Closed [City Outskirts] The Colors of a Soul

[Aoren]

18th of Summer, 514 AV
18th Bell

Aoren jolted awake from his sleep as a peel of thunder echoed through the dark skies of Zeltiva. His chest was heaving. His body was covered in a cold sweat. His heart was pounding in his chest. He flinched as suddenly he felt something cold and wet press against his bare arm. The soft whine accompanied by it helped Aoren to relax.

“Isikai?” There was another whine in the dark. Aoren gently pat the sheets of his bed. The large dog hopped up onto the bed curling into the Drykas man’s lap. Aoren wrapped his arms around Isikai’s chest hugging the dog as he ran his fingers through the soft fur. Isikai blended in almost perfectly with the darkness of the room. With the clouds overhead and the storm pouring rain upon the denizens of Zeltiva. With them came the darkness. With them came the memories and the nightmares.

Storms never sat well with Aoren. The storms themselves were not what bothered him. The memories that came with them were what haunted him. Even when he was a boy he could find no rest during a storm. Growing up the worst things accompanied storms for him. His mentor, his father figure, had perished during a storm. The news of his surrogate sister’s disappearance and presumed death came to him on the wings of a storm. His earliest memory was of a storm. Whether that was a pleasant memory or an unpleasant one he did not know but in it he could hear shouting and with it came a distinct feeling of loss.

Isikai nudged his shoulder a few times. Aoren smiled patting his dog on the chest burying his face in the warm fur. He was deeply grateful for the companionship of his dog. The journey to Zeltiva had turned into one of lonely reflection. Had it not been for the companionship of Isikai he would have spent the majority of it in silence. There had been his work as a Healer to mend some of the guards as well as the merchants and passengers with the caravan but he had not associated with any of them. Not truly. After a few minutes of simply listening to the rain pour down upon the roof of the dormitory he sighed. He was exhausted. The days of the heavy rains and storms had brought with them little rest for the Drykas.

“Come on, boy. Let’s go for a walk.” He didn’t care that it was still raining steadily outside. He didn’t care that night was slowly creeping up on the coastal city. He needed to get out and stretch his legs. With his tiredness, the anxiety of the storms, the sleepless nights, the nightmares and his studies, he was a bit of a wreck. Gently he nudged Isikai who responded by prodding Aoren’s chest with a paw before hopping onto the floor. Aoren flung the sheets off of himself stepping out of bed. With a heavy sigh he stood up stretching his limbs. Though it was dark in his room he could still see just enough to make out his nearby desk where rested his pants, a shirt and his boots. Quietly he dressed himself then grabbed his travel robe and quarterstaff. Drawing up his hood he stepped out of his room with Isikai in tow.

He made his way out of the dormitory. It was an uneventful walk. Isikai padded beside him, happy to be out of the room but nervous because Aoren was slightly on edge. The dog kept close to Aoren even as they waded out into the unwelcome weather. Another crack of thunder made the Drykas man flinch. Isikai nosed his hand. It was only then that Aoren realized he was shaking ever so slightly. Giving his dog a smile he pet him on the head rubbing one of his ears between his fingers gently. He released the ear continuing out in the cold rain with only his dog and his thoughts to keep him company.

“The nightmares keep coming. They’re always the same. Always. Screaming. I can hear so many screams. I can feel pain. I can sense fear. I know I’m running. I know it but…whatever I’m running toward I can’t ever reach fast enough.” He sighed. He wasn’t really paying much attention to where he was going. Truth be told, he didn’t have much of anywhere in mind. Zeltiva was a big city and he’d learned that nearly every road lead back to either the University of another major building in it eventually. Even if he got lost he could find his way again.

“So many dreams. So much I can’t remember. What does any of it mean?” Isikai suddenly barked pulling Aoren from his thoughts. He looked down at his companion.

“What is it-hey! Isikai!” The large Bozderon, Zypherian mixed breed suddenly bolted forward barking a few times as he ran. Aoren immediately took off after him. This would have been the second time in just a few short days that his dog had simply run off. It was very unlike him. Aoren hoped a habit wasn’t forming.

“Isikai! Isikai! Get back here!” The dog heeded none of Aoren’s calls. He could just make out his companion through the haze of rain, the slight mist in the air, and the darkness of the night encroaching upon the city. Aoren chased after the canine turning down an alleyway only to run after Isikai through a more lopsided part of the city. He followed the tail end of the dog until he caught up to him, Isikai was sniffing at the ground then walked up to the door of a particularly dilapidated two story house. Scorch marks marred the otherwise artistic Zeltivan architecture. The half-collapsed roof, the broken windows, and the charred walls told Aoren everything he needed to know about the house. It had obviously met its destruction at the hands of a fire. The rain seemed to be doing little in the way of washing away the evidence of that.

“Isikai.” Aoren walked up to the dog slightly out of breath. He was already tired. Chasing after his dog hadn’t helped with that. He didn’t even know what part of the city he was in at that time. From the high mountainous shelf that rose up behind the property he knew it must have been the outskirts of the city. Isikai was panting and sniffing at the ground. As Aoren reached for his dog the shadow dog turned trotting up to the door and pawing at it.

