January 2, 8:30 am. Rafael's room.

Inhale. Exhale. Rafael concentrated on his core. The density of spiritual energy there made his head spin. It was hard for him to get his mind around all the swirling movements, let alone control them. He chose a meridian, and tried to follow the fluid in its circuit inside his body. His consciousness moved slowly along his arm, registering every intersection, every turn... Rafael was pleased to see that there was much less dispersion than before on the surface of his skin. The transformation his cells had undergone had improved the quality of his meridians, and he had much better control over his aura now.

It would have been hard to do worse anyway.

Despite the improvement, trying to direct his spiritual energy still felt like trying to hold back a flood with his bare hands. His strength of will seemed weak. He knew he was untrained, but part of him kept thinking that he should have done better nonetheless. He had to do better to avenge his uncle!

It was going to take a very long time for him to feel comfortable with his spiritual energy. An eternity before he could expect to be as good as Alek. Fortunately, that didn't stop him from using his powers, they come naturally to him. All thanks to his connexion with the plant spirit. He instinctively knew what to do, even if he wasn't efficient.

Inhale. Exhale. Rafael slowed the flow as much as he could, to limit the dispersion, and to maximize the reserve in his core. He would need every last drop of his spiritual energy for the day ahead.

Finally, he got up and prepared to leave. He had only meditated for an hour, much less than Alek had advised, but he had other priorities for the moment. He had an appointment with the old shaman at the nursing home early this afternoon, and everything had to be ready by then. Rafael put on his leather jacket with a decisive gesture, then headed for the garage. His first destination was the shopping area.

It took him only ten minutes to get to the gardening store, then another five minutes to reach the plants and shrubs section. He already knew what he wanted, he had spent a good part of his night thinking about it and doing research on the internet. Hazel wood for the amulet, and bamboo for the staff. Moreover, these were plants that grew quickly, so they wouldn't drain his spiritual energy too much.

Rafael bought a seedling of each and a trowel, packed them carefully and put them in his saddlebag, then headed for the hardware store. He was less sure of himself for this step. Woodcutting was not something he had any knowledge of, and he was afraid he wouldn't buy the right tools. He decided to call a salesman. He noticed a man in his forties wearing a jacket with the store's logo standing nearby.

"Hello, I would like to buy some chisels for wood carving. Could you advise me?" asked Rafael.

The salesman considered him for a moment over the lenses of his glasses.

"Chisels and gouges maybe? What do you intend to carve?"

"Uh, some kind of symbols," Rafael answered, "Runes, actually."

"You're not some old school purist, are you?"

"What do you mean by that? I don't understand," Rafael admitted.

"I guess that means no," the salesman said with a smile. "I suggest you get an electric engraving pen, you will have more than fifteen tips, including an industrial grade diamond tip. The handling is very easy and the engraving is fast, you will save time in every way."

"It looks very practical, indeed," Rafael remarked. He felt reassured at the prospect of using this kind of tool rather than the chisels Alek had asked for. He probably wouldn't mind if he took the engraving pen, the important thing was that the job was well done.

"You also have laser engraving machines that are even more precise, and that allow you to produce in large quantities. They are more cumbersome obviously, and we enter the higher price range. Not to mention that the designs have to be done by computer, some people find that this does not suit their artistic fiber..."

Rafael was tempted for a brief moment, but Alek had mentioned the need to imbue the runes with spiritual energy during the carving process. The machine wouldn't give him time to do that. Hell, even the old shaman surely couldn't keep up with a laser.

"I'll take the engraving pen," Rafael settled.

Once he made his decision, he didn't linger. The engraving pen joined the two seedlings in his saddlebag, along with several packages of cookies he had found near the checkout. Alek would be happy. He owed him that much, with all that the old shaman did for him.

Another ride on the motorcycle, and Rafael arrived at the park. He took the seedlings and the trowel from his saddlebag, then headed for the small wood, where he had first met the plant spirit. He was a little afraid that someone would notice him, or that he wouldn't be able to make the hazel and bamboo grow the way he wanted. It had worked well the night he had infiltrated the church with Jay, but, this time, the challenge would be much greater. He didn't know if he could inject enough spiritual energy into the wood to make it enchanted.

