SPIRIT CREATURE 1

Dawn breaks.

Tala lay on a dilapidated bench under a tree. Tala thought that no one used it for a long time. Taking her sit, Tala napped covering her face with the hooded black cloak she wore.

She's been running all night familiarizing how to use earthly energy for she couldn't always use heavenly energy. If she wanted to blend with humans without attracting much attention, acting like one of them was the best way.

An hour later, Tala slowly opened her eyes.

A skinny old man wearing a simple brown long-sleeved shirt paired with loose trouser sat by her side. His skin was dry with black dots all over his body.

"You're already awake? Only one hour had passed. You better sleep again," The old man advised. He saw this boy dozed immediately when he reached the bench. Although the cloak hides the face of the boy, his 70 years of life made him recognized the age of the wearer of the cloak.

"I'm okay. I just want to take a nap. I'm already okay," Tala explained.

"Okay then," the old man didn't stick his nose to it anymore. "By the way, I had prepared this food for you. You need energy to arrive at your destination," the old man handed her the food. Understanding the hesitant look of the child, he added, "Although we lack source of food, we will definitely not die of starvation. There are a lot of ways to find one to eat."

The old man pushed the tray to her. It contains a bowl of rice with plain soup besides it.

"I thank you. Please, eat with me too." Seeing the simple food, Tala reduced that there was scarcity of food supply of the place.

"It's okay. I prepared it for you only," the old man denied her invitation. The food was for one person only.

"Foods are delicious if it is share," Tala smiled. She searched of leaves, big enough as plates and two pair of stick.

"Okay then," the old man and Tala dig in.

...

"I am Tala," Tala introduced herself.

"I am Dan. You can call me Lolo Dan!" said the old man.

"Lolo Dan, may I know where I am?" Tala asked.

"You are on the outskirt of the Blue Cloud Tribe," Dan explained. "This is the farmland that I inherit from my ancestors. Our harvest is traded to the main tribe."

"What a quiet place," Tala felt relaxed. She raised her head causing the hood to fall on his nape revealing her chubby face. "Were there any beasts who assaulted this place?"

"Yes, there is. Fortunately, my son is a warrior, so we manage to drive them away."

"That's a relief." Tala saw a fifteen-year-old boy who's practicing a battle technique from afar.

"It's my grandson, Kalipsi. He's preparing for the annual sparring contest of the Blue Cloud Tribe."

"Your grandson was good exhibiting that technique," Tala praised. She saw the boy exhibit the technique almost flawlessly as if he was practicing it for a long time.

"He's been practicing it every single day. He said he wanted to rank first on the upcoming competition of the Blue Cloud Tribe."

The boy spotted his grandfather. He was wearing the same kind of cloth, though it's color was blue.

"Lolo Dan, what are you doing here? You should take a rest. Your illness hasn't been cure yet." Kalipsi said worriedly.

"Kalipsi, this is Tala." Dan introduced her.

It was just that moment Kalipsi noticed the boy sitting beside his Lolo Dan.

"Ah. Sorry for my rudeness. I haven't notice you." Kalipsi hurriedly clasped his fist.

"It's okay." Tala uttered. She too clasped her fist. She's been hiding her presence to a point where a little boy like Kalipsi could hardly feel her.

A ten-year-old girl wearing a plain dull blue dress came rushing to their direction.

"Big brother, the vegetables! The vegetables!" Shouted by the little girl. "Lolo Dan? Wh..why are you here?"

"Little Miya, I just walked around!" Dan replied.

"Let's hurry up!" Kalipsi led the way, ignoring the presence of Tala.

…

Arriving at the plantation, Tala was welcomed with unnatural fog. Instead of seeing the green leafy plantation, heavy black mist appeared over her eyes.

"How can there be a mist here?" Kalipsi murmured.

The little girl held Kalipsi's hand tighter and stutteringly said, "B...big brother, th... there was no m..... mist when I came here earlier. It...its the vegetables that acting strange."

