“The modern mana system has roots in ancient druid magic.

All druid groves come with cores dedicated to Life Essence, Shaping, and Manipulation. They develop their grove to access elements and develop spells devoted to them. Many build complex, arcane machines. Others focus on construction and fortification.

Unfortunately, humans lack the capacity to contain magic of such magnitude. So, Myrina Woodson and her companions derived the modern mana system using groves as a template. Instead of multiple cores, mages often focus their magic on a solitary star. It limits their versatility but reduces the strain on their minds and bodies. Instead of flexible structures and trees dedicated to spells and functions, they have focused planets and stars for ease of use. It's an ingenious system that has changed mankind’s path, but it still pales when compared to its origins.”

—Alexander Utpal Sen, Ink Mage, Runeseeker

“You are not your brother’s keeper, Caitlin,” Myrina Woodson told her grand niece. Stirring honey into her tea. As a healer and life mage well above the rank of archmage, she knew better than to consume sugar in such quantities. Her liver had grown weak with age, and repairing it was a pain and caused immense pain. But she couldn’t help herself. The ancient woman justified her actions with how little time she had remaining. By her estimates, Myrina had a decade left, at most. She wished to enjoy her final few years. “I know you’re worried about him, but you need to start prioritizing yourself. I don’t want to see you throwing your life away while taking care of Alexander.”

“How am I supposed to do that while you force him into a future he doesn’t want?” Caitlin demanded, glaring at the older woman. “Alexander isn’t even twenty yet. He’s never been in a relationship and is just learning to enjoy his youth. But you want to burden him with more training and responsibilities that will leave him isolated.”

“I’m doing no such thing, love. His bond with Ratataskr has already started the process. I only want to guide him.” Myrina sighed. “The mana burns and his injuries inside Terrastalia triggered something. My last scans told me he has already started developing an inner grove. I had nothing to do with initiating the process. His contracted pattern is the one behind the change. It's better that I guide him through the process instead of leaving him to his devices.

“A bad grove is a greater detriment than a poorly throughout mana system. Unlike stars and planets, his inner garden is likely to develop without intervention. He might plant unintentional spell structures and other permanent installations that interfere with his current magic.”

“At what cost? I know you didn’t have much of a youth because of your warmongering mothers. Why do you want to do the same to him? Let him enjoy the few good years he has with his friends.”

“If Alexander ascends to druidhood, these lost years will be but a blink in a life so long he’ll live to see his children’s grandchildren and their grandchildren. He’ll have plenty of time to enjoy himself and be young if he dedicates a couple of years to building the inner grove’s foundations first.

“The Cabal has resurfaced. Their last plot targeted Ygg. If not for sheer luck and the sacrifice of the brightest mage of the age, we would’ve discovered their plan too late, if at all. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were slowly whittling away at our defenses and preparing for the day I die or am too weak to defend the city.” Myrina sighed. “Alexander needs to be ready for the day I’m gone. If news of another druid gets out—it inevitably will, the Cabal will target him. He needs the strength to protect himself because you won’t always be present.”

“I get it.” Caitlin refilled her tea. Unlike her great aunt, she didn’t fill half the cup with honey or the other sweeteners on the table. She drank the beverage as intended. “I just dislike how it's completely consuming his life. Not all Woodsons are as nice or responsible as you think. Lorraine Woodson cared more about her travels, books, and partners than she did us. I was more a mother to Alexander than she. I can’t just—”

“Yes, you can,” Myrina said, interrupting the younger Woodson. “I’m sorry you didn’t get much of a childhood, and I appreciate everything you did to take care of your brother. You might not talk about it, but I can tell you dedicated your mana system to defense and protection for his sake. But he’s now at a point where he doesn’t need you. In fact, once his grove’s foundation is set, he’ll be a good enough Shaper to match you. It’s time you start living your life and enjoy your youth.”

“I am,” Caitlin said. “I had an excellent time at the Singh Ball last year and have been attending more functions since. It's difficult avoiding them while being friends with Nox Ratra.”

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“Ah. Yes. Young Mister Ratra has been a topic of conversation among the city council. He’s certainly an ambitious and driven young man.” Myrina flashed her grand-niece a mischievous smile. “I hear you and Kris’ second apprentice are involved. A Woodson with a thief—”

“Don’t start, grandmother. He had a rough life and did what he needed to survive.”