“Isikai. Leave that alone. We’re not welcome here. Come—“ Aoren’s words were cut short as the door slowly opened creaking as it did. When the door opened Aoren was buffeted with a shivering cold that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

“Isikai. Come on, boy.” But the dog ignored Aoren. He barked bounding into the darkness of the ruined house. Aoren half-leaped toward him to try and catch him but it was too late. All he managed to do was splash into a puddle that got the hem of his cloak even more soaked than it already was. Staring at the dark entry way of the house Aoren furrowed his brow. He had a bad feeling about going inside…but he couldn’t just leave his dog. Isikai was the only companion and friend he had and right then…he needed that more than anything in the world.

Stepping through the entrance of the house he took a deep breath. As he passed through the partially burned stone archway it felt like he was passing through frigid waters despite the somewhat dry interior of the house. He could hear leaking in the roof and the distinct patter of rain. The house was dark as he expected.

“Hello?” Aoren called into the darkness of the house. There was no answer. Looking back at the open door and the dark before him, he sighed. Lowering his hood he trudged onward into the darkness in search of his dog.

Note to StorytellerI have given Aizen my full consent to take control of my character in the interest of forming a compelling plot for the duration of this thread.

[Aizen]

6th Bell

”No!” A voice said firmly, hand grabbing ahold of Aizen’s arm as the man was headed out the door. There was a whine in the command, and the hands tugged backwards into the small cottage impeding the Spiritists journey. ”You can’t go! It’s going to rain.” there was a sharp intake of air in preparation for what else had to be said, ”And you heard the man, the ghost is really scary.”

The protest came from a small human-looking boy of about 5’3 and 14 years of age. He had black messy looking hair that was long enough to cover his ears and deep, now sad-looking, brown eyes which reflected his desire to whoever would see. They flared with a simple understanding of the situation at hand, and it was evident he wanted nothing to do with it. Naked, having just transformed to his human self, his body revealed that he had an active life. The boy clung tightly to the captive arm, long fingernails digging into the skin purposely, before flinging his whole body to hug the arm itself, trying to stop the man from exiting the small cottage. Two arms wrapped tightly around the limb and face nuzzled reassuringly against it, he protested again, ”Please don’t go.”

It seemed his warning in his animal skin went unheeded, and so he tried to persuade the man by becoming human.

Aizen sighed at the display and stepped inside once more, closing the door behind him. He forced a smile and took his free hand up to ruffle the hair of the worried kelvic, ”It will be fine.” he said. He bent down getting on the kids level and looked him in the eyes, ”You need to remember that ghosts are not monsters. They are people.” he told him, ”And people can be saved.” he said. Though his words were wasted and didn’t seem to comfort the boy. Any sort of violence the kelvic seemed to avoid, and it gave a bit of insight to his past. It had been only about a year or so since Aizen took Rusty in.

”People can be reasoned with, buddy.” He told him.

”I…” The kelvics voice was softer now, and his eyes cast down, but Aizen kept looking at him, ”I just don’t want you to get hurt.” he said softly, almost a whisper. Looking up, he released the arm and hugged Aizen tightly, ”So please don’t go.” he said.

”Ok, not right now then.” he agreed, the morning light was just peeking into the sky, dissipating the nights darkness. ”Let go and we will go get some breakfast.” he told him. There wasn’t much use to investigating a potential haunting on an empty stomach anyways.

18th Bell

”I told you it was going to storm.” he said quietly. The now clothed kelvic wore a simple cotton shirt with equally simple trousers. Ever since it started raining the boy stuck close to the man, the space between them diminishing with each thunder crack and lightning bolt flash. Many times Aizen had told the boy not to cling, but his words alone seemed to do little. Worse yet they were actually in the residence said to be haunted. It was obvious the cause of death, fire. Charred walls spoke a sad tale.

Inside there was an actual feeling of profound sadness. Aizen wasn’t sure if it was his reaction to the scene or some ghostly influences. The rain, the shadow, the night itself seemed to augment this feeling, fitting perfectly into place. It was no wonder people thought the place was haunted, and the spirit must carry some sort of profound burden and be powerful to carry such a manifestation of its soul to such a level. Or maybe it was because he was a Spiritist and somewhat in tune with the ghosts around him? Whatever the cause he had to accept it.

”And can we leave, yet?” the voice asked in a quiet whisper, jumping at the roar of the thunder unconsciously clinging to Aizen, shivering the whole time. He really didn’t like storms, or ghosts. Now it was storming and a change they would get to meet a ghost. The combination was a little much for the young kelvic, but he kept going because this was what Aizen wanted and no amount of whining would get him to change his mind. ”We saw the place and we didn’t find a ghost.” he protested ignoring the nagging feeling at the back of his mind. He knew there was a ghost here, but he wasn’t going to tell Aizen. Not for anything in the world right now. He just wanted to leave and be safe back at the cottage.

”Nothing was answering us.” he went on.

”But this feeling, this sadness…” Aizen whispered, it filled the building and shook him to the very core, ”There has to be something here.” he told him. The grief was almost physical and made the very air seem thick and hard to breathe.

”You said we would just look for a minute and then leave.” the kelvic protested again, ”lets go, please.” he whined a little, ”We can come back when there is better weather.” he urged Aizen towards the door.

”Shh.” Aizen hushed Rusty. The kelvic went to speak again, but Aizen Shh’ed again. Only the sound of the storm could be heard, rain pounding down, and even into the house as there was holes in the ceiling from the fire. Puddles were accumulating, but in that noise was other noises. Distinct and unique. A splashing sound and Aizen could feel Rusty’s heat as the kelvic stepped behind the man and kept close to him afraid to peek out and see a ghost. Rust was shaking.

