It all made sense now. No, really, Darla had been quick on the uptake since Jack’s Fall. She’d figured out pretty much most of what puzzled them since then and even then, she’d gone as far as to glean the secrets of Alaric’s Storage Bracelet.

Yes, there were times when Alaric would shine like with the Silver Deer but Darla was shining a lot more frequently. Now, Alaric wasn’t one to have a competition of wit. It just wasn’t one of those things that made him light up.

He fancied playing with his friends and doing all the things they liked. Now if that ever had something to do with mind games, Alaric would be all for it. But for as long as his friends weren’t interested in such activities, he saw no reason to pursue them.

Naturally, Alaric’s reluctance to discover what he truly enjoyed bothered Finn and made it his little quest to find that one thing Alaric enjoyed exclusively. This too, was something Alaric was happy to help with, a response that had only made Finn groan at the time of that conversation.

The point here was that Alaric’s cells were tingling… and they tingled at the fact that he’d stumbled upon his friend’s Inborn Ability. All that was left was to ask her.

“Now that I think of it, neither of the dense Aether Regions sounds good. Wild Aether Zones are uninhabitable while Aether Pools are so valuable that every adventurer within a hundred-mile radius will be headed this way,” Sister Marla’s voice sprang the boy out of his thoughts.

Garin sighed, “Knowing that dastardly chief Garrick, he’ll be looking to monopolize that Aether.”

“The aether from this ritual will be pure and easy to harvest… however, I’d be more comfortable if it wasn’t over-exploited. The people can take only that which they need and if they are to sell, then they should do so at rates that won’t draw suspicion to the village. Taking too much might affect the Ritual,” Alia added.

Sister Marla nodded solemnly, “We’ll do everything we can.”

“Thank you, Marla. You are kind,” the guardian gave a slight bow. Alaric remained quiet, stowing away the information that was now starting to make his brain go numb… Before he could turn to the matter of Darla’s Inborn Ability, however, a gasp filled the air.

“That was my reaction, too,” LionHeart smirked at Finn’s pale face.

Alaric followed the boy’s eyes and went still as well. They’d reached their destination and what they found was something unlike anything Alaric could imagine.

‘A Vine… Cottage?’

Calling it a cottage was doing this marvel justice. The structure, house, dwelling, or whatever it was Alaric was talking about was comprised of the same properties any normal cottage would have in terms of appearance. Pillars, walls, a roof, windows… but that’s where the similarities ended. Even then, it was the incredible power of the mind trying to draw similarities that made this building resemble one.

The windows were small circles with glasses reflecting the dim light of the forest. The misshapen pillars holding up the whole thing were made of a convoluted mess of vines wound onto each other continuously until vague pillars stood strong enough to hold the tapestry of meshed vines that formed the walls of the Vine Cottage.

Of course, that wouldn’t have been strong enough to ensure the structural integrity of this place. To combat that, thick ropes shot out of the cottage and latched onto the surrounding trees, holding up the weak parts of the cottage and successfully keeping the whole structure up.

“The door is made of… what is this?” Finn mused as he ran his hands along the rigid door. At first glance, it almost appeared wooden.

“Vines drained of every last bit of water… It’s not as strong as actual wood but a good replacement. It’s a nifty trick Thomper taught me when I was still mastering his Ability.”

Sister Marla approached the door and opened it with a few words in the Ancient tongue. Inside, Alaric stood still yet again, this time forgetting to breathe for a few moments.

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A large intricate circle was curved into the earthy ground, giving off a dim glow that caught your eye before anything else.

The dark-haired boy took in a sharp breath, then massaged the goosebumps blooming on his arms. He strongly resisted the urge to circulate aether through his body in sync with the gentle breeze of pure aether washing over his body.

“The aether here is dense,” he mused.

“You’re very welcome,” Sister Marla replied with a smile, “It’s easier to perform Temper Rituals in dense aether.”

“Okay…” the boy nodded. Now that they had reached their destination, he was stumped yet again, “What now?”

