Chapter 3 - Argana the Herbalist

In her kitchen, Argana carefully crushed a handful of herbs, pouring them into a glass flask. Her eyes narrowed in concentration - she couldn't afford to make a mistake here. She had been working on her herbal tea recipe for 30 years now, and it was perfect, down to the smallest measurements. Each herb was carefully balanced, creating a unique blend of flavors and aromas that she was confident wouldn't lose out anywhere.

Grinning in anticipation, she gently poured the mixture into her kettle, keeping a close eye on the quantity.

BANG BANG BANG

Just as she was about to pull her hand back, thunderous bangs came out from her front door. She jolted in surprise, her flask upturned, and she watched in despair as her meticulously prepared herbs were dumped en masse into the water below.

Outside, Kanan slammed on the door in agitation, cradling the unconscious spider beast. His shirt was torn - he had ripped it in an attempt to wrap the wound - but at best he had managed to slow the inevitable. The spider desperately needed help.

Kanan swung his fist once more, but it only found empty air as the door burst open. However, instead of the witch-like old woman that he had expected, he found himself staring down a broomstick on a collision course with his face.

Smack! The broom slapped his head painfully, and his eyes followed its shaft down to a tiny woman holding the other end, her eyes blazing with fury.

"What in Elera's name do you think you're doing boy, you empty-headed buffoon!? Did nobody ever teach you how to knock at a reasonable volume?! What could possibly be so important that you're slamming on my door before noon? If there's not a beast tide outside, you'll have more of my broom to answer to!"

Curses and shouts erupted from the woman's mouth, her short brown hair bobbing as she angrily brandished her broom for a second hit. She took a deep breath and prepared to spew another round of insults before her eyes fell on the spider in Kanan's arms, her scowl turning into something more grim.

"Tsk. Come in quickly, boy."

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Inside, Argana took the spider from Kanan's arms and laid it on a table, examining the beast.

"A Bubble Spider… where did you find this, boy?" She glanced over at Kanan suspiciously. "These little critters don't come out of the forests, they never travel too far from their nests. Still, we'll put that aside for a moment. Melle!"

As Argana called out an unfamiliar name, a small creature waddled in from the other room. It was vaguely humanoid, with a white body and a purple, leaf-like dress. In its arms it carried what seemed to be a stringed instrument, like a harp maid of grass.

The new arrival wobbled over to the table, looking curiously at the unconscious spider and Argana spoke to it in a hurried voice. "Melle, use Life Echo."

At the command, Melle brushed its stubby arms over the strings of its harp, releasing a soothing tune. The harp glowed with energy, and Kanan watched in wonder as a pink hue spread out along with the sound, settling on the injured spider.

Seconds passed, and the spider's condition showed visible improvement. Its breathing steadied, and the wound visibly improved, its deterioration slowing to a halt. A smile plastered itself across Kanan's face. "It's working!" the boy shouted elatedly.

"No… it's not enough." Argana sighed, her expression less than optimistic. "The wound is too deep. Maybe with a few more days of treatment it'd be fine, but it's not going to last that long."

Tears welled up in Kanan's eyes, and he began pleading with the herbalist. "There must be something you can do! You were a tamer, weren't you? I heard that tamers fight with their beasts all the time. Even if the spider's weak, it's just a single hit!"

Argana gazed at Kanan with eyes of pity. "Tamers are different, boy. A tamer and their beast are connected. The tamer's spirit heals and nourishes the beast. But a tamer can't just connect with spirit beasts freely. They have to have a strong enough soul to support the contract, and mine has long since filled up."

Kanan grabbed Argana's arm, protesting desperately. "Let me do it then! I don't have a contract so it should be fine, right?! I'll connect with it. I don't care if it's weak, it saved me!"

"That's… not how it works, child" Argana whispered, sighing. "To prepare for their first spirit contract, one must spend years developing their spiritual energy. It's not until you have enough energy where you feel it within yourself that you can form a contract."

Kanan paled. "Please, Argana. There must be an exception. Let me try!" he begged.

At his words, the old woman furrowed her brows. "There are no exceptions. At least, none that matter to you. If a tamer is successful enough, their child might inherit some of their spiritual ability… Other than that, rare fruits and herbs can develop your spiritual energy quickly. Those aren't the sort of things you can find around here though. Even for experienced tamers they're worth a killing" she added.

"Rare fruits…?" Kanan trailed off, thinking of his experience the previous night. "Argana! Those rare fruits you mentioned, I think I ate some!" Kanan shouted and explained the meal the spider had brought him the day prior.

Argana's eyes widened in amazement. "If what you say is true then your luck is not ordinary, boy."

She hobbled over to Kanan, pushing him into a chair and placing her hands on his shoulders. "Stand still. I'm going to check your spiritual sea."

As she said so, a foreign energy poured into Kanan, coursing through his body. It felt earthy and damp, causing Kanan's body to shudder and giving him a slight sense of discomfort.

Argana took note of his uncomfortable expression. "The feeling of discomfort is normal, boy. Each person's energy is unique. It's like having someone else's blood inside you, your body won't always adapt. Don't worry though, I'm almost done."

Finishing, she withdrew he energy, looking down at him with a perplexed expression. "Well I'll be. You were telling the truth after all. Come quickly, boy, I'll tell you how to make the contract. There's no time to waste."

Thrilled, Kanan rushed to the spider's side, causing Argana to chuckle. "You remember the feeling of my energy just now, yes? You're going to have to do the same. First, I'll wake the beast, and then start immediately. Remember though, a contract is two-sided. The beast must be willing to accept you as well."

