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Chapter 12 - Busted!

The orange wizard stood in front of her home but refused to approach just yet, instead her green gaze was observing someone who was occupying her front stoop. Someone she didn't recognize just yet... She tilted her head slightly and took a step forward, going closer to take a better look.

She didn't expect any visitors...

The person who she saw was sitting on the stoop with his head buried in his hands, having waited for what seemed like hours to finally get to talk to the owner of the house. At first he was just pacing, then just stood around before getting bored and almost fell asleep on the stoop. However, as soon as he heard the steps approaching his head shot up and looked at the woman, revealing him to be the same man who she saw in the toy shop. But of course he was now normally clad.

At first he just blinked as if not sure what he saw was real or just a fragment of his imagination but soon a wide smile appeared on his lips and stood up swiftly and not even letting her say a word he quickly began speaking, his voice showing his excitement.

"Oh God! This was amazing! How did you get a hold of it? Where did you find it? I never thought this day would ever come! Tell me everything about it! You are so lucky... or unlucky... I honestly don't know but I would consider it more of a luck!" He went on and on, clearly unable to contain himself, not even telling her what he was talking about.

Hyano walked up to him slowly blinking.

"Wh-what?" She asked finally once the crazy man had stopped talking. It? Was he talking about one of her items of old? She had quite a few that were rare and expensive but how would he know about those? Not like she let anyone into her house or went around talking about it. "Alright, slow down and talk more clearly because I have no idea what you are talking about and I'm half tempted to call the cops right now." She warned, trying to be as kind as she could about this but he was honestly making her nervous.

"The wraith!" The man shouted, clearly not even aware of the fact that others might be able to hear him, he was so excited about this. He was almost bouncing up and down. He had been finding an interest in these creatures since his very childhood. Each Halloween he would dress up as a wraith and try to imitate them. He studied them for years, having always believed them true. There was just too much information and evidence of their past existence. All the books, the drawn and painted pictures, the plans for their armor, journals... He went as far as traveling for weeks to get a hold of a single book which had two lines about them. One could say his obsession knew no bounds but he wasn't crazy, of course, not with the knowledge and careful research he did. He simply never thought he might get to see one for real. He knew about the danger this one might pose but... he honestly wasn't thinking straight for the moment. "I saw it inside! It was there!"

The woman was knocked back slightly by the sudden shout before her eyes widened. Alright, this had not been something she expected. He saw it? Seriously?! Ren? She looked at the house, then back at him, thinking quickly before she relaxed her shoulders.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." She said, trying to calm herself enough to be convincing. Yes, it was true she had a wraith but she did not need anyone else knowing that and if she had to she would make this man seem as insane as possible and put him in the loony bin. As long as he was kept between four padded walls she would be covered.

The man instantly quieted down and his smile vanished for a moment but soon it reappeared and he held up his index finger, shaking it at her.

"No denying from me .I saw it with my own eyes." He pointed at his eyes as if that will help him, minding his glasses. "It was invisible... It had no face... I saw it when it took off its dark cloak. I never saw anything like that before. How else would you explain that? People don't turn invisible! But it was invisible! This is crazy!" He exclaimed and took a deep breath to calm himself down a bit. Oh how he wished he had taken some pictures... Of course he knew she would want to deny the existence of that very much real thing but she won't get rid of him with lies! Not him!

"I can explain it as the mad ranting of a mad man." Hyano said harshly and crossed her arms, waiting to see what his reply would be to that. Hopefully he would get the point with those words. She didn't want to destroy his life but if she had to she would. Took off his hood? Wait... what? Ren? That was impossible. She knew Ren wouldn't be caught alive without his hood on. That was like asking him to take a bath. Never going to happen unless one kicks him right into the water... like she had this morning. She dearly hoped he hadn't destroyed her house while she was gone...

At this the man suddenly lost his excited expression and spoke up now in a lower and serious tone.

