Life Review Ch. 03

The Banshee shook her head and chuckled softly, "You make light, even as your death draws near. What is your name mortal?"

"Shawn," He flashed her a cocky smile that always irritated Jenny. "What's yours?"

"Not that it matters to you, but you may call me Saoirse in your final moments," She crooned, lifting her ice cold finger to run down his jaw.

"Good to know, but this won't be my final moment," Shawn's arm shot forward and gripped the Banshee by the neck.

"Futile, you can't even touch me," The Banshee began to laugh before her eyes widened in confusion.

"I know Banshee's scream a lot, so I thought your throat might be sore. Here's a lozenge," Shawn released his grip holding back the spell and the tiny star of energy exploded.

Shawn's vision went white and his ears were ringing. He was vaguely aware of resting against something hard. He felt himself being lifted into the air. His vision cleared enough to see Saoirse the Banshee baring her teeth, her face was cracked and blackened by the scorching heat of Shawn's spell, the front of her gown was torn down the front revealing a blackened rib cage that showed signs of fracture.

"I will make sure your soul knows endless torment, Shawn," Saoirse whispered in a gravely whisper. It seems his lozenge did the opposite of sooth her throat. Good.

Saoirse's mouth hinged open and her eyes flared a brilliant amethyst, her chest expanded as if she were taking a deep breath. He heard Denza scream, "No! Shawn! Get away!"

Shawn was completely spent. He used all of his energy on that last trick. He never thought he would die in a place like this, and but at least he died defending his friends. There was honor in that, right?

Just as the Banshee was about to unleash her final scream to rip Shawn's soul from his body, the braziers flared a bright azure and the golden runes shone like suns. There was a deep thrumming that vibrated the air around them that Shawn felt deep in his chest. The temperature in the room lost its frigid edge as warmth flooded the chamber.

"What is this trickery?" Saoirse growled, looking around wildly.

"You have sullied my tomb for too long, Banshee," An angry female voice reverberated around them.

"Ah, so you finally come out of your hidey hole, Witch!" Saoirse's expression turned to one of malicious hunger. "I will have what I came for!"

"You will have nothing of mine, you contemptible creature," The voice sneered.

With a flash of golden light, shafts of bright light rained down from above and skewered the Banshee. Just as Saoirse let Shawn go, a pillar of solid light rammed her to the ground. She let out a piercing scream as if she were being crushed under immense weight. The spectral woman thrashed around trying to free herself, all whilst howling in agony.

Shawn managed to push himself up onto his elbows in time to see streams of amethyst fire roll down Saoirse's cheek. Once the fire left her eyes, it seemed to crystalize and fall to the ground in a show of tiny gems.

She locked eyes with Shawn and bared her teeth, "We will meet again, Shawn. You will suffer for my torment!"

She reached into her robes and pulled out a silver chain with an opaque black crystal hanging from the end. She jabbed the sharp end of the crystal into the ground and was immediately swallowed up by a pool of darkness.

He didn't even have the energy for a cheeky response that would make Cassidy proud. He laid back on the ground, staring up at the ceiling reveling in the fact he was still being alive. Denza scrambled over to him and pushed a vial against his lips. Shawn looked up into the tear filled eyes of Denza. Hot tears dripped onto his forehead when she sniffed and smiled.

"He's alive," Denza said softly. He turned his head to see Cassidy still slumped against the wall, looking completely exhausted but no longer deathly pale.

"Shit talking a Banshee before she kills you," Cassidy grinned. "Respect, Raine."

"What in the world possesses you two to flirt with death?" Denza tried to sound angry, but the hiccup in the middle ruined any effect it might have had.

"Might as well die with a smile on my face, right?" Shawn grinned weakly.

"Absolutely insane," Denza shook her head, wiping the tears from her face.

"That lozenge line was inspired," Cassidy moaned as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

"That was the dumbest thing I think I've ever heard," Denza admonished.

"Look, even Bruce Willis has off days. Cut me some slack," Shawn said defensively.

"I don't know who that is, but if you are emulating him, stop. It's just going to get you killed!" Denza protested.

"Yippy Ki-yay..." Cassidy wheezed.

"Shut up," Shawn's chuckle turned into a groan of pain, "Stop making me laugh. Laughing is painful."

