Hunting Ghosts with a Werewolf? (Ty, Loghain)

This mission

Another day another mission to make Typhon question the legitimacy of his job. This time he would be hunting ghosts. At this point nothing should surprise the young man but he still had to read the mission order a couple of times to make sure it was correct. Not only was it a ridiculous task but the shinobi he was paired with made it all the more interesting. Someone who he had worked with only once in the past Sebastian Loghain, an intimidating figure at first sight, however Ty remembered him being courteous and hardworking. When they met he seemed quite concerned for the Canopic's health. Moreso than usual at least. It certainly wasn't uncommon for him to get asked if he was feeling well or if he'd been to visit a doctor. Sometimes it was nice to know people were worried for his well being. 

The pair were to meet at night by the entrance to an old religious cemetery. An obviously cliché spot to find ghosts, but one that still sent a chill down Typhon's spine. As a hand to hand fighter he wasn't all that confident that he'd be able to handle throwing down with a ghost. He hoped Loghain would be a bit more level headed about the whole situation. Standing at the archway entrance to the graveyard Ty would lean against a fence and wait for his partner in this mission to arrive. When he would, Typhon would greet the man with a handwave and a hello.

(WC 252)

Sebastian Loghain would be making his way back to his cabin, his hunting trip successful. Slung across his shoulder was a decent sized ram, the horn being used as a handle to carry the beast. The courier spotted the wolf as he approached, handing Loghain two envelops with what he assumed to be missions from the village. He would sling the ram up on the side of his cabin to let the blood continue to drain while he wiped himself off and read his tasks. It was a rather unusual assignment, though he could understand why he would have been chosen. This first envelop wasn't delivered from the shinobi forces, instead coming directly from a priest that he was on good terms with. He had a good relationship with the church, and if they had an issue it made sense for them to request him instead of someone that might see them as the enemy. The second envelop seemed to be from the shinobi administrative offices, assigning him a mission that seemed to line up exactly with what the priest had been asking of him. A civilian paid the shinobi to investigate and remove 'an unwanted entity' and he was to work with another to investigate and get rid of it.

With this request being slightly later in the day than usual, he would make sure that he addressed his kill first. The task mentioned that it would take place at night so he had time to process the ram and get it butchered and portioned out into meals. Afterwards, he would wash up and make his way towards the village. 

The meeting point was a cemetery that held great significance to the church, the final resting place of many of the priesthood that had passed from this world. There were claims that the place was haunted, though by whom he couldn't be sure. Was it a restless spirit of one of the faithful, somehow not finding peace in the afterlife? Or was it possible the spirit of a shinobi, causing havoc for the faithful that seek to pay their respects?

Loghain would spot a familiar face, the young man wearing a mask to contain the toxins housed within his body. "Hello, Typhon. A pleasure to see you again. This mission assignment is... different than what I am usually tasked with. Have you gotten any preliminary investigation done?" The wolf would ask, unsure of just how long the young man had been here while waiting for the wolf. "If not, it is probably a good idea to ask the groundskeeper if they had seen anything out of the ordinary. I'm sure that old man Frank will point us in the right direction." 

wc: 452

The chill of the desert at night was usually a welcome feeling compared to the glaring sun, but in the winter like now the nights got blistering cold. This night wasn't much different and it was times like this that Ty felt glad he always wore a mask and gloves. As he waited in the crisp air for his partner in this mission to arrive he would think about what the task was asking of them. It was undoubtedly odd, but Hoshi was full of superstition and religion and Typhon never felt the need to step on anyone's beliefs. He'd try his best here like any other mission, but what if they managed to not find anything? If ghosts exist who's to say they work on our time schedule. All sorts of different thoughts raced through his head.

With Loghain's arrival the mission could get under way. "It's good to see you again too." He would say happily. It could just be him misremembering but something about the man seemed different. He seemed stronger and a little more sure of himself in the village. A pleasant change to having an armed guard follow him along for a mission. His partner asking if he had done prior scouting made Ty feel a little stupid for just standing around waiting.

Putting his hand behind his head he'd say, "uhh no scouting done yet. But you seem to know quite a bit about this place. If you think the grounds keeper will help then by all means." He would allow Loghain to lead the way.

