Rainy Tales

[Rosary_Omen]

(Hah I'm so punny.)

This is part one of a few parts of Rain's backstory, because I really need to flesh it out more than just... a few sketchy notes here and there. It's not proofread, I'm too tired to care. I just wanted to get this written.

EDIT: I've edited a few bits in chapter one.

@Balatro @rimukinoki16

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
​

He was seven years old when he lost his father, seven short years was barely enough time to really get to know the man. It had started with nothing more than a simple cough, it seemed nothing to worry about. All the cough really did at the start was cause irritation to the man the silver elf family had to call Master. Their Master owned them, he gave them enough food to survive and a roof over their heads. All they had to do in return was to obey his every word and keep his manor pristine and his family fed.

They were indebted to him, in fact, Theodimir and Ashryn Flynn owed Verner their lives. Hard times had fallen upon the couple, Ashryn was pregnant with their first child and Theodimir had been fired by his new boss. A racist dwarf who ejected all elven employees on the spot. The couple had fallen into debt and were begging on the city streets when they were approached by a seemingly kindly man who offered them a place to stay and a place to work.

Desperation and the oncoming winter drove them to say yes without a second thought. Before they knew it, they were living in a leaky building out of the back of the man’s grand mansion home. Indebted to him. Unpaid labor. Slaves.

They worked hard to earn their keep, Ashryn going into labor several months later and giving birth to a healthy baby boy. They named their child, Sefryn; he had his father’s silver eyes and his mothers silver hair. The boy grew quickly, as elves do, but once he was old enough to work, his childhood was put on hold. He learned to clean, carry and deliver messages. He never knew anything outside of this life for his first seven years.

It was just after he turned seven when his father caught what appeared to be a mild cough which got worse as time progressed. Verner grew tired of the sound and would yell at Theodimir, demand he silence himself. Most times, the elf would excuse himself and leave the room. He grew tired as the cough worsened, dark rings taking up permanent residence under his eyes and his once proud posture became hunched over.

Ashryn begged Verner to get him help, to get a doctor to come and see her sick husband. Her pleads fell upon deaf ears until one day Verner turned to her with a sneer on his face.

“He can be replaced.”

Those were his last words on the subject, as several days later, Theodimir’s health faded and he passed away, coughing the last of his life into the chilly air.

Ashryn was devastated and struggled to explain to her son where his father had gone. No seven year old should have to learn about death. Sefryn struggled to understand, the idea of death not making sense. Ashryn worked as hard as she could but she grew more and more tired, exhaustion slowly took it’s toll. She grew distant, depressed, dying of a broken heart. The eight year old child begged his Master to help her, to make her happy again. He promised to work harder than ever, he prayed to the Gods every night to save her.

One morning, she did not wake up.

Working that day was nearly impossible as her body was dragged away to be buried next to that of her husband. He was not allowed to say goodbye. No, there was work to be done. The child was numb as he worked, forcing his emotions and his pain to remain bottled up tightly. Was this all there was to life? Pain and misery? Forced to work for a man who refused to save his family for the rest of his life?

There had to be more than this.

Night fell and the sky seemingly wept for Ashryn, heavy droplets of rain slamming into the ground, puddles forming in indents in the earth. Sefryn stood at the window, his forehead pressed against the glass, just watching. Maybe he’d go see the rest of the world, see if it really was like this… Or if there really was more.

The moon was high in the sky, partially shrouded by dark clouds. The manor was quiet, everyone was asleep by now. Everyone except for him. Grabbing the only item he had to remember his parents, his father’s black scarf, Sefryn wrapped it around his shoulders as he slipped from the slave quarters. More slaves were arriving in the morning. It had to be now.

Bare feet padded softly over the carpeted floors as he made his way through the kitchen to the door where stocks of food were delivered. He grabbed some bread and stuffed it into his pockets before grabbing the heavy bolt and sliding it from the latch. The door pulled open easily, the creak muffled by the loud sound of the downpour outside.

