Fate - First Reply Witchlings Three: A Wild Haunt

[Malak Baske]

The Wyland Estate. Around forty miles from Elbion's Gates, the estate had been abandoned for thirty-seven years, if locals were to be believed. Some believed the College would send students to communicate with the spirits here as a mid-term exam, but nobody could ever say more than rumors. It had been purchased by a Komar Thul, a prestigious merchant who traded fine silks and garments, sight unseen. Unable to stay on the premises, he'd posted a job for five hundred crowns to anyone who could vacate the premises of all phantasmic interference.

Malak had found record that the estate was raided by a dwarven war band, back when the Wyland Family consistend of Joel, Marith, and their three young daughters. He was betting the daughters were the source of the spectral manifestations. Now, armed with a ghostglass he'd acquired from the necromancer Harrier Wren, he marched onto the grounds, eager to earn a good month's wages.

 

[Triam Akovin]

This certainly wasn't her usual kind of work, but considering what she had spent at the magic fair, she was in desperate need of replenishing her coin and equipped with a salted iron knife crafted by the Baron Idris that apparently could stab ghosts, it made perfect reasonable sense to her that maybe the 500 crowns wouldn't be so difficult to claim after all. She would just have the issue of finding where they were, and hopefully, nothing bad would happen to her.

As she approached the estate, however, it became clear that someone had already arrived on the scene judging from the fresh tracks she picked up on her way to it. Unsure of who she suddenly found herself following, she began to stalk slowly under the cover of shade from the trees, crossbow at the ready. She strained her eyes and eventually spotted Malak Baske. Though she had never met this man, and at this distance would not easily be able to make out his features, his frame and clothing seemed familiar to her. At the very least, the man did not give her the air of an Aniran or of a dangerous mage, so she quickly surmised whoever he was, likely arrived at the estate for the same reason she did. Cursing under her breath at the misfortune of being second, she decided to risk confrontation and hoped to negotiate a partnership. By all rights, he was here first, and she wasn't about to duel a stranger to death over some crowns... without good reason, of course.

When her approach was close enough, she decided to risk calling out to them.

"Hey, friendly behind you." She lifted one of her hands from her crossbow outwards in non-threatening greeting, crossbow pointed away from them. "I must have the misfortune of being second to arrive at a job you're doing, yeah?"

 

[Malak Baske]

Malak turned to see a Cortosian woman sporting tight, practical garb. Her arm carried a loaded crossbow, pointed off to the side. In this line of work a surprise was usually an adversary, but the woman had made sure to greet him, and made sure to keep her crossbow away from his direction.

Perhaps she was genuinely friendly.

"Afraid so." Malak said, notably keeping his hand away from the hilt of the longsword tied to his belt. "But if you're wanting a piece of the action, I'm not opposed to temporary partnerships. What say I bring you at . . . " He paused for a moment. "70-30?" He highballed to start, figuring the woman would counter.

Triam Akovin

 

[Triam Akovin]

Triam winced at the price a bit, 150 crowns? Perhaps for an ordinary woman, she would consider the offer immediately, but she was of a different cut. Besides, she had a bargaining tool to use.

"Unless you plan on asking the ghosts to leave nicely, I think it'd be fair for 60-40 split, my way." At this moment, she slung her crossbow on her shoulder and pulled out the salted iron dagger. "I can kill 'em with this dagger, made with salted iron. I could be eased into a 50-50 though on account of you getting here first, what do you say?" She gave a sly smile, thinking she may have won the negotiation

Malak Baske

 

[Malak Baske]

"Hmm." Malak pondered, listening to tales of 'salted iron'. He'd never heard of such a thing, but that didn't mean it wasn't an effective tool. Perhaps the woman had been conned, or perhaps she could expedite the exorcising process.

"It's amusing you act as if I didn't come prepared for the job at hand." Malak replied, not letting her think she had anything special. "But I can accept 50-50, in any case." He extended a hand to shake Triam Akovin's. "Shall we begin?"

 

[Triam Akovin]

Triam merely smiled at his comment. She would admit, that she did hold a bit of arrogance in her basic assumptions. She approached him and took his hand to shake it.

"After you, unless you'd rather not have a stranger at your back?" She winked as she stowed away the Crossbow on her back. Not much use in arrow bolts that can't harm the undead. That was what her knife was for, after all.

"So, if you're so prepared, what do you have?" She attempted a casual conversation.

Malak Baske

 

[Malak Baske]

The Cortosi woman gave him and wink and put away her crossbow, inviting Malak to go into the fold. Malak nodded and headed inside, taking the lead and heading into the manse. It took effort to get through the entry way. Wooden beam and broken stone littered the floor, rotted for neglect or broken from the attack. Bones littered the hall, split at various locations highlighting the dismemberment involved in their deaths. Decades old red stains filled the walls.

Then it filled the room. The sound of a child's laugh.

"The means to find our prey, for one." Malak replied, pulling out his ghostglass and bringing it to his eye. At the end of the hall, peering over the corner he spotted the blue outline of a girl, no older than seven. She extended a finger, then waved it, taunting him come over.

"This way." Malak said, wrapping the glass in his hand and putting his hand on his sword. It would do little against the girl, but he figured she had a few tricks up her sleeve. He considered telling Triam Akovin to be on her guard, but figured she knew how to take care of herself.

 

[Triam Akovin]

The sound of a child's laugh sent a shiver down Triam's back, and she found herself instinctively clutching the knife a bit more tightly. She watched as Malak Baske brought what appeared to be a piece of glass to his eye, and pointed out at the end of the hall, seemingly at nothing.

