The next morning the sun was barely creeping into our room when a familiar hand gently shook me awake.
"Time to wake up sleepy head. Come on Lena."
I groaned and opened one lazy eye, smiling slightly when I found myself looking into Haku's amused emerald eyes.
He moved over to Chihiro's bed, rousing her as well.
The bathhouse was silent, everyone still in bed from a long night of work.
Getting up slightly, I almost let out a gasp as my back protested immensely to the movement. The newly formed scabs and coverings my body had created overnight were still soft and tender.
I could feel Haku watching me as I got up out of bed and slowly hobbled over to the restroom to change.
By the time Chihiro and I changed and came back out Haku had brought us some breakfast leftover from the kitchens last night.
"So I suggest that we fly over to Zeniba's, but Lena the healing that was done overnight might be more painful than before because it's still new. I want you to squeeze my sides really tight if it's becoming to much and we can walk from there, okay?"
He said resting his hand lightly on my shoulder and squeezing it lightly.
The butterflies that seemed to have taken a permanent residence in my stomach fluttered about wildly.
A giggle came from behind me as I noticed that Haku's hand was still on my shoulder.
My face turned a beat red and I whipped my head around to glare at Chihiro the offending giggler.
Haku looked at her as well and cocked his eyebrow.
"What's so funny Chihiro?"
He asked and my glare turned into death rays as I looked at her.
She stopped giggling but kept smiling like a fool as she answered.
"Oh just a funny joke I remembered. So let's dig in and get going shall we?"
She said still holding back a grin and she grabbed her food and began shoveling it into her mouth.
I breathed a sigh of relief and nodded before grabbing my own.
We finished quickly ad grabbing my box and her things we walked through the bathhouse as quietly as possible.
Chihiro had bid everyone a goodbye the night before and we made our way out uninterrupted.
Once outside Haku transformed and Chihiro insisted I sit in front of her this time.
Climbing on a little awkwardly from my back and sucking in my breath I finally settled myself, and the relic box, against Haku as I braced myself against his white scales.
Chihiro climbed up behind me and in a flash we were thrust in the air, Haku's body curling and coiling before thrusting himself into the air.
I bit back a yelp as we went higher, I could feel the newly formed skin on my back slowly rip and tear slightly from the take off.
The pain that followed persisted and I tried to focus on the scenery around me to take my mind off of the pain.
Chihiro must have noticed me tense as we rose higher; she loosened her hold on me and rested her hand on my shoulder in comfort as we flew.
The scenery rushed by faster than my eyes could follow as Haku flew faster and faster than we had ever gone before.
It was strange that I felt no pain with the fresh wound when we flew but now I wanted to whimper in agony with a healing one.
The minutes slowly climbed by as we passed above the sea that stretched throughout the spirit world glistening in the morning sunlight.
From up here everything is crystal clear and way ahead in the distance, only a grey speck on the horizon, is the tower that Haku told us about, the relics resting place.
We flew for a while longer but finally the whimper that was begging to escape my lips burst through.
Haku's large green eye moved back to look at me and I squeezed tightly on his form to signal that I needed to rest my back.
The decent was agonizingly slow but finally we landed and I slid off quickly and looked around for something, anything to cool the burning of my back.
"You okay Lena is there anything I can do?" Chihiro asked coming up behind me as I looked about.
We had landed in a clearing in a small forest. The lush green leaves hung above us like curtains from the sun.
Looking about I knew I was looking for a source of water to cool the burn and even though I couldn't hear it or see it I could feel that there was a small pond close by.
Haku came up on my left, back in his human form.
"What are you looking for?" he asked his green eyes shining with curiosity.
I could feel it, to my...left, definitely to my left.
Smiling at Haku I moved past him and into the thickest part of the woods.
Haku and Chihiro followed silently behind me as I pushed aside the leaves.
The trees here were different I didn't feel like shadows lashed forth from beneath the canopies, instead everything here was peaceful and even the colors seemed softened.
Finally I felt it just ahead and pulling aside a long leafy branch. I almost squealed for joy when a completely enclosed deep pond came into view.
Chihiro laughed when she saw it knowing exactly why I was able to find it.
It was an odd sensation but I had felt it before, the deep pull inside me toward a source, and it always turned out to be water.
"Hmm a handy gift I think?" I said smiling widely.
I looked back giving Haku a big grin as Chihiro walked up to examine the pool.
The canopy above us blocked out the sun and hid us from the world and yet the pool was still illuminated somehow.
Standing next to Chihiro we peered into the pool to find that the black rocks at the bottom of the pool glowed a dull white.
"How did you find this place, it wasn't visible from the sky was it?" He asked coming up on my side and cocking his head to look at me.
I shrugged; I was somewhat sure and yet still not quite sure why I could find this place.
"Telnu said that my grandmother was a water spirit so that could be why. Glad I found it though I needed something to cool my back, it's on fire." I said smiling before taking off my shoes, and ignoring the clothes I had on, stepped into the water in large strides.
"More surprises I see," he said chuckling.
"Well we made good time and we actually aren't too far away so we can rest for a bit here." he continued, sitting on one of the black rocks and dangling his now bare feet in the water.
Chihiro laughed happily and jumped into the pond a few feet from where I was.
I scowled from the wave that drenched me but found I couldn't help but laugh.
The water felt soothing against my back and the heat and pain I was feeling began to disappear.
Taking a deep breath I swam to the bottom of the pool and sat on the bottom, my skin taking on the color of the shining rocks around me.
Picking up one of them I was surprised to find the rocks felt warm like that of skin. Sitting for a moment I jumped when I noticed that there was a light thumping sounding throughout the water, like a...heartbeat.
I reached up quickly and lightly tugged on Chihiro's leg, beckoning her down to were I was when she looked down at me.
She swam down towards me and sat next to me.
Looking at her I motioned for her to listen and watched her expression.
The next beat came along and her eyes widened and she looked around for the source.
I picked up a rock and put it in her hand.
The smile on her face grew as she noticed the warmth and put her ear up to it to listen to its tiny synchronized heartbeat.
She motioned that she was going to the surface.
I nodded and watched as she surfaced and moved toward Haku to probably tell him about our find.
I listened and sat there relishing in the juxtaposition of the cool water and the warm bed of rocks bellow me.
"Who are you?"
I jumped as I heard voices in the water barely a whisper reach my ears.
I wasn't sure how to answer, so I tried with my mind like with Telnu.
My name is Lena, who are you?
The voices didn't answer at first, instead the millions of rocks moved out from under me each one moving to create a form in front of me.
When the water finally settled a glowing form of a woman was floating in front of me.
She looked to be about the same age as my mother, her hair was black as night and as long as her figure. Her eyes reminded me of the rocks that had been all around me; they were large and glowed just like the rocks. She didn't smile, nor did she frown. She seemed to be without an emotion.
"I am Emberlyne, a spirit of light, the kind of light that glows when everything is dark. Why have you entered into my home?"
Her voice said softy but seriously through the water.
I am sorry to have disturbed your home I was simply looking for some solace from my physical pain. Water always seems to help.
I thought hoping she wouldn't be too angry.
The figure stared at me sizing me up and down before nodding curtly.
"Well you don't seem dangerous, you may rest in my home for now, but if you bring danger to this place I will not be happy."
She said simply before her figure dispersed and the rocks that formed her fell lightly back to the ground still glowing warmly.
Shaking my head in disbelief I pushed off from the ground, gasping in air when I finally reached the surface. This meeting of spirits underwater was becoming an interesting but dangerous habit, I thought smiling ruefully.