Chapter 220 - The Spirit in the Stone

Hump searched the mine, trying to locate the direction of the voice. Lost spirits weren’t always hostile, but they could be dangerous. In a place as enriched in essence as this mine, they couldn’t be too careful.

“Can you tell where it is?” he asked Celaine.

Her arrow still gleamed with silver light, the blessing of Owalyn radiating throughout the chamber. “Not yet. I don’t sense a threat though.”

“So it’s either really weak or really strong,” Hump said. “Rehk, stay close and let us deal with it. Shout if you see something.”

“Do not fear curses spirit,” Rehk snarled, drawing her long knife. She and Tokdaar shuffled over to them.

“Hold on!” the voice came again. “I’m not a bad guy. Don’t kill me. Please, I just want to get out of here.”

Celaine turned to the left, locking on to one of the small side tunnels. It ended in an abrupt collapse. The two of them shared a suspicious look and Celaine shrugged. Hump took that as his cue to find out more.

“Do you have a name?” Hump asked.

“Erm… I think so. Yeah! Walt. My name’s Walt.” His voice carried in the room with a strange echo, enhanced somehow by essence, yet at the same time, he sounded like an ordinary person. There was no malice, no sinister edge to his tone.

Celaine let the essence in her arrow fade, withdrawing her blessing and creeping toward the tunnel. Hump followed, staff still at the ready.

“Good to meet you, Walt,” Hump said, trying to sound relax. “Do you know what you’re doing here?”

“I’m a miner. At least, I was one. A real expert with the uh, pickaxes… yeah. I think I… died. Huh. That really sucks.” The disappointment in his voice was palpable, and it made Hump nervous. Spirits that understood they were dead were usually not the friendly kind.

“This might turn quickly,” Hump whispered to Celaine. “Be careful.”

“Try to keep it talking,”

Hump nodded. “I’m sorry to hear that, Walt,” Hump said. “We’re trying to get to you. Can you tell where you are?”

“Not sure. It’s dark. Does that help?”

“A little. Just keep talking. We’re following your voice. Why do you speak Alveronian? I saw markings on a stone outside in another language.”

There was a long pause. “Don’t know anything about another language, but I’m from Alveron. Grew up in Elenvine and came up north for work.”

“You’re a long way from home.” He leaned toward Celaine and whispered. “What do you think?”

“Sounds like a lost spirit. We should find it and help it move on.”

“Yes,” Rehk said. “Spirit is bad omen.”

“No, no, no, don’t do that! Who are those voices? Listen, I just want out. Please. I… I can show you riches. Riches beyond your imagination. I know where they kept them. Gold, essence stones, jewels—they’re still here. Just get me out and I’ll take you to them.”

“He’s lying,” Celaine said.

“I am not! Everyone knows good ol’ Walt here is as honest as the day is long.”

“We can’t just leave him here,” Hump said, stepping into the small tunnel. “I’m trying to reach you, Walt. I think we’re close.”

Rubble blocked the end of it—there had been a collapse. At least for now, he didn’t sense any evil intent from beyond.

“I guess we know how he died,” Celaine said quietly.

Hump nodded.

“Any luck?” Walt called.

“We’re working on it,” Hump said. “Rehk, keep an eye on the main entrance. Call us if anything tries to get in.”

She grunted her agreement.

Hump opened his spellbook to Transform Earth, fuelling the formation with essence. Bronze light filled the tunnel. There was a lot of stone he had to move, and he’d need all the extra efficiency his spellbook could offer. He focused, staff shining with bronze light.

“Transform Earth.”

Tendrils of bronze lashed at the ground. Stone turned to gravel, pouring downward with a hiss. Each small stone shone with essence.

“Oh! I can see something. There’s a light. Is that you?”

“That’s me. Now don’t talk for a few minutes, I need to focus.”

Moving so much stone and earth wasn’t easy. It was more than he’d ever manipulated in one go, and by the end of it, he’d exhausted much of his essence. The odd essence stone glimmered within the pile of gravel, and dry, pale bones poked out from within. Lying amongst them was a small essence stone that flickered more brightly than the others, shining with blue light.

“Why are you giants?” Walt asked. “First time I’ve met any giants If I’m honest. No offence.”

Hump frowned at that. “Giants?”

Celaine laughed. “First time anyone’s ever called you that, huh?”

Hump narrowed his eyes at her. “I can’t see you, Walt.”

“I think he’s in the stone,” Celaine said, picking it up.

“Ah!” Walt suddenly screamed. “Whoa, careful there. What are you doing?”

“Relax,” Celaine said, holding the stone out for Hump to see.

It was about as large as a chicken egg, and the flickering inside wasn’t just a light, it was the wavy lines of a spirit. The spirit became misted, turning within the stone until it was right side up, a vaguely discernible face within.

Walt gawked at Celaine. “Now that’s a sight! Wow. Giant or now, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady…”

“You take him,” Celaine said, handing Hump the stone.

