter came back, and took their orders. Then, they whisked the menu away, leaving the group to chat amongst each other. The air was awkward at first, but then Ghost and Chad said at the same time, "So I have que—"

They both froze, staring at each other. Vist and Mellick glanced at them, and then each other, Vist raising a hand to her mouth to keep a chuckle in.

Chad nodded at Ghost, "You first."

"Uh, well…I wanted to know more about the legend you spoke of, out in the woods."

Mellick looked at Cassius. "You saw each other in the woods?"

Ghost glanced back at Mellick, nodding once. "Yes, we did. Last night."

"And you didn't tell us?" Mellick said, looking at Vist.

"I…" Ghost looked over at Vist, who showed no emotion at Mellick's question. "I was going to tell you guys sooner, but I also didn't want to worry you."

"Mmmm…" Mellick frowned. "I guess that's understandable."

"Thank you, Mells." Ghost let out a small breath, then looked back over at Chad. "So, the legend."

"The legend." Chad repeated hesitantly. He didn't want to tell Ghost at all, even if they had saved his life. They were still a thief, and could just take the armor and weapons right out from under him. He rubbed his face, taking a deep breath and sighing, might as well give them this in return for saving him, twice. "It goes like this, there was once this warrior, created by the Twin Gods, to right the wrongs of mortals in the world. I'm trying to find this warrior's armor."

"Hmmm," Ghost said, a frown growing on their face, "Do you know anything else?"

Chad pursed his lips, then spoke, "The warrior is said to be reborn in times of need to help restore balance to the Three Planes. It's been believed they've quit being reincarnated, so magic has been outlawed to try and at least have some safety."

Ghost took a deep breath. So what did this mean for them? There was no way they were going on a quest to find this warrior, Twin Gods or not. Winter was almost here, and travel during winter was hard in the Overworld. After a beat, they lifted their head again, a small smile on their face. "Thank you, then."

"Oh, you're welcome," Chad said, "But now it's my turn for a question. Why do you keep saving me?"

The air grew silent, Ghost looking down at their hands. Why had they saved him? They weren't good by any means, and Chad had only gotten in their way ever since they met him; it would have been better to leave him for dead. They took a deep breath in, and said, "No clue." They leaned back in their chair. "Just keeps happening. Fortunately for you, not so fortunately for me." Ghost crossed their arms, looking at Chad. There, this was the answer, they didn't know. If only they could say the same for everything else.

Chad looked at them, eyes slightly squinted. "Yeah, sure. And why were--"

"Hey, I answered your one question." Ghost said, laying their hands on the table, "If you want to ask another one, let me question you again."

Chad sighed. What a tough nut to crack. He just wanted to know what this Ghost knew, since it seemed they knew more than they let on, but he didn't want to reveal his entire hand to them. After a small pause, he said, "Sure, fine, go ahead."

Ghost smiled. "Thanks. Why are you searching for this magical armor?"

Chad was quiet for beat, and then Chad said, "I just want to be able to protect my home, warrior or none."

Everyone went quiet after, a common wish between all of them, to protect their homes. Then the food came, and Ghost, Vist, and Mellick all stared at their plates before digging in like starving men. Chad ate slowly, thoughts swirling around his head. None of what he assumed about Ghost made sense, they knew more and less than he did, and it seemed like they weren't just a simple thief. Who was this person?

Eventually, they all finished their meals and left the Seaside, being greeted with the day starting to wind down. Ghost sighed and looked around at the others. They'd managed to get some answers today, thanks to Chad of all people, but they were afraid of what it meant for them and the Twin Gods. A quest to find the reborn warrior? It seemed inevitable at this point, but a small whisper of hope floated in their mind; a hope the quest could at least wait til the first thaw. They were ripped from their thoughts by a tap on their shoulder. They looked to see Vist.

Vist gestured at Mellick with her head, making a nervous face. Ghost nodded and stretched. "Weeeeeelp, it's time for us to get out of here, thanks for the meal, Chad."

"We're not done here." Chad said, walking in front of Ghost and crossing his arms, "You still owe me an answer."

