Rafael was on his daily run in the park. Despite all the upheavals in his life, he had kept this constancy. It gave him an anchor, like his plant spirit, a place where he could reconnect with himself. The only change was that he was now running barefoot, to stay in contact with mother earth, and the soles of his feet had become as hard as wood.

The sun was beating down hard, and he was sweating profusely. Fortunately, he would soon enter the forest, the shady part of the course. His plant spirit was rejoicing at the prospect. Rafael had been wearing his magic amulet for the past few months, and he had taken advantage of each run to inject some of his spiritual energy into the plants in the park, which had made him and his spirit much closer.

The control he had over his magic had also greatly improved: the flow of spiritual energy within his body was more fluid, he had learned to better control the plant spirit's impulses, and his affinity with nature now allowed him to have constant exchanges with the supernatural being he had bonded. Even Alek agreed that he wasn't bad at shamanism now.

The Association was growing well too. With Jay and his luck, they had tracked down signs of new shamans appearing in the city, which had helped them avoid several disasters, and recruit new members. Every week, the Saturday morning meeting was attended by severals shamans who took advantage of the opportunity to barter, exchange the latest news, and participate in the meditation class that Rafael offered.

As he had promised his uncle, he made sure that the new shamans learned to control their impulses, and that they did not use their magic in destructive ways. Rafael and Jay had both stopped their studies, and were now devoting themselves to this task full time. They had the means to do so, thanks to Jay's blessing of luck.

It had only taken him a few months to get banned from the casino for good, but then he had simply accumulated luck before buying a lottery ticket, and he had won the jackpot! This gave them enough money to fund their operations for several years. Not to mention that Jay could always repeat the trick... even though it would probably bring them unwanted attention.

The only negative point, of course, was the outcome of Paulina's and the priest's trials. Thinking about it always made him grit his teeth in anger. Despite his money, and his magical powers, Rafael felt powerless. All he could do was make sure the best available lawyer handled Paulina's appeal, and keep an eye out in case the priest reappeared. For the moment everything was quiet, the parasitic seed he had implanted in him had to do its job well.

Rafael arrived in the clearing where he had bound his plant spirit. It was more lush than ever with colorful flowers on all sides, green shrubs, and trees with dark leaves. His connection to the surrounding plants instinctively grew stronger, allowing a wave of cleansing energy to flow through his entire body and mind, strengthening his meridians a little more.

But this healing sensation was interrupted by a disturbing sight. There was a man crouching in the middle of the clearing, with a trowel and a garden pot half-filled with peat next to him. He was about fifty years old, with a bald head and teacher's glasses. Rafael trotted forward.

"Hello," he said. "What are you doing?"

The man was startled and turned around, a wary look on his face, but he relaxed when he saw Rafael. He beckoned him to join, and returned to his task. Rafael approached, then knelt down beside him. They were facing a plant of one meter height, with tubular purple flowers gathered in clusters.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" said the man.

Rafael nodded. "Nature in all its splendor."

The man tore his gaze away from the plant he was admiring to return to Rafael. Once he was sure he hadn't been being ironic, he smiled frankly, and held out his hand.

"Peter Barnes, but everyone calls me the Alchemist."

Rafael shook the outstretched hand and said:

"Rafael Duprat. Where did you get that nickname?"

The Alchemist scratched his cheek a little embarrassed. "I'm passionate about herborism, I dry my plants, I make ointments, herbal wines... my students came up with that nickname, and it has never left me."

"Your students?" asked Rafael.

"I teach biology at the university," replied the Alchemist.

"Cool, I'm very interested in plants myself. I've learned to identify them. What is it about this foxglove that interests you in particular?"

The Alchemist's eyes began to glow. "It's a mutant. See how its leaves are thicker and darker than the others around it? There are also changes in the number of flowers per cluster, and the diameter of its stem."

"Are you sure?" asked Rafael, looking at the plant with new eyes. Now that he was paying attention, he could see an unusually high concentration of spiritual energy around this foxglove. It was probably related.

"Positive! I couldn't believe it myself at first, but this isn't the first mutant I've found around here. There must be something in the environment, but I don't know what. Each time, the plants show the same signs. In addition to what you see there, the roots are also thicker, and the active ingredient content is ten to fifty times higher!"

"You said you've found more?"

"A bunch of valerians and an angelica, I transplanted them into my greenhouse."

So that was what he was doing. Rafael began to think, did he have a reason to stop him? It wasn't like he was killing the plants, or depopulating the clearing. He probed his plant spirit with his mind, and it didn't seem to be bothered by it. In any case, it would have been hypocritical of him to lecture the Alchemist after what he had done this winter, even if it had been for a good cause...

"And what do you do with it afterwards?" asked Rafael.

