Chapter Text
"So, you are telling me that you really can't see auras?" Romm said to Miko. They were in what Romm called 'secret sacred forest whose location was worth 2000 space dollars'.
"Yes. Only ghosts, not auras. " Miko said.
"Really? Not even a little bit? You can't manipulate auras either?" Romm said, shocked.
"Not even a little bit. No. Why?" Miko said, rattled.
"Because that's very odd, that's why. Unprecedented in mediums. Maybe." Romm said.
"So... What does that mean?" Miko said.
"Because you can't recognize dangerous spirits, it means that you'll need some extra protection, that's all." Romm said. "And for only 500 space dollars, I can provide it for you."
"I'm a high-school student. Do you think I have that amount of money, Romm?" Miko said.
"Okay, I'll offer you a discount. 90%. You can't expect a better deal than that!"
Miko looked at him incredulously. "Can you tell me what you have in mind first, before we haggle about the price?" she said.
"This." Romm said. He pulled a golden bell from his backpack. Just looking at it again made Miko's skin crawl and hair on the back of her neck prickle in coldness, like tiny icicles dripped from the ceiling and flowed down her head and back.
"What?" Miko said.
"What exactly do you mean to do with that... thing? The shrine was destroyed. The spirit too. I... I don't understand." Miko said. She felt tears rushing to her eyes but she fought them back.
"Ring it. Use it. Teach you how to bind friendly spirits to yourself and let them lend their power to you." Romm said.
"They didn't seem friendly to me!" Miko said. The large Shrine god still gave her nightmares, making her wake up at 4 am still to this day. Even his servants were creepy, all business, scarily powerful despite their diminutive size. They might've been cute compared to regular ghosts (cuter than small geezers even) if they weren't so terrifying.
"Compared to things they took down, they were very friendly." Romm said. "Anyway, how good of a cook are you?"
"I can make the basics and I sometimes help mom in the kitchen, but I can't say I'm an expert. Why?" Miko said.
"In that case, let me teach you a recipe. For only 50 space dollars! And that's a deal!" Romm shouted.
"Cut it out! Just act serious and normal, okay? None of that hawking showman business." Miko said, while she watched a giant pitch-black tree nature spirit tear to pieces and devour equally giant but ugly and decaying humanoid ghost.
"Fine. It's a dango recipe. Dango is a good offering and this will be a special dango." Romm finally said.
"I'm listening." Miko said. The nature spirit was finishing its lunch.
"You'll make the dango, we'll make a small shrine with magic and powerful, yours for only---" Miko waved threatening finger at him "erm, powerful symbols and circles and tools. Then ring a bell and offer the dango to the spirits."
"And that will work?" Miko said. "Only, I had a similar dream involving dango and offering it to the shrine maiden ghosts and it didn't work. At all. In fact, it was quite scary!"
"It will work. If you make the sweet dango with Hana. Then it will be aura rich and a decent offering for any spirit!" Romm said excitedly.
"That doesn't make it easier." Miko said gloomily.
"How so?" Romm said, his thought process grinding to a halt.
"Because then I'll have to prevent Hana from eating all the dango herself." Miko joked. Romm laughed.
"Trust me, it will work." he said.
"Payment only after it works, then. Not before." Miko said.