The noise got closer and a silhouette could be seen. Unhuman and low. At first Aizen was expecting a specter, but as it bound into the house he smiled. A closer look revealed it to be a dog. Turning to Rust he smiled and clamped a hand down on his shoulder supportively, ”It’s only a dog seeking shelter from the rain.” he told him, the Spiritst relaxing a bit.

[Aoren]

Another peel of thunder made Aoren flinch. He could hear the rain outside begin to pour down harder. The icy cold that clung to the house was beginning to sink into his bones. He didn’t like how the abandoned structure made him feel. He couldn’t see a great deal and he debated the wisdom of conjuring a flame so that he could see more clearly. In the end he settled on trying a different approach. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath steadying his shaking nerves. The moment his eyes were closed he was nearly threatened with an overwhelming amount of bad memories and stifling thoughts. Aoren pushed those down as he took a calming breath. The fact that he had made leaps and bounds in his meditative skills helped. He managed to get closer to a calmer state of mind but it was still difficult.

As he exhaled he reached for his Djed pulling it to his eyes. The strain was immediate and he couldn’t really see any better than before but what he did made him freeze. If the house hadn’t been eerie and uninviting before it was downright malicious now. With the vision he was granted through the discipline of Auristics, Aoren stared at the wall in front of him. From it radiated not a chilling, icy cold but an aura that was laden with the heat of a roaring flame. The sensation of it was so intense that Aoren actually brought his hand up to shield his eyes. Immediately he released the hold on his Djed banishing his Auristic vision. Aoren blinked a few times as he let the experience dwindle away from his senses. Feeling for that very wall he stepped over a fallen beam that he could just barely make out.

“Isikai.” Aoren spoke at a whisper. Perhaps it was the silence of the house or the darkness that enclosed around him but he couldn’t bring himself to speak any louder. He continued feeling his way along the wall until his hand passed over open space. Turning his head he was greeted to the sight of a den. Whomever had lived in this household must have been rather well to do that they could afford such a luxury. Stepping into the room he peered into the darkness before his eyes settled on a window. The panes of glass were broken, leaving behind just a few remnants of what must have once been polished glass. The window was not what drew Aoren’s attention however. It was the hunched shadow in front of it.

“Isikai?” Aoren took a step closer. He reached out a hand expecting to feel the soft fur of his dog. Instead it felt as if he’d plunged his hand into the depths of an icy bucket of water. Aoren quickly retracted his hand flinching away from the shadow.

“Trust.” The hairs on the back of Aoren’s neck and along his forearms. Although the voice that spoke was soft it was hoarse and hollow. The cold in the room seemed to concentrate and Aoren felt himself shiver. He rubbed at his shoulders. The rain was not helping him stay warm. After a moment he saw his breath frost into the air.

“W-what?” The shadow in front of him moved until the rough shape of a man was before him.

“Trust. The word you spoke. It means trust.” Aoren took an instinctive step back. Whoever or whatever was in front of him was not making him feel welcome or comfortable at all. Every nerve in his body was screaming at him to turn around and run. The hoarse voice spoke again causing Aoren to take another step back.

“I trusted them. I trusted all of them…” Aoren was shivering at this point. The twitch of his muscles trying to warm themselves up taking over his body. He reached for his Djed conjuring it in his hands as fluid Res. Pooling his Res in the palm of his left hand he formed it into a sphere then divided it into two layers. With a flick of his thoughts he ignited the Res into azure blue flames. The moment he did…he wished he’d stayed in the dark.

“…and look what they did to me.” Standing in front of him was a mangled corpse. His flesh was charred, his body covered in the scars of a severe burn victim. One of his eyes was horribly scarred while the other stared forward with an empty sadness. The moment Aoren conjured the fire the charred man let out an inhuman scream. His jaw extended beyond what Aoren thought was possible but where he had expected to see teeth there was only blackness. Startled and terrified, Aoren stumbled back as if struck by a physical blow. He tripped over a piece of debris losing a hold of the fire he’d conjured. It fell from his hand dropping to the floor being extinguished by the wet boards.

“You! You bring the flames! You’ve come to burn me! You’ve come to finish me!” Aoren was about to open his mouth when suddenly instead of words a scream of pain erupted out of his throat. He felt a searing stab through his right thigh as something pierced all the way through it. His scream was cut short as a bitter cold closed over his mouth and he was suddenly face to face with the horribly burned man. Leaning forward the scarred man whispered. Aoren’s nose was filled with the smell of burning flesh and festering decay.

“Well, I won’t let you.”

-------------------------------------

The black dog that stepped toward Aizen was easily large enough to send Rusty toppling over to the floor if he decided to pounce. His dark fur allowed him to blend into the shadows with ease. The reddish brown eyes that stared up at the Spiritist were curious denoting an intelligent animal. In terms of appearance the canine was very wolf-like he lacked the shaggy unkempt coat however. Tentatively the dog leaned forward sniffing the air around Aizen with a curious tilt to his head.

