"Daring enough to teach, I was." Notwithstanding the relatively low volume of her voice, gran domineered over the concealed presence. In response, the

primordial soul echoed back.. It chuckled. "So that's why you've got the little one with you. What were you teaching her?"

"Him" I responded. "I'm a boy." A deep hum, obviously coming from a spirit which was once human, preceded his response.

"I have lived through and seen far too much to care about such trifling details. You are who you say you are. It doesn't matter to me." He sighed. "So,

illusionist, what were you demonstrating to this young nymph?" My presumption was that Firdevie would be inordinately wary of this imperceptible revenant,

but looking at her it appeared as if she was totally unfazed by this inexplicable situation. Better yet, a light grin was beginning to take its place on

her face.

"Nymph? When were you born?"

"That is a piece of information that I haven't bothered to relay in quite a while. It is yet another thing that has lost its relevance to me" A faint

disruption of the swirling blue streams of light happened right as he finished saying this. "Probably nine hundred and thirty-five PF" he responded. In

concert with his reemergence, the snaking beams of cerulean flickered back into view. To my bewilderment, a bluish apparition in the vague silhouette of a

human, standing, also faded into existence right where gran and I were sitting just a few minutes before.

A gentle clarification from Firdevie reassured me: "Do not be afraid, son. He will not hurt us."

Crossing his transparent arms, the figure noted: "You two are the only company I've had the pleasure of talking with in the past few months. I do not seek

to harm you."

"You've made that very clear, thank you" replied gran. "So, two thousand years eh?"

"About that much." My grandmother was now utterly blooming with excitement. "Well, we call nymphs dryads nowadays" she explained. "You know what a druid is

called in modern times, yet you do not know 'dryad'?"

"Well, the last time I conversed with a nym-, pardon me, dryad was nearly two hundred years ago."

"You needn't apologize. I understand."

"Thank you. Anyway, the young one, what were you teaching him?" Unfiltered zest kept coursing through gran's intonation as she answered. "Yins Adan

Draollacha."

"You Brórur and your wonderful naming conventions..." the spirit responded. "We druids know that spell as 'move plant'. How boring. 'Dancing Branches', what

an elegant name. Do I remember it correctly? Was that the Aldeofolda counterpart?"

"You got it."

"Great!" I assumed the conversation had come to a temporary stop at this point, so I gave myself the liberty to ask the featureless ghast a question.

"I'm confused, what are you?" Immediately, as the elusive spirit turned his head to me, I felt remorseful. Without any facial cues to deduce his feelings

from, every movement could be interpreted in any way. "Was that rude?"

"No, of course" he replied. "I am a master druid. These days my title could be perceived as being closer to 'professor'. As a revered animal commander, my

final goal was to imbue my own consciousness and essence to a piece of the earth. This way, research into certain parts of the mana realm becomes easier."

"Mana realm?"

"The sichocht, as your people call it." He turned to face gran. "Is this method familiar to you?"

"I've heard faint whispers of it, but it never seemed intuitive to me." She was about to ask a question with a hunger for knowledge that rivalled mine, but

she resisted. Her eyebrows tilted apologetically.

"What a thoughtless misstep I've made by not even asking your name."

"The shame is... mutual" the ancient observer replied. "I am Relix Useus Uraia, an what of you?"

Putting the palm of her hand on her chest she replied: "I am Firdevie, an illusionist." As if pleasantly perplexed, Relix put both of his hands on his

waist.

"An Illusionist who knows of organism-based spells? That's curious."

"My only magical education came from close friends and relatives," an almost unnoticeable inflection gave her voice a yearning quality. "Never have I set

foot in a sichochtal school."

"That explains it" he replied. "Well, you seemed all to elated to ask about something, I shouldn't make you wait any longer. Go on." Firdevie's thankful

stare gave off a pure glint. Her smile remained as the most blindingly caring thing I had ever seen, yet this instance of her luminous joy was also to die

for.

"How does becoming one with the terrain help you do your research? Wouldn't doing that make everything far more difficult?"

"You'd be surprised as to how many times I've been asked that question." A charismatic, thick chuckle came from the ghost. "But to answer your question,

this form allows me to open portals to the sichohct at will. Without cost, without basically any effort spent. I am the lord of this domain, and it

bends to my will."

"Fascinating!" Gran kept up her piercing stare.

"This would be a good enough benefit on its own, but what really made my trade off worth it was the loss of my physical body." I didn't know enough about

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magic to interpreted what he said as a good thing. My doubtful eyes drew his attention.

"That means that I can still interact with this world to some extant, but the sum total of my existence lies closer to the mana realm than to the physical

one." Firdevie still hadn't subdued her sharp gaze. "Truly magnificent" she responded. "I cannot thank you for providing your invaluable experience to me.

You have gained our appreciation."

"That is great to hear!" he replied cheerfully. He took his hands off of his waist. "Your kindness is also greatly valued, but I must ask you something."

said Firdevie. By pointing to her with his right hand, he gave her permission.

"My grandson and I haven't come alone to this place. Our people were kicked out of our settlement, and now we're advancing towards Aeyal Téiftıosmı. Our

supplies will not last for a long time, and a capable dryad is among us. We must use the mutated vines in this cave to produce food. Do you have it in your

heart to let us do this?"

"Of course" responded Relix. This seemed like an unexpected thing for him to say, considering that he had introduced himself to us in quite a brash manner.

I myself had assumed that we would incur the mighty soul's wrath simply by asking the question. Gran's eyes narrowed just a sliver, in bemusement.

"Really?"

"Why wouldn't I? You people have been great guests so far, why shouldn't I also show my hospitable side to the rest of your kin?"

