CHAPTER 2: Incident

[color=F2473F][i]“Good Morning.”[/i][/color] The spirit’s voice – awfully playful this time – echoed in his mind as he slowly roused from his sleep. Melodic chirping and the sound of people going about their day could be heard coming from outside the inn’s window. Alger opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling, the muddled look on his face clearing out after a few moments.

[color=4876FF][i]“Morning. I dread to think about the source of your jubilation…”[/i][/color] It hadn’t been once or twice that Alger had woken up to find the spirit excited, and he’d grown to learn that signaled it had been up to no good while in control of his body. Anything from running in the woods searching for alchemic ingredients, to finding himself with the results of a strange ritual, to even in the possession of gold not his own. It’s actions were so random that Alger had almost believed that he’d been possessed by a spirit of mischief and not some great sage from days of old.

The spirit did not immediately attend to his worries, instead letting out a soft giggle, almost ethereal. Its refusal to give a clear answer frustrated Alger immensely, but he decided against arguing with the disembodied voice in his head, first thing in the morning. It was only when he made to rise from the bed that he realized there was something – or somethings, as they were more than one – under the covers of the bed. He tried to move his arms, but they were pinned beneath their weight. His brain was already racing with the possibilities, but he didn’t dare believe his hunch. What could possibly be resting with him, in his bed, after he’d given his body over to the spirit?

He slowly moved his hands, clutching the cover from inside and inching it downward slowly until two tuffs of hair appeared in his periphery, one blonde, the other brown. As if sensing the cold breeze of early morning slipping under the cover, the two bodies shuffled closer to him, and he felt all kinds of things stirring, both under the sheets and in his mind.

[color=4876FF][i]“We will have to talk about boundaries… again…”[/i][/color]

The only response was more giggles.
[hr]
[color=4876FF][i]“At the very least, tell me you didn’t…”[/i][/color] Alger tried to remain relatively calm as he stood in front of the table in his room, idly re-checking the contents of his bag.

[color=F2473F][i]“You can rest assured, boy. I am able to start and stop several functions of your body while it’s under my control.”[/i][/color] This time the spirit talked in a gruff, confident voice, something that elicited hope in the young man.

[color=4876FF][i]“Hmm, good. I cannot leave bastards whenever I go like my father, not at this time.”[/i][/color] Alger’s face scrunched up at the thought of his half-siblings; he’d help the unfortunate souls that shared some common blood with him whenever he’d come across one, but he had grown increasingly weary of the reputation of his House’s lord. Introductions with this kind of infamy tied to his family name and it was no surprise that Alger was fed up with the idea.

[color=F2473F][i]“At this time? So, maybe, some other time is alright with you?”[/i][/color] The voice changed to playful once again, making Alger feel like a fool for having opened his mouth. Well, technically he hadn’t as the conversation had taken place in his mind, but nevertheless he opted to change the topic before the spirit could make fun of him more.

[color=4876FF][i]“The clergy of this place are powerful. I’ve heard from Robert that they fall under the jurisdiction of some influential High Priest, straight from Paterdormus.”[/i][/color] Ashford, whilst medium in size relative to other settlements, had been one of importance to the holy capital of the Exalted faith as it was one of the last stops before the Ashgate itself, and thus acted as a resupply town for the clergy permanently stationed at the Gate itself. Thus, the presence of the faith was quite strong in this little hamlet, with not one but two churches having been built in it.

Alger rummaged through his knowledge of the place as he exited his room, heading down the stairs for breakfast. The main area of the inn was quiet in the early hours of morning, with few patrons occupying the tables and going through breakfast of their own. Alger took a seat at one of empty tables and motioned for the barkeep. A gruff man, different form the one that led him to his room the other day and almost twice his size, ambled towards him.

[b]“Yes.”[/b] The man’s voice could rival the spirit’s rougher one, and his laconic tone gave nothing away as to his mood or thoughts.

[color=4876FF][b]“Simple breakfast, what do you have?”[/b][/color] Alger responded in a simple manner as well, thinking it would fare better with the man.

[b]“Bread, cheese, meat sausage.”[/b] The barkeep replied, his face akin to stone.

[color=4876FF][b]“What kind of meat?”[/b][/color] Alger questioned, an action that garnered him a strange look from the man.

[b]“The animal kind.”[/b] The barkeep said simply, the words coming out of his mouth sharply before turning and walking away, presumably towards the kitchen.

Alger gawked at the man’s back as he walked away from the table, confused about the reason of the barkeep’s sudden hostility towards him. [color=4876FF][i]“I don’t particularly remember meeting that person before…”[/i][/color]

Regardless, Alger put the strange incident at the back of his mind as there were more important matters to consider. He would be meeting up with the smuggling group in two days’ time. There were preparations to be made in order to secure safe passage into any place, especially if that place would be Arugoth.

[color=4876FF][i]“Well, they should be trustworthy enough since they are getting paid…”[/i][/color] Alger’s thoughts wandered, and the spirit – which had been silent for some time now – made its own little addition. [color=F2473F][i]“I will take care of them if they get any funny ideas.”[/i][/color] Alger could feel the spirit’s bloodlust suffuse his being for a split second before subsiding, but even that moment was enough to inflame his emotions enough to make him lose his calmness. On impulse, he banged the table with a closed fist, eliciting surprised looks from several patrons. Once his head cleared again, he looked around in embarrassment and then back at the table, and his eyes homed in on the dent that his fist had made on the wooden material.

[color=F2473F][i]“Your strength will grow with time. The effect of your channel’s opening is only just starting to show.”[/i] [/color]The spirit offered its words in a neutral, almost aloof voice now, the kind that Alger had grown to respect the most. The spirit usually assumed this voice whenever it taught him things about magic, alchemy, and the mysteries of the world, and so he’d come to always expect something interesting to learn whenever it was the one talking to him.

[color=4876FF][i]“Yes… Recently, I have been having a strange feeling of something crawling inside of me… is this power? Magic?”[/i][/color]

[color=F2473F][i]“Inconsequential information, not required at this time.”[/i][/color]

Not satisfied with the answer he’d gotten, Alger was about to push for more out of the spirit when a familiar woman walked up to his table, depositing a plate of food and a small, wooden tankard filled with ale. Alger looked at the woman, and she looked back at him with a slight smile that brought back very recent memories.

Even before he had a chance to talk, she sat down on the table next to him, the cheerful expression on her face betraying her mood. [b]“Ah, hello handsome. Hope my father didn’t make a bad impression on you. He doesn’t like it when I…”[/b] she came a little closer again and continued. [b]“When I [i]meet[/i] new people. He doesn’t like that, but I do. It’s very pleasurable, and quite profitable, if I say so myself.”[/b]

The woman’s words struck Alger like a hammer striking hot metal, and the young man felt a few beads of sweat forming at the top of his forehead. [color=4876FF][b]“Aha ha, so that was your father…”[/b][/color] He mustered after a few moments of awkward silence.

[b]“Yeah, so regarding that story you were telling me the other night. What happened after the giant frog ate the princess?”[/b]

[color=4876FF][b]“Ah? Frog? Princess?”[/b][/color] Alger was growing more and more confused with every second, whilst the giggles from the spirit had once again returned, now even more intense.