From Scratch

Chapter 12: On the Issue of Cults

What does one do when they get strange letters from an unknown source? One of the ways of going about it was tossing it into the garbage bin. That worked for useless coupons and advertisements. There was another option — going to the police and telling them about it, in case the message was a threat. However, in this case it was neither. Danny wasn't sure what to make of the message he received. To go and accept the invitation meant going in blind. He didn't even have a clue about who the mysterious messenger was. But if they were secretive, it was for a reason. And they didn't have full trust in him either. Danny kept thinking about this for a long while. He had an entire day to ponder on the matter, after all. An entire day spent doing shopping alongside Meili. He had to spend his money on something.

It wasn't anything big, he didn't exactly have a carriage. And, as far as he could hear from the locals, it was impossible to hire any at the time. Danny allowed himself a new set of clothes. Black silk robes were outstanding in his opinion, if a bit pricey. Luckily, his appearance of a man who hadn't slept the entire night, alongside his natural ability to scare people off resulted in a neat discount. He got those wondrous clothes and began to wear them immediately. Meili, too, got something out of it, getting another blue dress for herself. Suffice to say that she was surprised to receive something, but did not bring this up. She could see it.

No matter how her companion and captor tried to cover his concerns, his mind was focused not on the clothes, not on the books, but on completely different things. Meili was observant far beyond what's expected of her age, and to see his distant look was another off-putting feature of his. For a man with so many secrets he was surprisingly easy to read sometimes.

By the end of the day Phantom had grown far too impatient, Meili could see him pacing around, fully absorbed in his thoughts, to the extent that he actually bumped into some people by accident, resulting in several angry conversations and half-hearted apologies. Meili herself was worried, of course. Granted, she wanted him to be six feet under, his corpse burned and desecrated with piss and horseshit, but her own life was at stake here. She tried to snap him out of it, to make him hurry to the finish line that was the conclusion and final decision of his. But, dismissive he was of her, Danny ignored the child and kept his own pace. In this tale he was a turtle, not a hare. It was better to think rationally and decide on how to proceed.

He had a couple of responses and directions on how to act. The possibility of him outright refusing to go was nonexistent. He was going to visit the place the note had spoken of. Perhaps it was his arrogance speaking, he was, after all, a being that could withstand colossal damage. But it still was not a panacea against everything this world had to offer in the dangers department.

Thus, Phantom did not wait for long. The word 'tomorrow' was a broad one, one that could be applied to the whole 24 hours. So, better be impatient right at the spot than miles away. The time given to him was obviously in case he needed to get a ride. Danny knew perfectly well where the Flugel tree was. From the encyclopaedia he had gathered that the sage responsible for helping seal the Witch of Envy had planted it, and now what used to be a tiny seed had grown to be a massive pillar reaching for the skies. The role of a major landmark it fulfilled to the letter, and while flying after Emilia Danny had not missed it. He didn't need any maps or guidelines or cumbersome children for the task. This time, surprisingly, Meili did not protest, for the message creeped her out as well. Danny was, nonetheless, amused by her pushing him off the cliff she herself was not eager to leap from. But that's just how their relationship was.

And so, he was now looking at the tree that was the meeting spot. If a trader passed by, they would have been greeted by a sight of a glowing ghost who was sitting cross-legged, floating, having an expression of someone who did not wish to be interrupted. Not that he was particularly busy, mind you. Staring up at the distant moon was hardly the reason enough to stay away from the prying eyes. Danny sighed, glancing at the colossal structure just near him. The trunk of the dark brown tree was dry and extremely hard to the touch of his gloved hands. To his surprise, Phantom realised that it was actually iron bark. Figures. Such a gigantic structure could not be held by other, flimsier kinds of wood. But alas, his interest died off quickly, for biology was not his vocation.