Isikai gave a huff and a shake of his head before padding up to Aizen sniffing around his legs. He showed no outward signs of aggression. He possessed a commanding presence nonetheless. Isikai moved with the fluid grace of a beast accustomed to being in constant motion. When he was apparently finished inspecting Aizen the dog moved to Rusty sniffing at him curiously. He prodded the Kelvic’s chest with his nose before pulling back lifting his head with a perk of his ears. Isikai turned his attention toward the dark from whence he came toward the staircase. The Spiritist and his Kelvic companion, being on the second floor of the burned house, might wonder if anyone had accompanied him.

They had their answer in short order.

An inhuman scream reverberated through the walls. It was followed by the frightened pain filled cry of a man. Isikai barked darting back into the darkness racing down the creaky shell of a staircase.

Someone was down below…and they had found the ghost.

[Aizen]

The dog appeared to be wild, and with as damp and as dark as the night had been, anything could appear wild. Aizen watched it carefully, slowly extending a hand in offering to the dog. He made no sudden movements and let the dog do as it will around him. He could feel Rusty’s grip tighten on him almost protectively, and he smiled as he could only imagine how the kelvic was staring at the dog. By the way it acted it could be no wild animal, he didn’t think. Maybe the poor thing was lost and then a storm hit so he sought shelter here?

Aizen did not know the circumstances, but the dog didn’t seem threatening at all, which was a relief to him. He wasn’t too sure about Rust’s thoughts on the matter, but he didn’t respond too well when the dog pawed at him. The kelvic seemed torn due to the size of the animal as to what to do, and in the end he looked confused, but nonetheless stuck by Aizen, stepping in front of him and crossed his arms and finally frowned at the dog. Though the ‘stare down’ or what the kelvic could muster didn’t last very long as he was right back behind Aizen when the scream rang through the house.

The dog barked and ran towards the stairs, and Aizen made his way to move, but found Rust again holding him back shaking his head, ”No.” he said again. ”We don’t want to go towards the screams.” he half whined, being a proud and powerful dog wasn’t in Rusts blood. He was more of a wimp that sometimes jumped at his own shadow. ”Screaming means trouble, and trouble means run away.” The kelvic pointed in a direction in the darkness.

Aizen smiled down at the kelvic, and patted his head, ruffling his hair, ”You can go hide if you want. I wont stop you.” he told him, ”But if someone is in trouble, especially in this place, we need to help them. We are the only ones here, and if just leave the Wave Guard might find a corpse. Someone we could have saved.” he told him in a hushed tone, but firm, dedicated in his own philosophy, ”I wont have that on my conscious. Nobody likes being hurt and alone. You, Rust, should know how that feels.”

He took some strides towards the stairs, his words half paralyzed the kelvic, but Rust quickly shook his head as he realized he was alone. The child let out a low growl as if annoyed and stomped his foot a quizzical look crossing his face, thinking long and hard about his decision, before he moved towards Aizen, ”Wait up.” he called running towards the man who was already descending the flight of stairs.

Ever since taking Rust in Aizen tried hard to reteach the kelvic values and morals. Aizen smiled that the kelvic was willing to follow him after all, despite what he thought the kelvic thought was the best course of action.

”Hello.” Aizen called out loudly. A crack of lightning light up the house for a brief moment, followed by the roar of thunder, the rain continued to pour perhaps even a bit heavier as the man searched the house.

He was answered by a voice ”I… I trusted them.” it sounded sad and regretful, but also full of anger and malice.

”Are you ok?” Aizen called out going in the direction of the voice, all the while trying to avoid broken and burned furniture and fixtures. Rust, having the better vision in the dark, sometimes helped to guide Aizen and warn of obstacles by tugging at his shirt and whispering what was in front of him more clearly so he knew when to step carefully. However, even with the added support he still stumbled sometimes, the kelvic trying his best to help steady him by tugging on an arm when this happened. Not all the times was he successful either, but Aizen never really fell flat on his face though he did stub his toes often warranting a small cry.

”I. Trusted. Them.” Each word was drawn out and spoken like a sentence of its own…

[Aoren]

Darkness.

That was all that was around Aoren. He felt weightless. There was nothing of the stabbing pain he’d felt before. No longer was there the creeping chill of dread and horror slithering up his spine. He felt as if he could drift forever in the endless dark, the troubles of what once weighed so heavily upon him long forgotten.

“Where am I? What I was doing? How did I get here, in this darkness?” Aoren reached up to touch his face but felt nothing. He did not feel the weight of his arms. He did not feel the tips of his fingers brush across his cheek. There was only darkness.

“What’s going on?”

“Mine.” Aoren recoiled from the hoarse rasp that echoed in the darkness. He hadn’t expected anyone or anything to be there with him in the dark weightlessness. He hadn’t even been aware of someone else.

“You are mine. Your strength. Your will. Your power. All mine and what is now mine shall be the tools of my revenge…” Aoren was having difficulty collecting his thoughts. How had he gotten here? Where was this hoarse, rasping voice coming from? What was happening? He tried to move once again but was left with nothing but the detached feeling of weightlessness.

“No. You are mine. You are my revenge. I will have it. They will pay, they will suffer for abandoning me…” The darkness was briefly illuminated by the flash of lightning. The thunderous peel striking through the oppressive shadows resounding in the distance. Aoren flinched away from it trying to close his eyes. He could not and as the thunder rumbled and he grew aware of the rain falling in the background…it all came rushing back.

The burned house.

The rainstorm.

The ghost.

