Aidan's Letter
"Waaagh! Tempesta, you're going way too fast!"
Under the cover of a dark night, lit only by the hazy glow of the moon, Bayul tore through the open air. This spectacle had been repeating itself for days now, but far from growing used to it, Bayul felt like he was dying every single time.
He had spent his whole life with his feet planted firmly on the ground. Flying like this was the fastest, most discreet way to travel, and it was the only option available with Tempesta's help — and yet, no matter how hard he tried, that hollow feeling beneath his soles never stopped being unsettling.
How should he put it? It was hard to keep his balance. Tempesta kept telling him to relax his body, but with nothing at all touching the bottoms of his feet, somehow he just couldn't manage it.
―Hey! Wind! Can't you do this properly?
Spinel, flying alongside Bayul, finally exploded.
―Are you doing this on purpose? It's not even your first day, so why are you stumbling around like that? Bayul is struggling here!
―On purpose? I'm doing my absolute best right now! I'm scared of Bayul, so why are you yelling at me?
―Bayul, scared of him? You've gone from failing at your job to slandering Bayul as a coward!
The moment Spinel flared up, fireworks burst across the night sky. The sudden brightness let Bayul see just how far the ground below had receded.
"Gah!"
His breath caught at the dizzying height. The tension stiffened his whole body, and he flailed in midair as if he were swimming for his life.
―Bayul! Are you all right?
Spinel rushed over anxiously, but unfortunately there was nothing she could do for him. Bayul's flight rested entirely on Tempesta's power.
―Ugh, seriously! What is there to be so scared of?
As Tempesta grumbled and stirred up an updraft, Bayul stepped onto it and gradually righted himself into a proper posture.
"Hahh... no point having brought that umbrella."
Embarrassed, Bayul forced a hollow laugh and brushed back his drenched hair. He'd gone to the trouble of packing a rain poncho and an umbrella in hopes of dodging even a little of the downpour, only to lose his balance and render the whole effort pointless.
"Thanks, Tempesta."
When Bayul, finally steadied, thanked him, Tempesta shot Spinel a sideways glance that clearly said see that? As absurd as it was, what mattered to Spinel right now was Bayul's safety.
―Bayul, if you're worn out, shall we turn back for today?
"No, Spinel. We have to finish what we came to do."
―But what if you push yourself too hard and something happens to you?
"It's hardly overexerting myself. All I do is watch. You're the ones doing all the important work."
―Doing it for you? That's simply our duty!
"I appreciate you saying that. Turns out I have a fear of heights, I guess. The higher we go, the scarier it gets."
―Did you hear that? You're the one slandering people, not me!
―Right? Spinel dropped the ball this time.
Innocent, who had been watching their spat like a spectator across a river, zipped over and butted in. Tempesta assumed the kid was taking his side for once and wore a satisfied look — but in truth, Innocent simply disliked how Spinel had evolved first.
―And why do you keep calling Bayul 'Bayul-nim'? He told you not to call him that!
―Shut up.
―Bayul, isn't it super uncomfortable when Spinel calls you 'Bayul-nim'? Isn't it?
―Water! I told you to shut it!
Spinel, of course, remembered as well. Having the slip blurted out of habit during a hectic moment pointed out so mercilessly made her all the more irritated.
"Spinel was probably just worried about me and let it slip. It won't happen again."
She had used honorifics just now, but she'd always called him by name up until then. Bayul paid no mind to their childish bickering; he simply wanted to get to work.
"Come on, come on. I've got my head on straight now, so let's hurry. Shame must be bored stiff down there by himself."
While the others crossed the sky, Shame traveled underground, using the earth itself as his road. As a fellow spirit, he was more than capable of flying — and yet he refused to bend. Clearly, he was reluctant to show himself.
"Oh, and Tempesta? Could you set aside some time to teach me to fly on my own sometime? I need to get the hang of it fast — otherwise I'll just keep being a burden to you."
―Anytime!
That much was nothing to Tempesta. The boy shouted it boldly and hurried Bayul along toward their destination.
―We made it!
It had taken them about two hours to return after leaving the castle. Thanks to Tempesta, Bayul landed safely in the rear courtyard of the main estate and immediately dashed under the eaves to escape the rain.
―The rain's gotten even heavier. Innocent, can't you do something about this?
―Don't pick a fight. I'm already doing everything I can.
Innocent could adjust the intensity of the rain, but only for a few moments at a time. If she could have stopped it outright, she would have long ago. These days, Hamilton was being called the city of rain, the city of water.
―All that, and you barely do anything.
―What do you mean, barely? Without me, how is Bayul supposed to sneak out at this hour, huh?
―Wow, making a whole speech over that one little thing.
―D-did you just say little thing?
Innocent's mockery sent Tempesta's combat power soaring for the first time in ages. The boy's blue robe whipped violently in the wind.
"Everyone worked hard today! Especially you, Tempesta — thank you again for getting me there and back safely."
―Hmph! Good thing even Bayul appreciates me.
Though his lips jutted into a pout, the wind around him had already died down. Bayul's praise melted his simmering anger in an instant.
―Good boys know how to hold back.
"You worked hard too, Innocent. Even if you can't stop the rain completely yet, you've cut the damage down by so much. So don't be too discouraged."
―Yeah, Bayul.
"Thank you as well, Spinel. The humidity made fires really hard to start, but now I don't have to worry about that at all. It's been a huge help."
