Urban Mythose redone

1.4: The White Lotus Restaurant in china-town was slightly more busy than usual. When Sleaghear entered, a rather large goon stopped him. It had been a while since He had seen an Ogre but He knew better than to challenge Him, At least in public. Holding up a couple of Hundreds, Sleaghear smiled a bit. “Would you mind telling Pong Mai that Sleaghear is here to see Him? How’s the wife and Kids doing, Kono?”

The Oni snorted taking the cash, “Had to eat the bitch, She cheated on Me…Wait Here.” It took the Hideous monstrosity a couple of minutes to walk upstairs, then a couple more to walk back down motioning to Sleaghear to follow. The Sorcerer was finally shown into the Office of an Asian man, dressed in a white suit, speaking in a calm voice to someone on His cell phone. Sleaghear took a seat waiting for the boss to finish His conversation, and finally smiled when Pong-Mai Looked up and hung up the phone. “Shlay, it is good to see you. Did you enjoy the homunculus?”

Sleaghear nodded. “ She is waiting in my car, Madame Xao did an excellent Job. I wanted to come in and thank you personally.”
Pong-Mai sat back and grinned. “It was the least I could do for you. I’m just sorry it took for years to pay off the Karmic debt. My family wanted to make sure you had our heartfelt gratitude...especially given our History together.”

Sleaghear Shrugged: “We were Rivals, Not enemies, Pong-Mai, Just the fact you were willing to pay so Much of the cost for the homunculus was sufficient.”
Pong-Mai arched His eyebrow, “So Much of the cost? I paid all of it…including the breast augmentation and other enhancements…Madame Xao didn’t tell you?”

Sleaghear shook His head: “No she didn’t, She told Me you were paying for the basic features…that if I wanted extra I had to pay for it. Fuck, She hosed us…”

Pong-Mai’s anger slowly manifested then was slowly shunted…He needed to do a lot today and did not need to cloud His mind with vengeance at this moment. ”My apologies Sleaghear, it seems that She managed to play us, how much are you out?”
“Thirty thousand.” Sleaghear grumbled. “I wont really Miss it, but that’s hardly the point…I will have to deal with her.”

Pong-Mai Shook His head. “You are not Chinese, I would not advise it, but you are free to do as you wish. I had forgotten how much she hates Americans; I did not think that she would risk angering me. I will see to it your money is returned to you.”

Sleaghear knew enough to just nod. “Okay, Just be careful, from what I saw She really knows her shit. Tell your sister I said Hello…how is her son?”
Pong-Mai smiled widely: “Getting big, my sister and her husband will be sending you their Christmas card. My Nephew seems to have gained my talent for Kung-Fu, there may be two of us coming to challenge you soon.”

Sleaghear Chuckles: “Actually your sister was a much better opponent than you.” He winks while standing up to bow at the waist. “So most likely He inherited His kung-fu from her.”
Pong-Mai Laughed…”Finally a challenge from you…When?”
Sleaghear shrugged. “This coming Saturday? Vic’s Gym?”
Pong-Mai returned the bow…”Until Then. I hope you bring your “A” game…I plan on kicking your ass.”
“Just because you plan, it doesn’t mean you will succeed. Later Pong-Mai.”

1.5: Sleaghear’s conversation with Pong-Mai proved to be rather cheerful but disturbing at the same time, as He drove Home, He had a bit of time to mull it over. 

It seemed to Him that Madame Xao had plans to Challenge Pong for something, which meant that the Rip-Off wasn’t so Much about Sleaghear, but more about Pong-Mai giving a way something that was clearly a cultural secret to an outsider. 

Once Sleaghear had finished primping the girl, they left to take the drive, following the directions Joel had given. It took them to the High Society neighborhood with a gate to keep the undesirables out, but also in some ways to keep the wealthy in. Palea looked with some wonder at all the houses as Sleaghear negotiated with the guard to get in. A couple of Minutes and a couple of hundred dollars later, they drove up to a house where a woman had waited for them to come. She was middle aged but beautiful, with short graying hair and a light blue dress which accentuated her body which was still in shape.

When She spotted Sleaghear stepping out of the car with Palea following behind, She Smiled, offering her hand to Him. “You must be Sleaghear De Macha, I am Lillian Haversham…”

Sleaghear Nodded shaking her hand, “Pleasure to meet you Mrs. Haversham, This is my familiar Palea…” This caused Palea to smile shyly while lowering her eyes.

Lillian smirked then: “Pleasure to meet both of you, please call Me Lillian, I assume Joel told you why you were called over here?”
Sleaghear shrugged, taking a duffle bag from the back seat. “Something about some kind of Ghost…either about needing it exorcised or appeased or something.”

Lillian Nodded while leading them in. “It started showing up a couple of years ago, and started scaring the shit out of the help. Of course my husband, being who he is, put off any kind of Magical searches until His people took a look at it. He never trusted Sorcerers for some reason…but his people turned up nothing.”

It was an opulent, well-tended hallway full of beautiful mosaic tile. The Symbols of a Red Shield and a black Microscope worked prominently on the walkway of the hall before they enter into a large parlor, Lit by a series of chandeliers. Sleaghear walked over to a large table and set His duffle bag down, Handing a few candles to Palea He motioned for her to start putting them in a circle around it He and Lillian. Finally he turned to the woman speaking. “Which brings me to my next question, knowing how your husband feels about magic, why did you then call me?”

Lillian sighed, “Much as Haversham and White Church try to stay away from superstition, I have always believed that Magic can sometimes answer questions Science could not. I used to study Magic when I was younger, but This is way out of my league, plus I read a few of your articles, very insightful. Especially your views on Chaos As a quantum response to Lawful oppression of the universe.”

