SIX
"Piper, freeze it again," Prue called out; "Phoebe, get Marcus out of here."
Piper brought her hands up as Phoebe grabbed Marcus and began to pull him out of the living room. Only the creature didn't freeze as it had before. It continued to move into the living room.
"Got any other ideas?" Phoebe asked as she pushed Marcus back away from the creature.
Prue tapped into her telekinetic ability and tried to push the creature back. Initially it worked but within seconds the creature was once again moving into the living room.
"Well, that's not working," said Prue as Piper and Phoebe stepped up next to her. "We'd better think of something fast."
If we had a Power of Three spell we could vanquish it," Phoebe said. "Only I haven't had a chance to write one yet."
"The one we used against Jeremy," Piper said. "It's our only chance."
The sisters took each other's hands and began to incant the spell they had used to vanquish Jeremy, Piper's warlock boyfriend. As they recited the spell over and over again the creature suddenly stopped moving.
They all watched as the creature hung suspended just inside the living room. As they recited the spell over and over again small lights began to sparkle all over the creature. But the cloud creature was not being vanquished.
"I don't understand it," Piper said. "It worked against Jeremy. Why isn't the demon being vanquished?"
"Unless it's not a demon," Phoebe offered. "Ours is supposed to be the ultimate power for good. We're trying to vanquish it because we thought it was evil. But what if it isn't evil?'
"What are you talking about?" Prue asked. "Of course it's evil. Why else would a shaman send it after Marcus?"
"If that's what happened," Phoebe said, looking over at Marcus.
Phoebe turned to face the cloud creature. The magic of the spell had ceased and the creature began to move into the living room. Phoebe looked directly at the creature and began to recite a spell.
"This man pursued, this creature the key, reveal the truth so that we may see."
Almost immediately the magic from the spell enveloped the cloud. Everyone watched as the cloud settled to the floor and began to change form. Within moments the cloud resembled a man.
He stood just over six feet tall. He had shoulder length hair and was dressed in what appeared to be some type of native costume. He stood with his eyes closed for a moment, and then opened his eyes and looked at the four.
His eyes had no pupils. In fact, they didn't look like eyes at all. They appeared as black, empty voids. As if the body were simply an empty shell. He stretched out his hand toward Marcus as if reaching for something.
"Oh no you don't," Prue said, stepping between Marcus and the man. Piper and Phoebe stepped up next to her. "You don't get him until we get this sorted out."
The cloud-man turned and moved around to their right. The girls simply moved to block his way again. The man suddenly changed direction and attempted to move around to their left. Once more the sisters moved to block his way. Seeing he could not go around the sisters the man simply stood staring at them.
"Well, this is certainly strange behavior for a demon," Phoebe said.
"Quick, destroy it," Marcus said. "Destroy it before it has a chance to attack."
"I don't think so," Prue said. "It's not attacking. I just seems to be trying to get to you. I'm with Phoebe on this one. It's not behaving like any demon listed in the Book of Shadows."
"I am no demon," hissed the strange cloud-man.
"So, you can talk," said Piper.
"The magic from her spell has allowed me to communicate with you," said the man, pointing at Phoebe.
"Good," said Prue. "Who are you? Why are you after Marcus?"
"My name is Tonami," said the man. "My home is in the area you would call the Amazon Jungle. I have come to reclaim what has been taken from me. He carries it with him. I must reclaim it if I am to move on."
"The bag," Phoebe said, looking at Marcus. "That's what he wants, isn't it? What's so important about it?"
"It contains my remains," said Tonami. "The physical form I possessed in life. Until I reunite with it I am doomed to wander the Earth."
The three sisters looked at Marcus who just clutched the bag closer to his chest.