The Beasts of Rainfall

Chapter 1- Bane

Clio narrowed her eyes and scrunched her white, nearly transparent eyebrows as she surveyed the daunting forest leering over her. Every rugged trunk was no less than four feet around, often more, and their leafy arms stretched so high that Clio had to lean her head back to survey the little bits of sunlight peeking through the branches.

“You haven’t been in training all that long, have ya? Don’t recognize ya. You sure you’re goin’ out there? I mean, first hunt of this years batch of new trainees... that’s pretty durn serious.” Bruce, a strongly built man with a permanent expression of mild confusion on his face, had just looked up from one of the many flickering camp fires, a large hunk of meat in his hand.

“Aren’t you going?” Clio asked with a serene smile, and Bruce blinked.

“Well, yeah, but I’m, you know, maybe a bit more, well, qualified for the job...” When Clio’s eyes widened in mock offense, Bruce lowered his eyes, and said “Well I guess... never mind then. You want some bacon? Not that much left.”

Clio turned her back to the forest with a smile and headed back towards the blazing circle of light. “I would love some bacon, Bruce.”

Bruce smiled uncertainly and sat back down on an old log in between two other loud, possibly drunk men. He reached a hand up to scratch his patch of curly white hair distractedly before passing Clio a plate on which the depressingly small population of remaining bacon resided.

Bruce didn’t have snowy white hair because he was old. No, Bruce was probably still in his twenties. White hair in Rainfall signified something far more impressive than the depressing process of aging. White hair in Rainfall was the sign of the feared and respected Banes. Clio still wasn’t sure why it had to be white, it stood out horribly in the forest. The Queen was a peculiar one.

Clio’s own silky mane of white hair was currently tied up in a knot on her head, trailing down her neck. A few long strands had escaped and hung down beside her cheek, and she brushed them out her eyes as she glanced once more towards the forest.

“So... who wants to bet that Mace catches the first Beast?” A muscular man with brown, laughing eyes asked, leaning back against a tree stump casually. A hearty cheer went up from many of the Banes, and Clio smiled, the kind of secret half smile that would be cute if her eyes didn’t look so murderous.

Mace, seeing her face, smiled back at her, and winked as the cheering died away and bets were placed. Realizing her mistake, Clio tried to pretend she hadn’t seen the wink, but he walked over to her and sat down next to her. Clio brought her knees up to her chin tried to ignore him.

“So... it’s Clio, right?” He asked, leaning on one arm and narrowing his eyes at her. Clio smiled.

“Yeah, well anyways, I was just wondering if you wanted to--”

“Not interested.”

Mace blinked. He obviously wasn’t used to being rejected. “I didn’t-- what do you-- “ Regaining his composure, he smirked and said “hmm, so it’s like that?”

“Nope. It really isn’t. I just want you to go back to being loud and annoying somewhere else. Bye.”

“What? But-”

“Bye.” Clio waved one hand and smiled again. Mace shook his head, looking angry and confused, and muttered something about her not being his type anyways as he stalked off.

Bruce lumbered over and in a gruff, awkward voice, asked “He wasn’t botherin’ you or anything, right?”

Clio smiled, and this time, it was a warm smile that softened her features and brought light to the shadows that seemed to reside in her eyes. “Yup, I am fine. Definitely not my type either. I think I scared him away though. Thanks anyways.”

Bruce smiled uncertainly, and stared into the dark woods. “Kinda can’t believe tomorrow is the day, ya know? I mean, I always wanted to be a Bane, nothin’ ever seemed to compare to the honor and danger of it. And now... well, it’s actually gonna happen. To us. All of us.”

Clio nodded, because it was true. Everyone sitting around the campfire that night had become a Bane because they wanted nothing more. It was not a job for the light of heart, or those with little confidence. You had to want to be a Bane, you had to yearn for it and work for it. And so Clio had.

The very next day, the Banes would set off into the forest to face their Destiny. That’s what the Queen always said. It was a noble career, and a hard one, but it was Destiny.

 Clio smiled as she exited the party and entered the warmth of her own small tent. The next day, Clio would prove all of Rainfall, all of Windscape, of her worth, of her courage... by being the first to bring down a Beast.