"Is it time?" Raine asked. Sheena was just finishing off drawing a magic-enhancing glyph on the cold stone floor.
Sheena straightened up, and looked towards Raine. "We can start any time now."
It was a two person job, that is why Raine called Sheena to the manor. As well, without Sheena's summoning expertise, Raine had no chance against a malevolent spirit, or any spirit for that matter. Summoning is the opposite of banishing, and Sheena did have some experience in that field. One person would sustain the binding spell, while the other preformed the sealing.
Raine inhaled sharply, and stepped into the center of the glyph. She was absolutely sick and tired of the spirit's malice. It made itself clear why it didn't like Raine, and it was not a good reason either. It had only started out with childish pranks, but as soon as she started asking Sheena for help, the spirit upped the ante. It was especially bad last night, as it was causing her a lot of nightmares. Raine was at the end of her rope, and hopefully she still had enough in her to finish this spell and get rid of the apparition once and for all.
"Ok, start your spell once I say go," Sheena took the staff of Rowan wood that she stayed up last night carving. It was rough, but it will do it's job, "Three, two, one... Go!"
At first the incantation was the same, the two voices blending despite the monotony of the verse. Along the outside of the circle a wind was beginning to form a cyclone with dust, but it was still only a breeze. The chant began to crescendo, and Raine began to say something different. Then the wind whipped up, ripping any loose object in the cellar from its place. Sheena then took the staff, and swung it once in a clear motion.
The spirit finally took a visible form, its true form, a petite, frail, woman. Ghostly limbs were distorted by the wind, but it did not disguise the look of sheer terror on the pale woman's face. She was swimming against the wind, but it did not matter which direction it was in, it was always stopped before she got outside of the circular glyph. Sheena leaned back to get as much force as she could, and threw the pointed end of the Rowan staff at the Spirit. There was a flash, and the room was filled with a infinitely long moment of prickly electricity.
And then there was silence.
Raine slowly lowered herself to her knees, as quietly as she could, but she still disturbed the silence. I definitely don't have the stamina for this, Raine thought to herself, but the spirit is gone, finally gone. She blinked twice, the world fuzzier the second time.
The silence was truly broken when Raine fell over on her side, which alerted Sheena. Sheena rushed towards the fallen woman. Sheena turned Raine over into a more comfortable position, and saw that she was just coming to.
Raine fluttered her eyelashes, and Sheena then spoke, "Raine, can you hear me?"
Raine paused for a moment, getting her bearings, "Sheena?"
"I'll take you upstairs, the spirit's sealed now," Sheena moved to lift Raine, but Raine pushed away. She stood up shakily.
"I can take care of myself," Raine said, ironically leaning against Sheena.
Sheena chuckled and helped Rain go up the stone steps up, and out of the cellar.
"Do you need anything, you look tired," Sheena said with concern written all over her face.
"Just some tea, please," Raine said, sitting down in the nearest chair possible. It was an ugly green chair, but Raine just did not care as long as she got to sit down. Sheena leaned over and took a look at Raine, brushing pale bangs of hair out of the way to feel her forehead. Raine murmured something unintelligible, and Sheena quickly withdrew her hand.
"I'll be getting that Tea, ok," Sheena said walking towards the kitchen.
"Thank-you, Sheena," Raine said before slumping ungracefully down in the armchair. She still didn't feel safe, her irrational side taking over thinking that sealing the spirit in a object would not be adequate. She had to ask Sheena later how to deal with the spirit now that its sealed. She idly picked at a loose strand on the end up the arm, when she closed her eyes and listened intently to the surroundings. It was quiet, and the sun was just rising. Both of them were up all night, from working on things related to the spirit, or in Raine's case, nightmares. Raine thought that it was strange that as soon as Sheena came to visit, Raine was the only one with these terrible nightmares. Sheena was generally unaffected directly by the apparition, but she did get quite upset the few times the spirit drove the reserved woman into near-hysterics.
"Raine, hello-oo?" Sheena experimentally waved her hand in front of Raine's face. Eliciting no response, Sheena shook Raine's shoulder. Raine blinked a few times in surprise, and sat back upright.
"Oh," Raine gently shook her head, "Thank you."
"Are you sure your alright? I know it was a tough spell, but you seem more drained that I thought you would," Sheena inquired.
Raine looked into her tea, silent. After a moment, she looked Sheena right in the eyes, "Will it ever come back?"
Sheena looked away, knotting her eyebrows in both care and thought, "I don't really know. It's a standard spell, and it wouldn't be so common if it wasn't reliable... but there is two ways to get rid of it completely."
"How?"
Sheena took a breath, and spoke slowly as to make no mistakes, "One is to burn it, the Rowanwood staff. That is, with—among other things—an extremely hot flame. The magical wards on the staff, they are quite tough. Then, the second method. It is to solve the reason why it's, she? Is haunting you right now. Communicating with the spirit... then asking it why--"
"No, not the second one. Do you still have a pact with Efreet?"
Haha, I knew that she wouldn't go with the second one, Sheena thought to herself. "Yes, I still have all my pacts with the summon spirits."
"Well, will it be ... quiet... tonight? Rather, the spirit won't break the wards in less than a night's time?"
Sheena forced a little laugh, "No, only the most powerful of spirits can break through those wards in less than a night. You sure seem worried about this." Sheena paused. She opened her mouth tentatively, but closed again after seeing Raine's tired face.
Raine pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head slightly, "I'm being childish. I'll take a nap and think about it. Thank you, Sheena, for the tea."
Raine got up to go upstairs, but Sheena reached out and held Raine's hand, stopping her. Sheena brought her hand up to her lips, kissing Raine's fingers lightly, "We're friends, you really shouldn't keep your pain from me. I'm not blind."
Raine swallowed hard, looking away whilst trying to hold back her own tears. She started speaking softly and deliberately, "I-I, I just can't get the memories out of my head. The nightmares won't leave me," Raine put her free hand on top of Sheena's hands, bowing her forehead to the same level.
Sheena felt Raine's tears spill silently onto her hands. Sheena then embraced Raine, taking her hands away, stroking the pale hair with one hand. Sheena let Raine cry into her shoulder for a bit, trying her best to comfort her friend.
Finally, Raine motioned to go upstairs, and take a nap. It was still early in the day, but she was quite obviously exhausted. Sheena helped Raine up, and she slowly made her way upstairs, falling asleep in her bed as soon as she was in her Pajamas.