Spirit World

Deal

The Sovereign of the Spirit World stood up, it was obvious by how Free got a glimpse of his white feet before it vanished again inside his long frock with gold lining, a few embroidered patterns, and the whole color was bright white. Literally. He had a magic stick in his hand that accompanied him on walking, and at the tip of the stick was where the pigeon was resting.

Free sat still and watched his steps, unamused and only waiting for him to start telling him the details that he had been waiting for patiently since the time that the sovereign had decided to disturb him from his peaceful daily meditation, and his prolonged delay of figuring out what kind of ridiculousness would he be sending him again.

He remembered fresh from just the experience of yesterday, his servitude was always boring, but it was never tiring up to the point yesterday when a problematic human implored for a more knowledgeable spirit, to which the sovereign always believed that it was him. But more than that, his knowledge was only used to things that were definitely trivial, like what should he wear for his date, which among the women he dated should he choose, what letter should he choose in his multiple-choice summative exam, and what numbers should he give to win the lottery. Even though serving humans had always been boring to him, he never had been so tired like what he experienced yesterday on that silly boy.

But he couldn't say anything about that at all. No matter how pissed he was with how he did almost all of the decisions in the life of the human, he couldn't do anything but follow. It was one of the rules of the sovereign, they couldn't complain about whatever the humans asked them to do, anyway, it wouldn't affect them at all. The effects of their choices would all be going directly to them, whatever it was, whether good or bad, spirits were just there for guidance and service. Humans couldn't blame them for what had happened to them.

"Free," Sovereign Spirit called him, breaking him into his trance and realizing that he was still in front of the old man. "Are you listening to me?"

His voice was as loud as a thunder, growling like a lion, whole and deep, it wasn't obvious like it was a voice of an old man. Actually, no one knew if he was really old or what he looked like. He just had this stick in his hand that was only for old men, then he had long white hair and a long white beard and mustache. No one had seen his face yet, it shone so brightly like a star. It lighted up the whole proximity he was in, and that was enough to make spirits bow down on him.

Well, except Free.

"Oh, sorry. I doze off. You took too much time. What is it again?"

Of course, that was only his excuse. Spirits didn't sleep. They didn't feel any tiredness, they just closed their eyes, not thinking of anything through meditation, and that was how they rest.

"You have to listen, young spirit. This mission for you is the most important amongst the missions I have given the spirits. This shall not be taken lightly, do you understand what I am meaning, Free?"

Free who was currently looking at his nails while he was already in a lying position, but still in the air, snorted and glanced at him. "You should have chosen someone else. I don't like serious things. You know that."

"That's the main reason why I chose you, and you don't get to question my choices, spirit." He sounded scary, but for a hardheaded spirit like Free, it just sounded so normal for him as that voice was always used to him.

"Whatever. Just tell me what do you want me to do," he mumbled. He was now throwing an apple up and catching it in his hand, then would repeat it again like what the sovereign was talking was as trivial as before.

But the Sovereign Spirit had had enough of his nonchalance. He flicked his fingers and the apple fell on the ground, and so was Free who suddenly felt the gravity and straightly fall on his back. He groaned, rolling on the side as he could feel the short pang of pain on his back. If humans couldn't hurt, it was different from the other spirits, they could hurt each other, and they could feel pain if they attacked. So this simple attack from the sovereign was enough to make him groan in pain.

"Now, will you listen, spirit?"

He frowned. He sat up and glared at the sovereign's feet before he nodded quietly. He had no other choice but to listen, now that he had pushed the sovereign's limit and patience, and before he punished him for being a pain in the neck, he sure needed to behave now according to how he wanted him to act.

"Someone prayed for guidance in a mission of looking for an important person. Just ask the details of the mission to the human who prayed dearly for a company of spirit. All I just want you to do is to behave according to how the human wanted you to function. You shall not cause any harm or distraction that might hinder the mission. This mission is also important in the Spirit World, you are chasing people who are convicts in the human and spirit world alike. So, you have to treat this like a real mission, do you understand me?"

