As I stretched in my little Hamock over the doorway I let out a small yawn. The sun was pouring into the room from the windows I had washed yesterday, and while for some, cleaning 3 windows was something to do with a little bit of work, when the rag you are using is the size of you, and threatens to absorb you if your not careful, its a bit more laborious.
Regardless as I floated up and made my little bed, I made my way over to the rows of growing herbs. I ran my hands over the flowers as they passed through my liquid body with a bit of a tickling sensation.
I shifted the small green bag on my side as I floated over to the next section, its weight something I was still very much getting used to.
Since Aiden had left, I had been tending to stuff at home, and yet I found that even with him running around and doing stuff, I was still feeling our contract connection, something only made strange when I woke up and found that I had changed from a Dewdrop spirit, to a Springlet Healer, the next stage up of growth. It came with several perks, for example, I had way more Mana, and even new abilities that let me do things like heal, but the cost came in the way that I could no longer use my abilities to coat the herbs with mist, my new abilities, while cool, had too much pressure behind them to be used for gardening.
So I had been forced to use my actual body instead to water them, I don't mind as I am made of water, but it was more tedious to do compared to before.
I finished watering the herbs as I began to move around to begin some of my other chores. Mainly dusting, cataloging stock and more. Larz traveled up every other week or so to get the list and grab materials that Peridot requested, and on some occasions he even brought some honeydrops with him.
I grabbed my little chunk of Charcoal that Larz had made with a wooden handle as I began to write down that I had harvested two more stalks of Amrans before setting it down and flying towards the door. With my chores done for the day I got to do what I wanted too, and as of late, I have had a pretty big project to handle. That being the restorations to the burned land around the old shrine.
While it had been needed at the time, the ash spirits left quite a mess to be handled, but luckily I wasn't the only spirit working on this goal. As I flew over I already saw Rocky and Whiz working away as today was a big day.
"Looks like its almost done being carved through."
I said flying over and coming to a land as Rocky continued to stare ahead at the trench, a look of concentration on his earthen form as I could see small bits of dirt falling like sweat in concentration.
Floating over next to me Whiz had their armed crossed, their light green and cyan body churning and shifting like a tiny tornado with a face made of static electricity.
"Yep, Rocky is doing the last touches before your role comes up."
Whiz said as we both turned to rocky, who after a moment seemed to fall back in a heap as he took in a deep breath.
"There, the channel is carved, and I made sure that the dirt around it is just right so the small roots can get water from it better."
Rocky and Whiz turned to me as I nodded and adjusted the small leaf circlet that had formed on my neck during my evolution as I took a deep breath. Channeling my Mana I felt the small stream up towards the top of the hill and the small makeshift dam that Rocky had made. I pulled at the water, taking it slow as the water began to come out in a small trickle that made its way down the small path we had made.
Feeling the trickle beginning to grow faster and faster as the dirt gave away more and more I began to force the water deeper into the ground to where several plant roots sat waiting for much needed water.
As I continued to push the water to the thirsty plants, Whiz flew overhead and made an opening in the canopy to allow for more direct light to stream in towards the new plants. I shook out my hands feeling the strain as I used double the mana I had ever had as a dewdrop spirit to do that, but it was well worth it.
The repairs wouldn't be instant, but the plants would begin to push back the ash and make way for life where it had been burned away, in some regards the ash was even helping the soil get some nutrients.
"We finished the first one, and it only took a month too."
Rocky said, putting his pebble-filled oversized hands on his hips as he stared at the trickling stream as the water rolled down the hill.
"Well yes, we are lowest grade E rank spirits, the fact this didn't take 3 is amazing."
Whiz said as he drifted over the river, holding his fingers laced behind his head. Rocky turned and drew a small map of the mountain that showed where we had planned out 7 more digs like this one. We gathered around the small map as I pointed towards a spot just a mile or so north of here.
"Since we just finished site 3, let's try for 7 next, that way it's still relatively close by for all of us to get to."
I turned and began to float off as Whiz quickly flew in front of me.
"Easy their whirlpool, Rocky and I are spent from that, were not yet stage two like you, so we might have to call it here for today."
I turned back to Rocky who had an apologetic look on his face, but I could see the small white flower on his chest was wilting from fatigue as even Whiz's air currents seemed to be moving slowly.
"Your right, I just got swept up in the excitement is all."
I mumbled apologetically as I floated back over and sat down.
"Don't be, I bet all this practice will make me so energetic as a stage two you will barely be able to keep up."
Rocky said punching his fish into the air.
"How about you do a bit of recon on the site for tomorrow, that way you can mark some sections for us to begin tackling."
Whiz suggested as he helped rocky to his feet. I nodded as I floated up, and waved the two goodbye and began to fly towards the next site.
A part of me wanted to be angry and call them lazy, but in terms of lowest grade spirits I was very lucky, even if they don't have any special skills related to spirits, just having a contract with a system used is said to accelerate a spirits development stage wise. Rocky and Whiz wern't so lucky as to have a system user contract, instead they came because they were natural spirits brought here because of the damages, so if anything they probably felt worse than I did that they couldn't keep up.
I flew out of the tree line and began to examine the spot we had marked with a rock as I found myself almost unconsciously turning back to the spot in the field that Aiden would always nap in.
Yet as it had been before, I found myself staring at an empty spot before I turned back to surveying. Yet I found my mind drifting.
I wonder how Aiden, Jax, Liora, Selene, and Kaelen were doing?
Maybe Aiden found adventure not to his calling and was on his way back, or maybe he was living his best life somewhere on the continent. I was so lost in thought, I failed to notice the strange little pig that had wandered over. They must have been young, their tusks not even beginning to set in, as strangely they seemed to be wearing an old can on their head like a helmet and walked with a strange exaggerated stride that seemed arrogant in a strange way.
"Uh, your new. Did you get lost? Where is your mother?"
I asked scanning the field as I heard a familiar voice behind me.
"Looks like Sir Oinks a lot found the field before we did, I used to come here all the time because it was a prime napping spot."
I whipped around as I saw them. They were missing Kaelen and seemed to have two new members, but they were back.
Aiden adjusted his glasses as he gave me a warm smile. He had a small scar on his cheek, and his hair was longer and messier than before. A set of intricate armor sat on his chest, as a spear that showed signs of use sat strapped to his back as he said.
"Hey Misty, how has it been holding down the fort?"