The rusted hinges voiced their disdain as Jared pulled the door open. He walked into the decaying apartment complex. The odors in here assaulted his every sense, his eyes watered as he covered his mouth with the back of his hand. The years of neglect showed in the mold caked walls and garbage littered halls. While he forced his way through the avalanche of debris, several large rats scurried to seek better shelter.
Making his way down into the bowels of the building, he saw the cause of the stench. The haphazardly covered body lay piled in the corner. The bum's face not even recognizable after the vermin ate their feast. Mimeo ensured Harry would keep their secret for all of eternity.
Walking around the corpse, he headed for the last door on the right. The rusted little metal plaque sitting in the center at one time read Maintenance. The dust crusted lettering made it difficult to make out. He stepped in, the door protested a tad at the invasion. The odors in here were as horrid as the rest of the building.
He glanced around the room, one cobweb encrusted window provided the sole light source. Metal shelves stood bare, a few had even collapsed on themselves. With a heavy sigh, Jared pushed his palms against the filthy concrete surface. The wall gave way to his avatar's will and he flowed through. Traveling via the ley lines was so much more convenient than a plane.
He trekked out onto the grass in front of the one-story building that was built of wood and raised off the ground by posts. The archaic Japanese home was here for as long as he could remember. Walking to the entrance Jared paused to remove his shoes and placed them to one side. His bare feet moved silently over the wooden floors as he walked towards the larger room right beyond the paper-covered wall panel.
Mimeo sat on a floor cushion at a low wooden table; he busied himself pouring tea from an earthenware pot into two clay mugs. The moment he finished, he turned his attention to Jared. He bowed to his master.
"Do you bring news?" Mimeo asked.
"Sort of…I lost her."
"What do you mean, you lost her?" his master's words held no emotion. Jared tried to think of a lie. He knew it would be futile. Mimeo would be able to perceive any attempt at deception.
"She was admitted to the hospital."
"What of it?"
"There was a Pari-psy with her."
"Was it aware?" Mimeo raised a single brow. This was the most emotion Jared ever seen from him.
"I'm not certain; if so he must have other plans for her," Jared explained. "I could sense Kiyo slumbering. She didn't appear to be active nor did she heal her host, but the man didn't appear to be actively blocking the energy flows."
Mimeo looked thoughtful for several moments. His hands folded on his lap while he sat on the floor.
"If it's not aware and can block Kiyo without even realizing it we will have a major issue on our hands. This presents a dilemma. You may have to destroy it. I'll consult the elders to find out which path we need to follow. You will return to New York."
Mimeo stood and walked out the paper screened sliding door. Jared sighed deeply, this was something else that didn't change. Mimeo disagreed with anything new. The man still didn't know how to drive a car, refusing to even learn. The Facility forced him to use a cell phone. When he suggested taking her to New York to test her Jared was shocked. Such a modern place for such an archaic man to want to visit.
Now that Jared was alone with his thoughts, they turned to the girl. She almost died because of the Pari-psy blocking her avatars powers. The host's life shouldn't have concerned him so, but he grew fond of the girl during their time training together. If she was in peril, then he believed the council of elders should permit him to terminate the man. He decided he may need to kill him anyway before he could destroy Kiyo or her host.