"Ah," Ghost said, "Well, I suppose I can answer one more thing." They looked to Vist and Mellick. "You two should go on ahead, get some rest from this exciting day."

Vist nodded and grabbed Mellick's arm, turning and walking away. Mellick said, over his shoulder, "Bye!!"

Once the other two were out of sight, Ghost turned to Chad, relaxed demeanor still up as a guard to whatever lay next. "Your question?"

"My question," Chad said, lowering himself to Ghost's height, "is why you were in the forest? Twice? It…can't be wolves, at this point."

Ghost let out a sharp bark of a laugh. "You assume too much, Chad. I'm but a simple thief, looking to take my share of treasure from the world." A sharp smile fell across their face, as if goading him into questioning more.

Chad just squinted at Ghost, then sighed. "Fine, go then, but if we meet again, I'm taking it as a sign something more is happening with you."

Ghost nodded, walking circles through the streets to try and lose anyone who might think of following them. Eventually, they got back to the Ravine, where Vist and Mellick were asleep. After this long day, Ghost barely changed and just flopped into their bedding, almost instantly passing out.

[ghostingships]

Three ( Fate Arrives )

Ghost saw nothing but darkness, and they almost panicked. They hated the pitch black, when nothing could be seen. They hated it with a passion, something that stirred deep within them whenever they saw it. They thought it horrible, and it scared them.

Suddenly, two lights appeared in front of them, almost blinding their eyes, which had adjusted uselessly to the darkness. They held a hand in front of them, finding that their clothes were different than they remembered, a flowing robe instead of the broken and dinged armor that they usually wore.

"Hello child." One of the lights spoke.

"We see you, child." They other one said.

Ghost's face twisted into confusion. "Where am I? Who are you?"

"We are two."

"We are one."

Together, the two lights answered. "We are the twin gods."

The twin gods? Now, Ghost had always known them, had worshipped them, but never actually thought they would come into dreams. Especially into the dreams of a no good thief who's one eye didn't even work. "Why am I here?"

"You are wonderful."

"You are perfect."

"…ooookaaay." Ghost shrugged. "But that doesn't answer my question."

"It will be answered."

"Time answers everything."

"Time? I don't have much of that. Winter is coming, after all, and my free time goes immediately down the drain."

"Not that time."

"Not those times."

"What?"

"Your time is coming, our child."

"Your time is always, our child."

"What do you mean?" Was anything clear with these two? For all they knew, this could just be a fever dream, and Vist was trying to get them better so they could go help and gather supplies.

"You will face hardships."

"You will face obstacles."

"But know this, our child."

"Always remember, our child."

Together, again, the twin gods answered, "You will come through it, Creator."

And Ghost was sent back to the realm of the awake. They sat up with a start, propping themself up with one hand. They glanced around the Ravine, seeing Vist and Mellick still sound asleep. What was that? Why was that? They almost wanted to shrug it off, but something that they had said had reached out to Ghost. Called to them. Like an old name to an old soul.

Ghost got up from the bed, taking a few steps to the small river that snaked through the ravine. Though the moonlight, they could see their face, as tired and as dirty as always. They splashed some water on it in an attempt to wash away the memories of the dream, but even clearing their head had no effect on it. Creator, the lights had said. Why was that familiar? Why did it feel like home?

Ghost ran a hand though their hair, a sigh escaping their lips. They'd solve nothing depriving themself of sleep, nothing good would ever come of it. They walked back to their bed, curling underneath their covers, watching Vist and Mellick's chests rise and fall with their breathing. It just seemed to be a weird dream, something that only happened out of the stress of winter. That was all it was, and that was all it would be. At least, that's what they hoped. They didn't need anything else to add to whatever was happening at any time ever.

Eventually, they lost track of their thoughts, lulled to sleep by the silence of the ravine. They slept dreamlessly, and soundly, and safely.

When they again awoke, sunlight filtered into the Ravine, and everyone was already up and moving. They could hear Mellick cooking, humming his own cooking song, and he could barely see Vist gathering water from the Ravine's river. It was almost like nothing had happened last night, and Ghost had nothing to worry about.

