A Baby Spirit

After a few moments, all of them gathered as their own works were finished. Lucas couldn't hold eye contact with Nora right now. The moment he fell his eyes on her, he remembered that time and became embarrassed. While Nora was totally oblivious about it. 

Lucas:- Emm!? This fish tastes so good. I really didn't know you were such a great cook, Zen.

Nora:- It tastes good. (She said calmly)

Zen:- I told you guys to wait and watch. See? 

Lucas & Zen burst into giggles while Nora maintained her little smile on her lips.

After taking a little rest, they once again start their journey in the afternoon. They managed to pass the lake by evening. They were now at the outskirts of the Locwizest Forest. They again halt their journey and prepare to sleep. The next day, as the sunlight hit the earth, they woke up and started on their way. After a day of walking in the forest, they were finally at the end of the forest.

While walking, Lucas saw something on a big tree root. 

Lucas:- Guys! Wait a minute. (He stopped in his tracks and walked toward that tree.)

Zen:- What happened, Lucas?

Lucas:- Look there, what is that? (He pointed toward the thing lying in the root.)

Nora:- That.. Is that an animal?

Lucas:- Animal? But I don't think that is an animal.

Zen:- Let's take a look.

They went closer and bent down to look at it. It looked like a tiny human baby, but it had 3 pairs of little wings. They assumed that it was a spirit. But the thing is it looks like it is in so much pain. Lucas picked it up in his hands.

??:- Mm? P-please save me. (It said it but it was more like a whisper. She had no strength left in her body. She was injured in many places.)

Lucas:- It spoke? What the heck is this creature?

Nora:- It's a spirit. To be precise, a middle level baby spirit. I read that they can't be found in the human eye, I wonder what is this child doing here?

Zen:- But it is injured. Nora, do you perhaps know any medicine that will help this child? 

Nora:- As far as I know human medicine doesn't work on spirits. I don't have a way to heal her.

Lucas:- But it is so tiny. What if it dies if we don't do anything?

Nora:- ...…

Lucas:- (He holds her closer. He was pitying her due to her frail state.) Please don't die. 

Excessive emotion again triggered his spirit power. And since she was a spirit too, she attracts his power herself too. Lucas's hand was glowing a green light. Her body started to heal, her broken wings healed too. Lucas used "Natural Healing". Soon the spirit regained her energy. She started to fly and twirl in refreshment. She looks a little cheerful, spirit. 

Zen:- Wow. You healed her. (Lucas can't believe he did that. He stares at her with awe.)

??:- Thank you so much for healing me, good human!! (She said happily while flying around them.)

Lucas:- O-oh, it's fine. You are a baby spirit, aren't you? Why are you here alone?

??:- Don't call me a baby spirit, I'm big enough to go around myself and my name is Valda. I'm a fairy spirit. 

Zen:- Valda? That's a pretty name. 

Valda:- I know it is. (She started to giggle cutely.)

Lucas:- But you are still a baby. How did you get hurt that badly?

Valda:- Hmph! So? What am I supposed to do? Sit in a corner alone because I'm young. When I was born, my parents died of a spreading disease, then other peoples abandoned me in this forest. I was trying to survive here, while a bad bear attacked me. (She spoke with a pout in her face)

Nora:- You.. are you an orphan?

Valda:- (She kept her head down, trying to hold in her tears)

Lucas:- Nora. She is a spirit, orphan and a baby on top of that. Can we afford to take her with us? (He asked with pitiful eyes.) 

Zen:- Huh?

Lucas:- Even though this baby is a spirit, it's still weak. How can we leave an orphan baby in a forest like this?

Nora:- Sure. She can control her physical viewers too. I don't think it would be a problem to have her with us. (She replied somehow since she was so surprised by the offer.)

Lucas:- (He beams with a big smile) So, Valda. Will you come with us? We will not harm you. We saved you, remember? If you come with us, you would never need to spend a lonely unsafe night like these days and no bad bears will harm you..

Valda:- R-really? No bad bears will attack me? (She asked with innocence in her eyes.)

Lucas:- No. We will protect you. You can rest without tension. 

Valda:- Then I will go with you. I don't want to stay alone here at night anymore. 

Nora stares at Lucas. How kind and pure he is that he decided to help that baby. Somehow it reminds her about her own childhood. She dives into her memories for some moments. 

8 years ago, at her homeland. At that time, she was six years old. She was born into a well-known knight's home. But one day, the honor of her father fell for an unfair reason. He caught an incurable infectious disease, which was killing him little by little. It also spread into his wife's body. The people of the town got frightened. They decided to behead her parents before they spread more. No one opposed it. Baby Nora cried and cried but no one heard her cries. She was only 7 back at then.

They killed her parents in front of her eyes. They also suspected that she might have the disease too and she needs to be beheaded too. But suddenly a young nobleman opposed it. Viscount Windsor, a young nobleman. 

To Be Continued

**Khadiza Jahan**