Author's Notes: asdf;lkj It's been a while, huh? Sorry about the wait orz. Quick summary again, since it's been over a year:

Lise came to Amatsu's Tatami Maze to learn more about the fabled Incantation Samurai, but ended up talking to the other resident ghost, NightEyes, instead. She learns that she looks like the late wife of NightEyes and that he wants to see his wife again, but Lise knows now it's not possible; NightEyes has been dead for centuries. After finding out about his less than savoury background, Lise confronts him about it, and they part ways with anger on both sides.

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Ragnarok Online

The Spectres of Amatsu

Chapter 7

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The Pronteran Church was known for its occasional crusades to the undead infested areas: Payon cave, Amatsu's Tatami Maze, the orc's dungeon, Lighthalzen's Somatology Laboratory, Morroc's Pyramids, Vein's Nameless Island and the hub of undead territory, Glastheim, amongst other locations. Yet, the undead numbers didn't seem to lessen. On the contrary, they appeared to grow as the population of Rune-Midgard grew, and the number of annual dead grew. And those hapless adventurers who ventured to those undead infested locations, looking for wealth or fame or both, and fell in battle only added to the undead numbers.

When people finally noticed matters were not improving, in regards to the walking dead, belief in the Church wavered. The belief that the coin given to the Church was being wasted on campaigns with little to no reward was staved off by claims the Church was, at the very least, containing the problem, disallowing the undead infestations to spread or become significantly larger.

Slowly, the holy spells of the Church's casters were refined over time, the Pronteran Church conducted more crusades and raids upon the undead. Finally, there were signs of progress, as the Church began to whittle away at the undead numbers. The Church believes it can put an end to the undead numbers, but whether that is something they can truly achieve is another matter.

- Unknown Author

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NightEyes had started off sitting crosslegged in front of that table. Just waiting. Waiting to see if the priestess would come back. Maybe she wouldn't. She seemed angry enough with him not to come back. Fuck he'd never understand that woman. What she seemed to want was so different from what she said. So different from Adrianna, so confusing. Maybe it was a good thing she wasn't going to return. Then he wouldn't have to see that fake face, and be reminded of all the promises he made and broke.

But he'd have to face up to it eventually, wouldn't he? When he saw Adrianna again, for real.

Eventually his seated position turned into a slouch, and then a lounge as he leaned an elbow against the table and rested his head against his hand, turning onto his side. He barely batted an eyelid when the Incantation Samurai silently entered the room, the young prince the Samurai possessed slowly sitting on the floor and tucking his legs under him as he knelt. NightEyes pointedly ignored the Samurai; he wasn't in the mood for talking to his prisonmate. Not when it was the Incantation Samurai's damn fault that he was stuck here in the first place. He didn't know how much time had passed since he first came in here. There were no time pieces, no more candles that would burn. He couldn't even use the natural count of breathing to keep track of time; he didn't breathe anymore. All he knew was that too much time had passed, with silence as their only other companions. He hated it. Silence. It meant he wasn't doing anything, and that was boring.

Apparently the Incantation Samurai wasn't content to let the silence stretch. Normally NightEyes would welcome the distraction, if it wasn't for the topic the Incantation Samurai chose. "You seem to be quite attached to that priestess. You spend an inordinate amount of time with her. Why... does she remind you of someone?"

NightEyes kept his silence, not really wanting to answer that, but unable to bring himself to say anything to deny it. How could he, when it was true, and something he hadn't really figured out for himself? NightEyes wasn't one to ask questions, and when he did, he was used to knowing someone with all the answers. The fucking samurai didn't have answers, and that damn priestess only gave him questions.

"She looks a lot like your woman, come to think of it..." the Samurai mused aloud. His hollow voice took on an amused tone. "I'm surprised you don't push her to the ground and-"

NightEyes leaped across the square table, meaning to tackle the possessed prince and punch him in the face. But the Incantation Samurai was fast, always fast, and dived out of the way, even as NightEyes landed with a roll onto his feet. If the Incantation Samurai had a face, NightEyes knew there would've been a smirk on it at the sight of his own angry snarl.

