Viktor's home was a bustle of frantic energy. She'd found him standing in the yard, surrounded by members of Valle's policing force- the Watch. With the exception of a single man who was bent over double, collecting samples, they'd erected a barrier around the site.

As Fela hurried towards the group, she eyed the warning signs warily, angry stakes of color that had been driven into the ground.

Vikor looked up and spotted her. Murmuring to one of the officers, he ambled forward.

Still shaken from what she'd just witnessed, Fela spoke first. "If this is a bad time, I can come back. I guess I got a little impatient-"

He waved her off. "I'm the one who encouraged you in the first place." But then he sighed and looked away. "I'm sure you saw the house on your way here. All we can do right now is clear the scene and prevent further injury. But I can leave that to the Watch for a few minutes."

He strode past her. "Come on, then. I could use a break."

Buoyed by his invitation, if a little thrown-off, Fela followed him down the street, dodging both spirits and humans alike as they went about their business.

Fela caught up, biting her lip in anticipation. She looked over at him, waiting, but Viktor seemed preoccupied. He was quietly regarding her, his brow creased in thought. Fela felt agitated, but she waited patiently until, finally, he turned to her and spoke.

"Let's talk about what it means to be a spirit." Fela blinked, thrown off. He laughed at her expression. "You know, the essence of the spirit. Why we're different! What makes us tick."

Fela nodded vaguely, uncertain. Besides her surface-level interactions, her simple pleasantries, Fela's connection to Spirit Town, and its denizens, was weak. Silva's insistence for her to spend time there had only made her more hesitant in the long run. At the time, she felt like she was being pushed away, but now, her apprehension had made her a tourist: ignorant and embarrassed.

"Sure, then." She said, "what's the so special about us?" Fela had meant it to be a joke, but there was an unflattering note of desperation in her tone.

"It's rather simple, really." Viktor said. "Here, I'll explain it to you, by, well, using you." He pointed to her flame. "Your control over heat and fire, and, of course, your Mark-"

"My Mark?"

Viktor looked nonplussed. "You don't know what a Mark is?" She shook her head.

"Well, I guess that makes sense. You did grow up with humans, and people don't usually bring it up in polite conversation..." He trailed off at her expression. "Hey, now. That's why you're here- to get a good grip of yourself."

After she nodded, he continued, returning his attention to her flame. "Your Mark, the flame from your head. It's an elemental variant. A feature of fire. Because of your strong element-touch, and your mark- people would refer to you as a Frume-spirit. You're one who has a strong elemental force, but a weak natural-link."

There were a few beats of silence as she absorbed the information. Questions were already bubbling up within her, but Fela focused on one, trying not to overwhelm him. "So what's a natural-link, then?"

"Element-touch and natural-link are the basis of ability, and how most spirits shape their identity. You can really tell when someone has a strong natural-link. Take someone who is covered with a thick pelt of fur, or-"

She cut him off, excited to make a connection herself. "Or huge tusks, like a boar?"

He smiled. "You're getting the idea. These spirits have strong natural-links. Their Marks are a manifestation of life, and the many different forms it may take. They're called Bestian-spirits. And unlike you..." He trailed off, an eyebrow raised.

Fela caught on quickly. "They have a strong natural-link and weak element-touch instead!"

Viktor nodded. "You'll begin to understand, Fela, that our abilities, Marks, connections- they lend themselves easily when a young person like yourself is growing up, when you're trying to figure out who you are, your identity as an individual. You know, humans tend to look for the similarities in each other. They value nationality, heritage, community. But spirits seek the differences. We celebrate the thought of being unlike everyone else, so our communities aren't built on that sense of common ground. Instead, Fela, we come together to see those differences, and to validate our own individuality."

Viktor looked her square in the eye. "You are a Frume-spirit, a champion of the forces that shape our world. The wind! the waves! the fiery flames." He chuckled to himself. "If you had been raised by a family of spirits, they would have encouraged you to be bold, passionate, and outspoken; those attributes of flame. But ultimately, in the spirit way, you'd figure it out on your own. " Viktor turned, stopping them. He squared himself, pointing them back to the estate, to face the corruption.

As they hurried back, Fela gathered her courage. "Can I ask you something?"

He nodded.

"What's your Mark?"

He scrutinized her, impassively. "While it's not horribly rude, that can be a personal question, Fela. But yes, of course I'll tell you." He gave her a little smile. "Since I can't show you."

Fela's confusion was soon replaced by incredulousness.

"Your hair is what?"

"It's true! Lush, green grass. I usually keep it shaved, though." He rubbed his head absently. "Started doing it once I became a councilman. People in Valle are used to the strange, but I don't know, it just never seemed very dignified to me." He laughed lightly. "I spend more of my day rubbing shoulders with humans than most. The idea of conforming, reducing my individuality like that... most spirits would cringe. But any human policiation would applaud me in my attempts at unobtrusiveness.

It's funny, Fela, how things are relative."