Flashback Break with the past Part 10

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Built into the cliffs overlooking the Suvan Sea, Riverfall resides on the edge of grasslands of Cyphrus where the Bluevein River plunges off the plain and cascades down to the inland sea below. Home of the Akalak, Riverfall is a self-supporting city populated by devoted warriors. [Riverfall Codex]

Break with the past Part 10

Postby Karsynwa on December 1st, 2020, 2:24 am

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7th of Spring, 490 AV

“Usually one does not just stumble into spiritism as you did. It is a familial thing where a particular giftedness is noted, and the child inducted into the art by an experienced tutor of which I am not. I have not been for many years now.” Therie sighed, a sound that Karsynwa was coming to think was a noise that helped him think he did it so often. He stood just inside the doorway where Therie left him, hesitant to move anywhere lest he disturb anything of the spiritists.

“The child’s aptitude is tested, and he is put through his first possession in controlled circumstances so he does not form an opinion one way or the other.” Therie said, continuing to talk as if Karsynwa was not there. Or perhaps this was the way he lectured. Either way, Karsynwa didn’t like the way this was going. He decided to take his chance then.

“Only I didn’t do any of that so that makes it so I can’t learn? Is that the right of it?” Karsynwa said, his words more terse spoken aloud. When ever was he going to learn to watch his tongue. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

Therie had turned to study him. His face was unsurprised by the outburst, and perhaps that was what stung most for Karsynwa.

“Not necessarily, but it has put us in quite a tricky position. Were I to let you go now, I would be morally responsible for however you decided to try and practice the art on your own. However in teaching you, I not only have to get over the hurdle of your negative perception of ghosts, but also try to get you to understand the centuries of wisdom behind what spiritists do. Something you would have learned if you grew up in the right family. There is a reason not many practice what I do boy.” Therie said and Karsynwa clenched his jaw slightly. He bore it all in due course because what he said made sense in way. There was a culture behind what he learned in the Sasaran that went beyond how to handle a weapon. It was the same way with this, which he supposed could be a weapon if wielded as such.

“I don’t have a negative perception of all ghosts, just that one by the bridge chapped me raw when she tried to kill me.” Karsynwa said.

“Really now?” Therie asked, and there was the mischievous spark in his eye again as he walked over to one of the clay jars on his table. This one was dark green with a black line painted across its middle to look like an inverted L. “Hand me one of those vials of soulmist.”

Karsynwa did as he was asked, quietly managing to hold his tongue as he watched Therie dump its contents into the jar. Smoke flickered from within, mist bubbled up and out, pouring across the floor till he could make out the cobblestones no more.

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Break with the past Part 10

Postby Karsynwa on December 1st, 2020, 2:25 am

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Out of the mist emerged a young man who stretched out his arms theatrically as he slide from the jar to pool on the floor in front of Karynwa. In response, he flinched back, back meeting the door in the process. The young man tittered a laugh and then looked over to Therie.

“An apprentice. You? What a load of shite, who put you up to this?” The young man asked the man who seemed to be growing graver by the second.

“Dimitri, we haven’t the time for games. Go on.” Therie said, and there was something in the way he spoke those words that had the hairs raising on the back of his neck. The young man sighed, then in a blink he was right in front of Karsynwa. He felt the coldness of his soulmist graze his flesh, then the coldness was inside of him. His eyes widened in panic as he immediately set about fighting off the foreign presence.

“Relax Karsynwa, he’s just settling in. He won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do.” Therie said. His calm words did little to mollify the raw panic Karsynwa felt welling up inside of him like a white heat. Calm my boy. This ain’t a fun game for me either so just do what he wants an it’ll all be over. Dimitri’s voice was just as soft as the woman’s had been, and pricked at his suspicions. Searching himself, he realized while he might not trust the ghost he did trust Therie not to want to waste his own time. Slowly his resistance relented. He felt a sort of balance inside of himself between him and the soulmist that was Dimitri. He tried talking to him despite his fears as those final barriers came down. How long have you been with him? Ten years. An he keeps you in that jar all the time? Only when I want. Why would you want to be kept in a jar? Got to sleep sometime friend. Karsynwa got the faintest impression he was joking, and shared a slight smile that was both of theirs.

You feel that? Dimitri’s voice echoed in his head as there was a small twitch from his right arm. Karsynwa nodded slowly. That is part of the pathway I use to control your body. Try blocking that off now. Think of it like flexing your muscle. Karsynwa closed his eyes and imagined that part of his right arm. Concentrated on the coldness there that was making his arm twitch involuntarily. Thought about himself reaching out to grasp the coldness like he had with the woman. The twitch stopped as he squeezed. Good. Dimitri cooed as the coldness came rushing out of him to pool on the floor. The young man stood up again, and looked Therie square in the eye.

