I walked out of the house with Tiberius following me. I slipped into the library and searched old newspapers to find Harkness. He asked me what was going on. I explained that if I can find her body then I could give her a well deserved goodbye. I found out about her lobotomy. But there was nothing about her burial. I checked obituaries. I asked Tiberius to find me a spell that will pinpoint her location so I can excavate her corpse. I checked old police records in city hall. I read about an unauthorized burial in the asylum in the ghost town. I went home and had Mrs. Erebus confirm her location before I decided to go with a shovel and start digging all over the asylum. Mrs. Erebus gave me a necklace that was worn by Harkness once upon a time. I hopped on the sidecar and my mystery driver took me to the asylum. I waved the necklace. A black snake came with the intent to eat me. I made a fist and started throwing fireballs at it. The snake died screaming. I started walking all over with the necklace. I pretended I was playing a grid game. The moment the pendant started glowing. I lunged forward and dug till I found her body. The necklace stuck to her like it was metal attracted to a magnet. I placed her in a body bag and took her back home. The public was curious but said nothing. We buried her properly in the cemetery and wished her safety and peace. I looked up to see the motorcycle driver and the bike turn into the headless horseman. His fire snorting horse raised it's front legs in the air as a salute and they rode away. Mom called asking if I would join her for dinner. Tiberius mentioned something about a ritual that cements me as the guardian. So I told mom that I will join her tomorrow. She wanted to argue but I told her that I am ok. She hung up and texted me that the diner owner told her to ask me to come over. He wants to know what was in the bag and many other things. I texted that it was a person who was wronged by the community. I just made sure she got what deserved. Mom thanked me before going back to work. My stepdad called and asked me if I was coming over for dinner. I told him that I am busy with work. So I am not leaving the property till lunch tomorrow. He let out a sigh and asked me to be extra careful. I promised him I would. Zilmera asked me who called. I explained and she chuckled. The sealing ritual would finalize your stand as guardian. People who opposed it would try to stop me. My family was being pressured to make sure I am not performing it. I had eleven hours left to go. So expect more people with bright ideas to stop me.
I sat down to meditate and the phone rang. I explained to Zelmira if it was the townspeople to say that I am busy trying to figure out the repercussions of opening the portal. Every action has an equal or opposite reaction. She smiled as she answered the phone. Her face lit up as she expressed her sincerest apologies for the inconveniences. Tiberius came with the newspaper tucked under his arm. He mentioned a new shop had opened. It wasn't a fortune teller. It was a shop selling camping. A wood nymph had purchased the vacant lot. The map has a decent depiction of the surrounding areas. The map shows our town, two ghost towns nearby and the large forest and the mountain. I sat down and explained to Mrs. Kol that I am busy till tomorrow's lunch so if anyone has any bright ideas about interrupting tonight's ceremony they had better not if they value their safety. The bell on the gate and the phone temporarily disabled. I asked Tiberius for fencing lessons. He gladly escorted me to the back garden and we fought till lunchtime. I ate stinging nettle soup, a steak made from elk meat and some stale black rye bread. I was given a smoking crystal goblet with a piece of charcoal in it. I stirred it carefully before I took a sip. Kol explained that it was to remove anything unwanted that would interfere with the acceptance ceremony. The liquid will remove any impurities or hexes to be specific. I thanked her as I drank the stuff. It tasted like a mix of spicy cayenne pepper and bitter melon.
I went to sleep and woke up after seven. I went downstairs and practiced hurling till it was an hour before midnight. I had dinner with Mrs. Kol. She was quiet. We ate a few dozen pufferfish sushi, seaweed salad and a red liquid that felt like fire as it went down my throat. She told me it was a potion to make sure I wasn't possessed. We ate several slices of death by chocolate cake and I was taken upstairs to soak in a bathtub filled with milk mixed with black roses petals, musk and slices of black apples imported from Nepal. I was dressed in a floor length black robes with bright purple runes sewn into the fabric. My hair was combed and braided. I was given a crown with spiders and cobwebs on them. I was taken to the swimming pool which started to cook. The illusion disappeared and I saw a swamp. Stone slabs rose and I was told to go where it leads. It took me to a rickety old house that swayed left and right. Gators were swimming not far away. The woman waiting for me was in her sixties. She ushered me into the center of the room. The floor was carved in an unknown language. She asked me to kneel in the center. I repeated the words, "I Kiera Phoenix hereby solemnly swear to uphold my duties by obeying the rules and if necessary by breaking the rules to defend this world from those that wish to bring about armageddon. I will fight till I am one with the earth." She took my hand and cut it from my wrist to my middle finger. A few drops of blood fell in. The scratches glowed red then purple and finally it turned pitch black. Then a large hand made of shadows grabbed me and pinned me down. I fought to stay conscious. Red sparks shot out and struck me. Then green arrows hit me and black fire enveloped me and I saw something laminate me like a shield.
The next morning I sat down to eat scrambled eggs with fire roasted peppers, sourdough bread and bitter chocolate. I walked out to the drawing room when I saw Zilmera came with a teenager in tow who was no older than thirteen. She had flaming red hair and sparkling green eyes. She gave me a hug and thanked me profusely. It took me a moment to realize. "Harkness" she stared sadly as she explained, "It's Elaila Nereza. I am in your blood debt for freeing me. I pledge to serve you till the time comes for me to vanish into nothing." I stood in shocked silence, "I accept your pledge. I am sorry for the pain you had suffered. I hope you earn some measure of peace." She smiled, "Are you an Empath?" I shook my head, "I am a Raven. I see the horrible, the grim and the macabre aspects of life. This has helped me mostly but hurt me as well" she nodded sadly, "To be gifted is to accept suffering. To accept that not everyone has good intentions and some just want to hurt you." I gave her a hug and I asked Mrs. Erebus if she could place a glamour spell on Elaila so no one could harm her again. The two left eagerly. I decided to go jogging. The exercise would be good. So I walked out of the perimeter of the property and jogged till I saw the diner. Mom happily greeted me and I asked her if she would join me for lunch. She happily accepted. I told her about the acceptance ceremony and she was happy. The diner owner had other ideas. He was upset that I was officially sworn in. He said that I would do better being a guardian if I hadn't done the ritual. I smiled, "You didn't write the terms and conditions so mind your business please. Also you had no right to lobotomize a guardian. This acceptance gave me protection. So let's be clear. If you have a problem then leave this town and let a supernatural one own your diner." He stared at me angrily. He apologized grudgingly. I told him that I am not the one he needs to apologize to. He stared with disgust before he went back to serving the firemen. Mom and I went to the Chinese restaurant and we enjoyed Peking duck, beef noodle soup and fermented tea.