Teach an Old Horse New Tricks (Sama'el)

[Auldwin]

6th of Fall, 511 AV

Though time had little meaning to a Ghost like Auldwin, if he had to choose one particular time of day that the once man could interact the most with the environment around Endrykas, he would have chose the night. Not just the night as the sun set and the colors of darkness began to overpower the once blue sky, but the night when every trace of light melted away. When most of the living took their leave for the evening, laying their heads upon their respective cots, pillows, blankets, or whatever other medium they used to obtain their rest. Auldwin didn't rest, not any more. There were times when he needed to regenerate his Soulmist after a particularly length period of abusing the abilities he had as a Ghost, but otherwise he could simply maintain some surveillance around the Endrykas with only minimal effort.

He had plans of course, like any intelligent thing would. Even without a physical body he still had a use for maintaining his lifestyle close to a living encampment such as the Endrykas. For one, it was a constant supply of creatures with which he could practice his Possession on. Dogs, birds, and most certainly horses. Horses became a target of his only recently. Watching those creatures maneuver through the Sea of Grass was unlike anything he had ever seen back in Syliras. Auldwin didn't know much about equines, but he knew that somehow the ones here, kept by the Drykas simply moved faster than any other horse he had ever seen was capable of. He wondered what the secret to their speed was. Was it something to do with their build? Their musculature? Or was it something supernatural?

Auldwin didn't discount the supernatural anymore, it had meddled in too many affairs in his life. Just look at him, he was an existing example of the supernatural, to not believe in magic and other mystical phenomena would be foolish. That aside, one of the best ways to find the secret behind these steeds would be to take over the body of one, and learn more first hand where their power came from. It didn't matter which one he took, to Auldwin they were all the same, or at least he imagined they were. Little did he know that to the Drykas those creatures were so much more than just pack animals or mounts to be ridden.

The air shimmered in his wake as he moved closer to the stables. Everything his Soulmist brushed against was left with a cold sheen, the very environment around him reacting to his presence regardless of his will. Beneath the soft glow of the moon and the stars he would have seemed like little else beyond a blur. A mirage in the middle of the night, a figment of ones imagination, and that camouflage was perfect for moving about and gaining the knowledge he needed for a more relevant Ghostly existence.

As he closed it upon those creatures they began to stir, as if they could sense his very presence from so far away. Auldwin had long since found that animals seemed to be highly sensitive to supernatural phenomena, and to Ghosts in particular. Regardless of what ways he used to obfuscate his presence, it seemed animals with their superior senses always saw through his guise. They always found him in hiding and always seemed to react audibly to his simple existence. Already the horses were whinnying and shorting loudly, some large hooves stomping and scratching against the ground. "Shhh, shhh. Whoa there, keep it down." Auldwin spoke softly, attempting to sooth the creatures. It wasn't going to well as they kept right on with their suspicious behavior. Were these horses smarter than the average equine?

Holding up his spectral hands as he closed in on one of the creatures he did the best he could at playing the harmless Ghost part, "C'mon, I'm not so bad right? No big deal see?" he attempted to say in a reassuring Common. Perhaps Pavi would work better, "I speak you language, see? No problems yes?" he commented in a broken but serviceable version of the Grasslands speak. Nope, still no positive results. In fact one of the horses that he had been focusing on reared up and came down through Auldwin's Soulmist, as if to take the man right off of his feet. Of course it didn't have any effect, all it managed to do was ruffle Auldwin's smokey form slightly, leaving him part inside and part outside of the horses main body. "Ugh." he groaned as he stepped outside, the very touch of his Soulmist upon the warm skin of the creature enough to make it back away as far as it could after the slight bit of physical interaction it had. Things were definitely not going as well as they could have been.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sama'el still dreamed it was day, that he was swooning in his summer fever, eyes upon the face of Syna. He dreamed he was riding the Web on Dohaina's back, a flash of gold through the green. He dreamed he was an arrow shot to the north, into the heart of Winter. And then he dreamed that his horses, his siblings, were in danger. He awoke instantly, senses more complacent in the safety of Endrykas, but still attuned to the well-being of his horses, which directly contributed to his own survival. Pulling on a pair of pants with a whisper of cloth against skin, he crept out of his tent, dagger in hand, to survey the clutch of horses. Dohaina and Denen's Strider were untethered, too intelligent and well trained to stray. His Windrunner stallion too was well trained, and was content to stay with his herd. Only Ugly Pony needed hobbling, and the horses kept close to him out of that same instinct. Dohaina was hopping off her front hooves a bit, warning off something that wasn't there. Horse thieving was all but unheard of among the horseclans, the dishonor of it being anathema, and no sane visitor had the balls to steal a horse from the heart of Endrykas. "Whoa, easy," he called in soft, soothing Pavi, and all the horses seemed to calm at his presence. Though not bonded to Denen's Strider, the beast knew he was the best with horses in their little camp. He turned his blade up, cool flat running up the inside of his wrist so as not to have an accident if she reared unexpectedly. His free hand rested upon her withers, making physical contact, which eased some of her distress, though she still stared at the specter with one eye. "Sam's here," he promised, cooing.

