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Fever · 08-18-2024, 03:10 PM

Fever sat alone in the clearing, the moon casting a pale glow over her smoke and blood coat. Her ears twitched as she heard the familiar whisper of an approaching spirit. This was not her first encounter with the a specter, nor would it be her last. The ghost of Elysium lands were just as real to the girl as the living, breathing pack members.

The ghost, a translucent figure of a long-deceased wolf named Orion, hovered near the edge of the clearing. Orion had been haunting these woods for decades, bound by some unfinished business or restless spirit. Fever could never be sure which. Tonight, however, he seemed more present, more eager to speak.

"You seem troubled, young one," Orion said, his voice echoing in the still night air.

Fever's eyes, one bright, shining gold, the other deepest black, fixed on the ethereal brute. "I've simply been considering things, Orion," she spoke with soft respect.

Orion's spectral form flickered slightly, growing brighter for just a moment as though speaking his name gave the man power. "Is there anything that I can help you with, child?" Ghosts were drawn to Fever like moths to a flame and Orion was no different.

Fever's expression shifted a bit and the young wolf shrugged one shoulder. "I don't wish to bring up bad memories for you, but since you insist, answer this: Is it better to be dead?"

Orion drifted closer, his eyes gleaming with an otherworldly light. It was evident that this line of thought was intriguing to the long-dead wolf. "Is it really that simple? Have you never wondered what lies beyond your mortal existence? The freedom, the knowledge, the release from pain?"

Fever's dark ears ticked backwards for a moment and she contemplated for a few seconds before speaking again. "You talk as though being dead is some grand adventure, but you're stuck here, unable to move on. How is that better than living?"

Orion's brow lifted, as did the corner of his maw. It was clear that he would enjoy such a debate with the young Mendacium child. "You misunderstand. Death is not some grand adventure, but a transition. Living is full of uncertainties, fears, and suffering. In death, there is clarity."

Fever gave her head a slight shake, brows furrowing as she considered the ghosts words. "Clarity perhaps, but you're not free, you're trapped. You're stuck here, Orion, unable to leave these lands. Unable to speak to anyone aside from other ghosts and myself."

Orion's form shimmered with a faint glow, his pale form pulsing like a firefly. It seemed that, the more animated he became, the stronger his appearance glowed. "I am bound here, yes, but that doesn't mean death itself is without its merits. You no longer have to worry about survival, about the daily struggles that consume the living. I know what each day holds. I no longer have to fear for the life of myself or my family. I don't have to worry about sickness or starvation. I simply watch the world change around me while I remain untouched."

Fever's expression shifted to one of sadness rather than interest. The girl placed her head down upon her paws, a sigh pulling from her. "You remain untouched, but you also cannot touch. An eternal spectator, unable to shape or mold the world around them." Again, Fever released a sigh, one smoky shoulder lifting in a partial shrug. "Although I do see the sense of peace it would bring, being able to let go of so much fear." Not that she feared much at all. The girl imagined that sense of peace; that finality. It brought a faint smile to her lips, albeit a sad one.

"I'm sorry, Orion. Sorry that you're cemented in place. Perhaps, one day when I die and can further understand what happens after death, I can help you break free of your ethereal chains."

Orion's eyes gleamed with both sadness and respect for the child before him. "You are brave, young one, but do not rush your own death. Enjoy what life you have left so that you may fully experience both worlds. Take your life for the gift that it is, and accept death at the end like an old friend."

The girl smiled fully this time, her horned head nodding in acceptance. "I'll do just that, Orion. I'll live and learn what I can and, when I die, I'll be glad to see you again on the other side."

As the ghost smiled in turn and slowly vanished into the night, Fever took a deep breath. The debate had not made up her mind either way, but it had given her a new perspective. Death was not something to be feared, but something to be embraced when the time came. For now, she would continue to live, but with the knowledge that peace and purpose awaited her in the end.

"Speech"

WC- 821

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