The Kiss Of A Spirit

Chapter 3

"So how exactly does this whole spiritual thing work?" Frida asked Manny. "Are they like all ghosts or something? Where did they come from?"

"I'll tell you everything but I'm only doing it once so pay attention." He said. "Millions of years ago when Christians started getting slaughtered here and there like cattle God created six spirits to help assist mankind. The first two were the keepers of the two worlds of the afterlife. La Muerte spirit of heaven and Xibalba spirit of hell he used to be heaven's keeper until he thought it would be funny to create mystical creatures to tease the living after that he was demoted to hell. After them came the other four Hamato (Seventh Samari) spirit of the North, Chiquita the spirit of the East, Chakal spirit of the West I hate that guy by the way, and finally Tonio spirit of the South or at least he was until you came along."

"You sure do know a lot about all this."

"As a familiar it is my responsibility to know all this."

"Wow responsibility, you don't see a lot of teenagers taking that on. Hey how old are you anyway?" She asked while drinking some soda.

"I am exactly a thousand and two years old."

Frida spat her drink right in his face when he said that.

"You're what!?" She cried.

Manny glared at her then using his hand wiped the soda from his face.

"Yes I am a thousand and two years old."

"But you're a teenager! How are you even alive?!"

"Because I age differently from you imbecile! You humans live for at most a hundred and twenty years my kind on the other hand live for a million years."

"A million years?! Wait if that's true why do you look so young? I mean you look like you're the same age as me."

"That is because I haven't out grown my teenage phase yet. My kind known as the naguals go through phases that last for centuries. For example from the 100's to 1400's I was a child, from the 1500's to the 40000's I shall remain a teenager, from the 50000's to the 90000's I will be an adult, and in the 10000's I will be an old man until I die at age one million. Spirits on the other hand are immortal."

"Sweet so does that mean I'll live forever?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because even though you have spiritual powers you still posses a human body and a human life."

"No fair."

"Excuse me." A voice chirped. At the window was a bird carrying a small note. "I have a message from Princess Andra to the new south spirit."

"Princess Andra?"

The bird dropped the note in Frida's hand which she and Manny read together.

"It would seem that she and King Sanchez plan to pay us a visit to give their blessings to you." Manny said.

"Who are they?" Frida asked.

"King Sanchez and his daughter Princess Andra are chipactli who rule over the swamp region. The maintain floods, storms, and the occasional crocodile infestation."