[Auldwin]

Auldwin could hear it, the sounds of movement. He wasn't alone anymore. Quickly the Ghost's insubstantial body floated away from the grouping of equines just as the young Drykas made his way up. Auldwin focused his sight upon that young man, watching him work his almost inheriently natural animal charisma, and the horses responded. What a show, "Well, would you look at that. To think a single boy could make that much effect..." his mind meandered across such feelings. Though Auldwin was frozen in time just before his thirtieth birthday, the days past since his death most likely put him at almost double the physical age of Sama'el. Ghost's had little use for time, but it was something Auldwin found himself unable to fully release.

Auldwin could boast little animal know-how in his life, and that in itself was enough to allow him to feel a certain envy toward the Drykas, this one in particular. The instinctual fear and detestation nearly everything with a heartbeat had for his incorporeal body were less than thrilling. They made him feel alienated from the world of the living which wasn't healthy for his morale. That was when he decided it prudent to make his presence known to the Drykas. Humans seemed most susceptible to new supernatural experiences when they had just awoke, at least from Auldwin's somewhat limited field testing.

"You there, Drykas boy. That's quite a skill you have." came his voice, it was something of an echoed projection. It's origin was not easily placed, though it was wielded with enough force to be more than a figment of Sam's imagination, "Over here." he would continue, trying to get the lone Drykas to further investigate the exact positioning of his calls.

Once Sama'el did find Auldwin he would see the Ghost in a semi-Materialized state. The once man was already focusing his will in order to drawn his rogue bits of Soulmist in, to further outline his prior Human shape and make him more easily perceived. An ethereal whirlwind that generated no real movement in air started from the ground up, building his shape into the man he once was. His dress seemed appropriate for the time period, showing he couldn't have died all that long ago. Unless some Ghosts, Auldwin much preferred to remember himself in his non-dismembered state, and thus appeared just as he would have in life. His dark hair, beard, and eyes were all obscured slightly, as was much of the detail in his dress due to the low lighting and his lack of properly trained skill in the ways of Materialization. Di spite his shortcomings with the supernatural ability, he could at the very least become solid enough. The only question now was in what way this boy would react to this paranormal discovery. Inwardly, Auldwin prepared himself for the worst.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"There now," he said, calming Dohaina, and then moving to Denen's Durno and Horse and even foul-tempered Ugly Pony, making sure each one of them would not bolt and possibly damage themselves due to whatever had spooked them. Horses could be strange animals, so it might have been any number of innocuous things. They were herbivores, and survived by fleeing danger. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up the longer he stood among his horses, and he shivered, wondering if the autumnal chills would be coming sooner than normal this year. But when he heard the voice, he immediately came alert, looking around for its source. Knife once again at the ready, he followed the zig-zagging route until the vague shimmer of a shape appeared before him. When the ghost fully manifested itself, Sama'el stared at it. It was not exactly a source of light, nor was it reflecting the moon- and starlight, but nevertheless it was visible despite the vespertine dim. If the ghost was used to horror, he had come to the wrong young man. The Drykas knew shamans, walked the Web where ghosts less substantial than this one drifted aimlessly, others with a purpose. He tucked the knife in the back of his pants and shivered once more, an atavistic reaction rather than to the temperature despite his relative undress. The Drykas were not exactly a shy people. "Ho, spirit," he greeted, politely enough for a ghost that did not appear in the least Drykas. "Welcome to my humble camp. I am Sama'el of the Watch and the Sapphire Clan. How may I help you?"

