Even Lana was surprised the next night. It was as if she saw a different person. There was something in Freyan’s stand and moves that reminded her of the nobility. If only she wouldn’t dislike the pompous sorcerers of Axzavion so much who gave out the same aura. If only those sharp teeth weren’t there. And the hay in his hair. Lana chuckled and pointed at hers. For Freyan’s much frustration when he discovered the little nuisances in his long blonde hair.

They left the house behind as they arrived the night before with Lana’s spell of surfing on ground. If Freyan had to guess he would said they glided even faster than last time. They took even more sharp turns and they traveled a longer distance. Was it possible that Lana took a longer rout just to confuse him? Who could knows…

They arrived a small clearing surrounded by thick vegetation. There was a shrine of some sorts build there from simple large stones stretching towards the sky. The blocks were different in size, but all were taller than a human and were stationed in an almost closed circle. Tendrils of plants were running upwards on some of them as if they were trying to hug them.

They just stood before the shrine in silence for moments. Then Freyan looked clueless to the shaman.

“You have to go inside the circle” said Lana answering the unspoken question.

“Why?”

“This is a shrine of Agamea, a lesser spirit of healing. This is what I spoke of. As I had nothing to go on I had no better idea. I communed with her while you slept and Agamea agreed to help with what every ailing you. I will not force you though. You can turn around and leave, thus continue where you left off last night nothing changed.”

“No…” said Freyan in a faint voice. He didn’t know why but he felt if things left as is it will be only worse for him.

“This is the best I can do for now. As I said Agamea might have limitation to her powers but Greater spirits wouldn’t even listen to you probably.”

“What? Why?”

“The Great Spirits only interested in the things of the living.”

“Living?” Freyan couldn't get paler but certainly felt awful because what this implied. “What does it make me if I’m not one of the living? Am… Am I dead? Or…”

“Undead? Some folk might say that, but as far as I know it’s not the correct term. You are a siphoner. You drain energy from the living as you cannot generate your own in every aspects. That is the most accurate answer I can give.”

“That seems accurate to me…”

“I’m sure some sorcerer could give you a more complicated explanation.”

“Complication is the last thing I want right now.”

Lana smiled and waited expectantly.

“Can I ask you one last question?” said Freyan hesitantly.

“Sure.”

“What does that make you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t hear your heartbeat or anything else. Probably it’s better for both of us, but it feels like if you weren’t even here.”

“Of course I am one of the living! I’m a human” she smiled almost proudly. “You can’t hear my heartbeat because I don’t want you to. I have at least four protective barriers around me all the time and as you said it’s probably for the best. Last time you entered a rage only on the mention of human blood!”

“Yeah… I know…” he wasn’t in the best shape right now also. It was hard to drive away his thoughts on the taste of the sweet human blood. He took a long meaningful moment trying to get a grip on himself. And then he stepped into the stone circle.