(WC 262)
(TWC 514)

Loghain would nod, accepting the task of speaking with the groundskeeper. The old man had to have been working at this cemetery for decades, the wolf not being able to remember a time where old man Frank wasn't keeping things in check. He lived on the property in a small single person home, far enough that he wasn't disturbing the rest of the departed but close enough to jump into action should the church need him to dig another plot or take care of some sort of emergency in the middle of the night. 

Assuming that Typhon would follow his lead, the wolf would make his way to the dwelling of old man Frank. "Mr. Frank!" Loghain would shout as he knocked on the door with the door knocker. Some might have thought that one or the other would suffice, but Loghain knew that old man was rather advanced in age and his hearing just was not what it had used to be. The door would open with a creaking sound, the squeal of the hinges seeming much louder due to the relative quiet of the night. An old man, easily in his late fifties or early sixties, would open the door to greet them. "Hello young chaps. Need you any assistance?" He would ask, the lively energy in his words making it difficult to determine his age if you hadn't been able to see him standing there. 


wc: 297
"There are reports of strange things going on in this cemetery after dark. Some of the reports claim they are spirits or ghosts causing panic in those visiting. Have you seen anything strange? Or perhaps you could shed some light on what might be going on?" Loghain would ask, pausing to wait and see how old man Frank replies.

The quiet of the chilly night was shattered by Loghain's loud voice and knock on the door. It seemed to be a bit excessive on such a still evening until the pair went inside and Ty saw the groundskeeper. The man appeared to be quite old and would probably not have heard them coming had Loghain tried to enter quietly. A small touch that one could really only get if they know the person they are dealing with. It was a good thing to keep in mind if he wanted to improve the public image of his clan. He would make a mental note to try and get to know some of the people around town. How could he change the opinion of people that he barely knows?

The old man sounded much more energetic than his appearance would suggest. Ty figured he must not be as frail as he looked. Loghain asked the groundskeeper about the occurrences in that had been reported in the area to which he needed some thought. Frank would sit down on the edge of his table and scratch his chin, "Aye I've heard some odd noises every now and then. Nothin that hasn't been happening for years. The priest seems pretty worked up about the whole thing though." the old man would clap his hands and laugh, "I saw him running out the gates white as a sheet. Looked like the man had seen a ghost."

Ty couldn't help but laugh along with Frank about the preacher's plight. He didn't really believe in ghosts and so the thought of a priest being scared like a child was funny to him. Although on second thought would the village have really hired two shinobi to come deal with something entirely fake? It seemed unlikely after all. There was probably at least something to this whole situation. If it wasn't ghosts there was always the possibility of some kids pulling a mean prank. Or maybe even a criminal trying to hide their activity behind a scary story. Either way it didn't seem like the groundskeeper knew much else about it.

"Well Frank thanks for the help. We'll keep looking into it" Ty would say exiting the man's small home. "Hmm well so far all we've got is 'noises' and a scared priest." He would say to Loghain. "Would you happen to also know who this priest is? I think he would probably be our best bet for figuring this whole thing out."

(WC 415)
(TWC 929)

Old man Frank would explain what he had witnessed to the two shinobi, seemingly emphasizing that things were (for the most part) pretty normal. The priest becoming frightened by something was... rather uncharacteristic. The members of the priesthood all frequented this area to pay their respects to those that have passed on, so something out of the ordinary had to have happened. The wolf would simply rub his chin, curious as to what it might have been. He wasn't going to entirely rule out a restless spirit, for he has not only witnessed but also been directly involved in seeing myths and monsters come to life in this magical world they all found themselves in. If a boy can conjure up the bodies of the dead and send them off to do battle, were spirits truly that unbelievable? The wolf would thank the old groundskeeper for his input and assistance and exit with Typhon.

His comrade would then ask if the wolf knew the priest in question, "Well, he didn't give a name, but I am certain that I do know the priest." To the outside observer this might seem as though the wolf had been well acquainted with nearly everyone in the church, but in reality he knew that he was delivered a letter earlier about this from a priest he knew well. He figured that the scared priest and the sender of the letter were likely one in the same, so he would nod assuredly. "We will talk to Father Brehennon. If he was not the frightened priest, at the very least I know that he can direct us to the man." The presence of two shinobi (here of all places at that) sniffing around was likely to spread quickly, and if the culprit was something not supernatural and tied to the location they likely would have a difficult time locating them once word spread. No prankster or rogue would try anything with two trained shinobi right there investigating. 