Aoren had been pinned down by the ghost having caught the Drykas man off guard. He hadn’t been expecting to bear witness to such a terrifying thing. The inhuman scream that had bellowed from the creature’s throat had startled him. The ghost had forced its way into Aoren’s body and the young man had been assaulted with a force he was entirely unfamiliar with. It had been so alien to him and the ruthlessness with which the ghost had pushed himself into the young man’s form had caused him to black out.

“You! I won’t let you! This is my body! This is my mind!” Aoren tried to focus struggling to wrest control of his body away from the ghost forcefully possessing it. His thoughts felt sluggish but now that he was aware of the situation his form was a little more responsive. Aoren became dimly aware of his body. He felt his arms twitch. The darkness clouding him was beginning to recede but suddenly his vision was filled with red and it felt as if he was being assaulted with the heat of a thousand flames. Aoren jerked away from the sensation.

“Fool! You cannot win! You cannot—“ The ghost was cut off as Aoren redoubled his efforts. He fought against the control. The red in his vision vanished and the heat he felt diminished. In the middle of his fight to regain control of his body Aoren heard a bark. There was only one dog that he knew of in this accursed house and it was Isikai. The last thing he wanted was for his one and only companion to become a victim to this unpleasant phantom. He threw every bit of focus he had into regaining control of his body when an exclamation caught his attention.

“I…I trusted them…” The ghost was losing. Aoren could feel more and more of his body come back under his control. He was close. He was getting so very close. Just a moment or two more and he would expel the creature from his form. Aoren could hear a low growl that he recognized as Isikai’s. He saw a low shadow move. He could only guess that it was his dog. Another, larger shadow came into view.

“Are you ok?”

The voice sounded familiar. Aoren almost felt as if he’d heard it before. He couldn’t place why but he didn’t have time to focus on it. If there was another person in the house he had to regain control of himself and fast.

“I. Trusted. Them…” The ghost was losing his grip over Aoren. More and more the young man could feel himself gaining a foothold. He was nearly there.

“You won’t have me, ghost. You won’t! My body is my own!” Aoren was about to send another wave of mental focus railing against the forceful presence of the ghost in his body when a streak of lightning illuminated the room. That was when he saw him.

Aoren froze. For a moment, he thought he was looking into a mirror. Standing in front of him was…himself. Aoren’s eyes grew wide as the reality of what he was seeing settled in on him. Tentatively he reached out as if to touch the man not but a few feet in front of him.

“You…” The shock of seeing a man who looked exactly like him had caused Aoren to lose focus. His whole body was suddenly wracked by a seething icy pain that caused him to cry out. He grasped his skull feeling the ghost that he’d managed to beat back fight for control again. Crumpling to the floor he reeled from the sudden mental onslaught. His body felt like it was burning but he was shivering as the chilling presence of the ghost manifested around him.

“Get out! Get out! Get out!” Aoren shouted at the top of his lungs fighting the possession. He wouldn’t be a tool. He wouldn’t be the instrument of this mad phantom’s sinister agenda. He refused. But with the weight of the ghost’s power pressing down upon him…

…he didn’t know if this was a fight he could win on his own.

[Aizen]

Aizen stepped closer to the sound, stopping feet away to observe what was happening. His eyes widened a bit when he saw the face of the man before him. He… he, but as his mind was racing a tug on his shirt was felt and the kelvic said exactly what he was thinking, ”Aizen, he looks exactly like you.” there was astonishment in his voice but also a bit of confusion. The man yelled at them to get out, get out, which made Rust flinch, but Aizen smiled softly as he looked at the man, his mind going to the most logical conclusion. There was a ghost here, and the man was fighting possession.

”We’ve found our ghost, Rust.” he told the kelvic confidently as he crossed his arm and watched. He didn’t want to interfere with the internal battle going on. Either the man will win and the ghost will be forced out, or the ghost will once again take control. He’d found out that interference in such things usually did not help the situation, especially when he had none of his spiritist tools with him. If he did he could create a safe zone to force the ghost out, but the resources weren’t available to him at the time.

He watched the pained fight without moving. The mans yelling had ceased to muttering and whispers as control of the vessel was fought over. Eventually it came back to the topic at hand, the one which the ghost had introduced, his trust of someone, or some people. With the possession back in full swing Aizen took a step back from the man, wanting to be a safe enough distance from him while he tried to engage the spirit in conversation.

”I trusted them.” The ghost said once more, standing and glaring at Aizen, ”And they betrayed me.” he finished taking a step towards Aizen. The man took a step back as the spirit took a step forward, ”You will not interfere with my revenge. If you can promise me that, then I’ll let you leave unharmed.”

The threat chilled Aizen to the bone as he stared the ghost into his eyes. He was completely serious, but so was the spiritist, ”I will not allow you to use other people as tools for your revenge.” He told the ghost, which earned a sharp kick from his kelvic companion. It wasn’t a hard kick, just an expression of the kelvics disagreement with his answer, ”What you intend to do is set in motion an endless cycle of revenge and hate. What keeps you bound to this world, spirit, is not something which will rest easy on your soul, or anyone elses.”

The spirit moved to talk but Aizen cut him off, ”And to bring other people into this, innocent people, is unforgivable. Were you really this nasty of a person when you were living? The house resembles someone of a higher status within the city, someone who had money, someone who was successful, and was happy.” As Aizen had walked the rooms there seemed to be an entire family residing within, but then some tragedy happened and…

”Where is your family?” Aizen asked, ”I am sure they would have expected better from you.”

