Closed To Enter Destruction's Aftermath (Brandon)

[Levi Remilian]

9th of Winter, 515 AV 14th Bell A cloaked man strode through Zintia's streets and it was plain to see he was in an irritated mood, no attempt to mask it behind tranquility. The day should have been a good day for Levi. Key words,should have been. Finding out his ghostbeads were stolen at the Tranquil Port was one thing, tripping and being mocked by the owner of that horrible mess of a spiritst's shop was yet another, and finally haggling with merchants for what felt like an eternity at the Azure Markets only pushed his seething temper more. Naya floated silently next to Levi, letting him simmer off. The young man did not even notice the stares of passing locals at the unusual pair of cloaked annoyed man holding an odd bag and the ethereal mist of a ghost walking down the street. Calm down, he just had to calm down, Levi told himself... but seriously. 5 kina for one small vial?! And that Myrian with his snark- No no, he could not stay fixated on such a petty matter. Upon arriving at his apartment room, Levi plopped the bag on the table and sat down on the chair next to it, his arms crossed and sighed tiredly, "Shopping... why must it be so annoying? I mean, all that has be done is the business and stating of price and that's that, not all of that war of words called haggling." Naya hovered by, taking shape just enough to nod at Levi. "That's what makes it all fun though! If you just bought it without trouble it'd be so boring." "It would be efficient and not tiring, not boring. Besides," Levi spoke as he began taking the cheese, eggs, and flour out, along with a wooden bowl he had also bought that day, "I find my adventure in other things, you know that." Naya nodded, knowing her brother well enough to understand what he meant. Levi was a spiritist after all, and one who not only did his work out of duty and belief, but also out of his own profound interest. Perhaps 'fun' was not the best way to put it, but there was a profound feeling he would get when dealing with the ethereal, a feeling he found hard to describe but loved nonetheless. Was it satisfaction? Enjoyment? Self-actualization? A mix of all three? It was a mystery even to himself. The crackle of the egg's shell announced the spilling of its contents into a wooden bowl which Levi had also bought that day. He poured flour into it and began mixing the ingredients with his hand, slowly forming a rough dough of a sort as it squelched under his hand. Eventually once it was solid enough he placed the mix into the other jar and after breaking off a chunk of cheese placed it into the jar together with the egg and flour mix. Another seed of birth spilled out from its white container, swirling in a mix with the wheat flour it had found itself on in the bowl. After sometime another dough found itself in a jar with a chunk of cheese. These would be saved for times when he would need to use them, which he was certain the time would come, or even just giving Naya a good meal. Maybe he'll do that later in the day. In fact the ghost girl was already looking at the jars with shining interest, obviously hungry for soulmist. Levi chuckled, his irritated mood levelling off a little. "Not right now Naya, this is for just in case in the future, I'll make you something good in the evening, alright?" The ghost girl smiled in excitement, "Yay! It's been a while since I had your soulmist! It feels so good!" Indeed, it was all that was left for food to Naya, the spiritist thought to himself. A little blood spilled for that reason was never harmful. The two small jars were placed in his belt pouch next to the ghostbeads. Two throwing daggers found themselves in the bandolier sheathes. His sheathed longsword found itself at his side once more. The cloak should hide them from sight pretty well, after all he did not wish to alarm anyone. Levi stood ready to go, now back to his more usual stoic self. It was time to begin investigating what was happening in the city. Perhaps he could find where the regular haunts of the ethereal were in the city, and who better to ask but a ghost herself? He asked Naya, "So, have you heard anything about a library ghost?" "Hmm? Library? No not really, but there's something else," Naya replied, note of gloom distinct, "I heard people say there was some kind of big disaster on this peak, a landslide I think. Yeah, it sounded like lots of people died..." The spiritist nodded in understanding. It was not the library ghost, but a place such as that was bound to be haunt for those who remained. Homes destroyed, families and lives lost, all the perfect setting for a ghost to form in. "Very well then, let's go there shall we?" Several chimes later... Lhavit was a place of beauty no matter where Levi had went. So to suddenly see such a stark scar marring the city came as a shock to Levi. He and Naya were still some ways away from it, but even from that distance the destruction wrought was clear to see. An empty hole of rubble and debris, the pure silence rang out in the eerie streets void of all people. It seemed like everyone avoided this area, as though they were trying to forget such a tragedy had happened, trying to act as though their city was not injured and so many lives not lost. A foolish act Levi thought, a place where so much death happened could never be forgotten. What did Levi feel as he saw the place where skyglass shimmered no more? Hopefully the majority who perished had passed on to the next life, continuing the cycle. But even so, if one had died so suddenly, so abruptly without warning, would they have truly achieved their purpose in life? He was taught that all souls in each of their lives had a purpose, something to accomplish in life. Once that was done and finished, Dira would come for that person. It would be the end of that persona as they stood before Lhex's judgement. Was that really fair? Yes it was, he knew that, and yet... even then some part of him resisted it. It was that same rebellion against Dira that was the essential reason for the existence of a ghost. Even himself, some stubborn part of him refused the fatal finality of all life, the end of the tale. There was a great difference between knowing in one's mind and truly believing in one's heart, Levi knew that well, and deep down, the spiritist knew he was no different no matter how much he may profess to be Dira's follower. Death may be something he respected, but no matter how much he tried... he still feared it. Pathetic, that he would have such hypocritical thoughts. The scar of Lhavit was now in front of Levi, and even from being there he could feel... something. His sense of actually detecting ghosts perhaps was not strong enough to pinpoint them a mile away, but his intuition and observation of the area told him that someone was definitely there. He was about to enter the rubble only for a tall man to block his path, robed in the same attire that Levi had seen on people patrolling the city wherever he went. "Sorry but this place is off limits to civilians." The guard narrowed his eyes at the ghost next to Levi. "That includes you as well ghost." "But I am a spiritist. My name is Levi Remilian and I am here to investigate whether any ghosts are in this area." Naya spoke up, voice faint and echoing. "Yeah! He's here to help!" The man did not seem convinced. "Spiritist?" The guard eyed him, "You're definitely not that Rostam I've heard of. You're not with the Dusk Tower either are you?" A tick of annoyance flickered through Levi's mind as Rostam was mentioned again, but he maintained his unruffled tone. "Dusk Tower? No I am not, we're new to Lhavit." "All the more reason for you to not enter, even if you are a spiritist." The guard answered curtly, waving the two off, "As I said, you can't enter the area." "I can still stand from afar and observe it yes?" Levi asked, to which the guard curtly nodded. He stepped away a few metres from where the guard was, eyes carefully surveying the site of the landslide. Now this was a problem, Levi thought. With the guard there he could not enter, he would have to find some other way in. For he was positive that within that scene of disaster and ruin, a soul was inside, a soul in need of help. Purchase1 lb of Rye Flour= 3 ki 1 lb of cheese (common source) = 2 tk A dozen chicken eggs= 1 tk 1 oz glass vial= 5 tk 2 yards of common fabric= 2 tk Bowl (5"/8 oz)= 1 jk Total Cost: 4 ki, 1 jk