They got up and stretched, donning their clothes and armor before walking out to greet the two. The morning was cold, as they all would be in the lead up to winter. At least the cold felt good, and they could keep warm easily.

"Morning, Mellick." Ghost spoke, sitting down next to the fire. "What's for breakfast today?"

"Eggs!" Mellick exclaimed, "I figured it would be a nice breakfast for today! I wanted to pair it with some meat, but Vist said I shouldn't use any, since were preparing for the winter and all."

"She's right," Ghost said, taking some food as Mellick handed it to them, "but at least your cooking will still be the best during the winter." They took a large bite of the eggs. Mellick really was the best cook out of all of them. It was nice to come back to it after a day of being out and about.

"Stoooooop," Mellick said, putting a hand to his face, blush rising to his cheeks.

"It's true, you're good at it." They pointed their fork at him.

Vist finally walked over to the two, sitting beside Ghost and grabbing some food, immediately shoveling it into her face like she hadn't eaten in years.

"Yeesh, hungry much?" Ghost muttered, watching Vist scarf down her food.

Vist paused to shoot them a glare, then went back to eating. Ghost chuckled at that, taking another bite of their food. It was pretty tempting to scarf down the food like that too. They'd have to keep their food consuming low for the winter, so they usually ate as much as they could afford before the snow set in. It was nice if you forgot that they'd all be half starving throughout the winter.

Ghost cleaned the breakfast, washing the dishes downstream of where they usually gathered water. Then, they hung the bucket up above the fire and, very softly, whispered a few magic words. The fire sprang up warmer and brighter than before, and they left the water to boil. As they stood around, they tapped their chin, muttering under their breath. Then, they suddenly snapped their fingers. That was what they had forgotten, Mellick's new notebook!

"Melliiiiiiiick!" They called out, "We got you something yesterday but I forgot to give you it!"

Mellick scrambled over, excitement written clearly across his face. "I got something!"

Ghost dug into their bag and pulled out the notebook and pencil. "For writing down your notes."

Mellick's grin grew even wider as he grabbed the notebook and clutched it to his chest. "Thank you!" He exclaimed, suddenly enveloping Ghost in a tight hug.

"Anything for you, buddy," Ghost said, patting the top of Mellick's head. Sometimes it truly hit them how much younger Mellick was than them and Vist. Vist and them had left their old safehouse at 18, but Mellick had decided to tag along at 14, and now, three years later, Mellick was just barely 17. Guilt, heavy and cold, threatened to settle into Ghost's chest as they thought about how much this kid missed out in terms of a normal life. They would give up everything just to make sure he was safe.

"Ghost? Overworld to Cassius!" Mellick waved a hand in front of Ghost's face and snapped them out of their reprieve, "There you are! Come with me so I can sketch some plants!" Mellick grabbed their hand and started to drag them to the ladder.

"Mellick, wait!" Ghost half-laughed, "we still need to prepare more for winter! I'm sure Vist has something for you to write down in that notebook of yours."

Mellick turned back to Ghost. "But Ghooooooooooooost, I wanna go look at the plants!"

"You could go sketch the glowroot."

Mellick bounced back up. "I will!" He skittered to the plant, almost toppling over Vist in the process.

After that, Cassius went back to cleaning up the Ravine for the winter. Fastening the tarps better, piling up their warmer bedding, taking the water off of the fire so it could cool and be bottled by Vist. It was nice to do something productive, and it wasn't like they were lonely doing it, they had Mellick and Vist to chatter to while they worked.

After they did all of the work they could and the Ravine was as prepared as it could be, Ghost finally sat down, wrapping their cloak tight around them. The sun was gently setting, casting an orange light across the Ravine. Mellick and Vist came over to them, sitting down and leaning against Ghost, and they all watched the sunset together.

When daybreak came, Ghost was the first to wake up. They heard branches up near the ravine's mouth, and they quickly donned their clothes and armor, their sword hanging on their belt. Quickly and quietly, they climbed up the ladder, checking that no one was close to the top once they had climbed the whole way up. They stalked in the direction of the sound, the forest still asleep. Whatever or whoever was making that sound, only they and Ghost were awake in the woods, and Ghost didn't appreciate the wake-up call.

