Selene gave Adam a surprised expression. “Adam, you can't even get out of bed! Why do you want crutches?”

Adam didn't bother to explain: “Just trust me, I want to try something.”

Selene was skeptical about what it was that Adam wanted to try but was curious nonetheless. She left and came back before too long with a set of crutches for Adam. She approached the bed, unsure of what Adam wanted to do with them. There was a small breeze that spread across the room at this time. The breeze was not normal, though, as it was more like all the air in the room was gathering towards Adam, rather than wind moving naturally. Adam then suddenly forced himself upright! It was not smooth, but more like a sudden exertion. Normally, Adam would find it extremely difficult to raise his body like this without help from Selene! Adam then beckoned with is hand: “Give me the crutches.”

Selene was at a loss for words and subconsciously handed Adam the crutches without thinking about it. Adam concentrated again and an even stronger breeze seemed to rush to Adam as he started to hum this time. He then hoisted himself from the bed, with the intention of using the crutches to hold him up. Adam shot up off the bed and managed to get on the crutches in a reasonable, if not disheveled manner. Adam looked at himself, standing up with the crutches. A wild grin spread across his face. “Hahaha, it worked! Oh sh-”

Just as Adam was jubilantly celebrating on the crutches, he lost balance and started falling down head first! Selene cried out as she rushed to try and grab him. She managed to slow his descent, but Adam still ended up down on the ground. On the ground, Adam started chuckling again: “It needs some work, but now I have a way to walk!”

After Selene helped Adam back onto the bed, she looked at him with a questioning look: “What did you do?”

Before, Adam normally did not have enough strength to fully sit up by himself. Suddenly, though, he could just about get up out of bed entirely on his own! Adam looked torn about how to explain it: “Uh, It's hard to give the details, but let's just say I used my powers as a spiritualist to hoist myself up!”

While Adam was in his thoughts previously, he had found himself thinking about that encounter with private Dullard and some of his other battles. Then he remembered how he had used the wind formation to speed his body up! Adam had not tried to gather any spirit essence or use the wind formation since he got here, as he was not sure if it would have an adverse effect on his weak body. Adam figured that his body was currently as strong as it could get, so he would try to use the wind formation to force his body to move! Unfortunately, he only had enough control over the wind formation to basically turn it on or off when he wanted. He couldn't use it to smoothly move so it made it look as though he could only move his body with large exertions. Still, Adam was in an environment where there was more wind essence now and perhaps he could experiment and perfect the formation even more! The only benefit Adam got from the plane of death was his increased control over his own soul and spirit essence. Adam felt hopeful and confident that he could eventually walk around with crutches and maybe even make the journey to Heider!

Adam's answer was surprising, but acceptable to Selene. Over the course of the next few weeks, she helped Adam with his efforts of controlling the wind formation in a way that would allow him to walk. All she could really do for him though was to be his support if he was about to fall over. Adam quickly became comfortable with walking with crutches, as it actually wasn't that complicated to use the wind formation with them. He just needed a boost of strength at the times when he put the crutches forward and when he dragged his legs over. The trickiest part of it all wasn't keeping control of the wind formation, it was keeping his balance during all of it!

At first, Adam wasn't able to go very far. He could maybe go ten meters before he exhausted his spirit essence and had to rest. He had never really encountered this in the plane of death as it was a rather unique environment. It had forced his spirit essence to stay with him, even as he used it. Here in the world of men, however, as he used the spirit essence he pretty much exhausted it and would need to work to regain more before continuing. The biggest improvement in the wind formation over the few weeks wasn't so much about improving his level of control over how much strength it gave him, rather he worked on making it so that it used up less spirit essence so he could go farther and farther between rests. He had managed to fall into a rhythm with activating the wind formation and moving, in some ways similar to how his sword song previously worked.

It seemed that over the course of using the wind formation and then having to gather spirit essence, it put the death essence in Adam's bones at a disadvantage. It allowed it so that Adam could slowly recover even more strength in his body! This helped him in the long run as he did not need quite as much help from the wind formation to move. At the very least, he could hold his body up without any assistance for a few seconds!

One day Selene came to Adam and told him: “Cardinal Alexander has heard about how you are able to get up and move around now! He has asked for you to go to the Grand Cathedral of Kurland!”

