Lowlife, Scoundrel, Bandit Queen

Chapter 160 - 160 - Tips and tricks

The old man needs a moment to get his breathing under control again and although I'm still a little wary, maybe even intimidated, I pat his back to help the process along. It seems to be the right thing to do after all and he doesn't protest either. No, he really doesn't mind. When he is finally able to properly breathe again he gestures towards one of the benches of the shrine he is predominantly tending.

"Come, dear, let's sit together as we talk. My bones aren't as spry anymore as they used to be. And these night long vigils aren't helping either."

I take him up on the implied invitation and sit down with him. This gives me the chance to get a better look at the shrine too. It looks a little spooky. The ornamentation is a little heavy on the bones even though crows or possibly ravens are the most dominant features. At least the bones aren't real bones though. Best as I can tell they are carved from a light sand stone, while the raven birds are fashioned from a shiny black obsidian. It certainly makes for a striking contrast. I really can't argue with that.

Finally the old priest in his feathered robe and his beak mask pulls me out of my contemplation.

"Well, young lady, what brings one of Fox's playthings here at this hour? I'm pretty certain that you didn't just get lost while searching for your own shrine."

He chuckles and let out a laugh too. I'm most certainly not lost, but I can appreciate a joke to lighten the mood. And as I'm sitting there with him I can't help but notice that his white hair, together with the mask and the robe, makes him look a little like a magpie rather than a raven. I don't mention it though. I just grin.

"No, I'm not lost. I just thought that maybe I should turn to another, more experienced priest first, even if it isn't one serving my divine patron, before I pester the divine directly."

"A sensible approach. One well received by most gods and goddesses. So, do tell, what troubles you?"

I take a moment to order my thoughts before I share my conundrum with the old man.

"I was up on Hangman's Hill tonight. The ghosts up there were getting a little out of hand. I dispatched a few. Ran into an unpleasant fellow named Kronk but called the butcher too."

Now the old man straightens up noticeably, even though it obviously makes some of his aches worse.

"The butcher? You ran into the butcher? And you got away alive?"

"I did. And barely. Splattered him over the hillside though. Now, you make it sound like there is a story worth hearing there. Why don't you tell me? I happen to have a little time, you know."

He sputters at first, but in the end he nods in agreement. After taking a deep breath he finally begins to tell the story I have been asking for.

"Well, I'm not quite sure if you know, but … anyway, Riverrun isn't the first city in this very spot. In fact it was built upon the ruins of another. And gods and goddesses only know if there were others before that one. Proper record keeping hasn't been one of the strong points of many of the city states that sprung up here in the frontier lands for the longest time."

He pauses briefly to catch his breath. Then he continues.

"Anyway, that city wasn't a pleasant place. Not in the slightest. Rumor has that its lord might have been close to actually uniting the frontier under a crown once again, but the man was trying to achieve that with an iron fist. All stick. No carrot. As a result his executioner earned the nickname you already know. Rightfully too as far as we can tell nowadays."

He sighs and pauses once again. I don't push him though, as it's obvious that he isn't done yet.

"Well, it ended in blood and fire as is to be expected. That lord, always quick to suspect treachery, supposedly started to fear that his executioner might turn on him eventually and had him assassinated. With that instrument of repression gone though, the people who had kept their heads low so far rose up. And well, you know the end result. Ruins. Lots of unmarked graves which never were consecrated and as a result ghosts en mass."

I nod along with his words. It's a likely enough story. Yet, I suspect that it doesn't account for everything. Thus, this time around, I decide to dig deeper.

"Thank you. But, I suspect that isn't quite all there is to Hangman's Hill. Or am I mistaken?"

The old man lets out a sad sigh. His shoulders slump a little too. And curiously enough my [Etiquette] skill and my [Gather information] skill both improve a little, as he finally speaks up again.

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"Ha, you are a perceptive one, aren't you? Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. And yes, you aren't wrong. So far I have told you about the past of the place and its ghosts. As it'S often the case, that's not where the story ends though. Never mind that it would already be bad enough if that were the case."

He pauses once more. He really isn't used to long speeches like this it seems, but he soldiers onward anyway, which I in turn know to appreciate.

"When our current lord's ancestors founded Riverrun on the ruins of the old city not too long ago, they weren't exactly saints either. They didn't follow in the footsteps of the past, but public executions aren't unheard of today either. And usually the executed do not receive a consecrated grave. Mostly because that's how it has always been done."

He shakes his head and sighs once more. Then he brightens back up though.

