Joseph waited in the space between his structure and Calarapan's stronghold. His back to the latter, he watched the cloud-like memories and ideas hover about the shape of his building. During this whole ordeal, his place was effected for a short time. Now there were no signs anything happened to it.
Calarapan's impression had been light.
While the rest of the villagers were still on the other side, surveying the stronghold, he waited by himself. His original plan was to invite everyone over. Crossing the river was to be the official extension of his land. His lineage. He would finish the event by declaring the name of this land. However, a big portion of it was missing. He would have to figure out whether or not the boundaries had shifted. By losing the ground to the abyss, would he have to try again?
Her soft steps upon the lawn broke him from his thoughts. Turning to look, he saw Chantale leaving the corner of the stronghold just as he had before. Now she crossed the distance to be at his side. Both watched his structure move.
"It's still alive." He said.
Chantale nodded.
Because she was silent, he asked, "Are you still mad at her?"
"Tsk." She scoffed.
Joseph grinned.
"I not only one." She offered.
He figured there would be some of the villagers who would keep their distance from Eliska. Most, however, would be too preoccupied with the work that needed to be done.
"So what do we got?" he asked, watching the visions of his structure cycle about.
Chantale sighed, "You tink you lose much."
"Did I?" he asked.
"Tis as you say," Chantale offered, "enemy try to take but leave so much behind."
"More work." Joseph said.
"Always work." Chantale offered.
Joseph could only nod in acceptance. What would it look like in the physical world, he wondered. Would there be delays? Reluctance from other parties?
"But you now stronger." Chantale added.
He regarded her.
She indicated the stronghold behind them, "Ah new stubbornness. Now yours."
"Stubbornness?" he questioned.
"Might have been from enemy." She said. "No matter dah source. Yours now."
Still staring at her, he asked, "You mean…it's not…?"
"Tainted?" she said. "No. Neutral. A tool."
Stubbornness. He rolled it over in his mind. Initial assumptions had him seeing stubbornness as negative, but then again, wasn't there another word for it? One with a more positive light?
Steadfast? Unshakable?
"But what of foundation?" he asked, scanning the absence of ground beyond his building. "I don't have enough here to support it."
Chantale was shaking her head, "Not meant to wield by ya understandin'."
Regarding her again, he asked, "What do you mean?"
Chantale sighed, but to Joseph, it almost sounded like a scoff. Like she was reluctant to admit something.
"Eliska. She da one tah give ya new possibilities."
Joseph didn't understand, so he waited.
Chantale scanned the abyss like he did seconds ago. "Ya lose what ya establish, but it seem ya had to." She nodded at his building. "Dat new door."
Looking ahead, Joseph asked, "The one in the back?"
Chantale nodded, "Not random. Now ya have access to dah mysteries."
Looking at her again, he asked, "Mysteries?"
She looked to the right, observing the vast gap between this lawn and the tree line in the distance. "Abyss open in ya land."
Joseph turned to face her fully, "Wait a minute. You're saying…"
She stretched her arm to indicate the missing space, "Boundary not move. What would take years has been done. Calarapan open it for himself. He spread his knowledge where he go. Not know he leave it for you."
Joseph walked ahead of her to approach the edge of the lawn. The trees he saw in the distance he did not know. In fact, he was sure the boundaries he accomplished weren't where they were now. He thought the abyss was indiscriminate in its destruction. That Calarapan was gaining ground as he changed things.
"You mean…" he was unable to finish his sentence.
"What wicked wrought is set aside for dah righteous. Ya gain land, Joseph."
He whipped around to look at her. She was grinning now. "Maybe Calarapan do ya favor."
Joseph was still speechless, so she offered, "What will ya do wid it?" She walked over to stand at his side again. He was still looking at her, unable to speak, while she was gazing across the abyss.
"Was plan to fill wid bad." She said. "Now ya gotta fill wid good."
An inheritance? Or just spoils of war? A change of plans. Inspiration, and from an unlikely source. He dropped his gaze to stare down into the depths below.
Access to the abyss. Was that true? The endless expanse of the sky was still out of reach, but could he really channel his way down into the mysteries that waited there?
"I'd have to…" he began, "…figure out how to get down there."
"Dare are ways." Chantale said. "Ya have material from Calarapan's stronghold. Not forget," she looked at him, "river flow changed. Not just across ya land. Now it falls."
In the spirit realm, objects and movements were expressions. It wasn't impossible for him to ride the river down into the abyss. What he would find there, how he would be able to access them, he would have to discover a little bit at a time.
But, oh my. Lifting his gaze to once more scan the open expanse, he wondered what all was available to him. How could he know? All that waited were mysteries.
Chantale, too, studied the abyss in anticipation. She was interrupted when Joseph brought something before her face. Her eyes adjusted upon the object. She gasped when she recognized it. Joseph was holding the plastic bottle he showed her when he first arrived. He had been carrying it
with him this whole time.
She looked at him, but he was gazing out across the opened space.
"Don't tell the others." He said.
"For me?" she gasped. Bringing her hands up to touch the bottle, she held it when Joseph released it. She gasped again, brightening into a smile.
Regarding him again, she whispered, "Oh Joseph."
"My gift to you." He said.
Even though she was so much taller than him, he reached out to wrap his arm around her waist. Then he hugged her against him. Yes, she was taller than him, but at the moment, she felt little in his embrace.