The Game

"Okay, Seraph, it's your turn now," Victor said helpfully, placing his hands in his lap.

The two children sat on the floor of the bedroom Victor shared with his father, Umbra, happily playing a board game Victor had gotten from the closet.

Seraph's fingers hovered over the game board, awkwardly grasping his designated piece, a small plastic cat. He blinked, staring at the colorful board like it was written in a foreign language.

"Forgive me, Victor," Seraph was using their telepathic link, Victor's preferred mode of communication, "I am not sure what to do next. Am I to pull the yellow card, or the blue card?"

"No, no, that's not it," Victor murmured, shaking his head and staring at his confused friend.

Seraph was, according to him, the same mental age as Victor: ten. He was a celestial spirit, a creature of pure energy capable of taking on any form he wished. His human form was small and unassuming, and gave off an air of supernal, ethereal mystique.

Golden curls hung loosely on his shoulders, a bright, vivid yellow that was unnatural to humans. His skin was pale, almost having a rosy, pinkish tint. Seraph had rounded features and a small, short nose that made him resemble a cherub. He wore a white, pristine tunic with a sash tied around his waist, and a yellow small shawl.

Victor tapped the game board, referencing a thin booklet he had slid towards Seraph. "Seraph, you gotta roll the dice, move your piece, and then you get to draw a card! Just like I did on my turn!"

Seraph sagged his shoulders. "This game is difficult, Victor."

On the bed in front of them, Esper sighed. "I don't mean to interrupt, but do you mind narrating what exactly is going on? You two have been completely silent for the past twenty minutes, and I have no way of knowing what you're doing. I'm assuming you're communicating through telepathy, so do you mind letting me in the link?"

Having met during the fateful venture in Ereith, the nature spirit was now a regular member of the Mortis household. Esper was a meek, kindly creature who was able to preform both healing and plant-based spells.

He had a nimble, feminine stature, accented by soft green hair that tumbled down his back. Esper favored a pink sweater and teal skirt over a pair of slacks to wear on his human form. Victor was aware of two alternate forms Esper was able to transform into: a mighty stag, and a small snake. All of his forms were bound by one unifying trait: his eyes covered by a thick set of bandages.

Victor had often wondered about Esper's mysteriously concealed face, but the boy was fearful to ask. He enjoyed the familial relationship he was starting to form with with Esper, and he didn't want to risk ruining it with the wrong question.

"May I allow Esper to join our conversation, Victor?" Seraph verbalized, startling Victor from his thoughts.

"Sure," Victor whispered, his heart pridefully beating at his utterance. Victor, ever since he could remember, had been unable to speak to strangers. He found himself only able to speak to a few select people, and for the longest, that only included his parents, Matthew and Umbra. He had been practicing speaking to Seraph, his only friend, but it had been a bumpy road. He found that his nervous tongue only allowed him short phrases and curt words, which was why he preferred to use telepathy to talk to his friend.

Seraph beckoned Esper to the floor, where he gently connected their foreheads. There was a bright flash, and Victor felt his ears pop.

"That's much better," Esper's disembodied voice drifted into Victor's head. "Now what kind of game are you two playing?"

"It's called Animal Quest. You, like, roll the dice, and then you move your little animal piece, and then you draw the card that the tile you landed on says to get, and like, you gotta make it all the way to the end," Victor explained hastily, gesturing his hands wildly, as if Esper could see him.

Esper laughed, smiling nervously at Victor. "That doesn't sound like it's very blind-friendly. Maybe I can play the next game?"

Seraph shuffled in his sitting position. "Perhaps we can play that game right now? I am not so, erm, interested in this one."

Victor cringed, a look of anxiety coming over him. Aw, crap, he thought, I don't think we have any games Esper can play too. I hope he doesn't get mad at me.   

Esper clasped his hands together, grinning reassuringly at Victor. "There's no need to be upset, Victor. I don't have to play with you guys; I don't mind. I'm aware it's hard for you guys to build your activities around my problems. It's wrong of me to ask that from you." His expression faltered, the spirit rubbing his arm. "But, could you, at least, tell me what's going on? That's all I require."

"Yeah, we can do that, right Seraph?" Victor asked, Seraph confirming his reply.

"Okay, so imagine this," Victor said gleefully, eyes filling up with excitement, "I'm the dog, and Seraph's the cat. I'm ten spaces ahead of him because the card I drew told me to go six spaces forward. Seraph's just about to roll the dice."

"A dog," Esper echoed, "Yes, I think I remember what those look like. But cats are very blurry. Are they the ones with the big tails?"

Victor and Seraph exchanged awkward glances, not sure how to respond to Esper's ponderings.

Remember? Is he saying he could see at one time? Victor's mind was spinning.

After a solid ten seconds of silence, Seraph suddenly perked up, grabbing Victor by the hand.

"Oh! I was meaning to ask you something, Victor!" Seraph exclaimed.

Author's Note- The beginnings are always so hard to write

Question to kick us off: do I have a distinctive writing style? When you see my writing, are you like, "yup, that's definitely fancy"?