[Brandon Blackwing]

Returning to Lhavit had been a great idea. After three seasons of having had to live by the rules of others, the bat could finally do whatever the heck he wanted. In Wind Reach there had been few rules, true, but they were extremely annoying. “If you don’t work, you don’t eat”, that had been the most prominent one, the one law he hadn’t been able to bypass. He’d thought about stealing food of course, but time and time again he had reminded himself he was trying to lay low and avoid too much attention; something which had been met with not too much success. Well, at least it hadn’t been due to larceny.

But now, in the Star of Kalea, Brandon was his own boss. He lived by his own rules, by his own rhythm. He did things when he felt like doing them, and if he didn’t, he didn’t. Period. Easy life. Money could be easily acquired here –everywhere, really, but in Wind Reach money just hadn’t had the same value like it did everywhere else- and with coin one could buy anything. Food included. Needless to say the bat had enjoyed his first days in the crystal city far more than those he’d spent in the volcanic one.

Not that he’d done all that much. He’d taken care of the formalities; having exchanged his money to the right currency, and he’d also inquired about any big news from past seasons. What had bothered him most was the landslide, but soon after having heard about it, the Kelvic had been glad to conclude his house wasn’t even close to the location of the disaster. And thus he had pushed it to the back of his mind while he had browsed through his stuff, and cleaned his residence of the excess dust and cobwebs, as well as the small corpses of spiders, rats and other vermin. Not quite a pleasant task, but a necessary one.

It had taken way too long though, and Brandon had had to splice it into separate parts, sleeping in between. But now that was over, The Kelvic had a relatively clean place to live, and he decided he needed some fresh air. That and now that the somewhat important objectives had been cleared, his curiosity demanded he’d take a look at the disaster that had struck the Zintia peak last season. And so he got dressed, smothered the flames crackling in the fireplace, and headed out.

By just strolling about he wouldn’t find the landslide all that quickly, Brandon realized, but he also had no idea where exactly the damage was localized. The solution for that problem was obvious though; ask for directions. A great idea. Soon enough he was on his way, now actually knowing where to walk straight, what places to go left or right, as well as the general direction of the scene of destruction. It wasn’t all that difficult to find; for one, Brandon knew Lhavit like inside of his pockets, and secondly, the skyglass renovations and patched up buildings acted like a trail of breadcrumbs, leading him right to his destination.

However. The Shinya were everywhere, standing guard on various strategic locations, on crossroads that led to the damaged part of the peak. Understandable of course, the safety of the citizens was their responsibility, and no one wanted to have children, oblivious and innocent- play in the treacherous, dangerous, but oh so awesome playground that was the landslide. Nor did they want retarded citizens to go there of course. Brandon wasn’t really planning to try and get a look from afar though, heck no, it was up close or nothing. And naturally, nothing was not an option.

From his current position, Brandon could easily see that the destruction was not something to underestimate; countless buildings had crumbled, skyglass shattered. The proud Lhavitian architecture had fallen by Semele’s hand. It was not quite satisfying though, as the bat had heard rumors of a hole in the floor, a hole that allowed one to see the unforgiving below. Kind of like the bridges connecting the peaks did, but not quite. And Okomo refused to come close to the gaping mouth, fanning the flames of the Kelvic’s curiosity even more. Yet, there was something that made the thief stop in his tracks, freezing in place, earning him a quizzical look from the Shinya he’d been approaching. Inquiries on the progress of rebuilding this part of the city would have to wait, something else had his attention now.

Saying it wasn’t familiar would be a lie, but in truth, stating that it was not alien was not correct either. This smell, this feeling, he’d definitely come across it before… Brandon knew it was his mark responding to something. Something that was dead, should be dead, or refused to be dead. But which was it? There was no rot, no decay in what he could smell, so it was certainly not a walking corpse. It smelled like … like mist. Like a misty day, but not fresh. Stale. Stale mist. He could taste it too, the faint sensation of some creature darting around the edge of his mark’s sphere of detection. It was not a corpse, but it was dead. Brandon could tell from the addled scent; it was as if someone had bottled some fog and tried to conserve it for a couple years. No mist ever smelled that way. Not to mention that it’s smell grew slightly stronger when he walked in the right direction. If he could track it like that, so the thief had learned last season, it meant it was his mark’s work.