The three went quiet for a while, simply enjoying the fact that had survived somehow. Cassidy broke the silence when she couldn't hold back her burning curiosity, "So anyone know what's up with the voice that sent that bitch packing?"

Denza and Shawn shook their heads, then Denza tentatively called out, "Hello? Are you there? Thank you for saving us!"

They waited for a response, but none came.

"We'll probably find out once we open that door," Shawn shrugged.

"Or we could leave? She didn't seem keen on intruders," Denza suggested in a small voice. She was shaken by their harrowing encounter.

"Nah, we've already come this far," Cassidy shook her head and smiled at the two of them, "Come on, one last room! We are so close to our goal!"

"If we have to fight someone, I'm leaving your behind," Shawn groaned as he tried to move his aching body. The potion hadn't kicked in yet. Cassidy just stuck her tongue out at him.

It took the better part of an hour for Shawn and Cassidy to recover enough to stand. Denza had to help them up and each of them had to limp along with the aid of their staff and spear respectively. They found themselves in front of the final doors. Whatever was inside was what everyone had been after for over twenty years and had drawn the twisted Saoirse to dwell in the tomb.

The doors swung open silently, bright golden flames burst into existence along the wall in cleverly concealed oil trenches, and the trio was greeted by the sight that would have grave robbers and archeologists alike creaming their pants. The room was forty feet long and thirty feet wide. The walls were lined with rows of chests, coffers, urns, and containers of all shapes and sizes. Racks of cloth in large spindles, finely crafted rugs rolled up and propped against the wall, and stacks of artwork bundled in cloth to protect the painted images.

"Holy Ra," Cassidy breathed.

"Who was this person to be buried with this much wealth and opulence?" Shawn wondered.

"Someone important, apparently," Cassidy replied.

She wandered in and opened the first of the large chests. The lid creaked open to reveal a pile of gold, both standard, Imperial, and Velisian. She moved to the next, more gold with mixed silver. A smaller chest opened to reveal uncut gems of all shapes and sizes.

"Fuck. We're rich!" Cassidy exalted.

"This is amazing. There is more wealth here than in the vaults of over half of the noble families in Oculsa!" Denza looked around with wide eyes.

"Well, Cass, this was all your idea. You get first dibs on finding a Proof," Shawn waved his hand over the piles and rows of treasure.

Cassidy limped amongst the worldly treasure before her eyes settled on a large black leather book resting on the sarcophagus in the center of the room. She picked up the book and opened it, frowning.

"What is it?" Shawn asked.

"It's blank," Cassidy said in confusion.

The golden flames flickers and died, plunging the room into complete darkness. They all stiffened, on guard for whatever was going to assault them next. A figure materialized from the darkness. The form solidified into that of a tall woman with ruby red eyes that twinkled from behind a porcelain mask painted in gold to resemble a Greek tragedy mask, except it was a joyful expression with a wide third eye embossed on the forehead. The smile wasn't designed to be overly creepy either. She had long flowing black hair that seemed to float around her as if she were suspended in water. Like her hair, the black, crimson, and gold robes seemed to sway in an unseen current.

"May I know the names of those who have assisted in the liberation of my tomb from that horrid banshee?" The woman spoke, her voice was soft and kind, almost motherly.

"Uhm, I'm Cassidy, this is Shawn, and Denza," Cassidy introduced them awkwardly. "Who are you?"

"The Wise Witch!" Denza gasped. "This is the tomb of the Wise Witch!"

The woman's attention focused on Denza, "It has been many centuries since anyone has called me by that title, but you are correct. This is my tomb. You all may call me by my name, Tricha"

"If you don't mind us asking, why was the banshee here to begin with?" Shawn asked.

"Not at all, Shawn," He could hear the smile in her voice. "The wretched creature spent the past five years trying to break through my wards. She spread her vile influence throughout my tomb and tried to replicate and pervert some of my experiments. She wants my grimoire, the one that Cassidy is currently holding."

"Why does she want this so bad?" Cassidy asked.

Tricha turned to look at her, her voice sounding bewildered at why Cassidy was asking such a thing, "Surely you jest?"

"No, seriously. What's so important about this book?" Cassidy held it up. "It's empty."

"Child," Tricha she gently lambasted Cassidy. "My grimoire is the collective knowledge of all of the Wise Witches before me, and my own. All of my achievements are stored in the book, all of the secrets I have unraveled from the world."

