Back in Melody Village Argana was deeply concentrating, her eyes narrowing as she slowly poured a ground-up herb into a flask. Getting the measurement correct here was the most important step. She had been working on this tea recipe for 30 years now and it was near-perfect, with the one caveat being that it required immaculate precision. It contained many strong, fragrant herbs that were delicately counterbalanced by one another, creating a unique suite of flavors and an aroma that she was confident wouldn't lose out even to the continent's top teahouses.
Her eyes shone with a glimmer of anticipation as she gently poured the mixture into her kettle, doing her best to keep a steady hand.
BANG BANG BANG
Just as she was about to pull her hand back, thunderous bangs came out from her front door. In her surprise her arm jolted, the flask upturned, and she watched in despair as her meticulously prepared herbs were dumped en masse into the water below.
Outside, Kanan slammed on the door, his face warped in agitation and worry as he cradled the unconscious spider beast. His shirt was torn — a strip ripped off in an attempt to wrap the wound — but he had only managed to slow the inevitable. The spider desperately needed help.
Kanan swung his fist once more, but it only found empty air. The door had burst open and he found himself staring down a broomstick on a collision course with his face.
Smack! The head of the broom slapped against his head painfully and a tiny woman held the other end, her eyes blazing with fury.
"What in Elera's name do you think you're doing, boy?! You empty-headed buffoon! Did nobody ever teach you how to knock at a reasonable volume? What could possibly be so important to have you breaking down my door, first thing in the morning? If there's not a beast tide outside, you'll have more of my broom to answer to!"
Curses and shouts poured out the woman's mouth, causing Kanan to wince. Inwardly though, he was surprised. Her appearance wasn't the witch-like old woman that he had been expecting but instead a small middle-aged woman with a fierce glare. She had short brown hair, and it bobbed as she angrily brandished her broom for a second hit. Seeing Kanan's expression though, she paused. Her eyes fell on the spider in Kanan's arms and her scowl was replaced by a grim expression.
"Tsk. Come in quickly, boy."
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Inside, Argana took the spider from Kanan's arms and laid it on a table, examining the beast.
"A Bubble Spider… where did you find this, boy?" She glanced at Kanan, her eyes full of suspicion. "These little critters don't come out of the forests, they never travel too far from their nests. Still, we'll put that aside for a moment. Melle!"
Argana called out an unfamiliar name and a small creature waddled in from the other room. It was vaguely humanoid, with a white body and a purple, leaf-like dress. A purple flower adorned its head. In its arms it carried what seemed to be a stringed instrument, like a harp made of grass.
The new arrival wobbled over to the table, looking curiously at the unconscious spider. Argana spoke to it in a hurried voice.
"Melle, use Life Echo."
Heeding the command, Melle brushed its stubby arms over the strings of its harp, causing the instrument to release a soothing tune. The strings glowed with energy and Kanan watched in wonder as a pink hue filled the air, settling on the injured spider.
Seconds passed, and the spider's condition quickly showed visible improvement. Its breathing steadied and the wound stopped leaking energy, its deterioration slowing to a halt.
A smile plastered itself across Kanan's face.
"It's working!" the boy shouted elatedly.
Argana sighed, her expression less than optimistic.
"No… it's not enough. The wound is too deep. Maybe with a few more days of treatment it would be fine, but it's not going to last that long."
Tears welled up in Kanan's eyes, his voice cracking as he began to plead with the woman.
"There must be something you can do! You were a tamer, weren't you? I heard that tamers have their beasts fight all the time! Even if this spider is weak, it's just a single hit!"
Argana gazed deeply at Kanan, her expression full of pity.
"Tamers are different, boy. A tamer and their beast are connected. The tamer's spirit heals and nourishes the beast. But a tamer can't just connect with spirit beasts freely. They have to have a strong enough soul to support the contract, and mine has long since filled up."
Kanan grabbed Argana's arm, protesting desperately.
"Let me do it then! I don't have a contract so it should be fine, right?! I'll connect with it. I don't care if it's weak, it saved me!"
"That's… not how it works, child" Argana whispered, sighing.
