Adrift among lower societies

Being fished out of the moat by the locals was what the plan was, clothes a mess and unrecognizable and when waking up again I could play the lost memories game. It was all part of learning my own countries public without being put to the execution block right away.

The hope was that living people would be the ones. I find the it were not the case at all. The souls of those publicly execution for the wrong answers are souls whom have turned revengeful and soured by the laws that be.

The society of the Damned... They are whom use the powers of forgotten gods and the powers borrowed from worlds created in darkness. They use a pymind system. The worse things a soul can shoulder as negative energy the higher status they are. These is a few barriers between lower to middle and middle to higher that need extra attention in climbing their social ladder.

Since I am actually still dead, I haven't my ability to appear human to the living. It makes me a middle class damned. High middle class. I can still understand and talk to living poeple. This will have to do inspite of not interacting with the living society I wanted. I can get the same information from thier dead watchers. Its not as morbid as it should be. Everyone can sense when dead folks visit.

"Another child... I wonder which royal is to blame for the execution of these innocents." I am sat up to a wall and given a check over by these thin bodies of shadow. Their mask faces are eye carved only and softly change as they express themselves.

A few interesting facts about damned, the more pained or sad they look it is the opposite of what they feel. So when they are scared, they will smile. The noble I walked into and told to fetch my uncle had a mouth carved to their mask, it got scared when it had seen me.

They are called damned for two main reasons, damned are souls whom died with revenge, regret or sadness. Secondly they are called damned due to their laws of interaction. The damned become more visible to you the closer you are to die or in high state emotional negative energy. It does not help that they smile when they are sad with you.

"Are you aware?" Waved in front of my face a few times. They speak in the lower class accent and if I do speak, they will caught me out as a royal. So instead, I pose my hand to my throat and patter my hands confused about my changes. The chalky clay mask without any features, not even visible eyes, "Wohaa, there. Don't take your face off. You will be taken by the grim if you do. I am sure you have unfinished business if your one of us."

I do well to look around confused and scrunch up in see how they look to me. They frown (sort of smile), a gentle hand at the shoulder. Some go back to pulling other bodies or spirits from the moat. There is one that scrambled back to shore smiling and crawled right up to the wall beside. It shivered in watching the water.

"Welcome back Harry. Looks like you have climb out one the moat fish again. You maybe should take a break of fishing and help out this mute fella. A newbie. See if his going to stick around or disappear into with peace."

"You bet I would rather that then being ate again." He hissed at the water and I backed away from him. He stood with turning to me, eye flexed to a sort of smile (disappointment of my reaction), "I am sorry for freaking you out. You would to if you knew what those fish are like. I doubt you were concise of them when you were in there." Lowering to eye level, "So here the basics. A sort of test to see if you a lower end of the scale. We are dead. We are in this form of darkness for one thing or another. You are free from life..." He studies me a while and I just stare back, "You do something regretful and want to redeem yourself?" I nod, "Is it a easy fix?" I disagree, "Are you aware that your way of answering is opposite meaning? If I was human, I would have thought you disagree to having a regret." I pose my hand in thinking about this and then was confused as I was more consice of how to nod answers. He frowns lightly (finding it amusing), "It is easy for us but just not any living folks." He got me to stand up. We step through into after images, shadows of building or objects. He quickly navigated to a area of really bright light and stop us, "We turn into ashes in the light, but if you're a noble shadow... you can be in it for some duration of time." I gently go to poke then backed my hand hissing, "You totally in the middle classing. You not easy fixer upper like the lower ones. Your not deeply regretful to have the ability of light be no problem."

He turns away in explaining that laws like this are not of damned control. He does however go through ghosting laws which exist with hunters of oath. The sort of do not break the reality-based understanding of beings around us.

As since his distract, I play about with bending light and shadow. Indeed I may still turn to ashes if light touches me. Yet I could just easily distort light to my will and make my path through it. I fixed it back as he turns back around. He was stuck on saying something and stares confused. He shook off the distraction and offers his hand. I dont take it this time. He frowns gladly of it.

"We maybe dead but it does not stop angels and demons from making deals. Always offering a hand of salvation or 'good' wishes." He grabs me in some fashion and took me around another part of mage island.

It was a great sort of half tour into the hidden or back alleyways. The streets no one rich or good willed would walk. I got to see the what the worse of this land is. Broken families whom are dying, powerless and penniless.