"So why did she want it so bad?" Cassidy began flipping through the pages, as if she were looking for something in those blank pages.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret, now would it?" Tricha teased.

"That's a good point, maybe it's a good thing to keep around then," Cassidy tucked the book under her arm and smiled up at the witch.

"My grimoire is not to be taken lightly. It has allowed you to touch it, so it has deemed you worth of possessing it. You have potential, Cassidy Hawthorne. You desire knowledge more than wealth. You are a kind soul. If you so wish, the grimoire has chosen you to become my replacement. Speak the oath and sign in blood, and the grimoire will become yours until it is passed on upon your death to the next Wise Witch," Tricha made a gesture and the book slid out from Cassidy's arm and opened its cover.

Cassidy's eyes lit up and she quickly read the newly inked first page. She nodded to herself and began to speak what Shawn could only assume was the oath. The words were alien to him, but he could sense their power. The golden flames flickered back to life and the room returned to the warm, cheerful place it had been previously.

"Very good, my apprentice. You will find a spell in the book that will summon your teacher. The pages will fill in as you grow and prove yourself worthy of its knowledge," Tricha said with a hint of pride. "Everything in this tomb now belongs to you."

Cassidy's eyes lit up, but then she frowned, "That's fine and dandy, but what do I do with it all? It is too much to take with us and it would only invite thieves to rob us while we aren't looking."

"The Merchants Guild are internationally recognized bankers, they could hold on to it. The only problem is getting it to a guild hall," Denza puzzled through the problem.

"I think you've hit the nail on the head. Carting this around will just place too much attention on us, not only that but it will make us targets," Shawn added.

"If I may," Tricha interjected, "There is a spell you should have access to that may prove useful. It's called 'Consolidation', it will take anything that is yours that is not on your person or have not specifically marked, and transport it to the private home of the Wise Witch in the Shadegrove. The only downside is that you may not have access to the Shadegrove for some time."

"Hmm," Cassidy pursed her lips, "Denza, based on your experience, how much money would we need to live off of for...let's say six months."

Denza furrowed her brow, "Well, depending on how comfortably you want to live, a hundred gold a month would let you live pretty comfortably. You won't be drinking rare wines or be sleeping in silk, but you'll have safe lodgings, good food, and money to spend on trivialities and travel. A merchants living."

Cassidy grinned, "Let's take a moderately size chest of gold with us, and fill our coin purses. We can deposit the chest at the Merchants Guild and it will be inconspicuous enough that it won't attract attention, plus if we claimed to have cleared the tomb and came back empty handed, it would look suspicious."

Shawn and Denza got to work filling their purses and finding an appropriate chest. Denza went back up to the labs and brought back an arm full of purple vials. After everything was said and done, Cassidy prepared to cast the spell. Before she did, she looked at Shawn with an odd expression, "We still only have the one proof, don't we?"

"Yeah, I guess we do. Unless you count the mouse?" Shawn said.

"A mouse?" Tricha asked with an odd catch to her voice.

Denza pulled out the mouse to show her, "I found this in one of your labs. It's been extremely useful."

Tricha's ruby eyes glimmered with unshed tears and she spoke in a thick voice, "I made that mouse for my son, when he was still a boy and before he outgrew such trinkets. It was one of my greatest creations, a conduit for the soul."

"I guess it belongs to you now, Cassidy?" Denza tried to offer the mechanical mouse.

Cassidy smiled and curled Denza's fingers around it, "You seem to have taken a liking to it. Keep it, it's yours."

Denza smiled warmly, "Thank you."

"Take good care of him," Tricha pleaded.

"I will, Tricha. I promise," Denza smiled fondly down at the mouse.

Cassidy rested the grimoire on the lid of the sarcophagus and began to push it open. Tricha began to protest, but then stopped herself. Cassidy looked up, "You said everything in here belongs to me, I assume you are buried in your traditional garb with your symbols of power. If the consolidation spells works as you've said, all of that stuff will go to Shadegrove too."

"That would be correct," Tricha admitted. "I do have a request, if I could trouble you."

"What's that?" Shawn asked, intrigued.

"I would like you lay me to rest. I have been restless in this tomb, away from nature. I was buried here against my wishes by my son's spiteful wife." Tricha said bitterly. "I've been trapped her for what has seemed like an eternity, hoping someone would come free me before my bones turned to dust."