During his stay, Selene had talked to Adam in length about their current location. Adam resided in a sanctuary that specialized in holding, and ideally healing, those with strange conditions that normal medicine could not heal. An example would be those who were corrupted by spirit essence that ran too deep for purifying salt to help. This was the only place where they might be taken in hopes for healing. Often with spirit essence corruption, though, the victim would quickly turn into a ghoul before any type of treatment could be administered. It was the rare few who could last long enough to make it to the sanctuary. The sanctuary was just a small campus in what was known as the Hallowed Grounds of Kurland! The Hallowed Grounds could be considered the capital of the Church of Spirits in Kurland. The entire Hallowed Grounds was like a small city! It wasn't just a few buildings belonging to a church, it was an entire area of people completely dedicated to holy rites and worshiping the spirits. Of course there were plenty of offices that controlled the finer points of the Church of Spirits and they even had their own military force! Even though the physical size of the Hallowed Grounds could not be considered truly large, it had a significant impact on the politics of Kurland and was highly viewed by its citizens.

Adam was curious about this Cardinal Alexander. Why was Alexander paying attention to him now? Was he really so pretentious that he couldn't visit Adam and instead needed to have Adam go to him instead? Adam was sure Selene would feel offended from talking bad about a Cardinal, so he instead asked: “While I can move more freely now, I don't think I can walk all the way to the Grand Cathedral! Is there a carriage to take me there?”

Selene responded: “There is! It was sent along with the message and is ready to depart whenever you are. Do you want me to come along in case you need anything?”

The gesture was nice, but Adam was sure Alexander would want to speak to him alone. Adam also wanted to know how it would to feel to be more or less on his own for the first time since he came back. Would he be able to solely rely on himself, or had he become dependent on some of Selene's care? It was a small ride to test and prepare himself for the journey back to Heider.

Adam had no other plans for the day, so he immediately headed to the carriage that was waiting in front of the sanctuary. The carriage rolled on and Adam heard the various sounds that came from a bustling city. Even if The Hallowed Grounds was a city that primarily had religious buildings inside its perimeter, there was still plenty of trading, baking, and making of goods to keep the city alive and together. The various sounds were pleasant to Adam, as it had been a long time since he last heard them. The sanctuary was built in a more isolated spot so it was very quiet there. While there was some wild life that would also make various amounts of noise and sound, there was nothing quite like the sounds of a city to tell Adam that he really was back!

Adam's carriage rolled up to some metal fencing. This fencing ran all around a giant and opulent building that was the Grand Cathedral of Kurland. The foot print of the Grand Cathedral and the gardens surrounding it took up at least one square kilometer! It was simply huge! The Grand Cathedral itself looked just like you would expect from a multi-story Gothic style church with many adornments of gold, ivory, and gems. Inside the Grand Cathedral, one would find various murals that were beatifically crafted and painted which depicted the Church of Spirits beliefs and some historic events.

The metal fencing around the Grand Cathedral restricted the access visitors had to it. There was an open entry way that freely allowed visitors through, but it was still under tight control so that the Grand Cathedral wouldn't be flooded with more parishioners than it could handle. Adam, however, was rolling up to a side entrance in his carriage. This side entrance was rarely used and was under tight guard. Only those with special permissions could get in through this gate. Cardinal Alexander had specifically asked for Adam, so he of course had the special permission to use this side entrance.

The carriage rolled up to the side of the cathedral where a guard was waiting. The guard led Adam through a side entrance and into the deeper confines of the cathedral. Places where most were not allowed to go! Deep inside the cathedral, the guard stopped before a grand wooden double door. From where Adam stood, he could not use his elemental sight to see inside the room! There were spirit formations drawn across the inside walls to protect it and prevented Adam from seeing through. Adam suspected that this was similar to one of the rooms he entered when he first came back. It was likely that the portal stele was hidden somewhere inside the Grand Cathedral!

The guard turned to Adam and said: “Please go in quietly and wait for Cardinal Alexander to address you. Do not interrupt him while he is communing with the spirits!”

This fervent demeanor of the guard threw Adam off a bit. While the followers of the Church of Spirits obviously worshiped spirits, Adam had not personally seen such a religious fervor before. Even Selene did not give him such an impression, even though she too was a parishioner. Adam could not help thinking to himself: “These guys highly value their spirits. Sure they are special, but to put this much emphasis on them...”

