“____” speaking

‘____’ thoughts

*____* telepathy

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Like all trips on the Highway mine was bleak to say the least. I estimated that with all the travel I had done I would have been gone for about three days. It was enough time to make them curious as to whether or not I was coming back. Having spent enough time on the Highway to make even the most patient person infuriated I returned to the material plane.

My guess as to how close I was to the mansion was decent; I could see the neighboring city on the horizon. A few hours walk and I would be back. If anyone asked, I was returning so I could get more information from Tanzi and Maka since they seemed to know more than I had given them credit for.

I reached the house around midday and was able to get a better view than the morning sun had allowed for. The mansion was old even by my standards if the oaks that shaded the front of the house were anything to go by. It stood two stories tall, and would take me about four minutes to run from one side of the house to the other.

The gates I had seen on the sides and back of the mansion were covered in vine, but the front gates stood as a stark contrast to that. Instead of being hidden, the iron had been looked after and shined from zealous hours of work and dedication. They were, for lack of a better word, human. The gate embodied the feeling of control that humans tended to emit when around something they coveted.

But aside from the gates everything seemed to be more like how a spirit would tend to it. There was a balance here and I like it. Not wishing to be seen before I was ready to reveal myself; I sat down behind a tree a ways from the house and began to focus on the links that I had.

My link to the ethereal plane was doing well and I would be able to strengthen the new color again by tomorrow. It had made a small bit of progress by itself as it was a little thicker, but there was still a long way to go before it would be helpful. My regular link with Ormonde was weak due to the neglect it had seen, I had never taken the time to do anything with it aside from sustaining him while we were in the ethereal plane.

The regular link still had a sickly look to it; similar to the original link I had shared with Ormonde. Unlike that link however, this link was not dominated by his colors and the yellow from him blended with the pink from me. There were no patterns to speak of as the link was still brand new in terms of strengthening.

It was easy enough to see that the link Ormonde had to the ethereal plane was in a similar state and I let the links feed themselves to grow. I had forgotten to do that while in the ethereal plane.

Next was the soul link I recreated after breaking it. The original had been sloppy but effective; difficult for even me to unravel. This newer soul link was neater, more streamline, and allowed me to break it off anytime I wished to. It was fulfilling a purpose in name only and didn’t require any attention or babying.

There was only one last link to check, if you could call it a link. That was the bit of soul we had traded when I performed Seele Ehe. I had to be careful that neither my main soul nor the satellite that Ormonde had would consume his soul. Tricky business when your soul wants to stabilize itself using the energy of other souls.

However, the traded pieces had been fine for four years unattended and I wasn’t going to do something to change the unanimity that our souls had reached on their own. It was actually nice to know that for once my soul wasn’t chomping at the bit to swallow another soul into itself. Maybe there was a chance of being normal again; albeit small, this was proof it was there.

When I got the chance I would have to see what Ormonde’s soul was doing with the spirit soul I had wrapped around his. Having finished looking at the links and setting them up correctly, I tried to think of something I could do to pass the time remaining until sunset.

The mansions front faced east so anything I did was going to have to be in either the north or south. Circumnavigating the mansion, I walked north a small distance and started to create my own little home away from home.

I removed a few trees by having them merge with the trees around them to reinforce the wood and create a much stronger base to build on if I so desired. This gave me a nice clearing to work with and I made sure that there was a canopy of branches to keep the area shaded at all times. I gathered a large amount of earth Arcane and started scraping out a pit while condensing the dirt and stone into more compact material.

A few minutes later I had a depression that would pass as an empty pond with a rock both by and in it. With the addition of water I had created a small pond, I went over to one of the trees and took a few leaves from it. Taking the handful of leaves, I returned to the pond and threw the leaves into it. I watched the leave in anticipation of those that would float.

Of the handful I had thrown in, seven leaves hadn’t sunk even after I disturbed the water. I deemed them to have passed my inspection and began to modify them with a plant based Arcane. The pinnately lobed leaves slowly closed up as I let them grow into circular peltate shapes the size of my hand.

Once I was satisfied with the buoyancy of the new leaves I modified them to each have a flower resting on top. The outside bulb of the flower had twelve petals and each of the five inside layers had a similar number. A bright yellow center was captured by the pink and white that surrounded it, framing it in such a way that brought it to one's attention.

This place wasn’t exact, but it was close enough that it could serve as my own personal Zen garden. The flowers would never wilt and the water would never freeze. I walked over to the largest of the encircling trees and hollowed it out to serve as spot to sleep, a literal tree house.