Without a moment of hesitation, the silver elf stepped out into the rain, pulled the door closed behind him and ran off into the darkness. He had no idea where to go, he didn’t care. As long as he was away from this place. His feet pounded over the soggy ground, water splashing up over his clothing as he stepped into puddles, the rain soaking him quickly. His breath fogged in the air, burning in his chest as he forced himself to keep running into the night.

 

[Rosary_Omen]

Sefryn had run along the coast, the rain soaking him to the bone as his bare feet pounded over the warm, damp sand. Only when he wasn’t able to run anymore did he fall to the sand, curling into a ball on his side as he screamed. His tears made damp marks in the cooling dune and he continued to cry, his sorrow drowning out anything around him as the rain stopped falling.

A hand gently touching his arm and the sound of horses huffing in the night air snapped him back to reality and he raised his head slowly. An older man, dark skinned with a kind smile and deep smile lines on his face was crouched beside him.

“Are you lost?” His accent gave him away as a Sooleran and he helped the boy to his feet.

“N-no.” The young elf shook his head, rubbing the sand from his face. “Please… help me.”

From the rags he wore, it was obvious that the child was a slave and the man ruffled the silver-hair atop the boy’s head. “Where are you going?”

Sefryn was quiet for a long time and he shrugged. “I don’t know. I just… away from Seagate. Don’t make me go back, please!” He stared up at the man, his silver eyes big with worry.

“Well, we’re heading up to Abu-Hamiya. It’s a few days travel, but you’re welcome to travel with us.” He smiles broadly. “So, how come you’re running away?”

The boy’s face tensed into a scowl and he shook his head. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Well then…” He wasn’t going to push the issue. “How about some warm food and some tea? You can stay in my family caravan, we’ll take care of you.”

“Y-yes please.”

The Sool set up their camp for the night and soon had a large fire burning in the centre of the site. People gathered around, all wearing bright silk clothing, all smiling and talking loudly. Sefyrn sat near the fire, shivering mostly from nerves, watching the waves kissing the shore in the moonlight, off in his own world.

“Still hungry?”

The man from before touched the boy’s shoulder, causing him to start and pulling him from his sadness. In his hands he held a bowl of stew with a thick slice of bread resting on top. It was offered to the young elf and he took it with a quiet thank you, the very smell making his stomach rumble in anticipation. He ate quickly, every now and then looking up at the man who just sat there quietly, keeping him company.

“I just realised!” He exclaimed, tapping his palm on his knee. “I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I?”

The elf shook his head as he continued to wolf down the delicious meal.

“Yorik DeCronus.” He didn’t offer his hand, instead he bowed. The boy needed to eat more than he needed to shake an old man’s hand. “I run this caravan and every person here is my family.”

Sefryn smiled a little, his cheeks filled with food which he swallowed quickly. “Sef-…” He paused. “I want a new name, this one is… not a good one.”

Yorik thought about this for a few moments, a broad grin curling his lips. “How about… Rain? You ran away in it and you were all rain soaked when we found you.”

Rain? The name sounded kind of silly to him, but in a way, he sort of liked it. “Yeah… Rain. That’s good.”

“Rain it is then!” Yorik stands and clears his throat loudly, getting the attention of the Sool nearby. “Everyone, meet Rain. He’ll be traveling with us to Abu-Hamiya.”

All eyes moved to the young elf and he withered where he sat, feeling uncomfortable with all of this attention, but he waved shyly and scraped the bowl clean with the leftover crust of the bread.

“So, Rain.” Yorik sat down next to him. “Where are you going after Abu-Hamiya?”

The young elf shrugged and set the empty bowl aside. “I dunno, where is there? I ain’t never left Seagate before.”

The older man spread his arms over his head dramatically. “The entirely of Altera, my boy! You can go anywhere your heart desires.”

“Anywhere… Then I think I’ll uh… take the first boat to anywhere but… do I have to pay to go on it?”

“You do, but if you help us in the next few days, we will pay for you. Does that sound fair?”

He’d be stupid to say no to this, it meant he could get away from Seagate and be truly free! Rain nodded eagerly. “Yes, thank you Mister DeCronus.”