The guard slowly and quietly opened one of the double doors just wide enough to let Adam in. The door was well oiled as it did not even make a sound as it swung on its hinges. Adam couldn't help the thocking sounds he made when his crutches hit the floor as he proceeded forward. Each time the crutches hit the floor and Adam placed his weight on them, the guard cringed and glared at Adam. Adam couldn't help the noise, but the guard was hoping there was someway Adam could be quieter than this. The guard even seriously thought about taking the crutches from Adam but gave up the thought. He did not want to interfere with the Cardinal's guest.

Finally inside the room, the guard closed the door behind Adam. The room was mostly bare with a few tapestries lining the walls and sconces for light. In the center of the room, there was an altar before which a man was kneeling. The man was of course Cardinal Alexander. Adam could see that Alexander's soul was strong enough to make him believe Alexander was certainly a spiritualist. Some distance above the altar, there was actually a dense amount of life spirit essence! Adam made this deduction as he could hear a melody that gave off the impression of freedom and growth coming from the spirit essence, much like what he heard from the spirit he met when he came through the portal stele. There was a difference about this spirit essence from what Adam had normally seen, though. It appeared much more dense than even water, which was almost entirely made of water spirit essence! In addition, it almost seemed... alive! If anyone else was standing in Adam's place, they might be able to feel the presence of this much life essence by feeling more lively than they normally would. As for the dense amount of life spirit essence, surprisingly no one else would be able to tell that it was there as not even a distortion appeared where it was!

From the dense spirit essence, a wave came out to touch Alexander. The wave vibrated in a way to give sound, but it was only intended for Alexander to hear. However, with Adam being able to hear spirit essence in a way that no other could, he could also hear the sounds. They formed a voice, the voice of that life spirit! “Finally, that thing is here now. I don't care how you do it, make him go away! He still has all that black corruption in his bones and there is nothing I can do about it! I gave him a chance at life, so we can't simply kill him to get rid of the black corruption. Just make him leave my domain!”

Adam was a little surprised, this dense amount of spirit essence was actually a spirit! Alexander had his head bowed and when the spirit finished talking, he said: “This servant shall obey the Lord.”

He stood up and turned around. He didn't want to give a bad impression to Adam, so he gave an amicable smile. “Hello Adam. I am sure you have guessed, but I am Cardinal Alexander. I hear that you have made good progress in your recovery.”

Adam nodded his head to Alexander as he was thinking his own thoughts. He really didn't like how that spirit called him 'thing' and how it wanted him gone. Adam was unsure of what would happen if he confronted the spirit on this, but it had said that they couldn't kill him... in the end Adam looked up to where the spirit was watching over their conversation and said: “You know, it was never my intention to permanently stay here. I intend to go back to my home of Heider, is that far enough out of your domain for you?”

Alexander and even the spirit visibly froze! A voice came from the spirit, though not directed in a wave of spirit essence like it had used before: “You can hear me!?”

Adam nodded his head. “Yes, I can.”

Alexander was a tad confused when Adam suddenly said this. He had clearly not heard the voice of the spirit when it spoke just a second ago. It only took him a moment, though, to guess why Adam had said that. Even more surprise started to dawn on his face. Spirits were the most sacred things to the church and Adam could freely communicate with them in a way that even the Cardinals could not! It almost bordered on blasphemy to hear the voice of a spirit without it allowing you to first!

The spirit was equally shocked. “How is this possible? Humans can't hear us unless we directly communicate with them! What is so special about you that you can hear me- can you see me too!?”

The spirit had been too shocked about Adam being able to hear him that, until now, he had not noticed that Adam was directly looking at him! Adam, of course, wasn't actually using his eyes to see the spirit. Instead, he had moved his head so it seemed like he was directly looking at the spirit. Not only could Adam hear the spirit, he could see it! Adam was having a hard time concealing his joy about shocking the spirit like this. He said: “Yes, I can also see you!”

Alexander was absolutely flabbergasted when he heard Adam say these words. Only the Pope was able to see the Lord Spirits! But even then, the Pope could not freely hear the spirits like Adam could!