"Listen, Miss Hyano..." He addressed her in a whisper, having known her for a long time already. Mainly thanks to the little children that dragged her along to his shop and came in numerous times with the herder toddlers and their family. They knew one another, even if just a bit, hence why she knows about his research. "We both know the truth... You can deny all you want for the outside but I know what I saw. I might be a bit excited about these creatures but I am not a mad man. And you know that as well." He told her, his gaze meeting hers in a firm fashion, clearly he wasn't playing around with this matter. "I was... waiting for my whole life to see something like this. I always knew they were real once and thought they are gone for good. But now... Here is my opportunity... to see one up close for myself." He trailed off and sighed, then a smirk appeared on his face and watched the wizard with a devilish expression. "I know you could even use my expertise. I know a lot. I bet I know more than you about their nature. I am also more than certain that you found... a lot of trouble with the being... They aren't exactly easy to keep around, are they?"

The orange istar raised a brow at his thoughts. Knew more? Yes, unlikely. She thought for a moment, putting her hands on her hips. She looked him over a minute, then looked around them.

No one. Everyone was settling in for the day.

Good.

Hyano turned back to him, then flicked her hand, the door behind him opening.

"Mr. Odkoner, how much you want to bet you know more than a wizard does?" She asked him. Why not? It seemed he was more interested in meeting creatures than telling the world about them.

The man blinked once he heard the silent creaking of the door. He turned back towards Hyano with his mouth open.

"Wizard?" He asked but it was clear in his tone that he didn't yet quite believe her. After all, it could be just a cheap trick. He was maybe an excited fan of the old world but wasn't so easily convinced about anything unusual. He was a scientist at heart and scientists liked facts. Firm, unquestionable facts. He also raised an eyebrow when she clearly challenged him. Well, one thing was for sure... He knew more about the wraith's current location than her. Still, he wanted to see this, so did as she offered and turned to walk inside so they can talk in private.

"Well, think about it. You had to have read a little about my kind among everything you read about the wraiths." Hyano said, flicking her hand again to shut the door behind them. "Not myself specifically, of course. I made a point of keeping all articles about myself out of the reach of man throughout the years in order to be... forgotten." She added as she walked around him, flicking her hand again, all the doors and windows locking in the house. "Now, do you think anyone else could possibly be holding a wraith in their home and still be alive?" She asked as she walked around the house, obviously looking for something.

Or someone.

The man, known as Odkoner, looked left and right, alert at the sound of the door and windows shutting and locking, then looked back at the woman, still seemingly distrusting towards her claim. Doors and windows shutting could mean she placed some kind of remote control on them. Even he used such tricks on Halloween two days ago. He wasn't really impressed, so raised an eyebrow as if challenging her. He wasn't yet convinced. She got to do a bit more than that. The man watched as she moved about and crossed his arms, waiting for her to... realize something specific. Like... the lack of someone specific.

"Oh bloody hell..." The wizard grumbled, facepalming. "That idiot would go and walk out while I am gone." She murmured, then blinked as she saw the open bag and Ren's normal clothes near the couch in the living room. "Holy Valar, he actually changed his clothes..." She said to herself, then looked at the toy master. "Just so you know, Wraith's don't bathe. The closest Ren has ever come to bathing willingly was when he takes a blood bath and that does nothing to help with his horrible smell." She said and gagged before looking towards the door. "Damn... He will be back soon enough. He kind of wants to kill me right now so he won't stop until he finds me sooner or later. That or I will have to break him out of prison. Whichever comes first." She stated with a sigh, then looked at the man. "Alright, what would prove to you that I am a wizard? Hmm?" She asked, crossing her arms, curious what in his mind would be proof of such a thing.

The man raised an eyebrow when she faced him with the same question and wasn't sure what changed or what she did that might convince him about her being a wizard. Yes, he knew he saw a wraith not long ago, a being that existed many thousand years ago... but he will not believe everything just because of that.

"That wraiths don't bath is a rather logical fact. They don't like to be clean and despise water. Because water does not carry the essence of their God." The man explained, raising his head a little bit, flashing his knowledge about this. He read a lot about them and this was one information he found interesting. "I know it is gone. I have seen it change its cloak for those clothes. It was very amusing and interesting to see it figure out the uses of the clothing. I presume it never changed out of its cloak so far..." He trailed off, remembering the details from a few hours ago. Now at least he knew what brought the wraith to change after all. "Seems like you are in trouble, then."

