Sarah opened her eyes. She was sitting, but strangely she was in a different place. She was atop a large cleared circle on a sunny mountain peak, gazing down at an endless ash landscape stretched forth. A few hills littered the land, but only burnt trees were around. She couldn't see clearly enough if any living vegitation was growing.
"Hello again my little spark." Adara said and Sarah had felt her overwhelming prescence with her fire-sense now.
"Hello, Miss Adara?" Sarah wasn't sure if that was the correct way to address a dragoness.
"Hmm.. Maybe I should have you call me Mistress Adara instead?" Adara said teasingly.
"Oh? Is that how people call you then?" Sarah was curious about many things, and now that her aura wasn't a problem she could ask away.
"Only those I favor greatly. To everyone else... I'm Lady Adara." Adara's voice acutally purred, clearly impling she was having fun.
"...oh.. Um... I have questions Miss Adara." Sarah wanted to evade going into weird territory if possible, she already had her eyes firmly shut.
"Ask away my little one." Adara.
"My friend recently got hurt trying to upgrade his Body. He recovered, but it took much longer for it to finish." Sarah.
"His body was probably malnorished. That is the only way I see what you describe happening. Don't let him select it again or it could be worse." Adara.
"Okay thank-you. What do the tattoo's change anyways?" Sarah.
"Hmm... I was wondering when you would ask little spark. Do you not know yourself?" Adara.
"Well I thought Body upgrades muscles, stamina and general health. While Mind just makes you smarter. Spirit is obviously magic." Sarah.
"Those are correct, but all three cover so much more. The tattoo's were originally created to be simple to use by even the dumbest sentinent being. That is why they only possess three general terms, on for each energy." Adara.
"OH?! Who made them then?" Sarah was extremely curious, of who could have put this strange magic on her arm.
"Patience little spark, that is a long-story and one that is not important right now. I'll tell you when you're ready." Adara.
"Oh. Energies you said?" Sarah should have known Adara loved delaying things.
"I will explain. Firstly yes body does enchance your strenght, endurance, vitality, agility, felixibility and resilience. However they also improve your senory-organs. Eyes, Ears, Nose, Tongue and even your skin. The general term for Body is Qi energy." Adara.
"QI?!" Sarah was surprised, that was an Asian concept, she almost opened her eyes and that would lead to an uncomfortable situation.
"Yes Qi, Chi or Ki or Chakra, those are just some words for it. Earth-spirit users use it along with their element making them deadly warriors near the end. If you fight one throw extremely hot fire, running is inadvisible, they are agile and extremly hard to kill. I personally fly and burn them from above." Adara.
"S..SO QI WILL IMPROVE MY EYES?!" Sarah was eager to try fix her semi-blindness, it had been embarassing since childhood.
".....Yes. Little spark. I can see you desire to improve what you lack. But trust me please, focus on your path for now. Eventually you will be able to enchance your Qi, but focus on survival and that requires you to focus on spirit first and then mind second." Adara warned and she sounded sad.
"...That's...yes...please carry on." Sarah's mind was in turmoil.
"Very well, Qi also has a host of other benifits once you can manipulate the energy itself, but for humans that is near the end." Adara.
"What kinds of benifits?" Sarah, was begining to suspect there was alot more to everything than she suspected.
"The ability to temporarily hard your skin, move like the wind, become resistance to the elements, shatter stone with your bare-hands and so forth. It allows you to enhance your physical traits." Adara.
"Eian will be able to do all of that?" Sarah.
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"Is that the Earth-boy? Yes. He will begin near the end of his racial potential, but he will have to ...'change' to gain all the benifits." Adara.
"How can he change?" Sarah.
"That... is a tricky topic and there are many ways. He will have to over-come his racial limits. Let us move on. It will be very very long before that option becomes available and his own guide will lead him to a proper path. I am here for you my dear." Adara.
"Very well. You said energies, not energy." Sarah.
"Yes let us move unto Mind, as those will benifit you, eventually. Mind encompasses every mental faculty. Mental-agility, memory, reflexes, precision, perception, dexterity, mental-fortitude and intellect. The general term for Mind is Psi energy or psyche." Adara.
"...so it will make me think faster and smarter?" Sarah processed everything Adara said.
"Yes, it will also allow you to develop certain abilites, like your friend." Adara.
"Friend?...no. Jessica doesn't have anything like that yet." Sarah.
".....Then she is moving very slow, quicken her pace. It is unwise to stay too far behind. Anything she gets will be extremely helpful." Adara explained.
