1st of Ymiden 724
The vault of the House of Rivers beckoned Cazuth’s adventurous and impetuous soul. He knew something was down there, eyes bulging as he beheld the door. There was something, or someone down there. It was giving off a great deal of energy, whether ether, ephemera, or ectoplasm even. Cazuth could taste it on the stale air of the sub-levels of the House of Rivers.
What had Master Long been hiding? Why didn’t he let anyone come down here? And why did he come down himself, if there was nothing worth seeing, as he insisted?
Cazuth would find out tonight, by hook or crook. There was a great deal of trust placed in students, so it was really little trouble to palm the key off of Master Long’s study while he was not there. Guards weren’t set to his things. The igelak determined that he would be back before his master found out he’d taken the key.
The House of Rivers dealt with transgressions such as stealing or aggravated assault internally or by exiling problem students. Which wasn’t really what Cazuth wanted. He did care for Master Long, but his curiosity and hunger for learning more about the House of Rivers burned in him. He would see what was down there, even if it got him in trouble with his father.
So he stood before the door, key in hand. There, he didn’t wait any longer but placed the key in the lock, and turned it. The door opened, and Cazuth placed the key around his neck as he entered.
His eyes searched the dimly lit place, illuminated only faintly by sickly iyo bug lamps. The blue lights cast a unearthly eerie glow over the corridor, but as his eyes adjusted to the gloom he could see a trunk at the end of the way. Was this it? Just a trunk of things? What could possibly be so important that Master Long kept them sequestered here?
Cazuth approached the trunk, and as he arrived knelt before it. With another deep breath, he put the key in the lock, and twisted again. The click of the mechanism signaled the unlocking of the chest. With a deep breath, he opened it.
Inside, a riversteel wooden katana lay, well polished and cared for, oiled and laminated to perfection. The grain of the wood was fairly plain, an average piece of work, all told. Why was this humble katana so important that it needed to be hidden and why wasn’t it in the room with all the other weapons that were on display, having belonged to former masters of the House of Rivers?
Beside the meager katana, was a rattan hat, bearing lists of names in Xanthean. Cazuth squinted as he read the names off. But at the top, was a hanging ticket with one name in very large script. Shaito.
As he read it, he felt a sudden rush of energy pour over and through him. Then he felt a presence behind him.
Turning around, he saw a ghost materialized before him. Eyes bulging at this sudden appearance, he surmised he’d found the source of energy at the heart of the House of Rivers. And it was this powerful ghost.
“I…” Cazuth began.
“You have violated the sanctity of my grave.” Shaito intoned, solemnly. “Now you must serve as wheat or chaff.”
A strange proclamation, yet for whatever reason the Igelak felt compelled to great respect for this ghost, this spirit. He bowed before him. “I offer myself as a wheat seed.” Cazuth said it without really knowing what he meant by it. Only that he wanted the honor of serving this ghost’s purpose. He wanted inexplicably to help the ghost, to soothe its tormented soul… if indeed it was tormented. As even Cazuth knew that existence as a ghost was not a comfortable one.
Shaito looked down on the igelak, “What manner of creature are you, to offer serviec? Are you beast or mortal?”
“I am… igelak?” Cazuth said, lifting his bulging eyes up to stare at the ghost. “I am Master Long’s adopted son.”
“Then, since you’ve broken the compact of this tomb, it is now upon you to carry out my retribution.” The ghost growled.
Cazuth blinked. “Retribution?”
“It falls upon you to correct Master Long’s great list of sins, of his devastation of the lives of those who he’s vanquished.” Shaito said, “Beginning with me, who was named Shaito in life.”
Cazuth frowned, was this why all this peace-talking and pacifism and running away was being pushed by Master Long? Did he not want his students to follow a flawed path? Or was he suffering some lingering guilt over some killings? It all began to come together. Suddenly, a wave of sympathy and affection poured out of the igelak’s heart, toward his Master who he’d thought was being unfairly harsh on his son and pupil. No, he was trying to spare Cazuth the same grief he’d suffered, knowing how many lives he’d snuffed out.
Cazuth decided he wanted to make it better, to give Master Long his redemption, even if it meant Cazuth would be the one to do it. He was not the blood of Master Long, but he would give his own to see this task done all the same.
“I accept, Master Shaito.”
Then, another presence appeared to him, this one taking the form of a short woman of frightening countenance. She was black of hair, pale of skin, with red eyes. The faint smell of blood hung about her, and the ghost reacted to her presence, in apprehension.
“Your vow of service does you credit, young being.” Famula said to Cazuth. “And I will lend my power toward your task, of binding these restless souls. Starting with this…”
With that said, a power began moving through Famula, into Shaito. She anointed him, as a greater ghost. Cazuth didn’t understand what happened, but she’d made him a Wisp, to fulfill the contract that Cazuth had sworn himself to.
“Now, Shaito shall be your shadow. Take up his anchors, and wear them with the solemnity of the duty you’ve sworn.” And with that, Famula touched Cazuth with his power, and then vanished.
Shaito vanished as well, entering Cazuth through possession, though he was dormant for the moment, engaging in static possession.
Cazuth however could hear the footfalls, familiar to him, of Master Long. Before the igelak could get out of that place, and after he’d taken the anchors, Master Long tore into him verbally.
“This is forbidden! What are you doing here?!”
“I…” Cazuth started, “I was…”
“You have broken trust, and stolen the key to this place.” Master Long said, and then pointed toward the exit, while holding a hand for the key. Cazuth reluctantly let him have it. “You must go now. Do not return, until you settle the soul of this departed ghost you’ve released.”
“Father…”
“Leave.”
So what could Cazuth do? He prepared his things, and left the House of Rivers, perhaps forever.