Hyano raised a brow at the idea that she might be in trouble.

"If you knew half the things I did this morning or what the past three days have been like... you wouldn't be surprised he is mad at me but if you knew what I could do you wouldn't think me exactly 'in trouble.'" She said and thought for a moment before smirking. "Then again, I guess I could show you a little." She added, then waved her hand and the ground under him turned to ice before she flicked her hand and a gust of wind blew his legs from behind. Might as well have a little fun with this man while she had the time to do so.

Odkoner gasped when he felt something slippery under his shoes and his feet even started to slide to the side but what surprised him even more was when something rammed his feet and he fell onto his behind, staring ahead at the woman, blinking a few times in disbelief. He was silent for what seemed like minutes, just watching her like that, his mind seemingly processing the information he received. Now this... was a more believable trick.

"So... you really are a wizard?" He asked, still careful with how he worded it. There was still some doubt but how else would he explain the sudden ice and the wind that knocked him down? "And you... purposely angered a wraith for... what reason exactly?" He inquired, a frown appearing on his face in return of where this is going. Even if she is a wizard and probably could keep the wraith back from killing her while she is awake but... A wraith was still a wraith and surely there was a good reason for having made it go after her to try and kill her... Right?

"We have a very... odd relationship." The istar said honestly with her hands on her hips before waving her hand and the ice evaporated around him, then came to her hand where she squeezed it into a ball of ice and spun it around on one finger. "You see, I've known him since I was a very little girl. When he was a regular human actually and he has always been a bit of a pranking pain in my side. We would go back and forth and this was even a thing when we met again after he turned into a wraith according to his behavior and what he tells me. Despite the wraith's inability to truly feel, they can... mimic emotions and often still have old habits from when they were human. Pranking is his. He and I go back and forth with our pranks. Recently he lost a bet and had to do everything I said for the past 3 days. Today the bet was up and he came to my room to get some revenge for all I made him do. What he didn't expect was for me to have covered the whole room in traps that I sent him into for about three hours this morning. Then I left for the day to do a few things. I'm guessing that is when you turned up and saw him and then he took off after me into town." She explained, smashing the ice ball into pieces and then tossing one into her mouth. "Any questions?"

"Fascinating..." Was all the man could say as he stared at her as she made that trick with the ice and shared some stories with him about her past experiences. Maybe he should write a book about this... Who would believe they are true anyway... Well, this didn't mean he wouldn't love to share his findings with the world and tell them about the wraith. But... in today's society he would be held as mad before he even could get to the point. He would end up in a straitjacket sooner than he could say 'Nazgul'. He was excited about all this and listened to the tale intently but knew he could not expose any of it to the world. This made him a bit disappointed but the fact that he could be around past ancient creatures was far more worth than a few years of fame. For him at least. "Well, it is logical that they would retain some of their behavior because they do have their soul around from their past just corrupted beyond measure. They are just stuck between the living and the dead. But... how does something like this exist still? I mean... I know the world was held together by magic back then but today we have only technology and the little scams that some wannabe magicians like to call 'magic'." He told her, still sitting on the floor with his legs crossed now. It was like his childhood all over again. Just sitting around the fire or on his bed or on the floor, listening to what someone would read him from a book he liked the most.

"Well..." Hyano sat down cross-legged across from him and smiled. "You see, I am the last remaining wizard of this world. I am living on the last remaining magic line. Just enough to keep me alive to see the world until it is close to its end. I hope you don't live to that time but if you do I hope knowing the truth will make it easier on you. Ren turned to stone long ago because he wasn't able to tap into the world's magic anymore. When he was recently discovered a while back, everyone just thought him a statue. Me too at first, honestly. However, when I touched him we became connected. Now my magic runs through him. This is both good and bad. Good because he is alive but bad because now I have to drain twice as much magic in order to keep us both alive which sadly is starting to cut my time here a little short." She explained with a sigh. "I will have to leave sooner than I thought and before you ask... no you can't come with us. The new world would kill you before you touched the shore. Humans are a late generation species. Every new world has a new version of them, however they have never been allowed to travel between worlds. You wouldn't make it through the barrier. I'm sorry. I can tell you what to expect if you do live to the end times." She added, being honest with him.

