Evelyn's words echoed in Adam's mind: “If only we could control spirits.”

A memory he had put to the side emerged in his mind. The valley of wind, where he had purified with wind essence, was inhabited by a carefree wind spirit. That spirit had told him a secret that the spirits hid from everyone: spirit essence was actually incredibly small spirits with only the basest of instincts! Still, they were spirits! If spiritualists could control, or enslave as the spirit had put it, the small spirits that made spirit essence, could they not control spirits themselves!?

Adam reprimanded himself under his breath: “I'm such an idiot!”

Evelyn heard Adam's own words and a small kindle of hope ignited in her heart. She tentatively asked: “Did you think of something.”

Adan hesitated to respond. He didn't even know where to start! As he thought of it, something else also came to mind. The reason why he had never told anyone of this secret was because of the potential danger to the world it held! What would happen if people could not only control spirit essence, but spirits themselves? These spirits that could cause natural disasters on large scales... would likely be used in wars between mankind!

In the end, Adam decided to respond: “I may have started on something, but I need to think it through. It's too hard to describe and explain.”

Evelyn smiled and nodded. Even though she didn't know what it was, clearly there was hope! She said: “Let's head home, then. Mom and dad are probably worried sick about me.”

Adam nodded and followed after Evelyn's lead to her house. Along the way, his mind was racing, trying to think of how to use his newfound thoughts: 'Spirits fear us learning to control them, but there still must be a trick to it that makes it incredibly hard. Otherwise, someone should have figured this out long ago...'

Adam began thinking of ways he might possibly be able to force his will over a spirit. Also, would he be able to control more than one spirit at a time? If he couldn't... this line of thought would be entirely useless. Thinking along this, Adam thought: 'Spirits are made of spirit essence. So, one of the main limiting factors will be in how much spirit essence I can personally control. I will need to test my limits and find out just how much control I really have over spirit essence.'

Amid his thoughts, Adam and Evelyn arrived at her house. They entered as Evelyn called out: “Mom, dad, I'm home!”

Quick steps from the back of the house were heard as Samantha came to greet them. “Evelyn, Adam, your back!”

The mother and daughter pair embraced in a hug as Samantha said: “Your father was called on once again. It seems the wars have taken a turn for the worse.”

Worry filled Evelyn's eyes as she heard this. She said: “We've seen it, fought in it even! It is truly terrible. The world is turning upside down, just like Adam said!”

Evelyn's words only served to escalate Samantha's own worries. She asked Adam: “I don't suppose you figured out a way to stop all of this yet?”

Adam gently shook his head: “I'm working on something, but the only sure fire way to stop this was to prevent it from happening in the first place.”

After spending a brief time with Samantha and Evelyn, Adam excused himself out: “I'm going to head out for a little while. I need to think.”

It seemed there was no way for Evelyn to help Adam currently, so she didn't try to follow him. Instead, she said: “Okay. Be sure to make it back for dinner, though!”

Adam gave her a warm smile: “I won't miss it.”

Adam left and went to his temporary residence that was not too far away. Adam simply sat on his bed and closed his eyes to utilize his elemental sight. He then began to exercise control over all the spirit essence around him. From death essence to life essence, he mustered all he could. He could deftly control death and wind essence, while most the others were graciously following his control. To life essence, Adam could only barely get it to nudge. But when he weaved it with the others, life essence found its spot among them and allowed Adam freer control over it.

At this point, Adam was only directing the flow of all the different types of spirit essence. What he needed, was total control! Adam tried to assert himself more. Instead of weaving the spirit essence around in ways it liked, he tried to force them to do things they didn't want to do. They fought briefly before scattering to the away as Adam lost his control over them!

Adam frowned. 'How am I to assert my control over spirits if I can't even assert control over spirit essence?'

Adam sighed. In a way, this felt like his youth. In truth, every step he took as a spiritualist was the same as this. He had to figure out how to make the spirit essence do something without any advice or guidance from others in how to accomplish what he wanted. As Adam briefly thought back on this, he realized something. He had one thing in the past that he no longer had now: a flute. The vague image of a white flute gloated in Adam's mind for a moment.

For a while, his mind couldn't part thinking about playing a flute. It had been too long since he had truly done so and something called him to once again pick up the flute. Adam thought: 'Well, it couldn't hurt. Maybe it will help me relax my mind and I can think of something.'

