“We can’t do it. You can’t do it,” Bodhi said, and even though I chose to ignore him, it’s not like that stopped him. “Riley, did you not hear me? If the Council didn’t assign it, it’s none of our business.”
He looked at me, shot me this long, hard, determined stare, but I chose to ignore that too.
Partly because I was already moving away from him, already making my way down the beach, headed in the same direction that the Hell Beast had run in.
And partly because I wasn’t interested in listening to that kind of dissent, nor to any dissent. Not when I was so busy forming a plan.
“It’s not like we can just go crossing over whomever we feel like, whenever we feel like. There are rules about these sorts of things, rules you’re not even aware of. Besides, it’s not like you’ll find him anyway,” Bodhi called out from behind me, his voice fading, the pitch growing weaker and weaker with each passing step I took. “Seriously, you’re just wasting your time. They only show themselves when they want to be seen. And even then, it’s usually only when they’re trying to ward off some kind of threat or something.”
I stopped.
Dug my toes deep into the wet, grainy sand and reconsidered my whole entire game plan.
I was headed the wrong way.
Instead of going in the same direction the beast had run, I should’ve been headed the way he’d come.
The same direction I’d originally been headed.
The same direction Buttercup and Bodhi had returned from.
Because if what Bodhi claimed was true, then there was something over there that the old Snarly Yow/Phantom Dog/Hell Beast found worthy of guarding. And if I could just find what that was, then I could also find him.
So I turned, turned and headed right back to where Bodhi was standing. Noting the look of smug relief on his face, the way he nudged Buttercup with his knee, signaling that now that I’d caved in to his infinite wisdom, now that I’d finally come to my senses and seen his side of things, it was time for us to move on.
But I just kept going.
Just sailed right past him, as I pierced though the fog and he called out from behind me, yelling, “Riley! I’m serious. Why do you still find it so impossible to listen to me? I thought we we’re past this. I thought we had an understanding. I am the guide, and you—” He paused, searching for just the right word, one that would serve to get his point across, but hopefully not offend. His voice sure and confident the second he found it, he said, “And you are the apprentice. Which means you can’t go making up assignments—you are not a free agent! You can only get them from the Council or me. Riley! This is not a joke. I’m completely serious. What will it take to get you to listen to me? To respect me?”
It was a lot of words.
Quite a mouthful really.
But to me, they were just a whole bunch of consonants and vowels haphazardly strung together.
The only reason I’d heard any of it was because he’d decided to follow me. And as he rushed to keep up, he added, “You can’t just do whatever you want, you know. There are rules and regulations, and all it takes is just one ridiculously irrational move on your part to jeopardize everything I’ve worked so hard to build! It’s my job to look after you. I’m responsible for you whether you like it or not. And yet, even though you’re well aware of that, even though you know all too well how I just got back in good with the Council after almost getting demoted and falling out of favor, you insist on doing this. Refusing to stop and consider how your reckless ideas might affect me. You just get some crazy idea about saving some Hell Beast that’s probably not even on the Council’s radar, and then you just dive in headfirst, without the slightest consideration as to how you’re about to risk all my hard work! You have no idea what you’re doing, no idea what the consequences are, or just how much I have to lose! Besides, little do you know, but just like people on the earth plane have destinies to fulfill, spirits also have destinies to fulfill. Not to mention a little something called free will, which is something you have no right to interfere with. The ability to exercise one’s free will is an imperative part of a soul realizing its destiny! And, I hate to break it to ya, but for someone who didn’t get their glow on until very recently, for someone whose barely there, pale green shimmer clearly marks you as a member of the level 1.5 team, you are neither allowed nor authorized to interfere in anyone’s destiny or fate or chosen path or free will unless specifically ordered to do so by either the Council or me! Why do you not understand this? Why do I have to keep explaining it to you?”
And that’s when I turned. That’s when I spun on my heel, looked him straight in the eye, and said, “As it just so happens, that’s exactly what I’m doing right now.”
He looked at me, his expression a little muddled, chaotic—a result of that hectic word deluge he’d spewed forth.
“I’m exercising my free will. And though I may not be as well versed in the rule book as you, Oh Mighty Guide of Mine, I’m pretty dang sure you lack the authority to keep me from realizing my destiny.”
Then, without waiting for a response, I was gone. Feet pushing hard into the sand, intent on keeping my progress steady and sure, choosing walking over flying since, in my experience anyway, flying in the fog isn’t nearly as much fun as it might seem at first. The poor visibility makes for a pretty blah view.
Bodhi’s voice continuing to haunt me as he hurled words like stubborn, obstinate, headstrong, overly willful, misguided, irrational, impulsive—none of them the least bit flattering, but all of them piercing through the fog and trailing right behind me nonetheless.
And just like before, they bore no lasting effect.
To me, it was just a bunch of bippidy blah blah.
I mean, maybe what he said was true.
Maybe it wasn’t.
It was of no particular interest to me either way.
Because despite what Bodhi claimed about the rules, and the Council, and my own very long list of extremely flawed character traits, there was one thing I knew for absolute sure:
There were no accidents, coincidences, or random events.
The universe just didn’t operate like that.
I’d seen that dog for a reason.
And I was determined to get to the bottom of it.