Vivian took a moment for herself when Isa had left to hunt. Sitting down with her back against a tree, she calmed her mind. She reflected on her life since the ritual. Meditating on her choices.
Isa casually flew back into the clearing while balancing a wild boar, several times her size and weight, effortlessly over her head.
First, the ritual of prophecy that led to running for my life; though, that’s pretty standard. Grandfather died and in his last breath teleported me away. Woke up cold, and hungry. Alone. I met the phoenix on a deadly whim, or was it fated? I can’t imagine surviving that beldereaver encounter if not for Isa. if I were alone— Vivian shivered at the thought. Finally, the biggest difference since the ritual—and getting to the source of my headaches lately—I have a system, Sasha, in my head, but where-
Accumulated experiences and self-reflection have released a lock. Additional hidden potential released.
Level
2(1)
Health Pool
2/4(2/3)
Mana Pool
0/4(0/2)
Strength
1
Constitution
2
Dexterity
2(1)
Agility
4(2)
Wisdom
3(2)
Intelligence
2(1)
Unique Racial stat
5(3)
Vivian frowned at the sudden interruption. Thinking of the devil, Sasha appeared in her mind, ruining her focus on her thoughts and the peaceful state she just entered. She took a moment to look over the changes. But, without something to compare with, it didn’t mean much to her. Her frown only deepened.
"Is something wrong?" Isa brought Vivian fully out of her train of thought as she set down the boar, "Also, how do you like your bacon?"
"There's a fine line between chewy and crunchy, and that's where I prefer it." Vivian answered distractedly, "I'm trying to figure out what happened."
"You managed to push your agility to eight points for nearly two minutes," replied Isa as she looked at the wild boar in consternation. A fine line indeed.
This almost feels like a test on mana control, Isa thought, looking over at Vivian once more. She was uninterested and oblivious to her surroundings at the moment. Her pure white eyes were closed in thought as she focused on comprehending how her agility increased, trying to get that strange draining feeling to happen again.
Isa eyed the boar hungrily. Hefting it as though it was nothing more than a pebble, Isa carried it a fair distance away from Vivian to leave her in peace. Not that the delicious aroma of roasted boar spreading through the air would allow for that, but it's the thought that counts.
Isa flapped her wings lazily and landed lightly upon the boar. She briefly bowed her head in respect to the boar she was about to defile. Flapping her wings, she hovered over the boar, spreading her talons, she dug into the flesh carefully. Isa set into her task with diligence, delicately slicing a single thin opening into the skin. Slipping her talons inside the slit, with the precision of filleting knives, she started to cut the tender meat into fillet strips, extracting it from the carcass, and piling it up. She became so engrossed in her task that she was startled when Vivian appeared beside her to offer herbs she gathered.
Isa’s mouth watered as she rubbed the herbs on the fillets while marveling at Vivian's knowledge of the culinary arts. Everything Vivian handed her had just the perfect touch for enhancing the flavor of this particular animal to the fullest. When she had thoroughly seasoned the fillets, she placed everything back inside the skin.
Isa heated the meat sack with her immaculate mana control, and a tantalizing aroma filled the air. Isa barely restrained herself from tearing into it and devouring it all. She warmed it evenly all the way through. Vivian moved beside Isa, her belly voicing her anticipation in earnest.
Isa chuckled dryly, maintaining the fire a few minutes more. She then cut the mana supporting the flame, and they waited in silence for the remaining heat to finish cooking the boar. They allowed time for it to cool enough to eat. No words spoken, they tore into the roasted boar ravenously, only bones remaining behind as proof of their great meal. Vivian unexpectedly burped as she relaxed, absentmindedly rubbing her belly contentedly.
Health and Mana pools have recovered. Starving status recovered. Malnourishment is in the early stages of remission, and bodily limits have improved.
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Level
2
Health pool
5/5(2/4)
Mana pool
4/4(0/4)
Strength
2(1)
Constitution
3(2)
Dexterity
2
Agility
4
Wisdom
3
Intelligence
2
Unique Racial stat
5
It's not that my strength hasn't improved, the state of my body is a restriction itself. That makes sense. Still, that was quite a jump in agility. Also, my unique stat. Vivian was absorbed in thought. Isa mentioned I increased my agility to eight points for almost two minutes.
"When I ran from the beldereaver, I felt something draw on a pool I didn't have before," Vivian stated. "Up until recently, my people only had a health pool to fuel spells. Grandfather prohibited me from spell casting though."
Isa blinked at her; disbelief colored her voice as she answered slowly, "You what? Do you even realize just how dangerous it is to use magic that way?"