Adam got up and went to the market area where most shops in the village were. At a quick glance, Adam couldn't spot a shop that was specialized toward music instruments. He did notice, though, that the market was rather deserted. Many people from the village were being utilized in the war efforts so there were not many shoppers.

Adam over heard a pair of shoppers speaking: “Did you hear of the decree the chieftain issued this afternoon?”

“I didn't hear anything specific, but it sounded like it was something important?”

“He is ordering a steady withdrawal of the dragons in the various spirit planes! Something about abandoning the spirit planes to ensure the protection of our world. Something big is going on!”

Adam thought over these words, as he started walking toward a general goods store that might hold a simple flute: 'Seems like the chieftain has made a decision of how to handle things. Only... it will take a long time for that decree to reach all the dragons in the various spirit planes. Will enough return in time to make any kind of difference?”

Bells chimed as Adam opened the door and entered the general shop. The shop wasn't very big, but its shelves were cluttered with merchandise. A kindly looking man stepped out from behind the main counter: “Welcome. Can I help you find anything?”

Adam nodded: “Do you have any flutes?”

“I have a small selection over here. There are your standard wooden flutes as well as a few made by the artisan Malero. The most precious of which is a whale bone flute!”

Adam looked at the small collection of flutes with wonder. He had only ever played normal wooden flutes made from common wood and crafted by common men. He never had the chance to acquire a flute that was crafted by an artisan out of quality materials.

The clerk watched Adam staring in wonder at the flutes: “Just choose one that hits your fancy. In this time, we all need something to help us relax. As long as you're not greedy, I don't care what you take!”

Adam reached out and grabbed one of the common wooden flutes: “I would feel guilty if I just took one of those precious flutes. I will just take this for now.”

The clerk smiled: “Suit yourself.”

Adam went back to Evelyn and Samantha with his new flute. As he walked into the house, Evelyn happily welcomed him: “You're back a little early, dinner won't be ready for a while yet.”

Adam nodded: “I went and got a flute to play and relax a little. Music is always better with company.”

“Oh, let me bring mom over. I've always liked the tunes you hum. Playing on a flute must sound even better!”

Adam shook his head. With a laugh, he said: “Don't bring her over quite yet! I haven't played in a long time and I need to practice a little first.”

Evelyn was a little taken aback and then nodded: “Don't try to keep it to yourself, though! Else, mom and I will come hassle you!”

Adam gave Evelyn a warm smile as she trotted back to help Samantha finish dinner. Adam walked out to the porch at the back of the house and sat down in a chair. He pulled out the flute and started with some slow practice tunes. The sounds drifted in through open windows to Evelyn and Samantha.

After practicing a small while, Adam closed his eyes. Not to use his elemental sight, but to simply listen. The rustle of the trees far away from a gentle wind. The sounds of dragons flapping their wings in the distant sky. Adam started playing a tune that encompassed that and more. A simple piece to help him forget everything he needed to worry and think about. To simply loose himself in the sounds of the world. It wasn't any kind of masterpiece, but it was a nice relaxing tune.

Still, Adam felt there was something missing from it. It was lacking a certain substance. 'Maybe it's because I'm not playing to account for any spirit essence that is drifting about like I did before?' Adam thought

Adam let his elemental sight flood his senses and added their sounds to his song. The spirit essence seemed to joyously dance to his tune, but it still felt hollow to Adam! Adam took a fresh breath to once again blow air through the flute, when a thought occurred to him: 'Maybe the sound feels hollow because I'm only blowing air through the flute?'

The air being blown through the flute wasn't even under his control. It was merely wind essence that had filled his lungs that was then expunged. Adam let loose the breath he had just taken, then took another. But this time, all the wind essence taken in by his lungs was imbued and controlled by him. As Adam gently blew through the flute, a rich sound came out. This sound was formed not only by whistling air flowing through the flute, but also by the wind essence reverberating in a way Adam had never seen it do before!

In an instant, the note Adam played covered a distance of over three hundred meters! As the note spread out, it became the only sound within its space! No other sound was permitted to exist! It was as though the wind essence had become enthralled by the reverberating sound Adam was creating and prevented any other sound from interfering with it! Then, with a small boom like a fire cracker, the flute exploded in Adam's hands! Adam's monopoly over wind essence quickly ended and regular sound once again returned to the world.

Evelyn and Samantha quickly appeared on the porch with worried looks. “Adam, what was that?”

