I
rose from the couch, satisfied that enough time had passed. If the
girl had been aware of the bond, she would have returned earlier.
Striding across the carpet to the trapdoor, I crouched and lifted the
latch. After climbing down, I knelt beside the tree. It was time to
learn about the Vartija.
Transforming into a jackal,
I inhaled. Her most recent scent led to a gate in the fence. I slunk
across the lawn, toward the house. According to the bond, it appeared
that the girl was in there.
After studying the exterior,
I shook my head. Some discomfort would be required to enter
unnoticed.
Exhaling, I released my hold
on solidity. A burning pain engulfed my body as it lost form, rising
into the air as a cloud of smoke. My senses were sharply diminished
in this form; allowing only for sight and hearing. On the roof, I
maneuvered through the air into the ventilation system. Allowing a
small amount of my usual density to return, I worked against the
current. After a few moments, I left the ventilation system.
Releasing the density I had used to enter, I floated to the ceiling.
Following the bond, I worked my way through the house.
I found the Vartija sitting
on a couch with a boy. There was a square cardboard box on the small
table before them, from which they removed slices of some human food.
"...ready for the
quiz." The Vartija was telling the boy. He nodded, offering her
a smile.
"I'm glad the study
session helped."
I studied the boy. In this
form, I was unable to correctly identify his species, but he appeared
human.
Another human entered the
room. The woman was middle-aged, with long hair a few shades darker
then the Vartija. Her eyes were a light brown. Dressed in jeans and a
cream blouse, she was taller then her daughter. This was the human
mother.
"Finished studying?"
She asked, looking at the closed books on the table. The boy nodded.
"Yes, just finishing up
the pizza."
The Vartija looked at her
mother. Her face was open, unguarded at the moment. It was
surprising, to see a Vartija at ease.
If she had been trained, I
would not be able to spy like this without her sensing my presence.
"How is your family?"
The mother asked, looking at the boy.
He shrugged, speaking after
having swallowed a bite of food. "They're okay. My uncle is
coming for a visit later in the month."
I left the room, searching
the house until I found the room belonging to the Vartija.
It was a small, neatly kept
area. Solidifying enough to handle objects, I began searching the
room.
The description she had
given of the item was sparse, but I would find the the journal.
A journal of Vartija
secrets, however damaged, might hold the key to my freedom.
It wasn't well hidden.
I lifted the book from the
top shelf in the closet. Carefully flipping through it as fast as
possible without further damaging it, I scanned the contents. After
reaching the last page, I set the book down. Further solidifying my
hand, I conjured a near exact replica of the book. Placing the
replica where I had found the original, I left the closet. With the
original in hand, I floated to the window. Unlocking the window and
opening it, I left the house. After closing the window, I passed my
gaseous hand through a chip in the glass near the locking mechanism
and solidified my fingers. The window lock slid back into position,
and I extracted my gaseous hand. Returning to a solid form, I smiled
at the chip in the glass.
The reconnaissance had gone
well, and now the source of the Vartija's knowledge was in my
possession.
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