Vivian shrugged. "It's the only way we had available."
Isa fully turned to face Vivian, "Your race became beyond foolish since the last time I saw any of them. Using your health pool for spells! Where do I even begin?"
Isa sighed heavily, "Using the fire of your life itself to fuel magic -if you're lucky- will, at minimum, double the cost of the spell."
Vivian looked at the ground sadly, "Yes, we know. We often split up the cost over the whole of our people."
"You-" Isa looked at her in disbelief. "Such ignorance, do you even realize the danger of that?!"
"We summoned my baby in such a manner," Vivian lifted her gaze to look at the phoenix. "The last of my clan was eradicated after the ritual was completed. Even near death, Grandfather pressed on with me, sacrificing the last of his life to teleport me here."
"Wait, hold on. Did you just say you summoned your baby?" Isa looked ready to faint at any moment.
"He is the last hope of my nearly extinct race," Vivian spoke softly, cradling her abdomen.
"Last hope? How do you know you didn't summon, well, something outside your realm of comprehension?" Isa looked fearfully at Vivian. "Can you say with certainty that what you summoned isn't evil incarnate?"
"No, I can't say for sure that we didn't. However, if my child becomes something that threatens this world-" A sharp glint reflected in her eye. "I never harbored ill will toward the people of this world, not once, even after all the hardships, all the wicked things they have done to my kind. And I still don't. But-" a flash of aggression entered her eyes as she paused.
"But, this child is the last hope for my race." Vivian continued, "I don't know how much I care about what that means for the rest of the world. They have hunted us for millennia, and surely they are aware of the prophecy as well. Will they fear my child and hunt him as they have hunted the rest of us? Will his name become a symbol of calamity, spoken in whispers in fear of summoning doom upon oneself? It matters not, for I will support whatever choices he makes in life. If he is destined to spread terror, then as his mother I will throw caution to the wind.”
"You have the determination to see this through, I’ll give you that. One last question: how many people were present when you summoned your baby?" Isa asked seriously.
"There were forty of my clansmen present, including myself. I alone survived. The last of my clan."
"THAT MANY?!" Isa exclaimed.
Vivian was caught off guard by the sudden verbal attack. "Hm? This number was low in comparison-"
"Just stop there," Isa waved her hand placatingly, "I don't want to hear the rest of that statement."
"Is something wrong?" Vivian asked, slightly perplexed by Isa’s reaction.
"Everything is wrong. I can sympathize with everyone that hunted your people," Isa said softly, "You've been casually performing these spells for who knows how long and it's an absolute miracle this world is still intact."
"Surely it’s not that bad?" Vivian recoiled.
"Casting spells, like this summoning ritual for your baby, using raw life force to power it creates a stagnant magical aura in the air," Isa explained.
"I'm aware, there was a heavy dweomer when my baby was summoned. I felt like I was underwater when I was in it. It was such a pretty blue haze, too." Vivian recalled fondly, thinking of the moment she had been blessed with her child.
"Allow me to put that into perspective," Isa said in irritation. "When I created that fire column to distract the beldereaver, there was a very thin dweomer. Also, I fully used it."
"So what you're saying is we left a lot of raw power behind?" Vivian thought back about how thick that dweomer was.
"From what you've described, I could probably incinerate this world in its entirety with the amount of raw magical pollution left behind." Isa explained, "But then the range would also be dependent on the actual size of the dweomer. Imagine if someone came across that dweomer with intent to use it?”
Vivian swallowed hard on a clingy mass of saliva that had gathered in her throat as this statement sank in.
"That's what I've been trying to make you realize and I'm glad you finally understand the gravity of what your people have been doing," Isa admonished. "I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the reason you are so weak compared to your ancient ancestors is due to your people siphoning off more than just their life force every time they would cast a spell, and weaker babies were born as a result."
Grandfather, is this why I was forbidden from even learning magic? Vivian thought as she rubbed her temples.
Isa shook her head, "I can't put any of the blame on you. If it's what you were raised to believe to be acceptable, But, that being said, spreading the cost of a spell over 40 people is just pure irresponsibility. Dividing a spell over multiple people doesn’t just divide the cost. It also amplifies what the spell can ultimately do. How did such a long forbidden practice find its way into your race? I won't ask how you've learned of it, I doubt you have the answer. None of your ancestors I've personally seen used it, at least. But by running a ritual across 40 people using life essence, I can only imagine what you have growing in your belly."
Vivian stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the phoenix.
Just what had my clan done? We haven’t summoned the harbinger of the apocalypse right? The prophecy stated our savior!