Tracking it he did, using a method similar to trial and error to weave through the streets in search of the anomaly. Slowly but surely, the taste and scent grew stronger and stronger, though they did not drown out the other smells –the mundane ones- from all around the area. As he walked, his progress slowing down for some reason –had the anomaly started moving away from him?- it surprised the bat to find that he was circling the area of the landslide. He frowned, and broke into a run, not quite a dash, but not a slow jog either. His body assumed a comfortable rhythm, one that was a lot faster than walking, but also would allow to be used for extended periods of time without tiring the Kelvic too much.

After a brief while, Bran knew he was getting really close. And indeed, in front of him he saw two people; one was walking, and the other floated. A ghost, a spirit. The bat slowed down to a stop immediately, ducking into an alley, and sliding his hands in the half-gauntlets. The cold iron would make quick work of the apparition, he thought, but he did not take action right away. Acting without some sort of plan was beyond stupid, especially with dangerous creatures, such as ghosts. For the moment, the spirit did not appear to be agitated, and to be honest, the thief was not quite willing to change that. Attacking a non-aggressive ghost was about just as dumb as kicking a sleeping pack of wolves. No, he’d approach casually, try to interact with it in a positive, non-threatening way, and try to get it to move on. Yes, like he’d done with Amora.

Brandon did exactly that, strolling out of the alley, his pace brisk enough that he’d close in slowly, but not too fast. Casually. “Hey,” he called out when he was rather close, his footsteps starting to follow the rhythm of the man who seemed to be accompanying the sprite. “Mind if I ask you something?”

[Levi Remilian]

Yet more complications wanted to get in the spiritist's way it seemed, his first attempt at investigating halted by the Shinya. Rules were rules however as the generally law abiding Levi told himself as he walked around in thought still within distance of the landslide site. He would not want to give the law enforcers of Lhavit a bad image of himself when he had barely been in the city for a day. Credibility and reputation came not only from accomplishment but also from being able to abide by the rules of a place, if one wanted to be known in the light side of society. Of course there was the underworld which was bound to be found beneath the glittering surface of Lhavit despite the light it exuded. That he would have to explore some other time. The pacing stopped and Naya stopped beside him, the ghost taking more solid form. From the hazy expression on her face it seemed she was more put off by the complication than Levi let on, arms crossed and frowning. "So now what? Oh I know! We can sneak in!" Levi shook his head, still silent in thought as he watched the Shinya guards patrol the perimeter. Sneaking in was an idea that he found tempting yet knew not to do at the same time. Again with keeping the rules and keeping a good impression with the Shinya, but despite that he still felt the need to get inside in some way. Call it intuition, it may not be the most logical sense, it may not be based off fact or his limited sense for the ethereal, but the young man knew that beyond the guards there was someone he could help. Was he willing to break rules to help that soul though? Again Levi glanced at the guards but began backing away more until the guards were out of sight but he could still see the destruction before him. There would be no trouble for him if he didn't get caught, was that not right? He just had to be a little careful and slip past, that was all. He sighed loudly. Seriously, who was he kidding? There was not a trace of stealth in his skills at all, he could try, but the starkly white cloak was a definite blowing of cover even if he did try. That was something he knew well, he knew it would be foolish to try sneaking in, but the part of his mind unrestrained by calm reason still reared to go and do it anyways. No he should come back later, maybe with someone who could help him. The Dusk Tower was something the guard mentioned, maybe he could see them for it sounded like they were some kind of spiritist organization in Lhavit. A freezing numbness suddenly pressed into his waist. He looked down to see Naya clinging to him, her ethereal hold tight as she seemed to look haggard and weary, crippled over as though something within her was in agony? Levi frowned, asking quickly with great concern, "Naya? What's wrong?" The answer quickly came not from the ghost but from the calling voice of a man. Levi turned around to see a man walking towards them with a quick but unrushed step. The ghost girl's eyes widened, unnatural green clearly displaying an emotion that Levi saw very rarely from Naya: fear. The ghost whispered, the echo barely heard, "He's scary... Big brother... I don't feel well... we need to get away... we need to get away now..." "It'll be alright Naya... trust me." Levi softly assured, though he narrowed his eyes at the man before him, hand on Naya's shoulder. There was not anything that particularly stood out about this man in the physical sense. In fact in that sense he was similar in a way to Levi's own physique. No, it was something that was beyond the physical that unsettled the ghost. To Levi though, he did not feel the same terror that was gripping his sister. He felt a different feeling, this was a sensation he had felt before, a sensation that permeated his childhood home, that same mystery, that same foreboding, that same unavoidability. Death... that which few would ever be able to accept and understand. The atmosphere of death that he had left behind in Black Rock, land of the Queen of Death, he felt that same aura coming from this man. A faint memory of the priestess who led services on Black Rock came to his mind. She had this same ambiance of mysteriousness too, but how could a random man on the streets of Lhavit remind him so much of that? The realization hit him, a memory of a long distant teaching of Dira told to him by his mother resurfacing: those who have sworn to serve and follow Dira are the ones who have accepted the reality of life and death. These souls who have grasped such a concept would bear an air different from normal men. Was that the case here? Eyes went from narrowed to wide. What were the options here then? Naturally Levi had to find out more about this man and whether he was a truly dedicated follower of Dira. Naya clung to her brother even tighter, the chill of her embrace hardly a bother. The greater concern though was what if he had come for Naya? What if the Goddess had kept an eye on her this whole time, certainly aware of her lingering soul in this world? Was this man before him going to return her to the cycle? No, he didn't know that for certain, he just needed to find out. But if that was indeed what he came for, what was the spiritist to do? He could think of that later. Levi slowly exhaled, whatever surprise was on his face receding to a stoic calm. His sword and daggers were on him, but it would not be good to immediately draw steel on a man. It never was good to do such in any case. Levi's gaze was now steady as he looked directly at the man, answering with a cold but not rude tone. "Yes, what is that you want? You are troubling my sister which is inexcusable."

