A knock sounded on Boris’s door and he glanced up with a frown. Metallic parts laid strewn out in front of him with various tools scattered throughout. Percival stood on the table, examining a piece of paper that had Boris’s scrawl all over it. 

“You should probably go answer that, chap. Could be important.” Percival’s tinny voice sounded.

“Da, hold on. Don’t call me chap.” Boris stood, his tail swishing slightly as he opened the door. Ada stood on the other side, bundled up into a fur coat. He blinked and stepped to the side. 

“Ada, come in. What are you doing? Blizzard is coming, should not be here.” 

The dark-skinned woman stepped inside and brushed the snow off of her coat. “I know, I know. I have a favor to ask of you.”

“A favor?” he tilted his head to the side, the rounded ears on his head flicking forward in interest. Ada didn’t usually ask for favors, so if she did it was usually important. 

“I have three people staying with me right now, and they’re looking for orcs. Some kind of vendetta for the girl with them. I know you had that…thing that could look for stuff. I thought you might be able to help them?”

“Oh, you mean the findanator?” Boris asked. His tail moved quicker with excitement. 

“Yeah, I guess that’s what it is.” She shook her head. 

“Da, I could help them. On the condition they listen to lesson on how works.” He nodded to himself. Students! He could have some students and they wouldn’t be able to run away! 

  “We should go before this storm fully hits us.” Ada glanced outside through the open door. The wind had started to pick up and the snow was getting harder.

Boris glanced up and nodded. He started to pack up various items into a large, horizontal bag: the findanator, the kyfe machine, his firehand, and a couple other devices. He grabbed one last contraption and hooked it around his back and onto his arms. The metal extended down to his legs as well. He threw a long trench coat on that covered the entire thing. He turned to Ada and nodded. “Ready.”

She nodded and the two of them headed out of his small house. He made sure the door was locked tight and pulled his thin coat tight around him. Boris enjoyed the cold. It reminded him of home. 

By the time they arrived at Ada’s tower the blizzard had hit full force. She pushed the door open and it flung out of her hands, slamming into the wall. The two of them hurried in. She turned and struggled to push the door shut against the gale force of wind that refused to let it close. 

Boris placed his bag down and began to push it shut, his muscles straining. The device he wore activated and began to add its own, mechanical strength to his and slammed it closed, the latch clicking into place. 

“Bozhe moin.” he turned and perked his ears towards the three other people in the room. His eyes glanced over the small red-head, and then they went up…and up…and up. That…was a very tall man. He glanced at the third occupant and narrowed his eyes. He was trying to stand behind the large man. 

“You!” That bastard! He owed him money! 

“Me?” the man tilted his head and tried to look innocent.

“You owe me money!” Boris stalked towards him, his ears flat against his head and his tail moving rapidly. 

“I got no clue what you’re talking about. You must have the wrong man. Had to have been another devilishly handsome man in a big hat. They’re quite the trend now, you know?”

“Bygevna. I wouldn’t forget face of bastard that cheated me of 500 thrones. I want money!” He took a step towards the man, his hand outstretched. He’d get his money even if he had to beat it out of him. 

“Boris.” Ada’s voice cut across the room. “I would ask that you refrain from violence in my home.”

He scowled and glanced at Ada and took a step back. 

“Fine.” he glared at the man in the large hat. “This isn’t over.” It was far from over. He’d get his money.

“Aye, that’s right. Listen to the lass like the wee welp you are.”

Boris whirled and gripped his shoulder, “Oh, that’s it,” he snarled. 

The man’s eyes turned to steel. “I’d suggest you take your hand off of me if you wish to keep all of your fingers.”

“That is enough! I brought you into my home, helped your companions, fed you, and offered you shelter until this storm passes. I will not allow such disrespect! The two of you will either respect my home and behave yourself or I will throw you out into the blizzard. Do you understand?” She whirled on Boris. “And you! You should know better than this. I expected more. If you keep this behavior up you will have to find someone else to fix your injuries when one of your little contraptions blow up.”

“Aye, fine. I’ll be the bigger man. This is clearly just a case of mistaken identity.”

Boris glared a bit longer and then released him. He’d deal with the swordsman later. 

“Alright.” he turned towards Ada. “What were you wanting me to look for?” he walked over to his bag and looked through it until he pulled out the findanator. 

