Scenario:Zahlhamelina - Lost in the Rain
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Lost in the Rain
One rainy day, Zahlhamelina, (Young Cat), and the crew attend a festival famous for its soulfish-shaped river lanterns. The lanterns are said to be for mourning those who perished in a forest fire long ago. When the light rain turns into a downpour, the crew looks for cover and ends up on the edge of town, where a little girl is standing by a gate in the rain. When they call out to her, the girl's shadow grows and takes (Captain), Lyria, and Vyrn with it into the forest.
Zahlhamelina: (Captain)! Lyria! Vyrn! Where are you? Please answer me!
(Young Cat): ...
Under the steady pouring of rain, Zahlhamelina runs around shouting for (Captain) and the others.
(Young Cat) follows at her heels, eyes trained watchfully on their surroundings.
Zahlhamelina: (How could I have let this happen? I swore to keep them safe!)
As she bites her lip, she recalls everything leading up to the nightmarish scene that started all this.
Vyrn: Kinda surprisin' so many people are here, even with the bad weather.
Zahlhamelina: The rain is unfortunate, but no one wants to miss this famous festival and its beautiful display.
Zahlhamelina not in crew
The woman who speaks is Zahlhamelina, a priestess of the sun.
The crew first met her when Lyria became lost on an island and was taken into the priestess's care. Zahlhamelina immediately noticed Lyria's special power.
After learning the genuinely good nature of both Lyria and (Captain), she decided to join their journey and keep them safe.
(Young Cat): Meow...
Lyria: It's too bad our kitty friend tagged along when it's raining...
Lyria: The goldfish lanterns look pretty sad in this weather too...
Vyrn: Speakin' of which, why are all the lanterns in this town goldfish-shaped?
Zahlhamelina: They're based on an endemic species from this town. I believe it's called the soulfish.
Vyrn: What's that?
Zahlhamelina: Apparently it's a goldfish that "sparkles as bright as a soul."
Stallkeeper: You're pretty well-informed, miss. Did you know that it used to mean "a fish that glows with the aura of souls" way back when?
Zahlhamelina: Was that a belief people once held?
Stallkeeper: Sure was. Folktales claim the soulfish are envoys that guide the souls of the dead toward the light.
Stallkeeper: That's why we use soulfish-shaped lanterns whenever we hold ceremonies for the dearly departed.
Vyrn: Huh, that's real interestin'.
Vyrn: But why are you usin' those same lanterns for a festival like this?
Stallkeeper: Ah, could this be the first time you're attending?
Zahlhamelina: It is. We heard it's a very beautiful affair, so we decided to stop by.
Zahlhamelina: Especially the lanterns you put in the river at the end of the festival...
Stallkeeper: Ah, that. It actually started as a way of sending the deceased off.
Stallkeeper: Used to be a pretty quiet ceremony, but now it's evolved into a big event.
Stallkeeper: A far cry from the first time it was held. They were sending off the victims of a forest fire then.
Stallkeeper: You see the woods outside town? Once upon a time before this town was built, trees covered the whole area.
Stallkeeper: But one summer, a bolt of lightning sparked a huge fire and burned half the forest down.
Stallkeeper: There was a village in the woods at the time... The fire took nearly everyone who lived in it.
Zahlhamelina: How horrible...
Stallkeeper: To make matters worse, the fire burned up most victims' remains, so the survivors couldn't tell ashes from ashes.
Stallkeeper: Then people started going missing during summertime every year after.
Lyria: That's really scary... Have any of those people been found?
Stallkeeper: Afraid not—not a single one.
Stallkeeper: Rumor has it that it's the curse of the folks lost to the fire, 'cause all the missing people were last seen near the forest.
Stallkeeper: In an effort to appease the angry spirits, the town made the festival a grander affair. That's how things blew up around here.
Zahlhamelina: I never expected such a complex history regarding the festivities...
Zahlhamelina: Surely the disappearances have ceased since then?
Stallkeeper: Yeah, thankfully. Haven't had much trouble after we bumped the scale up for everything.
Vyrn: Guess that means the ghosts have moved on!
Stallkeeper: Haha, maybe. Could be happy that so many folks are coming to visit.
