"Now who is he?"
"Uncle Bael."
"Ok, so where is your uncle Bael? On earth or in the spirit world?"
"He is on earth, but no one can find him."
"What do you mean by no one can find him? Is he invisible or what?"
"Yes, he has the power of invisibility, but I can see him, that is not the issue."
"Then what is the issue Valek."
"He can be anywhere. He is a shape shifter and changes his form wherever he goes to."
"Isn't it just great? I thought it would have been simple. You give me another body and I live a life once again and the end but nooo.. you had to lose your powers just before the day I could have gotten another life and then the spell you had to use must have been written in some ancient crap language that no one understands, besides two people one of whom is keeping you on his target list and the other person who can't be found. Could this day have been any better?"
"Cool down Linda. I know a way to find him."
"How in the world are we going to find a person who can get invisible and change his body into anything he likes?"
"I have some people who might know where he is."
"Might? You aren't sure? I mean you are actually not sure?"
"I have hope."
"Why? Why on earth I had to follow you all the way to here…you are an irresponsible person with a lame sense of humor and you drive me crazy and mad at the same time."
"Thank you."
"Ah Valekkk"
"Ok, fine if you have any better ideas to share be my guest. If you want to go back to that stupid spirit world with nothing but air to inhale and eat and drink all at once, then I am very happy to let you go."
"Uhh look I am sorry I shouted, but this whole situation is just too much to handle for me."
"I know it's a lot to take on the very next day of your death, but nothing is going to get any better if you react like this. We've got to stick together."
"Isn't there some way we could get your powers back?"
"No, only the taker can be the giver."
"What does that mean?"
"It means if my father has taken away my powers then only he can give them back and no one else. Look, we need to find my uncle. It is the only way."
"Ok, let's just get out of here and think of a plan."
"I already have one."
"Yeah, and what's that?"
"It is more of a network than a plan."
"Ok, I don't have much to do today either, so let's boogie," I said while we started walking towards the main road once again.
"No….. that is my word."
"It doesn't suit you, it suits me better."
"Who says that?"
"I say that now let's gooo."
We walked through the market and reached the residential side. There were houses all around us, all big and small with small lawns at their fronts.
"Are you planning to buy a house?" I asked while mocking Valek.
"Just shut it Linda," he said while walking on the road, looking towards all the houses very carefully.
"What are you finding anyway?"
"A friend's home."
"I didn't know you had human friends."
He started staring at me and I knew he found me dumb.
"He is a spirit friend. He must know where my uncle is."
"Ok cool."
"There it is."
He pointed towards a rather vacated house. It had no paint job done and the lawn was ruined. It looked like no one had cleaned it in years.
"Best place for a spirit," I said while staring at the old ruined house.
"Just when you see him, complement on his house. According to him, it is a masterpiece created by him and he loves it."
"Yeah, I can see what is to love in this."
We walked towards the almost torn down house. There were small stairs in front of the front door. The wood planks over them were broken. I jumped one step to not get tripped on the ground. There was a bell on the side of the door. Valek pushed it. The bell had a deep mournful sound.
"Who is there?" a man asked from within.
"It's me Valek," he replied.
"Oh Valek," the man said cheerfully.
The man opened the lock of the door. I didn't understand the reason behind locking the door. Why did the door have to be locked anyway? He was a spirit after all. Who could possibly kill or attack a spirit?
"Hey buddy," Valek said with a big smile.
A man about as tall as Valek came out. He was white with black hair and brown eyes.
"Hey Valek," after saying he gave Valek a small hug.
"And who's your friend?"
"Her name's Linda. Yeah, and Linda, this is my friend Fred."
"Hey!" I said while passing a smile to him.
"Nice to meet you. Come on in," he said while walking in.
"You have a lovely house," I said to Fred while we walked towards the living room.
"Yeah, thanks Linda, I had to bring extra dirt to do the finishing," Fred said.
Valek looked towards me and gave me thumbs up appreciating that I had made an excellent move.
Fred had fire on in his fireplace and some books on the hearth. He didn't need it as he was spirit of course, but I think it was to make the place seem welcoming. There were sofas kept towards the opposite wall. He sat on one of them in the corner.
"Be seated my friends," Fred said.
"Sure," Valek said while looking towards me. We both sat on the other big sofa.
"So tell me what brought you here today?"
"We need to find my uncle."
"Why do you need uncle Bael?"
"We need him to read something."
"It looks serious and I don't do serious man."
"Look you've got to help me with this. It is the only way."
"I'll help but keep me out of this matter. After Death took away your powers everyone is frightened."
"Who told you this?"
"Your brother Alastor has been doing his homework as always."
"Uh, I wish I could crush him between mountains."