Eventually, the breaking of branches stopped, and Ghost slowed to a crawl, recognizing that there was a clearing up ahead. They hid behind an old stump near the clearing's edge and looked out over the empty field, scanning for whoever had made that racket. Then, they spotted someone out in the middle of the clearing, scanning the tree line. The figure, broad and tall, tusks and gems shining against the moonlight, Ghost couldn't mistake for anyone else. It was that piglin noble, the same one they had tried to rob. What was he doing here, so close to the ravine? It only spelt trouble, and they never liked trouble.

After thinking for a few seconds, they came out from behind the cover. "Hey!" They shouted, the piglin spinning to face them. "Seems we've run into each other again."

"You!" the piglin pointed at Ghost, "Why are you here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing, and I think my question has more precedence. Why would a native from the Nether be up here on this cold night?"

"I have my reasons, and you are not entitled to them."

Ghost chuckled. This was annoying, how close this piglin was to their family. "Then I owe you no explanation myself."

The piglin scoffed. "Fine then. I'm out here to try and find an old legend."

"An old legend?" Ghost said, frowning, "The only legend I know of out here is the Wish Tree."

"No, much like how you speak a forgotten language, I'm searching for something forgotten, an ancient hero, or at least their weapon."

Ghost hummed. "Can't say I can help you there, but believe me, there's nothing special in these woods, just wolves and monsters."

The piglin crossed his arms, and Ghost could see him faintly shiver. Eventually, the piglin finally spoke, "Now, could you please answer why you're out in the cold night?"

Ah, this part, where Ghost lied to save their own family. "On the hunt for more wolves, figured whoever was romping through the woods would scare them away."

"Hm." The piglin stared at Cassius, trying to tell if they were lying or not. Eventually, he just sighed, his teeth lightly clattering against each other.

They frowned. "You're…really not used to the cold, huh?"

The piglin noble stayed silent, and Ghost sighed. "If you promise to still keep my secret, I'll help you keep warm."

He pursed his lips, brows set in a heavy frown. "I…I'll keep your secret. I promise."

Ghost was almost surprised at the noble's answer, having expected him to claim he was fine while standing there, shaking. They shook their head, marching over to the piglin, who took a hesitant step back. "I need to get close for this, " they said, and the piglin seemed to relax a little bit. They took the piglin's hand, whispered a few warming, gentle words under their breath, and kissed his hand.

The piglin snatched his hand back as soon as Ghost let go, and he looked around the landscape as if someone would have seen what happened. "…Thank you…" He trailed off, not knowing Cassius's name.

"You may call me Ghost." They blurted before they could stop themself.

"Ghost," the Piglin said, "… Well, you may call me Chakdtht, or Chad, if that's…easier."

"Chad… Well, you best be off, the spell won't last forever."

The piglin nodded and started back towards Wayford, and Cassius went back to the ravine, trying their hardest not to wonder why they had helped Chad.

[ghostingships]

Two ( Gifted )

Ghost had made their way to Wayford, looking to trade in some of the left over wolf furs to make some quick gold. Vist hurried behind them, having enchanted herself to look normal at least for the day. It was almost nice to be out and about, in the open, not worrying about being found out as a thief. Ghost breathed in the cold and crisp air, also smelling the bread and other pastries that were being sold at the market. At least they hadn't seen the Piglin since the forest incident, and that was a weight off of their mind. He hadn't sold them out, and they were strangely thankful for that.

Ghost bartered with the fur trader, since he had tried to be stingy with his money for the high quality wolf furs. Of course, they could just steal what they thought the worth of it was, but they didn't want to spoil the day with those thoughts. After all, it isn't often that they drag Vist with them to market, especially not when they're out in the open. It was a welcome break from running from everything and everyone. The fur trader eventually conceded, and gave them a nice amount of gold to spend on supplies they needed today. 270 gold pieces, but they could only spend half; the other half was needed for winter stockpiling.

