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Chapter 78: Staff Of All Things V
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"Interesting. So forcing the demon to constantly change possessions between two individuals can weaken them to the point where they can be killed instead of banishing them."
Ian murmured to himself with amusement. Two books were before him on a table, quite clean, not looking ancient at all, but they have knowledge worthy of his attention.
On his side was Raven, kind of leaning into Ian's shoulders. She had a book in her hands, and she was reading it attentively, quite focused.
"I don't get. After he did all of that, you still want to work with him?" Her focus was taken away by Ian's words, and she was naturally puzzled by the situation.
"I mean, what's the worst that can happen? I die? I get possessed?" Ian shrugged his shoulders, seemingly not caring.
Raven let out a giggle slip before she quickly regained her serious act, "You shouldn't trust him. I recommend staying away from him. I don't know if you noticed, but the three books he gave you were mostly theoretical and quite abstract, and only mine was of use. You even had to know that information about possession by asking someone else.
He obviously kept that knowledge away from you. He doesn't want you to know much about demons to keep using for a while."
Raven showed her intellect thoroughly as she listed all of her observations of the man known as Constantine.
Indeed, Constantine never provided him with much knowledge about demons. He, in fact, had to ask Zatanna what The exorcist was trying to do.
"Hmm, beautifully said Raven. Knowledge, you've listened to my advice, but I also listen to my advice... Sometimes, so don't worry."
Ian picked one of the books, looking a bit entertained, "Moreover. I'm quite interested in these books. What I need most is theoretical knowledge because I can't use magic, but I should be able to use something else very soon.
You just focus on that book. It should provide plenty of help for your problem. I think he noticed it which is why he gave us that specific one."
"You..." Raven was silent for a while, too dumbstruck to respond, "How did you find out?" And finally, she questioned after a while, a bit afraid to hear what he might say.
"We both have secrets we don't want others to know, don't we? So just focus on the book and fear nothing."
His reassurance was vague but effective as Raven did as instructed.
The two soon left the hotel room and met up with Constantine who this time was looking a bit more tidy and clean.
"Our next case isn't confirmed yet. It's just something that is suspected, so let's do some investigation."
It's important to note that they were in London at this time
. Indeed, Zatanna's portal sent them to London of all places, so they weren't here in an exactly legal way, but well, Constantine has a lot of connections. Most of them hate him, but they still have to help him for various reasons... Or perhaps his kindness just touched their hearts?
"Our destination is Birmingham. We'll be taking just a few steps to get there."
He led them to a certain room in what looked like another abandoned building. Within a certain room of that build, there was nothing but dirt... Until he started chanting something that is. Only then did a bright magic circle manifest itself.
"Did you just prepare that, or do you have teleportation already prepared for every city and country?" Ian wondered with curiosity.
"It was already there before we arrived. I faintly sensed it." Raven answered in his stead. Interestingly, she was getting more talkative by the day.
"Oh, so you can not do what Zatanna did before?" Ian asked, genuinely curious. According to his knowledge, Constantine is quite powerful, not as powerful as Zatanna but still powerful.
"I simply don't use magic unless I have to. I mean, why would I use my magic power when I can just use something else's? Those things are quite charitable nowadays." The demonologist spoke with a bit of reminiscence and a smirk as if remembering happy memories.
Ian followed with a similar reminiscence, "Indeed, they're quite charitable. Honestly, they're giving me treasures like they're saints. I may just convert if they keep it on."
Constantine stopped and eyed Ian strangely. Even he was a bit speechless but doubtful.
"What?"
"Nothing."
They were then teleported to a place very close to the case location. This time a very fancy building, clean and orderly with a guard at the entrance.
Constantine introduced himself to the guard before the latter gave him directions to the landlord's location. He happened to be waiting for the latter, close to a burned-down apartment.
"Hello my old friend! Been a long time huh?" Constantine greeted the landlord as if they were very close friends. He even hugged him though the landlord seemed a bit stiff, and a bit nervous.
"Ah... Yeah. Some tenants alerted me to strange noises they heard from this apartment. I checked myself, and I... think I saw something inside. I will send you the agreed-upon money in a bit... Should I just leave now?"
He seemed to be in a hurry to leave, and he was quite nervous, "No no, not yet. What happened in the apartment?" Constantine of course wouldn't let him go so fast.
"A suicide. A couple, wife and husband lit themselves on fire. Their daughter died just a month before the suicide, so I think that's the reason. Can I go now?"
"One more question. Is it confirmed suicide?"
"Yeah, I think so. I mean, that's what the cops said... Bye." He then hurriedly ran off.
"What did you do to him." Ian wondered.
"Nothing really. He just saw something terrible, and I think he got traumatized? Not my doing though."
"Yeah, sure."
They started searching the apartment, well, mainly Constantine did. He was experienced in the field, so Ian just observed him in action.
And he was indeed worth the word Demonologist because not much time passed of him performing some strange actions and speaking even stranger words, "Found it."
The two followed him into a small room that looked especially burned down, likely the location of the suicide. There were a few signs as to whose room it was, one burned doll and a few charred toys.
Constantine put his right hand in his jacket pocket and brought out what looked like dust, golden dust which he spread out on a certain wall before chanting an incantation and pulling something out of the wall.
A shadowy entity, a ghost.
"So this is what ghosts look like," Ian remarked with interest.
"Bland?" Raven also commented.
"Oh? You both can see him? I guess it makes sense." He then started doing his own thing while explaining how he does it. How to speak with ghosts that can't speak though neither Ian nor Raven ended up learning anything. He was quite the teacher.
"Hmm. I see, so apparently, his wife was responsible for the fire. It appears that after their daughter's death, she had lost the will to live, and her mind for that matter... She used some interesting means to trap him and die with him in their girl's room."
His words were calm without much reaction to the horrible incident. He was just used to such things.
Constantine crouched down and trailed his fingers along with the black ash on the ground, and well, he tasted it. A long lick. Who knows, perhaps the couple's ashes are still there if the police didn't do their job right, or crime sites cleaner I should say.
It took him a while to thoroughly taste the ashes, constantly mixing them in his mouth with a strange expression.
He then started performing another spell which allowed him to put the ghost into a bottle he brought out of his jacket pocket, quite the odd pocket it was.
"Here, keep it with you."
Ian caught the bottle and carefully observed the vague figure within, "Magic is weird." He almost wanted to complain as magic seems to refuse his existence, but he has a solution in mind for that.
"I... I will be waiting outside," Raven whispered to Ian, feeling the urge to puke before she ran out. Constantine's antics were certainly too much to handle for someone as inexperienced as her.
"What did you find?"
"Not done yet," Constantine responded as he picked up a toy to the side and constructed a magic circle around it while chanting an incantation.
"Hmm, okay." Ian also walked out of the room, trying to do a little investigation of his own. However, the ghost in the bottle didn't seem to like that as he kept colliding with the bottle glass as if trying to fly back into the room.
"Oh???" The moment he walked a few steps out of the room, he heard Constantine's surprised gasp, leading Ian to walk back in there.
"No no no, walk out again." The demonologist's behavior was quite erratic as if he had just found something fascinating.
It wasn't long before Ian entered the room again though this time, Constantine had another bottle in his hand with another ghost within, albeit, its color was much lighter than the other.
"I have pretty much solved the case."
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