"To prepare for their first spirit contract, one must spend years developing their spiritual energy. It's not until you have enough energy where you feel it within yourself that you can form a contract."
Kanan paled. "Please, lady Argana. There must be an exception. Let me try!"
At his words, the old woman furrowed her brows. "There are no exceptions. At least, none that matter to you. If a tamer is accomplished enough, their child might inherit some of their spiritual ability. Other than that, rare spiritual materials can develop your spirit quickly. Fruits, minerals and the like which have been saturated with spiritual energy for long periods of time."
Those aren't the sort of things you can just find, though," she added. "Even experienced tamers desire them, they're worth a killing."
"Rare fruits…?"
Kanan's words trailed off, his mind reflecting on his experiences from the previous night. "Argana! Those spiritual fruits you mentioned, I think I ate some!" Kanan shouted. He briefly recounted the tale of the spider bringing him food.
Argana's eyes widened in amazement.
"If what you say is true then your luck is not ordinary, boy."
She hobbled over to Kanan, pushing him into a chair and placing her hands on his shoulders.
"Stand still. I'm going to check your spiritual sea."
As she said so. a foreign energy poured into Kanan, exploring his body. It felt earthy and damp, causing a slight sense of discomfort that made Kanan shudder.
Argana took note of his expression.
"The discomfort is normal, boy. Each person's energy is unique. It's like having someone else's blood inside you, your body won't always adapt. Don't worry though, I'm almost done."
Finishing her examination she withdrew the energy, looking down at Kanan with a perplexed expression.
"Well I'll be. You were telling the truth after all. Come quickly, boy, I'll tell you how to make the contract. There's no time to waste."
Thrilled, Kanan rushed to the spider's side, giving Argana a chuckle.
"You remember the feeling just now, yes? You're going to have to manipulate your energy in the same way. I can't help you with that, you must sense it yourself. First I'll wake the beast, and then you must start immediately."
A thought crossed her mind. "Remember this, though. A contract is two-sided. The beast must be willing to accept you as well. If it rejects you… there's nothing to be done."
Having said her piece, Argana grabbed a bottle of crystals from a shelf.
"Smelling salts. These should wake it right up. Get ready, boy."
Kanan closed his eyes and focused inward, trying to re-capture the feeling Argana's energy had given him. Minutes passed, and he ground his teeth in frustration.
"Remember boy. Your spirit is your own. You're not looking for my energy, you must identify your own essence" Argana reminded. "Think about yourself. The more you understand yourself, the better you can control your spirit."
Kanan's eyes lit up in understanding. That's right. I'm not Argana. That damp and earthy energy isn't mine, mine is more, it's… what is it? What defines me?
He thought about himself. His experiences. His miserable time in the village, waiting for his next meal. The wonder he felt when entering the forest, finding the sea of flowers and the mysterious tree. His heart-stopping escape from the Melody Flowers' attack. The warmth he felt when the spider saved him. His determination that led him to turn back and return the favor.
Slowly, his energy started to stir.
I never thought about it before. What I wanted. What I was meant to do. I've always just stayed in the village. And I don't hate it. The kind villagers, the delicious popples, the summer breezes blowing across the plains, the playful calls of the crows. But… that's not enough for me. The excitement of the forest. The beauty of nature, the mystery of the unknown. Meeting new friends, like the little spider who helped me. I want to do more, see more. To be free.
The tension left Kanan's body, his mind cooling as he meditated on his own thoughts. He was filled with a feeling of enlightenment, a sense of self-understanding that didn't know he had lacked. Within him, the energy began to flow like a gentle wind, dancing through his body unfettered.
He looked up, gazing at Argana meaningfully.
"I'm ready."
The old woman smiled with a toothy grin. "That's it! You've got potential, boy!" She yelled.
Argana quickly brought the smelling salts to the spider's face, her hands moving with a practiced motion. Shortly the spider stirred, weakly turning its head to meet Kanan's eyes.
Reaching out, Kanan stroked its head, whispering softly.
"Sorry, little guy. I don't know if you want to come with me, but this is the only way."
He carefully guided his energy, bringing it into the spider to mix with its own. Squirming but not resisting, the beast seemed to understand his intentions. It looked up at Kanan's gentle expression and relaxed.
