CHAPTER 10

WEDDING GHOST

Mark raced on his white horse through the village, hoping that the given directions were accurate and the rumors true, so his journey wouldn't be in vain. As he trotted along the dusty village road, he flagged down a middle-aged man. “Excuse me, where can I find the village mayor?” he inquired.

“Right here,” the man replied with a grin. “It’s me, Billy. What brings you to our humble village?”

Dismounting gracefully, Mark introduced himself. "I'm a swordsman for hire. I heard rumors about an angry spirit troubling the village."

“Indeed, we have such a problem,” Billy acknowledged. “But what can a sword do against a ghost?”

“Mine can do plenty,” Mark retorted confidently. “I possess a spirit sword capable of banishing such specters.”

Though doubtful, the mayor saw no harm in giving it a try. “Very well. I can offer you forty gold coins if you can rid us of this ghost.”

“Agreed. Now, tell me everything you know about this spirit.”

“A few days ago, a young couple got married. We're a small, close-knit community, so we all celebrated the marriage with a grand feast. Suddenly, a ghostly woman appeared, uttering chilling words. We tried to drive her away with our pitchforks, but they passed right through her. She touched the newlyweds, draining them of their life. They fell dead, faces pale. Then, she disappeared.”

“And she hasn’t returned since?”

“Not a sign of her.”

“Has this happened before?”

The mayor nodded solemnly. "Once, fifteen years ago, during another wedding. But since then, she never showed up again, so we thought we were safe from that ghost."

Mark pondered the situation. Remembering a volume on spirits he read on Ikronion, he deduced that the ghost might have been drawn by the marriage. “Mayor, I have a plan. Find me a bride and prepare a feast. I’m going to need a wedding.”

The mayor, taken aback, hesitated before understanding. "Ah, I see. You want to draw the ghost. Alright, you can pretend to marry Anne, my niece. But I hope you know what you're doing. I wouldn't want to lose her."

"You won't. Trust me."

Before long, the mayor spread the news throughout the village that Anne would marry the traveler. The women of the village busied themselves baking cookies and cakes, filling the air with their sweet aroma. Meanwhile, the men gathered wine and beers, setting up tables and chairs at the village center for the impending feast. The mayor's nephews prepared a lamb for the occasion.

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Mark met his bride-to-be, Anne, a slender blonde with a captivating smile and blue eyes. He greeted her warmly, saying, "I'm charmed."

Anne blushed. "T-thank you."

"You can relax," Mark reassured her. "I won't eat you, unless you ask me to."

Anne blushed even more, her cheeks turning rosy. "Y-yes." After a moment, she hesitantly asked, "Do you think the ghost will appear?"

"I hope so, or else it would be a waste of everyone's time."

"Will you protect us from the ghost?"

"I promise," Mark declared firmly. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Anne smiled. "I trust you. You seem capable."

As the evening set in, the marriage ceremony began in the village center. Anne, clad in a flowing red bridal gown, walked gracefully with her bridesmaids. Mark, on the other hand, showed up in his sturdy armor, his swords hanging at his side.

Anne and Mark stood hand in hand as Mayor Billy started the ceremony. "Before the watchful eyes of our blessed Archon, I pronounce you husband and w-"

Suddenly, a ghostly figure appeared – a translucent vision of a woman in a bridal gown, emitting spine-chilling screams. Mark swiftly drew his spirit sword, its green glow illuminating the air. "Be gone foul spirit!" he commanded.

The ghost, once confident, cowered at the sight of the spirit sword, realizing its power to banish her from the mortal realm. "You!" she screeched. "You call me foul but you protect villains!"

"Banish that ghost!" Billy yelled.

"Let her speak," Mark ordered.

“Long ago, I was a hopeful bride-to-be, eagerly awaiting my wedding day. I was promised to a handsome man. But the day before our wedding, I found him with another woman in the hills. I was heartbroken and enraged. I confronted him, and in a fit of anger, he struck me with a rock, ending my life. Before I passed, I vowed to seek revenge. Since my own wedding was ruined, I swore to stop anyone else from marrying in this wretched village.”

"You were hurt, and your anger is understandable. But you’ve been harming innocent people instead of the true culprit – your murderer. Killing innocents won't right the wrongs done to you."

"I swore to prevent any more marriages here," the ghost persisted, "so I can only target newlyweds. I can’t harm the one who ended my life.”

"I can," Mark declared. "But here's the deal: if I take down the murderer, you've got to drop your grudge, depart from the living world, and head down to the underworld. If not, I'll use my spirit sword to kick you out of this realm anyhow."

“The murderer is Billy.”

"Don't listen to this vile spirit!" Billy protested. "I'm innocent!"

"Lucy, his betrothed, did vanish mysteriously before their wedding," a villager chimed in.

"Yes," Billy interjected, "but she left with a stranger. She didn't die. I swear!"

Mark could see from the look on the mayor's face that he wasn't telling the truth. "Give me what's owed if you want the ghost gone," he demanded.

Billy tossed him a pouch of coins, which Mark snatched. “Glad to see you've come around. Now, deal with that ghost, and I'll throw in another bag of coins for you.”

Instead of responding, Mark swiftly swung his blade, slicing off Billy's head. The head soared through the air before landing on the ground with a thud. Billy's body slumped to the ground, blood pooling around it. Witnessing this, the ghost grinned and vanished, fading from existence, her spirit finally finding peace.

Mark glanced at Anne and spoke, "Apologies for the chaos and what happened to your uncle, but he deserved it."

Without lingering for a reply, he strode off. Soon, he was atop his white horse, riding away from the village. Such is the life of a wanderer, always seeking the next horizon.