Michael continued down the hill, stupefied that he was just asked to allow a human to lead him.
Does Naomi genuinely believe that is a wise decision? he asked himself. Given her past, I figured she would be the last of us to work with a human. Yet, she seems to have given the human her full support....
While walking, Michael noticed Naomi and the others with her were trailing him. This annoyed him slightly.
Persistent.
"Stop following me; I have already told you I am not interested in joining. Not under the leadership of a human – one who is still below her kind's drinking age at that," Michael declared without stopping.
"Aw, don't be like that," Naomi said as she caught up to him. "I get where you're coming from about the human thing, but she's different. She has a good heart. And whether she can drink or not really shouldn't matter...."
"Having a good heart doesn't make her worthy of leading us," Michael retorted sharply. "She lacks power, strength, experience, and knowledge. What can she provide us that we cannot provide ourselves?"
"Well..." Naomi began before being interrupted.
"So that's him ahead: the Supreme Primordial Death...." Michael stated.
Michael saw Tymon posted on a gate separating the hill's base from the city. He seemed alert as he was already watching Michael and the others as they descended.
"Hm. He's certainly powerful, but if he has only recently come into his power, then he most likely lacks control of his hybrid form, no?" he asked aloud.
"Um, I think so..." Naomi answered, looking at Alissia for confirmation.
"He's learning quickly, though," Alissia chimed in. "Oh! Maybe you could teach him."
Michael ignored the suggestion and focused on Tymon. He knew nothing of this version of Tymon except that he was only recently reincarnated, which meant Tymon was physically weak—the weakest of them all. According to records, Tymon was supposedly one of the most extraordinary Primordials. However, from what Michael could tell, if it weren't for his naturally high spirit energy, he'd most likely be the least impressive of them all.
As they got closer, Michael noticed something odd about Tymon. He couldn't sense his life's essence like he could all other living creatures. No, that wasn't quite it. He could sense it, but it wasn't like the spark of life everyone else had within them.
Tymon's felt less like a burning ember of light and more like an impossible void that held Tymon's spark deep within it.
Immediately, Michael knew that Tymon's spark could never be snuffed out. He was unkillable. Just like him.
For some reason, Michael's body tensed as he approached Tymon. He continued his observation, now using omni-vision to focus on the nature of Tymon's energy.
All at once, his senses were rushed with a dark and seemingly malevolent presence. Within Tymon, he could feel the untamed beast's energy bubbling just beneath the surface, ready to break free and wreak havoc.
This was Death. This was what he protected others from.
He looked at Tymon's face, whose eyes were glowing a silvery black. Tymon was just as vigilant as him, observing Michael as well.
The two forces of nature stared at each other intensely. Nearby civilians stopped in their tracks as they felt the air around them change. The sky began to darken as thick clouds rolled in. The bugs in the area had silenced as if sensing something was wrong.
Michael and Tymon were locked into each other's presence.
"It's like the calm before the storm. They're making it feel like a tornado's about to hit," Trik said from somewhere behind Michael.
"Of course, they're like natural opposites," Alissia stated.
Natural opposites, Michael repeated mentally.
That's precisely what he was feeling. Everything about Tymon was designed to oppose him down to the molecules of his spirit energy.
"Guys, please don't fight," Naomi said as she stepped between them.
Before anything could happen, a man oblivious to the tension in the sir stumbled over to them. He was breathing heavily and wore a business suit that seemed a little dirty and worn. Most likely due to running in them.
He came up to Michael and clasped his hands around Michael's.
"Thank goodness you're still here! Please come with me, Your Brilliancy. The Lady of the Gorski family requests your immediate aid," he gasped as he tried to catch his breath.
"Slow down, breathe," Michael told him, giving the man his undivided attention.
The man slowly caught his breath.
"Okay, now what's the issue," Michael asked as he healed the man's scrapes from falling and stumbling.
"Thank you, Your Brilliancy. I am Jan. Sir Henry Gorski has fallen ill due to a rare heart disease and will not wake. Lady Julia Gorski has sent me to catch you before your departure and request you aid her in healing Sir Gorski. She asked that I inform you that the Gorskis are the wealthiest family in Zakopane, so a hefty compensation can be expected should you agree. As there is no cure for the disease and you are His Brilliancy to us and The Wandering Healer to the rest of the world, Lady Gorski believes you are Sir Gorski's only hope."
Without hesitation, Michael agreed to the man's request and asked him to lead the way.
"The Wandering Healer?" Naomi questioned as they followed.
"Most humans do not worship me like the people here, but word of my exploits has spread, along with rumors of my being a wandering miracle doctor of a sort. Now, I am often tracked down by wealthy humans who pay to have me travel and heal their loved ones," Michael explained.
"You ask for money for healing people?" Trik asked in a cynical tone.
"Accept. Never ask," Michael clarified. "And never from the poor. As I have mentioned, I cannot be everywhere at once. When I heal someone, if their living environment is not suitable for living, they eventually return to the same state once I am no longer there. Accepting money offered by the wealthy puts me in the position to further heal them long-term. Over 95 percent of the money I receive is used to change said environments for the better."
"Oh," Trik said. "I...apologize for assuming the worst."
"No need to apologize. I do not expect others to understand my methods. Nor do I need them to," Michael replied.
No one spoke after that. It was silent until they finally reached the home of the Gorskis. The estate was about two acres in size. A large center path stretched straight across the lawn from the gate to the furthest side of the estate. From the center path, multiple smaller paths diverged. Each led to various parts of the property, like the garden area to the right or the mini maze to the left. There was even a small pond with ducks a little further beyond the maze.