When Aizen finished the ghost laughed a cold distant one, ”And who are you to make such assumptions? You know nothing of me, of my family, or my life. We’ve never met and so you cannot understand the pain of betrayal that I’ve had to endure. I was not a violent man, no, but I… I WAS DRIVEN TO THIS. People simply do not just DESIRE REVENGE. It was something I was led to, the only thing I could do…”

”Revenge is a choice. You are choosing revenge, you cannot be led to it. It’s a choice, and you are also choosing to involve innocent people to do your dirty work. You are hiding in a body instead and involving others instead of doing it yourself. I do not care what you choose to do, but if it hurts others and involves hurting innocents…”

”Revenge is the selfish choice.” The kelvic chimed in, calling from behind Aizen, ”You’re selfish! Rust yelled at the ghost, but instead of having the effect the kelvic wanted he only succeeded in angering the ghost even more.

”Selfish? SELFISH?” The ghost seemed beside himself and laughed, ”The selfish one here is my brother who stole my riches AND my life. Not only mine, but… my families too. You who doesn’t know how the world really works, who is blinded and self-deluded, how can you really stop me?”

It was his brother? This was new information. The spiritist smiled, ”It seems like we cant.” he said, ”but if what you say is true, then let us help you.” he extended an offer to the spirit, ”We will help you, but you cannot kill or hurt innocents. In fact, you cannot even hurt your brother. If you can accept that, then we can help you bring him to justice. Just, please, let this person go.”

[Aoren]

Aoren lost.

His consciousness was repressed. His strength gave out. The weight of the ghost’s presence overwhelmed his senses and all was suddenly a dream. It was as if he were staring through a window. He was in his body but he could feel nothing. He could say nothing. But he could hear everything.

“I won’t let you use my body to such ends.”

In the darkness of his mind the twisted laughter of the phantom reverberated through his consciousness.

“You don’t have a choice. You are mine now.” Aoren seethed with anger. It was a furious indignation at being reduced to little more than a puppet. He hated the idea of not being in control of himself.

“For now."

The man who looked like him was now conversing with the ghost. It was the shock that had contributed to Aoren’s loss in the battle of wills over his body. It was one that he was willing to take for the time being so that he could more closely observe the man in front of him. To put it simply, he looked exactly like Aoren. There was no mistaking it. With the exception of the gnosis mark that shimmered on the right side of Aoren’s face, the man speaking with the ghost was physically identical to him.

“Is he a Morpher? A Wizard of Change?” It was a valid thought but Aoren couldn’t imagine another person being able to copy his appearance down to the level of detail that this man apparently possessed.

“Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do? Who are you to think you can stop me? You speak of Justice? There is only one justice for my treacherous brother and that is torment. His end will be a slow, agonizing ballad of misery to which there will be no equal. I will make him wish beg for his death before it is all said and done.” Aoren would have shivered had he been capable of doing so. So much anger, so much hate pouring forth from a single soul. He wouldn’t have believed such malice was possible had it not been for the fact that he could feel the emotions of the spirit in control of his body. The ghost made his body take a step toward the other man. It was a step Aoren did not want to take but he didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.

It was not steps that concerned him though.

If the ghost was strong enough to subdue Aoren the Drykas man was positively terrified of the vengeful spirit tapping into the powers that he possessed. He did not know anything about ghosts aside from the brief interaction he’d had with one in Syliras. He knew not whether through this possession if the current ghost had the power to force Aoren to use his reimancy. If it came to that point, it would be something Aoren would muster all of his will to put a stop to. For the moment however he needed to collect the vestiges of his consciousness. He had to regain control of his body. He just had to. If not for his sake then for the man in front of him.

“He is curious about you, you know.” The ghost sneered at the man before him. Aoren shrunk away from the scrutiny he felt being directed at him in the darkness of his mind. The ghost was searching for his deeper, most private thoughts. It was all Aoren could do to conceal them. To that end he had no choice but to allow the ghost to browse through surface information if he were to regain his strength.

“Who are you? Why do you look like him? Those are several questions I can feel scratching their way to the surface of this man’s mind.” The ghost uttered a laugh.

“It is…amusing. But I have no time to entertain such trivial questions when the answer is so obvious.” With that the ghost propelled Aoren’s body forward moving to brush past the man.

“You want to help? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t bring upon you the same fate that awaits my kin?” The ghost had brought Aoren’s body within inches of Aizen at this point. He was leaning forward peering at the man with a positively wrathful gaze. From the outside, there was little to be found of Aoren himself. Perhaps only a spark in the depths of the cobalt blue eyes that were otherwise as flat and cold as the tundra’s of the North.

[Aizen]

It seemed that the ghost couldn’t be reasoned with so easily. Aizen took an uncomfortable step back only to back into Rust who was behind him. It was the kelvic that remind him of something. Rust and seeing him scared like this, even though it was his idea to just go… Even though Rust was scared the kelvic was staying because Aizen was there, and it was because Aizen was there that the dog did anything that he did. He couldn’t let Rust down, nor the faith that his kelvic had in him. He wouldn’t let this ghost shatter that, steal that, take it away.