“Whoa! Stop handing me around! You don’t have to be like that. I’m just trying to be friendly. Now, are either of you going to explain what’s going on? Why is everything so big?”

Hump held the stone up so that Walt could see him. “We’re not big, you’re just small. And it seems you were trapped in an essence stone of some sort. Can you come out?”

The wavy lines within took on the appearance of a disgruntled face. “I don’t think so.” There was a puff of mist within the stone, pressing against the inner shell. After a few seconds, it took on a humanoid form once more. “Nope, definitely not.”

Walt’s gaze turned toward the bones. “I guess that’s me. Or rather… was me. I’m a ghost then. Or a spirit.”

“It seems so,” Hump said. “Sorry. The best we can do is help to get you out of this stone and send you on your way.”

“You mean kill me? No, definitely don’t do that.”

“You’re only still here because your soul’s been trapped in this essence stone. There’s nothing else we can do for you. If you’re left to wander, you’ll slowly lose what memories you have and start seeking out the lifeforce of others to survive.”

“You can’t kill me! Look, I’ve been fine however long it’s been. I don’t feel evil, and I’ve not done a single evil thing since you met me! That’s got to count for something!”

“I suspect this essence mine has sustained you. I suppose we could leave you here.” Hump glanced to Celaine. “There’s no harm in that is there?”

She shrugged. “Don’t imagine anyone will be passing by any time soon, so I don’t see why not.”

“No, no, no, don’t leave me here. Look, just take me with you. I’ll follow your instructions, no problem. You’re the boss. I can help you guys. I’m well travelled, and Getsbur’s a strange place. You need someone to teach you the ropes.”

“Getsbur?” Hump asked. “Is that what you call this place?”

“Well, not here. This is a mine. But the village in the valley—I know the innkeeper at the Swinging Saddle. We go way back. I can get you hooked up with the best room. The mayor? Great friends! I’ll introduce you.”

Hump grimaced. He had a feeling he knew which valley the spirit meant. “Sorry Walt, but I don’t think there is a Getsbur anymore. What year did you die?”

“It was Five-Twenty-Six when I came to this mine, the year King Albert took to the throne. Why? How longs it been?”

Hump paused, unsure how to break the news. In the end, he decided to just be blunt. “More than four hundred years. It’s the year nine-hundred and thirty-seven.”

“Well crap. I don’t suppose the innkeeper will remember me anymore.”

He sounded glum, and Hump wasn’t all too sure what to do with him. It didn’t exactly matter if a spirit didn’t want to pass on. They’d lost part of what made them human, at least by Pantheon definition. Hump kind of liked him though.

“Well, we don’t need to hurry on conducting the ritual,” Hump said. “We’re staying here for a few hours, so we have some time, right?” He glanced at Celaine who was watching him with a frown.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” she said.

“He’s a spirit in a stone!” Hump said. “Imagine what Bud would say.”

“Bud would probably purify him.”

“Purify me? I don’t like the sound of that. What’s a Bud anyway?”

“Bud’s a person,” Hump explained. “A Chosen of Kelisia, and a friend of ours. And don’t worry about Celaine. She’s just cross because I dropped her in a river. But you really need to think hard on this. It’s not natural for a spirit to remain without a body. You need to pass on.”

“Why?” Walt asked.

“Otherwise, you’ll become a wandering spirit and lose what makes you… you.”

“I’ll cross the bridge when I come to it. Figuratively, of course. I’m not crossing any bridges from in here. But I’m not passing on! I already died once—didn’t like it. Look, just put me in your pocket and take me with you. I won’t cause any trouble. I want to see what’s changed in four hundred years. Besides, I’m full of great advice.”

Hump stared at it. He’d never seen or heard of a spirit that was so articulate. They were fragments of their former selves—images of what once was. They might talk, they might even be able to hold a conversation, but they couldn’t think. Was it really just the effect of being in an essence stone mine that did this, or was it something else?

Hump found himself studying the stone itself. It was larger than the other essence stones he’d seen here, and smooth to the touch, as if it had been refined. Perhaps the answer lay in the stone itself. If they were dealing with an entire soul rather than just a fragment of one, then Walt was still whole in everything but body.

“Why are you staring at me like that, buddy. You look hungry.”

“I’m trying to figure out how it’s possible for you to exist. And I’m Hump, by the way. This is Celaine.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Walt said. “And I’ve got no idea how I got here, honest! One day I just woke up like this and everything was dark. After that, time seemed to blur by. Hard to believe I slept through four hundred years. You’re both Chosen of the Pantheon, right?”

“I’m a wizard,” Hump said. “And no, they probably won’t.”

“By the Light! Things must have changed. Nobody would have admitted to being a wizard in my day. You’d have been burned alive. Wait, are you on the run? I’m totally an expert at avoiding the Inquisition.”

“Why would a miner need to avoid the Inquisition?” Celaine asked.

“Hazards of the trade,” he said. “You know how it is. Do we still burn wizards alive?”