“Now…” LionHeart’s voice came with a muffled groan as he emerged from a small room Alaric hadn’t noticed. The large man was carrying what looked to be a large ceramic bath. Placing it down, he continued, “Now, we’ll prepare the potions and have all of you soak in them for the next month. Don’t forget to circulate aether to quicken the process actively.”

“One month. That’s when the Elite Guardian Academy opens,” Alaric noted.

“They add an extra ten days for late arrivals since the journey to get there takes five days anyway,” the man responded with a shrug, “Help me with this, Gunther.”

Gunther, who’d been stuck staring at the gems and crystals intricately embedded into the walls in mesmerizing patterns, snapped back to the present, “Sure thing.”

As he walked over to the small store to help LionHeart, he continued speaking, “Those aether crystals are the ones keeping the aether dense, aren’t they?”

Alaric walked over to the store room and silently offered to help. With a silent nod of the head, Gunther pointed to the last remaining ceramic tub in the room. Something told Alaric the storeroom was enhanced by magic since the inside of it was a lot larger than he’d initially given it credit for. ‘So much magic around me lately.’

“The magic circle doubles as a magnet for the aether in the crystals and circulates while also serving as the right spell for the Awakening Ritual,” Sister Marla explained.

While Garin went about retrieving the different items they’d procured over the past two days, she stood above the first tub to be set down and mouthed a few words in the Ancient Tongue. Balls of water formed before pouring into the tub in a smooth silent stream.

Alaric and his friends watched as potions they called Bases were mixed in the water along with the Silver Deer Essence, the tubs placed at equal angles against each other in the centre of the magic circle.

Translucent water bubbled with a fragrant smell as it swirled with a slight push from a silent command muttered by Sister Marla. After some time, the woman turned to Alaric, “The Awakening Orbs.”

Alaric’s eyes widened, “Right…”

He first retrieved the silver and emerald orbs, handing them over to the caretaker before pulling out an exceptionally large golden orb with intricate patterns.

The room went silent at the size of the orb which was comparable to that of an apple.

The other two orbs were at least the size of a round grape which made Alaric’s orb several times their size, not to mention the fact that it was golden.

“I’ve never seen an Awakening Orb that size before,” Gunther broke the silence.

Alaric looked around, then turned a few shades of red, “Oh right. I never did show it to you guys, did I? Sorry!”

Alia, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke, “The aether in that orb is precisely the reason why the town must be concealed during this period. Add protein and calcium Bases to the potion every week and a vial of Silver Deer essence every two weeks…”

“I take it an orb that size doesn’t go down without a fight,” LionHeart surmised.

Alaric stared at the tubs of water with a complicated expression. It seemed everything was now ready…

“What are you waiting for, children? Get in,” LionHeart snapped at the kids with a devilish grin.

“No way,” Alaric turned away, “Nuh-uh! I’m not willingly drowning myself in a tub of water. Give me the ocean at least.”

A deep chuckle filled the room, “It’s been fun watching your mind try to figure out how the Tempering Ritual works. To put it simply, you’ll stay submerged in this water for a month. Since this is your first ritual, you won’t be awake through most of it. One of the spells Marla used to prepare this portion will allow you to breathe underwater.”

Alaric looked back at the tub, then shuddered, “Why would anyone in their right mind breathe in water, let alone sleep in it?”

LionHeart laughed his heart out, “Bahahaha, I never get tired of this part.”

“Why don’t you show Alaric it’s safe?” Finn tried.

“Yeah, so he can get his drool all in there,” Darla countered before the idea had the chance to sink in. Given LionHeart’s expression, Alaric figured the man had done this before and laughed.

“I’ll put my trust in Alia,” Alaric responded, stepping forward. He took off his shoes and dipped his foot into the nearest tub. Surprisingly the water was warm. He clenched his fists to keep them from shaking, then gently lowered himself into the tub.

As his face dipped under the surface of the water, his consciousness grew clouded and his mind grew still. At the heart of his mind though, one resonating thought fought its way to the surface, ‘Why was I feeling so uneasy?’

The last thing he saw was the large golden orb floating above his head pulsing with thick waves of Aether.

“Marla, the barriers… now…” Alia’s voice played like a broken record before she crumbled into nothingness, returning to the shadow below her master.