Once arrived, Rafael sat down next to the holly shoot, and dug two holes in the ground for the seedlings. Once the hazel and bamboo were ready, he closed his eyes to prepare himself mentally. He calmed his breathing, re-aligned with the essence of his spirit, and checked that his spiritual energy was flowing properly.

Let's get started!

Rafael plunged his hands into the earth at the foot of the seedlings. He pumped his spiritual energy into his core, and let it flow into the plants with a command: Absorb. Grow. The plants responded immediately to his call. Their roots stretched, and multiplied in the ground. Rafael could feel his plant spirit nearby, watching and accompanying the transformation.

The plants were not only feeding on nutrients from the soil and sunlight, but also on Rafael's spiritual energy. He could feel his reserves dwindling. Yet he continued to pour the precious fluid into the hazelnut and bamboo trees he had just planted. At the same time, he did his best to impress his will upon them, so that the plants would grow in the way he needed. The hazel tree had to be large enough to make amulets from its wood, the bamboo big and strong enough to make a good stick.

Rafael didn't dare open his eyes for fear of losing his concentration, but he felt his hands being pushed back little by little by the strength of the growing wood. Branches brushed against his face, leaves caressed his hair... He continued until he was completely empty, and then again a little after that, his plant spirit giving him a new energy. Finally, he could give no more, and he collapsed backwards, gasping for breath.

When Rafael opened his eyes to discover his work, he felt a little lost, it didn't feel like he was in the same place anymore. The plants were taller than he was, lush, with leaves shining a beautiful dark green. The hazel, the bamboo and the holly had grown so much that he could not see the sky anymore. The holly too! But he had not tried to feed it with energy. Was it the work of the plant spirit or was there something special about this shrub?

Rafael felt good under those foliage. It was as if the air was vibrating with a special music that was regenerating him. He felt the vital energy flowing through him, and the spiritual energy in the surrounding plants all around him, as if they were part of the same entity. They were the guardians of the park and of nature.

It took him several minutes to come back from this feeling of bliss. He felt such a connection with these shrubs that he loathed the idea of cutting them down to make magic objects. They belonged here, in the heart of the forest, a living link between earth and sky.

I have to do this, for Leonard.

He had a hard time convincing himself.

For my revenge, to prevent the priest from claiming more victims.

It was then that he realized that he had not prepared anything to cut the wood he needed. He couldn't do it with his bare hands! Especially with all the spiritual energy the shrubs had absorbed, they must have gained extra strength. Maybe he could go back to the hardware store and rent a chainsaw, but with his motorcycle it wouldn't be practical...

His phone rang, it was Jay.

"Hey Rafe, guess what?" his friend said in a voice full of exultation.

"I don't know... Don't tell me you made out with Tiffany?"

"Ah no, but it will come," Jay replied with confidence. "I bought myself a car! I just picked it up. A great second hand, I had a real stroke of luck there!"

Rafael was surprised. "What? How did you get enough money?

"I hit the jackpot at the casino, I'm a money bag now."

"A moneybag? You?" Rafael laughed. "You got a promotion or something?"

"I played roulette. Shamanic powers are dope man. I tell you!"

Rafael paused, taken aback. He had introduced Jay to shamanic magic, and his friend had told him that he had managed to get a blessing. Had he used it to make money? Rafael didn't know if he should find this disturbing or brilliant. He had been so focused on his own problems that he didn't even know what powers Jay had acquired!

Whatever, things seem to be going well for him. I'll catch up later.

"Are you busy right now? I need some help. Could you rent me a chainsaw from the hardware store and bring it to the park?"

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It seemed like an extravagant request to Rafael, but Jay didn't flinch.

"Of course, I'm right in front of the store. Quite a coincidence, isn't it?"

"Yes," Rafael replied, feeling a little uncomfortable. What was going on?