The mages whom have very lower element bending that have no use of their elements to make life better. They make things by hand to out right trade for food (some have never seen money before). They have never been educated by any sort of school and instead smart to use science to worked out problems (but not realizing the theory behind why science happens). It of the modern outsiders brought in that teach these alienated natives how things are. It leads to where there brutality where one side is insulted a little to far.

Just about everyone whom lives on these dark alley streets see damned just fine. Meaning they are in misery of even living at all. The few damned whom are interacting with living are those whom are making the most of being dead to help the living. Both sides make sure to not touch each or break any sort laws.

I felt pain instantly, it was there like my skin was being torn. I look to Harry whom felt it too. All damned turned at each other, looking for the one that is the idiot. A fool whom was holding a living persons hand. This pain was gone as either the living just died or that the damned was executed.

"When we make touch with living, it causes these pains across all in the entire world around us. It up to the rest of us to hunt you down and execute you, so that this pain stops. It can be a simple mistake or not even your fault for breaking the rule. But you will be hunted down other wise. Its a good warning to teach you, newbie." Harry looks at how a new damn is crying over the ashes of the one whom was holding their hand during last breath, they too crumbled into ashes, "Not that you want to hear it but don't ever cry. We bleed and turn to ashes when we cry." Harry sighs in watching the two lovers disappear, "No one knows where or what happens to us when we are ashes. You could call it second death."

I walk over to the ashes of the two lovers, I picked out their souls and wedding rings... to each I pick up their faces and put the souls back to their masks. I did so because they were whispering. I can hear them but they could not hear each other. I don't think anyone around me could hear them. I hung both masks to the wall their wedding rings there too. I moved away, stood with hoping it had worked. The answer was they do... but at a cost. They don't remember anything. But given the rings they were wearing, they know they had to be together for a reason. It only takes a moment and then they are free. No longer in regret and no attachment of this world. Taken by unseen hands from this life.

"I dont know how or what you did... but I guess you got to see another thing. When we have let got of out needs to be here, 'find peace' as the living call it.We disappear just like that. From what I know, its much better way of going to the next life then it is forced to the next life as the ashes of the previous one." I give my agreement in understanding.

He brings me around to things we damned do behind humans backs or sometimes out of reach of humans. There a family of dead folks looking after the last dying survivor. Bedridden and ill... its of the ghost whom are keeping the place clean. Some doing old fashioned laundry brush scrubbing in hot boiling water... it would have peeled skin if humans were doing it.

Some are building or repairing broken buildings... houses mostly. They cant enter any holy church grounds of the good light gods. They can however go to the dark cult churches. Neutral grounds, not holy or cursed. I guess this has to do with angels too. Good faith souls might have a anti-negative energy thing that causes harm to damned.

Its sort of ironic, these damned need help but those best suited would turn them into ashes, not even ever hear or see them. It really is up to humanity to save the lower ones.

The damned around this land are very open about walking among humans, as mages are aware but don't know. Damned are just spirits to living. The Damned aren't the only types of spirit walkers around here. As Harry said, Demons and Angels are around here too. There is also other smaller societies like gnomes, fey, plant beings and abnormal spirits. They all follow the ghost laws in thier own way, but also are free walking among mages then if they are just another set of outsiders.

This low end of society are mistreated more then those from outside. This maybe do to human right laws of other countries applies to outsiders but not natives. So, its a further social divide that makes the poorest hate foreigners. This is what I have observed so far from these back alleyways.

"So there you have it, the basics... and you a quick learner. Now. There is one last thing you need to learn. Since you are going to stick around long enough to starve." He peers around, stressing me follow to a window.

A mother is crying over the loss, illness that could have been prevented claimed a life here. She pain is real and you can't ingore that negative hurt oozing from her.

Harry was really grinning, if i had to guess. He is trying to not cry himself. As she was morning harder and harder. I could see that there is change in Harry, before when we met. He was thin and faded shadow and his mask was chipping. The worse the sounds of the mother crying, the more vivid of shadow density and there are corrections in his mask. He finally moves away, holding his chest and trying to not cry. I tilted as if asking whether if he was alright.

"The worse part about being a damned is the hunger. When were are starving, we loose our memories from our life before. Starving long enough will make you feral and you will be hunted down. Dusted. So in order to not be hungry, we eat negatively. From what I have learned from watching others, for a moment living feel really bad but then recover quicker from misery when we done. Its like we are eating their emotional distress. You have to be strong to not cry because the more painful it is for a living person the taster it is. Its oddly true that the better emotions taste awful and the negative energy taste like nicer. We get misunderstood for this, seen as monsters when we are caught eating." He sighs long as he looks back, "She's my great granddaughter and that was her 3rd youngest. I make money, buy medicine and give it to them. They don't know who I am." I nod in pat his shoulder, "You are a good person, clearly. You hold a sense of respect to everyone around you. I say a outsider because of your habits and how you been so stood back. But I would bet you were well liked in life." I stared into him and shrug. He light grins unsure of that answer, "Have you lost your memories by chance?" I disagree, I am not going to lie to this nice guy.

