Chapter 20

The next day, Omega arrived in our cave accompanied by two new spirits. They floated around like Halloween ghosts, quite different from the five spirits Jesse and I had previously seen beside the statues.

"Master, these are Rangmer and Arstone. This is the Master, and Jesse, his mate," Omega introduced us. The spirits gently landed on the ground. "You honor us, Master of all," I heard in my mind. We're both of them speaking?

"Why do they not have a form?" I asked Omega.

'You must tell them what shape they should take, and they will mold to your thoughts, Master,' Omega replied.

"Hmmm, I don't think they should resemble the other five. What do you think, Jesse?"

"How about picking two different animals? Maybe a badger and a hawk, or a buffalo and an orca? Something completely distinct from the guys we have," Jesse suggested.

"What vessel would you have brought when you traveled with my five spirits? Please change into that shape so Jesse and I can see."

Both spirits transformed. One became a giant centipede, while the other turned into a large scarab.

"That won't do. Have you two ever changed into any other animals?" I inquired. They both fell prostrate on the ground.

'No, Master of all, these are the only forms we have taken,' one replied. I still couldn't determine which one was speaking.

"Omega, could you turn into a buffalo so they can see what one looks like?"

Omega split into the five spirits, and Cetus transformed into a large, muscular buffalo.

"Alright, this should work. Can the rest of you change into a badger, a hawk, a panther, and an orca?"

Each spirit transformed as requested. "Now, look at each other and tell me which two options you prefer. You too, Jesse."

"The buffalo's head is too big, so I definitely don't want him. I do like the badger, though, if his fur was shorter," Jesse remarked. The buffalo then reverted to Cetus.

"Now that I see them, the birds are out. Feathers could hurt if we played around, and having an orca poses a problem." The orca transformed back into Fenrir, and the eagle changed into Ursus.

"Maybe a muscular rat and a mole, both with short fur? Or perhaps a jackal or a muscular dog."

The five spirits agreed the badger was a good choice. They also liked the mole and the rat. The jackal wasn't favored, but the dog seemed acceptable.

Jesse liked all the same options. "Can you change into a mastiff instead of a Doberman?" Ursus transformed into a massive, hulking dog.

"I like that," Jesse approved.

"Okay, from these five picks, choose one you like and transform into that form, but don't pick the same one," I instructed.

A badger stood in front of me, and shortly after, the rat joined him. "Are you both okay with these forms for the rest of your stay here?" The five spirits shifted back into their original forms and then faded away.

"Yes, Master," the rat replied.

"Indeed, Master. This form suits me well," the badger added.

'Jesse must bond with them, Master. This will prevent them from becoming bonded to us like before. Once he bonds, you should be able to connect without changing them,' Omega explained.

'Looks like it's your responsibility to bond with them; go ahead. I would join you, but you heard Omega,' I said to Jesse.

Jesse returned with the two new spirits, having been gone for only about an hour. The rat now appeared more muscular and stockier, standing shorter than I was. In contrast, the badger loomed over me, towering at over six feet tall, resembling one of the largest bodybuilders I've seen. His fur was short, almost like velvet standing upright from his body.

"Done," Jesse said with a smile. "I've bonded with them. They feel like an extension of myself. I tweaked them a little. It's not too much, is it?"

"I thought it would take you longer," I remarked.

"You're the one for me; you already know that," Jesse replied.

"I hope you like my body, Master of all," the badger spirit said.

"I hope you like mine too, Master of all," the rat spirit added.

'Omega, what's with this 'Master of all nonsense? ' I asked, growing annoyed.

'It's the title the spirits in our spiritual realm have given you, Master,' Omega said.

"Well, if you two intend to stay here for any length of time, stop calling me that. When there are others around besides Jesse and the other spirits, refer to me as Keith or sir, never 'Master.' Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Master," they replied.

"Now it's your turn," Omega said. "Since Jesse has bonded with them, they should remain in their chosen forms without changing."

I took a deep breath, with a mix of anticipation and excitement. Reaching out toward the spirits, I focused on forming a bond. A glow enveloped me, connecting us.

"I can feel their presence," I said, filled with wonder. "It's like having an additional part of myself in them."

The rat and badger spirits bowed low. "We are honored to serve you," they echoed.

'Now that they are bonded to us, we can start moving six men into the training program again. How many do we have now, Omega? '

'Twelve. All but two are back at work in the mine. They're spreading rumors that the training is truly enlightening,' Omega answered.

'Karl, are you available?' I thought.

'Yes, Keith. I'm always available to you and Jesse,' Karl replied.

'How's the planning going for the park? '

'The permits are approved, and the design is completed. Grading has started with the help of the mine workers.'

'We had a slow start with recruiting and training, but it should pick up now. The spirits in the spirit plane have offered to help by converting our waste from the mine into fertile soil. I want to restrict access to the lowest five levels of the mine to members only. If you could inform the miners who aren't members yet that it's off-limits, it would help prepare the mine for habitation,' I requested.

'Sure. One of the new members is a heavy-load driver. You can ask him to bring the soil to an area that's not off-limits, and my men can move it to the surface. I'll assign more miners to improve the soil with the new fertile soil. Just make sure it's brought up dense and heavy, so I can claim it was dug from a deep pocket vein, ' Karl explained.

'Will do, ' I acknowledged.

'Thanks for letting Leo stay with me. You said he was going to be with me, right? '

'Yes. We have additional help, and now that Leo can split into multiple beings, he can be with you and remain here as well. As more men join as members, the spirits should continue to split to accommodate the need,' I clarified.