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How to Seer, Part 21

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Due to my work as a live-in property manager for the apartment complex where I lived I didn't really get much of an opportunity to travel much so it had been awhile since I got of out town-- not since my visit home to see my folks. Rather than head east, however, once I had enough time saved up to take some time off I elected to go west and spend a few nights on the coast. Not only was it less than a third of the distance from my prior trip, but I would finally have a chance to visit the ocean. Oddly enough, despite the many different personalities among my spirit companions, everyone seemed to like the idea.

Rather than spending an entire morning en route, we were able to make excellent time; even though I got a late start, we still got into Kennedy City well before noon, so that gave us plenty of time to look around before stopping for lunch. I'd done some research ahead of time regarding some good restaurants and I found out that the Native American casino in town had a great all-you-can-eat buffet, but it didn't open until mid-afternoon; Talapus had made me promise to eat there at least once, but I resolved to do that for dinner, which was a much more reasonable meal time considering it was available from 3pm until 10pm.

In the end, after spending a little time along the shore and checking out some tide pools, we eventually stopped by a small fish-n-chips shack. I picked up a collection of to-go meals and brought them back to the car to eat. Keeping the piping hot fish strips and thick cut potato wedges for myself, I distributed the other items I got around the car to my companions-- Mishupishu got a beer-battered fish fillet (and three pennies I got as change), Mitch got a double order of tater tots, Kon got chicken strips and fries, Talapus got plank roasted salmon, and Link got a cardboard cup full of clam chowder.

The overall collection of spirits had taken time to mesh well together but that afternoon I had a truly fun and relaxing time with them; we chatted together while the car radio played on an retro station Link had found while we were cruising out along Highway 22. It was a great start to the vacation but, unfortunately, as with many things involving Spirits, the situation was quick to change... and it all started with an interruption to the broadcast, right in the middle of the guitar solo in "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

The emergency broadcast was an announcement that 'bio-solids' had accidentally been released into the Siletz River, which released into the bay just south of Kennedy City. Residents and visitors were encouraged to stay out of the water and await further details until the spill could be contained and environmental damaged assessed. It also suggested that anyone possibly exposed to the water should be monitored for symptoms of illness, and it went on to discuss symptoms of illness, what to look out for, and how to proceed seeking treatment. By that point I wasn't really paying attention to the broadcast because the hair on the back of my neck was standing on end. I could feel that something was wrong. Apparently I was not the only one; all of my Spirit companions were also visibly shaken, but I still didn't know why. The answer came sooner than expected.

The fish-n-chips shack was on the northern side of the bay on the high side of its rocky shore, providing an amazing view of nature's splendor from where we sat in the car. That beauty, however, was withering visibly by the second. Some part of me knew innately that what I was seeing wasn't reflected in the reality that most people could view, but I also knew that was I observing was no less real. I pointed to it, not that I needed to since my companions were also watching it. "That's... that's spiritual... isn't it?"

Kon was the first to speak, his usually chipper and upbeat voice low and his tone dire. "Kuso! This does not bode well, William."

Mishupishu spoke second, his words a mix between a snarl and a sob. "Something has happened here... the water cries out in pain."

Talapus spoke softly, almost as if in prayer. His words were from what I'd come to understand as the Athabaskan language of the local natives-- one of many he turned to when he chose not to speak in English. Despite how much I knew many of my Spirits wanted to get me as far away from the developing darkness as possible, I was unable to turn away... not when there was something I could do... presuming, of course, that there was something I could do. Mitch called after me the moment I exited the vehicle. "Billy! Wait!"

My adrenaline was pumping by that point and my legs carried me forward at a sprinter's pace. Even though my job was relatively sedentary I often went for walks with my Spirits and I spent enough time doing physical activites here-and-there that I wasn't as out of shape as I might have otherwise been. Even so, I think something more than just adrenaline carried me forward. Mitch and Link objected to my approaching the blackness, but not a single one of my Spirits balked at following me. I, myself, was in full charge... until I saw what it was that led the darkness across the bay.

Looming at the estuary where the river emptied into the ocean was a Spirit, but it was not what I'd normally come to expect of one. Rather than looking at a humanoid animal, I stood, transfixed and horrified by the combination of Spirit and Nightmare. The creature was an amalgamation of what looked like a buck or a stag with night-black fur. Its head was skeletal, and looked like a wolf with antlers. All over its body it was covered with writhing tentacles ending in what looked like lamprey mouths with gnashing, spiraling teeth.

Its entire form pulsed with bio-luminescence that, due to the shadows surrounding it, somehow made the day even darker for it. Its movements were oddly fluid yet twitchy and jerking, almost as if it were a marionette jointly controlled by a master and apprentice at the same time. Worst of all were its eyes, gazing out from its empty, skeletal sockets as nothing more than pure, malevolent balls of glowing Ruby light. It was the first time I had ever seen a Feral Spirit... one that fed by causing suffering to mankind, and it had just laid eyes upon me.

Almost all of my Spirits at that time moved to protect me, many suggesting I step back and a few suggesting we retreat altogether. Mitch, however, stood his ground, his eyes downcast and heavy with sorrow as he murmured a name. "...Herne."

Spirits almost never spoke with an echo, but something about the name carried it on the wind, catching my attention just enough that I couldn't help but repeat it. "Herne?"

