"Whatdoyoumean"stealapiece?"Howareweevensupposedtodothat?"


    AsIquestionhershehastilyrunsherhandsalloverherrobe.Sheturnstomeandpullsoutaflaskfilledwithayellowliquid,fromapocketlocatedatherhip.


    "Yousee,youcan''tseparateenergywithyourbarehands,butthisliquidhereactsasasortofprotectivecoating.Withthecoatingappliedyoucanseparateapieceoftheenergywithoutanyproblems.Thecompositionofthiscoatingisabitcomplicated,buttheplantsusedforthismixtureareunusuallyfilledwithanaturalenergysimilartotheonethataspiritiscomposedoff.Whenyouinsertyouhandintoaspirittheenergyinthecoatingwillactasasubstituteforthepartofthespirityoutrytocutoffandenablesyoutoremoveapartofyourdesire.Rememberthatyouhavetograbthepartyouwanttoripoffwithyourhandandtonotopenituntillater.Afterall,thespiritinyourhandwillfeedofftheenergyoftheremainingcoatingandnotitsowntosustainitself.Thespiritwillberelativelysmallinsize,sowithoutthecoatingitwouldexplodeinyourhandinabouttenminutes."


    Igetthegistofit.Itsalmostlikemyhandwillbecomeaspirititself...But,youknow,thatwholeexplodeinyourhandpart,itsalittlebitofaturnoff.IfmyhandhasanysentienceitwillprobablyhauntmeifIletthathappen.


    "Now,showmeyourhandsasifyouwerebeggingformoneysoIcanapplythecoating."


    I''dbeangry,butIdidbegformoneyafewtimesalready.Honestly,itfeelslikeshejustassumedI''mahobo.Yes,Ididbegformoney,butitsimpossibletogetajobhereifyoudon''thaveaclass.Theydon''teventrustyouwithmanuallaborunlessyouareapeasant.


    WhenIshowherthepalmsofmyhandsshepourstheliquidoverthem,allofitinfact.Hey,waitaminute,didn''tyousay"letsstealapiece?"Iknowtheword''we''wasneverspoken,butitsoundedlikewewerebothincludedinthismission.Areyoutryingtokillme?Isthatwhatsgoingon?Maybeshecanreadmindsandheardmecallingherabimbo,soshesoutforbloodnow.


    "DoIreallyhavetodothisalone?"


    Shegrinsatme.


    "Scared?Youknow,ifyoucantdothisyourselfIdon''tthinkIcanteachyou."


    Damnedfemale.I''mnotsureifshesthreateningmebysayingshewontteachmeifIdon''tdothis,orifI''malreadyafailureifIcantevenmanagethis.Alright,Illdoit.Illcatchmeaspirittoday,asuicidalspiritthatmightexplodeinmyhand.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Iwalkafewstepstowardsthespirit,beforeturningaroundagain.


    "Actually,beforeIgo,thisthingcantattackme,canit?YoushouldalreadyknowthatIhaven''tevenleveledupyet.Ifthisthingwastodoanythingitwouldprobablykillmerightaway."


    "Didn''tIalreadytellyou,theydon''thaveanywilloftheirown.Theydon''tfightback,theysimplyexistandchangetheirpositionfromtimetotime."


    Alright,Icandothis.Ifitsnotdangerous,whywouldIbescared?I''maboxer,goddammit.I''vebeatenpeoplewithmybarehands!Idbemoreproudaboutthatifthatwasn''thowyoubeatpeopleingeneral.


    AgainIadvancetowardsthespirit.ForsomereasonItrytonotsteponanybranches,eventhoughIknowthatitwouldn''treacttothesoundanyways.AfterclimbingoversomerootsandpassingatreeI''malreadyfacetofacewithit.


    I''mreallynervousaboutthis.Imean,don''tthesethingsexplode?ButIwillhavetotrustinthishermitlady,afterallshesbeendoingthisalotlongerthanme.


    CautiouslyIreachmyhandintothespirit.ThemomentIcomeincontactwithititfeelsasifmultiplespheresarerollingovermyhand.Itsaweirdfeeling,butnotascaryone.Infact,Ialmostfeellikemyhandismergingwithit,goingwiththeflowoftheenergyinsideit.Iclosemyopenpalmandremovemyhand.


    WithintheenclosedspaceofmyhandIcanfeelsomethingswirling,althoughalotmoregentlythanbefore.Thefeelingofspheresrollingovermyhandpersists,butitssortofrelaxingnow.Itsalotmoresoft,asifmyhandwasenjoyinganelectronicmassagechair.


    IreturntoRoxanneandshelookspleased.Forsomereasonshegivesmeapatontheback.


    "See,thatwasn''tallthatscarynow,wasit?Thescarypartscomelater."


    Alright,shedefinitelysaidthattofuckwithme,butIdon''tmind.Youknow,todayIgainedmoreexperiencethaninmywholelifetimeinthisworldcombined.


    Yes,I''mstillworriedaboutthefactthatmyhandcouldexplodeanyminutenow,butmaybeI''dbeokaywiththat.Okay,Iwouldn''tbeokaywiththat,butitstillstandsthatthisisvaluableknowledge.


    Imean,ifIlearnhowtomakethatliquidIcouldcarryhandylittlebombsaround.Calculatingthetimingforwhentheywillexplodewillbetherealproblem.ButifIkeepasmallspiritinaflaskfilledwiththisliquid,Icoulduseitlikeahandgrenade.Theresalottobelearnedhereandthat''sexactlywhatIneed.


    "Now,letsgotomy...Well,Iguessourhome,shallwe?"


    BeforeIevenreplyshestartswalking.Whataweirdwoman.