“Fortunately, we don’t do that these days,” Hump said. “And Celaine’s a Chosen, but not of the Pantheon.”

As he said that, Rehk returned to the main chamber, staring at Walt suspiciously.

“A heretic, a wizard, and gnolls,” Walt said as if he could hardly believe his own words. “It’s like a bad dream. You’re not going to eat my soul or anything, are you?”

Hump laughed. “Not unless you give us a reason to. Where’s this treasure you mentioned anyway? You will show it to us, won’t you?”

“Oh absolutely! You won’t believe your eyes. It’s that way, down the tunnel where you came from.”

They followed his directions down a few other short tunnels, finding nothing but small empty caverns.

“Told you he was lying,” Celaine said.

“I’m not lying! Someone must have taken it. Look, it really was here. You believe me right, Hump? It’s been four hundred years. A lot can change in that amount of time. Please don’t eat my soul.”

“We’re not going to eat you,” Hump said.

They got a fire going. Rehk watched it cautiously, more talkative than ever as she protested Walt’s presence. It seemed gnolls were even more superstitious than humans. Nisha, on the other hand, was entranced by him. He left the stone behind their travel packs and she jumped around it, peering at the little spirit inside as he yelped and shouted.

Finally with some time, Hump opened his spellbook to a selection of cantrips he’d gained from a book on home maintenance from the Daston library. They’d spread their clothes out on the ground nearby.

“Keep your eyes to yourself,” Hump said.

“Hump, you’re being pathetic,” Celaine snapped.

“I know what you’re like, Celaine. You can’t help yourself.”

“Just get on with it.” She laughed. “I’m freezing.”

“Humans strange,” Rehk said, then repeated it in gnollish. Tokdaar chortled a laugh.

Hump filled the formation with essence and said, “Swift Dry.”

It wasn’t a spell he’d practiced, but with his heightened ability with magic, he found himself capable of simple cantrips on the first go so long as he had a perfect formation, and with Compact Formations, that was always close at hand. It was essence inefficient, and a lot of effort, but he got everything dry.

They dressed again quickly, the protection against elements enchantment on his cloak and battle robes like immediate bliss.

Despite the dry clothes, Hump still felt chilled. He’d used a lot of essence, but fortunately, he had a solution at hand. He ventured over to the puddle of essence water, taking an empty potion vial and filling it up for a drink. It was more a pool than a puddle, going maybe a foot into the ground. He took a swig. Cool liquid ran down his throat, but it spread warmth throughout his body. He took a breath, relishing in what might just be the best drink he’d ever had, then downed the whole thing.

His mind sharpened. The cold of essence overuse went away, and even his tiredness retreated. He felt refreshed.

“What is it?” Celaine asked.

“That might just be the purest essence water I’ve ever seen. You should try some, and we definitely need to bottle this up.”

They spent an hour more sorting through the various items in the mine. The tools would be invaluable, and Hump insisted Celaine pack them into her belt despite her protests. Afterward, he and Walt sat out by the cave entrance, staring out into the night. Nishari fell asleep in Hump’s lap at some point, while Walt talked about what Alveron used to be like. What struck Hump was how oppressive the Pantheon sounded—forget being a wizard, just speaking out against the gods as a joke might get someone killed.

Hump did his best to catch Walt up on the goings of the world, though history was far from his strong point. He spoke of the fall of Bermere, one of the great cities that was now lost to the Fallen Lands, the alliance with Nilesh to the south, and some of the advancements in artificery like hot water on demand and the writing duplicator.

As the sun rose, their discussion fell quiet.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Hump stared up at it through the trees and over the large rocky hill before them, wondering if the mists had rescinded yet. “Yeah.”

“I appreciate you talking to me. I think I’m ready.”

“You sure?” Hump asked.

“I’m sure. No point living life in the dome. I’m ready to see what’s waiting for me. How does it work?”

“Theoretically, I should be able to draw you out just like essence. Once you’ve lost your anchor point, there’s nothing to keep you here.”

The mist in the stone reformed, and Walt gave him a nod. “Let’s get this over with.”

Hump suddenly felt strange, like he was killing a person, not just helping a spirit pass. He pushed that thought aside though, knowing there was no avoiding this. Everyone had their time, and for Walt’s, his was now.

Hump reached for the essence in the stone and pulled. As he did, he felt warmth wash through him. His core exploded with essence, his Spirit Well at the centre of his channels was clearer in his mind than even when he was meditating on the technique. He felt essence surging through his body.

Walt’s scream ran through his head, and Hump released his grip on the essence. He opened his eyes to see the essence stone shining brightly, Walt still flickering inside.

“What happened?” Celaine asked, rushing over.

“And you have the gall to call me evil! He just tried to eat me!” Walt shouted.

“I did not!”

“Then how would you explain it?” Walt asked.

Hump frowned down at him, wondering what that power he’d just felt was. “I have no idea.”