Finally finished, I made myself partially corporeal and stripped down to enter the pond. Small ripples rebounded off the walls and water lilies I had created as I entered with relaxed ease. I let myself sink till only my nose and above was exposed to the outside air and heated the water to slightly above body temperature.

Hours before I entered the pond the sun had set, leaving me with a view of the stars to admire while I soaked. This would be my retreat for when things went wrong or dealing with others became too much. A place to simply let the water wash away the troubles that could be forgotten or dismissed. It had worked in the past and would work for the foreseeable future.

When I started to struggle to stay awake I left the pond and returned to the mansion and to the place reserved for me inside Ormonde’s soul. That night there were no dreams, just the blissful embrace of darkness to pass the time.

As I had done previously four days ago, I woke up before sunrise and went to the kitchen to wait for Maka. I opted to float above the stove as a fireball so I was easily noticeable and resumed napping.

“Oh! You came back.”

I roused myself and moved away from the stove so Maka could use it.

“Was I not supposed too?”

“Ah. No it’s just that you were gone for three days and after talking to Tanzi we both agreed that there was a chance you wouldn’t return.”

“Good to know I would have been missed.”

If she caught the sarcasm Maka didn’t rise to rebut it or admonish me.

“I came back for many reasons one of which is that I couldn’t get into the trials.”

“What do you mean?”

“I went to the opening and it felt like it was trying to push me away, I felt sick just being near the damn thing.”

“You must not be strong enough then, the trails keep out people who can’t pass to limit casualties. Could you possibly cut more vegetables like last time we talked?”

I let out an exasperated sigh and headed over to the cupboard. It was good corporality practice and, as I definitely didn’t enjoy doing the work of others, it was the only reason I complied.

“So how’d the revenge go?”

I dropped the knife I was using and quietly cursed to myself while picking it back up.

“What makes you think I went and did that?”

Maka huffed whilst cooking.

“I’m not stupid. It was one of the things you said that you were planning to do and I doubt you spent three days looking at the mouth of a cave you couldn’t enter.”

‘Note to self: Maka is scary, don’t piss her off and don’t tell her anything important.’

“The cult was gone when I got there; a corrupted spirit had gone haywire in the area.”

It was the truth, just not the full truth.

I continued to stay and help Maka and learned various things from her about both the house and herself over the course of the week. The house had been around since the time of the Ancients and the family that lived here were called spirit binders by most spirits that knew of them. The most interesting fact was that it wasn’t Maka’s first time in the house.

She had been here some hundred years ago and had only come back because of Tanzi. If there was some relationship between the two of them I didn’t know and she wasn’t going to tell me. I could always ask Tanzi later, but he spent most of his time with Ormonde’s parents and I wasn’t ready to have to go through that rigmarole yet. Plus I would have to deal with Maka’s wrath and, having experience that when I broke one of the plates, I was not eager to incur it again.

On the bright side of things, I was getting closer to the same level of mastery I had had over my corporality before dying. Maintaining a full real body was a little harder than you’d think. I had to keep it maintained like a normal person and it drained me physically to hold it for long durations. Of course practice make perfect and I wanted perfect or as close as I could conceivable get.

Another week passed by uneventfully and I started to make sure I could turn my clothes corporeal too. I didn’t need to become nude all of a sudden just because my dress was left behind when I changed my corporeality too fast. It was during one of these slightly embarrassing sessions that Maka came to me looking rather worried.

“Hey Vio?”

“Hmm?”

“Ormonde’s gone missing. He managed to get out of the fence and is in the local forest somewhere. Can you help us look for him?”

I groaned after hearing her request.

“Fine, but if anyone but you or Tanzi sees me you’re the one who’s explaining everything. Got it?”

Maka nodded and seemed to relax a little; guess she thought I would refuse. She was also looking at me like it was my fault he got out. It was obvious why she had come to me to look for Ormonde. I could just track the link I had with him and find him within minute, but what would be the fun in that?

“How’d he get out anyways?”

“He dug a hole under the fence and crawled out underneath it.”

“You’re looking at me like this is my fault.”

“I don’t know what it is, but I can’t help but feel you have something to do with it.”

I hadn’t done anything of course, but my word wouldn’t be good enough for Maka. After all, I was new here and had very much resisted trying to mesh with the system they had established.

“Where do you want me to start looking?”

“Just head straight from where the hole was dug. Tanzi and I are going to handle the other directions.”

Once Maka left I started to look around the general area that I had been asked to survey. Even after ten minutes of searching I hadn’t found him and using my link would have been no fun.