[Brandon Blackwing]

From the looks of it, the ghostly little girl was quiet unnerved by the bat’s approach, clinging to her human friend, cowering as if the Kelvic was something akin to the legendary creatures roaming the Unforgiving and other wildlands. He heard her whisper, but the words he could not make out, her voice too faint even for his sensitive ears. What the man said though, he did understand. He spoke in reassuring tones, trying to calm down the spirit. Brandon was… amused and surprised at the same time. Of all reactions he’d considered the apparition might respond with, trembling in fear and terror was not one of them. Heck, it’d be more realistic to be the other way around. Well, depending on just how powerful the ghost was of course.

This one though, did not appear to be much of a threat, quite the opposite. She looked like a small, frightened animal trapped in a corner by a large predator of sorts, something that Brandon had a hard time comprehending. After all, he was fairly sure he was not all that intimidating when it came to his appearance. He wasn’t tall, he wasn’t bulky. Muscular, yes, but the wiry kind, lean and fit. Strong? Yes, but his strength was no match for that of a man who had trained just as much as himself, but whose muscles grew exponentially by doing so. And even if she’d find his build and musculature intimidating, most of it was obscured by his clothing, only the bat’s head was uncovered.

Hm… there was one thing though… one tiny little thing that just might be the cause. For an instant the bat turned his left palm upwards ever so slightly, his eyes automatically darting to the body part and back, knowing the mark was there, covered by his gloves. The space between the bat and the duo had been diminished to a minimum now, only about half a meter separating them. The man spoke up, his tone cold, accusing even, and relatively flat, though not quite rude. Nevertheless, Brandon raised an eyebrow quizzically.

“Am I?” his eyes momentarily flitted from the young male’s face to the ethereal figure hiding behind him, eyes sparking with some form of curiosity. “Apologies. This is a first for me.” Once again the bat’s orbs shifted from the man to the form of the girl, observant, curious. There was no harshness in his stare though, only slight amusement, but no real pleasure. Scaring the shyke out of girls, be they ghosts or not, was not a pastime nor a habit of the Kelvic, and neither did he plan on letting it become one of those things. However, it appeared that the intimidation just happened, unconsciously, without the thief’s consent; much like just about any effect of his gnosis really. The visions just popped into his head, the stench of living corpses and the smell of death simply invaded his nostrils. And the feeling of something being nearby that shouldn’t be existing was not something he could control either. All of the effects were passive, and in a way, Brandon liked that.

On the other hand, he disliked not having any control over it as well. Though that did not mean he didn’t see his new abilities as something else than a blessing from Dira herself. Not in the slightest. Brandon just needed to adapt, get used to it, which hadn’t really worked out since the day he’d first noticed his abilities. Then again, it did not happen all that often that he ran into situations where his mark actually activated, so to speak. If something by coincidence happened to be in range of his mark’s detection field –or whatever it was- he would know, and he then tried to find out what it was. If nothing happened, nothing happened, it was just so simple. In and around Wind Reach, he’d experienced more of the latter than the former; the volcanic city hadn’t been so great for stimulating his gnosis mark, but that was fine. At least he’d been able to get an introduction to the mark’s effects.

“Anyway,” the bat spoke up, having fallen prey to silent musings for a brief couple moments, “your… sister… can I ask why exactly she’s with you?” Perhaps an ambiguous inquiry, but the circumstances of the girl made the question a whole lot more clear. “Don’t get me wrong,” he added quickly, believing to have seen a flash of anger or fear in the man’s eyes. “I just want to know, is all.”

[Levi Remilian]

"A first you say? Not the answer I expected." A little of the cold edge in Levi's voice had disappeared as he in turn raised an eyebrow questioningly at the man. Was this man really a devoted follower of Dira as he suspected? Even as the man before him seemed to pause in quiet contemplation, Levi's own mind churned in a similar manner. As much as he felt ashamed of it, the spiritist had very little knowledge of the abilities of the marked of his Goddess. Was this sensation of mystery to himself and sheer fear to Naya an ability of his mark? If he only recently attained such abilities that would explain the man's own uncertainty about what he was doing to Naya. Additionally the apology must mean that he wasn't doing it intentionally. The ghost girl whimpered behind Levi, even as she hid behind her brother the ghost's eyes remained transfixed on the source of her fear at this moment. Comfortingly the spiritist continued holding her as she clung to him, shifting his arm back to do so while she hid behind. Unknown to Levi this motion revealed his belt pouch and longsword to view, not that he was concerned with that currently. There must be a name to the man's ability, the ability granted to him by the Queen of Death, but for the life of him he could not remember what it was. It could be that the name was one not easily revealed to others. That was the most likely explanation here. Does he dare plain out and bluntly ask the man whether he was a follower of Dira though? It was blunt, he knew that, but that was the only way he could figure out whether the truth of this current matter. As the two men silently stood in their own inner contemplation, Naya continued viewing the mysterious man with fright, fear the likes of which she had never felt in her undeath. She had to get away, she had to get away, she had to get away! Every ounce of her mind was screaming that at her, but why? She could hardly know why. Why was this man so scary? He looked normal but not normal. However, despite all that, she remained frozen, only quietly echoing, "Brother... let's go... please... we can't stay here... he... he feels like... like death." The spiritist snapped out of his contemplation on hearing Naya's weak voice. The man before him spoke up too, inquiring about his sister. A flash of subtle suspicion passed through Levi's mind, visible on his face as a frown. This frown though quickly passed away as the man talked more. The more he spoke, the chance of him being marked by Dira grew less in Levi's mind. He could not be completely sure of that yet though, one could not let their guard down. He answered politely, "My sister and I are travellers, originally hailing from Black Rock. I am Levi Remilian, a spiritist. As you can see Naya is a ghost, and I am sure you know why ghosts exist. She is with me because of her reason for remaining in this world, our promise to travel through these lands together. Until then she will not continue to the next life of her cycle. So that's what we have been doing as I continue my work as a spiritist. Is that a reasonable explanation?" Telling a complete stranger such information was not strange to Levi. Often it was the only way to explain why he traveled with a ghost in the first place. Such an answer would be satisfactory to most people Levi had thought and noted. He continued, pressing on to the next matter on mind. "Now who are you? More importantly are you marked by the Goddess Dira? That's the only explanation for the effect you're having on my sister I can imagine. I have only heard stories of the rare few marked with Death's gift though." After waiting for the man to answer, Levi knelt down next to Naya. "If you're not feeling well you can head back to the apartment.Naya shook her head, "I want to... but I want to stay too... if the man can stop being scary..." The spiritist nodded, hugging his ethereal sister lightly, warmth seeping away. His sister's form dissipated into white formless soulmist in his arms. She must have been at the limit of her strength, the other man's presence only exacerbating her soulmist's weakness. He sighed and stood back up to face the man. "Now. I must say you're the first person I have seen in this area that was not one of this city's guards. It seems the locals avoid this place if they could help it. However such a place where much death occurred is one where spirits could linger. You must also have a reason for being here, yes?"

