"I was in a deep slumber and after helping your grandparents in their final battle. I only awakened when your blood seeped through the cloth bag and soaked the family journal. It grieves me that I never got to say goodbye to your grandparents."
"So, are you saying that the journal will no longer exist?"
"That's right. Think of me as a genie, the book was my lamp and your rare blood type set me free. As of today, your spirit landscape is where I will reside."
To think his blood had the miraculous power to release this guardian deity from the confines of the journal left him confused.
Frustrated because with his response came additional questions.
Especially since sensing the truth in those words it was still very difficult for Sly Foxx to accept.
What had his grandparents been involved in before they died were their deaths not natural like his father led him to believe.
Right now, he was too young to get the answers he sought from a manipulative father who only recognized brute strength.
Squaring his fists, he hissed through clenched teeth, "I must get stronger!"
Still like any other kid, he went up to the spirit deity determined to inspect and touch him.
On closer examination it would have looked like any normal weed if it hadn't come to life and started speaking to him.
Its body was small, fluffy, with a head that was globe shaped and green in colour.
However, its entire body was covered with a unique glow, almost diamond like, glittery and translucent.
So tiny that it could stand on the palm of his hand.
This solitaire ice like plant that glowed so beautifully in front of him.
Which only helped to reinforce his conviction with his words.
For its spirit essence to have a diamond colour meant that it had to be at least over 100,000+ years old.
What could have happened to reduce this spirit guardian to almost infancy?
The spirit guardian's head bobbed when it talked.
It almost appeared too delicate that Sly was almost afraid to touch it.
Once he succeeded in touching the Sensitive Plant the feeling surprisingly made him feel like his age.
He enjoyed provoking it.
Mainly because the spirit guardian's leaves and stems would droop and fold inward instantly upon physical stimulation.
"Enough!" gasped the spirit guardian.
Being touched by Sly repeatedly was like being tickled to death.
Oddly, he laughed.
A sound that even sounded alien to his own ears.
Since Sly felt like he had not laughed since Ayana passed so tragically and it almost made him feel guilty.
Clearly play time with the sensitive plant was over.
Sly asked, "What should I call you and what more can you tell me more about this place?"
"Hmm… I am Mimosa Pudica, the Sensitive Plant. Just call me Mimosa," his spirit guide eagerly informed him.
It seemed to be happy that Sly was slowly coming to terms with his presence.
"Let's see how simple I can break it down for you to understand." Mimosa quickly added, "Every spirit master whether plant or beast has a spirit landscape residing in the mind their very own inner sanctum. How large this space becomes generally depends on your capacity to hold spirit essence. There are currently nine stages that can be mastered by spirit bone practitioners in this realm."
"Before your grandparents passed away they used the last of their energy to seal away your spirit landscape with strong essence barriers so that no one, not even your father could invade your privacy."
Sly nodded, this emptiness that he could never explain and the feeling of being incomplete that would not go away.
Now thanks to his spirit guide it all started to make sense to him.
"With your spirit landscape your future spirit plants and animals will reside. Aside from me, you have gained one other spirit plant that repugnant parasitic fungus but unfortunately you are not strong enough to wield his powers so I have sealed him away for the moment."
"Right now this spirit landscape is just a blank canvas but once you have a place you feel a connection to you can reshape your spirit landscape to look like that place. Another way to check the power of a spirit bone master is to check the stage of their spirit landscape. The more elite spirit bone masters will be able to check your spirit landscape without your notice. Bear in mind that when you meet more powerful Spirit masters in the future it will be very easy for them to overpower you unless you get stronger."
While Sly was talking to Mimosa on the periphery of his consciousness he could hear a war raging outside his spirit landscape.
Dr. Jennings and his spirit beasts were still in battle with the purple ants.
Wasn't it time that he reawakened and assisted the good doctor?
Before he could ask Mimosa why he was still mentally separated from the real world, a massive earthquake struck the spirit landscape.
The normally calm mental sea began to boil and bubble.
As something up ahead burst through the sea.
Just like a geyser jettisoning out of the turbulent waters.
A menacing figure shrouded in darkness shot towards them but was repelled by a barrier erected by the spirit guardian.
Nervously, Sly watched as a battle ensued between the spirit guardian and the dark parasitic fungus.
That had managed to escape the seal placed on it.
In fact, it seemed to have grown stronger after eating the seal which enraged the spirit guardian even further.
Like shooting stars in the sky, good versus evil clashed over the head of Sly.
"You're too weak, you can't defeat me," growled the parasite.
Meanwhile, the doctor and his spirit beasts watched in shock as the unconscious body of Sly suddenly levitated into the air.
Blinding light shot out in all directions from his body.
The doctor watched in awe as the vicious ants that had been overwhelming him earlier suddenly dwindled dramatically in numbers.
Luckily the doctor had enough foresight to erect a spirit barrier over himself and his spirit beasts or he would have burned to a crisp.
Why was all this ungodly power suddenly generated from Sly's comatose body?
A/N: Capacity & Limitations: A Plant/Beast Master can only absorb essence within their physical/mental limit, generally: 1st stage (<423 years), 2nd stage (<764 years), 3rd stage (<1,760 years), 4th stage (<5,000 years), 5th stage (<12,000 years), 6th stage (<20,000 years), 7th stage (<50,000 years), 8th stage (<100,000 years), 9th stage (>100,000 years).