"Maybe things will get better now though, if you really managed to disperse the lingering soul of that cursed executioner. At least some of the souls that have been gathering up there for gods and goddesses know how long might now finally be able to pass on. How did you do it anyway? It's not like others haven't tried. It was my impression that the man was too much of a coward to show himself around anyone who could actually pose a threat to him."

I shrug and think about it for a moment before I answer. The question is a pretty good one after all.

"Well, first off, it was a pretty close call. I was already surrounded by other, lesser ghosts and they already got in a few hits by the time the brute decided to show up. Maybe he thought I had been softened up enough for him to take the risk? It was a pretty close call anyway. Or maybe it was because Sezemat asked her banshee bard to shadow me? I honestly have no idea what words might have been exchanged before the wraith decided to manifest and attack."

Now the old man perks up?

"Oh? So you didn't go alone?"

I in turn snort now.

"Oh, I did go alone. I had no clue that I was being followed since my spectral shadow didn't pose an actual threat to me and decided to make her presence known only after the fact."

He nods, apparently not surprised all that much.

"I should go and see her performance again one of these days. It has been a while."

It's my turn to raise an eyebrow now.

"You know her? Oh, why do I even ask. Of course you do. I doubt there are many people who haven't at least heard of her performances. But never mind that. On the way back down from the hill she told me a thing or two about ghosts and even introduced one to me. That one is why I'm here now."

"Oh? Which one?"

"A dog at the overgrown ruins, really only the foundations, of a burned down farmhouse just a little outside town. It seems he is still lingering there, waiting for his humans … and well, it's a little heart wrenching since I doubt those will ever come back."

He raises an eyebrow, but does neither laugh nor question my motivation. Instead he sighs.

"Hmm … well, that is not an easy one. Ha, if it were easy, Báine probably would already have taken care of it. She isn't traveling these lands only since yesterday after all. She is a bard though, not a priest or a learned magician of some kind. There are some abilities you should be able to acquire, either in the service of Fox or on the path of the witch."

Now he has my undivided attention for sure and not just because he just casually admitted to having gleamed quite a bit of detail about me with his particular identification skill either. Whatever his advice may be, I suspect, that it probably will be pretty solid if not outright good. I even sit up a little straighter. Finally he speaks up again, and my attention is entirely focused on him and his words.

"Assuming that the human family of that particular canine is not lingering as ghosts themselves. Assuming that they have found their way into one divine paradise or another instead of being reincarnated, which happens at times, you might be able to draw their attention back to the mortal world, either by bringing it to the attention of your divine sponsor or by casting powerful spirit magic yourself."

He taps his lips, or rather his mask, thoughtfully for a moment, then he elaborates some more before I have a chance to ask any questions.

"The latter is more likely to succeed actually. Especially if the humans' emotional attachment to the dog was as strong as it apparently is the other way around. They might be missing their trusty companion just as much as he is missing them. It's magic that usually requires complex rituals though and more Mana than most spellcasters can ever muster."

He pauses once more to catch his breath.

"Reaching out via Fox as your proxy can be considered easier by comparison. You just need to find the right words for the prayer, which shouldn't be too hard for you. Unless those humans were followers of Fox themselves though, which is rather unlikely for farmers, Fox in turn will have to strike a deal with another god or goddess, which can be tricky."

I feel that now is the right time to speak up again myself.

"Two pathways. One of soul searching so I might find the right words to beseech Fox. The other one of learning so I might call out directly by myself. Both worth pursuing in general even if one promises more personal growth."

The old man lets out a dry chuckle.

"Yes, pretty much. Aptly put. I hope you don't find this kind of advice useless."

I shake my head.

"No, not at all. I already knew the goal. You gave me direction. Now I can begin to figure out the steps that will get me there."

He chuckles.

"Good to hear. I hope you fill find success in pursuing this particular endeavor. Now, I'd show you out, but somehow I doubt that you'll be leaving through the front door. Or am I mistaken?"

"Oh, you know me quite well already. I think I'll go the way I have come. Across the rooftops, like a breeze hardly anyone will even notice."

I bow to him. Not very deep, but deep enough to show some respect.

"Thank you for your advice. I'll be on my way then."

My gestures and words seem to be just about enough to earn me a much desired level up notification. One that counts towards the progress of my hedge witch class this time around.

[*Ding!* Your skill Etiquette has leveled up to level 5!]

There are no other, indirect benefits to this one, but that's alright. Progress for my newest class is already a pretty sweet benefit in my book. My thoughts are already elsewhere anyway, as I climb the stairs back up to the rooftop. It's time to get some sleep. And tonight that means that I'll hit the usual boarding house.