SEVEN
"Is that's what's in the bag?" Prue demanded of Marcus.
"It's a protection charm just as I told you," Marcus insisted. "It was given to me by a shaman."
"Yeah, but a protection charm from what?" Phoebe asked. "I've never heard of a protection charm made from someone's remains."
"It is an Essence Bag," said Tonami. "It contains my heart and life essence. The rest of my body was burned and the ashes were scattered. That is all that remains of my body. Without it I can never find rest."
"That's a lie," Marcus screamed. "He's trying to trick us?"
"He?" Piper questioned. "You said 'he' not 'it'. You know who this is, don't you?"
"No, no, of course not," Marcus said.
"Tonami," Prue said, "what happened to you?"
"He came to our village," Tonami said. "He brought many men with large machines. He told us we would have to leave our ancestral home. We refused and there was much arguing.
"Then he suffered an injury. The bite of the Taski beetle is deadly. The victim dies an agonizing death. Only a powerful magic can help the victim of a Taski bite.
"He sought out a powerful dark shaman. The shaman used an ancient, forbidden magic. The magic traps the essence of another. It uses that essence to protect against the venom of the Taski beetle. The shaman used the incantation.
"I was the first to enter the circle of power created by the shaman. I was rendered as if dead. My spirit was forced from my body. The shaman then removed my heart and created the Essence Bag. Then my body was destroyed to prevent me from undoing the magic."
"But if you can get the Essence Bag back it will undo the magic?" Prue asked.
"Yes," said Tonami. "It is the only way to undo the magic. To allow my spirit to move on. Until I do I am doomed to wander the Earth."
"Well, Marcus?" Piper questioned. "What do you have to say about all this?"
"It's a lie," Marcus insisted, backing away from the group. "This is some kind of demon trick."
"I don't think so," Phoebe said. "Our Power of Three spell didn't work and nothing is supposed to be stronger than that. I think it was because we were trying to vanquish something that isn't evil. Which means it can't be a demon."
"Look, I only did what I had to do," Marcus protested. "It's not my fault he got caught up in this. This bag is the only thing keeping me alive. You're supposed to be witches. You're supposed to protect the innocent. Well, I'm an innocent. You have to protect me."
"You gave up being an innocent when you helped take an innocent life," Prue said. "What you did was nothing short of murder. Now you have to make it right. You have to give back the bag so Tonami's spirit can move on."
"Never," said Marcus, clutching the bag closer to his body. "He's dead. There's nothing we can do for him. But if you take this bag from me I'll die. That would also be murder. You can't force me to give it up."
Prue looked at Marcus and then at Tonami. What Marcus said did make some sense. Tonami was all ready dead. And if they took the bag from Marcus he would die. She looked at her sister and then back at Marcus.
"Look," said Prue, "what happened to you was unfortunate. But you can't make Tonami pay for that. He's an innocent. He's done nothing wrong. But what you did was wrong. And it looks like we're the only ones who can set it right again."
Prue squinted her eyes and the bag Marcus was holding was pulled from his grasp. It flew across the room and landed in Prue's hand.
"No," Marcus cried out.
Suddenly a look of pain crossed Marcus' face. He cried out in pain and doubled over. Then he fell to the floor and simply faded from the living room. Prue turned and handed the bag to Tonami.
"Here," she said. "I hope this helps you rest easier."
"It will," said Tonami, taking the bag. "I can now move on to my final reward. I thank you for your help."
Tonami bowed slightly to the three sisters. He smiled at Prue and then he, too, faded from the living room. Without a word Prue turned and headed for the stairs and her room. Both Piper and Phoebe could tell that their sister was greatly troubled.