"Well... Perhaps dying while the new world comes into my line of sight wouldn't be as bad as any other that might await me on this world." The man mused as he listened to her story and explanation, having propped up his head with his hands, his elbows placed on his knees. "Probably mugged in the streets... or... someone breaks into my shop. I will never live the end of my life, I am most certain." He told her as if this wasn't such a big deal, seeing he even expected this to happen. He was all too calm about this possibility. Or perhaps he wasn't truly paying attention to this all, seeing he was hearing quite interesting things. "So... you are in basically what one would call a symbiosis. Well, if it gives you something in return... Otherwise it is a parasite..." Of course this might sound evil but if the wraith wasn't giving anything in return of what it gets, then it is leeching magic from her, so living off of her like a flea on a human. So he wondered if this was a cooperation or not. And if it was... what kind of payment does it give?

"Parasite is quite close but if we were to be separated we would both die. Our connection is so joined that now it is similar to an electric charge. Break the connection and everything just stops." The orange istar explained, then thought for a moment. "Stay here." She said, standing up and walking away for a bit. She eventually came back with a book and held it out to him. "Here. These are the back stories and descriptions of each of the wraiths of old, including the one I have here. I'm sorry but I can't let you meet him in person. He isn't exactly people friendly. However, I think this might be more than worth the difference." She offered, holding out the very thick book. The thing was old as dirt and at least fifteen pounds, give or take. Istari were well known for their detailed work and this book was no exception.

Odkoner looked at the clearly ancient book and smiled, opening it to see the first few pages.

"Ah, I have already read a book like this." He stated, his eyes quickly skimming over a few lines here and there and began carefully flipping some pages, recognizing the wording at places. Although this one was not worked on at the writing and spelling to make it more modern sounding. It didn't matter, he understood it still. At least, so he thought. It seem to be rather... archaic. "The title is familiar but the cover is older." He said, as expected having already chewed through a lot of books. For many he traveled for months and paid a small fortune. There were a lot of books like these found in excavations and some of them were translated and sold, the people who found them only seeing the money they could bring but he saw them as treasures that were worth every cent. "How old is this book?" He asked her, looking up to meet her gaze and flipped a few more pages carefully, then touched the pages, feeling the rough texture. Well, rough compared to today's paper. However, when she mentioned that he cannot stay, the man simply shook his head. "I am planning on seeing it in person and up close... I have read a lot of books about them. Time to see one for myself." He smiled as if it was the most natural thing to request. "Besides... you said you can keep it at bay?" He asked and tilted his head slightly, raising an eyebrow. Didn't she claim she was a wizard?

Hyano didn't bother to answer his question about the date of the book. She didn't exactly know how old it was, so it wouldn't make sense to answer such a question.

"Oh, I can, however I have already insulted him enough for one day." She said honestly and leaned against the wall, thinking about exactly what she should do. "How about I make you a deal? Come back tomorrow evening around six or so. Give him a day to regenerate and cool off. When you come back... bring some things for him. He likes items that shine and are different from ones he has seen before. That shouldn't be hard for you. Just avoid fake weapons. He was rather disappointed with the fake sword you gave him on Halloween." She said, deciding there might be a way to give him his wish.

The man blinked and hummed, raising a hand to stroke his chin, thinking about the offer with a frown on his face. All of a sudden he gasped and looked at her, putting down the book for now. He didn't want to ruin the ancient relic. Seems like he will have to find out its age his own way.

"But wait! I know a lot about wraiths. I have studied them since I was a little child, read every single information there was about the wraiths in general. Maybe I could help you with the grumpy creature..." He trailed off, watching her carefully with a grin. That is it! He can finally utilize all the knowledge he gathered so far and see if they are true... or if they were just added to make them seem interesting. "In return... I can teach you the little tricks that might work on him. Gives you better control without the need of magic?" He offered and shrugged, watching the wizard with wide hopeful eyes.