"I harvest the seeds, and process the plants. I made ointments with the valerians, it calms the nerves. This time, the batch was so powerful that I fell asleep just breathing in its scent!"

This can be useful.

The Alchemist had taken his trowel to dig around the foxglove. Rafael cleared his throat:

"You know, I organize informal meetings with my Association. We exchange services there, barter... I think your products would find takers if you're looking to profit from them."

"Do they trade rare plants there?" the Alchemist asked without looking up.

"Not usually, but our members often have access to amazing resources, and some are just very lucky, they could probably find those kinds of plants for you."

Or I can grow some.

The Alchemist dropped his trowel and transferred the foxglove to his peat-filled pot. Then he put soil back in so the roots would be well covered.

"That sounds interesting. Let's exchange phone numbers so you can send me the information, and I'll come to the next meeting."

Rafael allowed himself a smile. With a little luck, this would be the first mundane of the Association. It was an important step because he didn't want to create a new society for shamans, he wanted to find a way for them to integrate into the existing one, as he had promised his uncle. He was sure that if they lived separately from normal people for too long, it would cause many problems.

I wonder how he will react when he understands that we can do magic, though.

***

Last Saturday of August, Association meeting.

Rafael arrived early to open the doors of the room and to set up the chairs. He was proud of the activity room he had found. It was the first place he had rented in his life, and he took good care of it. He used it not only for Saturday meetings, but also to meet his friends and store his shamanic equipment.

The first to arrive were Hippolyte and Borka, the Omarov brothers. Their grandfather came from Kazakhstan, and before he died, he had taught them the runes used with animals in his village. Hippolyte had bonded a horse spirit at the stable he worked. Borka, on the other hand, had bonded a dog spirit at the animal shelter. It was the same one where Tiffany was volunteering, and it was on the way to pick her up that Jay had met them.

Next came Dino, followed by Jazz. His real name was Jason but everyone called him Jazz because he always seemed to be dancing on the spot. He said that he had bound a spirit of rhythm. Rafael had no idea how such a spirit could exist but it didn't matter, Jazz was cool. Dino... well, Rafael didn't even know how Dino found the Association. He was a fan of cars, motorcycles, Formula 1, and all kinds of machines. He had bonded a spirit of speed.

The Alchemist arrived next, right on time. It was his first visit. He nodded to the others, then sat aside to wait for the meeting to begin. He was the only one not spirit-bound, he was also the oldest of the group, but he didn't seem to mind.

Rafael heard Orphelia arrive before he saw her. She was on her phone, and the gothic metal coming out of it announced the appearance of the young woman dressed and made up in black. She worked as a guide at the reptile farm, and had bound a snake spirit. Unlike the Omarov brothers, she did not know runes, and she had lost her mind during the ritual. It had been a small disaster. Only the intervention of Jay and Rafael had made it possible to retrieve all the snakes she had released.

Orphelia stopped her music, greeted Rafael, and ostensibly ignored the others. She had a haughty attitude that prevented her from fitting in with the group, but Rafael was confident that he would be able to tame her in time. Perhaps she would even deign to share her real name with them. He knew Orphelia was just her gothic alias.

Jay and Tiffany arrived only five minutes late, she was definitely a good influence on his best friend. Jay greeted everyone with a smile while Tiffany apologized for their tardiness. The two looked radiant together, it was a great thing to see, but Rafael couldn't help but feel a touch of jealousy. It's been a long time since he had enjoyed the company of a girl. He missed it.

No point to think about it here.

Rafael stepped to the front of the table and said:

"I think we can start... Hello everyone, I would first like to welcome the Alchemist who is joining us today. He is particularly interested in plants, and if you find any unusual specimens, don't hesitate to tell him about them. I'll let him explain what he's offering in exchange later."

The Alchemist had several small pots in front of him, and another he fiddled with to pass the time. The others looked at him curiously.

"As usual we'll begin with the exchange of information," Rafael continued, "Has anyone noticed or heard of any events that might indicate the emergence of a new shaman, or the influence of a spirit?"

The Alchemist began to look at him strangely, Rafael had expected this, but the mundane made no comment, nor did he leave the room, which was a relief. He had prepared a little surprise for him that should entice him to return if all went well.

"There was another accidental blessing at the club last night," Jazz reported.

"Again?" asked Rafael.

"Yes, another glass of beer that always stay full. Until the porter passed out from spiritual energy exhaustion anyway. I've managed to get it back, so you can store it with the others in the storeroom."

"Great, thanks," Rafael said. Jazz was an invaluable member of the Association. He didn't do much besides go clubbing every night, but that's where most of the problematic events took place, and he was often the first one there. Like some kind of sentinel.

"No problem with the junkies?" asked Jay.

"No," replied Jazz. "I would have called you."

