Food for the Dead

[Hadrian]

66th Summer, 512 A.V. Hadrian's cottage was blissfully empty, and he was glad of it. He dealt with so many people at the University that sometimes he just wanted to run away under cover of illusion and a dampened aura to his ancestor's laboratory, but he had not yet had time to visit it, thinking it better to establish himself in Zeltiva before stealing away to plumb its secrets. But he was not good with idleness, and so when his stomach began to growl, he went into the kitchen to fix himself something to eat. He was so rarely aware of his hunger, it must have been the time spent with nothing doing. Not much of a cook, Hadrian cored an apple, tore a hunk of bread off of a loaf, and began to peel the rind away from a round of cheese. Once he got going, he had an appetite, and he ate his fill. It was only when he slowed down that he thought back to the ghost he had fed in the bar a few days before, when he had met Marcus Callus. He took scraps of all three foodstuffs and put them in his mouth, chewing as he concentrated on alchemizing them into something fit for the dead to eat, focusing his aura into his mouth and chewing, chewing, chewing. It was a slow process and he knew the quality of his soulmist was not amazing, but eventually he sensed the change and continued his work until it was all transmuted, and then held his mouth open over a glass and let it all slide out, glowing faintly, to settle there. Sitting back, he watched the cup as he began to eat a bit more himself; it was always good to stock up on food because chances were good he would miss his next meal, wrapped up in some work or another. But perhaps that same wisp of a dead sailor would sense the soulmist and return to him, growing ever stronger for the feeding. When it was lucid enough, Hadrian might explain to him how long a time had passed, how his wife was long dead and there was no reason to stay, the better to shuffle off this mortal coil to be remade and reborn. He would wait and watch for a while, and then perhaps take a nap. His soulmist didn't last forever anyway.

[Noaru]

* Noaru successfully entered Zeltiva, unbeknownst, silent and uninterrupted just the way he enjoys his travels; he turns left then right, surveying the surroundings trying to feel if anything was around, anything of interest maybe a memory of the past would make itself known but only the harsh reality of demise remained.

The world suddenly darkened around him: sadness, emptiness, hopelessness consumed him and yet vengeance, wrath and insanity accompanied him in this darkness, embarrassing him in this moment of tragedy in this time of doubt: these forces whispered to him but one can hear other voices amongst the darkness, muffled slightly by the voices of many others present inside the deep.

The spirits of all things can be dampened; wills forgotten, but courage can inspire the hearts of all but what hearts have you inspired? What souls have you saved? What mind have you saved from internal darkness?

The spirit Noaru was deep within thought inside the darkness, facing downwards towards the foundation-less abyss with his eyes closed and saddened--being unable to answer the question before hand while raising his head upwards. The sunlight strikes his eyes, returning him back to Zeltiva but he remained in the same spot, he hadn't moved an inch but who the voices were and what purpose they held; he did not know.

The aroma of something catches his attention, something familiar and yet so profound that it literally pulled him towards it: though, it was faint, he could sense the direction it was coming from which then he blinks, disappearing from where he previously was then he blinks again and again then finally he reaches cottage of which he enters and searches for the smell. *

[Hadrian]

Ever since he had learned this simple spell, the simplest necromantic cantrip, the creation of soulmist, he had been more attuned to the presence of the dead. And so the shiver that ran up his spine, that atavistic reaction to a numinous presence, was expected. He paused in chewing his own food for a moment, but resumed. They could be flighty things, could ghosts. The little cup of soulmist glowed faintly on the table before him, a quiet beacon. He could patient, but perhaps this was a polite spirit. Without looking, he said, "You are welcome to eat at my table, spirit. The food is for you also."

[Noaru]

''He knows I'm here....''

* Noaru thought to himself before moving closer to the table, he would briefly pause to stare at Hadrian and then move closer towards the table again uncertain whether he should get any closer: however, his ''hunger'' called--driving him to move closer. He gaped opened his mouth and breathed in the soulmist floating near the table, it gave him strength, something he needed in order to manifest and properly speak to the human before him that gracefully greeted him with a meal.

Its been a long five-hundred years since I've seen someone nonchalantly sit while a spirits around...