The pair headed deeper into Wayford's square, their eyes glancing from item to item. The sights, the sounds, it drew their attention from place to place, never stopping and lingering in one place for long. They had to be conservative with their gold, but just seeing what was available never hurt anyone, and it was a welcome reprieve from worrying about the coming winter. It was as if they were two normal people, here to do some light shopping, and they had a house in the town to back to, a place safe from what lingered in the woods outside of the square. Maybe with a nice plot of land in the back for Vist's plants, and plenty of sunlight for Mellick to read and write in.

Of course, they had none of this, but it was nice to pretend for the moment that they did have everything they had ever wanted, and more. Vist had dragged Ghost over to a small stand, selling notebooks and writing utensils, and insisted that they get one for Mellick. "For his plant studies," Vist said, "you know he needs a place to write all of that down."

"I thought the walls were doing a good enough job keeping the words down?" Ghost asked, rolling their eyes.

"Ghooooooooost."

"Fine, fine." Ghost approached the stall tender, who was leaning against the stall, a large smile on their face. "How much for this small notebook?" they inquired, lifting the small notebook they had seen in front of them. It was colored green, Mellick's absolute favorite color, and had a nice latch to keep it closed.

"5 gold, and it comes with this small pencil." The tender handed them the pencil.

"So be it." They pulled five gold from their pouch and set it in the stall owner's hand, stashing the notebook and pencil in their bag. The two walked on, searching about the place. Vist grinned to herself, that notebook would be put to good use by Mellick, she was sure of it. It might even help her when she needed to know if a plant grew locally, since Mellick would always have something like that written down. Mellick was lovely like that, such a caring person. Vist counted herself lucky that he cared about her.

As they walked, they passed by a small shop, the sign hanging above it worn and faded to the point of illegibility. Something caught Vist's eye, and they grabbed Ghost's arm, stopping them in place. She walked up to the window, a hand pressing against the glass, cold against her fingertips. Inside the shop she saw glowroot, a flower that was only native in the deepest Overworld caves. It was extremely difficult, almost impossible to get, but it's effects in potions was almost unmatched. Not to mention the beauty of the flower itself, shining and glowing with all the colors imaginable, a lovely kaleidoscope of color.

Ghost followed where Vist was looking and sighed. By the Twins, why did it have to be a magical plant? Couldn't it have been something more simple, like bottles for potions or another stirring stick? It had to be a rare, magic plant that Vist had her eyes on, and by the look of it, she was totally entranced by it. "Vist…" Ghost spoke. If Mellick was getting a gift today, then Vist deserved one too.

"You don't have to get it for me," Vist muttered, looking back at them.

They smiled at her. "Yeah, I do."

"We only have so much gold, and something like this is bound to be too expensive for us to get."

"We can at least try." Ghost took Vist's hand and walked into the store, a welcome warmth away from the cold of the day. The shopkeep greeted them, and Ghost approached the counter, Vist shying behind them. "Good day sir, how much for the…" They trailed off, realizing they didn't know the plants name, actually.

"Glowroot." Vist spoke up.

"Glowroot in the window?" Ghost asked.

The shopkeeper chuckled. "It would be 135 gold, my friend."

Vist's eyes widened and she glanced over at Ghost, who gave her a small shrug. "At least we asked, huh?"

"But…"

The pair's heads turned back to the shopkeep.

"Might I inquire as to why you are asking for it? Barely anyone knew the name of the plant before coming into this place, yet your friend here seemed to know much about it."

"Oh!" Vist perked up, "I just…study medicine making. I heard it was very good at making potent medicines, especially for the Winter Sickness."

"So you're a medicine maker…" The shopkeep said thoughtfully.

Vist nodded, very proud of her achievements.

"…I may give it to you for free, on the condition you help me with my son."

Ghost and Vist looked at each other again, sharing a look of both confusion and excitement. Vist looked back to the shopkeep. "I'm willing to help!"

