[8] Tale of Neshka: Little Shadow

This is the backstory of my tabletop RPG character. In it, Neshka recounts her tragic past in the world of Pathfinder. Part 8: Little Shadow [Intro – spoken, intimate] [Soft lute, distant harp, gentle frame drum] Leaving the plateau was easier than I expected. I had nowhere to go. No destination. No plan. But for the first time in a very long time... I didn't need one. I simply walked. And Bahl flew ahead. [Small pause] When we traveled through the wild, he rarely stayed beside me. He preferred the sky. A black shape against the clouds, always somewhere ahead. And somehow... I always knew what he felt. Caution. Fear. Curiosity. Joy. I didn't need to see what he saw. If danger was waiting, I felt the warning before I reached it. And when he found something interesting... [Small amused breath] ...I felt that too. [Chorus I – flowing, warm, adventurous] Fly ahead, little shadow, show me what lies beyond. I'll follow where you lead me, wherever the road goes on. No map beneath my fingers, no promise where we'll be. Just your wings above the road and the world in front of me. Fly ahead, little shadow. I'll follow. [Verse 1 – rhythmic, spoken-sung] In villages and crowded towns, Bahl changed. He would disappear beneath my skin, and suddenly... I felt safe. Not stronger. Not braver. Just... not alone. The noise of strangers, the crowded streets, the unfamiliar faces... They didn't frighten me as much when I could feel him there. And every evening, when we made camp, he returned. He would sit beside me by the fire. Sometimes I talked. Sometimes he listened. Mostly... we simply felt each other. [Pause] He knew when I was lonely. I knew when he was restless. He knew when I was afraid. And somehow, he always knew when I needed him. [Chorus II – warmer, intimate] No words between us, no promises to keep. You know the wounds I carry, you find me in my sleep. If I tremble, you are with me. If I wander, you remain. A silent heart beside my own, a shelter from the rain. I never knew a bond like this. I never knew I'd need it. But somewhere on the road, I learned to believe it. [Verse 2 – curious, gradually building] It was several weeks later when something strange happened. I was hiding from the rain inside an old ruined tower. There was a small fire. A dry corner. And nothing else. I looked around. Broken stones. Collapsed shelves. Old dust. [Small pause] I wondered if anyone had left something behind. A forgotten treasure. A relic. Anything. And then I felt it. [Music thins] A tiny pull somewhere inside me. Not a sound. Not a thought. Something... waiting. I followed it through the ruins. Behind a fallen stone, I found an old bracelet. It looked worthless. But the moment I touched it... I knew. Magic. [Short pause] I looked at Bahl. He was watching me. And somehow, I already understood. [Chorus III – magical, rising] There is a light beneath the silence, there is something waking in me. A hand I cannot see is reaching, showing me what I could be. I don't know where this road is leading. I don't know what waits ahead. But for the first time, I am curious instead of afraid. [Verse 3 – lighter, playful] That was when I started trying. Small things. Very small things. Bahl would sit beside me, watching patiently. And eventually... he showed me how. I held out my hand. I concentrated. Nothing happened. I tried again. Still nothing. [Small amused breath] Bahl looked unimpressed. So I tried a third time. And then... light. A tiny sphere appeared above my palm. Soft. Warm. Barely brighter than a candle. It floated beside me, shining a few steps into the darkness. I stared at it. Bahl stared at it. [Small pause] I think he was pleased. [Quiet laugh] I certainly was. [Verse 4 – curious, playful] But apparently, I wasn't the only one with tricks. I eventually noticed what happened when Bahl sat near strangers. People became nervous. Dogs hid behind their owners. Children stared at him and then quickly looked away. Even grown warriors kept glancing over their shoulders. [Pause] I watched this for a while. Then I looked at Bahl. He looked back. [Small amused breath] Oh. So you can do that too. [Chorus IV – bright, adventurous] Black wings on the road ahead, a little light within my hand. I don't know what chose me, but I think I understand. There are things I cannot name yet. There are paths I cannot see. But wherever this road takes us, Bahl... you'll be there with me. [Outro – warm, reflective] I still had questions. About the magic. About the voice. About the dreams that sometimes returned when the night was too quiet. But I stopped asking for answers. Not yet. There was a world waiting for me. And for the first time... I wanted to see it. [Soft raven call] So we walked. And flew. And kept going.