[Auldwin]

Auldwin was pleasantly surprised by the young man's nonchalant reaction toward his Ghostly appearance. There was an entertainment value in watching people flail in fear, but more often than not that type of response didn't tend to move Ghost-Living relationships forward in a positive manner. Auldwin had recently been interacting more with the people of the Drykas looking for those relationships that could influence his future, or the best future he could muster considering his current state of being already dead. Still, preparing for a bout of screaming and instead getting a rather genuine greeting was quite the personal victory. Dealing with someone both rational and with a strong grasp on the Common language made Auldwin's Soulmist relax, creating a more favorably Materialized form.

"I am Auldwin, once of Syliras. Help? Hmm, I'm not sure about that. Sometimes I wonder exactly what it is I'm looking for." he replied, his Materialized form's feet caressing the ground beneath it, yet creating no friction as he floated back and forth, as a living man might pace while in thought. The Ghost had many goals for himself while in the Endrykas, some he could explain verbally, and some were best kept to himself. The most overt thing he sought was the one he decided to disclose, "What exactly does someone of the Watch do, I wonder? I am watching myself, looking for someone in particular. Several years ago in this very season we stand in today, I was killed amongst the Sea of Grass. Of course the Sea of Grass is a dangerous place, I understand that now. It was the way I died that was particularly...vexing. I was killed by a Ghost, you see. Now I find myself in the very same existence. Whether this is punishment or some plan, I'm not sure, but I suppose I'm playing into my killers hands by remaining amongst the dead. Still I can't find the gumption to give it all up and fade away. I need to find out why. Why me. Why then. Why this occurred."

A faint corona surrounded Auldwin, giving him a shimmer that gave away his otherworldly nature, despite his best efforts in solidifying himself. That shimmer was the untamed bits of Soulmist that the Ghost could not manage to maintain control over. They flexed and contracted, almost like the breathing of the lungs, or the beating of the heart. They were potentially the most betraying response to Auldwin's emotions, considering he couldn't sweat or experience muscular trembling. "And you've no apparent fear of me. Does this mean that you've encountered Ghosts before?" the Ghost turned directly toward Sama'el as he asked his last inquiry. He desperately hoped so. The few people that he had met within the confines of the Endrykas were almost completely ignorant to Ghosts. Perhaps they understood that Ghosts existed, or that there may be one wandering somewhere, but their knowledge beyond such a short and immediate scope was incredibly limited. Those folks could be valuable allies in other ways, but not in completing Auldwin's most blaring objective, answering the many questions that surrounded his death.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sama'el listened and thought before he spoke; this twofold strategy served him well in his efforts not to appear a fool before people he encountered. Being young, rashness came as second nature, but rashness could get a young Drykas killed out in the Sea of Grass, much as this ghost had if his tale were true. Sam had no particular reason to doubt his word, but he was aware that the world was full of liars, and much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, he could not be absolutely sure even of his fellow Drykas in all conditions. Finally he nodded. "I'm no great shaman," he said, "but I have met ghosts, Auldwin of Syliras. I am..." He considered this. "I am soon to leave to help another such as yourself, though not for revenge." It didn't seem right to share Ragnor's story and needs to one who didn't know him from the next person. It didn't seem that ghosts were particularly acquainted the one with the other, else this one might have met his killer already. "How did a ghost kill you?" he asked, curious. If a ghost could kill a man, that went against his knowledge of them, meager though that may be, and what he knew filled with the normal superstitions. "I had thought ghosts remained when they had unfinished business. Families to care for or... people to kill."

[Auldwin]

Helping another Ghost? Now didn't that beat all. With his focused Materialization Sama'el could possibly even pick out the arch in Auldwin's brow. It wasn't too often he heard of anyone going out of there way to help a Ghost, typically people ran the other way. In the very best of scenarios they seemed to co-exist to some extent with the paranormal. There was the thread of interest tugging away at Auldwin's thoughts, curious exactly who this Ghost was. Auldwin didn't know many Ghosts, and many of those he did seemed relatively uncertain of exactly what they wanted from their limbo, but if he knew of the one the Drykas was going to help that would have stretched the very limit of coincidence.

"I know of quite a few Ghosts. Some while I wandered, some while I crossed the sea, some from the island of Black Rock far to the south. Can you share with me the name of the Ghost you've traveling to help?" it was too much to just leave it without mention. Though Auldwin wasn't exactly certain what he could offer if the Ghost was one he had a positive relationship was, he hoped to at least steer Sama'el clear if it was a malevolent Ghost.