"Thank you, please, follow me." The shopkeep lead them upstairs, to where they lived, and into a small bedroom, a child's bedroom. Small furniture, toys littering the floor, and a tiny figure on a tiny bed, coughs emanating from them once in a while. Vist and Ghost cautiously approached, kneeling at the bedside once they got there. Vist took the child's hand in hers, so pale against her darker skin. Ghost watches as Vist's usually expressive face hardened into a look of concern, and they knew she was getting serious.

"Is there anything you can do?" The shopkeep asked, hands clasped together. "He's our only child, and we can't bare to lose him."

Vist held her hand to the child's forehead. "I need snapcane and hell's lips, and some water."

The shopkeep nodded and scurried off, leaving Ghost and Vist in the room alone with the child. "Can you actually heal him, Vist?" Ghost asked.

"I can at least try," Vist answered, focused on the boy.

Ghost nodded. That's all they could ever do, huh? At least try. They sat there, in the unbearable silence, waiting for the shopkeep to come back with the ingredients. It was agonizing, hearing the little wheezes come out of this tiny body, a curse against their ears, hell against their senses. Cassius tried not to think about Mellick, and how he'd gotten so sick for a while, and how nothing could help until Vist finally found the plant she had been searching for.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the shopkeep came back, arms full of the needed ingredients. He placed them at Vist's side, who had rolled up her sleeves and pushed back her hair. She crushed the plants and mixed them into the water, the liquid turning a deep purple color. She held the bowl to the child's lips, and the child drank from the dish, almost coughing it up once. All Ghost could do was sit there and watch as Vist went back to feeling the child's face, a determined expression on her face, a few beads of sweat forming on her brow.

"Do you have any frozenleaf? I need it, and quickly." Vist spoke, hushed but clear.

The shopkeep rushed out of the room, rushing back in almost as quickly, plant in hand. Vist grabbed it, crushing it and smearing it across the child's forehead, who seemed to relax at this. Vist let out a sigh, and finally stood up, dusting off her leggings. "Your son should be fine, and if he isn't, mix together snapcane and hell's lips with water for a quick medicine. Frozenleaf should help if he needs something for his fever."

The shopkeep took Vist's hand and bowed. "Thank you, thank you so much."

"It had to be done."

"Now, onto your reward." The shopkeep lead them back downstairs, and they were back in the shop. "The glowroot is yours, free of charge."

Vist lifted the potted plant, a smile across her face. "Thank you so much!"

"It's I who should be thanking you!" The shopkeep called after her as the duo left.

The two walked through the buildings, plant in hand. It was almost prettier close up, lovely and beautiful, it seemed to radiate warmth on the cold winter day. Vist's eyes wandered around from building to building, taking in the beauty of the town. It had felt nice to help out the shopkeep, and to heal the sick child. It made her long for this type of normalcy, something she wouldn't be able to attain, and it almost hurt, but she glanced at Ghost.

If she was born normal, she would have never met Ghost. She would have never met Mellick, who was so amazing and kind that she knew she would never be able to be without that kind of lightness. It was worth being cast out from society if she got to be with these two, and she loved every second of it. Their love for her engulfed her, and she knew that she always had a home right with them. She hoped that she gave back that love and more to them, and she hoped that they could feel it.

It was late when Vist and Ghost finally got home. They had traded the plant back and forth between them on the way home, the pot having grown heavy through the way home. The smile never left Vist's face the whole time, though, even as Mellick came up to get the plant from them. Ghost felt happy that at least today, Vist hadn't had to worry about what was going to happen during the winter, and what might happen after that. They had gotten to enjoy a nice and peaceful day, and nothing had interrupted them. Not thievery, nor magic, not even that piglin showed his face during this perfect day.

Later, after dinner was made, they sat around the fire and told stories. Stories of old heroes and evil pirates and souls taken too soon. Stories of lost loves and love not yet found and love at first sight. It filled the time with something to do, even as the night started to curl around them and embrace them, as the sun set on the day and everything was hidden under the shawl of midnight. They talked of who they would want to be in a story, and who they'd want to be now.

Eventually, they all headed off to bed, swirling thoughts in their heads and a good meal in their stomachs.

