As soon as Ignis arrived to the capital, he met Cardinal Vanati to report on his progress with the northern region.

“You taught the lord’s vassal?” asked the cardinal, pleasantly surprised. As the years go by, the number of haunts only kept on increasing, and the general hostility against death magic forced the authorities do deal with it discreetly. Still, a lord openly tackling the problem openly was great news, even more considering the mountain of cursed sites left by his predecessor’s wanton violence.

“Yes, he was a very open-minded man. As far as I can tell, he greatly trusted in his vassal and didn’t hide his dealing with him. The knights who accompanied me showed no fear or dislike. It was… pleasant.”

“Do you think we could send some apprentice up there? So, they can train in a safe environment?”

“I did what I could, but the number of cursed sites is simply ridiculous. It’s not just a matter of the bloody repression of twelve years ago, they are some sites dating from fifty years back and more!”

“Yes,” Said the cardinal pensively. “the previous lords were distrustful people, pathologically so. They’ve caused great harm to the land and our operations.”

“One thing might explain the other, if they really didn’t trust in people, it might easily have led them into falling victim to a curse, only to be driven further into insanity and distrust.” That was a likely scenario, even more so when considering the brutality of their reigns. “On another note, did you find anything concerning the talisman I sent you?”

“Nothing more than what you’ve discovered on your own. It was made to redirect curses to the land it’s attuned for. That alone doesn’t tell us of their goals; it could have been meant to strengthen the haunt, or protect them from its effect while they hide there.”

A crestfallen Ignis answered. “I’m sorry, master or Windy would have captured the intruders, I on the other hand, only managed to burn the place down and had my own curses to the haunt.”

Cussing at the two, the ecclesiast tried his best to reassure the youth. “Please stop comparing yourself to those two: thankfully they’re the exception rather than the norm. Surviving an ambush with such number is a victory in itself.” Being around those two geniuses for most of his life had left with a sense of inadequacy verging on a complex of inferiority. Whatever he did, Ignis would compare himself to them and find himself lacking. Add to that Firis horrible sense of humor and overbearing attitude and you obtain the perfect recipe for disastrous parenting.

“You shouldn’t say that, they might be domineering at time but they’re excellent mage. I owe them a lot and respect them greatly, they world would be in better shape if we had more people like them?”

‘What do you mean at times?!” Thought Vanati. “And who would want to live in a world where there’s more of them?!’ Those were his true feeling, even if it was impossible to deny their achievements and the good they had done, they were truly horrid person who followed their interest without the slightest regard for other people’s circumstances. As far as he was concerned their retirement was the best thing that happened to him in a long time… although he had serious apprehension about what they were doing with their time.

The number of haunts was ever increasing, but Vanati felt it might be a good to put the youth in a teaching position to bolster his confidence, and maybe inject him with a much-needed dose of common sense. Sadly, now was not the time. “Please take two or three days off. I’m sorry I cannot give you more but we receive tremendous amounts of requests every day; both official and unofficial.”

The next night, Ignis awoke to the sound of battle. Looking outside, there was no fight going on, but the number of people looking down the street from their house was certainly proof enough that he hadn’t been dreaming.

On morning, he asked the old dorm manager if she had heard anything during the night.

“So, you heard it too?” Said the matron. “I thought I had been dreaming.”

Another resident who was eating his breakfast volunteered his own explanation. “Today was my first time hearing it, but I heard through the grapevine that it’s been going on for days all around the city, but there has been no report of injury or death in the area where it happened.”

“For real? Has it been confirmed?”

“It’s only rumor, although now I have to admit there’s some truth to it.”

Ignis didn’t know the young man, but since he lived there, he had to be in the know. “I suspect ghostly activity… It’s just that even if everybody has heard stories of ghostly reenactment of past battles, those things don’t happen in reality.”

“I’m Oliver by the way.”

“Earth elementalist I suppose? I’m Ignis.”

“Indeed. I’d say fire elementalist judging from the name, but you don’t look the type.”

“I hear that a lot. I’m a triple.”

“Well, I don’t exactly fit the mold either. I’m a double, and nice to meet you mister death mage.”

“How did you know?”

“I didn’t, but I can tell you’re itching to investigate.”

“Doesn’t it strike you as odd? This shouldn’t be happening.”

“The answer is no, and I wouldn’t bother if I were you since they’ll come to you soon enough. Just relax and enjoy your leave.”

That night, the whole block awoke to the sound of battle again, but this time mixed in were obnoxious laughter and it lasted for over ten minutes before ending as suddenly as it had started.

Come morning, voice on the street was that necromancers were to blame. Even though the vast majority of curses and ghost originated from normal people, every time something strange occurred, they were the first to take the blame. Any good they performed though, was quickly put under the rug as repentance for the trouble their kind caused all the time.

As predicted by Oliver, Ignis was called to the church early in the morning. In the briefing room, he found Oliver and a few other mages he’d seen in the dormitory.

The earth mage called to him apologetically. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to lie. My main element really is earth, but anyone with the slightest connection to death is called to help nowadays.”

“What is all this?”

“A task force called to deal with our recurring ghost problem that you’ll be leading, Ignis.” Said a voice the death mage knew very well.

“Cardinal Vanati?”

“Sorry to cut your leave short again, but discontentment is growing and we’ve been called to deal with the situation and from all the people with the death element currently in the capital you’re the only one with proper training. I’d like you to supervise the operation while giving them some pointers.”