‘What would have been a reason enough to leave? Well there’s one possibility.’

I started to head in the direction of my pond. If Ormonde had managed to feel me creating it through our link he would have felt a desire to see it at the very least. I would have greatly enjoyed my journey to my pond due to the fallen leaves, but I was skeptical about Ormonde not being there.

Arriving at the pond confirmed this. My secret retreat was no longer a secret as Ormonde was sitting by the edge of the pond watching the lilies. A string of choice words were uttered at a barely audible level; Maka had been right, this was my fault. Now I had to think of a way to deal with Ormonde being here now and in the future.

There were so many different actions I could take and until Ormonde reached for one of the lilies and started to pluck petals from it I remained indecisive. Seeing my hard work being destroyed I acted without thinking.

“What do you think you’re doing!?”

Ormonde startled and nearly fell into the pond before steadying himself and turning to see who had spoken. Seeing me he seemed to calm somewhat.

“Who are you?”

“I asked you a question first.” Ormonde balked at the anger I was showing.

“Ah. Um. R-right. I was, um, I liked the flower.” He raised the petals in his hand.

“So you decided to destroy it?”

“But it wouldn’t have!” It was a feeble attempt at cementing his position of being correct.

“Yes it would have.”

“Nuh uh. They grow back.” He gestured to the petals that were floating on the water’s surface.

“What?”

‘The flowers grew back after being damaged? I hadn’t done that.’

I raised my eyebrow in suspicion and moved closer; I was curious. “Really?”

Ormonde’s face brightened. “Yeah. Look this ones still normal.”

He pointed to the flower he had pulled the petals off of. I knelt next to him and eyed the flower and saw that, yes, the petals had grown back under their own power.

“Huh. I didn’t make them to do that. I wonder what did.”

Ormonde looked at me with awe filled eyes, leaning in uncomfortably close to me. “You made these?”

“Yes?” I shifted myself away slightly so I wasn’t having to cross my eyes to look at him.

“Show me!” He was even more excited now than earlier.

I scoffed. “Why should I?”

“Because.”

“No.”

“Please.” Practiced puppy dog eyes replace the ones that were previously filled with wonder.

“No.” I crossed my arms and huffed. I didn’t care if I was older; I was not a walking flower display.

“Awww.”

Ormonde’s head hung in disappointment and I took this as an opportunity to send him home.

“Besides, this is my pond anyway so you shouldn’t be here. You should go home.”

“NO!”

The sudden power behind his refusal threw me off kilter.

“Why not?”

“I like it here and it’s boring at home. There’s no one to play with.”

“Well why not find someone to play with then?”

Ormonde’s eyes grew round as dinner plate and were shining with a dangerous light.

“Will you play with me?”

“Huh? What?”

“Will you play with me? You said to find someone to play with. Why not you?”

I had to give him credit. It was a smart move on his part even if he didn’t realize it. He managed to use my own logic against me and he was only five; he was going to be scary later in life.

“I-I can’t leave the pond so there’s no way I could do that.”

It was a lousy excuse, but it was the best I had at the moment.

“That’s fine I’ll come here.” He was smiling as if he had won a decisive battle.

“Arg, fine. I’ll play with you from time to time.”

Ormonde looked ecstatic and then stopped as if remembering something.

“Promise.”

“Promise what?”

“That if I come here you’ll play with me.”

“No.”

“Then I’m not leaving.”

He plopped himself down against one of the trees next to the pond. I held the bridge of my nose while scrunching up my brow in thought. There really was no way out of this.

“Ugh. Alright I promise.”

“That’s not enough.”

“What?”

“You have to promise to play with me if I come here.”

I sighed in resignation; I was losing this one hard.

“I promise that if you come here I’ll play with you.”

He didn’t know it, but he had just forced me into a binding agreement with him and a fairly open ended one at that. I flopped down on the ground and let my hands dangle in the water. Movement behind me cause me to raise myself from my position and turn so I could see. Ormonde had stood up; I relaxed myself back to how I had lain previously.

“I’m gonna go. I’ll be back though and you better keep your promise.”

“I will.” My reply was a muted grumble as I lazily stirred the water my hands were in using my finger.

Ormonde left, the sound of crunching leave signified his departure. As an after thought I turned to yell at him.

“And when you do come back don’t destroy the lilies!”

The only reply I got was giggling and the sound of running feet getting softer. What in the world had I gotten myself into?

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AN: Hello readers! Another day another chapter and oh what a chapter. Let me know what you think and if you find any mistakes I didn't PR this one as many times as normal. For now happy reading and I'll bind you adieu.

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