I got back to the window. I jump right through the room. I looked around at the conditions of the house, walked through walls and everything. The cries echo vividly. Deeply under my skin, but I don't taste what his talking nor am I feeling anything like hunger.

Shared housing. It is clean place for sure but there is wood rot in the roof. No heating but a the only brick area is the chimney. Not any money to afford lasting heat. Plenty of basis around. Layers of clothing and blankets. No fancy stuff, practical use only. A cold slate closet for a fridge, with ice magic in the corners. Some runes of magic to keep it fresh. Not well stocked. I noticed there is some items I would have imagined electric powered. They covered in suitable runes yet work the same way as electrical ones. Like the slate counter with fire circuit runes for a stove. It's eco-friendly living.

I make it out the front door, putting a small hand woven basket at the foot step. I put a bunch of needed supplies in it. A sort of thanks to Harry but towards his family. I moved away as she opened the door. Pale and blank but she isn't cry and I don't think she feels emotional pain. Looking to the basket I placed there. I give her a bow and moved back. She went through it, inspecting the food items and the bottle of wine. She stood with taking it all, bowing back to me. The soft hover of Harry watching her close the door and tilts my way. Harry nods, patting my shoulder in thanks.

"I... I know what its like. Maybe worse before. Not old enough to buy meds or have a job. To young to be homeless yet... homeless because I am too strange for them." the sudden rough northen british accent wavered from me, "No access to essentials. I would fear getting help, scared of being sent in circles again. Foster to foster." I took out things, "Stealing. Break into places to sleep. I could see things that no one else would understand." He took a bottle of wine from my hand and noticed the label was fancy enough for the royal house, "You would not believe my truth if I told you. I may even be hunted because things. Yet, I know my regrets. It is being to weak of a voice to stop all this..." I open my arms out around at these houses and these people, "Pain."then coil myself together, looking down at the drity running scum that floats along water ways in the street centre. Harry place a finger to his chin (the neck of the bottle of wine hung within the palm here) thinking, a low grin as he uses his other hand scuff my head.

"You're too good hearted to be listened by the royals. I bet you were a high middle class outsider before they beheaded you for stealing and toss you into the moat with the majority of us." I stare at him and took out another bottle. He had a tilt. He isnt sure how I was doing my magic trick. He peers at both bottles and looking about me for a bag or the area of where I would be stealing this stuff from.

"Can we go help them? You know where they are. I have the things." a deep frown spreads on us both. He whisked us to other families and poor houses. He took us to areas that deserve help.

He made me hide from noble shadows walking around or from humans that could bless us away. We avoided light. We stop as a fight broke out between a mage of dirt and one whom uses water.

I ducked from it by instinct yet watched that Harry was never affect by the fling of mud. How it would hit the wall behind him or through him. He was judging how to pass them, unsure of what to do. I pointed to a pair of clay pots sitting here ans he look at me strangely. I pick on up and he waved mute in freaking out. I put the pot down. I pick up a rock instead and he continued to disagree. I weigh it in hand as I tease in waving it. He goes to take it from me when I throw these stones towards of the two mages as a distraction. I wanted them to look at me and stop casting spells.

It works. Harry face palms and steps backwards from sight. I give angled tilts and a low darkened expression. To the living, my face carved out a breaking toothy jaw as my clothie skins twisted into stick thin growing size. I give a low gruff throaty sound. The two look to each other then slipped in going separate directions. I see windows slam close, and many children also turn to hide any place they could. Those whom went to walk here, turned way, going by the way they came. Other many spirits helped everyone hide better. The whole area is empty looking, voided of any signs people. I shirnk back down to my normal height, my mask sealed back to being blank and look where last Harry was standing.

"I watched a guy do this once. He was trying to stop childs fighting. He didn't want to hurt them but also to not fight each other. He got their attention with a noise or a rock... then you puff up big and scary. It makes a lot people run. I have not worked out why." Harry stiffly steps back to my side, inspecting if I was harmless.