Although the ghost was scary, a being filled with such directed rage and hate that it sent literal shivers down the mans spine, he couldn’t back away. If he did, then what would Rust think? Aizen needed to lead, and to be an example of what should be done. He needed to pass these ideals down to his companion, who was still very new to the ways of the world. He wouldn’t let Rust down, because even though the kelvic was scared he was here, and that meant everything. If Rust can be here, then, Aizen decided, so could he. Together they can face down this ghost, spiritist tools or not, they had the greatest tools of them all at their disposal: Words, reason, and logic.

He just had to keep trying, he needed to get through to the spirit somehow, and so instead of staring the ghost in the face the man looked away and down, ”There is nothing stopping you from harming me in the same way you plan to your brother.” He admitted that, ”But yourself.” He looked up at the ghost and smiled, ”And you are not that kind of person.”

”Look at yourself and actually think about what you are doing, possessing this man, and what you plan to do, murder your brother.” His tone got serious again and the smile quickly faded away, ”Have you ever done something in rage and anger and then regretted it later on in life? You were just so mad, but you did it anyways to make yourself feel better. For a while you felt better, sure, but later as things went on you started to regret your actions. You thought about the person and what had happened, and how sorry you were even though you were angry at the time. You wanted to apologize, but it was too late.” His voice was shaky, his body was shaking, and his eyes were watery as he looked at the ghost, ”I… I know that feeling.”

”And I don’t want you to do this. I don’t want you to regret your actions. What your brother did was wrong, but… there is no justice in injustice. You were hurt, you were betrayed, and it has deeply wounded your soul. It has tainted you as a person. No rational human would come to the conclusion that murder is OK. If you go about this, you wont just be getting revenge, you wont just be spilling blood on this innocents hands, you wont just be killing your brother, but you will be hurting yourself the most.”

”Please reconsider. Its not too late.”

[Aoren]

“Who was I?” The ghost seemed to ask the question almost wistfully. Through what little connection Aoren shared with the invading spirit he glimpsed a moderately successful man. His family seemed happy. He seemed happy. Just as soon as the glimpse was there though, it was gone only to be replaced by the seething rage of what had been ripped away by fire and ash. The ghost leveled the spiritist with a stare.

“You don’t know anything about me. You don’t know what I lost. You don’t know how I suffered. You. Don’t. Know.” The last was an almost guttural growl.

“I do.” Aoren’s voice was a whisper in the stillness of his own mind. He didn’t know everything about the ghost that had invaded his body. He had seen bits and pieces of who the man was but he had seen enough to know just how angry and hurt he really was. Whether or not the ghost acknowledged him, Aoren did not know. The spirit did not answer.

“You were, however, right about one thing…” With slow movements the ghost forced Aoren’s body into motion.

“There is nothing stopping me.” The ghost began moving Aoren away from the onlookers. He was moving toward the door. It was obvious that whatever attempt to persuade the ghost against this course of action had been made, had failed. He was too angry. He was too lost in the mire of his own misery. With a few steps he had brushed past Aizen, his Kelvic companion and the large black dog at their side. For his part, Isikai seemed very confused. Before him stood his master but something was completely wrong about him. The Bozderon mixed breed whined trotting forward to gently nip at Aoren’s pant leg catching the cloth in his teeth. He tugged at the cloth catching the phantom’s attention.

“Wretched mongrel!” Raising Aoren’s arm the ghost prepared to lash out at the dog.

Something stirred in Aoren then. Whether it was a weakening of the ghost’s hold over his body or perhaps the idea that such a dark soul would dare to strike perhaps the only friend Aoren had, the Drykas man did not know. It was an answer he would have to find another time. All the same, Aoren felt strength return to his own spirit.

“NO!”

With that forceful mental command the arm halted in its descent to strike the canine. Surprise radiated from the spirit inside Aoren’s body. The man could feel it. He acted on that surprise. Suddenly Aoren’s knees buckled. The ghost used the arm he still had control over to catch Aoren’s body mid-fall and support them both using the wall. With a fury Aoren did not know he possessed he attacked the ghost’s now tenuous grip on his body.

“No! You cannot stop me! You will not!” The ghost mounted his mental defenses in an attempt to gain a foothold once more. Something was different though. It was as if the spirit simply didn’t have enough focus to regain his balance. It was like he was fading. The ghost’s control over his vocal chords receded and Aoren spoke aloud for the first time in what seemed like forever.

“You’re wrong. I can. I will.” With a growl and a sneer Aoren threw everything he had into his assault on the spirit’s control. The force of it was so overwhelming that his body, still caught between Aoren’s control and that of the ghost’s, sprinted forward barreling through the broken doorway to the burned house and out into the pouring rain.

Aoren tripped as he ran landing hard on his left side jarring his shoulder. As the cold waters of the rain touched his face and the pain throbbed in his shoulder he knew he was back in control of his body. He let out an exhausted groan. His whole body felt drained. A bark caught his attention and suddenly his vision was filled with a very furry, wet, but welcome sight. Isikai was sniffing Aoren rapidly before nuzzling the Drykas man’s neck and licking his face. Tiredly, Aoren reached up gently running his fingers through his companion’s fur.

“I-Isikai?” The dog gave an anxious bark nudging Aoren as if prompting him to get up. He would have but Aoren found he lacked the strength to get up on his own. He struggled to push himself up only to fall back onto the cold, wet ground with the rain still steadily coming down on top of him. Isikai let out another bark pacing around Aoren’s head. Quietly, tiredly, Aoren spoke aloud to himself.

