Chapter 17
Wraith moved the body to the floor as he cleared his mind. Communicating with the dead was exhausting and dangerous, something that required absolute control of his own mind.
He slipped to the ground, opening his bag and retrieving the items that he needed, five candles and a lighter. He slowly drew his Washaif blade and sat it before him as he placed the candles at the five points around him, lighting each of them in turn. He felt the presence of the fairy's spirit there as he relaxed into a cross legged position.
He breathed deeply as he focused his thoughts upon the name of the dead sprite. He opened his eyes a crack as he watched the flickering red of the candles turn ice blue. He knew the spirit was there, waiting for contact.
An electric tingle flooded his senses as he released his breath slowly and he felt a mist rising, he felt the shadows of the Fringe around him. He was one of the few Guardians who trained as both a Shadespeaker and a Fringewalker, but he knew all three worlds and he felt them now.
"I open the way to speak to the shades of the fallen," He whispered as his hands slowly encircled the grip of the blade, its bone white surface glowing silver amidst the blue light, "I seek answers from one who has passed beyond the veil of this world and into the next."
He held the blade up as he saw into the other worlds, the blade spectral and blindingly bright.
"I call forth one who has left this world by force," he continued as he slowly ran the blade down his forearm, "By my blood I call forth the spirit of Opal Koboi."
He knew that she had come as he felt the astral around him and he felt surrounded by a room made of ice or glass with fog hiding the floors.
A figure stood before him, the figure of the woman whose corpse he had seen, he knew her as Opal Koboi, he knew her as if he were her.
"Why did you, a mudman, call me," the spirit asked coldly.
"Because," Wraith said with a face like cold iron, "We needed to find the one who stole your life from you, te one who left you dead."
"What magic allows this?" the sprite asked as she walked over to Wraith, "Humans do not have magic."
"Magic is something that some mystics can do," he replied honestly, "And for some simple things like calling fire or entering ones thoughts, a psion can do."
"And which are you?"
"I am a Shadespeaker and a Fringewalker, I seek answers for what questions that interest me."
"And why did you seek me out."
"To find the identity of one who betrayed you, the one who left you dead by Loch Ness."
The fairy considered this for a moment before nodding in consent.
"Then it is possible that I may help you, if you have something to offer me in return."
"Myself, I have nothing to offer to a shade of a fairy who betrayed her own people."
"And how do you know that?"
"I called you forth, I hold keys to many of your memories, though the ones that came close before you died are still hidden from me."
"If you know it all, then you will find a way to bring me back."
"I am not well enough trained to perform a ritual as complex as that one, I know nothing of it and if I could, I would not trade another for you."
"So a way of escape exists," Opal whispered, "I will help you then, but you must slay the one who did it."
"Agreed," Wraith said as he began to tire, the ritual summoning was growing harder to maintain, "Then who was your slayer."
"Lucas," she replied with a spectral tear in her eye, "Lucas Kabal."
Wraith moved the body to the floor as he cleared his mind. Communicating with the dead was exhausting and dangerous, something that required absolute control of his own mind.
He slipped to the ground, opening his bag and retrieving the items that he needed, five candles and a lighter. He slowly drew his Washaif blade and sat it before him as he placed the candles at the five points around him, lighting each of them in turn. He felt the presence of the fairy's spirit there as he relaxed into a cross legged position.
He breathed deeply as he focused his thoughts upon the name of the dead sprite. He opened his eyes a crack as he watched the flickering red of the candles turn ice blue. He knew the spirit was there, waiting for contact.
An electric tingle flooded his senses as he released his breath slowly and he felt a mist rising, he felt the shadows of the Fringe around him. He was one of the few Guardians who trained as both a Shadespeaker and a Fringewalker, but he knew all three worlds and he felt them now.
"I open the way to speak to the shades of the fallen," He whispered as his hands slowly encircled the grip of the blade, its bone white surface glowing silver amidst the blue light, "I seek answers from one who has passed beyond the veil of this world and into the next."
He held the blade up as he saw into the other worlds, the blade spectral and blindingly bright.
"I call forth one who has left this world by force," he continued as he slowly ran the blade down his forearm, "By my blood I call forth the spirit of Opal Koboi."
He knew that she had come as he felt the astral around him and he felt surrounded by a room made of ice or glass with fog hiding the floors.
A figure stood before him, the figure of the woman whose corpse he had seen, he knew her as Opal Koboi, he knew her as if he were her.
"Why did you, a mudman, call me," the spirit asked coldly.
"Because," Wraith said with a face like cold iron, "We needed to find the one who stole your life from you, te one who left you dead."
"What magic allows this?" the sprite asked as she walked over to Wraith, "Humans do not have magic."
"Magic is something that some mystics can do," he replied honestly, "And for some simple things like calling fire or entering ones thoughts, a psion can do."
"And which are you?"
"I am a Shadespeaker and a Fringewalker, I seek answers for what questions that interest me."
"And why did you seek me out."
"To find the identity of one who betrayed you, the one who left you dead by Loch Ness."
The fairy considered this for a moment before nodding in consent.
"Then it is possible that I may help you, if you have something to offer me in return."
"Myself, I have nothing to offer to a shade of a fairy who betrayed her own people."
"And how do you know that?"
"I called you forth, I hold keys to many of your memories, though the ones that came close before you died are still hidden from me."
"If you know it all, then you will find a way to bring me back."
"I am not well enough trained to perform a ritual as complex as that one, I know nothing of it and if I could, I would not trade another for you."
"So a way of escape exists," Opal whispered, "I will help you then, but you must slay the one who did it."
"Agreed," Wraith said as he began to tire, the ritual summoning was growing harder to maintain, "Then who was your slayer."
"Lucas," she replied with a spectral tear in her eye, "Lucas Kabal."