Having said her piece, Argana grabbed a bottle of crystals from a shelf. "Smelling salts. These should wake it right up. Get ready, boy."

Kanan focused on his inner self, trying to re-capture the feeling Argana's energy had given him. Minutes passed, and he ground his teeth in frustration.

"Remember boy. Your spirit is your own. You're not trying to guide my energy, look for your own essence" Argana reminded. "Think about yourself. The more you understand yourself, the better you'll be at controlling your spirit."

Kanan's eyes lit up in understanding. That's right. I'm not Argana. That damp and earthy energy isn't mine, mine is more, it's… what is it? What defines me?

He thought about himself. His experiences. His miserable time in the village, waiting for his next meal. The wonder he felt when entering the forest, finding the sea of flowers and the mysterious tree. His heart-stopping escape from the Melody Flowers' attack. The warmth he felt when the spider saved him. His determination, choosing to turn back and return the favor.

Within him, energy started to stir, blowing through him like a warm wind.

That's right. I guess I just wanted to be free. I just wanted to take life into my own hands.

"I'm ready" he spoke, gazing at Argana meaningfully.

She smiled. "You've got potential, boy!" she yelled, quickly bringing the smelling salts to the spider's face in a practiced motion.

The spider stirred, weakly turning to gaze at Kanan.

Meeting its stare, Kanan stroked its head, speaking softly. "Sorry, little guy, but this is the only way." He carefully guided his energy, bringing it into the spider to mix with it's own. Squirming, the spirit beast seemed to understand his intentions, looking up at Kanan's gentle expression before relaxing.

As the energies merged, it was like a hole tore open within Kanan's mind. The mixed power rushed towards him, and he could feel a vast space within himself start to fill. He looked on in amazement as the spider shone, its body dissolving into countless motes of light that joined the flow. Seconds later it was gone.

Kanan turned to Argana in confusion. "Why did it disappear?"

She looked at him with an exasperated expression. "You don't even know that much, boy?" Tamers keep their spirit beasts within themselves. That space within you? It's your spiritual sea. You should be able to feel the spider's energy inside of you now. Don't take it out quite yet, though. I's still injured. Give it a couple days to heal."

Kanan nodded in understanding, his heart filling with gratitude. "So that's it. Thank you so much, Argana. I won't forget this." Then, realizing something, he put his head down in embarrassment. "I don't have any money to repay you, but if there's anything you need, just say the word."

"Tch. A boy like you is 20 years too early to be talking about repayment. I'm not going to take money from a child barely out of the cradle" Argana scoffed. "Just sit down while I make some tea. We have a lot to talk about."

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A while later, Argana came out of the kitchen, with Melle at her heels. The dainty spirit beast carried a tray with three cups, and it gracefully placed one of them in front of Kanan before both it and Argana took a seat of their own.

Kanan watched Melle taking small sips from her teacup, feeling surprised once again. "I didn't expect spirit beasts to drink tea," he exclaimed.

At his words, Argana let out an amused grunt. "For the most part they don't. In fact, they don't need to eat at all, really. But they have their preferences. They can absorb a certain amount of energy from food to supplement themselves. Melle here is a plant-type beast, so she's especially partial to herbs, which are rich in earth energy."

As if to confirm, Melle took another sip, savoring the taste with a happy expression.

"And what kind of spirit beast IS she, exactly?" Kanan asked curiously.

"Doesn't she look familiar? You'd think you'd have an eye for it by now, given the story you told me earlier" Argana cackled. "She's a Harmonia, the evolution of the Melody Flowers that you had a run in with."

Evolution. Kanan knew of the term, but he hadn't made the connection. Now that he looked closer, though, Melle's dress did resemble the petals of the flowers he had seen earlier. To think that a creature could change so drastically. He marveled once again at how strange spirit beasts were.

Argana sat up straight, taking on a more serious expression. "More importantly, boy. You have something to think about. What are you going to do from now on?"

The question took Kanan by surprise. It wasn't something he had really thought about. Truthfully, it wasn't something he EVER really thought about. He wasn't busy, in the strictest sense of the word, but he didn't have the luxury of making plans either. He had always just done whatever he could to put food on the table.

"If you don't have anything in mind, come work for me from now on" Argana said flatly. "You may have a spirit beast now, but that doesn't solve all your problems. Raising a spirit beast isn't child's play, and if you go scavenging in the forest again you're going to get yourself killed.

Her words filled Kanan with appreciation, but his shaking eyes betrayed his hesitation. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but he already owed Argana so much.

Shaking her head, the herbalist gave a wry smile. "Stupid boy. Do you think I live all the way out here just because I want to avoid people?" She gestured at Melle, who was stacking the teacups back onto the tray. "The people of Harmony Village aren't tamers. They only see spirit beasts as wicked, dangerous creatures. Do you really think they'd feel comfortable with the likes of us?"

She got up and moved to a bookshelf, pulling out a heavy book and dropping it onto the table with a thud. The cover read Spirit Beast Compendium.

"If you stay here, I'll teach you what you need. Even if you don't choose to be a professional tamer, there are certain things you must know." She rubbed her shoulder, giving an exaggerated stretch. "Plus, I'm getting on in my years and could use an extra pair of hands around the house. It's a mutual benefit. You help me, I help you. Deal?"

Kanan smiled gratefully. He wasn't fooled by her elderly act. Still, he felt her sincerity.

"Deal."