Sleaghear smirked; yep he was impressed, “What did you think?” asked as He started setting up a small cauldron, filling it with coal and incense.
Lillian thought for a moment. “It was rather well researched, however you misinterpreted Murphy’s Law in a paragraph, and Misapplied it in the area of quantum physics…Keep in Mind not all Scientists are self important idiots. Your findings on Chaos implementation of Feng Shui were rather enlightening.”
Once Palea had finished placing the candles, Sleaghear started chanting and lighting them one by one forming almost a bluish circle of Light. Me finally motioned for Palea and Lillian to sit on the floor. “I set up a protection spell, so we can talk freely. Now tell me Lillian, who do you think this ghost is?” 
Lillian was cautious, “Why is that important? Aren’t you going to use some kind of spell to purge the ghost?”

Sleaghear shrugged. “Oh I have the spell, but sometimes it’s better to find out what the ghost wants and why He is here before we go about sending Him to the Outer Planes. Many times, they have unfinished business.”

“Oh…I See..” Lillian said with a strong hint of disappointment. She hoped this would be a quick exchange. No Matter, She is committed to this. “Well Sleaghear, We have three ghosts, two are fairly harmless, and have been with my family for generations. One is a Goblin Nanny named Skraagi; She comes in and checks on all the children, tells them bedtime stories, that sort of thing. She apparently worked and died in this house about three hundred years ago and does nothing more than make some shuffling noises. Rumor had it Skraagi even protected a young child from being kidnapped from the house by giving the kidnapper a heart attack. The Second is a young boy who died seventy-five years ago from the last plague. He likes to be helpful to the Maids, wash dishes, and fold towels, that sort of thing. His name is Toby, I think.”

Sleaghear caught Palea staring off into space for a moment, It seems the girl was processing the woman’s words before she gently whispers to His mind, She is Holding back Sleaghear nodded to his slave before he speaks in a soft tone: “And the third ghost, He is more recent isn’t He?”

Lillian sighs fidgeting with an Amber pendant…biting her lip before leaning back on her hands. “His name is Roland, He was my brother, He died twenty five years ago from a drug over dose, My husband and I tried taking care of Him, getting Him clean but He kept on using…it was only a matter of time…still it came as quite a blow when He died in this very room.”

Almost as soon as Lillian finished her sentence, the lights began to flicker, and the chandeliers to sway. Sleaghear looked to Palea and squeezed her hand…”Everything will be fine, both of you must stay in the Circle, No Matter what happens. Roland cannot come in the circle but I will have to step outside if it gets bad and fight Him.”

They Nod as The Sorcerer rises to His feet. “I need Roland’s Last Name Lillian.” 
“White-Church, Rolland White-Church, what are you going to do now?”
“I am going to talk to Him…and get His side of the story. Like I said, Stay in the Circle.”
As Sleaghear slowly makes His way to the edge of the circle, He wills a small opening allowing Him to step forward. The room it self Thunders and shakes causing the Lights to flicker with wild abandon. Sleaghear Looks around Finally sensing the source of the supernatural rage that then begins tossing several Items from the bookshelves.

They bounce harmlessly off the sanctuary spell that protects Lillian and Palea while Sleaghear dodges some of the larger objects. Finally stopping to begin chanting and gathering balls of wildly scintillating colors of black and red. Then He sends it forward in a ball flickering with energy as it soars through the air landing on the epicenter of the ghost, Holding Him still…”Roland White-Church, I compel you to appear and speak…”

Within Moments a Shape appears in the shadows, Longhaired and lanky, a young man that has seen far better days stands, His eyes seething with rage. Lillian gasped when She saw Him…and could not help but speak his name. “Oh dear Rolland…”

The Spirit first turns to Sleaghear then to Lillian and begins to Hiss bearing teeth that had not known a dentist’s chair in quite some time. “You…bitch, now you feel sorry for me? It was you that made me like this…”

Sleaghear calmly waves His hand to get Roland’s attention. “Hello? Not to be a nuisance, but you are supposed to be talking to me, remember? Okay Roland, Out with it, why are you still here?”

Roland turned to the sorcerer and snarled with contempt; His hollowed eyes are blazing with rage before the spell weaves its way into the Ghost’s Mind compelling Him to answer. “Revenge. Revenge on the bitch who killed me…my own sister.” 

The words pierced into Lillian’s heart, she rose sharply with streams of tears now welling up. “Roland I did everything to help you…the best programs, the best rehabs, anything you needed I got for you. Why would I want to kill you? I even let you shoot up in my own house as long as Avrom didn’t find out.”
“You waited till I was asleep,” Roland Snarled “stuck the needle in my arm…made sure it was just enough to kill me. Do you deny that yours was the last face I saw?”

“I found you while you were dying. I did everything I could to save you, Roland. You were the only family I had…I couldn’t kill you, you know that.”
Sleaghear approached the ghost calmly, “Perhaps you are not remembering right Roland, did you talk to anyone before you took a nap?”
Roland’s eyes seem to search within, for a moment then He spoke in a hushed voice. “Avrom…He and I spoke for a couple of minutes, He said that He was going to help me kick the habit once and for all.”

Sleaghear looked to Lillian, who was shocked at Roland’s words, and the conclusion that was to be made. She shook her head…”Avrom wouldn’t do such a thing…he had no reason to…”

It took a few seconds for some shuffling steps to finally make their way down the hall. Finally a smallish female shape appears, a haggard looking crone with pale green skin, and a handkerchief on Her head. When Sleaghear turned the smaller spirit wrung her hands together while nodding. “Scyoose me Sah, dint mean ta Innerupt. But Ah saw whut happened.” Lillian stared in disbelief as the Small spirit looked to the Sorcerer, Muttering, “Skraagi Her name is Skraagi”