I’m pacing around the trap in the center of the room. Although I had instructed Con not to ask it anymore questions, I couldn’t help but wonder what else it can tell us.
“Con, I need to ask you a favor.”
The boy stopped staring at the light, shining from the string. He turned to me, looking a little more than confused.
“Uh, sure, Branner. What do ya need?”
“You are allowed to talk to the spirit again.”
I need to figure out what it is. And sitting here with it, doing nothing is getting me nowhere.
Quietly, I explain what he is to do.
“Talk with him about anything. His life. Your life. Just don’t mention anything about the demons, or Doctor Maladar.”
“Sure thing I guess, but what is this supposed to do?”
“Buy me some time. Maybe get us a little information on it. Just see let me know everything it says.”
I’m a little strained on what I’m doing, but I think my original plan might still work. I go back to the book from my bag, studying the process to de-spell this room. This spirit, ghost or not, is likely an anchor for whatever is manipulating the spiritual pressure in this room.
Before my plan was to banish the ghost and the spell would have gone with it, revealing what was wrong with this room. But now… If I were to try that, and it really wasn’t a ghost, the repercussions could prove disastrous. But there’s more than one way to break a spell.
While I read, Con moved ahead with his part.
“Mr. Ghost, where were you born?”
The low rumbling immediately after told me the spirit was responding. I do need to make sure it doesn’t interfere with any rituals I perform.
Now, this is likely an illusion spell. Something to keep me from seeing what’s wrong. Ah, this counter should work. It won’t dispel the illusion entirely, but so long as its runes are inscribed in the ground, the spell will be put on hold.
I wait for the low rumbling to stop before I grab my chalk. The runes require a very specific pattern to counter the spell and the slightly shaking room might ruin it. Wonderful, it has stopped. I must work quickly while I have the time.
“Wow… Hey, Branner, he says he was born in this house.”
“Yes, yes, Con. That’s lovely. Just keep it…” He was born in this house? No… Could he really be the brother of Lance? “Spirit, how did you die?”
The low rumble returns. It was fairly short. I look to Con waiting for the answer.
“…betrayal?” Con’s face had a mix of confusion and horror.
“Betrayal… Con, hold off on more questions. I need to finish this.”
What betrayed him? If it was really the demons in this house when he was stabbed by the family heirloom… then was he the one who summoned the beasts?
I finish the chalk drawings going in a circle around the room, runic stones placed in key locations. Now for the hard part. I’m not well versed on my slavic so I might need a bit to make sure I remember how to pronounce all of this. I don’t know what will happen, or what will be revealed in this room. Here I go.
The chant begins, each runic symbol lighting up as I call its name. The spiral of symbols sends out wave after wave of my own energy, holding back another magical force. I finish the spell, as the energy returns and converges on the trap in the center of the room.
The smoke-like spirit within the trap cries out. He falls and settles in the middle, losing his wispy form and gaining a new translucent one. He looks like a young man, with combed dark hair, and the same style of suit the other servants were wearing.
I fear I may have been wrong and this is Marcellus Welling.
Lance, forgive me.