"Don't worry your time's going to come soon too. Then not even your father can stop you. You are the only heir of hell."
"I know, but that is not my priority right now. I need my uncle and I need to find him fast."
"Well, brother you are in luck 'cause your uncle just came back."
"What you must be kidding. He is here?"
"Yeah, he got back yesterday. He asked me about you. I told him you must be fine, your whole life you have had battles with your father it's no big deal."
"So where is he right now?" I asked out of curiosity.
"He is about two towns away from here," Fred replied.
"Oh, that's so great man, I owe you a big one," Valek said while looking towards me.
"Burn my fence when you get your powers back and we're even."
"Yeah, sure anything for you."
Valek stood up and so did I. Fred stood up too. We all started walking towards the door. Valek and Fred shook hands as we walked down the stairs.
"Just be careful," Fred said while seeing us off.
"Sure," Valek replied.
While he was saying this we walked through the ruined lawn and reached the road.
"Two towns away is a long journey. It will take about 2 hours on foot," Valek said.
"Yeah, I know."
We started walking in the middle of the road as we passed through all the well furnished houses. The clouds started turning gray as we passed through the large fields just after the residential area.
"Does the rain fall right through us too?"
"No, it doesn't."
We kept walking on the small road through the fields. My feet were paining like hell. The clouds had turned much darker than before. The rain could have started any minute by then.
"I can't walk anymore Valek. It's been an hour we need to take a break."
"We can't take a break with the rain pouring on us now can we?"
The same moment I saw a barn in the middle of the fields at some distance.
"Look over there." I pointed towards it to show Valek. "Can we please go and rest there for a bit? I am exhausted. Please?"
"You really are a 65-year old. Ok, let's go there."
"Yay." I cheered up after hearing that and started walking towards the farmhouse at a much faster pace. Valek followed me behind. He kept walking at his usual speed.
The barn was huge. There was no one around. The gate's handle was broken and it was rusted.
"I think no one has been here for quite some time," I said while going in the barn.
Some parts of the roof were broken. There were some stacks of hay in one corner and rusted tools hung on the other side of it. I walked towards the hay to check if it was wet, but it was surprisingly dry. Valek entered the barn a few moments later.
"It has started to rain," he said while standing at the door and looking outside.
"Wasn't it a good decision of mine to stay?"
"Yeah. whatever."
"Yeah, whatever," I mimicked him, but it's good he didn't hear that.
Valek started looking around the barn.
"We could move this hay towards there to sit on it."
"Yep, you are right," he said and kept on looking around.
I stood there waiting for him to respond on the option I had presented.
"So aren't you going to move the hay?"
"I thought you said you could move it."
He held his arm out in front pointing towards the hay and slowly raised his arm. I stood there looking at what he was trying to do.
"Oh hell I forgot I don't have my powers."
"Yeah, now would you help by using hands?"
He walked towards the hay, picked up a stack and put it over the other side. He then sat on it.
"So you are not going to help me then?"
He looked at me for a second, then stood up, picked up another stack and put it on the other side as well. Both of us then sat on the hay.
Heavy rain had started falling and there was heavy lightning.
"Why do you fight with your father?"
"It's because of my mother."
"How was she?"
"The most beautiful person in the supernatural world. She was everything to me, but my father took her away."
"Away?"
He looked at me with so much pain in his eyes. I immediately what he meant.
"Aren't you just immortal?"
"No. Only father is. Even supernatural beings have to go to the spirit world one day or the other. The worst thing is that he didn't even blink once while doing it."
"Maybe because If he blinked, he couldn't have done that."
An uncomfortable silence was created there.
"The rain has stopped," I said while looking outside.
"Yes, lets go," Valek said while he was still lost in his own thoughts.
We started walking towards the town again through the fields. About 50 minutes after a long silent walk we reached the town.
"How are we going to find him?" I asked Valek while walking on the sidewalk on the narrow road of the town.
"We won't have to because he will find us."
Just as he said this, a brownish furry cat came and sat on my feet. It purred.
"You are so cute," I said when I picked up the cat with both hands.
"Uncle stop it," Valek said to the cat.
"What? Ew.." I dropped the cat accidentally and it fell on the ground. It started walking in the opposite direction.
"Follow the cat," Valek said as he started walking behind it. I followed him.
The cat walked through small streets, turning towards more small streets and a small market until it reached a small bait shop. It went in the shop. The lights were out and it was quite dark there. Valek and I followed it in the shop. The cat had disappeared.
A moment later the lights switched on themselves and a person was sitting on the counter in front of the shop with a cat's bowl in his hands. The door closed behind us.
"Hello Uncle Bael," Valek said.
"My nephew!" he replied warmly.