Sia Clearwater (2)
Niagara said,
[It's no ordinary parasite. Even my Healing Water and the hospital couldn't do a thing about it.]
"Have you tried seeing a medical-type Awakener?"
[Not yet. But since we're already in the Spirit Realm, I was thinking of giving her the water from the Pool of Purification.]
Pool of Purification. I'd heard that name somewhere before.
[It's deep in the Spirit Realm, so it's not easy to get to, but its effects are guaranteed.]
I racked my brain for a moment and remembered where I'd heard it.
The Spirit Shop.
"How deep in the Spirit Realm is the Pool of Purification?"
[At least a full day away. We should have time after finishing things with Pompeii.]
That settled it.
I'll buy it from the Spirit Shop.
With no telling how things with Pompeii might go, these two were precious assets. I needed them in top condition to fight.
Besides, I just want to help Sia Clearwater.
She seemed so pitiful and unfortunate—I felt like slipping her an extra rice cake or something. It was probably how you'd feel about a much younger sibling.
I opened the Spirit Shop.
A small vial appeared in my hand, hidden behind my back. It was the same item I'd used with Aqua in the Phoenix Resort bathhouse.
"Here."
I handed the Purification Agent to Niagara.
Niagara took it, staring as if to ask what it was, then its eyes went wide.
[This is……!]
Those huge pupils were demanding to know where I'd gotten it.
I shrugged.
"It's my trait. Don't ask for details."
[Mm……!]
Niagara nodded. It must have remembered me buying waterproofing agents and Spirit Stones during our duel.
[Alright, thanks.]
Niagara set down on the ground, uncapped the vial, and handed it to Sia Clearwater.
[Drink this. It's the water from the Pool of Purification.]
Sia Clearwater glanced at me curiously, then beamed.
"Thank you."
She took the vial and gulped it down.
Gulp. The odd taste made her smack her lips a few times.
[How's it feel? Your stomach……?]
"Urk!"
Before Niagara could finish, Sia Clearwater vomited something up.
I barely had time to marvel at the instant effect before the sight of thick, black mud pouring from her mouth left even me stunned.
[What in the……?!]
Niagara caught the mud with spirit power. The writhing black sludge squirmed like it had a mind of its own, trying to escape Niagara's control.
[Mm!]
Niagara tightened its grip. Then something astonishing happened.
Shoooo—!
Like it was committing suicide, the mud spewed black smoke and began evaporating.
Niagara fumbled in panic, but the mud vanished without a trace.
Sia Clearwater finally stopped heaving after expelling a full basin's worth.
"……Did you go around eating mud in the Amazon or something?"
Even my half-joking remark got no response beyond her panting and blinking in shock. She was probably the most surprised of all.
I bought three more vials of Purification Agent and made her drink them. Only when no more mud came up did Niagara relax a bit.
[Did you eat something strange in the Amazon?]
"……Do spider eggs and leeches count as strange?"
[Any suspicious people? Weird artifacts?]
"I don't remember every little thing."
"Any gate overflows near the Amazon?"
Sia Clearwater shook her head at my question.
"Not sure. I didn't pay much attention……."
[Why gates?]
"Thought it might be a parasite from a backflow gate."
In today's world, anything bizarre was usually tied to gates. Awakeners, spirits, monsters……most of it.
Even mud-like parasites made sense if they came from a gate.
[I'll look into records when we get back to America.]
Meanwhile, Sia Clearwater rubbed her stomach repeatedly, then tilted her head.
"Something……a stomachache I didn't even know I had is gone."
[You've always been in pain?]
"Not sure. But it's gone now."
Sia Clearwater turned to me with a soft smile—grateful, apologetic.
"Thank you so much. I feel like I'm always taking from you, Hyunwoo."
[Truly grateful. To think something unknown was in Sia's stomach……it's horrifying just imagining it.]
Niagara shuddered.
Sia clenched her fist.
"I want to repay you."
She rummaged eagerly through her crossbag, then looked crestfallen. Nothing suitable to give.
Her pure reaction made me chuckle softly.
"Then how about dropping the formal speech?"
"……Speech?"
Sia Clearwater's eyes sparkled.
I grinned.
"American style."
Like she'd been waiting, her face lit up with joy.
"Let's do it, Hyunwoo!"
Thrilled by my suggestion, Sia threw her arms around me.
"Whoa there."