"Before we move on with this investigation, I have to ask. Do you truly think that spirits are at play here? I can't say that I am certain that those claims hold weight, but I also can't rule them out entirely." The wolf's words sounded strange, even to him speaking them, but they held a sincerity to them that was apparent to any who really listened. "If it is a corporeal foe, they had to leave behind some traces of their presence..." He would mutter, trying to figure the best action moving forward. "Speaking to the priest could provide a rogue time to clean up evidence..." He was speaking out loud with enough volume for Typhon to hear, but it was clear that his words were more directed at himself, trying to create a plan of action. 

Not wanting to take complete command of the mission assignment, he would look to Typhon for his thoughts. "How would you like to proceed? If need be we can split up to cover more ground as well. I'm sure that we can both handle ourselves if action is needed." 


wc:517
twc:1266

Loghain once again proved invaluable on this mission. His knowledge of the people in the village allowed the pair to easily figure out who the grounds keeper was talking about. A priest referred to as Father Brehennon. With the amount of priests in Hoshi they probably could have searched for weeks before finding the right one. Now it would be very little trouble to locate the man, but if that was the correct move was a different question entirely. His partner questioned whether there was really a ghost at work in this situation or something else entirely.

"I would argue that it's almost certainly something other than a ghost. We could spend all night chasing after a specter or we could do our best to find a sort of physical evidence." Ty was thankful that Loghain also had suspected something else to be afoot. He would much rather this investigation lead to something more than a few cheap scares. "Should we split up and search the grounds for some sort of clue?"

Should his partner agree, Ty would start to peak around between the tombstones looking for anything that could be deemed suspicious. There wasn't much around and what there was happened to be common items you'd find in a cemetery. There were bundles of flowers and incense burners placed at the feet of the graves. Nothing that jumped out at him as not belonging. He continued this search for a while hoping Loghain would have more luck. Ty was certainly no expert in the search for clues.

(WC 258)
(TWC 1187)

Loghain would nod in agreement with Typhon's plan to split up. They were both trained shinobi and the cemetery wasn't so big that the wolf couldn't get to his comrade in a reasonable amount of time should anything happen where he is needed. Typhon would  break off first, making his way to an area he must have suspected to be more likely to be the area the cemetery invader stayed. The wolf would simply take a deep breath, looking up at the night sky and taking a moment to reflect. Father Brehennon was not one to scare easily, so whatever it was must have been quite something. 

The wolf would look around, checking for any signs of an intruder. A misplaced boot print, a discarded cigarette butt, a piece of torn fabric... something he could go on and make a case, some sort of clue... but the investigation came up with nothing at all. Nothing was out of place, the only things he could find being very commonplace items at graves. Just when the wolf was about to give up he would catch a whiff of something new... the faintest of smells on the very outskirts of his detection range. Something was out there, and it was being cautious not to get too close. Since this was the closest thing to a clue he had found, he would hastily make his way to where the scent was coming from. It was getting stronger as he got closer. The scent of a person, their perspiration seemingly increasing as the wolf gets closer. Whoever this was, they were afraid.

Finally, the wolf would find himself in close proximity, though whatever he could smell was not in plain site. "Typhon! I got something over here!" Someone was hiding, the wolf just knew it. "I know you are there. Make your presence known or I will consider your unwillingness to comply as a threat." The wolf would then wait to see what happened next. Typhon was hopefully on his way, and this newfound adversary had a choice to make. 

wc: 345
twc: 1611

Typhon responded pretty quickly to Loghain's call. He rushed over to see what it was that his partner had found and to his surprise it wasnt some clue on the ground but a whole person. They were hidden up in the thick branches of an old tree on the grounds. It looked as if they were wearing some kind of white robe cut up to look spooky. Clearly the work of a child. Ty would try to coax the kid down from the tree in a more nonthreatening way. 

"We can clearly see you up there. How bout you come down and explain to us what's been going on here?" he would ask kindly. He was a little disappointed that this was pointing to the whole thing being a little prank. The kid dressed as a ghost clambered down from the tree and stepped up to the two shinobi nervously. "So what are you doing out here at night dressed like that?" Ty would ask calmly.

The kid looked extremely annoyed and was glaring at the pair with hateful eyes. "I was trying to scare off Father Brehennon. He's an embarrassment of a priest!" the child shouted that last part and seemed actually upset with the man.

Ty couldnt help but wonder what made a kid like this so angry. "And what makes you say that?" he would ask hoping to gain a little insight into the situation.