Yet he seemed confident that something was there. A handy ability indeed. She resisted the urge to ask questions about it. Stalking down the hallway, she followed Malak with purpose, poised to strike out at a moment's notice.

"Just let me know when I should start stabbing since I'm sure you had an alternative plan before I arrived," Triam said, eyes alert.

 

[Malak Baske]

Malak continued on as the Cortosian followed behind, ensuring she knew when to act. He suspected it was an awkward enough situation for the both of him. He'd seen her stance, the way she walked. Carried herself. He was a fighter, not used to this sort of hesitancy and inaction. Malak was the same. He would do his research on a target, learn their weaknesses, but when the time came and steel was drawn, there was little thinking left to do. Only to follow the rhythm of the sword.

They traveled through a long hallway that was probably once described as "ornate". Today it was in similar disrepair to the opening hall, but littered with different bodies. The first hall had a few guards, but was mostly servants. This hall was the opposite. A force mobilized to stop the raids. Looters had taken away the weapons and helmets of the defenders long ago, but many of the bodies were still wearing their armor. Some of it was riddled with holes for spears, others were rent in two. A couple seemed to have melted, evidence of a mage perhaps? Malak didn't know, but the force that attacked this keep seemed . . . comprehensive.

Malak pulled out the ghostglass again as he got midway through the hall. The girl sat atop a small table, appeared to lick her finger, and touched the lamp next to her. It came alight, as did the one across it. Then the one a table down. Then a level down, and across the hall. A chain reaction, lamps across the hall began to glow a purple, heatless fire.

"Let's play." The child's voice filled the room as a spectral doll appeared in her hand. Skeletons began to rise, as she moved the doll to and fro.

"The table with the first lamp. There she sits." Malak told Triam Akovin as he drew his sword from his sheath as puppeteered skeletons advance upon them.

 

[Triam Akovin]

As the room lit up with a purple tinge, Triam smiled nervously. She was prepared to stab ghosts, but she severely underestimated her confidence in stabbing them without being able to see where they were exactly. So she was silently grateful for Malak's ability to direct her where she needed to go.

Seeing the bones of the previous inhabitants rise from their places inspired a spot of fear within her, which in turn motivated the woman to get a grasp on the Rapier at her hip and pull it out. It wasn't the best choice for an opponent with no meat or organs to pierce, but Cortosi steel could take a beating, and it might allow her to keep the skeletons at a distance from her.

"Alright, here goes nothing!" The woman shouted as she dashed forward past Malak, her rapier poised to deflect bony hands, the blade of her dagger out to cut undead appendages too near for comfort. She parried arms with rapier and smashed hands with her dagger as she shoulder-checked her way through the newly undead.

"Piss off ghost!" Triam yelled as she stabbed wildly at the spectral girl that she couldn't see...

Malak Baske

 

[Malak Baske]

The skeletons made their way at Malak and the Cortosi woman. Malak swung his blade vigorously, bisecting the first skeleton at it's neck. The puppeteered skeleton seemed unfazed at the lack of it's skull, and continued charging. Malak cursed under his breath, and redirected his swings at the creature's more heavily armored arms and legs. Men were simple to kill, a proper thrust and you'd some organ and the creature would bleed as it could no longer support itself.

These skeletons by contrast, were far more difficult. Not truly alive, or even independent, they were simply moved to action by the spirit of the young girl. No skin, organs, or any manner of true vitals, meaning that Malak's best strategy was to lop off any limbs it might have used to attack. Which naturally made things more difficult, as it was far harder to slice through armor than thrust through it.

Pulling a small potion out of his belt Malak popped the cork and chugged a mixture of alcohol, bear tallow, verbena, and magic. It tasted terrible, but it gave him what he needed. The animal's strength. With emboldened strength he swung the blade at his foes, cleaving through iron and bone and leaving severed arms to fall the floor. One two, one two, another four arms hit the floor as more skeletons made their way towards him. Despite the magic's strength, Malak could only hold for so long.

But he held as long as he needed to, as the young girl had no comprehension of the threat a salted dagger posed. There was a cry as Triam Akovin landed her first thrust, and her skeleton puppets ceased their motions. Another stab and the skeletons fell to the ground, their bones scattering in a crumble.

Malak sheathed his blade, and looked over to the Cortosi woman. "Nice work." He complimented. "I wonder what else we have in store."

 

[Triam Akovin]

It was strange, hearing the cries of a young girl as Triam stabbed what was little more than empty air only a moment ago, but with each puncture, for a moment the spectral blue form of the ghost seemed to manifest around her salted blade in an expression of agony. The form would disappear every time Triam withdrew the blade from the entity and reappear again when she found her mark. Then, suddenly, the air was empty again and the skeletal entities ceased their animation. The woman waited a moment, observing her environment, sure not to celebrate too early.

Malak Baske complimented her on her performance, and just as Triam was about to thank him in reply, a chill went through her.

"You hurt me, Mother will not be pleased!" The Cortosi woman looked back to her companion.

"Looks like I didn't do as well as I thought..." She said begrudgingly.

 

[Malak Baske]

The child's voice continued to echo through the room. Malak has spoke too soon. He held up the ghostglass to his eye. The girl was gone, left the hall. It seems they had a brief respite.

"The skeletons have stopped. We may not be done, but we're better off than we were before." Malak responded. He doubted this job would be easy. It wouldn't have gone so long unfilled otherwise. He was happy to take a win, however small.

"The girl mentioned her mother. We may have to take care of her first. Perhaps we should search the main bedchamber first?" Some nobility were warriors, but not many in Malak's experience. He knew little of ghosts in general, but having one powerful spirit supply the life and power of the others seemed to be a plausible explanation.


Triam Akovin