Excited

"... And this one time I broke out of my shell and ran almost twenty yards before I got dragged back! Oh, and the time I..." Toma kept tell stories of the time he was part of the Spirit Elder's guardians. The stories didn't stop even after they landed

"Wow, how long were you a guardian?" Jeya asked holding Toma as they walked. The woods were beautiful and Kiro felt himself staring off more than once at their scenery.

"You keep this up, Kiro and you will get lost here." Aren grabbed Kiro's arm for the fifth time to drag him away from a gorgeous nature scene.

"Even if he got lost, the guardian spirits would help him." Jun stayed in the back and didn't seem in a rush to be back.

"I don't see any other spirits besides Toma." Kiro watched Jeya play with Toma's tail and smiled.

"Remember when no one could see me but you, Master? It's because we're bound. Spirits are normally only visible in the spirit plane. Only when a soul and spirit combine their essence can one see a spirit." Toma tried to explain.

"I'm going to pretend to understand and just nod along." Kiro laughed at Toma's pouting face.

"You're mean, Master." Toma pouted only causing Kiro to laugh harder.

"I must say, Kiro. Growing a spirit to physical form is hard. You must have a lot of mana." Aren noted watching the two with sudden interest.

"Oh he does! I still take from him on occasion but thanks to a physical form, I can get nutrients from food now." Toma bounced up and down excitedly.

"With so much mana, but I've never seen you use magic." Aren grabbed Kiro's shoulder and looked him over. It made Kiro a little uncomfortable. He knew she wasn't a child but...

"I don't know how to use any magic." Kiro admitted leaving Aren's grasp.

"Pity. Such a waste then. Maybe you should learn. Then all that mana won't be wasted." Aren stuck her head up and walked proudly in fromt of Kiro.

"Am I missing something?" Kiro asked Toma who just shrugged.

"I think she wants to train you." Jeya whispered walking up next to Kiro. They'd been pretty quiet so far.

"I doubt it. Aren is way above my level." Kiro explained. She was a dragon after all.

"I think Jeya's right, Kiro." Junwlaked on the other side of Kiro. He kind of felt boxed in by these two.

"Come on, Master! The haven is right up here through this grove!" Toma yelled taking off.