Yorik’s nose scrunched and he scruffed the top of Rain’s head. “Just Yorik, no need to call me Mister. Now, you look exhausted. How about you go into that caravan there and have a rest, it’s being used for storage but you can get to the bed easy enough.”

The man wasn’t wrong, Rain was exhausted and the warm food in his belly wasn’t helping any.

“Thank you, again.” He stood up and made his way over to the caravan, tugging the door open and stepping inside. It was smaller than his old room, just, but he didn’t care. All he wanted to do was to sleep, maybe then he’d wake up and realise his entire life had been nothing but one big bad dream. It didn’t take him long to fall asleep, the blankets pulled up over his shoulders tightly.

The next few days went by faster than any Rain could remember. Even though he had to work, he was having fun. The atmosphere was friendly and people were quick to offer help if he looked to be struggling. Especially when one of the horses broke away and dragged the boy across the dunes. Some of the others had chased after the fleeing horse and quickly caught up to it, helping the sand-covered elf to his feet as he spat out his mouthful of sand and shook himself to get rid of the sand that was everywhere.

By dusk on the fourth day, Abu-Hamiya was in sight and they set up camp on the outskirts while Yorik escorted Rain to the docks. A large ship was berthed there, men carrying various crates of goods on board as the two approached. As promised, Yorik paid for his passage to the mainland with a little left over for him to have when he got there.

The older man took a wooden pendant from his pocket, a carving of a crow wearing a jester hat on the face. “This is for you, my parting gift. It marks you as one of us, an adopted Sooleran of the DeCronus caravan. Don’t lose it, wear it with pride.” He slipped it over Rain’s head. “Take care now, boy.” He smiled. “Enjoy your freedom and don’t look back. Your past is behind you, you can’t change it, but you can control your future. Now, I don’t want any soppy goodbyes. Get on that boat and get out of here.” Yorik’s grin widened, pushing the elf toward the boat.

Rain nodded and boarded the boat, standing on deck and looking back. He was scared, but he tried to not show it. He would be brave and not ever look back on his past, he didn’t want that pain. He didn’t need it. He never wanted to deal with pain ever again. As the boat pulled away, he waved to Yorik, but the man was already walking back to his caravan. Soon enough, the coast faded into the horizon and Rain went downstairs to try and sleep, the rocking of the boat making him uneasy on his feet.

 

[Balatro]

Sefryn had run along the coast, the rain soaking him to the bone as his bare feet pounded over the warm, damp sand. Only when he wasn’t able to run anymore did he fall to the sand, curling into a ball on his side as he screamed. His tears made damp marks in the cooling dune and he continued to cry, his sorrow drowning out anything around him as the rain stopped falling.

A hand gently touching his arm and the sound of horses huffing in the night air snapped him back to reality and he raised his head slowly. An older man, dark skinned with a kind smile and deep smile lines on his face was crouched beside him.

“Are you lost?” His accent gave him away as a Sooleran and he helped the boy to his feet.

“N-no.” The young elf shook his head, rubbing the sand from his face. “Please… help me.”

From the rags he wore, it was obvious that the child was a slave and the man ruffled the silver-hair atop the boy’s head. “Where are you going?”

Sefryn was quiet for a long time and he shrugged. “I don’t know. I just… away from Seagate. Don’t make me go back, please!” He stared up at the man, his silver eyes big with worry.

“Well, we’re heading up to Abu-Hamiya. It’s a few days travel, but you’re welcome to travel with us.” He smiles broadly. “So, how come you’re running away?”

The boy’s face tensed into a scowl and he shook his head. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Well then…” He wasn’t going to push the issue. “How about some warm food and some tea? You can stay in my family caravan, we’ll take care of you.”

“Y-yes please.”

The Sool set up their camp for the night and soon had a large fire burning in the centre of the site. People gathered around, all wearing bright silk clothing, all smiling and talking loudly. Sefyrn sat near the fire, shivering mostly from nerves, watching the waves kissing the shore in the moonlight, off in his own world.

“Still hungry?”