The energies merged, and it was like a hole tore open within Kanan's mind. The power rushed towards him, and he could feel a vast space within himself start to fill. He looked on in amazement as the spider began to disappear, its body dissolving into countless motes of blue and yellow light which flowed into him. Seconds later, it was gone.
Kanan turned to Argana in confusion.
"Why did it disappear?"
She looked at him, amused and exasperated.
"You don't even know that much, boy?" Tamers keep their spirit beasts within themselves. That new space within you? It's your beast space. You should be able to feel the spider's energy inside. Don't take it out quite yet, though, it's still injured. Give it time to heal, your energy will nourish it."
Kanan nodded in understanding, his heart filled with gratitude.
"So that's it. Thank you so much, Argana. I won't forget this." Then, realizing something, he hung his head in embarrassment. "I don't have any money to repay you, but if there's anything you need, just say the word. I'm in your debt."
"Tch. A boy like you is 20 years too early to be talking about repayment. I'm not going to take money from a child who's barely out of the cradle" Argana scoffed. "Just sit down while I make some tea. We have a lot to talk about."
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A while later, Argana emerged from her kitchen, Melle at her heels. The dainty spirit beast carried a tray with three cups, and it gracefully placed one of them in front of Kanan before both it and Argana took a seat of their own.
Kanan watched Melle taking small sips from her teacup, feeling surprised once again.
"I didn't expect spirit beasts to drink tea," he exclaimed.
At his words, Argana let out an amused grunt.
"For the most part they don't. In fact, they don't need to eat at all, really. But they have their preferences. They can absorb a certain amount of energy from food to supplement themselves. Melle here is a plant-type beast, so she's partial to herbs which tend to be rich in earth energy."
As if to confirm, Melle took another sip, the purple flower upon her head swaying happily.
"And what kind of spirit beast is she, exactly?" Kanan asked curiously.
"Doesn't she look familiar? You'd think you'd have an eye for it by now, given your story" Argana cackled. "She's a Harmonia, the evolution of the Melody Flowers that you had a run in with."
Evolution. Kanan knew of it, vaguely, but he hadn't made the connection. A transformation beasts go through that changes their appearance and makes them stronger. Now that he looked closer, Melle's dress really did resemble the petals of the flowers he had seen earlier. To think that a creature could change so drastically. He marveled once again at how mysterious spirit beasts were.
Across from him Argana sat up straight, taking on a more serious expression. "More importantly, boy, you have something to think about. What are you going to do from now on?"
The question took Kanan by surprise. He had touched on the topic earlier during his introspection, but that didn't mean he had a plan. He had never been anywhere and his knowledge of the world was shallow. There were few books available in the village, and he was always busy just doing whatever he could to put food on the table.
"If you don't have anything in mind, come work for me from now on" Argana said flatly.
"You may have a spirit beast now, but that doesn't solve all of your problems. Raising a spirit beast isn't child's play, and if you go scavenging in the forest again you're going to get yourself killed."
Her words filled Kanan with appreciation, but his shaky eyes betrayed his hesitation. It wasn't that he didn't want to — he craved the opportunity more than anything — but he already owed Argana so much.
Shaking her head, the herbalist gave a wry smile. "Stupid boy. Do you think I live all the way out here just because I want to avoid people?"
She gestured at Melle, who was stacking the teacups back onto the tray. "The people of Harmony Village aren't tamers. They only see spirit beasts as wicked, dangerous creatures. Do you really think they'd feel comfortable with the likes of us?"
She got up and moved to a bookshelf, pulling out a heavy book and dropping it onto the table with a thud. The cover read Spirit Beast Compendium.
"If you stay here, I'll teach you what you need. Even if you don't choose to be a professional tamer, there are certain things you must know."
She rubbed her shoulder, giving an exaggerated stretch. "Plus, I'm getting on in my years and could use an extra pair of hands around the house. It's a mutual benefit. You help me, I help you. Deal?"
Kanan smiled gratefully. He wasn't fooled by her elderly act, she clearly still had the spryness of a much younger woman. Still, her sincerity reached him.
"Deal."