[Brandon Blackwing]

At least the man answered his question, explaining the reason for his companion lingering in the world of the living longer than she should have. It was satisfactory, and the thief nodded slowly, mulling things over in his head. This guy, Levi, was a spiritist. Brandon had heard of those before of course; they were people who hunted ghosts, who dealt with ghosts. They got rid of the lingering spirits when necessary, taking requests from all sorts of people. Lhavit had a resident spiritist as well, but obviously it wasn’t Levi. It did spark the bat’s interest; perhaps someone like that could aid him in understanding how to deal with undead creatures and the like. Maybe they could even help him figure out what exactly he could do with his mark.

Then it was the Kelvic’s time to answer questions, raising an eyebrow at the mention of him possibly been marked by Dira. Yes, perhaps this spiritist could assist him. “You can call me Djas,” the bat spoke, using his alias, as was normal for him in Lhavit. There were few people in the crystalline city that knew his real name, and that was just fine. As for the other query, Brandon simply removed his left glove, turning his palm towards Levi, showing the black scythe that was seemingly tattooed on it.

Surely that ought to have answered the question, and the Kelvic slipped his hand back in the half-gauntlet, watching the spiritist’s interaction with his ethereal sister interestedly. Why exactly his mark bombarded the girl with severe intimidation he didn’t know, but he was certain he couldn’t make it stop. Eventually, the ghost just faded away, resembling a puff of smoke, losing form completely. Brandon frowned; what had just happened? She was still there, probably, only not like she’d been before. If he had to make a guess, ghosts didn’t usually resemble people, or were even visible. They were present, yes, but perhaps they needed to focus to become visible and take a recognizable form. However, that was just speculation though.

“Does curiosity count as a valid reason?” He gave a shrug, watching a Shinya patrol approaching, the two protectors still relatively far away. “I am not sure about spirits lingering,” Brandon mused, “as I can sense whether one is relatively close by, I don’t think it works as well if I am already close to a ghost…” Or was that not how this worked? Maybe there simply wasn’t any other ghost in proximity, or like he had said, his mark’s detection didn’t work as well if there already was an apparition or undead nearby. Either way, he wasn’t quite sure.

“I’m assuming you’re wanting to get past the guards, to search the area yourself, right?” That much seemed obvious when reading between the lines of the man’s spoken word. To Brandon, getting into the actual perimeter was an easy task, however, the spiritist would probably have a harder time. Well, perhaps the bat could arrange something, but he’d need some more information on the current state of this part of the peak. Fortunately, the Shinya he’d previously seen patrolling were rather close now, and their eyes were fixed on the duo. “What are you two doing here?” one of them called out, enlarging his strides to bridge the distance between them more quickly. “This is a danger zone, please go back to the safer parts of the peak.”

“I thought we couldn’t enter that area.” He pointed in the general direction of the actual site of the landslide. “Well…” The guardsman frowned, the pair of them stopping in front of the bat and the spiritist. “That area is the most dangerous indeed,” the second Shinya agreed, “However, something doesn’t feel right about this one either.” The first guard nodded. “Surely you have noticed that neither Okomo nor people are present in this part?” Well, yeah, it was hard not to notice something so obvious. Lhavit’s streets usually were rather crowded. And Levi had mentioned it just a chime or so ago as well. “We don’t know why the Okomo refuse to come here, but it’s not a good omen. Hence why the people evacuated.”
“To be honest this area is not exactly off limits, but we’d rather not have you wander about either. In fact, if we didn’t have to patrol here, I’d stay away as well.” The other Shinya guard nodded. “I see. Thanks for the warning.” He gave the two a curt bow, and then turned to his new acquaintance, nodding to an alley leading away from the landslide to the “safer” part of Zintia peak. “Come, let’s go.”