The child spit in the dirt and turned his head away, "My mom said shes seen him hanging around with ninjas like you. No real priest would stoop so low."

It was quite the surprise for Ty to see such prejudice spouting from a young kid. Religious fear and hatred towards shinobi was the standard for a long time and was only recently starting to turn around. Still it bugged him to see a parent pushing their hate onto a kid. He wanted to try and make a good example to this kid and show him that not all ninja are to be hated.

"Listen...I dont want to come off as rude, but you shouldn't judge someone based on who they're willing to talk to." He would step closer to the kid slightly which would set the little one off.

"Stay back murderer!" he would shout stepping back a little and putting a hand behind his back.

This sudden outburst kinda upset Typhon. He had never taken a life before and this kid knew nothing about him. Ty turned to look back at Loghain and started to speak, "Can you believe th-" His words were cut off by a sudden sharp sting in side. He craned his neck back to see that the child had come up and stabbed Ty in the rib with a small knife. His eyes shot open as he jumped back away from the blade and stumbled to the ground. 

"What the hell? The brat stabbed me!" he'd shout out. Looking up he would see the kid with a horrified look on his face, starting to run away.

(WC 510)
(TWC 1697)

Finding the culprit in the old tree, it was very clearly some sort of youth. Their size was that of a child, and the "spooky outfit" they were wearing was a simple white sheet with holes cut in it. Such a sight was far from terrifying, though he imagined that a civilian here at night with less than perfect eyes might have had a harder time discerning just what it was that was "haunting" this place. Ty would take the lead here, coaxing the kid to climb down and speak with them. 

The look of disgust and hatred on the face of the young man was something that Loghain knew all too well, though he wasn't sure yet what reason the child had to hate them so. With but a few words back and forth between the child and his comrade, it was made very clear. The thought that Father Brehennon was an embarrassment caused the wolfs lip to curl. The aforementioned priest was a kind man, good to all of those around him. He wasn't particularly fond of shinobi - as most people tend to fear and distrust that which they do not understand - but he held no lingering hatred to the wolf's knowledge. This boy made it seem like a person simply accepting that shinobi exist and not outright hating them made them a bad person. The wolf's body tensed, his heart beating just a little faster as anger flooded his mind. Still, he would hold such back for this child was just confused and not deserving of his wrath. 

That was until Typhon turn around to address Loghain, only to be quiet literally cut short. It was clear that the young man was horrified, but unclear as to why. Was it regret for his actions, or was he simply afraid of the ramifications of his hasty actions. The kid was quick to begin to flee, but such a feat simply wasn't possible. Loghain was a great deal faster than even other trained shinobi thanks to his heritage so no child, no matter how quick, was going to escape. Fortunately for the child, he would have a bit of a head start on the pair. Weaving a series of seals, the wolf would manifest Mysitcal Palm, the hand of Loghain glowing a faint green hue as he kneels down and places it over the stab wound in order to heal it. The healing wasn't the fastest, but it would suffice to mend the wound and at least stop the bleeding. If any thanks were given, the wolf would just give a silent nod and then look up to scan the area for the culprit. The kid was quick, that much was certain, but Loghain could see the youth turning into the doorway of a nearby stone mausoleum that held the remains of some of the most holy and high ranking of the priesthood. 

He was trapped....

"He's just up ahead. There aren't any other entrances or exits to that mausoleum. So long as we keep that entrance in sight he can't escape unnoticed." The tone of Loghain was a serious one, this incident removing the "kid gloves" from his hands. With a burst of speed, he would make it to the doorway, "There is nowhere to go, boy!" It was hard to see anything in the relatively dark room, but  the panicked child inside was cowering in the corner, tears rolling down his cheeks. The slight huffs and sniffles of this could be heard. With the forming of a few seals, the wolf's eyes would turn red and he would see the child's terrified state.  

"You stabbed my partner here," The wolf would say almost in a growl, "a member of the shinobi forces that seek to bring law, order and peace to the land of Haven." The wolf would step into the room, closing the distance between the two now very slowly, inch by inch. "If you were not aware, assaulting anyone -especially an officer of the law- is a punishable offense." Hoshigakure usually had a firm stance on punishing criminals, though the wolf was torn here on what to do. His duty told him one thing, while his heart another. Perhaps Typhon weighing in could help in the matter, "What should we do with him?"


wc:718
twc:2329