Myrina laughed. “Don’t get me wrong. I meant to say how history repeats itself. I married a thief, and my last apprentice started as one, too. In fact, after parting ways with my mother, Flint Woodson ended up with a woman who was a thief before meeting him and then ended up a spy. We Woodsons appear to have a type.” When Caitlin’s eyes betrayed her surprise, the older Woodson laughed even harder. “Joey Greengrasse sounds like a driven and ambitious young man. I hear he’s following Kris’ footsteps. Have his investigations provided any fruit yet?”

Caitlin shook her head. “I haven’t seen him for a few days now. Joey dons new identities and disappears for a week or two whenever he’s off on an investigation. I hope it's going well.”

“How about we move on from the men in our lives, and you tell me how everything’s going with you,” Myrina Woodson said. “I hear you’ve signed up for advanced healing and mobility magic courses. I hope you’re not spreading yourself too thin.”

“I’m not,” Caitlin replied. “As you said, I’m not my brother’s keeper. I’ve dedicated far too many resources to protecting him. Since you plan to take him from me, I want to explore means for me to stand by myself. I don’t know whether that’s as a healer, skirmisher, or defender. Besides, with the Beauforts gone, the party is now more stealth and infiltration-focused, and I need to fit in better.”

“You’re two centuries too young to fool me, grand niece, but I’ll leave you to your tales.”

“Why did you summon me?” Caitlin sighed. “This conversation has been blighted exhausting.”

“Oh, did you have better things to do? My birdies tell me Joey Greengrasse is off with a younger girl as his investigation partner, and you’ve been spending your time alone in the library or training rooms.”

“Is it wrong to like my alone time? Seriously, Grandmother, what do you want? I have a couple of spells I’d like to complete before the semester begins.”

Dean Myrina Woodson retrieved two seedlings out of her robes. “It took me fifty years to coax this out of Ygg and another fifty to replicate it. One is for your brother’s grove. The other is to evolve your wood elemental. Alexander can plant either in his grove and mold it to fit his needs. I’ll give you first pick.”

Powerful Life and Reinforcement essences radiated from both seedlings. The wood elemental residing in Caitlin’s star hummed with excitement. It was born of Ygg, too, and she felt a deep connection to them. She had bonded it to the Barkskin cantrip to develop her wood armor.

Life essence gave the elemental to grow and recover the armor after it suffered damage. It also shared its recovery abilities with Caitlin, giving her the power to heal herself. She and Myrina theorized that it would slow her aging, too, but it was obviously too early to tell. Meanwhile, the Reinforcement essence strengthened the wood and her body, giving it the sturdiness to mount a useable defense. The magic also enhanced her strength and durability, letting her shrug off the impacts and force that made it through the armor.

Caitlin planned to diversify her magic and add other essences to her arsenal to do more. However, she didn’t know where to start. Now, thanks to Dean Myrina Woodson, she had paths and directions to consider.

One seed radiated sunlight, the perfect weapon against the Voidborne. Caitlin predicted it would give her more methods of disrupting the battlefield, creating windows and advantages for her companions. She doubted she’d ever use it as a potent weapon like her grandmother, or Kris did—it would demand dedicating several planets to the essence to achieve similar results. Light essence also had its uses in healing, giving her a path to a possible path she desired. However, adding another healer to the party felt redundant.

Nox’s alchemical creations gave the party a plethora of healing and curative options. Once Alexander started on the path of druidhood, he’d have plenty of healing, too. She suspected Joey would eventually achieve the same with Djinn Fire. It appeared to adopt the qualities of whatever cantrip she combined with the conjuration. She guessed he’d gain life-essence fire if he picked up the Healing Touch cantrip.

The second seed intrigued her more.

Druidhood came with a plethora of gifts. Dean Myrina Woodson had an inner grove full of arcanically enhanced beast companions—primarily canines and ravens. She also had the power to Shape and Manipulate sunlight, water, wood, and stone. Together, combined with her life magic, they had made her the most powerful human in existence. Both seeds radiated a hint of her power.

The druid had imbued the first with sunlight. Meanwhile, a perfect sphere of water surrounded the second seed. It almost resembled one of Nox’s slimes. Water mages were amongst the most versatile aether practitioners. One of Caitlin’s aunts used it as a weapon, shield, for mobility, and healing. She doubted a planet or two would help her achieve the same. Thanks to the wood elemental, she needed no defense. However, offensive power and mobility felt essential. Best of all, water essence would grant Caitlin the power to resist and combat her greatest weakness: fire.

“Thank you,” Caitlin said, making her decision and immediately absorbing the water seed. Her bonded wood elemental assimilated it without hesitation. “I appreciate the gift, but I’m still not happy about the burden you’re placing on Alexander. He deserves better.”

“You don’t have to be happy about it, Caitlin,” Myrina replied. “You only need to live and have a good life.”