"Y...Yes, but we are soon out of the tunnels. So that's not going to be much trouble." Sarah had a strong suspicion that wouldn't be the case.
"Little spark, be wise. You know that isn't true. I can hear it in your voice as you speak." Adara.
".*sigh*... I wish you would tell me more about that." Sarah.
"I...only want what is best for you, my little one. I am fond of you and want you to grow." Adara.
"Can you please tell me what sort of abilities develop? I want to have an idea what to expect." Sarah.
"....If you insist." Adara sounded reluctant.
"Yes please." Sarah wanted to know as much as possible.
"Very well....Do not rush ahead and try to gain Mind powers. For now focus on spirit. That will yield the most results for you right now." Adara warned.
"Yes Ms. Adara. I have already felt the difference in power after each change." Sarah was truthful, each advancement gave her a huge surge of power.
"Psyche will grants some random abilities at first. If your mind becomes strong there is a legend it unlocks them all. Be aware that humans can only obtain one 'unchanged', even I have not gained them all. So it is possible you will never gain some of the abilities I mention." Adara.
"Yes I understand, Miss Adara." Sarah.
"...Among many I have seen Telepathy the ability to attack and speak to the mind of others. Mind control the ability to dominate weak wills, read their minds and control them. Illusions, including invisibility. There is teleportation which is easy to understand, but can create portals as well. Clairvoyance is the ability to see hints and read the endless possibilities of the future. Divination the ability to read the past of whatever you touch. One of the most powerful abilities I have encountered is Time manipulation, run from any of those for now. There are many more, but those are the most well known." Adara.
"I can't say I did not expect some of those." Sarah was excited to see what Jessica would develop, hopefully not mind control, that's just scary overall.
Sarah was also excited at what she would eventually develop.
"Well... Yes some people in your world may already possess these. Rare humans like that are occasionally born, even considered gods in some primitive cultures." Adara.
That in itself gave Sarah alot to think about, could some mythologies be based on such people? And if so what does that say for modern religions?
"You've spoken at length of the other two. Does spirit do anything else?" Sarah was curious why Adara was so insistent on that, could she be biased?
"You've experienced much of spirit. It generally gives power faster than any other. It also allows you to bind up to thirteen magic items. There are also deeper magics that can be used later on. Alchemy, Invocation, Summoning contracts, Enchantments, Scripts and so forth, but those require some study to achieve." Adara.
"So, how would I study those?" Sarah.
"I could teach you some, little spark. After you've become powerful. For now focus on spirit. Get stronger. You will have access to a second enchanted item after this." Adara.
"I don't have a second enchanted item yet though." Sarah.
"Didn't you say you had two?" Adara.
"Eian is using the ring." Sarah, though honestly it hadn't done him any good yet.
"??How strong is his spirit? Has he truly gotten so powerful?" Adara sounded confused.
"I think his spirit will be at three soon." Sarah.
"PUAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHA!" Adara roared in laughter, by the end her voice was hurting her ears so much she had to put her hands over them.
"HAhahahaa. Sarah. Forgiveness, my dear little spark. I mean no offense to your friend, but he won't have another useful application of his spirit untill a little more." Adara sounded honestly amused and not mocking.
"Oh...I suppose I could use the ring. For now." Sarah, her ears were still ringing.
"See that you do my dear. It will be in far better hands, trust me." Adara.
"Very well Miss Adara. Thank-you." Sarah's ears were still ringing.
"Let us proceed then. You have much to think over. Come follow me." Adara.
Sarah reluctantly opened her eyes and saw Adara's alluring figure there. The pain in her ears helped migate the effect of Adara's aura and Sarah managed to regulate her breathing. Adara led her to the middle of the clearing on the mountain top. There were three lit braziers in a triangle, surrounding an unlit brazier. Each flame was a different color: Red, Green, Blue.
"Focus on all three take the power of each and merge them." Adara instructed.
Sarah focused on the braziers.
She saw each color and tried to will each to move and amass together on the final middle brazier."
"No. Not the physical. The spiritual. The power of each flame. The control, the excitement and its raw power. Do not use your eyes. Focus on what it could be. Awaken the potential of fire." Adara.
"Yes Miss Adara." Sarah closed her eyes.
Sarah visualized each flame and saw them for what they truly were. The red flame was weak, but easy to move, quick to obey. The green was halfway strong, but wanted to grow, it had to be reigned it. The blue was raw power and would cared for nothing in it's path, it had to be forced to obey, conquered. She opened her eyes. She looked at the middle brazier. Red, Green, Blue they ignited and fought upon the brazier. Burn! She willed it, coaxed and forced.
White.