The man from before touched the boy’s shoulder, causing him to start and pulling him from his sadness. In his hands he held a bowl of stew with a thick slice of bread resting on top. It was offered to the young elf and he took it with a quiet thank you, the very smell making his stomach rumble in anticipation. He ate quickly, every now and then looking up at the man who just sat there quietly, keeping him company.

“I just realised!” He exclaimed, tapping his palm on his knee. “I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I?”

The elf shook his head as he continued to wolf down the delicious meal.

“Yorik DeCronus.” He didn’t offer his hand, instead he bowed. The boy needed to eat more than he needed to shake an old man’s hand. “I run this caravan and every person here is my family.”

Sefryn smiled a little, his cheeks filled with food which he swallowed quickly. “Sef-…” He paused. “I want a new name, this one is… not a good one.”

Yorik thought about this for a few moments, a broad grin curling his lips. “How about… Rain? You ran away in it and you were all rain soaked when we found you.”

Rain? The name sounded kind of silly to him, but in a way, he sort of liked it. “Yeah… Rain. That’s good.”

“Rain it is then!” Yorik stands and clears his throat loudly, getting the attention of the Sool nearby. “Everyone, meet Rain. He’ll be traveling with us to Abu-Hamiya.”

All eyes moved to the young elf and he withered where he sat, feeling uncomfortable with all of this attention, but he waved shyly and scraped the bowl clean with the leftover crust of the bread.

“So, Rain.” Yorik sat down next to him. “Where are you going after Abu-Hamiya?”

The young elf shrugged and set the empty bowl aside. “I dunno, where is there? I ain’t never left Seagate before.”

The older man spread his arms over his head dramatically. “The entirely of Altera, my boy! You can go anywhere your heart desires.”

“Anywhere… Then I think I’ll uh… take the first boat to anywhere but… do I have to pay to go on it?”

“You do, but if you help us in the next few days, we will pay for you. Does that sound fair?”

He’d be stupid to say no to this, it meant he could get away from Seagate and be truly free! Rain nodded eagerly. “Yes, thank you Mister DeCronus.”

Yorik’s nose scrunched and he scruffed the top of Rain’s head. “Just Yorik, no need to call me Mister. Now, you look exhausted. How about you go into that caravan there and have a rest, it’s being used for storage but you can get to the bed easy enough.”

The man wasn’t wrong, Rain was exhausted and the warm food in his belly wasn’t helping any.

“Thank you, again.” He stood up and made his way over to the caravan, tugging the door open and stepping inside. It was smaller than his old room, just, but he didn’t care. All he wanted to do was to sleep, maybe then he’d wake up and realise his entire life had been nothing but one big bad dream. It didn’t take him long to fall asleep, the blankets pulled up over his shoulders tightly.

The next few days went by faster than any Rain could remember. Even though he had to work, he was having fun. The atmosphere was friendly and people were quick to offer help if he looked to be struggling. Especially when one of the horses broke away and dragged the boy across the dunes. Some of the others had chased after the fleeing horse and quickly caught up to it, helping the sand-covered elf to his feet as he spat out his mouthful of sand and shook himself to get rid of the sand that was everywhere.

By dusk on the fourth day, Abu-Hamiya was in sight and they set up camp on the outskirts while Yorik escorted Rain to the docks. A large ship was berthed there, men carrying various crates of goods on board as the two approached. As promised, Yorik paid for his passage to the mainland with a little left over for him to have when he got there.

The older man took a wooden pendant from his pocket, a carving of a crow wearing a jester hat on the face. “This is for you, my parting gift. It marks you as one of us, an adopted Sooleran of the DeCronus caravan. Don’t lose it, wear it with pride.” He slipped it over Rain’s head. “Take care now, boy.” He smiled. “Enjoy your freedom and don’t look back. Your past is behind you, you can’t change it, but you can control your future. Now, I don’t want any soppy goodbyes. Get on that boat and get out of here.” Yorik’s grin widened, pushing the elf toward the boat.

