Chereads / Phantom instinct / Chapter 7 - 'Shells!'

Chapter 7 - 'Shells!'

Tasha: AAAAAAHHHHH! BOYA!!!!

The delicate mage ran to the little ghost. "Did she say that the ghost baby is going to dissapate?" Acyuta asked the girl next to him, Nikita stared back at guy next to her. She didn't know anything, in fact it was the first time she is seeing the transparent being. When she was in her beast form she fought against a metal beast as far as she could recall. So why so much importance in the apparition now?

Acyuta felt that this girl was to naive. 'What was someone like her doing alone in the first place and all the way in the mountains?' He thought, leaving her behind and trekking off to the other two. Tasha had just arrived next to Boya, She pulled out her reliable phone. Tapping away at the screen, a magical flash appeared, it was replaced by a machine-like structure. It was a mechanical form of a bird.

Tasha: Cyberina! Forcefully activate Sky Shell, Type- Falcon.

Cyberina: Request to activate Type Falcon, Sky Shell, accepted. Beginning absorption of world energy... converting to spirit particles. Completion in 3 seconds...

The girl dressed in her kimono held the bird shaped machine right under the baby ghost, it soon began to hover in the air. The eyes of its face shone then an aura-like sphere was produced, Boya who was floating about at random became stationary when he got caught in the aura field. Suddenly he started to stir a little. Acyuta, who had already arrived was amazed at the phenomena he was witnessing. He never came cross these kinds of concepts in his old life.

Boya the ghost seemed to be waking up, actually, it seemed like he didn't like waking up. He kept saying, "I wanna sleep, I wanna sleep". After a short period the ghostly kid opened his eyes. He looked around and finally came to rest his eyes on Tasha, the look on her face was stern. "Big sister, what's wrong with your face?" He said playfully, not realizing that he was in some sort of danger. Next he saw the metal construct and flew to it excitedly, he entered inside without any obstruction.

The bird machine opened up it's skeletal wings, from it expanded a transparent light field. Revealed to the others was glowing blue wings. The mechanical bird burst out in incredible speed, "wooohoo, woohoo", could be heard from it as the bird flew about the sky. Boya was having a damn good time playing around. Such a sophisticated robot became a toy for the ghost.

Acyuta: What's going on? What's that shell thing?

Tasha was observing the metal flying in the sky, it was like she was closely studying it. Actually, it's not the bird she was paying attention to but Boya, her partner that she tried her best to gain in the past. Tasha heard the question that was asked of her, she turned to the man she had just got acquainted with.

Tasha: Shells? Ghosts don't last very long when they lose their gross body, they may stay for some time but eventually they must enter the cycle of birth and death.

Acyuta: Reincarnation is it? I understand. All living beings are bound to the cycle. Some ghostly beings can prolong their stay in the mortal world by possessing someone or something.

Tasha: Yes, and other than that they can maintain themselves by absorbing spiritual particles. Some really powerful spectres can take over an entire area and make it their domain to make spiritual particles. These places were once called haunted dwelling in the past.

Acyuta: I see.

Tasha: I can't remember the dates but some centuries back technology was used to make the ghost domain thus humanity found many apparitions coming forth to the public. In later years the concept of shells were brought forward. Shells help apparitions to maintain themselves as well as allows them to possess the shell itself, most shells have body structures.

Acyuta: Why would someone create something to disturb the cycle of samsara?

Tasha: I don't think I can answer that question but I know that Boya has something that he needs to do. Although he has forgotten it, his guardian also happens to have the same desire to for fill...

Acyuta: (This worlds to bizarre... Guardian? )

"BOYA, WE'RE GOING NOW!" Screamed Tasha, waving at the flying machine. She turned to face the other companions that she made. Nikita already came into the association while Tasha and Acyuta were conversing. Tasha seemed to take the role of leader and made her desire known that she wanted to leave this place.

The group began their march down the mountain, Tasha was leading, walking in a somewhat speedy pace, following her was Nikita. She appeared to be very comfortable passing through the rocky pathways even when she's using the slippers that was given to her by the kimono girl. Behind was Acyuta, he on the other hand didn't have footwear. The ladys were thinking that he is slow because of this but they were wrong. Acyuta was moving just as comfortable as the others, even the stones on the ground that would have sharp points didn't even affect him.

Walking behind, Acyuta admired the beauties at the front. It was the real reason for walking at the back. Previously he was unfortunate in the matters of romance, he had completely given it up dedicating his loneliness to the Almighty Infallible Lord. Now he was in a new world, the future, even though to the current world he is basically an ancestor but know he has the body of a young man. Perhaps in this world he could truly find a companion to share his life with.

"I'm coming in, hiyaaa!" Boya was having a blast shooting through the air, he came over and landed the metal bird on the shoulder of Acyuta.

Boya: Hey! Big brother, have we met before? You seem so familiar.

Acyuta: We did. You don't remember?

Boya: I don't remember. Did we meet at Craft's Academy but how come we didn't come together to the mountains.

Acyuta: .... You don't remember what happened here in the mountains,

Boya: Nope! Did I miss out on something fun while I was making dodo.

Acyuta remained quiet, Boya didn't remember the battle. Did his forgetfulness have something to do with dissipating? Acyuta was thinking of the possibility while trying to remember scriptural injunctions that related to the afterlife. The baby ghost didn't have the patience for a reply so the mechanical being took of again, this time landing on the the shoulder of Nikita. "WAAAH!!!!" She was startled so much that she yelled out. "WHOOOAAAHHH!!!!" Boya screamed in returned, he to got scared, quicky he flew to Tasha for protection.

******

When they all arrived at the bottom, leaving the mountain terrain, Tasha lead them to her vehicle. It was a small car in the shape of the beetle, it wasn't the old design from Acyuta's time but a later model. This type of transport is not something that you'd find on a sandy roadway. You could already see that it was dusted in sand. Tasha was very lucky in the sense that the roadway was flat.

Acyuta: Isn't this to old for the 35th century?

Tasha: What? I'll have you know that this is an antique lent to me by Lady Ivanna.

Acyuta: ..Oh! That's your teacher, right?

Tasha: Of course! Boya come over.

As she called upon her partner and the bird Shell came down, Tasha lifted a forearm for Boya to land. Next she took hold of the bird machine in her hands and spoke, " Boya, go, we need you to take us out of here." Just like that Boya gave up his possession of the mechanical frame and with a 'ok big sis' he jumped into the vehicle. The beetle cab started up.

Everyone entered following Tasha's lead, she sat in the front in what should be the driver's seat, Acyuta sat in the passenger next to her. In the back Nikita was there. All of a sudden the suspension of the vehicle rose, 'so the car is a Shell as well', calmly thought Acyuta as he saw Tasha put her seatbelt on. He did the same knowing that the driver is a three year old looking child. "VOOM, VOOM", sound came out of the Shell vehicle, it wasn't the sound of the engine but the voice of the baby ghost. At the same time the rear wheels were kicking dirt as the car turned 360 degrees then it raced out on the dirt road.