Stallkeeper: Regardless of how they came to be, the floating river lanterns are a real treat to see. You shouldn't miss 'em.
Stallkeeper: Not to say the rest of the fair ain't worth touring for. You should enjoy the whole kit and caboodle.
Vyrn: Sounds good! Thanks for all the info!
The crew thank the kindly stallkeeper and walk away to explore the other stalls.
Lyria: ...
Noticing Lyria pause, (Captain) turns to ask her if something is wrong.
Lyria: Oh, no... It's nothing...
Zahlhamelina: You look a little tired. Should we rest before continuing on?
Lyria: I'm fine! I was probably just imagining...
Lyria: Huh?
As Lyria quiets and looks up at the sky, the raindrops fall harder and more rapidly.
Vyrn: Whoa, it just started pourin'!
Zahlhamelina: We'll catch colds at this rate... We should take cover somewhere.
With everyone in agreement, the group runs through town looking for a dry place.
Lyria: Something's calling me...
Lyria slows to a halt and stares at an eerily empty path.
Vyrn: Wha... Lyria? Hey!
Paying no attention to the crew's confusion, Lyria steps toward the pathway.
Zahlhamelina immediately grabs Lyria by the arm and pulls her back, alarmed at the girl's strange behavior.
Lyria: Zahlhamelina?
Zahlhamelina: Lyria... What did you hear?
Lyria: Oh... Um, I think it's a voice.
Lyria: One that's crying and calling for me... Even now...
Zahlhamelina: A voice?
(Young Cat): Meow?
Vyrn: Uh, you sure it's not just the rain? I don't hear anything.
Lyria: Hmm... I'm pretty sure I hear someone...
Zahlhamelina: (I don't like this... But if someone's in trouble, we can't stand by and do nothing.)
Zahlhamelina: Maybe that person's lost.
Zahlhamelina: Lyria, let's check it out together. It's coming from over there, right?
Lyria: Y-yes! Um... This way!
The farther they travel, the more sparse the buildings become, until eventually they come upon a figure on the outskirts of town.
Zahlhamelina: Could that be...
Girl: ...
A girl stands next to a rusted gate, still as a statue in the heavy downpour.
Zahlhamelina feels a chill run down her spine as the girl blankly stares at the ground.
Zahlhamelina: (Is she lost? What could she be doing here... She doesn't even have an umbrella.)
Zahlhamelina: Excuse me, little miss. Are you lost? Did you get separated from your parents?
Girl: ...
Zahlhamelina: You'll catch your death of a cold out here. Where do you live? We can bring you back home if you need help.
Girl: ...
Zahlhamelina: Or... do you not want to go home?
Girl: ...
Lyria: Um... Are you maybe waiting for your mom and dad here?
Girl: ...
Vyrn: Er... It's gonna be hard to give you a hand if you don't speak up—
???: Please... It... here...
What seems to be another person interrupts Vyrn. Puzzled, (Captain) scans their surroundings.
Lyria: Did you hear that too, (Captain)?
(Captain) gives Lyria a stiff nod as she looks around.
Zahlhamelina: You heard... another voice?
(Young Cat): ...
???: Somebody help...
Lyria: I think... they need help?
Vyrn: Was that...
Girl: Don't... Don't listen to her!
As the girl shouts her warning, shadows swell from the figures and lunge at the crew.
Zahlhamelina: (Captain)! Lyria, Vyrn!
Zahlhamelina reaches for her friends, but it is too late. They are swallowed by the shadows, which then vanish into the woods.
Zahlhamelina: No...
(Young Cat): Meow!
Familiar pawing draws Zahlhamelina out of her stunned stupor.
Zahlhamelina: Thank goodness you're all right... Who was that girl?
The young child near the gate is gone—perhaps swallowed by the shadows too.
(Young Cat): Meow.
Zahlhamelina: Yes... I highly doubt those shadows were friendly.
Zahlhamelina: We need to find (Captain) and the others as soon as possible!
(Young Cat): Meow.
(Young Cat) bows his head in agreement, before dashing off into the forest.
Zahlhamelina follows right behind her furry companion.