Chapter 7 - 7: I'm sorry, what?

Absolutely shocked by the ghost maji's very sudden statements, all I could say was "Uhhh…what?"

"Ah right, I should probably explain", Voxea said as if it were the most natural thing in the world and slightly condescendingly.

"Over the centuries I have been stuck here, my only source of information has been that "window" right behind you", gesturing towards the ice wall, "It can't transmit sound all too well but it can send me visuals. In the most recent decades I have seen that the people you call binders, unlike the normal humans that seem to venture through the area, emit an aura that was akin to my fellow maji but stranger...more feral...and you Miss Rosewood are emitting that same aura. In other words, you're a binder", she finished while pointing at me.

I was stunned when she told me that I was a binder. Waves of confusion washed over me and many questions started popping up in my mind, too many to recount. I was mentally breaking down on how could I, a girl from the middle of nowhere,be a binder. I was going to fire off another myriad of questions, until I recalled that the binders who would stop by the village to relax would sometimes swap stories about how they became binders. The origins of their stories varied but it always boiled down to, "It just...happened". I suppose this moment is my "just happened", but that did not change the fact I have never bounded a majimonster in my entire life.

"Slight problem with your statement Voxea, I never bounded a majimonster in my life so how can you tell my aura is like those other binders?"I asked.

"Well that explains the unusual quietness to your aura...no matter, that just means I get to be your first. Don't worry, I'll be gentle", Voxea said teasingly.

"Inappropriate", I said before taking a deep breath and saying, "Alright then...now the whole turning yourself into a monster thing? How is that supposed to work"?

"Well that's technically a trade secret I cannot divulge, but I can tell you that it's an ancient ritual that will involve using the latent primal magic inside that drajule and the magic in my tomb to create a new body for my spirit to inhabit, which will turn me into a majimonster.", Voxea said with ease. "However I will need you, my soon to be binder, to help provide the nudge necessary for the drajule to release its magical power. I would do it but being a spirit comes with certain drawbacks".

"How do I do that?",I asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I'm pretty sure you're going to have to try and bind me like a majimonster whilst I perform the ritual", Voxea said with a tone of certainty, "so try to figure out how to do that and we can get started".