Rain nodded and boarded the boat, standing on deck and looking back. He was scared, but he tried to not show it. He would be brave and not ever look back on his past, he didn’t want that pain. He didn’t need it. He never wanted to deal with pain ever again. As the boat pulled away, he waved to Yorik, but the man was already walking back to his caravan. Soon enough, the coast faded into the horizon and Rain went downstairs to try and sleep, the rocking of the boat making him uneasy on his feet.

That makes you a relative of bals acording to Sooleran culture. Oh man...

 

[Rosary_Omen]

That makes you a relative of bals acording to Sooleran culture. Oh man...

GOOD THING THEY NEVER DATED EH?

 

[Rosary_Omen]

Rain was thirteen now, but life hadn’t been the amazing adventure he’d dreamed of on the voyage over five years ago. The few radiants he had had fed him for a few days and given him a few nights of board in the inn at the Crossroads. His last four years had been a struggle to survive, begging for spare radiants or scraps left over from people’s plates. His clothing was dirty and torn, the river water cleaned some of the smell out, but left dirt behind. His hair was long and ratty, greasy and knotted. He looked every bit the street rat that he was.

It was cold now, the temperature dropping quickly as the sun vanished over the horizon and the skies grew dark. His only savior from the chilling nights was the fire that burned in the courtyard of the inn and the straw that lined the empty stalls of the stables. He’s started to steal from the kitchens of the inn when people weren’t looking, from unattended plates, from saddlebags and satchels. Rain had to be quick and quiet, because getting caught never ended well. He’d been beaten many times for theft, thankfully he’d never lost a hand for his desperate crimes.

Tonight he’d been unlucky in his attempts to get food and he sat on one of the chairs by the fire, hugging his knees to his chest. Right now he regretted leaving Seagate, at least there he had semi-regular meals. People still hurt him here, so that was nothing different…

“Are you alright young man?”

A kindly, feminine voice called from beside him and Rain raised his head. A wood elven woman stood there, her brow furrowed with concern. Flanking her were at least half a dozen men, blue cloaks flowing from their shoulders, their stance reminding Rain of the guards from Seagate.

Around her throat was an extravagant looking necklace, a multitude of red gems strung closely together like grapes. Her hand toyed with it as she waited for him to respond.

“O-oh… Uhm…” His face flushed with shame, he hated begging, but it was either that or he would starve. “Do you have some spare radiants? I’m hungry, I haven’t eaten for days.”

The look of concern didn’t leave her face and she moved closer, setting a hand on his shoulder. “You poor dear.” Her words were gentle and full of caring. “Let me help you, I’ll pay for a room for a day and feed you. You can clean up and sleep in a real bed and tomorrow I’ll return.”

His eyes widened and he stared at the woman for a long time, his mouth slightly agape. It had been too long since he’d encountered someone willing to help him this much. In fact… the last person was Yorik DeCronus.

“Are you… sure?” His voice was soft, meek even.

“If I wasn’t sure, I would not have offered.” She helped him to his feet. “Now come, let’s fill that belly shall we?”

The cloaked men followed them quietly, their eyes on the lookout for danger, even as they stood inside the inn. The woman sat across from the silver elf and watched him as he wolfed down the fresh, warm food he’d been served. Beneath their clothing, the soft clinking of what was probably chain mail accompanied the sounds of the nearby fires and the sounds of the young elf devouring his meal.

“I’ve paid for your three meals tomorrow as well, order anything you want. I’ll pay Jack, he knows I’m good for it.” She turns and nods to the man who smiles and returns the gesture.

He smiled and mumbled a thank you through his mouthful of food, the spoon paused in the soup, chunks of vegetables floating around it. Once he was done eating, the wood elven woman led Rain to his room and left him to rest.

She returned the next day, just after the sun had set and the night sky shimmered with stars. She found Rain sitting by the fire, lost in the flames, sadness in his eyes.

“You need to decide.” She sat down across from him. “Right now if you want this to be your life forever. For if you stay on this path, you will most likely die within the next few years. Praise the Divines that you survived this long, but this path will lead to your death. I can give you purpose, right here and now.”

The inn was empty of patrons, it was only Jack, the two elves and the blue cloaked men. Rain turned to look at the woman, hope shadowing the sadness in his eyes.

