literature

3_45 Mind Games

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PheonixLight's avatar
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Since he'd been possessed by a ghost what seemed like ages ago, Zane had shut down the necromancer part of his mind-- blocking out all contacts with the Spirit World he had. But a nagging sensation had filled his mind since he'd entered the tower-- small at first, but with greater strength as time passed-- and had now reached an almost unbearable level of annoyance.

As he watched Will and Orion dart silently into the hall, he allowed his mind to open slightly to the energy surrounding him, prepared to snap shut again if he sensed any ghosts.

Zane, do not block your mind.

The voice filled his mind, making him jump. It was strong and assertive, but there was a hint of something else that gave the speaker away. "Ali."

I need your help. Let me in.

Zane opened his mind readily, and allowed the ghost entry. "What are you doing here?" he asked her quickly. "I thought you would've… you know… moved on."

Zane, I'm not dead. I'm… drifting.

"What does that mean?"

Can I explain it to you when Robert's not about to die? I need you to go into my room and get something-- now, while Will and Orion are preoccupied.

"Why do they need to be preoccupied?" Zane asked as he slid into the hall. He couldn't deny that it was strange to have Ali moving among his thoughts and memories. "They could help."

This is something Will would definitely not approve of, Ali told him firmly as he opened the door to her room. Go to the center shelf of books.

Zane obeyed, trying to ignore the tickling sensation he was getting between his eyes. "Oy, those are private," he said, mentally pushing Ali out of a series of personal memories from his childhood.

You're no fun.

"We can talk about how not fun I am later," he snapped. "Now what am I looking for?"

Second shelf, fourth book to the left.

Zane pulled the book off the shelf and glanced at its cover. "'The Art Of The Needle: A Ladies' Guide To Sewing'?" he said skeptically. "You want me to start sewing?"

Open it.

Zane did as he was told, flipping the book open casually. What he found was not what he was expecting at all. "You hollowed out your 'Ladies' Guide To Sewing' to hide a book on necromancy?" he breathed, sliding 'The Dark Arts: Necromancy' out of the destroyed husk of 'The Art Of The Needle'.

No, I hollowed it out to hide my private journal. Ali told him with a sniff. When I found that sitting on the shelf in Marius' study, I got suspicious. He was never that clever. Now find what it says about removing spirits from someone who's possessed.

~~~

Will held her knife close to her chest, bracing herself to strike out at anyone who rounded the corner. Orion followed close behind, clutching a dagger of his own in his good hand. His bad arm hung uselessly by his side-- any hopes of it healing were long gone. "Ori, I don't think there's anyone here," she whispered to him, absentmindedly using the nickname he'd been given when they were little kids.

"Are you sure?" he whispered back. "Can't you use your Seer powers or something?"

Will stamped hard on his foot before turning her attention back to the dim staircase ahead of them. "I'd only be sure if I went all the way to the bottom," she told him. "And we don't have time for that. I have to go back up to Rob--"

"Move," Orion said briskly, pushing past her. "I'll go. You stay here and keep an eye on things."

"But your arm--"

Orion turned his gaze on Will, and she could see the same sternness in his eyes that had always been in their mother's glares. "Will, I'm not four," he told her. "I'll be fine." And with that, he vanished into the shadows of the winding staircase. Will sighed and made her way back up the stairs as fast as she could. She hoped Zane had thought of another way to cure Robert, but she highly doubted it. If wiping Robert's memories was their only option, she would do it. Zane had proved that it wasn't a permanent effect, but that did little to soothe her feelings of dread when she thought about it.

"Zane, are you--" Will began as she rounded the corner into the study, returning her knife to its sheath. Her stomach dropped sickeningly. "What the Hell are you doing?!"

Zane looked up at her, and she could see his eyes were purple. "This is the only way," he said to her before turning back to Robert. The king had gone still once again, but Will could see his chest moving up and down-- he was alive. Zane moved his hands over Robert's head, his lips moving too fast for Will to read. A grey mist rose from Robert's parted lips, evaporating in the cold air of the study. Will moved forward towards them, but Zane shook his head, his eyes still fixed on his work.

A breeze picked up in the study, sending papers flying around the room. Will ducked, covering her head with her hands as heavier objects began to move-- slowly, but the wind was picking up. She stared at Zane desperately, shouting at him to stop, but he could not hear her over the wind. He lifted his hand to his forehead. Carefully, as if he was adding the final stitches to a fine gown, he pulled a gleaming gold thread from his brow. It broke away from him and hovered in midair, forming into a pulsating sphere. Before Will could do anything, the globe shot through the air, hitting Robert in the heart.

~~~

Marius looked up as the grey fog began to clear, his eyes alight with anger and confusion. "What are you doing?" he shouted at Robert, who was pushing himself to his feet. Marius' form was almost completely solid now-- only a slight hazing of his outline was left unfinished. Robert himself was barely visible-- he could see Marius through his hand.

Robert took his chances. Marius was distracted by the clearing fog, so he dived forward, tackling the other man to the ground. He punched him once in the jaw before Marius pushed him off, rolling neatly to his feet. Robert was not as quick to recover, which earned him a kick to the stomach. He fell again as Marius' boot connected with his gut again, knocking the air out of him. Robert rolled desperately to one side, avoiding Marius' next blow.

"You're pathetic," Marius sneered. "Killing you will be easier than I thought."

"Funny," said a familiar voice from right behind them. "I was about to say the same to you."

Marius' eyes grew wide-- for the first time, he looked genuinely terrified. He spun to face the newcomer. "No," he stammered. "You can't--"

"Yes," Ali said, spreading her arms grandly. "I can."
Comments6
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HippieLlama's avatar
Zane, your girlfriend is rifling through your childhood memories
SHE'S GOING TO FIND YOUR CRUSH ON WILL
but more importantly
SHE'S GOING TO FIND YOUR CHILDHOOD HAIRCUTS
SAVE YO'SELF

No but seriously let her in because she's not allowed to be dead :ohnoes:

And then he does
AND HE SHOOTS ROBERT WITH LIGHT

SHOT TO THE HEART
AND YOU'RE TO BLAME
:iconimdeadplz: