Rafael woke up the next day full of excitement. He was going to go back to the plant spirit, and, with any luck, he would succeed in pushing their connection further. He sat on the edge of the bed and before even getting up, he traced the rune he had learned several times in the air. Good, he remembered it. Alek had emphasized the importance of this one for successfully forming a stable bond.

He put on his gym clothes, made sure he hadn't forgotten the mirror pendant, and hesitated for a moment in front of the thesis. He wasn't going to be away for long, and he wouldn't have time to read, but he was loath to leave it there unattended. He was now acutely aware of the preciousness of the document.

No, he said to himself shaking his head. He was worrying for nothing again. No one had given his uncle any credit, his apartment had not been searched, why would anyone come looking for this copy of Leonard's thesis in his room? He just thought too much. He quickly left his room and went down the stairs in silence. As on previous days, he was the first one up. He had to admit that, if he hadn't had the prospect of acquiring supernatural powers, he would surely still be in bed like the others!

Rafael tied his sneakers, put on his fleece, and left the house. The first few minutes of the run were normally reserved for warming up, but he found it hard not to pick up the pace today.

His impatience grew as he reached the park. He had a knot in his stomach like he did on the first day of school as a child. He was torn between taking a break to review the basic rune and sprinting to reach the holly shoot faster. The sun was about to rise, but the cloud-covered sky was as dark as ever. As expected, Rafael was alone. This reassured him but also increased his stress. He was only a few meters away from where he had seen the spirit now.

He stopped near the holly shoot with expectancy, watching the surroundings carefully. Everything was quiet. No trace of the spirit. How could he encourage it to show itself? He hadn't had to do anything the previous times.

Rafael took out the mirrored pendant to display it prominently and traced the basic rune in front of him several times. Nothing happened. What had the shaman said again? Singing and dancing... he wasn't sure he knew how to do that.

While he was thinking, drops of water began to fall. A drizzle for now, but by the look of the sky Rafael feared it would quickly get worse. He had to hurry. Standing and thinking in the rain, Rafael suddenly had an epiphany. Alek had spoken of specific actions related to the spirit, that this would get his attention.

He took off his shoes and socks and planted his feet firmly on the muddy ground. I am a plant, he thought. He raised his head and opened his mouth, welcoming the drops of water that fell on him as if he were receiving a blessing.

Rafael remained motionless, his eyes closed, visualizing the connection his body was forming between the earth and the sky. Several minutes passed, during which the rain increased, until finally something switched in his mind. It was the same sensation as the previous times, the spirit was observing him. He had not thought of the next step, he was content to half-open his eyes and wait. The spirit hadn't seemed particularly shy the day before, quite the contrary. However, its evanescence made that Rafael represented it as a timid animal.

It is not an animal, its essence is related to the plants! He remembered.

Attracted by the pendant as by a magnet, the spirit approached. Rafael saw the palpitation disturbed the air in front of him, by concentrating a little he could even distinguish the blue flames of his eyes. Like before a contact was established, but this time Rafael was ready. He was able to welcome and control the flood of sensations that had overwhelmed him the previous time. His senses had expanded, he could feel the presence of all the plants in the park in the background.

The spirit was hovering near his chest, just above the mirror pendant. Moving as little as possible, Rafael began to trace the rune with his left hand. Slowly. Carefully.

When he had drawn half of it, the sensations became stronger, as if he had become the park itself. He did his best to hold on to the memory of his identity, his hand still tracing the runic gesture in the air. The line between him and the spirit was becoming increasingly blurred. The only thing in his body he could still feel was his arm, clenched as tightly as possible to keep it from shaking.

Time seemed to have slowed down, he had almost finished the gesture...

When Rafael finished the last stroke of the rune the world began to change around him, or was it him who was changing inside the world? Either way, he felt like he was caught in a whirlwind. His perspective was in constant motion, feeling everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

He was the ancient tree whose roots sank into the earth while his branches soared to the sky.

He was the seed that had lain dormant in the cold ground for decades.

He was the holly shoot that even grew in winter.

He was the grass trampled by humans and eaten by animals.

He was the mistletoe that used birds to spread and plunge its suckers into new hosts.

He was the moss that survived on low walls.

He was... so tired. It was cold. Spring was still far away. What was he doing already awake?

Rafael collapsed on the muddy ground and fall asleep.

 

***

 

An undetermined period of time later.

Rafael opened his eyes, confused. He couldn't remember where he was. His bark seemed awfully thin, and his sap flowed too fast. More importantly, he couldn't feel his roots. Something was wrong here.

He tried to open his leaves to feel what was happening but it didn't feel right either.

A flash went through his brain, followed by pain.

I am...

I'm a human!

Violent nausea rose in him as the vegetal sensations flowed back. Gradually, Rafael regained consciousness of his body. He was hyperventilating in a mud puddle, his clothes completely soaked. Curled up next to him, the plant spirit was emitting a reassuring hum. He could see it now, much more clearly than through the mirror pendant. Rafael calmed down instantly and his breathing soon returned to normal. He was not alone.

It was beautiful, the spirit's colors were brighter than anything he had seen before. Especially its eyes... Looking at them, he could feel the strong connection that he shares with the spirit. It was his dryad and he was its human!

And, when he looked deeper, he felt like he was every plant around.

He was afraid of losing himself again, but the supernatural sensation drew him irresistibly. He wanted more! He wanted to find out what he was capable of now. Except he didn't know how to do shamanic magic. Alek hadn't told him about it. Moreover, he still had that damn nausea...

As if to make matters worse, Rafael began to shiver violently. He hadn't realized how cold he was until now. He wanted to lean on his elbows, but his limbs were stiff and responded with difficulty to his commands.

Bloody hell, I could have died!

Rafael did his best to get up. The plant spirit watched him curiously as he exerted himself besides it. The temperature seemed to leave the dryad completely indifferent. The plants had to feel the cold, right? How could they resist it?

Did the dryad use the same method or did it works in a completely different way as a spirit?

Rafael was standing now, his muscles tense. The dryad was still at his side. He sent a thought in its direction and the response was immediate. He felt a flow of power pass through the invisible link between them and he was no longer cold, just like that. He still felt the cold, and his muscles were no less stiff, but it didn't affect him like before. Somehow he knew that as long as his cells didn't freeze, he could continue to function.

Unbelievable! Is it that easy to make magic?

His brain was also functioning normally again, which means being in overdrive. He was eager to try new things... but he'd probably better be careful. He just spent god knows how long in mud thinking he was a plant. First get used to the bond, second go back to the shaman, and then...

Well, he had to change his clothes first actually! They were soaking wet.

Rafael bent down to grab his shoes, which were also soaking wet, and went back the way he came. He hoped he wouldn't run into too many people. Barefoot and with his muddy clothes, he must have looked like a bum. He began to jog to get home faster... but quickly returned to walking. It wasn't being barefoot that bothered him, he was out of the woods and the path was now good asphalt. No, it was that he felt unusually tired and hungry.

His desire to sleep was definitely related to the dryad. It was no longer visible, but Rafael could still feel its presence inside him. He knew that all he needed was a thought for it to reappear. Through this connection, he could also feel all the plants that surrounded him. Most of them in a deep sleep. That was why he was sleepy too. As for his hunger, more consuming by the minute, it must have been due to the bonding ritual he had performed, and perhaps also to the magical power that kept him from suffering from the cold. He now understood Alek's request for energy bars. He was going to have to buy some for himself too.

No sooner said than done. Fortunately, there were stores near the park. The saleswoman of the supermarket made a funny face when she saw him entering, but she refrained from any comment. He paid for his items with his phone and didn't linger.

It's strange, Rafael noted. She seemed disappointed that I didn't stay longer...

Leaving this ridiculous thought behind, he opened a chocolate bar and stuffed it into his mouth. God, it felt good! His sense of taste seemed to have increased as much as his resistance to the cold. Was it just due to his hunger or was the dryad's influence also involved? Rafael turned the corner and almost spit his food on the ground.

Ilona? What is she doing here?

She was there, right in front of his house. She had her violin case on her back, probably to give a private lesson to some child, and her Wagasa in her hand. Ilona loved this umbrella that her father had brought back from Japan. She was wearing black leather boots that went up to her knees and pants of the same color. She was also dressed in a bright red coat that matched her lipstick and highlighted her hair.

What a beautiful flower, Rafael thought. Her petals really bring her pistil out... too bad that there aren't any bees around.

A pain shot through his brain. What was he thinking? He had to control himself!

She had seen Rafael and was now walking towards him with a determined step.

"Rafe," Ilona said, a little worried. "What happened to you?"

It was then that he remembered how he looked. Really, she was the last person he wanted to run into...

"Nothing much," Rafael replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "I fell in the pond." It could hardly be more ridiculous, but he didn't know what else to say. And it won't make much of a difference considering the disaster that was already their relationship. Against all expectations, Ilona did not laugh at him. She approached with a soft look and took him in her arms. Without even worrying that doing so would dirty her clothes.

