Level Up Legacy

1411  Gliding

"The name is Faywhisk, dear seeker!" said the small spirit while raising its head. "I never imagined we would meet." "You know who I am?" asked Arthur with interest. "All spirits can instinctively recognize your spiritual energy! Its vast powers and unfathomable depths are more than enough for us to recognize you," said Faywhisk as he raised his small cane and jumped forward. Clovers rose from the ground to cushion his fall, allowing the spirit to land on the ground. The clovers then rose in the air like tiny helicopters, bringing Faywhisk hovering in front of Arthur. "What can I do for you, seeker?" asked Faywhisk with interest. Arthur looked at the small spirit with a smile. "I'm looking for someone. This is what they look like," Arthur said as he offered a hand. Faywhisk understood his intention and touched the hand offered to him. The spirit's eyes turned golden as he peeked at the memories that Arthur offered. "A dark elf?" muttered Faywhisk as he let go of the hand offered to him. "I did not see anyone like him, but I think I know where you can find some clues about him. Some clovers of mine up north saw an army of abyssal spirits. I think he's related to that." "An army of abyssal spirits?" muttered Tiara with a frown. "Did he learn how to control them?" "Control isn't the word I would use, young miss," said Faywhisk with a wave of his cane. His clovers shone with light as they conjured holographic images above them. "They are an army of fallen spirits that seem to have been touched by madness. Their numbers have been increasing for a few years now." "How come the Spirit Sovereign didn't stop them yet?" Arthur asked with a surprised tone. "He should be running this place, right?" "Our sovereign has his hands busy with the influx of new seekers that have troubled our world. He created a method for them to grow inside our world and utilize their energy to keep the abyssal spirits from rising." "Soulbinds," Tiara said with realization. "You are a clever one," Faywhisk said with a cute smile. "Soulbinds anchor the seekers to our world and let them store sigils. They can use sigils to fight spirits or other seekers, or simply to defend themselves. Our sovereign created them in order to stop the abyssal spirits from hindering the seekers." "How come we don't have any?" Tiara asked. "I noticed that," Faywhisk said before turning toward Arthur. "I would say the reason is that you arrived with the first seeker." "What does that mean?" asked Arthur with confusion. "In order to add Soulbinds to seekers, the Spirit Sovereign alters the souls of everyone who comes into this place, giving them the ability to grow inside the Spirit Realm. However, you have something that cancels the modification." "Wrath?" "Could be," Faywhisk said with a nod. "In any case, the modification was repelled, and that was the same for you," he addressed Tiara. "How do we give her the Soulbind?" asked Arthur, feeling a tinge of guilt because it was his fault. "The only person who holds that power is the Gatekeeper of the Spirit Realm. You can find them to the west from here, right from where you came. You can find a ritual ground where seekers first appear, a place we call the Waking Glade." "Different directions," Arthur muttered with a frown. "We cannot waste time on the Waking Glade. Diana and the rest are most likely fighting against this Spirit Realm." "We need all the power we can have before fighting against an army of abyssal spirits," Tiara disagreed with him. "I know that you are powerful, but would your powers be enough to fight against an army of them, assuming they are far stronger than the ones we have faced?" "We have no choice but to assume that," Arthur said with a shake of his head. "Going toward the Waking Glade would be disadvantageous." "May I suggest a route for you, dear seeker?" Faywhisk said while rubbing his whiskers, letting them bounce. Arthur nodded. "I believe that doing what the young miss says is reasonable, but for different reasons. No one can deny your strength, but there is more to it." "What reasons would there be?" "My clovers simply reported an army of abyssal spirits, but none of them saw other seekers nearby or an elf for that matter. I believe that the person you are looking for might not be there at all." "And how would we know for sure?" "The Gatekeeper," said Faywhisk as he pointed toward a distant direction. "That spirit has knowledge about all those who enter, including you and your friend. You will understand how to traverse the Spirit Realm and obtain the powers you need to win." "A certain lengthy route versus a probable short one," Arthur muttered in understanding as he considered it. "Where can we find this Waking Glade?" "My clovers will guide you," Faywhisk said as he offered a golden clover to him. "It will point in the direction you must go." "How come you are helping us this much?" Tiara asked with slight suspicion. "The hamster at the village said you would ask for a substantial cost of spiritual energy, but you haven't asked for a thing ever since we arrived." "My payment has been made a long time ago," Faywhisk said with a shake of his head. "The First Seeker granted us sentience and feelings, which allowed the Spirit Realm to flourish. I would be damned if I asked for something more from him." Arthur could tell that the spirit in front of him did not lie, and he took the golden clover. Faywhisk showed them outside and offered a method to glide off the mountain. They were giant clovers that attached to their backs and slowed their fall. Tiara didn't need the clover but used it anyway instead of exhausting her spiritual energy. The stems wrapped around their torsos and began spinning. Arthur and Tiara bid the spirit farewell as they jumped from the mountain, gliding toward the west.