A large black-hound with black eyes manifested within the room. In the center of these eyes lies a grey circle that houses white horizontal snake-like pupils: completely void of life, three heavy inter-connected silver metal collars with crosses engraved onto them are worn around his neck; they rattle as he exhales, releasing a breath of cold air into the room.*

[Hadrian]

While the spirit fed, Hadrian continued to masticate on his mouthful of food, and when it had alchemized into something a spirit could eat, he picked up the cup to offer up seconds. He hid the procedure behind his hand as if he were worried about offending his ghostly guest with the sight of food coming back up, even food that glowed with energy. He set that back down as the hellhound appeared. He cocked his head in its direction, wondering if this was some beast of Dira's or a Kelvic's ghost. His smile was faint, but his behavior was certainly welcoming. "Again, welcome. I am called Hadrian." He gestured to the refilled cup.

[Noaru]

I thank you for kindly welcoming me with food and even inside a nice cozy room.

* He gave Hadrian a gentle nod acknowledging his gesture even pushing the cup closer to him so that he may pour more: he was curious of this particular person before him honestly shocked to how much food he could eat himself but he needed this energy to talk; however, didn't want to seem greedy or close to anything of the sort.*


Well, Hadrian since you have told me your name I shall tell you mine... I' am Noaru

[Hadrian]

"Noaru," he corrected himself. "Welcome." When it was clear his guest wanted more, Hadrian's etiquette and sense of hospitality kicked in. More of the meal that had been set out for himself was chewed, drenched in his djed, and transmuted into soulmist. Perhaps when he was better at it, a ghost could get by on less, if it was more empowered, of better quality. But for now, he would have to feed his ghostly guest in mouthfuls of regurgitated food imbued with soul-energy. He was like a mother bird in that way. He set the refilled glass near the ghost dog. "You must be hungry." Or should he say depleted? He did not know how best to speak to one who was dead with proper courtesy.

[Noaru]

Hungry? Ah yes I' am but its a hunger very different than just simply becoming full as the one I have, is one that's pretty common amongst ghosts, spirits such as myself and undead; the hunger to gain power!

* Noaru stretched, grabbing the cup, soulmist was pulled from the cup towards his body and absorbed; he started to become more active in using his own soulmist, it was black and had a faint red hue but Noaru stopped fearing he mite over exhaust the little soulmist he had, he quickly resorted to using his power more scarcely.*

So, Hadrian are you interested in the afterlife or are you a researcher trying to study ghosts and spirits?

[Hadrian]

There was a brief woozy wave rushing through him that made him glad he was already sitting down. He offered Noaru a wan smile and continued to eat to replenish his own body and, thereby, his soul. It was habit now to take care of his body when he remembered to, knowing it supported his intellect and his spirit. "You will forgive me, I hope, but I cannot offer you more than that for a while. I'm not skilled. But as to your questions, I study most all things from time to time. Anything that arouses my curiosity, and most things can do that. Do you have some other goal beyond the accretion of power? Are you willing to speak of whatever unfinished business keeps you from reincarnating?"

[Noaru]

I'll never be given the luxury of being reincarnated; vengeance, hatred, sadness to many negative aspects bind me to this world and the very thought of allowing those who wronged me during the days I roamed amongst the living, die and escape my wrath enrages me further but anyone can say ''Why don't you forgive them? something that happened in the past should remain their and be forgotten.''

I would be able to ''forgive'' them but this...this feeling that numbs me still even in death is like a itch that can never be soothed!! even if you could scratch it and then scratch and scratch it more, you'll eventually tear the flesh off your bones and the itch will still be there, it will never fade!

I however, feel relieved about one thing that keeps me from becoming a monster and that thing is that there are still good people and wonderful things to behold in this world. I've already fallen from grace as a ghost and become a spirit drawn to nothingness and blackness that resides in peoples hearts.

* Noaru used his soulmist to grasp and push the cup slowly away from him as he sat back into the chair, his body flickered slightly like a light bulb losing power; he closed his eyes so that he may only see darkness, a single thought then manifested within his mind one particular thought of sadness.

If there is a god of fate: a figure who's existence is beyond that of other gods; if I was destined to die from the beginning, why have me exist at all from the beginning?

I won't however believe this is my end. I believe things are just becoming interesting! There are so many new things I can try and do once my current self grows!