"That is most gracious. You have our eternal thanks." Even though Firdevie was content with just expressing her gratitude to him, an unimportant yet gnawing

question was still tugging away at the back of my mind.

"Why did you warn us before?" I asked.

"Oh, that was just to draw your attention. If the two of you were aspirants, seeking to pillage the resources of this irreplaceable pocket of the loam,

then I would not hesitate to bring down rage upon you. If you were regular people, the multitude of modified creatures just outside the cave would have

deterred you from entering. I knew almost immediately that you and your grandmother were not troublemakers." I responded with a sufficient "Understood."

"That being said, I do have one condition that you must work under." His spoke with a firm air. "Do you see those glowing lumps on the plants?" he said,

while pointing to a source of blue light that was affixed to a nearby ball. "Those are not just there for decoration. Those spots are where the green veins

and exposed malachite crystals intersect" he explained. "I do not know if growing something on those spots can result in displacement, but I do not want

anything to be cultivated there. Is that clear?"

"Very much so" replied Firdevie.

"I'm glad that we could come to a favourable agreement" he replied. "You'll have to excuse me," he continued, "but I must return to my analysis. I

wish the best of luck to your people, and I hope encounter the two of you again."

"We reciprocate the sentiment" gran replied. Without a properly indicating that he was going away, the faintly blue ghast hastily dissipated into the air.

No evidence of this mystifying event remained. Gran's grossly incandescent smile remained on her countenance. "What an eccentric being, right dear?" she

said as she turned to look at me. Afore approving her statement, a query that had somehow previously escaped me came to my mind.

"Is Relix immortal?" I asked. Without making me wait, gran answered with a thrilled "Yeah!"

"Relix couldn't die, what happened to his family? Did he see them die?" Was my next inquiry. Gran's eyes widened to accompany her satisfied grin. "Great

question kindheart. Most sorcerers that I know of who have done this are hermits and have no family. In Relix's time it was mandatory to take an oath of

isolation many years before the spirit transfer could even be performed. He did not have anyone to care about" she explained succinctly. Knowing that Relix

had been condemned to remain alone for most of his physical life, and all of his incorporeal one was immensely saddening. Covering my mouth with my hands I

said:

"That is horrible! He was alone while alive, but he is going to be alone forever now?"

"Well, there are most likely thousands of magicians that have done the exact same thing as him. They too, reside in the sichocht." she answered. "It is

undoubtedly pitiable that such an oath had to be undertaken by so many, but I'm sure that nowadays he doesn't feel so lonely."

"Good..." I replied solemnly. "I should tell Hearrain and Günnuaç about this" Firdevie said. "While I do that, would you like to stay here and practice the

spell you've just learned?" she asked. Gently and with a sorrowful cadence, I said "Okay". The waterfall behind us kept weeping.

Under an afternoon sky, I dropped on the ground right next to Nacian. My limbs, completely drained of energy, were aching. "I'm tireeeeed" I jokingly

complained to my granduncle. "That is good, my dear Farriz. It shows that you've toiled to refine yourself. Do not take it as omen, but rather a sign

of your own resilience" he said. "Thank you uncle, but I'm still tireeeed" I reiterated. "Well," he gave me an ebullient pat on the back, "then you

deserve a good rest." I nodded. Most of our people had already set up camp, and were eating their rations. In satisfying harmony with each other, the sounds

of the wind and the waterfall came together in a beautiful chord. Pleasant, emerald hues could occasionally be seen from inside the cave. Günnuaç was hard

at work, producing many nutritious fruits for her fellow Brórur to consume. Bouncing off the ragged walls of the dell, the comforting speech of the crowd

was enjoyable to listen to.

A stealing breath drew closer.

"Standing in the mist, waiting for slumber..." Thoroughly terrified, I got up and turned around. The hairs on the back of my neck had become like spikes.

"Farriz?" Nacian called out to me, and the shadowy whisper didn't come back for a few seconds. As I was sitting down, IT TOOK MY SOUL INTO THE ENDLESS ABYSS

FROM WHICH NOTHING CAN COME BACK. I collapsed onto the floor again, but not out of exhaustion this time. My thoughts were muddled. A creeping dread began

spreading throughout my body as I realized that some of my previous thoughts weren't mine. My granduncle sat me down, and desperately began asking me if I

was okay.

"Boy, are you alright? What are you feeling?"

"I heard a strange-" I became paralyzed again. Drifting thought, dying days. Brother, here. UNTO THE PLACE FROM WHENCE THE RIVERS COME, THITHER THEY RETURN

AGAIN. As soon as I regained control of myself, I screamed. Something was stealing my mind. In here, brother. Even my senses began to fade while I watched

my slow, agonizing death. COME INTO THIS, TEMPLE OF THE FEAST. SET YOURSELF WITHIN THE VESSEL. The last thing I saw in my own body was Hearrain. In a

desperate bid to rescue me, she ran as fast as she could towards me.

MINE.

I awoke in an alien body. Unshakable terror enveloped me as I felt my new, scaly appendages. This monster that had exchanged its mind with mine possessed

extraordinarily sharp eyes, for I could see my relatives rushing towards me in the distance. There was my body, here (kilometers away) was my consciousness.

If I had eyes of my own, I would have cried out of primal fear.

"I will shred this pathetic soul. ITS DESPERATE PLEAS WILL FEED MY PROGENY AND I WILL CONSUME, BROTHER." Out of sheer despair, I began praying to some higher

power, hoping that they would somehow take my life. "It fears, it seeks an end" cackled the counterpart. Just as the abhorrent beast began crawling away,

I took a final look at my real, limp body. Firdevie's tears were dropping elegantly on my lifeless frame.