“That would be for me, I’m looking for orcs,” the red-head said. He glanced at her and frowned. Orcs? That tiny thing was looking for orcs? 

“I doubt it will pick anything up from here. It has fifteen kilometer range in all directions.”

“What are kilo…kilometores?” the large, armored man asked. 

“Bozhe..right. About days travel.” 

“Why are you not explaining to them what a kilometer is? I didn’t teach you these things for you to not share it with others what these things are. You need to explain in detail. Here, just repeat after me–” 

“No, I am not explaining in detail. It will take too long. Please just shut up.” he let out a long-suffering sigh. Percival didn’t know how to shut up when he got started on something. 

“That’s rude, I know how to shut up, I just do not see the need to when there is much to be said and taught! In fact, I bet if you explained it to the little lady there she’d fall in love with how smart you are! I know you think she’s pretty. She is very pretty. You two would make a lovely couple, good chap.”

“Who are you talking to?” the woman asked. 

Percival appeared on his shoulder. He was a tiny, metal man. Gears were on each of his joins and a tall, cylindrical black hat sat on his head, and a monocle rested over his eye. 

“Greetings madame! My name is Sir Pervical Thaddeus Blackwood the Third: tinkerer, genius, and all around lady’s man.” He took his hat off and placed it over his heart as he gave her a deep bow.

“Is that your Spirit?” the swordsman asked, clearly trying to hold back laughter.

“Da, do you have problem?” Boris narrowed his eyes. 

“No, no! I just wasn’t expecting such a tiny one. I thought you’d have a proper Spirit with all your huff and puff.” He failed at containing the laughter and doubled over.

Percival jumped off of Boris’s shoulder and flames erupted from the jetpack on his back and he flew up to the other man’s face. 

“If I were less of a gentleman, and there were no lovely ladies present, I would use you as a test dummy for one of my experiments for that insult.”

Ada cleared her throat and glared at Percival and the other man. The small robot coughed and tugged on his non-existent collar.

“I apologize, Lady Ada. I forgot my manners. I will be mindful to not rise to the insults of those with less intelligence.” He began to fade from the sight of the others. 

“Zadnesta…I am sorry for him. He’s…high-strung.” 

A electric shock hit him in the side of the face. “High-strung? I am not high strung!”

He glared at his shoulder. 

“Wait, you can see your Spirit when they’re not,” the small woman gestured about the room. “Around?”

Boris blinked and stared at her. She didn’t know that? How had she not known that? That was basic education. 

“Shite, forgot to explain that.”

“Oh, yes, sorry Miss Mina.” 

The two other men spoke at the same time. Boris turned to them with his brow arched. 

“Does she not know about Spirits?”

“Don’t talk about me like I’m not here. You can ask me directly.” Mina crossed her arms and scowled. 

“Ah, right. Apologies. I should also introduce self.” He held his hand out. “I’m Boris.”

“Mina.” She didn’t take his hand and he dropped it after a minute. Okay, rude. “And these are Renault and William.” 

She took a deep breath. “I used to live in a village where even activating your Spirit was rare. So I never learned about it. Simple as that.” 

Boris sighed and then nodded. Right, country bumpkin. Of course she wouldn’t have been taught anything. He could remedy that. “I see. I could teach you while we wait for the…byra…storm out.” As if on cue the front door blew open, slamming into the wall and jerking it off its hinges.

William stamped his foot and a slab of stone erupted from the ground filled the door.

“Thank you William.” Ada nodded at him. 

“Of course, Miss Ada.” the large man inclined his head.

Mina shivered slightly and then turned to Boris. She really did have gorgeous eyes. He’d never seen anyone with a color like that before. They were like amber sap frozen in time while at its deepest hue.

“I won’t say no. Knowing more about my power isn’t a bad idea. Though, I doubt it will help anything, I’m just curious.” She shrugged and grabbed a large, thick coat out of her bag and wrapped it around her like a blanket.

“Da. First. It’s not your power. It belongs to the Spirit. It doesn’t happen often, but they can take away.” 

She didn’t believe him, that was fine. She didn’t have to. She just needed to listen. Mina sat down at the table and gestured at the chair across from her which he took. Renault sat, as did Ada. William remained standing. 

