Master Of None

Bree was looking at Walker with the same unwavering look. The elemental spirits were afraid to move an inch. Not only could they feel the power that Fleur had as a nature spirit, but they could feel the serious aura leaving Bree. It was exceptionally rare for her to gain such an attitude. 

"You have a nature spirit that can dwell within that orb and it is bonded with you through a spirit mark? Show me." Her rigid tone seemed to cut the air like a blade. Walker and Su wondered if this was really the person they had met. 

The look that Walker gave everyone was a little skeptical. He knew the spirit mark was on his back and it was much more than just a small mark like Su's was. It was the entirety of his back showing all the elemental symbols connected like a tree. If he were to show it he would need to take off his chest plate and clothing. "We should maybe, go inside where it's warm and not out in the open. I need to take my shirt off if you really need to see it." Walker had some hope that Bree would say no but instead, she just nodded. 

Alma followed as they all walked toward the mansion. Su and Gil were worried since this was a very different reaction than they had expected. Alma was just as serious as Bree was. "I know I didn't go in to the details of spirit forging ad other things with you. But I did tell you I fixed my bow while I was in the dwarven city. I also told you about a wind spirit that was my partner. I wanted to surprise you but seeing how serious this is…" Gil held his bow out to Alma while they walked. "Zephyr was tired so she took a short nap in the bow after checking out the archery academy I am helping to start once I speak to some of the other elf archers." 

Zephyr materialized from the bow and look around. The wind spirit that was with Bree stopped and looked at her before rushing to Zephyr. "Oh how cute. You are so young. I wonder what you have done so far. Oh, you have a bond with an elf. Hello there little elf." 

"I think I just heard Zephyr speak…I usually can't do that." Su was shocked. She could understand the earth elemental spirit because she had the mark to bond with it. But usually, Zephyr was a mystery unless Onyx and Gil translated for her. But most of the time it was easy ti understand what she was saying when Walker would reply to her. 

"I gathered some extra wind elemental mana while I was on the mountain. I thought Gil told all of you. I am back to my pique state. I can speak to any living creature now." This was incredibly amusing to Zephyr since she had been so casual with returning to her pique state after benign ion the mountain. She had spent a lot of time high in the air gathering the wind elemental mana. Now she would be able to use her full skill set and restless. 

"It is my pleasure to meet a grand wind spirit. The world has blessed me with this honor." Bree knew very well what a named wind spirit meant. She also glared daggers at Alma who was still processing this occurrence. 

"I believe you when ti comes to spirit forging. As the future queen of the forest elves, I, Alma of the blue ivy, greet you. I thank the world for this great honor and wish for a wondrous future." Alma had been learning furiously since the party had left the city. She did not want to be left behind whenever she read Gils' letters. There was a fire in her that pushed her to ask the queen directly for lessons. Not only had she been able to guide her blue ivy in to a stronger growth, but she had also learned many of the traditional ceremonies and costumes of the elves that she had not known. 

"Awe. I like her. Gil, you should marry her one day. You would have my blessing. Well, you would have my blessing to be with anyone. Unless you want to stay with me and only me. If you want that then we will fire arrows to the moon!" Zephyr poked Gil's cheeks as they started to tinge with red embarrassment. 

Bree took a deep breath. "I see there is a lot more than I had grasped. I know that you would never force a nature spirit in to your control. The way Fleur is acting shows that she is happier than anything to be with you. Meeting Zephyr the grand wind spirit was another honor I had not expected. And since I know that that bow used to be…undesirable and now it is proper, I can accept it. But I will insist to see the spirit mark. It is not something I can compromise on as someone who holds spirits as if they are part of my very being." 

"I can understand that. Fleur is part of me just as the elemental spirits are a part of you. Let's get moving so we can get this done. Then I will tell you the story of how the spirit forging came to be fixed, Walker had quests to gather spirits, and the eternal orb. All of this would take some time but Alma insisted that it was more important to have as accurate information when she and Bree returned to the queen. 

"By the way. The space before. It will be a forest by the end of tomorrow. The queen is going to plant a spirit tree and twenty master herbalists are going to raise it." This little fact from Alma was pretty shocking. But it still paled compared to Fleur.

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