For the first time in his memory, Era woke up in a bed. On with a real mattress, comfortable and free of fleas and bedbugs. A pillow stuffed with down held his head in a gentle cradle and a warm duvet wrapped him up in a cozy cocoon.
He began to cry. Wheezy little sobs as he sank further into the bliss of clean blankets.
And he'd cry like that for a while. Overwhelmed by the new sensations as a stranger's hand patted him on the back, whispering words of consolation. Eventually he'd be enticed from the heavenly bed with the smells of stew and bread. Rich hearty rations that he gobbled up greedily. Given seconds and then thirds until he was napping in a food induced coma.
When he woke up again there was a platter of fruit and water waiting for him.
After he was scrubbed clean and given new clothes, he was fed yet again.
And so would continue the pattern of eating and napping and bathing until his little arms began to look plump and his skin lost the colors of decay.
Father Lionel and a young novice by the name of Heronus, kept him company along with the strange duo of Moon and Miyami—the astral man and the homunculus from the western coasts of his home country.
Miyami was excited to meet him. She launched into a thousand questions but Moon instantly had her restraining her thrill. Her personality and body language then had been fairly stable but she was still apt for bursts of excitement and joyous mania. The ethereal astral being, who sternly cooled her behavior, had a much more monotonous and serious personality. Though if you listened to his level spoken words, it was typically complaints about wanting to be anywhere but where he was.
Era learned a little about his new company and home, his skepticism and distrust growing weaker by the day.
Three weeks time and he was stuffing his face and running through halls with squeaky laughter ringing about him as if he'd lived there his whole life.
Then, on the third day of his second moon at the monastery, when he was lost in comfort and familiar with the places and faces of his new home, he finally met Nisha.
A boy from the far west regions of Era's home country as well. With a serious expression and a more serious demeanor, a splash of freckles spattering his face was the only thing that held to his youth. At fourteen, he was already taking on the sharp features of the Vanyn.
He learned that he possessed a soul that reincarnated alongside him. And he was once more told of his 'special' powers. Informed of how he had a celestial spirit and how Moon, Miyami, and Nisha were there to help him. Following the great sorcerer throughout their many lives.
This all perplexed Era greatly, but he was given a constant stream of treats and head pats to quell any of his fears or worries. And soon the sparkling warmth of being of importance set into his heart and he would come to view his companions as treasured friends. People to protect and aid, live for and eventually die for.
It would become a theme in his conditioning— food. The ultimate reward given to an orphan who only had memories of hunger and the pain that twisted at his stomach.
Even then at the very end there would be foods all to his greatest liking. All the joy of a full stomach and dancing taste buds had to offer. Organized and supplied to him by Nisha, a reward-a reinforcement-that Era was doing what was best.
And it worked so well, that after all these millennia he still could not find the anger he should have rightfully felt. Nisha and his selfish request had led him here and Nisha got off free of it all... Or was it Era who was the selfish one?
"Do you really feel like something is wrong?" Miyami, in a voice as close to the one in his memories as possible, asked again.
Era cast his eyes down, hair still rubbing between his fingers. Broken ends gathering in his lap. Closed his eyes," Yes."
"Everything started all wrong. I know I told you that I would take care of it, should the spirit reincarnate, but I- I don't know what to do and I need your help."
Miyami couldn't help but softly laugh as he hung his head, looking extra lost. "Should I get Moon?"
"No!" Era intercepted, his face flushing. "I know he's going to scold me eternally when he figures out what's happened."
The homunculi nodded. "Rightfully so." She confirmed and Era looked more ashamed. "It's a dangerous situation to awaken so late. Buuuuut-" She added to offer some consolation. "We assumed this would be a possibility as it's happened before. It is why I told you to find me should anything dire happen. This would not be the first time the spirit has awakened late, but it will be its own flavor of difficult to deal with." She sighed, rising from her position next to him to float over to the cabinets. She opened a door revealing her collection of papers, placing the one she had chosen back in its place. "I suppose this map will just have to wait until we return."
"We?"
"Yes, you and I, we. If you don't want to tell Moon then I'll need someone's help."
"I don't possess a physical body anymore, Mi."
Miyami held up a finger, swiveling towards another cabinet. Its door popped open and inside a hoard of jewels, crystals, and orbs shimmered, filling the room with their opulent light.
This cabinet she did not ruffle through, instead clasped her hands behind her back to take a moment and carefully observe all that was stuffed inside. Between a purple amethyst filled with pockets of ancient water and mermaid's opal, she plucked a shimmering blue sphere. Its surface swirled in shades of navy and cobalt, twinkling lights bursting in its structure.
"This will do perfect!" Miyami bounced back towards him. " Alright, first we are going to use the doors of dejavu to find a similar memory you and Kohryn share to locate her, then," She held the little ball up next to him, "we are going to put you in this!"
Era paled. "A rock?!"
"No. This is a spirit orb. It should let you enter the material plane." Miyami said with pride and excitement. "Got if off of the sweetest rain spirit in the Inbetween. It only cost me-" She playfully tossed the valuable and highly sought after orb into the air and caught it. "-well, I forgot what I traded for it. I'm sure it's written in one of my journals though."
"A spirit orb." Era uttered. He knew of these orbs, gifts from great spirits, something he should have been able to eventually create had he found true immortality and not chosen as he did.
They were magical tools that could be used in a variety of ways. One was storing spirits. A powerful thing in the cycles of mortality.
Skepticism soured his face as he stared at the thing. "I don't know… do you think it'll work."
"Only one way to know." Miyami said with a shrug.
Before he knew it she was easily pulling a memory from the bundle of light strings encasing his hand. Held the string between two fingers and it was taken from the rest.
"This one will do nicely. Aaaaand," Moving with a blurring swiftness she pressed the orb to his forehead before he had a chance to refuse.
For a fraction of a second his eyes widened, and then his image warped into the spirit orb. Some distorted exclamation dissipated into the wind.
Miyami tossed it in the air again, playing with the pretty little thing. "Did you not think after all this time you had not become a spirit of your own." With a shake of her head she giggled at the silly antics of the man. She placed him carefully into a pouch fastened at the loops of her belt, cinching its leather buckle tight
Then she held up the light string. Behind her eyes a set of memories played together in sad similarity. "Alright," She closed them, long ears relaxing as she took a few deep breaths. "Be good doggies and take me to Kohryn."