—————
Still kicking~
—————
"Were you supposed to swallow them all?" Phantom said, shattering the tune Káel had been humming all the way to Zalius' tree.
He popped a shrug, strangely giddy for his circumstance. "I feel fantastic. This planet has some killer medicine."
"Yeah... that's the problem," Phantom muttered, watching the excitement grow in Káel's eyes as the light of the spirit tree danced in his irises. Like an unruly child he broke into a sprint, arms outstretched to give its scaly trunk a full embrace.
"I missed you!" Káel coughed as his raised tone pricked his throat, clearing it to give out a dryer voice. "Zalius! I need your help!" He skimmed the empty clearing, his excitement dipping to confusion as he walked towards the little hovel Zalius had shown him before. "I need a winter tree branch so I can free Phantom tonight!"
Phantom came up beside Káel as he unstably crunched through the grass. "So were we getting your stuff you left by the pixie pond after this... or...?"
Káel froze, paying Phantom a dish eyed stare. "Oh yeah!"
"Yeah... you should go to bed," Phantom replied, sighing as Káel obliviously carved on ahead to jump on the vine laced hatch.
"Hey vines, it would be great if you moved. I need to talk to Zalius," Káel muttered, crouching to pet some of the thicker stocks, as if they could be bribed like a cat. His smile returned as the plants shuffled away, allowing him to rip open the hatch and slip inside.
He looked around the cold room, dust refracting in the space like a web of stars as he shone a light around for anything that could help. He was quick to feel the presence behind him, undoubtedly Zalius waiting for the opportune moment to scare him.
As usual.
But this time he was prepared.
He whipped around yelling boo, startling Zalius who flinched upright and away from the surprise.
Káel broke down into hysterical laughter at the irony of what he'd done. "I scared a ghost!"
"Spirit," Phantom corrected.
He looked at Zalius who was cautiously keeping his distance. "Sorry, I'm looking for something to free Phantom, I hope you don't mind."
Zalius smiled, shaking his head.
"Got any fresh winter tree branches?"
Zalius frowned, slowly shaking his head.
"Ah crap. You know where one is?"
Káel's eye twitched when the spirit shook his head again. "Some use your spells are when you don't even know where the crap I need for them is."
"He recorded the ritual, he didn't invent it Káel," Phantom sternly replied, saving the monarch from further scolding as Káel released a heavy sigh.
"Well, I should get out of here before any unicorns come along," Káel growled, pulling the Ceptrum out of his pocket. "I need to get my necklace back, I feel weird without it."
YOU ARE READING
COBALT: The Red Phantom (Book One)
Fantasy[Featured: EDITOR'S CHOICE] Káel didn't think his life could get worse after being abducted by an alien posing as a Russian exchange student. Until that 'one day' turned into three months, and he was forced to get cozy on a post-war planet fresh out...
