The Haunting: A Legend of the Artificer Side Story

Chapter 4

"I told you!" Elmer screamed, pointing wildly at Angel. "I told you it was haunted!"

"Ghosts aren't real!" Angel screeched. Tibalt stared in dismay at them standing on his furniture with their dirty boots like there was a spider or something harassing them.

"You're a cleric of death! How do you not believe in ghosts?" Elmer demanded and waved her arms frantically.

"Because all souls are always claimed by Moshao! She doesn't leave a single one behind!" Angel protested as he tried to climb higher onto the couch. "Ergo! This is not a ghost! It's just--- Oh, hello, Tibalt."

"Teacher, what did you even do?" Tibalt asked the grimoire sitting on the desk, and there was a 'harumph'. Screams rose up again. Angel reached for the knife belted at his waist, but Tibalt waved him off.

"I simply told them they were fools for thinking a tower as young as this one could possibly be haunted," Teacher replied, sounding quite put out. "It's not my fault---"

"Yes, it is," Tibalt said and flapped his hands. "Alright, everyone down. Angel, Grim, Elmer, this is Teacher. It's a spirit of knowledge currently inhabiting a book I like to call my grimoire."

"So, it is haunted?" Elmer asked, and Tibalt rubbed at his eyes.

"Well, no, it's not a mortal spirit, it's just-"

"I am a cosmic spirit that defies your very notions of living or dead," Teacher declared, which probably wasn't going to help the situation in the slightest. "I am no mere haunted tome. I am infinity, the never ending thirst for knowledge and enlightenment."

"It has a high opinion of itself," Tibalt said and picked up Teacher. "It elected to join me on my journeys because it was curious about what it would be like to live on the mortal plane for a bit."

"Yes, and then he proceeded to keep us trapped in a tower he could have escaped from in six months," Teacher muttered darkly.

"Can you stop bringing that up?" Tibalt asked quietly, and Teacher huffed.

"Absolutely not."

All three of them were staring at Tibalt, and he stared back at them.

"Okay, what the hells even is your benefactor?" Grim asked, and Tibalt shrugged.

"Fuck if I know," he replied, because just because he knew Dream's name, didn't mean he understood the concept behind it. It was a bit too big for that.

"I've never heard of a spirit of knowledge," Angel said and carefully stepped off the fainting couch to inspect Teacher. "It's... nice to meet you?"

"Hmf," Teacher said, sounding very high and mighty, and then Innes peeked down from the level above.

"Is... is everything alright?" Innes asked, and all four of them exchanged glances.

"Yes," Tibalt said, "I was just introducing everyone to Teacher here."

"Teacher...?"

"Tibalt stuffed a spirit into a book, because he's a normal person like that who does completely rational things that never backfire," Elmer reported, and Tibalt just sighed.

"I didn't do it. The owl did," he replied and balanced Teacher on his hip. "Now, if everyone's done, you can either pester Teacher with questions and leave me alone, or we can all go to..."

Tibalt trailed off, because fur was sprouting from Elmer's face. Ah, yes, the sun was going down now. With a sigh, she went on all fours and shook vigorously, sending fur and feathers flying everywhere, and then she was in her second form. So, it was already nighttime.