laneys.info Beware of Yankees, drunks, and loose women.

“We need to get a move on,” William said, looking up at the sinking sun.  “We don’t want to still be digging when the sun goes down.”

“But how do we find which ones are the right ones,” Alandria asked.  “This cemetery easily holds 150 or more souls.”

“Ah,” Sceva said, “but that’s the trick, isn’t it?”

“The devout are never at a loss for ways to deal with the spiritual realm,” Alister added.

“Yes, that’s true enough,” William said.  “I’m learning that more and more as time goes on.  However, I think it will be more effective if we all pray together.”

“I agree,” Sceva said, nodding.  “I usually just ask that the Lady reveal to me the location of this evil, so that I may destroy it.  I have found that it’s usually best to give Her a little flexibility when dealing with fallible humans.”  He grinned.

The group gathered together in a close circle.  Some knelt, others stood, but all grew quiet with fervent concentration.  Soon, the sound of rushing wind filled the cemetery and the five lifted their heads.  Above each grave hovered the faint image of a person.  Some were stoic, as if sleeping, while others appeared as they probably had been in life, full of animation and conversation.

“Well, that isn’t exactly what I had in mind,” William said.

“How does this help us,” Alandria asked.  “We still have the same number of places to look as before.”

“Except now we have some idea of what their souls look like,” Alister said.

Sceva’s face brightened.  “Keep that thought – the cemetery holds 150 or more souls.  What are we looking for, though?  A creature – or creatures – that are, more or less, still alive and so are still in possession of their soul.”

“I doubt very much if any vampire actually has a soul left to possess,” Lericanin said.

“But all the same, it’s not as if their soul will be here in the same way as these others,” Sceva replied.  “So where do we find graves with no souls?”

At the sound of his question, several of the spirits floating to their right suddenly pointed toward the old tower.

“Ask and ye shall receive,” Lericanin said, moving toward the ruined stonework.

The group entered the remains of the tower to find the old wooden stairs long gone and multiple markers to those entombed in the old church floor.  Here also, the spirits of those long buried parishioners glared and pointed the newcomers to a pair of markers within the circle of the old tower itself.  Unlike those surrounding them, these two markers were conspicuously devoid of any spectral presence.

“Thank you, My Lady,” Sceva breathed quietly.  Then, to the others, “lets get those shovels.”