"I'll be there in thirty minutes," Jay said before hanging up.

It was unexpected, a solution had just fallen from the sky! There was only one question left to answer: what was he going to do for thirty minutes?

Rafael took the opportunity to look more closely at the hazelnut, the holly and the bamboo trees he had grown. He had never seen such beautiful ones, the wood and the leaves were so healthy! The trees weren't that tall though, no more than four meters. It was still enough to tower over him, and their growth was impressive considering it only took them a few minutes to get there.

Rafael moved away a little to admire the trees better, he could feel the plant spirit radiating with joy at these new additions to the park. It was really sad to have to cut them, but he couldn't do otherwise. He couldn't fight the priest without the help of these magic objects, it would be too dangerous. He promised himself that he would grow more trees later, to compensate for cutting these down.

To take his mind off these thought, he wandered around. The other trees and grasses did not seem to have benefited from his spiritual energy in the same way as the holly, probably because they were further away. Rafael continued his walk and passed a linden tree at the edge of the clearing. There were strange white spots on its branches. He had never seen this before.

He went closer to get a better look, they looked like seeds clinging to the bark. He touched one with his fingertip, it was sticky. Rafael suddenly knew what it was: mistletoe. It was mistletoe seeds left there by a thrush, and ready to parasitize this linden tree as soon as spring would come.

He took out his phone out of habit, to take some pictures, but stopped in the middle of the process. What if... Rafael put his camera away and took his knife instead. He carefully collected all the mistletoe seeds he found, taking care not to damage them, and put them in a pocket of his wallet. There must have been a dozen of them. After a few tests, they could become a valuable asset.

After that, he sat down near the enchanted trees and meditated while waiting for Jay to come. As promised, it didn't take him long to arrive at the park with the chainsaw.

"Hi Rafael, I have your chainsaw. So, what are you up to?"

"I just need some wood to test some shamanic stuff," Rafael said, greeting his friend. "Just tell me know how much I owe you for the rental."

"Nothing bro, I have more than enough money to give you this little gift. Have you ever used one of these bad boys? The salesman told me how it works if you need help."

"I don't mind if you show me, yeah."

Jay turned on the chainsaw and walked over to the bamboo. Rafael was suddenly gripped by an irrepressible fear, his stomach clenched, his head spinning. He wanted to stop his friend, but too late, he was already cutting the bamboo stems at their base. The pain was excruciating. Rafael screamed his head off, the sound mixing with that of the chainsaw to create a combination worthy of a horror movie.

Jay stopped his machine, but the bamboo was already lying all around. He asked in panic: "Are you okay, Rafael? What's happening to you?"

Rafael caught his breath as best he could. The agony that had torn his core had subsided, but he still had a stabbing pain in his head, as if part of his brain had been removed. The spirit plant had retreated to the far reaches of his mind, and their bond still shook from the strain they had just endured.

"It's okay," he replied to his friend. "Can you finish the job for me? I really can't stay close by, I'll wait for you at the park entrance."

Jay looked at him worriedly. "Are you sure? Given the state you're in, maybe we'd better drop—"

"You have to," Rafael exclaimed, grabbing his friend's arm. "I need it!"

"Okay, okay," Jay replied, still concerned. "I'll do it as fast as possible then."

Rafael left for the entrance of the park, leaving his friend alone. The path seemed longer than ever. He usually ran here, but he could barely walk now. As he approached the road, he heard the sound of the chainsaw in the distance. Jay had probably just started up again, and Rafael tensed up in anticipation of the pain that was sure to return.

He felt the cutting again, but less vivid, muffled by the distance. The link with his plant spirit had also become thinner, that helped him to support the pain. He managed not to scream this time. He just curled up on himself, jaws clenched to keep from vomiting, waiting for Jay to finish his work.

Finally, his pain faded, as did as the sound of the chainsaw into the distance. Rafael caught his breath. It was over, finished for good. He would never have to do this again. He wanted to get up to join Jay, but his body didn't follow, and he stayed there for many more minutes. Crouching on the ground, in a strange inner calm, just savoring the bliss of not being in pain. Until, finally, a voice snapped him out of his torpor.