I have rarely seen her that sweet, it's refreshing.

Ilona drew out the embrace which made Rafael uncomfortable. He pulled back and asked, "What are you doing here?”

"I was waiting for you," Ilona returned cheekily. "Tiffany told me you went running."

"Why were you waiting for me?" asked Rafael, impassive.

Ilona took a deep breath. "I didn't want to go that far but… I need to say it. I'm sorry Rafael. Leaving you was the biggest mistake of my life."

What? Am I dreaming?

He couldn't get over it, it came out of nowhere! He examined Ilona carefully. She waited anxiously for him to say something, her eyes were shining and her breath was short.

"Are you on drugs?"

"No," she replied. "I'm just happy to see you."

Rafael was under the impression that she was playing with him, he didn't know how to react to her behaviour. After a while, he finally sighed, "Look Ilona, I'm freezing, I want to change. We'll talk about this later."

She made a face of disappointment as if he had planted a thorn in her heart. That made him feel guilty.

What was she trying to do anyway?

"Goodbye Ilona," Rafael concluded as he opened the gate in front of his house and stepped into the garden. Before entering the house, he took one last look back. She hadn't moved. Her head was down, it looked like she was crying in silence. Rafael hardened his heart and turned away resolutely. He didn't want her to hurt him again.

 

***

 

When Rafael came out one hour later, Ilona was gone. He couldn't hold back a sigh of relief. Seeing her had put him in a state. He let this incident behind him and headed for the nursing home. He had taken a hot shower and was feeling much better now. He didn't need to use the power of the plant spirit against the cold anymore.

He had also taken the opportunity to eat several sandwiches, exhausting the household's supply of bread. If that ravenous hunger were bound for happening again, it wouldn't help his mother's opinion of the gargantuan appetite of men. The rest of the energy bars from the supermarket were in his bag, just in case. They might come in handy if he ever needed a way to convince Alek to help him.

Rafael didn't need to think about the road anymore. He quickly arrived at the nursing home, jumped off his bike, and crossed the gravel path to the entrance. Sarah was behind the front desk, as usual. She smiled at him and stood up to greet him, but Rafael had had enough excitement for one day with Ilona. He simply waved to her before rushing into the corridor, much to the disappointment of the hostess.

A few seconds later, he entered the shaman's room and said, "Hi Alek."

Alek was sitting in the same chair as the day before, with a large book on his lap. He turned to him and immediately exclaimed, "You already did it? Dirty brat! Do you know that it took me ten years to get my first blessing?" The old shaman shook his head, not able to get over it. "Even with the help of the mirror pendant, that's crazy," he added. "There's going to be shamans on every corner soon."

"How do you know that I did it?" asked Rafael a little surprised.

"You're just a beginner, you don't even know how to turn off your aura. Haven't you noticed that people have been acting weird around you lately?"

Now that Alek mentioned it...

"I forgot to keep my aura in check once, the nurse had a panic attack to the point of vomiting everywhere. It wasn't a pretty sight." The shaman glanced at him. "It should be different for you. A plant spirit hmm? They only think about growing and reproducing those ones."

Rafael opened his mouth but no sound came out, the old man had understood everything before he even had time to explain. He vowed to visit Alek more often so that he could learn everything he had to pass on. This time though, Rafael came equipped. He pulled out a notebook and pencil before asking, "What's an aura exactly?"

Alek chuckled, "It's the spiritual energy that spirits emit around them all the time. You could say it's their essence in a way. When you bond with a spirit, you become a part of it, and it becomes a part of you. So you also begin to emit that spiritual energy."

"And there are different types of spiritual energy, right?" asked Rafael noting everything down in his notebook.

Exactly," nodded Alek. "It's different for each type of spirit, and it affects our surroundings. That's where the shamanic powers come from.

That's it, the shamanic powers!

"How do I use them?" asked Rafael impatiently.

"One thing at a time kid, you have to learn to control your aura first. The effect is always at its peak after the bonding ritual. You surely don't want every girl in the area to start pestering you to breed with them..."

Well, put it this way it didn't seem so bad...

"I read your mind, kid. You're looking for trouble, all it takes is for them to be out of sight for the effect to wear off and they start screaming rape."

Rafael straightened up, more serious than ever. "I want to learn," he assured.

"Okay," Alek nodded. "For the first step, sit cross-legged and regulate your breathing. You need to become aware of your whole body, then differentiate your core from the spiritual energy flowing through it."

That doesn't sound so hard, Rafael thought as he took his position.

"You have to meditate like this two to three hours a day during the first year for it to become a habit," the shaman continued.

Holy shit!