“Purpose? You mean… not have to beg on the streets no more?”

The woman nodded. “Exactly. You can come live with us, work with us, be one of us.”

“Yes.” Rain responded quickly, the sadness fading from his eyes.

Before he knew what was happening, everything went black and the unconscious boy was carried from the inn, a bag over his head.

 

[Rosary_Omen]

(Violence warning for those who don't like it)

Her name was Ebeon and she was the leader of a group of elves called The Glades. She was a handsome woman with what could easily be called ‘resting bitch face’ and her eyes were quite often cold and piercing. The kindly woman who had offered Rain a purpose had revealed her true self.

Time passed quickly as Rain grew up in their care, learning to be fast and quiet, to fight and defend himself. He took to the bow like a duck to water, hitting targets quickly, although his aim needed practice. He was trained with a sword, which he found cumbersome and awkward, instead, he was trained with daggers. He found them much easier to handle and over the years, became more adept with them.

Rain preferred to train alone, rather with the group, the close quarters in which they trained made him uncomfortable and he’d always withdraw from the space to be alone. While they trained, Ebeon and the other higher ranking Glades spent their time on other missions and planning a large assault. The details were vague, which was fine by Rain. He didn’t care to sit there and listen to too much detail. Doing things on the fly was more exciting anyway.

The few members that tried to befriend him were met with a socially uncomfortable, perpetually grumpy elf who was terrible at small talk. In the end, they stopped trying to befriend him which of course was fine by Rain. Despite his attitude problems, he threw himself into improving his fighting skills.

Finally the day arrived of the massive assault that had been in the works. They left at dawn and traveled by foot across the land to a grove deep in the forest. The sun had already set by the time the group had arrived, staying quiet and hidden in the thick underbrush of the forest that surrounded the beautiful grove. Everyone moved into place, the napping Caparii unaware of what was coming next.

A piercing whistle broke the silence of the night as the assault began.

Elves rushed into the sacred Grove, some with flaming torches, others with bladed weapons. They rushed the sleeping Caparii, slashing and stabbing at their forms as those with the torches threw them at anything that was likely to catch fire. Rain stared at the scene before him before Ebeon grabbed him and shook him, shouting at him to stop being useless and to kill the filth in the Grove. To not let any escape.

He notched an arrow and drew it back, swallowing hard to push back his fears and worries before firing into the fray. A dark brown lighthoof was his target and the Caparii fell to the ground with a pained scream. One of the Glades took the advantage and finished her off before rushing toward his next target.

The flames from the torch spread quickly through the grove and the bloody scene was illuminated by the flames, and Rain’s arrows pelted into any Caparii that was unfortunate enough to be in his range. The only way he could force himself to continue was to pretend they were Verner and Hue.

Soon enough the Grove fell quiet, save for the crackling flames and screams of those unfortunate Caparii still writhing in agony on the bloodied ground. Some had managed to escape and the faster elves were on the hunt for them. Rain’s hands were trembling as he unstrung his bow as they withdrew before the fire got to them.

Smoke spiraled into the skies over the forest and the crackling of the flames faded away into nothingness as the group of elves made their way home, triumphant from their massacre. Rain lagged behind them, doubt and guilt wracking him. Was it really necessary? Did the children have to be slaughtered like that?

“You’re pathetic.” Ebeon turned on her heel as soon as they were back at the base, getting up close to Rain and looming over him. “After everything we did for you, you were weak. I should have left you to die on the streets.”

Rain didn’t even have time to respond before she’d stalked off, yelling at some of the other members who had underperformed. He sighed and went back to his room, sitting on the edge of his bed, trying to push the massacre from his mind.

“Rain, we need to talk.” Ebeon stood in his doorway several hours later, hands on her hips.

The silver elf got to his feet and followed her out the door slowly, cringing in anticipation of more yelling. She kept her back turned from him, staying silent as something moved behind Rain but he was too slow to turn around.

He awoke in a strange place, a city built into a valley, the scent of seawater strong in the air and his head swam as he sat up. Rain had never been here before, it seemed he’d been abandoned here. Alone once again.