Pointing it, Kalipsi noticed the leaves that decaying in visible speed.

"Miya, stay here with Lolo Dan. I will take care of this," Kalipsi warned.

"Ah, yes. Please be careful!" Miya give him a hugged.

"Kalipsi, be careful!" Lolo Dan wanted to come along, but he knew he couldn't do anything for he was already old. "Your uncle will be here soon. Just observe, don't do anything and come back when immediately when you feel odd things."

"Yes, Lolo!" Kalipsi begin to walk further. He felt someone was following him. He turn around and saw Tala.

"What are you doing here? You should just stay with Lolo Dan," Kalipsi said anxiously. "If something bad happen, I..I.." Kalipsi wanted to talk more but Tala cut it off.

"I am here to lend my hand. Don't worry, I will not be a problem!"

"If thing get bad, just run as fast as you can, okay?" Kalipsi was worried about the boy. He looks younger than him. He didn't want to drag the boy and his not that strong to be able to protect him.

"Got it!" Tala agreed.

They walked further and further. Kalipsi approached a one meter thick tree. It was black in color. The tree look burned and the nearby plants corroded.

Tala felt familiar energy running through the tree. That was the odd energy that was circulating to the body of lolo Dan.

Tala saw a lit candle and foods under it.

"What's wrong?" Tala asked.

Kalipsi's bewildered expression confirmed something was amiss.

"Th...this tree. It shouldn't be this way? How can..how?" Kalipsi was confused. "Yesterday, this tree was lively though with little black marks on its trunk, but now I could not even see nor feel any life on it. Even its leaves were reduced to ashes," he explained to Tala. Seeing Tala looked at the candle under it, he further explained, "This tree was believe to be the home of Ani, the spirit guardian of this place. We light a candle to show our gratitude."

Lighting a candle was a sign of gratification of human towards Spirit creatures. This was their belief.

Tala nodded in understanding. She slowly approached the tree.

"STOPPP!" Kalipsi shouted as he saw Tala extending her arm to touch the tree. "Don't touch it. Lolo Dan once touched it. A day after, he felt ill and black dots popped up all over his body."

Tala was going to withdraw her action when suddenly, a force pulled her in. She was like being eaten by a tree.

Kalipsi hurriedly hold her hand and tried to pull her out. Instead of pulling her out, they were dragged inside.

"Wh..where are we?" Kalipsi asked. He saw Tala standing in front of him. He slowly stood up and looked around.

They were like in a narrow alley with dilapidated wooden walls. The view ahead was unknown for it was cover by darkness.

"Where inside the tree," Tala replied emotionless. Tala felt uncomfortable. 'This is their energy, the energy of a demon!' She grimly thought.

Kalipsi felt suffocated. He circulated his earthly energy to disperse the uncomfortable energy that was sipping through his pores, but no effect at all.

"No use. My energy wasn't enough," Kalipsi murmured. His skin was already pale as his lips were ashen white. He staggered to stand up, but he eventually fell on to the moistly ground. Although he can exert energy, its far from being a warrior yet.

'Am I going to die here? Miya. Lolo Dan,' this was the words running through his head.

The suffocating energy was just to much for him to handle. It was forcibly entering his pores all over his body. His sight was being clouded as his earthly energy was being swept off by the odd energy.

He was losing his consciousness rapidly. He saw the blurry figure of Tala resting her hand to his shoulder. Suddenly, energy gushed from his shoulder and traveled all over his body dispersing the uncomfortable energy.

In just a minute, he had restored his strength.

He was bewildered to the strength of the young boy in front of him. He never imagined that the child has that kind of energy. It felt pure!

"Thank you!" Kalipsi knew that the boy beside him, save him from sure death.

"It's nothing. Let's go inside." Tala led the way.

Tala snapped her fingers creating a tiny sound accompanied by forming a small flame on her fingertip.

Just enough light to see their way ahead.

Her flawless control of her energy made the young man gulped.

'Who might be this young boy?'