Brandon headed into the alley regardless of whether the spiritist decided to follow him or not, though it was rather clear the duo of Protectors wouldn’t let them stay anyway. There wasn’t really a choice to be had. He kept walking until his ears confirmed the Shinya had continued their patrol, then waited a chime or so to give them time to put some more distance between them. “Alright, I will get you inside. However, I will go alone first. I’ll scout ahead and create a safe route for you to follow, then I’ll come back.” Perhaps Levi’d get mad at being treated like a bit of a liability, even though the bat hadn’t even asked about his abilities in terms of scaling walls and the like, as well as stealth. However, observation had made questioning needless; a white cloak would make him stand out if he tried to sneak, and the sword underneath it would be a hindrance when trying to climb buildings and maneuver quickly. But maybe the spiritist, or at least his sister, would appreciate the Eiyon not being around for a little while. “Wait here.” With those words the Kelvic turned around and made his way to the street they’d been standing in before the Shinya’d approached them.

[Levi Remilian]

If Levi needed any kind of confirmation of whether the man here was a marked of Dira or not, it was as plain to see as the black scythe of Dira's mark that was on Djas' palm. It was undeniable confirmation, the spiritist nodded slowly. "I see... you are indeed marked by the Goddess..." His gaze remained on the mark even as Djas hid it from sight once more. Levi shook his head, "My apologies Djas, but I have not met one marked by Dira as you are in my travels. Curiosity may be getting the better of me. In fact I do not even know what name the marked of Dira are called by." That curiosity was indeed getting the better of him. This was a person who had spoken face to face with Death herself, one who had left that encounter not continuing to a new life but as a powerful servant of Death. What was she like? What other abilities was he granted aside from the aura of intimidation on the undead? The spiritist just had to find out. He would slip in questions when it would be deemed the right time do so. What little was visible of the white mist that was Naya had by now vanished from sight, although Levi could still feel her presence next to himself, a slight chill in the head and the scent of wintery frost without its crisp freshness, if the spiritist was to describe the sensation he felt when a ghost was nearby. Levi noticed that Djas' frown as Naya disappeared from view as though it concerned him. Was he unfamiliar with the characteristics of ghosts? It seemed strange to Levi taking into account that the man was marked by Dira. "You don't need to worry about her, she's resting. She can only materialize for a certain amount of time before she needs to recover her soulmist. Though I must ask if you could lessen the intensity of your power." Again it seemed odd, yet it may make sense if Djas was not familiar with the undead before being marked. Not everyone grew up on an island populated with both the corporeal and incorporeal. Levi cracked a small hint of a smile, "Curiosity usually counts in my opinion." Speaking of curiosity, his own continued threatening to push out more and more. Professional and calm, he had to remain like that especially in front of Djas. When he briefly spoke of being able to sense nearby spirits, Levi metaphorically leapt to the question. Calmly of course. Calmly ramble. "You can sense spirits because of the mark? That seems similar to how I can detect the soulmist of nearby ghosts because of my training, interesting. I can tell apart different ghosts in the vicinity since each have their own soulmist, what is it that you are sensing? The soul itself? Maybe, that is a matter to discuss another time." So Levi's suspicions were correct; Djas was still very unfamiliar with certain abilities granted to him now and also with the ethereal undead. Could he teach him? That was a silly thought, but even so it remained a possibility. This meeting with Djas has already been very beneficial for Levi, but at the man's mention getting past the guards, the spiritist knew that this was definitely a good meeting. He nodded to Djas, "Yes. If we planned something that would be excellent." Looking over Djas' black attire, Levi could easily tell that of the two he was the most likely to be more stealthy while Levi would stand out like a beacon to the guards with his white cloak. Just as he thought of guards two of said guardsmen approached them. Levi noted that they both wore the same kind of uniform, he would have to find out more about whatever organization these people belonged to eventually. Seeing as the guards and Djas were doing most of the talking, Levi listened quietly. What he heard only further solidified his belief that there definitely was something in the ruins of the landslide. It is said that animals could sense and know things that people could not. If the Okomo felt something unnerving about this area and avoided it, for certain whatever caused them to act as such the spiritist had to find. And he wasn't alone, he had a fellow follower of Dira with him. It seemed the conversation between the guards and Djas was over and the latter nodded to Levi and began heading away to an alleyway. It was clear the man had a plan. The spiritist bowed politely to the guards and followed after Djas into the alley. He walked a little ways behind the man until he stopped, seeming to be listening for something. The two waited silently, Levi quiet as he was alright with letting Djas take the reins with his plan. The spiritist listened and nodded to Djas. "Understood. I had a feeling you would be much better at stealth than me since..." He tugged his cloak, "My attire is less suitable for sneaking." He watched began heading back the way the two had come from. When Djas was out of sight, Levi could feel the air grow less heavy, as though a great veil was lifted. An insubstantial hand grabbed Levi's cloak weakly. The faint shape of a face was seen coming out of the mist, voice soft and airy sighing in relief. "Are you... going to work with him...?" Levi looked down at Naya, nodding. "He's going to help me get inside. I don't think he can control his ability completely, so I think you should go. It's hurting you." "I'm fine... big brother... fine..." Naya tried bringing more shape to herself, but the mist barely stayed together in a recognizable body. The spiritist shook his head. "No you're not. You need to go somewhere else while I'm with Djas." The ghost weakly shook her head, " I'm staying with you... can't leave you with him... he's... he's-" "Scary. I know, but your big brother is not scared of him. We're both followers of Dira like back home, don't worry." He smiled reassuringly. "I'll tell you about what I did with him when I make your meal this evening. Sounds good?" The ghost girl was silent, her face wisping away to the point her expression was difficult to recognize. "Unn... okay... bye for now..." The spectral girl let go of Levi and slowly drifted away, again fading into invisibility. Levi was alone and after a chime or two he could no longer feel Naya's familiar presence. Now all he had to do was wait for Djas to come back.