I patted her shoulder gently, ignoring Niagara's lips pursing in real time.
* * *
Before long, the sun set, and moon and stars rose.
Mandu lit the firewood we'd gathered.
Whoosh—!
The logs blazed up in seconds.
Crackle, crackle! The pleasant sound mingled with soft firelight illuminating the waterfall and lake.
Undines perched on the still-melting ice pillar, watching the campfire.
Salamanders huddled close to the flames, basking in the warmth.
Gnomes formed a wide circle around it, while sylphs flitted overhead, playing with the fire.
Pipipi~.
Music drifted from somewhere. Sia was blowing a simple instrument woven from weeds and leaves.
Five years in the Amazon, huh.
Simple and monotonous, but perfect in nature.
Dong, dong, dong-dong—.
A rhythmic thump joined in. Uluru was drumming a makeshift djembe of earth to Sia's tune.
Spirits began swaying to the music.
[Heehee!]
[Kikikik!]
A few undines giggled, slid down from the ice, and danced across the lake.
Sylphs clasped hands and waltzed through the air.
Thud—.
Thud—.
Heavy beats followed. Gnomes stomping their feet.
Sia's pipe, gnomes' stomps, sylphs' and undines' laughter wove into a symphony.
"Beautiful."
I murmured in awe, savoring the scene.
We lounged against leaf-boats, watching the festival-like spectacle.
"Aqua."
At my call, Aqua lifted her head from my arms. Her eyes, tinged orange by firelight, sparkled.
"Your homeland really is beautiful."
[Heehee!]
Aqua beamed, pure joy without a wrinkle.
[Flames are great, but campfires are nice too!]
We watched the spirits mingle for a long while.
Then, suddenly, silence fell.
Spirits stared in unison at one spot.
I followed their gaze and gasped again.
"Whoa……."
Beyond lake and waterfall, the massive mountain loomed like a backdrop, glowing softly in moonlight and starlight.
Towering as if piercing the heavens, its peak hidden in clouds.
Visible from anywhere in the Spirit Realm—like one of its walls.
The mountain spirits called the Sacred Mountain.
[Ooo……!]
Gnomes stomped again, faster and heavier than before—like war drums.
My heartbeat quickened with it.
Sylphs and undines danced faster.
The accelerating stomps and dances halted as the moon hid behind clouds, dimming the mountain.
I exhaled my heated breath.
Feels like I joined a spirit religious rite.
Spirits had no religion, of course. It was more like primal faith.
Heart pounding, I gazed at the Sacred Mountain.
Immense beyond words, it gazed back.
Worth the name Sacred Mountain.
Humans knew of it too. But even spirits didn't know what lay there.
I'd never imagined visiting the Spirit Realm wouldn't answer all my questions.
After enjoying the nightscape, I stood.
"Shall we get up for a bit?"
[Where to?]
"Check on Mandu."
[Let's go together!]
I scooped up Aqua and climbed atop the yacht.
Mandu sat alone, gazing down at the campfire.
As I sat beside it, its short tail swished.
I sat quietly for a bit, then asked,
"Mandu. What do you think of your homeland?"
I spoke to Mandu, lost in the festival.
[Chit…….]
Faced with such a novel sight, Mandu only chirped softly.
But its eyes were hardening with resolve.
It was realizing the home it belonged to.
Finding one's roots matters to everyone.
Mandu was seeing more than the Spirit Realm—its own world.
* * *
The next day, we prepared to head out.
"Uluru. Can you dismantle the house?"
[Of course.]
Uluru waved her hand, and our single-room stay crumbled to earth in an instant.
A bit regrettable, but the right choice.
This belongs to the spirits. Fewer traces we leave, the better.
I didn't go as far as Pompeii's "humans are poison."
As a spirit user, I just wanted the Spirit Realm as pure as possible.
I turned toward the yacht. The other spirits had already boarded.
"Aqua. Where to today?"
[We saw the Great King Waterfall, so next the Giant Cave or Wind Cliff!]
The waterfall was undine territory; the other two gnomes and sylphs.
[Oh, almost forgot!]
Aqua perked up like she'd remembered something.
[When we go to the cave, I'll introduce my friend!]
Aqua grinned brightly.
[Uluru's successor! Her name's 'Terra'!]
I'd heard of Uluru's heir. Aqua's closest friend, supposedly.
Aqua's BFF, huh.
I couldn't wait to meet her.