Adam stared with a dazed look at his now empty hands for a moment before finally turning to them. “I'm not sure... but it might just be what I'm looking for! I need to run out real quick and I'll be back!”

Evelyn turned to Samantha: “Can you finish dinner on your own? I think I will go with Adam this time and make him spill everything that is going on!”

Samantha smiled and nodded at her daughter. “Just make sure the two of you come back quick! Dinner will get cold if you stay out too long.”

Adam left in a hurry with Evelyn running after him, getting him to spill what was going on: “Like I said, I'm not entirely sure. However... I need to experiment more but I may have discovered something that will let me control spirits!”

Evelyn was not expecting this kind of answer: “Really!?”

Adam nodded: “Only time will tell if I am right, though.”

Adam quickly went back to the general shop he had left earlier. The clerk looked like he was almost ready to close down the shop when Adam and Evelyn entered. Hearing the bells chime, he looked up and saw Adam. “You're back again?”

Adam nodded: “I just discovered something interesting that I need to test only... I need a flute that is either resistive of spirit essence or can channel spirit essence. The flute I got from you earlier was only made from common material and it... exploded.”

The clerk gave Adam a quizzical look: “You're not pulling my leg, are you? I've never heard of using a flute as a focus for spirit essence before.”

Adam nodded: “My path as a spiritualist has been rather strange. I was originally blind so my hearing increased to the point where I could actually hear spirit essence to visualize it! Later, I learned to control spirit essence though song. I long outgrew the need to use the flute. Now, though.. I have found a use for using a flute as a focus again.”

The clerk scratched his head. Adam didn't seem like he was lying, but it was all very strange: “No one has made flutes with the express purpose of channeling or resisting spirit essence before. The closest one I have is the whale bone flute that Malero made. Whale's live in the ocean surrounded by water and their bodies become infused with water essence. Their bones are infused with water essence making them hard and sturdy.”

The clerk pulled out the whale bone flute and handed it Adam: “Try it out.”

Adam looked at the whale bone flute for a moment. 'It is mostly attuned to water essence, so I should focus water essence through it instead of wind essence...'

Adam concentrated water essence in the air and he breathed it in deep. Before he could blow any of it out, he started coughing! Cough, cough, cough.

Evelyn quickly came up and patted Adam on the back to assist him: “Are you all right!?”

After getting most the moisture out from coughing, Adam replied: “Yea, I just got a little careless. Let me try one more time.”

The clerk was giving a doubtful look as Adam took a slower breath, making sure to adjust the amount of water essence he was pulling into his lungs and controlling it so it didn't agitate or harm his lungs. He still felt a tickle deep in his chest, but he resisted the urge to cough again.

Putting his lips to the flute, Adam gently released his breath and a note sounded. It was just a single simple note, but the water essence all around suddenly came alive under the sound! Through the note, you could almost hear the water shift about as if surrounded by waves, even though it was only one single sound. As the noted reverberated out, the three of them could practically see the water essence in the air around them condense into waves that danced to the musical note!

The water essence was just as enthralled by the sound as the wind essence was earlier. However, as Adam began to play a second note, cracking sounds started to issue from the whale bone flute before it suddenly exploded in Adam's hands! Little pieces of whale bone went flying around the shop. Luckily, nothing valuable was hit.

The clerk just started at Adam with surprise. Adam felt a tad awkward under the gaze. He had just destroyed the whale bone flute before the clerk had even fully agreed to allow him to take it. He had also caused a small mess in the shop. Adam wasn't sure how the clerk was going to take it.

To Adam's own surprise, the clerk merely issued: “How wondrous! That truly is a unique skill you have for the flute! Only... that was the best flute I had in my shop!”

Adam quickly said: “I'm sorry!”

The clerk waved Adam down: “No, no. Don't worry about it. Old Malero would simply be happy to have someone pick it up for once. There are too few music players in the village. In fact, I think you should go see Malero! I doubt anyone has a flute that could withstand the spirit essence you are trying to push through it. Malero might be able to help you make one that suits your needs!”

The clerk wrote down Malero's workshop location on a piece of paper and handed it to Adam who said: “Thanks.”

After Adam and Evelyn left, the clerk closed down his shop. Evelyn told Adam: “Let's head back and eat dinner. I know you're excited, but it's far too late for us to go and talk to Malero. Making a flute that meets your requirements will take far more than a quick conversation for him to build.”

Adam nodded: “Let's be fast, didn't your mom say dinner would get cold if we took to long?”