"Wow," Viora said in a low voice as she walked deeper into the forest.
She reached her hand out as if trying to touch the sky and said,
"It feels weird…"
Mama Ipoh, who was following her, responded,
"The spirit energy is stronger in this part of the Veil, so it's normal for your body to feel all weird. Well, anyway, sugar, let's find a nice place to eat our cake."
Viora said excitedly,
"Yes!"
As they walked deeper into the spiritual forest, Viora noticed a familiar spot—some grass by a lake. She pointed at it and said to Mama Ipoh,
"How about we eat here?"
Mama Ipoh nodded.
"Great idea, sugar!"
As Viora sat down, Mama Ipoh placed a plate on the ground. She carefully cut the cake and served a big portion to both Viora and herself before saying,
"Well, happy birthday, my piece of sugar."
She then placed two candles shaped like the number one on the cake and, with a gentle smile, added,
"Blow your candles and make a wish!"
Viora blushed, her cheeks turning pink, and said softly,
"Okay…"
She leaned forward and blew out the candles. Mama Ipoh clapped her hands together and asked,
"So, did you make a wish?"
Viora's blush deepened as she turned her head away and mumbled,
"Yeah, I made one…"
Mama Ipoh patted her head with a giggle and teased,
"Why are you blushing so hard? That wish can't be that embarrassing."
Viora grabbed onto Mama Ipoh's hand, her face still flushed, and said,
"Shut it… Why are you being so silly?"
Mama Ipoh continued to giggle, holding back her laughter.
"Sorry, sorry! Anyway, let's start eating!"
Viora started digging in first. The vanilla cake was delicious. It was clearly made by a master of the art.
"I normally avoid eating too much sugar, but it does taste really good," Mama Ipoh said, eating her cake slowly.
Viora raised her head, her tone curious.
"You told me before you don't eat too much sugar, but you never told me why. Why is that?"
Mama Ipoh continued eating before responding.
"Because losing weight gets harder and harder as you grow older… So, I avoid sugar. Not everyone can afford to eat a large amount of food and still stay thin, unfortunately."
She said this directly, staring into Viora's eyes for a couple of seconds. Then, Viora's face showed a hint of realization.
"You did it again! You said that I eat a lot!"
Mama Ipoh, digging her spoon into the cake, replied in a teasing tone,
"There's nothing to be ashamed of, sugar. You should feel lucky that you can eat so much and not have to exercise every day to keep from going overboard."
Viora then dug into the cake and took a bite, saying while chewing,
"I don't eat a lot…"
"Sure… sure," Mama Ipoh said, staring at the sun. Then, in a gentle tone, she added,
"It sure is a beautiful day today…"
Just then, the wind blew, and they saw multiple small birds, seemingly made of wind, surrounding them.
Viora's eyes widened as she asked,
"Are they…"
Mama Ipoh responded,
"Yes, they are spirits… wind spirits, to be exact."
Even though they were made of wind, they also emitted a glowing white aura. Then, one by one, they landed next to Mama Ipoh and Viora.
Viora, in shock, let out a low,
"Wow…"
Mama Ipoh then said,
"It seems that they like you, too… It's good—every good shaman is liked by animals, no matter if they are spirits or not."
Viora smiled as she looked all around her. She enjoyed being surrounded by those spirits while eating the delicious cake in front of her mother.
Mama Ipoh laughed as she watched a spirit fighting another spirit, trying to take more space than it had any right to.
"He reminds me of my Thunderwolf… He was quite the stubborn fighter type as well."
The mention of the Thunderwolf made Viora's eyes widen. She thought to herself,
That's right… she can't summon him anymore.
Well, it was a conversation that was bound to happen sooner or later.
Viora stopped eating and placed her spoon on the plate.
"Mama Ipoh!"
She said in a serious tone, which made Mama Ipoh respond with a confused one.
"What's wrong, sugar?"
Viora waited for a moment before responding, then said,
"You can't summon the Thunderwolf because of your condition, right? That guy, Shirokae, I think he was called, said that you would die sooner if you keep summoning spirits like him."
Mama Ipoh sighed and said,
"You're quite the noisy girl... So you eavesdropped on us?"
Viora turned away, blushing, and said,
"No, I didn't! You guys were just talking too loud."
Mama Ipoh giggled at her response for a moment, then took a deep breath before responding,
"But yeah, I can never summon my dear Thunderwolf again... or any of my high-rank spirits. If I summon them again I will die within not even three years."
She said this in a serious tone.
chapter thirty-four end