"Don't worry, Tricha," Cassidy chirped. "I'll take care of it. The grimoire already told me about a place." Cassidy rummaged around in the sarcophagus and pulled out the Witches staff, wand, robes, and mask. Once they were removed, Tricha's form was revealed. Before, they had only been able to see her ruby eyes. Under the mask and robes, was the body of a woman of medium height and slender build. She was not overly curvaceous, but soft and motherly. She didn't lack for definition, speaking of a life dedicated to her craft and not just study. Shawn thought she was good looking in her own right, especially with the contrast between her dark hair and colorful eyes.

Cassidy went over to one of the spools of cloth and tore off a long sheet and fashioned it into a makeshift sack, then piled Tricha's bones into it gently.

"Why did your son's wife bury you in a mountain of all places, if you didn't want to be?" Shawn asked Tricha, in a poor attempt to take her attention off being nude in front of the three of them.

Tricha's expression darkened and she crossed her arms angrily, "That woman wanted to become my apprentice. I agreed and began to teach her the ways of witchcraft. When it came time for the grimoire to choose the next Wise Witch, it rejected her. She must have felt slighted and blamed me. She cast a spell that moved the tomb into the heart of a mountain. So I've been trapped in suffocating stone for over two hundred years, by a woman I called daughter."

"I'm so sorry," Denza said sympathetically.

"I'm glad you three came along when you did. I was reaching the end of my wits. The banshee at least provided me with enough distraction to not fall into insanity." Tricha muttered angrily.

"You will be able to rest well now. We'll put you to rest in the morning," Cassidy promised.

"Good. I'll hold you to that. Be vigilant of my bones. Should they fall into the wrong hands, I could be made into much worse than Saoirse." Trich warned.

"You'll be safe with us," Shawn said with confidence.

"We won't let anything bad happen, not after all you've been through," Denza agreed vehemently.

Cassidy opened the grimoire once more and began casting the spell. The golden flames grew brighter until they were forced to shut their eyes. When they opened them again, the tomb was empty. Tricha had faded away, leaving the three of them standing alone in an empty tomb.

Shawn hefted the small chest in his arms. He grunted at the weight that he estimated was well over a hundred pounds, "Holy shit, gold is heavy."

"It's so wonderful that we brought along such a strong man to carry our belongings," Cassidy fanned her face dramatically.

"Would you like help, Shawn?" Denza offered.

Shawn grinned, "Nah, this isn't actually that bad. I could probably carry one more, but that would be pushing it."

Cassidy raised an eyebrow at him and he returned the look. Shawn had always been somewhat fit before, even before taking on outdoor hobbies like hiking and climbing. The fact that he could probably carry three hundred pounds without any major issues blew him out of the water. The hundred plus pounds of gold felt it weighed no more than a large bag of flower, as in he could feel the weight but not be overtly taxed by it.

Denza led the way to the surface, holding the torch so Shawn could see where he was walking. Making their way back to camp proved more challenging, mainly due Shawn having to spend twenty minutes carefully making his way down the treacherous slope with his arms full of precious cargo. Eventually they made it back as night was falling. Shawn hid the chest in the back of the tent, just in case.

Cassidy helped Denza make a hot dinner for them, mainly another stew of vegetables, wild roots, and dried meats. The joys of roughing it. Denza had taken stock of their provisions, including what Cassidy had in her pack.

"It looks like we only have enough food for another three days, four is we skip a meal," Denza said as she plopped down on stump she had made into her chair.

"I know this is a stupid question, but can't we hunt something?" Cassidy asked. She clearly meant Denza, but she decided it was better posed as a group question than have it come across like it was solely her responsibility.

Denza's jaw tightened and she narrows her eyes, but Shawn spoke before she could get a word out, "We technically could, but neither you nor I know anything about hunting, and Denza would need to hunt for three people instead of one. That being said, I haven't seen hide nor hair of any animals in two days, not even birds."

She looked at him appraisingly, genuinely surprised he had noticed, "That's right. To get back into Velesian territory, we have to trek north three days, then cross the mountain pass, followed by another week long hike to Oculsa, where I live. There is an outpost near the pass, but its military and not usually open to trading with travelers. Even if I were to hunt, I would have to get lucky to find something on the third day, and find edible roots, berries, or vegetation."