“I-is he—“

“Gone?” Panic surged through Aoren as the voice of the ghost whispered in the back of his mind. He hadn’t pushed him out. He hadn’t won the fight. Rapidly the Drykas man prepared himself for the onslaught that would come. Only…it didn’t. It was then that he noticed something different about the ghost. It was like there was less of him inside his body. Much like a candle burning the last vestiges of the wick. No, the ghost wasn’t gone but he was weaker. Much weaker. But so was Aoren. He didn’t have the strength to force him out.

He was no Spiritist. Aoren had precious little knowledge of that branch of World Magic. He needed help. This was simply one battle he could not win on his own. The care he had for his animal companion seemed to have been enough to invigorate Aoren to the point where he could break the ghost’s control. Aoren did not know if he would be so fortunate again.

[Aizen]

The ghost began talking again, in retort to Aizens words. When the being let out a guttural growl, Rust made one of his own getting slightly more courageous with Aizen right there. Of course though the kelvic didn’t move from behind the man, but it was the thought that counts, right? Rusty kept that up, if one were to look he could swear the hair on the boy was sticking up, but he calmed down as the ghost moved away and past the two of them. No harm was done to either of them, and the dog kelvic got a rather satisfied look on his face, ”I don’t think it worked.” he said from behind the man, and Rust was right. His attempt as persuading the ghost failed.

Aizen watched the man stumble, and the black dog follow. The canine belonged to the possessed man, and the animal knew that something was wrong with his master. It brought a tinge of sadness and compassion from Aizen towards the animal, it must be hard for him to understand that his master is no longer there. To comprehend such a dramatic change in character was hard for humans sometimes yet alone beasts. All the while it stayed faithful towards its master, trying to help him even. The spiritist watched the scene unfold and his heart about stopped, skipping a beat or two, when the phantom raised his puppets hand to strike the dog. There was a physical reaction in Rust too, a tensing in all his muscles as if he was ready to jump from behind the spiritist and attack the person if the dog was hit.

Then everything changed. It seemed that the action sparked something inside the soul of the possessed. He seemed to be putting up an even greater fight, a struggle to defend the animal companion. The spiritist watched and observed the mental struggle, almost reciting what was going on inside his head. His mind played the parts of the possessed and the possesser as he pictured the internal combat raging inside the body of the man. The ghost cried out, obviously losing power and control as the body acted erratically almost smashing itself into a wall before stumbling outside. It had been quite some time since the man had seen such a possession, witnessed such an event, and so he took a few steps forward through the darkness of the house to the door. He stood in the gateway and watched the struggle to the end.

Then it appeared to be over. The body had stopped moving when it fell and there was a barely auidable groan coming from the man. It was over. The man once again had control over his body. The fight likely exhausted the ghost, as the more struggle which was put up the more soulmist the being used in trying to get back control. It was likely nearly out of it, but it troubled the spiritist he hadn’t sensed that the ghost left the body. It was likely still inside him, the man alone didn’t have the power to push the spirit out. Aizen would most likely have to intervene.

He sighed, the tense feeling in the air vanished as he walked out to the man in the rain. The dog seemed concerned, but the man didn’t move no matter how the black beast nudged or prodded at him. ”It will be ok.” Aizen told the man in confidence over the rain as he knelt down before him, ”Can you get up?” he asked

One Bell Later

The little cottage was lit with candle light. It had taken some time and a lot of effort but Aizen had gotten the man to his place and allowed him to dry off and rest on his bed. The rain wasn’t the best conditions to be dragging an exhausted man through the streets of Zeltiva, but at least now Aizen can watch the man closely for any signs of the possession returning.

Rust and Isikai were getting along, the kelivc having shifted immediately when they got home and he was done helping Aizen carry the man. He promptly had shaken the water off his fur and the dogs spent some time getting to know each other. Rust was being a little playful, it was amusing to watch, but Aizen didn’t have the time really to observe the two. They seemed to be getting along well enough, ”As I told you on the way here, I am a spiritist. I was there investigating claims of a rather foul ghost being there.” he explained himself, ”It’s part of my duty to this city to make sure that ghosts, especially the dangerous ones like this one, are not allowed to carry out their more devious agendas.” He had been here for a couple years already, and grown to love the city.

”The ghost is most likely hiding within your body, as I didn’t sense him come out of you when you regained control. This means it is biding time to regain its power and seize control of you back.” he explained sitting on the chair, which had been turned to face the bed which he allowed the man to rest on. ”However, this process of regaining power takes time, for the spirit needs to rest. We will have at the very least a couple of days to prepare and try to stop the ghost before it can do anyone anymore harm.”

However, that required a lot of work. They needed to find out more information about the man living in the house, where his other family was. They needed to warn his brother and prepare a trap. Most of the details of everything shouldn’t be shared with the possessed because of the ghosts ability to search the memories. He will allow the other man to help, but he would be sure to keep certain facts to himself.

”I know you must be exhausted. We will be properly introduced in the morning, when you have some time to rest. I know this probably a lot to take in.” Aizen was going to give the man some space so he could sleep and process what all had just happened to him. One thing was for sure though, the spiritist had a lot of perpetrations to do.