Lowlife, Scoundrel, Bandit Queen

Chapter 158 - 158 - Casual enlightment

At first I'm the one to pick the way back to town, circling around the still somewhat haunted hill, but as we draw closer to the outskirts of town, my ghostly companion takes over, guiding us towards the circus tent. She flashes me a little grin as I raise an eyebrow in response.

"I still have a performance tonight, when the regular show winds down."

She laughs out loud.

"In fact I'm quite glad you managed to wrap up your business up there in such a timely fashion. I really don't want to disappoint my audience."

Of course we draw some stares as we pass people. Or rather, Báine does. Of course, she is a ghost after all. There is no panic though. I guess her playfully strumming a little melody on her instrument as she leads the way does help. That and the fact that she doesn't actually look gruesome like the other ghosts I have encountered so far.

It seems my little excursion to the hill hasn't exactly gone unnoticed either. I can overhear whispered conversations more than once as we pass. It's mostly superstitions and nonsense of course, but the act of listening in alone is enough to earn me a little progress for my [Perception] skill, thus it's not wasted effort.

And of course my efforts up on the hill haven't gone unnoticed. I can see the small island of light burnt into the not quite as dense as before mist on the hill by my light spells from here without even trying. I really shouldn't be wondering. I might just end up part of the city's gossip for a while, especially as I'm now seen in the company of an obvious ghost. Yes, someone will talk for sure. The only real questions is what yarn they will spin.

As we walk I notice something else though. Every once in a while my spectral guide will nod or smile apparently at an empty spot along the way. It doesn't take a genius to suspect what this might mean, but I need more than just suspicions, thus I decide to ask her after another occurrence of this kind.

"Ghosts? I mean, more ghosts? Here in town?"

She looks at me and pauses briefly. She stops casually strumming her banjo too. At long last she nods.

"Yes. Not like the ones up on the hill though. Most ghosts aren't like that in fact. Not all are human either."

That explains some things. At the same time it raises more questions as well. Even better though, this little jewel of knowledge improves both my [Gather Information] skill and my [Streetwise] skill a little. I can't quite leave it at that though. I have to dig deeper.

"Oh? Like what? I mean, what are other ghosts like? Why stick around if you could pass on? And if you say not all are human, you don't mean elves or the likes, right?"

Now she laughs out loud, a sound that draws a little more attention from nearby onlookers. She resumes playing her little tune and starts walking too once more to explain along the way.

"You really are a curious one. Fox might have poached you from Cat. As for why we stick around … well, I can't exactly speak for all ghosts, but I guess it might be because we are not yet ready to let go for one reason or another. Sticking around as a ghost instead of passing on, it's exceedingly rare to be honest, but in a place where people have lived for any length of time it'll happen eventually and again. And well, once one has become a ghost they can linger a long time. Hundreds of years or more."

She lets out a sigh. Coming from her it sounds downright mournful. We walk in silence for a moment, then she speaks up again to continue.

"Some become ghosts essentially by choice. Usually in cultures that have some kind of ancestor worship. They tend to stick to their homes, either to provide advice to their descendants or possibly even to defend that very home. That's usually not what happens around here. Around here ghosts are more often than not the victims of unfortunate accidents or murder."

The way she says it, especially the latter part, doesn't sound like it's purely second hand knowledge. She might just be speaking out of her own very personal experience. I decide not to push in that direction though. Instead I take a different approach, putting emphasis on the second part of my previous inquiry.

"And other ghosts? The non human kind?"

This turn really seems to cheer her up a little. At the same time she sounds a little mournful too though, as she answers.

"Cats are pretty common for some reason. Might be that they are almost as bad at letting go as us. It's either that, or maybe they don't care for concepts like usual or rules in general. Even living cats are a special case already. They can see us, even when we are not manifested. Other than cats, it's mostly animals or monsters that for one reason or another have formed a very close relationship with a person. Dogs for one. Oh, wait, give me a moment. Let's make a little detour. I might just be able to show you."

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The banshee bard changes direction like only a ghost can. I almost miss a step and stumble as I follow her, which curiously enough helps improve my [Balance] skill a little. She moves a little further away from the outskirts of town where the caravan has set up again, in search of whatever only she can see.

It doesn't take us too long for us to reach the spot she seems to have in mind. It's one of the rare overgrown spots in between pastures and fields this close to town. Only as I take a closer look I do realize why that is. It's an overgrown ruin, the foundations of what probably once was a small farmhouse barely visible in between the growth that has sprung up around them.

As I start to look more closely I can spot signs of a fire that must have burned quite hot. The ground in between the roots is still black and lifeless, almost like glass, in many places. My [Perception] skill improves a little, but I barely pay it any heed. Instead I look over at the ghost that led me here.

"A place of great tragedy?"