“Now that that’s out of the way.” Boris leaned his arm on the table. “Every living thing has a Spirit, most don’t activate.” He held his hand up when Mina opened her mouth. “Da, even blades of grass. As I said, most never meet the,” He stopped and grimaced. What was the word. Kvalikatuyo.  Ah, right! “Qualification to do it.”

“Qualifications?” Mina tilted her head to the side.

“Da, extreme trauma mixed with near death is the typical trigger.”

“There’s no fucking way.” Mina shook her head. “I’ve seen a lot of people with Spirits, there’s no way that many people have experienced near death trauma. What about orcs? I seriously doubt they get extreme trauma.”

She wasn’t serious was she? She didn’t actually believe that? “Everyone can experience trauma,” he said flatly. “Demons and Elves are different from Human and Fera. They, like us, are born with Spirits. The difference is that their Spirits are activated by some sort of ritual when they hit a certain age, from what I understand. I do not know what rituals are.”

Mina chewed on her bottom lip as she listened. The sound of clinking metal grabbed Boris’s attention. William’s hands were clasped behind his back and he shifted his weight back and forth.

“Are you alright?” Mina asked. William jerked and turned his head towards Mina. 

“Hm? Yes. Sorry, Miss Mina. Just thinking about some things.”

She stared at him for a moment and then turned her eyes back to Boris. 

“Right. So. Each Spirit has specific thing it can do. There may be multiple Spirits for certain thing, but all do something different. There are exception, eight actually.” He gave her a small smile. “Following so far?”

“Yeah,” Mina nodded.

“Don’t fill her head with fairy tales. The Eight Spirits don’t exist. They’re made up fancies to make people donate to the One Order because they’re scared. Don’t believe a word that comes from the mouth of a Priest of Talyx. They’re all liars and charlatans.”

“Oh? Is that so? What is it they say? Pot calling kettle black?”

“I’m not a liar or a charlatan. Mistaken identity remember?” 

“Oh, da, and I’m dya of a fish.” Boris snorted.

“What are the Eight Spirits?” Mina asked. 

“They Eight Spirits are the major elemental Spirits. Two for each element: fire, water, earth, air.”

“Why two?”

“Not sure, but I suspect they are opposing sides of each other. Like how water can be calm and life-giving or fierce and catastrophic. Two sides of same coin. That is theory though. Have to ask them to confirm.” Boris shrugged.

“Except she can’t, since they don’t fucking exist,” Renault piped up. 

Mina glanced between the two of them and scowled, “I don’t care if they exist or not. I want to know.”

“Da, listen to lady.” Boris nodded smugly.

Renault rolled his eyes and held his middle finger up.

“Anyways. No one is sure what Eight Spirits names are, they change as time go on. They are always same thing though: tortoise, wolf, dragon, butterfly, hawk, sparrow, snake, and dolphin.”

Her eyes snapped to him from where they’d been watching William, who still seemed uncomfortable. “Butterfly?”

“Da, if remember right, butterfly is air.”

She frowned, a look of disappointment crossed her features. “Are you sure it’s air?” 

“Da, pretty sure. Don’t know much about. Is not much on it that is not religious rhetoric.” He shrugged. “Air makes sense too.”

“But air makes sense for the sparrow and hawk too.” 

“Don’t know, not my expertise.” Boris picked at a piece of the wooden table that was slightly splintered. “Anyway, There are four states to Spirits. Dormant, Active, Awoken, Ascended.” 

“I know about the first three, what’s Ascended?” she asked. 

“Ah, you know the first three. Good good. Ascended is last stage of Spirit, and most rare. I don’t know anyone who can do it. It is when you can merge with Spirit and access full power. It makes power one hundred times stronger.” 

She blinked, “That’s…insane. I wonder how you do it…” she muttered. 

“If you want to know more about history, best bet is to ask Talyx priest, though I find they are tight-lipped about what they know.” He stretched his arms above his head and yawned. 

“I am tired, so I shall turn in for night. It has gotten quite late,” Ada said with a smile as she stood. “It will be best to sleep down here tonight. It’s much more insulated than upstairs. I hadn’t gotten the chance to do anything there yet.” 

“I think that’s a good idea,” Mina nodded, pulling the cloak tighter around herself.