Something changed in the Feral Spirit gazing at me from across the bay. Its head twitched, cocking to the side, not unlike a Dog trying to figure out a strange noise. Its Red eyes flickered a moment, locking on me once again and, suddenly, its entire body flickered as well, and then winked out of existence. A split second later it reappeared, right in front of me. I felt suddenly cold... very cold, and stood, stunned before the nightmarish horror that peered down at me. My Spirits interposed themselves, pushing me back... yet the Feral Spirit did not draw any closer, instead, remaining where it was as its jaw bone creaked, drawing open, and a rattling, rasp of a breath escaped it. "Hhhheeerrrrrnnnnneeee..."

Link's wing feathers wrapped around my wrist. "Billy... he was a Naturae Spirit... once they go Feral there's no hope. If we don't leave he's going to try to--"

I didn't listen; something about the way he stared at me made it impossible to look away. Although I didn't get any closer, I held a hand up close to me in greeting, and to see how he would respond. "Y-your name is Herne?"

The malevolent Ruby lights in their empty sockets blinked out of existence for a moment. In their absence, the voice spoke again, a little clearer, though as if from far away. "I... I am... Herne...?"

All of my companions seemed surprised by its response. The chaos and confusion gave me enough leeway to take an active step forward, raising my hand toward the skull which was easily seven feet off the ground. The tendrils reached out for me, then simultaneously pulled away as the Feral Spirit drew in a breath... and a glowing red substance began to drip out of its empty eye sockets-- like crimson tears... or blood. I took another step closer, my hand still raised. "My name is William. I am a Seer."

The glowing red illumination flickered again for a moment within the skull. "William... I... Herne... you... run."

It was readily evident that it took tremendous amounts of will for the Spirit to be able to speak; its entire body quivered as if each and every one of its twisted muscles were at war within itself. I could tell that the Spirit was ravenous and I knew that it wanted to eat me. I knew that I should run and get as far away from it as possible. I knew that, if I wasn't going to run, that I would have to fight it-- I would have to ease its pain and put it to rest... to kill the spirit that meant to cause harm to anything and everything it could. I didn't do any of those things, however; I reached forward even as it dipped its skull closer... and I rested my hand on its forehead.

I spoke again. "I am William. My friends call me Billy. I am a Seer, and I have five Spirit Companions. Your name is Herne... and you aren't what you should be."

Speaking to the Feral Spirit had an effect; I was giving it Spirit Energy to ease its hunger. I'd been told that Feral Spirits had a limitless hunger but, for the moment, it was not attacking me. It was feeding, but not more than I was freely giving it. Would it help? I honestly didn't know until the Ruby light within its eye sockets faded, and its carnivorous teeth began to recede... and then it started shuddering, and soft, mournful whimper arose from the massive creature in so sorrowful a tone that my eyes began to water with empathy.

When it spoke I heard the echo of a different voice-- an older voice... a voice that the Spirit once had and not the growling hunger with which it had first addressed me. "Boann's breath, Seer! I am lost... do you seek to make me your murderer too?"

Within those words I felt far more-- the hunger was still there, held at bay by nothing more than the soft trickle of Spirit Energy I fed to him, and by the faint vestige of sanity that created a barrier using the words he spoke. I felt the duality, the conflict within him; he wanted to consume everything that was me and feast upon my destruction but, in that moment, he wanted it only a little less than he did not want to give in. I had to focus on that. "I want to save you, Herne."

The faintest bit of red light had started to return to his eye sockets but, upon his name being uttered, they were again extinguished... for a time. Panting, the nightmarish conglomeration of body and tainted tendrils fell to its knees. A skeletal hand reached out from the darkness as Herne supported his putrefied form off the ground with what little physical strength which was not given over to trying to rend me asunder. "Will... William. I... have seen horrors, and I have seen death. Dagda forgive me, I have BECOME those things! I have become something even worse."

Raising my other hand, I took hold of the skull in both hands, leaning forward until my forehead was resting against it. "You are not lost, Herne. You are here with me. I will help... just let me help."

The sobbing became stronger, and rivulets of liquid red light began to seep freely out of the wolf skull. "I just... want to go home..."

I knew what I wanted, but I wasn't completely sure how to create the end result. Remembering what Mishupishu had told me about what the Shamans of old had done, I focused on my goal. Offering more confidence in my words than I felt myself, I spoke. "I will help you get home, Herne."

Speaking his name was important; naming Spirits gave them Spirit Energy and, for a skillful Shaman, according to Mishupishu, gave you power over them. His other arm reached out to steady himself, rotting flesh and fur clinging desperately to it, not unlike the way Herne clung to the shreds of his sanity. "Help me... Seer."

Before that moment I had only ever channeled small amounts of Spirit Energy-- I created simple gifts for my Spirit Companions and provided them tangible nourishment by creating a direct line between myself and them. That afternoon, however, standing on the overlook above the bay, balancing the welfare of a wolf-skulled tainted Feral Elk Spirit on a knife's edge, I thought only about saving him... freeing him from his hunger, and taking away what was eating him from inside. To do that, the one thing I Knew with all my being was that the skull had to go. I drew my head back and lifted with all my might-- physical, and spiritual. There was a loud, soul wrenching cry and the skull came off. I caught a singular glimpse of astonished, cervid eyes, glowing with a faint Amethyst light... and then I passed out.