When The Dust Settles

[Faith Augustin]

80th Vhalar 718
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It had been a difficult time and Faith had spent the last few trials literally helping those who had suddenly anchored to her cross over. For most of the victims of the plot they had uncovered, this was not a tricky affair, per se, it just became rather time consuming. And, of course, emotionally exhausting. Each soul which had anchored to her, following their release from the necromancer who had held them, had needed to be assisted in the crossing over. Famula had granted Faith her own lantern and she had helped each one of them with it; she gave thanks for the life which had provided her with the strength and endurance to do what needed to be done at times like this. But still, her head pounded and she was exhausted. And now, there were all these things to go through.

Because, still, there was the question of what was actually going on.

So, Faith and Alissa were in the Cathedral, in a room they'd been shown in to where the items and artefacts from the alchemist and necromancer had been brought. Under Ilaren's watchful gaze, this meant that the items which had been considerably tainted by evil were kept safe and secure in a way which only an Immortal could ensure and thus allow them to study without concern. But, before that there was one last soul who Faith was helping to pass over.

And this one was giving her more trouble than all the others put together.

"I will NOT!" The little girl stamped her foot. Faith's eyes were calm and patient but Alissa could see that the young healer was running out of patience.

"I understand that you're afraid, " Faith said, and the small ghost-child glared at her."I am not afraid. I'm just not going. I like it here, I like you. Your eyes are pretty and you have babies. I LIKE BABIES!" Faith sighed slightly. "Yes, but my babies won't be able to see you. You belong elsewhere. With your parents."

The ghostly child, who was the very epitome of beautiful, with ringlets of blonde hair over wide blue eyes. She had an angelic face and a frown which could curdle milk at twenty paces. She shook her head again, ringlets bouncing.

"I am staying with YOU!"

Faith sighed, deeply, and wondered how on Idalos she was going to explain this one to Padraig. He was now able to see the child, at least, but still there was no doubt that she was not likely to be a quiet guest. Faith frowned right back at her. "You are being wilful and unnecessarily so." The child stuck out her tongue and Faith quirked an eyebrow. "You will find that death, this existence you have now, is not fun and is not something which you will enjoy."

"You'll play with me, won't you?" She turned soulful, soft eyes to Faith, who shook her head. "I will not be able to, most of the time. I'm very busy and, besides, you need to be moving over to the other side, not staying here."

The little girl looked at the ex slave and smiled. It was not the smile of a child who expected to lose. "Oh, you'll play with me," she said and her grin was mischief. "I know you will"

[Faith Augustin]

Faith and Alissa worked for the next few breaks. It was not difficult work, but it most certainly not made any easier by the persistent heckling from the diminutive ghost. "My name is Cassie," she said, petulantly. "I know it is." Faith replied. Cassie's face dropped into a deep frown. "How'd you know that?" Cassie asked, suspiciously. Faith sighed slightly and lifted her gaze to the ghostly child. "Your mother told me. Asked me to look for you. I promised her I'd help you." Cassie considered this for a few moments and then, suddenly, appeared directly in front of Faith's face. "So, you've got to look after me? Because you promised you would, so you've got to now?" Faith watched her carefully and then nodded her head. "That's right. I feel like I have a responsibility. But be clear, Cassie, looking after you means helping you to cross over."

Cassie huffed, sighed more deeply, rolled her eyes and then, when Faith did not react the papers on the desk suddenly flew around in a swirling flurry. Faith did not respond, simply picked them up and got back on with what she was doing. Cassie's lower lip stuck out. "You're not fun," she said, accusingly. Faith nodded. "I know. I'm not interested in being fun, Cassie." It was true. She wasn't at all interested in that because the fundamental truth to Faith was, the less interested in remaining here Cassie was, the better off they would all be.

"So, let me get this right," Alissa said, ignoring the whole ghost thing; in a strange way she was very used to Faith and her ability to chat with the departed. It was just unnerving and weird at this point so Alissa mostly just ignored it. "There are two diseases, one of which is an actual disease, the other one of which has been entirely manufactured by that pair?" Faith nodded. "I've sent out letters to the Orders in the surrounding areas, all the healers and herbalists we know of. The cure is, ironically, fairly straightforward. But because it wasn't working so often, we had rejected it."

Alissa nodded, that made sense. So, the finding of the necromancer and alchemist had, undoubtedly, saved a lot of lives. She had done so without killing them, getting the necromancy spark out of the mage and then handing them over to the Lightning Knights. Yet, Alissa knew that look. "What are you blaming yourself for?" Faith glanced over and shook her head, but Alissa was right and they both knew it. "I didn't work it out quickly enough. If I had been quicker, less would have died." There had been a time when Alissa would have argued, would have pointed out something else, but instead she nodded. "Yes. And if you'd found out slower, or not at all, more would have died. But, we'll never know, will we? Because you worked it out when you did, the best way you could with what you had." Faith nodded slightly and then looked back down at the books and papers. "We need to get this finished." Faith said. "And prepare the evidence, as best we can, for the Knights, and the records for the Order."