[ghostingships]

One ( From the Beginning )

The wind howled through Wayford's square, heralding the winter coming soon. People milled about, coin being exchanged for clothes and luxuries. The rich bustled among them, only some paying attention to their money. Others looked placidly about, the perfect marks for a thief to dip into their pockets and take what they wanted. Piglins also arrived into the Overworld from the nether portal. Piglins were almost always more careful of their riches, something they took pride in.

A ghost danced among these people, taking from what they could. An almost daily routine for them, they were barely a breeze among the rich, and their hands had even dipped into a few Piglin's pockets while they weren't paying attention. After years of this, they had gotten too good for their marks to catch them, and they were simply there one minute, gone the next. The piglins' gold always felt warm in their hands, something they were thankful for in the cold.

People had started filing out of the square, leaving only a few in the square, when Ghost noticed one particular piglin. This one had the guts to leave his pocket unbuttoned, clearly open to any thief would hide about. Ghost considered their chances of being caught by him, but they knew they could outrun anyone in this town, and this man was no different. They snuck up behind him, quiet as they could be, and hovered their hand near his pocket.

In a flash, the piglin had grabbed their hand and held a dagger against their wrist. Ghost's face betrayed their shock for only a second, before their face fell into a frown. Of course this had been a trap, it had the writing of one all over it, something they should have seen. As they thought on this, their gaze wandered to the accessories the piglin wore. Two chains, connected from caps on his tusks to his ears, one gem dangling on each of them. One of the piglin nobles, Ghost thought to themself, of course he'd be this careful.

"You're a foolish one, aren't you?" The piglin spoke lowly, trying to not draw any attention.

"I'm only as foolish as my targets." Ghost spat back, thinking on how to get out of here, hand attached.

The piglin huffed. "Why were you trying to steal from me? The worst mark you could have chosen."

"I'm simply trying to provide for my siblings," Ghost spoke in a hushed tone, "we need to get though the winter and have no castle to go back to." They flashed him a grin, sarcasm dripping from their words.

The piglin frowned and stared at Ghost for a few seconds, trying to get a read on them, then he let go of them, putting his dagger away. He dug into his pocket and tossed some coins at them. As he left towards the portal, he called over his shoulder, "Next time, you wont be so lucky."

Ghost stood there for a second, confused as to what had just happened, but then decided the Twin Gods had blessed them today. They scooped up the coins and ran away from Wayford, heading to the ravine they call home.

The Ravine, a place they had called home for years now. A small safe haven for their small family, something they had always dreamed of. Ghost climbed down the ladder, jumping to the ground after a while. They looked at the smoke rising from the campfire nearby, and smelled the meat cooking on it. This would be one of their last fresh meat meals, they had to preserve everything else for the winter months.

As they approached the camp, they heard skittering across the ravine's wall, right above them. They looked up, and Mellick waved at them, arms full of sticks. Ghost chuckled and waved back, Mellick helping out was always a good sight to see. He scuttled over to the fire, placing the sticks beside it while Ghost walked up.

"Hey bud," They said, sitting down beside the fire, "how's the cooking going?"

Ghost had to circle around the woods twice to make sure the Piglin hadn't decided to follow them, all the while scolding themself for saving him. What were they thinking! He probably still had gold on him, and if he was dead, they wouldn't have to worry about the winter. They just had to go and be a good person, and now everything was more unsure than ever. He could tell people what he saw in the forest, and people would come out to try and find them. They'd have to move somewhere else, but the dead of winter is impossible to move in, and they wouldn't have enough luck to hold out till spring.

Then, they laughed at themself. Really, 'winter is coming and I must be off?' What kind of person says that? It's not like they owe him explanation or a goodbye, they didn't owe him anything. At least he hadn't demanded some of the furs, if he had, there wouldn't be enough to make coats for everyone. A sigh of relief escaped their lips, maybe they would make it through winter after all.

They got back to the Ravine, whistling a birdsong to call for Mellick, who immediately ran up the Ravine's wall to greet them. He grinned at the pelts in their arms, clapping his hands. "Ghost! You got them!"

"I did, Mell, I did. Now," they handed the pelts to Mellick, "take these down to Vist so she can make us some coats."