Speaking of malevolence, the Ghost standing before Sama'el was slightly shocked to hear of the disbelief of the lethality of Ghosts. "Well, a Ghost can kill someone in a variety of ways. The one that killed me did so by an ability called Possession. The Ghost seized control of my body and stayed within it for many days. It would linger dormant at times, and I wouldn't even know it was there. Sometimes I would believe that it had moved on, but soon enough my body would begin acting beyond my will, as if it knew what I was thinking...as if it was waiting for me to lower my guard even slightly." With a heavy sigh, Auldwin's voiced resonated through the area like a cold wind pushing past the tall grasses of Cyphrus, "Eventually I was walked far away from the Endrykas. For a great long time I was made to walk, until the...dangerous wildlife in these plains killed me."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"His name is Ragnor," he said, figuring that was not so terrible a secret, and of course Ragnor had the help of those at the Sanctuary should this ghost himself prove maliciously inclined. Sama'el was no Truthseer of Tyveth to be sure of any man or woman or ghost he met. Especially when that ghost elaborated on ways an incorporeal being might destroy a man like him. He stepped back, very nearly hissed at the description, but what good would his iron do if Auldwin of Syliras wanted to possess his body. He knew that ghosts fed upon a thing called soulmist; perhaps some of them were hungry for souls themselves. But he did not flee; whether that was bravery or foolishness had yet to be seen. Rhylen had been in communion with ghosts, as well as other shamans. "I am sorry you were killed," he said, simply and without elaboration. It was true, but his regret would not solve anything. "I know ghosts can feed on soulmist. Is there a way to keep them out of one's body?"

[Auldwin]

Ragnor? Auldwin wasn't one to make assumptions without being given the rest of the facts, Gods knew he was the target of some persecution based upon his own existence, but that name just sounded like one used by a vicious villain. Perhaps it was just the Ghost's imagination being overactive; it had a tendency to go awry now and again. "Well, I can't say I've ever heard of him, that's quite the name though." as he spoke Auldwin's body seemed to bend a bit unusually for a moment, as if his imagine was being strained through a piece of glass. After a moment it righted itself and Auldwin went back to being his normal self

"Sorry about that, maintaining a cohesive form is more difficult than you'd think. I have no intention of harming anyone, so you've nothing to fear from me, you can believe that or not. Now the Ghost that did me in, that's another story." despite the step back that Sama'el had taken, Auldwin did not seem intent on closing the gap or decreasing the distance. He knew his presence was uncomfortable to almost anyone he came in contact with, and were he a Human once more, after his single encounter with Ghosts while he was alive, he certainly wouldn't ever deal with one again.

Listening to Sama'el's final question had Auldwin shaking his head lightly, not because there wasn't a way, but because the only way was one most weren't likely to pursue, "Knowing what I know now, yes their is. It's actually extremely elementary, but you're not going to like it. Quite simply...you need to practice by getting Possessed and resisting your Possession. I imagine there's some amount you can learn from books or other practitioner’s called 'Spiritists', but they seem to be extremely rare. Through routine Possession you can...how would I say it...build up a tolerance perhaps? Or maybe it's more appropriate to say strengthen your internal control, or even just understand the principles of Possession well enough that you can rebuke it. That's how it works though, once skilled it's possible to have an impenetrable shell against Possession."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"Huh." He didn't particularly like that, but the ghost Auldwin seemed peaceable enough and willing to explain these mysteries to Sama'el, and he liked that. The Watchman liked any knowledge or skill that would make him a better Ankal when the day came that he raised his pavilion from the dead. The look he gave Auldwin then was speculative, wondering whether it wouldn't be a good thing to have a spiritual guardian of his pavilion the way Kavala did her Sanctuary with the ghost Ragnor of whom they had been speaking. Perhaps he should consider helping this ghost after the other, though he supposed once this one had his revenge, he would seep back into the aether to be born again as was natural and right. "It is difficult to stay... cohesive?" It was not a word he knew, but he could guess at the meaning from the context. "Do you want to show me how to make soulmist to feed you?" he asked diffidently. It seemed the thing to do as this ghost was haunting Endrykas and they had certain cultural rules about hospitality.