THE young man who remained in the workshop stared at the broom in his hand with a tormented expression. Adjustments were almost complete. Even the special adjustment.
“Heeeh, so that’s the trick?”
Lambert whirled toward the young voice that suddenly spoke behind him. When did he get there? A boy hidden under a white hood poked the brooms on the wall and watched them swish. He should’ve been an unexpected and uninvited visitor, but Lambert answered him without question, guarded as he was.
“I didn’t leave anythin’ out.”
“Cool. Show me.”
At the boy’s request, Lambert slid his finger through the air, activating the seal carved into the broom. Green light coursed through the surface of the handle, cleanly breaking it into several pieces that clattered on the hardwood floor.
“The broom will fall apart during tomorrow’s race at a single command from me,” the two-timing culprit stated without inflection over the clattering wood, his face blank.
“Fabulous! All this just for the small price of—”
A sharp whittling knife came within an inch of Phantom’s throat, ending his teasing. Lambert’s narrowed eyes glinted sharper than the blade, an unspoken threat that he’d cut anyone who got on his bad side.
“You will pay me my due, yeah?”
“Oh! So scary-wary! I was gonna pay you in full without the scare tactics.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Something appeared in front of the boy who raised his hands in surrender. It was an accessory very similar to the one hanging from Lambert’s chest. Phantom curled his fingers around the leather strap and confirmed the contents of their deal.
“A clue on your birth parents, was it? Finish off that annoying Spirit Priestess and I’ll tell you what I now.”
“Hmph,” Lambert snorted and pocketed the knife.
Phantom watched him with amusement and pushed his buttons for the heck of it. “Though I’ve gotta hand it to you, you surprised me with how easily you turned on her. I made the right choice striking up a bargain with you in that foggy valley or whatever you people call it.”
When Lambert awoke in Fog Valley, the first thing he saw was this boy cloaked in a white robe sitting on the rock above him. The boy introduced himself as Phantom and said just the right things to wheedle his way past Lambert’s wariness.
“You pretend to be friendly, all the while keeping company with some nasty, dark emotions under that mask. How do I know? Because I’m cut from the same filthy cloth.”
The strangely compassionate Phantom somehow knew about Lambert’s desire to find his parents. And he glibly offered him an irresistible deal.
Clenching the leather strap at his chest, Lambert told himself, This is a risky bet, but even so…I…
Spying his hesitance, Phantom’s lips curved into a sly smile under the hood. “Tell me one more time. What is it you desire?”
Lambert lifted his head. Insanity and hatred flared in those snakelike yellow eyes.
“I’m going to skunk out my parents—and slaughter them.”
Nichika had arbitrarily imagined him having this emotional reunion with his parents, but she was so off from the truth it was laughable. Truth was, he had a vague memory of the time he was tossed aside. His old man punched him, kicked him, and spat on him, then threw him out of the moving wagon. That humiliation was still vividly etched into his memory to this day. His mother looked scornfully down on him when he reached out to her for help. It was then, in those young days where he was driven to the brink of despair, that Lambert made an oath.
“My life will finally begin once I get my revenge on them. The Wind Spirit can rot in hell. Got nothin’ to do with me. Everything exists only as a tool to prolong my life.”
Phantom trembled in the pleasing negative emotions oozing from him. Now he was going to be a useful tool, just like the reports said.
“Go ahead and convert your negative feelings into dark mana,” he whispered sweetly, pressing a fist-sized magic crystal against the back of Lambert’s hand. The light-gray ore instantly turned a suspicious purple. A satisfied smile pulled at the corner of his lips. “Jealousy? Nicely made.”
The boy melted into the background. Was he still partially there? Only his voice that reminded Lambert of wind chimes remained.
“Take care of the rest as we discussed. I’ll plant this magic crystal. Knock that priestess outta the sky right before the goal line.”
“I will.”
“See ya later.”
At last Phantom had completely disappeared. Left behind, Lambert shook his head and plastered a smile on his face. The bright and friendly voice of “Lam” resonated in the workshop.
“Now then, I better finish up this adjustment lickety-split and hit the hay.”
Only his dead eyes betrayed the smile on his lips.
“Or else I won’t see my parents.”
✦ ✦ ✦
NICHIKA was flying. She soared comfortably over Windy Village with Lambert’s specially made broom.
Hey, I’ve got this in the bag flying this well!
Now she didn’t have to worry about embarrassing anyone during the race. She could rapidly ascend, dive, make sharp turns, and even pull off acrobatic flips in the air! She was so happy she was humming—but then she heard a disturbing snap.
“Wha?”
A second after she started to worry, the broom under her vanished. She fell upside down.
“No way! Noooooo! Why?!”
The ground rapidly approached her face. She squeezed her eyes shut and—
THWUMP!
“—!”
A jolt to her back shocked her awake. The sunlight streaming through the windows and chirping birds informed her of reality. She hadn’t fallen from her broom but the top of her bed.
“What an ominous dream…”
Of all the days to have this nightmare, it had to be today? Clasping a hand to her catapulting heart, she got a hold of herself and washed her face. She descended the stairs and saw a head of green hair sleeping face down on the parlor table.
How late did Lam stay up to help me?
She tiptoed past him into the next room.
✦ ✦ ✦
LAMBERT, who worked on the broom until dawn, woke up to a mouthwatering smell. Drowsy, he sat up and stretched like a cat. Nichika walked in from the adjacent kitchen and casually greeted him.
“Good morning. I borrowed the kitchen. Sorry for not asking first.”
A white plate was placed in front of him. A hot fried egg with the yolk melted to perfection jiggled on top of crisply toasted bread. The girl sat down across from him with another plate and dipped her head in apology.
“I’ll go out and replace the ingredients I used later.”
“Naw, you don’t have to. Food’ll only rot with just me and Sylmia ’round.”
Lambert picked up the toast wondering how long it’d been since he last ate breakfast. He was astonished there were even edible ingredients in the house. That Wind Spirit doesn’t cook. Heck he doesn’t even need to eat.
“Let’s eat! Mmmm! I’m in heaven! Eating bread fresh out of the oven is hands down the best thing ever!”
Mixed feelings stirred within Lambert as he watched the girl blissfully chomp on her breakfast. Throwing his fake smile back in place, he handed her the broom leaning against the wall.
“Here ya go. Thanks for waitin’.”
“Yay! Thanks a bunch. Wow, it’s even lighter than it was yesterday.”
“Yep. I’m proud to say it’s my best work to date.”
So is my addition, he added mentally.
Utterly unaware of what he’d done, Nichika beamed at him. “Really, thank you so, so much, Lam. I might even win thanks to you!”
Her innocent gratitude pricked at his chest. He was shocked to learn he still had a heart, but he shoved it under the rug and suggested, “Go show it off to my grumpy buddy. That grumpster didn’t return until three in the mornin’.”
“That late?! What in the world was he doing? For goodness’ sake.”
“This and that, I’m sure. You know how pent up his frustration is.”
“Whaaa?!”
Just a little baiting sent the girl storming from the room as planned. Relief settled over him as he munched on the egg toast.
It was delicious by all accounts, but a bitter taste spread through him nevertheless.