Spirit Taming

Chapter 623: The Tundra Path

As everyone else had gotten some rest to at least a small degree, Clark was the only one that constantly was up and pacing while also keeping watch. He had to make sure that he decided on the very best method so that Grace would solve the problem that had been created in a moment of both panic and need.

She had been the very reason that they had all escaped uninjured. It was already a miracle that none of their group had drowned when they fell in the water. If Brad had been any weaker he would have sunk down in the turbulent water due to his partner's weight.

But Isa had made ice enough for Brad to hold on to then Grace had created a literal ice bridge that lasted long enough to run across. Both were events that added much more risk to the situation while also saving them. It was hard to accept all of this, but it was also just a fact of where they were.

Ralph had clearly not slept. He had watched over every little bit of injury left that Maria could not heal. The burns had been easy enough for healing potions and Maria to heal with Lit's help. They had gone away leaving slightly paler skin behind. It would most likely just be that way for the remainder of Grace's life.

However, the odd wing markings from the extremely cold temperature of the frost wings that the frost finch had made under Grace's control were too much. Clark had an inkling that the first finch would have eventually been able to take a solid ice wing form as an assistant to Grace so that she could fly.

This was somewhat within the description of the frost finch for its growth process as well. However, now, the first finch had frozen its body and severely solidified itself. This made it slower and less agile overall. This limited the wind control it had until Grace was able to learn how to help herself or the first finch was able to grow to a new stage.

Both situations were not immediate which made Grace the weakest link now out of everyone. The two needed to be guarded much more than before. Not that Ralph cared about that. He would be the one protecting her while she rested. He just hoped that she woke up sooner than later while they were traveling.

He did not relish the fact that the group planned to stop at a dungeon on the way out of the violent jungle.

"That all really happened?" the moment that Isa had woken up, Clark had been the only one awake to tell her the events after she partially lost consciousness. "I used as much energy as we could to make us a raft of ice to give us a fighting chance. I knew it was a risk…" Isa was understandably crushed.

She had thought she heard Grace apologizing to her, yet, that might just be some odd fever dream because she was too tired. Now she knew that it was real and that Grace was with a brand new illness.

"I saved all the ice materials I could since I wanted to slowly give them to the winter witch as we adjusted our bond and got stronger. But now she is sleeping and needs rest so I can't even think about giving her any herbs if I want to." Isa made it sound that she would have held on to them anyways. But that was clearly not the case. She was just trying to hold more of her worries within her heart.

"They will help me decide what healing process we are going to offer Grace. I have it narrowed down to two but both need herbs and natural fruits that could barely be found in general. But even the smallest and most insignificant herbs should help her." Clark was not going to tell Isa that she could not help in even this small way.

The little things could be the one tiny detail needed to move this mountain.

"I want you to focus on the wind caterpillar for the time being. Acclimate it to a better state of wind control. The first finch suffered a forced limiting since it feared harming Grace any further. It's still asleep holding on to her while we speak. But it clearly blames itself for the wind and ice energy living in her heart right now.

If it wants to grow, it might need a push from another mainly wind type beast."

There was a powerful glint within Isa's eyes that told Clark everything he had asked would happen. She would surely be focusing on acclimating her body to the stronger wind energies that would be needed to assist Grace at the opportune time. Clark also sensed that the little wind caterpillar that had not been able to help much for some breezes here and there was prepared to push itself as well.

But that just came with noticing how hard the other beasts and tamers worked in the group.

When the conversation between Clark and Isa ended, the two noticed that Maria and the others had begun to wake up. It appeared that the two had spoken too loud. However, that was ideal.

"You said there were two ways to help. what are they?" Maria was unsure what Calrk would have to tell them. But she trusted him more than anyone else. While he had been hard to stick with at first, once she had made a bond with him, Clark had proven time and time again that his heart was damaged, but full of strength to protect those he cared for.

It was why she felt more than the others did when she looked at him.

"One method is called the ice body method. It means that she had to create unique baths of nearly frozen water steeped in various herbs. The first tea leaves from high mountains, shivering mandrake root, and even the icicle cherry blossom flowers. There are about fifty other herbs and it will take ten years of daily soaking."

The group realized that the price of these very rare herbs would be extreme. Also, it required ten years! The time alone would be unbearable since Grace would hate herself for being unable to help any of them whatsoever. Furthermore, the sheer number of herbs needed might not even be possible to get in the first place regardless of the cost.

"I know, it is too hard. The other is the true ice heart method. It requires her to consume various ultra rare herbs and legendary herbs. This method will stimulate the ice energy within her heart and force her body to accept it. Then the addition of her beast sending wind energy in high amounts through their bond will create a unique ice heart called the tundra heart."

"She would need to eat a pure snow apple, fir treant blossoms, the core of the first bamboo plant, along with many other things. They would need to be eaten over time as she forced herself to adjust. That means she will cause herself a lot of mental stress but come out with the ability to control ice much better and also adapt to the wind energy to a much more sensitive level.

Basically, she would be making her body balance out her beast's strength before passing energy back and forth."

"But that would also make the first finch grow in a more unique way. I didn't want to offer it to Grace because I thought it might not be possible. The materials that Grace needs to consume are very similar to what the frost finch will need to become a tundra phoenix. A beast with incredible ice and wind control. Able to heal itself with wind and ice energy."

The group listened as they all sifted in to their spatial rings for every ice related herb or material that they had. Ralph even went so far to remove the smaller pieces of eternal ice that he had gathered and could not forge since he didn't understand the methods. He had been too stubborn to ask Clark to teach him.

"We will do the second one then. Grace cares for her partner the same way that we all do. She even refuses to get another one since she believes that the two of them are all she will ever need. I was the same, but my mind was changed." Ralph softened his voice as he thought to the dragon welp who he could relate to a lot.

They had hit it off and were now partners working together as well as the molten boar.

"I will do that. You don't have to worry." Not a single one of them had noticed Grace weakly open her eyes and listen to them. She had a single tear falling down her cheek. She felt that everyone around her had great love for her. She hadn't expected that she would ever feel so warm when she could only feel the cold in her heart. But in a few moments of everyone being shocked, she fell back asleep.

She was barely able to focus just now with how weak she was.