The Wisp tilted her head curiously. Cilas appeared as though he were searching for something, yet he did not neglect answering her question. His following words brought a small frown to her soft face. A drink that dulls the mind was quite an intriguing concept, but the Wisp did not fancy the sound of this drink turning sane mortals into devils. What drink would cause such horrible results? Her body shivered at the idea, briefly causing wonder as to what the shiver was. However, with learning that the way the people of the village acted was indeed not normal, it raises the question: what is normal? The Wisp blinked away, her focus turning to the dull minded. Cilas ordered her to stay by his side, to which she replied with an understanding nod. She could not afford to forget that she now lived in a mortal body. Her flesh was delicate, bones easily broken. It made her vulnerable to danger. Very, very vulnerable. This is her first time experiencing the mortal world in a mortal body; she would rather not be harmed during the first hour. The poor Wisp was oblivious to the meaning of primal lust, but she assumed that it was not anything good. A hand lifted to hold his cloak closed over her naked body obediently.
She followed in silence and continued to allow her curious, yet now wary, eyes wander. The further they went into the village the more she noticed the gazes watching her and Cilas. It made her uncomfortable, uneasy and nervous. Although, she could not decider why. Was it the way they covered their lips as they spoke in each other’s ears? Or how their eyes were hard and assuming? She was unsure whether she was accurately reading their emotions and body language, she was just following that foreign sensation in her stomach. Is that what is known as instinct?
Abruptly her hand was taken by Cilas, affectively drawing her attention back to him. Watery blue eyes blinked then shined. As if by nature her lips reformed into a soft smile. A place to reside, possibly call home. She had never known what a true home was, not when she was trapped within Moonlake, and not from before. The Wisp was excited, a fluttering tickling her in her chest. But then she remembered who it was that rightfully owned this home. Even as they stopped and stood before it, even as she gazed upon the tall and dark structure. She seemed to have an empty pit in her stomach. A body that was not hers, a home that did not belong to her, in a village where she did not belong. The layers of lies only seemed to build with each step she took further into the mortal world. She had come into this world and claimed someone else’s life. She stole someone’s identity. And to make things worse, none of the townsfolk seemed to recognize her at all. Her hair was silver now, not its original black, yet her face and eyes were still the same. Someone should have known her, yet no one had. Did anyone even know this girl existed? It was a sorrowful thought, and her chest ached.
The Wisp was reluctant to enter the house without Cilas. She would not know where to go, what to look for. And even if she did find clothing, she knew not how to wear it properly. She could not help wishing he would help her, or at least be there to give her instructions. But she understood that she must remain covered before they eyes of men. It was clear that showing her naked body was frowned upon, and would attract unwanted attention. She wished to avoid doing as such. And so she walked into the building. Cilas closed the door behind her, leaving her alone in the darkness. She was used to the moon offering light through the nights, but this darkness was dense, far beyond anything she had ever experienced. She closed her eyes and summoned her spirit’s power. Little by little, tiny balls of blue light started floating around her like butterflies, their light each as bright as the full moon outside. It revealed the walls and everything belonging to the maiden that once lived here, covering her surroundings in a soft blue hue. The floor was soft beneath her feet as she made her way up the climbing steps. Her hand slid across the side railing. It looked like wood, but felt smooth under her fingers. On the next floor, a long hall stretched before her.
One by one, she opened the doors as she had seen Cilas do. She did not know where she would find clothing, so she searched each and every room. The largest room had a tall wooden figure with doors of its own. This is where she discovered the garments that the maiden had worn. She recognized all of them, her slender fingers feeling of the soft and warm fabrics. The maiden had worn one every sunset as she passed by the lake, allowing the Wisp to memorize them all well. She picked her favorite: a long black dress that falls to the ground, a wide wrap around her waist that always showed how small the maiden was, and long sleeves with a hood that could hide her face in shadows. The Wisp dropped the cloak from her shoulders, her skin shivering and growing tiny bumps now that the piece of clothing no longer offered any warmth. Movement from the side caught her eyes. She blinked at the identical woman standing a few steps away. It was tall and outlined with a thin wooden frame, containing something she could not see yet reflected her more clearly than water. She reached out to it, amazed that its smooth surface did not ripple from the contact, or even when she was close enough that her breath caressed it. She looked over herself momentarily, curious about the human body. But she quickly reminded herself why she was there.
After some trial and error, she finally managed to put the dress on properly. Or so she hoped. A pair of black slippers were put on to protect her feet. Satisfied, she turned back towards the door, only to be distracted by something else. It was much like the odd, clear thing that reflected everything in front of it, but much smaller, and this one held a permanently frozen image. It was the maiden, her hair black with sorrowful eyes and a ghostly smile. Something was marked along the bottom of the frame. The Wisp assumed they were letters, or runes, as she had seen many in her lifetime but never learned how to read them. Perhaps it could lead her to the maiden’s name. She took the picture and went back downstairs. When the door opened and moonlight flooded around her, the little balls of spirit light vanished. She offered Cilas a soft smile, chest warming. She was joyful that he remained and waited on her. “I found this,” she said, reaching the picture out to Cilas. “I do not know how to read, so I am uncertain whether this could help give me a name.”