Ghost Rage, Episode 20a- Vote Now!

“No,” you say, unwinding the shadow-cloak from your waist and throwing it over your shoulders. “Come up here and we’ll talk.”

“Do you think I’m a fool?” says Rhazion. “You’re the Ghost Countess, aren’t you, the one the First Magus wants dead so badly? Your hatred of the magi is well known. You could give your word for safe parley,” his lip twists, “but your word given to a man so despicable as a magus means nothing, does it? You kill me the minute you get a chance.”

He’s…not entirely wrong.

“What about my word, Rhazion?” says Lucan.

“You’re Lucan Maraeus,” says Rhazion. “The hunter of outlaw magi. The First Magus wants you dead, as well.”

“But when has a son of House Maraeus ever broken his word?” says Lucan, glancing at you. “Come to talk, and I give you my word that we’ll let you return to your men before we try to kill you. Unless you start something first, of course.”

Rhazion stares at you for a moment. Then he gives a sharp, jerky nod, says something to the Black Wolves, and starts climbing the stairs. As he climbs, you feel the crawling tingle of low-level sorcery; he’s holding a spell ready, and probably has several defensive wards laid over his person.

“All right,” you say as he reaches the top of the stairs, “what did you want to say?”

“Amania,” says Rhazion, peering over your shoulder, “Amania, are you hurt? They didn’t hurt you, did you?”

Amania gets to her feet alongside Chrysana. “I am well, Father. No thanks to you.”

Guilt flashes over his face. “No. No thanks to me.” He takes a deep breath and looks at you. “It is my fault. I…I need your help, Countess.”

You gesture for him to continue.

“When we lived in Varia Province,” says Rhazion, “Amania contracted bloodburn fever.”

“Bloodburn fever is always fatal,” says Lucan.

“But…I couldn’t have gotten bloodburn fever,” says Amania. “I got better.”

“My wife died of bloodburn fever,” says Rhazion. He’s not looking at you, and the words are tumbling out of him faster and faster. “I…I couldn’t endure that, not again. But I had been studying the old Szaldic legends of the mavrokh. And…they said that anyone possessed by a mavrokh received superhuman strength and endurance. I knew that summoning otherworldly creatures was forbidden. I knew of the First Magus found out, he would have me executed, or if you Ghosts found out, you would simply kill me. But…I did it anyway. I summoned the mavrokh, and bound it to Amania.”

She stares at her father, jaw hanging open.

“And it worked,” says Rhazion. “It healed her. She recovered from the bloodburn fever. But…but I couldn’t banish the mavrokh from her. I couldn’t exorcise it. So I locked it behind wards inside her head, kept it chained. And that worked. At least until that damned fool Trimogena broke their engagement. The psychic pain was sufficient to…damage the wards. Not enough for it to escape completely. But when she sleeps, the mavrokh can…view the world through her subconscious mind, let us say. It can see people she feels very strongly about, and attack them.”

“That’s how Julian Trimogena died?” you say.

“Aye,” says Rhazion. “I had Amania contained in a warded room, to keep the mavrokh contained. I tried a spell…a ritual to banish the mavrokh. It didn’t quite work. And Julian Trimogena died because of my mistake.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” said Amania. “I thought you had gone mad, that you were using me for some sort of experiment.”

“I didn’t dare risk it,” says Rhazion. “I didn’t dare tell anyone.” He looks at you. “The First Magus ordered me to kill you.”

“But you didn’t,” you say, “because you were afraid it would draw attention. And that’s why Korthion tried to kill me behind your back. To make you look bad in front of the First Magus.”

Rhazion nodded. “He did, damn him. He knows I’m hiding something, but he hasn’t figured out what, not quite yet. I ordered him not to bother you, lest he draw your attention.”

“He ignored you,” you say. “Amania still has a mavrokh in her skull, and the minute she falls asleep it’s probably going to kill Lady Chrysana. Or you.”

Rhazion gives a jerky nod. “I think I’ve perfected the spell. I can expel the mavrokh from Amania, trap it within a warding circle, and banish it back to the netherworld.”

“Or you’ll accidentally release it,” says Lucan.

“No,” says Rhazion. “I know what I did wrong the first time, and I can banish it.” He looks at you. “Let me do this. Let me fix my mistakes, before more people die.”

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