“I can’t believe I wasn’t his first.” Dimitri pouted, drawing an exaggerated roll of the eyes from Therie.

“So he was able to block you off?” Therie asked. Scoffing, the young man propped himself up to sit against the wall as if it were as flat as the floor.

“You are no fun. Yes, he was able to block part of me off at least.” Dimitri said after Therie continued to stare at him for several ticks.

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Break with the past Part 10

Postby Karsynwa on December 1st, 2020, 2:27 am

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“I’d like a little warning next time you plan to make me a puppet.” Karsynwa grunted, eyes levely flicking between the two of them.

“I couldn’t very well warn you as your reaction was half the test. You passed, so don’t piss in the milk.” Therie said, his voice dismissive as he turned to grab the beads off of his shelf. They clinked together as threaded them around his neck. Ghostbeads. Karsynwa thought, his eyes narrowing. Were they going out now? It was not yet dark. Therie wasn’t done with the shelf yet. Next he grabbed three vials and slotted them into loops in his belt. Then he stepped away from the shelf and went over to the spot on the wall where the light crossbow hung from a hook. He grabbed that, strapping it across his chest before hooking the quivers strap over his right shoulder. Catching Karsynwa’s eye, he offered the briefest of nods.

“Let go?” Therie said, then left out the door to his room with Dimitri behind him. Karsynwa again found himself following the man, and closed the door behind them. Instead of left, they wound right further down the staircase till the entered in through another door. This room was less small then the first, and decorated like a commons room which was what Karsynwa supposed it was once he got a proper look at it. It was empty for the present moment, a fact that seemed to set Therie at ease as he set the crossbow down on the table.

“Had you been apart of one of our families things would have been so much different. Therie said, his voice once again taking on that far away quality like he was talking to himself. Only this time the mood was a little spoiled by the crude motions Dimitri made behind the man’s back. Karsynwa stifled a laugh as he fought to pay attention.

“By the time you would have learned how to make soulmist, you would have been possessed several times, know about every one of a ghost’s abilities, and known intimately the tools of the trade you would one day use once your grasp of the art grew stronger with constant practice in a place where you could grow up breathing Spiritism. Instead, I fear you have learned to much too soon in a disjointed way that has skewed your interpretation of the subject so I will do what I can.” Therie said. Karsynwa remained silent as he had a feeling the man had not finished his explanation.

“Starting with Ghosts. They are the embodiment of will. Stubborn beings which have decided to not move on for their own reasons. Their bodies are given form by soulmist which is a substance we must create to have any affect upon them. Ghosts have three ways they can affect us. They can materialize to touch us with their soulmist directly, they can possess us as you have already experienced, and they can project their soulmist to move objects. Our tools on the other hand are only limited by the quality of our soulmist, which can be quite pure in experienced hands. When we coat an object with it, it means it is able to affect them be it these ghost beads, or the souldarts used in this crossbow. As you have read, they can be used to give mundane weapons similar affects as well.” Therie said, gesturing to the wooden lakan sheathed at Karsynwa’s hip.

“What’s wrong with those arrows? They look withered.” Karsynwa asked.

Pulling one from his quiver, he handed it to Karsynwa. “These are made from a weeping willow, and fletched with a raven’s feathers. Very rare in these parts I am afraid. They are known as souldarts and can be used to trap a ghost in one spot.”

“So you can dust them, right?” Karsynwa asked. Dimitri frowned at this, and turned about to pay attention to something else.

“Right, but only as a matter of last recourse. Above all it is our job to try and reason with them. In life they were just like you or I. Many ghosts are not as problematic as the one you ran into by the bridge. It is just a few that death has so unhinged that they took to violent tendencies. Those are the ones you have to be extra careful with, because they are usually powerful souls full of spite and malice.” Therie said.

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Break with the past Part 10

Postby Karsynwa on December 1st, 2020, 2:28 am

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“How do you tell which ones are good or bad.” Karsynwa said, unintentionally looking over at Dimitri when he said it.

“Why, how do you tell with anyone? By interacting with them of course, and heeding their reputation if they have one. Though sometimes those can be deceiving.” Therie said, sparing a sidelong glance at Dimitri.

“What do the ghostbeads do?” Karsynwa asked as he mulled over Therie’s response. “The journal seemed to suggest they offered some sort of protection from ghosts. Why can’t they pass it?”