"Hmm... that would be nice actually... but my statement still stands. Tomorrow. Besides, when Ren gets back he won't be at his best. Would hate for you to meet someone you have admired for so long just to be disappointed in any way. I will have him ready for you when you return tomorrow. Just make sure to stay submissive. If you show any kind of hostility he will take it as a challenge and given he knows you are human he will be more than willing to end you and I just cleaned the carpets." The wizard said, not changing her mind. While she wouldn't mind learning more from this man, it would have to wait. Tomorrow. He just had to wait until tomorrow.

The man sighed, his shoulders slumping and picked up the book again that he set aside for this short conversation. He fiddled with it a bit, turning it in his grip, feeling as it radiated the ancient knowledge it held. However all of a sudden something dawned on him, her sentence from previously ringing a bell in his head and looked up at her, raising an eyebrow and tilting his head slightly.

"So... that little boy was actually him?" He asked, now remembering she said something about him having not found the toy dagger he gave him fun. He was starting to hope that there might be two... But it seems like they were the one and same person. Well, she IS a wizard... "Does this mean you can also shrink yourself? Or even me?" He asked, his tone gaining back the eagerness to it.

Hyano blinked at the question, then giggled.

"Yes is was and yes I can. I only used a temporary spell on him of course. It was a part of our bet. He had to do whatever I said and what I said included him going on and trying trick or treat night. He hated it. Sweets smell horrible to him but he enjoyed it when you submitted to him, though he got mad again when he realized you weren't really a wraith... I sometimes feel bad for him. But anyway... would you like to try it?" She replied, smirking at him, curious if he wanted to try being a child again.

"A bet?" The human asked and simply put the book aside once again and slid it away to not be in way, this movement alone speaking of his desire to be changed indeed. He wondered how it felt like, how it was like, how magic itself would affect him. So many children and adults were dreaming of seeing magic, to experience the -to them- imaginary power that you can control without mind. Make and do everything you ever wanted, become who you wanted to be... The concept was just all too exciting. Something old, yet new. Many couldn't imagine how a life with magic surging through the air would be... And now, he was about to get a taste of it. This didn't mean he wasn't afraid, of course. This was something he never did before and there was the risk that something might go wrong but this was perhaps a one in a lifetime offer! One such as him would never let such an opportunity slip from his grasp. "Yes... wraiths like to be alone but there was always that connection... that kinship... I wonder how he managed to get used to not having his brethren around. But maybe your company helped him?"

The orange wizard giggled.

"You must have heard about the horrible murders not long ago, right? That was Ren's attempt to try and take over the city. He failed horribly, so he had to do whatever I said for a couple of days. It was actually a lot of fun." She admitted and her smile grew. Not surprised that Odkoner was so curious about the magic of old. "I think my company helped him to forget. In a way I act like a distraction from the fact that he is alone. As long as I do my job right he never really thinks about his lost kin." She explained, then stood up, waving for him to follow her as she walked around the house, seemingly looking for something. "How young would you like to be and how old are you now? Also, would you like the change to be permanent or temporary? I can do both. Would be a fun chance for you to restart your life and all that." She offered as she walked around calmly.

The man watched as she walked about, curiously observing as she went from one room to the other. His gaze sometimes shifted to the book next to him but didn't want to touch it just yet. Not now when he didn't know when this whole... shrinking thing happens.

"I um... I am not quite sure..." He shouted, seeing she was farther away in a room. "Maybe to ten?" He shrugged, not sure what would be the best or if his mind will be developing right along to the body. Will he think like a ten years old? However, her other question was not hard to answer. "I love my job, I also might... perhaps... have found someone in my life so... I would like to be returned to what I am now. Forty nine." He said and waited patiently. Well, as calmly as he could. He already felt so excited and couldn't wait to experience what many only would dream about. He already felt like a child the night before Christmas, knowing that there will be a present waiting for him in the morning. Waiting however was the worst of all...