"I appear to have struck a nerve. Can't stand that I know the truth?" The Incantation Samurai easily parried NightEyes' curved dagger, eyes glowing red. "It must be painful for you to simply converse with her, when what you really want to do is rip off her clothes and make her scream your na-"

"Feeling jealous?" NightEyes hissed, mouth widening to show his long line of teeth. He felt the Incantation Samurai draw back for a split second, before the other ghost pushed him back. But in that split second, Night's foot found the table's top, and he used Incantation's push to get himself air, landing close to the opposite wall. He ignored the prickling sensation he was getting under his feet, and broke into barking laugh, tongue lolling out of his mouth. "Not feeling the attention? It must be so lonely without me, you little rat." He jumped over a horizontal slash from the Samurai, twisted his body to avoid the second. He couldn't help but feel a little excited. "Missing your fix with me?"

"Hardly," the Samurai responded, a breathless laugh coming from his bony jaw as the bones and teeth clacked together. He sidestepped NightEyes' leap towards him, bringing his sword slashing towards the stalker. NightEyes', in a feat of acrobatic skill, barely evaded it and kicked up at the flat of the katana's blade. It flew into the air, but the Samurai easily caught it by the grip and pointed it at NightEyes. "I just think it's amusing you didn't even have your way with her before she decided to kill you."

Too surprised by the Samurai's words, NightEyes barely registered the Incantation Samurai's gauntleted fist smashing into his face.

His back hit the square table, the force of his body colliding into it almost enough flip it over him. Before he could get up, though, the blade of a katana was at his throat. "Just look at you, NightEyes," the Samurai said, shifting the angle of his blade. "It's not like you to be caught off guard like this. Have you forgotten what you are? We're dead, boy. Ghosts aren't bothered by mere tangible objects... or women."

NightEyes stared. That prickling feeling under his feet had become a distinct burning. He knew this sensation; it was the same as those wards all around the Maze. Was that fucking priestess really trying to kill them? "You fucking idiot!" he shouted at the Samurai, phasing his body to something ghostly, and back again as the Incantation mirrored his action. "Are you trying to get us both killed? Didn't you have shit you wanted to take care of?"

His anger rose to panic as the Incantation Samurai didn't answer him and the burning didn't go away. Fuck, the tin-can couldn't be this stupid, could he? He had to be feeling this burning as well. Both of them still had things to do after they got out of here!

Quicker than the eye could see, NightEyes threw his dagger at the Incantation Samurai. But curved daggers didn't fly very well, and it simply tore through the paper wall of the room and landed in the corridor behind. Yet, the Samurai didn't relent. It was only the split second before the exorcism spell went off that the Incantation dived to the side, phasing into a ghostly form and going right through the walls, NightEyes following suit, but a moment slower. The spell went off in a burst of holy energy, bathing the room in rising light. NightEyes landed in a roll, skidding messily to his feet; the exorcism spell had managed to catch his legs before he'd exited the room through the wall.

He could see the shadowy form of the priestess, and took off in her direction. He dived forward again, the Incantation Samurai's blade narrowly missing him, rolling through the paper wall before phasing back to a solid form again. There was a look of surprise and panic on the priestess' face when she saw him, but he didn't have time to deal with her right now. "Don't just stand there, you useless woman!" Grabbing hold of her arm, he pulled her towards him, the Samurai's blade slashing where she used to be.

"Why are you still protecting her?" the Incantation Samurai demanded, attacking again. NightEyes pushed the priestess away from him, barely managing to avoid the attack. He had no weapon, while the Samurai still had both of his. He should've known the coward was going to run away at the last moment.

"That's-!" Dammit, the tin-can was still targeting her! NightEyes' shielded the priestess from the Incantation Samurai's attack, even as she chanted from the ground, voice shaky. But, as he felt the pain from across his torso down to his hip -- the same way he died the first time, he couldn't help but notice -- NightEyes knew that it was over for him. "... none of your damn business." And his body disappeared in a wisp of ethereal smoke.

The last thing Lise saw before her teleportation spell completed, was the hollow face of the Incantation Samurai and his katana descending, frighteningly fast.

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