Báine nods calmly, while at the same time kneeling down to pat an animal I can't see. Finally she deigns to explain in more detail.

"Yes, a place of great tragedy but also a testament to selfless dedication and unwavering loyalty. It's an old house, from the old town upon the ruins of which Riverrun has been built, guarded by an old ghost."

Before she continues speaking she turns her attention to the still invisible ghost only she can see.

"Now, who is a good boy? Come, let my friend Viviona catch a glimpse of you. She's nice, I promise."

It takes a little more coaxing and a few additional head pats, but in the end the ghostly woman is successful. Where there is nothing one moment, there is a ghostly dog the next. I'm not sure what breed he is supposed to be, but then, maybe he isn't any special breed at all. The animal looks pretty sturdy though, yet at the same time not aggressive at all. No if anything he seems sad or possibly even miserable. As the incorporal lupine lets out a little whine the impression only gets stronger. Báine keeps patting his head while she explains.

"I'm not sure, but I'd guess he died around the same time as the rest of the town. Since he doesn't show any wounds he might not even have noticed. Might have been the smoke from the fire. That was more than a hundred years ago as far as I can tell and he still waits for his humans to this very day."

I move to kneel on his other side and reach out to pat his head as well. I stop short of actually touching him though, shooting the other ghost a questioning look.

"Go ahead. It should be save to touch him, as long as you are the one to initiate the contact. Just don't startle him. And it might actually feel unpleasant or painful if he returns any gestures of affection. Just keep in mind that he doesn't mean any harm. He'll probably stop on his own once he notices."

Her words are probably meant to be reassuring, but I still feel a little anxious anyway. I just can't help it. I reach out again to give the sad dog some gentle head pats anyway. It really feels weird, but there is no notification about any damage either to me or the ghost dog, thus I assume this should be fine.

"You really are a very good boy."

The dog lets out another low whine in response, before fading from view again, presumably to resume his long wait.

Báine, who apparently can still see him due to her own nature, ruffles his spectral fur once more, before she stands up again.

"Well, that's that. Come on, lets head to the circus. If we are lucky the show isn't over yet. I can even get you in back stage. That is, unless you'd rather retire for the night?"

I have no objections. I have been curious about the circus's show after all and am not opposed to catching even just the tail end of it for free. Thus I get up too and nod in the direction where the big tent has been set up.

"Please, lead the way."

Without much fanfare, but strumming a little tune on her instrument once more, she leads the way as I have asked of her. By now it's not far anymore and we reach our destination before long.

The space taken up by the caravan is still quite busy despite the advanced hour. The market stalls and especially the eateries are still doing brisk business. Judging by the sounds that reach my ear, the late performance over at the theater might just be coming to an end. And of course the show inside the big tent is not yet over either.

A lad possibly slightly younger than me, sitting on a crate by the back entrance half asleep eyes first me, then the ghost at my side, as we approach. Báine greets him with a cheerful wave and the young man seems to know her well enough not to panic as the ghost draws near. He has a hard time suppressing a mighty yawn as he speaks up.

"Just in time. I was getting a little worried you wouldn't make it."

The banshee bard snorts in amusement.

"Me? Late for a show? Not in this lifetime, Caolán. Anyway, this is Viviona, She is an acquaintance of the boss lady and me. Show her in please. Now, if you don't mind, there is a stage waiting for me."

And with these words she begins to quickly fade, becoming ever more transparent at first before she disappears altogether at long last right in front of our eyes.

The young man in turn just shrugs, looks my way and motions for me to follow him, as he jumps off the crate where he has been resting.

"Alright, come along. Please be quiet and stay put so you won't get in the way of anyone."

I follow the lad inside, as he holds the tent flap open for me, pondering the female ghost's choice of words all the while. Not in this lifetime? And that from a woman who already is dead? Or is that just her sense of humor? Does it really matter? Oh well, never mind. I have other things to worry about, or rather enjoy right now anyway. The tail end of this night's show here at the circus!

We stop at an out of the way spot besides the entrance the performers are using to get in and out. It's dark, but that's alright. In fact it might be for the better considering the current act.

The tent is dimly lit, and that is already a generous interpretation. There are lanterns, but their light barely reaches the rafters. It's just enough light to make the acrobats look like flitting shadows or weightless spirits, their silhouettes clearly outlined only briefly whenever they catch some of the colorful light of the pixies dancing through the air around them.

Human sized, but not necessarily human, acrobats leaping from their trapeze and sailing through the air, while little bodies with glowing wings trailing sparkles of light spiral around them. It's a stunning double performance drawing sounds of admiration from the audience, including me, more than once. I take some pride in my own rooftop acrobatics, but this is something else entirely! I'm not ashamed to admit, that my heart might miss a beat every once in a while as I watch the stunning performance, especially considering that there is no net!