The young-looking woman giggled lightly. Aw, so the toy master had himself a sweety. That was nice. She knew a little of his history and knew he had once had someone way back in his school days. Sadly she had passed away not long after high school. Dreadful world full of dreadful illnesses that took many before their time sadly. She eventually came back. In her hand she held a pendant. She knelt down in front of him and held it up.

"This will allow you to turn to the age you desired." She said with a smile.

The man blinked at the item, gazing at the pedant. He was quite... dumbfounded and surprised by the unexpected offer and slowly raised his gaze to the wizard, staring at her silently, having thought she would just change him and then back again, not to give him an item that would let him repeat it at will. This was... unbelievable. The hidden scientist in him wanted to protest and reason that this all was just a trick and there was no logical explanation for anything like this but he knew deep down that what she said was true and her own gaze held nothing else but honesty. He didn't know what to say and first stuttered, his words coming out in a jumbled manner, unsure what he should even say first from the many thoughts that occupied his mind but in the end he shook his head to clear it a bit and make order.

"But... I thought enchantments don't work anymore in a word like ours..." He wondered out loud and looked at the item, not yet reaching out to take it, just eyed it. "But I cannot take this... What if I lose it? Someone can abuse it... And why give it to me?" He asked, unsure why she would consider giving something like this to him.

Hyano laughed lightly at his questions.

"One does not question a gift, my friend. They take it with a grateful heart." She said, before reaching out and taking his hand. She put the item in his hand, then put her hands over his, whispering a spell over the item. It glowed before changing a few different colors, then settled back to its original colors. "That should do the trick. Do not worry. The pendant will work only for you. I suggest when you do it you tell people you are your own long lost grandson. Believe it or not, people are more likely to believe that than you think." She advised with a light laugh. "This world does not have much magic. If there were as many magical beings as there had been back in the old days... they would die within moments. However there is just enough to do little things like this. Do not worry. Now... try on the necklace. I'm curious to see what you looked like when you were young." She explained, then requested with a grin.

Odkoner gulped nervously and looked at the pedant, touching it with a finger, letting his hand feel the surface, wishing to sense the magic that must be circulating within it. However, the tiniest magical feelings were already lost to the humans after generations without it, so he could feel nothing, although he wished he did. His imagination helped him a bit there but otherwise he was disappointed. He took a deep breath and held the pedant ready to put it on but stopped.

"Wait... What about my clothes? Will they also shrink or will I end up going baggy style?" He asked with a chuckle and grimaced. Oh, he could remember that age. He always found that era a bit... strange and disgusting. He liked to dress more formally, although with a bit informal touch. He liked shirts and trousers or jeans, those that hug his form more and don't sag. They look nice enough for any occasions.

The wizard giggled lightly.

"Why don't you put it on and find out? If you like, you can do it in the bathroom just in case." She offered. She knew the necklace would shrink his clothes as well but she assumed it would be more fun just to make the poor toy maker guess.

"I guess that's... a good idea..." The man smiled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck and stood, bolting towards the bathroom in the direction she pointed at. Once inside, the man closed and door and leaned against it, then brought the pedant closer to his face, watching it for a little while, trying to calm his nerves as best as he could. He took some deep breaths but eventually closed his eyes and put on the magical enchanted jewelry. He gritted his teeth and waited, not even daring to move or look at what the magic would do to him. He wondered if it is going to hurt or not...

Wait...

He forgot to ask!

There was no pain. Instead, a dark fog came out of the pendant like a snake and wrapped around him, blocking his vision and making him lightheaded. As the fog became smaller and smaller, so did the man. Soon, the man became a boy and the fog retracted back into the pendant. The haze over his mind lasted a few minutes but eventually it was allowed to clear along with his vision. Though, he would likely have to adjust that anyway. It was very unlikely that his eyesight was nearly as bad when he was ten years old compared to his current one, making those glasses become more of an eyesore than a help.

He thanked whatever god there was for making him lean against the door when this all happened. He had to spend some time with closed eyes and standing still to get back his bearings.