"Its a good impression of fear reminders or horror urban legends. Ghost poeple whom scare everyone and everything. Some are the very urban myths and others are impressions of what we fear in our selves. Humans mistaken them as spirits like us and nickname some of them." I do his thinking pose. Its the frist time I had someone tell me about the dream walkers. The thing that was Karen's room was such monster of fear.

The fear manifestation are whom make themselves known to scare or remind you. Human whom are highly paranoid, are targeted most. Damned are known as shadow poeple, sure. These manifestations of horror are like the clown movement going on in the USA. The concept idea of where creepypastas come from. I call them dream walkers because they are from the realms connected by dreams. Its rare that dreams leak out into the real world or if at all. It is down to how they follow laws of interaction.

It was down to us two to continue sneaking around and helping those most in need. Feeding the hungery, teaching the orphanage about words by drawing and writing. I took part in learning how they build housing and then showed a way to improve it. Double walls with vacuum space between. A cost affordable way of installation, since building mud brick walls is easy and cheap.

We hop through around the middle class area, away from the slums of mud brick buildings. There still a sense of no wealth or improvements to living. Sure there is access to pipes of clean water, plumbing and scavenged stone to make walls of buildings. It still not... wealthy. Poeple still don't own a lot or were stripped of technology they were used to.

The middle class seem not at all different from the ones native to here. Its when you hear them speaking different languages or having strange mannerisms, the divide makes sense. There is parts here whom are native middle class, neutral fence standing folks are often mediators of the division. Most are hired as translators around here, even by royal's and nobility.

It was around when we sneaked into staff houses within nobility own land plots. It was here that the division doesn't exist. All servants are servants, middle class or lower class don't matter. Wealth is incrusted into plaster work.

One family of wealthy has money from around the world, stuck into the walls. They pay poor whom fish it out of rivers and sea or travelling mage agents for exotic double coins. One coin for the front face. A second coin for the back. They like the coins with different backs, like the USA quarters or the fifty percent peices from the UK. They like a lot of European coins before the euro was standard.

The servant houses are nice and do keep poeple better off. But they are the ones most focused for foul class racism. Maids being forced or nobility children not being told off for very harmful abuses. Its no wonder middle class and lower class chooses to help each other here then on the streets. Folks working to hard for nearly nothing and will little time away. There high employment in this sector. Yet who wants to live where the last servant was hung because of a child's lie.

The excluded lives of royals makes the top of the creme more fake then fake can get. Cheats to try be a place with royalty. In reality, royals dont like racism between wealth and lower classes. Royals dislike the division of outsiders and natives. Yet its then made worse in how there is a division of how things should be ran among high nobility and royalty.

It's not a dictatorship but a broken voting system. A system that excludes the poor and outsiders from taking part. The blindfolded act of being away from the issue has reaped up some real nasty voters among nobility. Each has there own agenda of how to use the poorest for profits in different ways. They are allowed to do so in order to traffic outsiders with educational skills into the country. As a sort of political way to petty attempt fix it all, a guise of what really is going on. They are comfortable with how things are.

The loudest good souled royals are beheaded or missing. The acting royal family at the moment are just using the nobility for dark magic practice. A taste of thier own medicine. All very twisted and easy to see from the shadows in negative lives.

When I found ways to be alone away from all, to sneak off to places of light. I could see the benefits and happiness of the lives. These is a vast majority, regardless of political songs, lack of wealth or materialism. The people are happy living lives. A community that is curing the ill, self-sufficient living and are happy as they are. They aren't blind and they are helping. But like most, have no powers to change the systems that be.

If things change, it would damage more good lives then it would to make all lives equal. There is safer opportunity to improve, but it means dirty hand work to get rid of the big names. Very messy hands to make the highest fakes feel what damage they are doing. Taking away what makes themselves high in society.

Mage society is based on power in bending energy. The more elements or the more sufficient at mastering a element. The higher. Yes, for now there a division of purist, mixed bloods and outsider genes. There still is a division between types of magic, uses of it and how to teach others this magic. Measuring magic isn't easy. We still not even the differences of element, cultures, curses and divine powers. Those play a part of what manners someone has or what social groups you are a part of.

Fixing this country will not be a walk in the park. It should be a project for generations of royalty to fix. I would be considered the last of my generation of ways of magic. If you have a grasp of what my personal issue is, then you going to see how nearly everything is impossible.

As of this moment, laying low and playing a ghost among damned. It the most suitable way of finding more ways to make things better. Making up database of whom is where, what they class and why they are. Invaluable information to make my move when I am whole again.