The month before a druggie had accidentally bound a spirit in the nightclub area, an air spirit perhaps. He'd gone crazy, consumed his entire supply of drugs, and eventually died of an overdose, but not before setting off a mini storm that ravaged the entire neighborhood. According to Alek, drugs could sometimes facilitate the bonding ritual, Rafael was very worried that this would happen again.

"Anyone else have any information?" asked Rafael again, "Anything about the priest?"

No one answered. He always asked just to be sure, but the priest seemed to have vanished into thin air after his trial. Rafael wanted to believe that it was good news, and that his uncle's murderer was gone for good. That was what Jay kept telling him. Except Rafael remembered all too well what had happened the last time he'd allowed himself to let his guard down, he wouldn't make the same mistake again.

"We can move on to the market part then," he said after a moment of silence. "I think Hippolyte and Borka wanted to start."

Both brothers stood up smiling, you could tell they were just waiting for that. Hippolyte spoke up, he had always been the more talkative of the two:

"So, at the last meeting we had talked about gems with Jay, how he had discovered that they could be used as a focus to enhance shamanic powers. Borka had the idea to go digging through our grandfather's old boxes, and we found a case with some real treasures inside!"

"Dad had always thought Grandpa was making a collection," Borka remarked.

"Yes, but actually he was probably saving them for something else," said Hippolyte. "Anyway, we brought you several of these gems. They need to be cut, but there are some nice pieces! We have agates, which are useful to mitigate the influence of spirits on the psyche, turquoises, and serpentines."

At this last word, Orphelia turned her head sharply in the direction of the case that Hippolyte had just opened. Rafael noticed that the pupils of the young woman had become vertical, she had partially lost control again. He stood up, went to her, and put his hand on her shoulder to help her stabilize her spiritual energy.

"Calm yourself, Orphelia. Concentrate on your breathing," he said.

Her body tensed, but her eyes returned to normal. She hissed in Rafael's direction:

"It's okay now, leave me alone."

He did not insist and returned to his seat. Orphelia redirected her attention to the stones brought by the two brothers.

"I want the biggest piece of serpentine you have," she said. "We can talk about the price later."

Hippolyte hesitated for a moment. "Uh, don't you want an agate instead?" he asked. "I'm not sure that—"

"I know what I want," Orphelia replied sharply. "Put it aside for me."

Hippolyte looked at Rafael as if to ask him to intervene, but he merely shrugged. Orphelia was a champion of reverse psychology, and trying to convince her to take an agate instead of the serpentine she was so interested in would be doomed to failure. Especially since she could always buy some on the internet...

"I would take an agate, but I don't have much to offer in exchange," said Dino.

The two brothers were offended. Borka exclaimed: "You don't have to give anything in exchange. You have already helped us so much by finding patrons for the animal shelter..."

"It's true!" continued Hippolyte, handing him a stone. "We offer it to you as a sign of our gratitude. Please accept it!”

Dino nodded with a smile, and pocketed the agate. Rafael was pleased with the interaction, it was exactly the atmosphere he wanted to create at the Association. Dino didn't look like much, especially with his shaved head and passion for racing, but he was very proactive in helping others.

"Good," Rafael said, "We can keep the remaining stones in the storage room until you find a taker. Now I think it's time to hear what the Alchemist has to say."

The old man cleared his throat. "Uh yes, so I have some valerian ointments, very powerful for calming the nerves and helping you sleep. All I'm interested in in return is information about the mutant plants that are popping up around here this summer. They are bigger and more luxuriant than normal. Here, I can give you my phone number in case you find anything."

Rafael took advantage of the fact that the Alchemist and the other members of the Association were exchanging contacts to sneak into the storeroom. He grabbed several garden pots with marigolds that he had prepared earlier. The Alchemist would no doubt be pleased with these specimens, and the old man didn't need to know that he had grown them himself... in a matter of minutes.

"I thought we could keep the ointments here," Rafael said as he returned. "In case someone from the association needs them. What do you say? I can give you these marigolds in exchange."

The Alchemist's eyes lit up with joy when he saw the plants, and he rushed to examine them.

"Yes, yes, of course. You can keep them if I can take these plants to study them. I must confess that I came to this meeting without much hope, young man, but you didn't disappoint!"

Rafael smiled. He grabbed one of the pots of ointment and sent it in Jazz's direction.

"For the next time you run into a problem," he said.

"Thanks, Rafe," Jazz replied.

"Well I guess we can stop the meeting for today," Rafael added for the group. "Don't forget there's the shamanic meditation class in thirty minutes. Mandatory for some of us, isn't it Orphelia?"

The young woman grunted in displeasure.

"Don't worry, you won't be the only girl," Tiffany reassured. "And besides, my friend Ilona will be joining us next time. I'm sure you'll get along just fine!"

Rafael gasped at this news.

She managed to bind a spirit?!

I hope she didn't do anything rash.