"Rafe? I'm done with the cutting, do you want to come now?"

Rafael forced himself to get up and follow Jay to the clearing. It was carnage. The holly, hazel, and bamboo trees were scattered all around. Their branches had been stripped from the trunk so that only the usable wood remained. Their leaves covered the ground and formed a macabre carpet. All Rafael felt was a deep sadness.

"Thanks," he said in a small voice. "I'll take over now, can you take care of returning the chainsaw?"

"Sure," Jay replied, laying a hand on Rafael's shoulder. "You let me know if you need anything, right? Anything!"

"Thanks," Rafael repeated, "You've already done a lot."

Jay nodded and began to put the gear away. Meanwhile, Rafael picked up the enchanted wood. There was a long log of holly, several large branches of hazel, and six long bamboos. This would be enough, in fact it would be more than enough. It took him two trips to get everything to his motorcycle, and then about fifteen minutes to tie it all down. He was going to have to be careful on the road, but, with the headache he had, he wasn't going to drive fast anyway.

Jay had already been gone for a while when Rafael left the park in turn. He took the direction of the nursing home. Getting the enchanted wood had taken him longer than expected, and he wasn't going to have time for lunch if he didn't want to be late. He didn't feel like eating anyway, this damn headache... he hoped it wouldn't last too long.

Sarah, the receptionist, raised her eyebrows when she saw him enter with his big saddlebag and the bamboo. Rafael explained that it was for a woodcutting project he was working on with Alek, and she made no fuss about letting him in. Moments later, he was in the old shaman's room, who started examining the enchanted wood right away.

"Well, well, well," Alek said, with a big smile on his lips and his eyes shining. "This is amazing, I've never seen so much wood of this quality. I can use some of it as agreed, right? We're going to make some amazing magic items for ourselves, you'll see."

"I hope it's really worth it," Rafael said in a tired voice. He was still feeling empty after his experience at the park.

"These are treasures," Alek exclaimed offended. "Of course it was worth it! Well, give me some space now, I'll use my powers to dry the wood."

Rafael went to settle down on the bed. He felt like curling up to sleep, but he forced himself to stay awake to see what Alek would do. At first, nothing happened. Alek just lay there with his arms outstretched and his eyes closed. Then, suddenly, a whirlwind of spiritual energy tinged with death appeared around the wood. More spiritual energy than Rafael had ever felt, far more than he thought possible to handle. Exposed to so much power, he found it difficult to keep control of his own vital energy. Fortunately, the event only lasted about ten seconds.

"There you go," Alek exclaimed as he grabbed one of the bamboo rods. "Did you find the chisels? I can't wait to get started... Oh, and did you get something to eat? I'm starving!"

"Didn't you just eat?" asked Rafael as he pulled out the cookies he had bought.

"You can never have too many calories when it comes to magic," Alek replied, his mouth already full. "What about carving tools?"

"I found an engraving pen," Rafael said, handing him the device. "It looked easier to use than chisels, and more adaptable."

"How does it work," Alek asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

Rafael showed him, and Alek's skepticism quickly turned to wonder.

"This tool is amazing, Rafael," shouted the old shaman. "How did you find it? It must have been very expensive!"

"Uh, not so much," he replied.

"Really? Maybe Western society has its good points after all. Could I keep the pen after you're done? I want to use it too!" Alek looked as excited as a kid at Christmas, Rafael had never seen him like this. It was... startling.

"Yes of course," Rafael nodded with a small laugh. "Shall we get to work now?"

Alek gently caressed the engraving pen and then answered, "Yes, the first step is to debark the wood. I've prepared templates of the runes you need for the next step, and, with this tool, it will be a breeze. You will soon become a much more powerful shaman, my young friend."

Rafael did not answer, but a smile of satisfaction floated on his lips.

The priest won't understand what will befall him.