[Brandon Blackwing]

One of the first things Brandon noticed after sneaking back into the street where they’d been talking to the guards, had actually nothing to do with the guards or the perimeter they’d outlined. Instead, it was the ghost; he could feel her presence weakening slowly, though faster than he’d have expected. Had she dismissed herself? Had the spiritist sent her away? Levi had said she was resting, that she’d spent all her strength and was too weak to take form again. It seemed only logical that she’d left, either by free will or because she had been forced to, in order to replenish her energy.

Well, it mattered not, there were other things to focus on now; the route he’d take himself, for example. There were a multitude of houses that were now empty and deserted, and Brandon would be able to pick the lock within ticks, thus creating a safe route for Levi to use. A route out of sight of the Shinya. And it was a lot safer for Brandon too; if he climbed the buildings in order to get both a better view of the landslide and the potential routes he could open for Levi, the Shinya would be able to see him rather well. If they were as tense and sharp in this area as he thought they were, that is. Brandon’s black attire wouldn’t do him much good with Syna high in the sky either.

Unbeknownst to the bat, a pair of Okomo approached Levi in the meantime, and while he did hear the noise of their hooves, he paid it no heed as he hid in the shadows of the alley, considering his options. The Okomo however, did seem concerned with the presence of the spiritst and the Kelvic, both looking quite nervous and on edge. They stared at Levi for a brief couple moments, then one of them bleated at the spiritist, and the other dashed off in the direction Brandon had taken. The Okomo that stayed behind stared some more, slowly positioning itself so it blocked the alley completely, not allowing the man to head any deeper in, the only way to leave was to head away from the danger zone.

During the somewhat odd event, Brandon had decided to stay on the ground, picking the lock of one of the houses after having made sure no Shinya was around. With ease the Kelvic moved the pins back into their respective casings, blocking their escape with the very cylinder they were supposed to keep from turning. And then he made the cylinder rotate even further, making the lock click and the door open. The lockpicking tools were slipped back in the pouch, as the bat pushed the portal open fully, glancing around once more, surprised to see an Okomo turn a corner and emerge from the alleyway he’d been walking through just a chime or so ago. A frown rippled across his brow. I thought they said the Okomo avoided this place?

The grand creature came extremely close, almost breathing in Brandon’s neck. He raised an eyebrow quizzically, then petted it on the neck briefly. It didn’t respond though, simply standing there, staring at Brandon with eyes that might hold accusations and worry. The bat just shrugged however, and stepped towards the door, his feet never crossing the doorstep. Nor did they actually touch down after that step either. “What are you doing?” he demanded to know from the beast that had grabbed the Kelvic’s collar and was lifting him in the air. Of course, there came no response, but instead the Okomo headed back the way it had come from, bringing Bran with it.

During the whole ordeal of struggling and being dragged back, the Kelvic feverishly hoped the fabric of his coat would not rip. Eventually though, they arrived, and the mountain goat dropped the thief, who wasn’t all too happy with the treatment. Not that he had time to do much, as the creatures began nudging the two followers of Dira with their heads, away from the landslide, gently at first, but with more force if they resisted. The message was clear; they had to move away, and they would. Possibly if they didn’t walk on their own, the Okomo would pick both of them up. Brandon for one was not quite looking forward to that, and he knew that harming one of the creatures in any way was no going to help either, in fact, it’d make matters worse. “Well,” he glanced at Levi, “seems we have no choice.”

[Levi Remilian]

Silence reigned in the small alley Levi waited in. The soft steps of Djas had long since gone out of range and Naya's usual chatter gone with her and would be gone for a good time now. With the silence the spiritist simply answered with his own, silence was a gift that the young man appreciated. Away from the chitchat and hustle of the city with only the eerie stillness his company. That left Levi to think of the man he met today, Djas. Despite being a follower of Dira much like himself, the spiritist could not easily read the man's personality. He seemed like a quiet man who had a penchant for stealth, but what was he? What did he do for a living? Simply being marked by the Goddess was not an occupation in itself. In fact he was not even certain of the powers that came with the mark even more so with the nature of the ethereal. That he had already concluded so the possibility of Djas being a fellow spiritist was out of question. Levi mulled over what little he could see and tell. Dark clothes, seems confident with stealth, also seems to cater to curiosity on a whim, adventurous? From that all Levi could conclude on was... thief? The man shook his head. That was a ridiculous idea, but then again how would he know unless he got definite information on Djas? Just to make sure Levi checked his belt pouch. Nothing missing abviously, he was only being foolishly paranoid that was all. The clip clop of hooves broke the silence Levi was resting in. He turned his head to see two mountain goat-like creatures- No Okomo he remembered, approaching him. Astonishment was one way to describe Levi's expression at that moment. He clearly remembered the guards mentioning that the Okomo were staying away from the site of the landslide, yet here were two right now looking at Levi with what looked like concern? Then again technically Levi was not near the landslide. And yet the spiritist could not ignore the two beast as they could not ignore the human sitting in the alley. One of the Okomo stepped closer to Levi and bleated just as the other dashed off. Did it know that Djas was nearby? He would not be surprised if they did, the Okomo were respected for good reason after all. The question was why were they doing this? Levi stood up and walked closer to the remaining Okomo that was standing firmly in his way, preventing any attempt to get past it to what the Okomo clearly thought was a dangerous area. Yet again another obstacle in his path, but one he dared not overcome. He did not quite know why, but he felt that the Okomo for certain sensed something he did not, that they knew something was wrong in that area. It only made his curiosity burn hotter but Levi knew now was not the time to protest against the signature beast of Lhavit. He sighed and simply pet the creature's neck, again marvelling at its skyglass horns as he quietly whispered to it, "You seem set to stop me hmm? You definitely know something." The Okomo bleated in reply, hardly a fulfilling answer. The sound of protest and scuffling could be heard coming closer and closer, and Levi looked past the Okomo to see the other one returning with a rather unhappy Djas. The thief came down with a light plunk and Levi could not help but grin a little at the comical sight. What little comedy he felt disappered when the Okomo began nudging at the spiritist much to his discomfort; he tried resisting, standing his ground at first, but the nudge quickly changed into a stronger push the moment he stood against the Okomo. Sighing he relented, allowing himself to be pushed on by the creature. There was no point to resisting anymore, Levi had already concluded that even before the nudging began. Levi caught Djas' glance while they were both being nudged away to safety. He nodded and sighed, shaking his head, "Indeed it seems so. Though I think the Okomo know something we don't. That only makes me want to find out more- OOF!!" A stronger push by the Okomo halted Levi's declaration of curiosity. Eventually the two found themselves back on one of the main streets of Zintia, a good distance away from their intended target. Their task accomplished, the two Okomo bleated a final time at the duo and clip clopped away. Levi readjusted his cloak a little and checked his pouch again, the two jars still intact as he checked each by taking them out. Now what was he supposed to do? The landslide had been his best guess at finding spirits and he was clueless about any other location. However, there was Djas and combined with his abilities and probably greater knowledge of Lhavit, the two could still find someone. He turned to Djas, "So then, the landslide is a moot idea now. Do you know of any other possible locations spirits reside at in Lhavit? I could maybe teach you the basics of spiritism since I am guessing you are unfamiliar with the discipline?"

