The next day, Robert woke up in an unfamiliar room, until he realized that it wasn't unfamiliar - it was a room in the barn. One good thing about having so many livestock was having an abundance of rooms, including some spare rooms. Thankfully, unlike some places' barns, it was like a 4 or 5 star hotel room. He got dressed, and was soon enjoying breakfast, when the door to the room opened, causing Robert to all but jump, when he realized that John Wrangler, his herd leader, was standing in the doorway.
The human snorted. "So, did you sooth the mare that was in here?"
Robert sighed. "It and the other nearby four rooms were unoccupied, so that me, and my family, as well as Jeffery, could have a roof over our heads while we slept."
John entered the room. "Did the roof spring a leak I don't know about? You normally wouldn't just sleep in the barn, unless it was to have sex with the livestock during the night, or if they were sick and you needed to be near them, just in case."
"I think that I have a ghost problem, and they are hostile," said Robert.
John looked at him. "Have you been collecting skulls or heads recently? Especially human ones?"
"Well, my family has collected more than a few over the generations," said Robert. "Especially those of Ferals that were particularly troublesome, or would-be rebel leaders that attempted a livestock revolt or mass escape. Why do you ask?"
"Vendalg," said John.
"You're talking about spirits that only exist to kill, right?" Robert asked.
John nodded.
"Those are myths, right?"
"There are some stories that are only told, after a significant amount of Strong Juice has been drunk," said John. "I also know of my peoples' customs, where our remains are concerned. We either bury the body, or burn it and mix it with dirt."
"What about the remains of the humans that we eat here?" Robert asked.
"You got a bone grinder in the house's toilets, to crush the harder remains, mixing it with other organic waste, and that becomes fertilizer, which is mixed with dirt," said John. "You also make little markers for the humans that you do eat. By showing some level of respect to the dead, you keep Vendalg from showing up."
"What do you suggest that I do?" Robert asked.
"There's two ways to keep a Vendalg from harming you and yours," said John. "If you really want to keep the skull, you must spit on it - that will trap the spirit in the skull, but they will hate you for it."
"What is the other way?" Robert asked.
"You must bury the skull, and if you know them, you must utter their name as you pour Strong Juice over their grave," said John.
"What if you don't know their name, or have Strong Juice?" Robert asked.
"If you don't know their name, you simply need to offer some sort of drink - alcoholic beverages are preferred, but any drink, even water, will do - it must be the best you got at the time, and tell them to enjoy it," said John. "This will allow the spirit to travel into the Afterlife freely. That being said, if you know their name, you must utter their name as you pour the drink upon them, otherwise they might not leave - they will want you to acknowledge them, especially if you killed them."
"You know quite a bit about this sort of thing," said Robert.
"Vampires and Werewolves aren't the only ones that collect heads and skulls," said John. "More than a few humans collect those that belong to their enemies. I had one - I hope that Bella's still spitting on him."
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