After a moment of shock, the spirit seemed to regain its senses. It started flitting around Adam, as if examining him with interest.“There's nothing obvious... what if he became a follower? No, no, he still has that black corruption in him. If it was any other type, maybe, but never the black corruption.” Seeming to come out of whatever thoughts the spirit was mumbling about, it then directly spoke to Adam: “Hmph. Well, you heard me. You are still full of that black corruption and it is slowly seeping out of your bones! I want you to leave. Heider is where you want to go? I will make sure Alexander sends you on your way!”

It was Adam's turn to be surprised. He had not expected for them to possibly pay his way to Heider. This could possibly make the trip even easier! The spirit sent a wave of spirit essence to Alexander, informing him to pay for Adam's travel expenses to Heider in order to swiftly remove Adam from his domain. After it was done talking to Alexander, the spirit seemed to give Adam one last glance: “You are kind of interesting, so I will tell you this. That black corruption that still exists in your bones can effect others around you! To get rid of it, you will have to seek self purification by going to places full of spirit essence.... Oh, yea. If you come into my domain again and you still haven't purified yourself, I'll kill you!”

The spirit then seemed to speed off, slipping right through the spirit formations that covered the walls of the room. Adam was slightly stunned: “Just how exactly am I to find places full of spirit essence? Whatever, I need to leave before that crazy spirit comes back.”

Obviously, the spirit wasn't too obverse over killing Adam at a later point. Adam wanted to leave before it had a change of mind about its decisions. Alexander sent Adam back to the sanctuary while someone booked a carriage for Adam to get to Heider. Adam did not have to wait long, as the very next morning there was a carriage waiting for him. Adam said his goodbyes to Selene. She had been his only friend during the stay, since no others wished to take care of those who had become corrupted. Adam was then off and away. The carriage service did not actually take Adam all the way to Heider. What they did was drop Adam off at another town where another carriage was booked for him and he would take that carriage on down the line. It was done this way, as there were not many drivers who were willing to go across a couple kingdoms for a single passenger.

Adam found the ride pleasant. Being on the road reminded him of his time as a Silver Savior, going off on bandit subjugation or hunting. With only his flute as his constant companion during the trip, Adam finally arrived in Heider after three months of travel. During the three months, Adam had nothing else to do so he would practice the wind formation in the carriage, trying to get accurate control over the strength of the formation. By the end of the three months, Adam had gained enough strength in his body that he switched out his crutches for a walking staff. Now, Adam just had to alternate the use of the wind formation on his legs to help propel him forward. He had enough strength to stand and lean against his staff for an extended period of time and could even walk on his own for a short distance without the formation, but it was simply easier to walk with its assistance.

As Adam's carriage entered the border of Heider, trepidation started to build in Adam's heart. He still had yet to ask what year it was and did everything he could to avoid conversations that would bring it up. Even now, he only became more and more scared to ask what year it was as he got closer to home. He didn't know what to expect when he finally arrived. Would Helen still be waiting for him? Or... had she moved on? Even still, Adam would have to seek out a place full of spirit essence in hopes of getting rid of the death essence that hid deep in his bones. If he did not, it would eventually effect those around him. Adam didn't know how long it would take for any effects to occur, but Selene had been fine for that time where she cared for him for nearly two months. Adam hoped to be able to spend some quality time with his mother, Helen, Silber, and the others before he had to move on.

Time inexorably moved on and before Adam knew it, the carriage had dropped him off at Hessler! It had come to a spot just inside the entrance where local carriages gathered. As Adam looked around he found everything so familiar! This was the entrance that was close to Madame's and Adam was extremely familiar with the area. In fact, this was the place they had disembarked from the trading caravan when they first came to Hessler after the night at Fort Erich...

Adam slowly started to move along, reminiscing in his nostalgia while fighting a quickening heart beat. Everyone he knew and loved were close at hand. All he had to do was go home and he would finally be truly and fully back! Adam made his way all the way to his house. He didn't bother stopping at the Silver Saviors or Madame's. He just wanted to go home.

As Adam approached, he kept his elemental sight from seeing into the lot of his house. He was still scared at what he might find. Adam crept closer and closer, not paying any attention to anything other than the road. When he was finally around ten meters from the entrance, Adam had no choice but cast his elemental sight into his house. As he did so, Adam was thinking: “Are mom and Helen home? Did Silber make it back safely?”

[AN: I noticed a new favorite and review, thank you!]