[Brandon Blackwing]

They were on one of the main streets once more, the Okomo leaving with a final bleat, one that almost sounded like a warning of sorts. Some of the citizens who’d seen them arrive eyed them curiously, others knowingly. Brandon, contrary to his companion who looked a little lost, knew perfectly well where they had been led, where this street would bring them, and which alleys branched out. As a thief that kind of thing was necessary to avoid the Shinya, but clearly the Okomo were not on his side today. Not that they ever were, but he’d always regarded them as neutral. Seemingly though, the mountain goats preferred to align themselves so they created an alliance with the guards. That was quite logical, considering that some of the more elite Shinya rode around on the Okomo.

Levi seemed to have given up on investigating the landslide, and while Brandon did not believe he couldn’t get in, he did know that he would have to go alone if he really wanted to get inside. That however meant passing up on the opportunity to speak with and learn from someone who interacted with ghosts on a daily basis. Even better, he’d lived in Black Rock; the mysterious island he'd heard about a couple times. An island ruled by Dira herself. He was sure of it now; Dira had sent this guy his way, without the spiritist knowing of course, to help him. To give him some more insight in his duties, in his mark. If he were to dismiss this meeting as a coincidence it’d be like spitting in Her face. And that was something he wasn’t quite fond of doing.

“I know a place,” Brandon grimaced, not all too glad to be going back there. Perhaps it had just been him, but that spirit had been powerful. She’d toyed with him, and he’d been more afraid than he’d ever been. However, now he had his mark, the mark that had weakened Levi’s sister. And he had cold Iron in his gloves, as well as a spiritist as a companion. Yes, they could do this. Maybe. “Follow me.” He started weaving through the crowd, slipping through openings and spaces with the grace of a dancer and the presence of a non-manifested ghost. The first alley he came across he entered, the smaller streets being a whole lot less cramped and crowded than the main roads. The bat decided to use these as much as possible, as it would make for faster travel, along with the opportunity to have a conversation with his companion.

“Truth is, I haven’t been bearing this mark for long,” Brandon spoke, slowing down a bit so the spiritist could catch up. “I mean, I have, but I haven’t encountered a lot of ghosts ever since. Or before.” He turned a corner, easily navigating through the labyrinth of Lhavit’s tangle of alleyways. “I never really dealt with ghosts, with the exception of two. And one of them is where we’re headed now. She’s dangerous and powerful, so be on your guard.” He added the last bit as an afterthought, suppressing a shiver at the image of her face twisted in rage. “So yeah, I am not really familiar with what exactly it is you do. Or with ghosts.” Undead on the other hand, he had seen enough of for a while.

There was a question brewing in Levi’s mind, one that had probably made it to the tip of his tongue a couple times, only to be swallowed once more. The Kelvic could feel it, just from the silence, he could tell from his reactions, no matter how minute they were. “Why she marked me? I have no idea. She even intervened in my demise, her appearance the cause of my continued existence.” He grimaced once more, staring at his gloved palm, something that appeared to be becoming a habit whenever he questioned Dira’s motives, his Gnosis, and of course his own place and role in this all. A shrug followed, along with the words; “But I’ll figure it out one day. Or maybe I’ll get the chance to ask. If I get to meet her again.” His eyes shone with emotion, mostly longing and melancholy, but also with resolve and determination.

Oh yes, he’d meet Dira again. For that purpose alone he had become so devoted in sniffing out those that escaped the circle. Heck, he’d become more dedicated than he’d thought he would be. He had told Dira he’d deal with those that just so happened to be found on his path, and yet, here he was, going out of his way to deal with a spirit he would rather avoid. One he’d rather forget. One that popped up in his mind every time he thought of ghosts or saw the apparitions. Ah, but for the sake of seeing her again, to talk with her once more… However, it would only last a couple chimes at best, and after that? Then what? He’d do it all over. Work harder, destroy more living corpses and animated objects. Send more ghosts to her side, as well as Biran, if he hadn’t already. And if he had, he’d just hunt down those that were just like the transformed hiker. He just hoped that next time Dira chose to appear before him he hadn’t failed like he had last time.

He stopped then, still an alley or so to go before they’d reach their destination. “Perhaps it’d be best you explained in detail here what you’re about to do. And maybe prepare. I don’t think she’s going to let us once we’re inside, or if we’re too close.”