Mellick nodded and ran down to Vist while Ghost stood atop the Ravine, scanning their surroundings. They had ran around for hours to try and shake off the piglin, but they had to make sure he hadn't followed. Once it looked like the coast was clear, they climbed down into the Ravine, warming themself by the fire. They hadn't realized how cold they had gotten out there, but they were fine, the cold was almost home to them. Flexing their fingers, they looked at the food on the campfire, and they saw the meal was about done. Ghost pulled the food off of the fire, dishing it out for the other and themself. They went further back into the Ravine, where Vist was already working on the coats and instructing Mellick on how coat making was done.

They laid the food out in front of the duo, and they sat down to eat.

"Cassius," Vist said, picking up her food, "nobody saw you, right?"

"No, not at all," Cassius lied, the words falling out easily, "the wolves were mine for the taking." They gave Vist a large smile, then took another bite of meat. Mellick always cooked the best, and rabbit was no exception.

Vist nodded, mouth full of food. She swallowed, wiping her mouth on a small handkerchief she always kept around. "That's good, that's good. Oh, and also, we have extra pelts, so we could probably get a good amount of gold for them."

"See you two! We'll be fine." Mellick said, mouth packed full of food. "Nothing to worry about."

Ghost laughed. "You're right, Mell, nothing to worry about at all."

"It's going good! How did the stealing go?" Mellick sat beside Ghost as best as he could, folding his spider legs underneath him.

Ghost thought for a long second, contemplating telling him how they almost got caught by a piglin noble. "It went well enough, although I'm not sure we have enough to last til first thaw."

"Ghost…" Mellick said, "we'll make it, I'm sure of it." He grinned at them. "Especially if you're here to help!"

Ghost laughed. "Always the optimist, huh?"

"Someone has to be, with you and Vist moping it up around here."

"Someone mention me?" Vist called from behind the two from further in the ravine. "I was just working on getting stuff packed away for winter."

"Glad you could join-" Ghost said, suddenly interrupted by the sound of wolf howls. They jumped up from their seat, running to grab their hunting equipment.

Vist grabbed them before they started up the ladder. "Ghost, are you sure you're going to be safe?"

"We need the furs, Vist, we had to trade our last coats for food." They sighed. "I promise I'll be safe." They went up the ladder, and hiked into the forest, following the wolf howls. Ghost felt nice to be out on the prowl, hunting for something to help the group survive the winter. The bitter cold bit at them, and they prayed there would be enough for everyone to get a cloak.

Then, they saw the blood on the ground. One of them was already hurt, or worse, another hunter had come into the area to catch them. Ghost growled to themself, silently praying there wasn't a hunter nearby. Especially with how near they were to the ravine. They continued following the howls, footfalls quiet as they could force them to be.

As they reached a clearing, they saw the piglin noble from before, battling the wolves. Ghost looked closer at what he was doing, none of his blows cutting the wolves open. Was this man sparing the wolves? At least they could get the furs. Then, they watched as a wolf circled around the noble, ready to pounce at his neck.

Ghost only had a second to decide what to do, and they ran from the bushes, yelling an old and forbidden language, eyes ablaze with an unnatural light. Their words entranced the dogs, and they sent them away from this place. The pack ran, except for three wolves who had already died from their wounds. They got to business, skinning the wolves to take the fur for themself.

The piglin stood there, watching Ghost with a look of confusion spread across his face. "Did you just…speak a forbidden language?"

"Not only is it forbidden," Ghost said, gathering the wolves' furs, "it's also forgotten. No one knows how to speak it, even other magic users." They turned and looked at the Piglin. "I saved your life, and I expect you to tell no one of what happened here."

"I had it handled," the piglin countered.

"That wolf was going to kill you. If I had come later, I would have seen your corpse, and probably stolen from it. You're lucky."

The piglin's eyes widened. "You're the thief."

"I am. I must be off now, winter is coming." They left the piglin, hurrying to the Ravine.

[ghostingships]

is it new f/o time?

i think it's new f/o time

[ghostingships]

Meet the character me and a friend made up that i got attached to.

we call him Chad