[Faith Augustin]

"It's every bit of information, yes. I can explain it again, if you wish?" Faith said and the Lightning Knight nodded. "Hang on a bit, miss, I'm going to get the boss in for this." Faith smiled and was more than happy to wait. When "the Boss" came in, she started once again from the beginning. "So, it became obvious to me that there was more going on than met the eye. What we came to is that there have been two illnesses impacting the Dust Quarter. The first one is a plague, a genuine disease. We've worked out the cure and should start seeing that take effect. But the real issue was what was going on here." It was tricky to explain, Faith said, but she would do her best. Alissa raised an eyebrow and watched, waiting to see how this worked out for them. Faith was a teacher, there was no doubt, but this was bizarre and technical stuff.

Faith first explained the notion of anchors. How, what usually happened when someone died that was Vri came to collect them for judgement by the twins. Then, she went on to talk about how people can, and sometimes did, refuse that. But that there would always be a reason, something holding them here. That something, or someone, was called an anchor. The Lightning Knight looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "I see them," Faith said, in answer to his unspoken question. "I see them, all the time. " He glanced around, somewhat nervously and Faith watched him with serious silver eyes. She kept that gaze serious even as Cassie floated around him making very stereotypical ghost-like noises.

"Famula offers a second chance," Faith continued, "to those who refuse Vri but have since completed, or released, their purpose." Once he had that sorted, Faith continued. The alchemist, she explained was making an alchemical compound which made the souls of those who died invisible to Vri. Or, as far as Faith could tell, to all the Immortals. That meant, simply, that Vri couldn't help them to pass over. However, Faith continued, what was even more terrifying was that the necromancer had been involved. "A soul who stays has a purpose, a reason. These didn't, they just waited for Vri and then did not understand why he couldn't see them when he came. So, they had no purpose, no anchor."

That meant, she said, that it left them open to gain one. As a Priestess of Famula, she could assign a new anchor, but this necromancer and alchemist had been working together to achieve just that. To force the soul to anchor to something of their choosing. "In this case," Faith said softly, "The body of a necromancer's thrall. Creating bodies and anchoring souls to them." It was, after all, a terrifying prospect, she said. That was all that they lacked, all that was missing from them. The potential power of a soul attached to a necromantic thrall was enormous, Faith explained. Or maybe it would do nothing, she simply did not know ~ but that was what they were trying to find out, the pair that had been here.

"Here's a list of their victims," she said. Each name, she had helped to cross over. "This is a summary of what they were doing. How they were doing it. Their suppliers, that kind of thing. I think it's everything you'll need to build up a case against them." The Lightning Knight nodded and Faith smiled. "You know where I am, if you need me."

[Ghoul]

YOUR REVIEW

here you go sweets!

Faith....is clearly a mother with the way she handles Cassie. That takes a lot of patience, even with a living child Braver than any Lightning Knight.

Knowledge

You've opted for none~

Points

Points: 10/15
Renown: +20 for unearthing such a nefarious plot, bringing the evildoers to justice, and souls to rest. well, most of them.

Loot/Injuries

Injuries: Some mental fatigue for the next few trials, but some rest will do you good.

Loot: New abilities, wheeee!

Untouched by Death

This ability is a passive one, granted in protection to the chosen of Vri. The dead that remain on Idalos and become Ghosts have a host of troublesome abilities and many have resentment toward those who would serve the Immortal of natural ends. This ability gives a marked natural protection from Ghosts and the abilities they employ. Ghosts will find they cannot harvest emotions or heat from a Bellinos, finding instead that their ectoplasm is torn and shredded around the Bellinos themselves. The touch of a Bellinos is dangerous to a manifested ghost who will find it immediately begins discorporating their spectral forms. A Bellinos can forcibly forgo this ability when focusing, but otherwise this protection remains with them perpetually.

Shadow of Demise

This ability marks the Death on any person or object, revealing them to the marked. The Bellinos is instantly aware if any object has brought death, is intended to bring death, or has been created to bring death. While weapons are obviously made to slay, this ability allows a Bellinos to instantly recognize poison or a disguised concealed weapon. Magical items designed to kill will also immediately reveal themselves beneath the Bellinos' perceptions. A Zuuda can sense the amount of life any person they look upon has taken, measuring the shadows behind them or the blood dripping from their hands that only they can see. This ability cannot be ignored or nullified. Some Bellinos see this as a curse, forced to look on the active agents of death in the world, while others see it as an advantage to know whom to avoid and what items may promise unexpected peril.

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