Chapter 58

Tan dreamed that he was having a dream.

He was flying, but that’s not how he knew it was a dream. Unlike most children, he actually could fly, so that wasn’t an obvious tell. No, he was aware that he was dreaming just because he usually was these days.

“Zephyr, are you there?” he asked.

A beautiful young woman made of emerald air appeared, her face a grin as she flew beside him. “I’m always here, Tan. You know that.”

“I know. Thanks for not bugging me all the time. I think that if you were a chatterbox it would be really annoying, so I appreciate that you only say something when it’s important,” he said.

“Oh, I could talk more if you like,” she said.

“I was just saying that you talk the perfect amount as you are,” he said.

She laughed, her voice the sound of wind chimes. “Was that all that you had to say?”

“No. I wanted to know. What is it exactly that you get out of all of this? Helping me become stronger, giving me magic, how does it benefit you?” Tan asked.

“I get stronger too,” Zephyr assured him. “And I become more and more human with each cycle of bonding. Eventually, I may become strong enough to be born as a human. Maybe. Someday.”

“You want to be human?” Tan asked.

“It’s not so much that I want to change my nature so much as that’s the next natural step on the path. Once a spirit reaches a certain potency, they’re presented with a choice. Either they choose to bind themselves eternally to their element, as Mother Gaia has, or they choose to enter the cycle of life and death. I am … I have been circling around this decision for some time, to be honest. I think that you might be my last binding. Once you die, I think that I will allow myself to be born rather than finding a new human.”

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“Oh,” Tan said. “What if I don’t die though? I’m a cultivator, so I’ll live a very long time.”

“Even cultivators die of old age eventually. Unless they ascend. And part of the ascension process would be severing me from your soul,” Zephyr explained. “In order to ascend to the next world, you must leave behind everything of this one. That includes your spirit. That’s why so many fail to ascend; it’s almost impossible to leave everything behind. That’s how the previous emperor died, you know?”

“Is it?” Tan thought on the matter, then shrugged. “I don’t think that I want to ascend. I think that when I’m strong enough, I’ll just … I don’t know. I don’t know what I really want to do. But I think that’s normal. I’m still a kid.”

“You might be right. I’m very happy I met you, Tan,” Zephyr said. “I think that you’re the perfect boy for me to have bound for my last spirit contract.”

“Well I’m glad that I met you, Zephyr. I really like flying with you.”

“I like flying with you too Tan--”

A sudden jerk, and he was back in his bed, his father pulling him by his foot.

“Time to get up!” Tren told his son, grinning.

Tan yawned, scratched himself, then got dressed and went to check on the chickens. “Zephyr, are you there?” he asked.

“I’m always there,” the spirit of the wind whispered into his ear.

“I meant what I said in my dream.”

“I know.”

“You’ve been hoarding Qi from me again,” Tan pointed out.

“You’re going to need it soon,” Zephyr explained as he scattered the chicken feed around in the coup.

“Right, okay. If you say so. I trust you, I was just checking that it wasn’t my imagination.”

He picked the eggs, then went inside for breakfast.

Life was good on the Shen farm.