―It was insufficient. I apologize for being of little use.
The rigid formality of Spinel's reply made it seem as though she were genuinely mortified in front of Bayul. Innocent and Tempesta glared at her in evident displeasure, but fortunately she seemed not to notice.
"Shame used the most strength today, didn't he? Thanks to him, that village should be safe for a while. I'd like to thank him on behalf of the villagers."
―I... I only did what needed doing...
At Bayul's praise, Shame's already-lowered head sank even further.
They were returning from a visit to a region where the relentless downpour threatened to trigger landslides.
The ideal solution would have been for Innocent to stop the rain entirely, but that was impossible for now, so they had focused their efforts on disaster preparedness instead.
Aside from Spinel, the fire spirit, they were all still Lower Spirits. Because of that, they pooled every scrap of power they could muster to get the work done.
They regulated the water levels of the rivers and streams to prevent flooding, and packed the earth firm so that bridges and buildings wouldn't collapse. Then, whenever Tempesta gathered up the drifting debris in one place, Spinel burned it away on the spot.
Doing such things in broad daylight risked being seen, and Ian was hardly the sort to stand by and watch Bayul go out alone. And so, just as he had during the academy's night training, Bayul had begun tending to the territory his own way in the dead of night, while everyone slept. Today marked roughly a week since it started.
The unfamiliar flying occasionally left him motion-sick, but Bayul was more than willing to endure that much discomfort.
If his homeland of Hamilton could only be made better, what couldn't he do? For the spirits to grow quickly and turn the territory into a more livable place — that was Bayul's wish, and his goal.
―Then I shall... go rest now...
"Yes, Shame. Get plenty of rest."
Shame found his comfort deep beneath the earth. Having expended so much strength, he needed time to recover.
"Young master...?"
Bayul had just waved to Shame and turned to leave when Rita's voice came from behind him. His hair stood on end as he scrambled to think up an excuse.
"What are you doing out here at this hour of the night? I saw you go to bed myself just a while ago...?"
Rita held a candlestick in one hand. She brought it close to Bayul, checking his face once, then again.
"...W-well, what about you, Rita? Why aren't you asleep?"
"Me?"
"Yeah, it's your bedtime too, isn't it?"
Bayul subtly hid the umbrella behind his back.
"I came out to check on Ruby and the puppies. It's pouring again, you know."
Rita gestured at the sheeting rain as if to show him.
"...But isn't that an umbrella?"
"...Huh?"
She saw it after all. What do I do?
While Bayul floundered, Rita rolled her eyes and said,
"You're doing the same thing I am, aren't you, young master?"
"...What?"
"You came out because you were worried about Ruby and the puppies too. Your umbrella's all wet, so you've clearly already made a trip. How is it? Are the puppies doing well?"
"Uh, yes! Jasper's been looking after them wonderfully. Should we go back together and see them?"
As luck would have it — or perhaps by some grace — the spot where Bayul stood wasn't far from the animals' stable. If Rita had pressed him about where he'd wandered off to alone in the middle of the night with a rain poncho and umbrella, he would surely have broken out in a cold sweat, fumbling through half-baked excuses. Thanks to Jasper, the crisis had been averted.
Thank you, Jasper.
The boy who had caused all this trouble in the first place, yet faithfully fulfilled his duty as a guard dog, could not have been more welcome at this moment.
"By the way, it seems Jasper hasn't been sleeping with you lately, young master?"
"Yeah, he goes back and forth."
Jasper seemed to stay with Bayul until he fell asleep, then head for the stable in the early hours. Still, every morning without fail he'd climb onto the bed and wake Bayul before anyone else. He wasn't glued to his side day and night like before, but Bayul was fine with the way things were now.
"But why are you dressed so thin? Aren't you cold?"
"No, I'm actually quite warm."
"Warm?"
"Yes. The rain keeps coming down, but somehow the air inside the castle is wonderfully cozy."
"Is it?"
"Joanna and the butler were saying just this afternoon that the firewood catches easily now. They said the humidity seems to have dropped quite a bit."
"...Ah."
Only then did Bayul understand. He didn't need to ask whose handiwork it was.
Thank you, Spinel.
A faint smile played across the lips of Spinel, who was following quietly behind Bayul.
"Do you think the rain might let up soon?"
Behind her glasses, Rita's eyes sparkled with hope.
"I'd love nothing more. My wish is to climb to the very top of the castle someday, stretch out under a clear sky. And if a fresh breeze happened to blow through, even better."
"Just wait a little longer. That day will come soon."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
I'll make it happen for you.
Rita believed whatever Bayul said. The moment she spotted Jasper greeting them at the stable, tail wagging, she broke into a grin and ran toward him.
A blue sky after the rain had stopped, with a rainbow blooming across it.
He couldn't even remember the last time Hamilton had seen such a day.
The weather could make people laugh, but it could just as easily sink them into gloom. On the faces of the people Bayul met as he traveled the territory, there was hardly a trace of a smile. Even that much, they endured only because it was their father they trusted to see them through.
Is it time I went to where the Spirit Stones are, after all?
Rising to an Intermediate Spirit would let him care for the territory far more easily. Death's words from the other day kept coming back to him, weighing on his heart.
"Woof! Woof!"
Jasper barked as if to say what are you waiting for, but Bayul's steps were slow to quicken.