"Wow..." The toy maker uttered in a whisper and opened his eyes suddenly in surprise when he heard the higher pitched tone but regretted it instantly when he felt his eyes and head hurt, only seeing in a blurry manner. He groaned and quickly removed his glasses, then opened his eyes to look around. "Holy..." He trailed off. He completely forgot how well the sight of a normal human worked. Glasses are good but a clear natural sight was the best of all. He spent some time looking around, then pulled away from the door and moved to step forward, although almost ended up falling forward. He wanted to take a too wide step, which his much shorter legs were not designed for. He finally lowered his gaze and touched his chest, then knees, surprised that his clothes actually shrunk right along with him. He tried one more step, this time careful to take a smaller one and giggled. "This is amazing!" He shouted, chuckling at his own voice before opening the door and running right out to present himself to her. He felt so... energetic! So happy! It was all so... fresh! Maybe he became too old and his body was of course affected by all the hardships of life. Being a small child again was a nice change.

Hyano watched him and laughed. This was always fun. He of course wasn't the first person she had done this for but the first in a very long time. She grinned down at him before tossing him an apple.

"Being a wizard has always had its upsides. Enjoy. Maybe you can use it to help the kids in your toy shop." She said with her hands on her hips. She wasn't sure exactly how he could do it but she was sure he would come up with something. He was a smart man/child after all, right? "Now I'm sorry to rush but I would like you up and out before Ren gets here. Okay?" She requested with a grin.

The man... child... caught the apple, although almost managed to miss it because he had to realize that his arms aren't as long as they used to be but eventually the fruit landed in his hand and he took a bite, his eyes lighting up at the strong bite. Wait... The teeth that he lost are back again! He chewed on the apple and blinked when she basically wanted to shoo him out of her house. He raised an eyebrow and once he gulped down the bite he took he addressed her with a curious tone.

"How do you know when it comes back? I am actually surprised it didn't find you yet... I mean... it was following your scent... Maybe it is stuck where you were? Where were you by the way?" He asked, of course not wanting to seep into her personal life but there was a chance that the wraith lost track or was discovered by those who she spent time with. They have good noses and wouldn't lose track of her... right?

"Actually, the connection we share helps in that. As I said, without the other we can't take in magic anymore. This also applies if we are separated too far. However when he gets closer I can feel it as well. I gain more and more energy. It is all about flow. However if he takes too long I will go out after him. Either way I can't really leave you here." The wizard replied. It was a good question, so she gave him a good answer in return. He was a smart human, she would give him that. Very impressive, given the times they now lived in. A lot would rather take the answers they were given than ask for better ones.

The man nodded and decided he will return home in this form. Although, perhaps doing so might be dangerous, seeing the sun already went down and he was a child... Who knows what danger awaits him out there. But still... It was too much fun. He could feel his muscles ache in wishing to move, his lungs took in far more air, his very being yearned for a good run. He was full of energy.

"Well... I guess I will come back tomorrow, then. Six, you said, right?" He asked, his tone happy and excited. He felt like a child about to meet his greatest idol which he admired for ever since he was born and now he did look like one as well. Or maybe it was just his child-self affecting him. He didn't know which one it was but one was certain... He loved this. "I will bring some items along that he will like and get you my notes! Oh my God! This is going to be so awesome!" He giggled and moved towards the door with a skip in his steps. A wraith. A real life wraith! And a wizard! Maybe this is a dream... But even if it is, he hoped he will never wake up!

Hyano giggled lightly and watched as the man -now child- left her home. She was half tempted to follow him home and make sure he got there safely but she didn't want to be too overbearing, so she allowed him to leave on his own. He was technically a full-grown adult, after all. She stepped back and looked around her home. A part of her was worn out. Ren was getting close. She was sure of that but she still just used way more magic than she should have... but damn if it wasn't fun. The orange istar grinned. She honestly felt like she had way back when she would do little spells for children just for the fun of it. Such things she couldn't do so easily and often anymore, so this would likely be one of the few times but it still left her giddy and happy. She shook her head.

"Alright, Ren... Where in the void are you?" She asked, letting her worry sink in. He better not have gotten into too much trouble today.

Only 6k words this time! We are saving words as it seems... Maybe we should be more... willing to share. Any guesses what kind of troubles Ren must have gone into?

We hope you liked the chapter.

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