Free yawned, even fanned his mouth. "Is that all?"

"If the human fail this, it will affect the human world, and the spirit world will be in chaos if the humans learned that this certain thing was possible. You have to be serious and listen to me, Free."

"What thing are you talking about? I can't really follow since I don't know what you're talking about. But it's not like I'm lending my whole spiritual life here, right? I'll just follow the human's command, do whatever ridiculous things they wanted me to do, and be back the day after. That's simple. It's not something I'm not used to doing."

How many years since the day he died? He couldn't remember. How many times he had done service like this already? He couldn't entirely remember. All he knew was it had been so long, and he lost count of the service that he did. They were just all the same though.

"Apparently, there are a few changes, my dear spirit," he said again, breaking him to his thoughts. "The mission surely wouldn't finish in a day, or two, or three. You are not going to be here unless the mission is done, failed or not. You are not allowed to step foot in here for as long as you're in a mission."

That made him sit up straight and look at the old man's feet with a surprised face. He realized that the sovereign was already back on his seat. "What do you mean? How will I sleep? How will I live? I can't stay longer in that filthy human world!"

"Yes, you can, Free. You can rest upon the body of animals, just not a human body."

Pushing off a human soul while they were alive, and taking over it as a spirit was one of the most popular, evilest, and the greatest rules of the spirit to not use the human body. It would be equivalent to murder in the human world as the soul of the human body that he stole would be bodiless and would need to be fetched by the other souls to bring him to the judgment area even though it was not their time yet.

His frown deepened. This one surely was a new thing for him. He had not experienced such a task before. The service he had done usually ended after a day or two, and he was back on top of a tree, meditating and taking out all the stress and irritation from the service to annoying humans. This was also the first time the sovereign had suggested him to have a body with an animal, something that he had thought before, but he firmly denied it as well, saying that he would be back after a day.

Spirits couldn't be out around the human world for so long, not unless they would be able to find a place to rest, and that were through the bodies of animals. The first time he used that trick was through a body of a horse, and honestly, he didn't like it, especially the taste of the grass that was only given to him as food. So he did not repeat that. He really despise being a Spirit most of the time.

But then, somehow, this mission had somehow given him the excitement and the curiosity to know what the mission was, and how come this was important that it could even affect the human and spirit world? This was the first time that he was given such a heavy task, and he couldn't help but think of a silly thought in his mind as a smirk formed on his lips.

"You said this mission is important?" he asked the sovereign playfully as he sit back in the air and put his chin on his hand. "I have a deal to make though, and I promise to do everything to finish this mission on a good note."

"I believe we have no time for that anymore, Free."

"Are you sure you don't want to hear it? I won't promise I will be back with a winning smile," he threatened, though still through nonchalance with even a shrug as he was back with throwing the apple up and catching it as if he was waiting for the sovereign's right answer before he stops.

The sovereign knew how Free was. He would do everything just not to succeed on a mission, after all, it would not directly affect him but the human whom he would decide of if they would ask for it. He could just answer absolutely unrelated things, and the human would believe him. He was completely capable of that.

"What are you thinking again, spirit?" he finally settled, and that answer seemed to be what the guy was waiting for as he sat properly again and grinned.

"I want to stay in the Spirit World for so long, without serving the humans."

"No."

"Well, okay!" Free just shrugged and stood up in the air, stretching his palm. "Give me where the human is so this could be done now. No promises though."

But the sovereign remained unmoving. Still thinking. The mission was important, and he needed a clear success in this. If Free would not be serious about this, then they were doomed. But he couldn't keep Free in the Spirit World for so long without service, he would be the one to be reprimanded by the highest one. So he sighed.

"How about I will grant your wish, whatever it is if you come back with a good result?"

Free hummed and thought about it. He could just make a wish for him to stay there for so long, it was still the same so he grinned.

"Well, sure, it's a deal."