Therie smiled. “The best soulbeads are made from a spiritist’s own hair and threaded through weighted beads that are not easily moved by a ghost. When they are coated in a fine quality soulmist they prevent the ghost from having an affect on anything located within the circle. They can not materialize within the beads, they cannot possess. All they can do is linger impotently, unless they are the clever sort and find some way around your beads. Like tossing a knife at your head from outside of the circle.” Therie said, sparing a chuckle when he saw Karsynwa’s eyes widen.

“These are things you need to keep in mind when dealing with a malevolent ghost. Its too bad she’s sequestered herself by a bridge. That will make her harder to get. We will have to draw her out somehow.” Therie said, suddenly thoughtful as he leaned back against the wooden table. “How would you feel about getting possessed again?” Therie asked.

“Wha-” Karsynwa asked, his voice incredulous but then Therie silenced him with a raised hand.

“Dimitri again, so he could help you in the event she tried to possess you again by the bridge. I’m thinking you might be the best way to lure her out, provided we set a few things straight first.” Therie said, looking over to the back of the room now. “Could you see if there is anything in the kitchen Dimitri?”

“Of course, I’ve got nothing better to do.” Dimitri said with a drawl as he drifted over towards the back of the room. “This way is it?” Dimitri asked, with Therie offering a curt nod in response.

Karsynwa thought about it for a moment as Dimitri checked the kitchens. It was what he wanted. To be a part of the confrontation with this ghost of the bridge. However this sounded like an awfully like being bait. He didn’t like that idea much, but he supposed that there weren’t a lot of other options to deal with her.

“I’ll do it.” Karsynwa said after a bit of hesitation, meeting Therie’s eyes squarely who in turn returned him an indecipherable look.

“I don’t suppose you have any experience with theatrics? No, I didn’t think so.” Therie said, adding that last part when he saw the confusion cross Karsynwa’s face. “Your natural surprise will have to do.” Therie said with a chuckle before going to the back of the room to check on Dimitri while Karsynwa’s eyes followed him. What exactly had he gotten himself into?

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Break with the past Part 10

Postby Karsynwa on December 1st, 2020, 2:29 am

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After they had a break for breakfast, they returned to Therie’s quarters where he had Karsynwa cut off a long lock of his hair. Normally he would have balked at this, but as he felt he’d been too prickly so far, he did this without a fuss. However, now that he had that long strand of hair in his hands he felt quite silly remembering what Therie had said about the soulmist. About only fine quality soulmist being good enough to coat ghostbeads. So what was exactly the point then? He was wise enough to keep that question to himself for now. Instead he separated the hair into two vertical locks of hair as asked.

“Now I’m going to show you how to braid the end there before you thread it through the beads.” Therie said, holding two locks of his own hair. He had not cut his in solidarity for he hand none to cut, but instead had unbraided part of his own soulbeads to demonstrate. With both ends in his hands, he wrapped them end over end across each other forming a cross hatch pattern. Karsynwa followed his movements with his eyes for a time before trying it himself. The material left much to be desired for something to manipulate. It was greasy as he hadn’t had a chance to wash it since yesterday, and he had to try several times just to get the start of the fold right. Then it was too loose so he just felt like starting over. He did, an when he tried again it went marginally better so he decided to be satisfied with that for now. From that end he folded over the strands ontop and through one another till he had a layered braid that looked similar to Therie’s own. He watched how Therie pulled the layers tight by pulling the ends apart and did the same for his own. The braids constricted, forming a rope of sorts.

“Now finish the braid, and then we will thread it through the beads.” Therie said as he secured his own ghostbeads back to their original shape. Karsynwa did as asked, being careful with his fingers as he manipulated the braid along its path. As he worked, a thought occurred to him.

“Do you have to smear this with soulmist every time you go out?” Karsynwa asked as he cinched the braid tight again before he could continue on down the line.

“Yes, though I can usually wait a few days before I reapply it. You’ll see as you get better at producing soulmist. It starts to last longer the purer you can make it.” Therie said, sitting back in his chair as he gently stroked his chin.

“What makes soulmist purer?” Karsynwa asked. He was nearly done with his braid now.

“Time, and experience. You gradually get better at infusing the soulmist with your own djed as your body grows to adapt to the process. That is why it is not an immediate thing. Your body is not used to imparting its energies in this way, so like a muscle you have to exercise it and often if you want it to get stronger.” Therie said.

Karsynwa considered him, and figured he was using the metaphor for his benefit. He appreciated the effort even if it did feel slightly belittling.

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