Chapter 4

The next day. Even as I nervously tried to set into my routine. The thought of what was to happen, as well as the things I had been told. Continued to make me nervous.

As I was finally beginning to take my mind off of it by playing around with the newest set of puppies, now captained by Balto. I was suddenly called.

“Come. We have much to do still.” Said mother with an unusual serious tone.

When I arrived at the prepared space. Mother began to explain.

“We Dryads are creatures of magic. We do this not by birth, but by sacred ritual. Any one of us choose to do this by their own free will. So, I ask this of you my daughter. Do you want to do this?”

Am I to become a Dryad as well? I thought with apprehension.

“Before answering me. Know that there are risks and there is pain. If you choose to deny what is to come. No harm is to be done, and I will continue to protect you all the same.”

After a small amount of contemplation. I had my answer.

“I do mother. Please show me of your ways.” Was the decision I steeled myself to.

“Our order was an ancient one. In a time of communion, the races looked up to us for guidance. Our numbers never more than a few dozens. We were sworn by the goddess to guide, and maintain this world’s balance. All of us rid ourselves of worldly and material desires, for our mission took precedence.

Like this forest’s namesake, we are the daughters of Emesh herself.

To enter our ranks, it is not only a name. By the process of the ritual, your very body will be changed to be more in tune with the nature’s spirit. Not only will I carve into you your first rune, one suited for your element. But I shall call the Goddess herself, for she will be the one to judge your worthiness. And if so, give unto you her blessings. Such is the way of the Dryads.

But fear not. The Goddess is a kind one, and I have a feeling she wouldn’t deny one such as you.” She said with a reassuring smile.

“Will it hurt?” Was the only thing I could ask. Followed by a scary silence from mother.

I was then placed lying down in a central place in the glade. The blue sky shining on my face, did nothing to assuage my nervousness.

Suddenly, it was like the very world went quiet. And mother began to sing and chant in a beautiful, yet haunting voice. As she did so, slowly the very mana began to concentrate. The whole place lighted up with an incredible amount of mana as if being sucked towards me.

And then came the pain. The most horrible and debilitating pain I have ever felt. I wanted to scream, but couldn’t move a muscle. The feeling was like my very body was being torn apart piece by piece and rebuilt. Organs, muscles, everything felt like it was being ripped away.

And then I felt a presence. Like all the eyes of the world were weighting on me. But for all its weight, it somehow seemed gentle. And as soon as it came, it was gone.

When most of the pain began to fade, the second part of the ritual began. And I saw as mother began guiding mana directly to my soul. And in doing so, she burned her way through my body. It was painful, but not anything like the pain before.

When it finished. What was left was a series of white inscriptions on the center of my chest. I was left gasping for breath, tears vigorously falling because of the ordeal.

It took me a while to recompose myself while mother checked for any anomalies. As I finally began to try and lift up, she said to me:

“It seems the ritual was successful” Gently smiling while she stroked my hair out of my face.

“The Goddess seemed to take a liking to you, and your body is now one of a Dryad.

This is not the end of the journey, however. As you grow on comprehension and power, so does your body will further adapt.”

As she pulled me into a sitting hug. A wave of her power cleaning myself again as if I had just taken a bath.

“The inscription I gave you is one of the more powerful water-based ones. Which will allow you to use and transform the element at will. I choose this one because your soul is naturally receptive to it”

“Does this mean I will only be able to use water magic?” I asked curiously.

“Not so. It is just a guideline. By studying the runes I engraved into you, and how it interacts with mana. I have a feeling you’ll soon begin to derive further runes for all elements. You will then be able to engrave them yourself. Of course, I will help you with whatever you need. Always.”

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The rest of the day was spent with myself glued to mother as she gently tried to calm me down.

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The following morning, left to my own devices. I was finally able to take stock of my situation.

I felt as if a veil was finally taken off from my eyes. The mana I always saw, now took a greater definition. I could feel it in a way I never felt before.

My body felt more alive than ever. It’s mana, somehow blending in with the ambient. As if the mana around me were nothing more than an extension of it.

Trying to manipulate it came with an ease I didn’t know possible. As if the very world obeyed my will.

I also felt stronger and healthier. Somehow just feeling “more”. It would take me a while to adapt to this new form.

“No choice but to try it then!” I said as I prepared myself for my first proper magic.

My trusty companion dog, as if feeling something was going to go wrong. Suspiciously made himself scarce right then. I’ll definitely get him later for this.

Slowly guiding mana in the form of my runes. Which are actually tridimensional pathways and not just skin surface. I began to see them light up with mana. It was like a drawing ruler helping me draw a straight line.

The result was a huge gush of water like a firehose coming out from my hands. Spreading a thin rain throughout the glade, and sending me rolling backwards due to the backlash. This will definitely take some time getting used to.

As hours passed. Slowly I began to take a sense of control over the water magic. What once gushed with force, now I could reduce to a trickle and further manipulate.

The greatest difference I’ve found between what I was doing before with mana manipulation. Was what I could only define as the act of “creation”. Whereas before I could get some measure of water by imagining the humidity from the atmosphere condensing. Now I could simply will the phenomenon to appear before me.

Of course, there’s several limitations. But the gist of it, is that a proper magic could somehow create its element or phenomenon. A fire mage could will the fire to exist for instance.

Although if what mother has told me is correct, the limitations are various. For instance, generating anything related to earth, was still incredibly difficult to even the point mother could scarcely do. And earth magics are mostly made for the ease of manipulating existing earth materials.

Perhaps there is a whole philosophical discussion there whether this is some kind of artificial restriction to avoid earth mages in creating infinite gold, or is just an inherent systemical limitation. Inquiries that mother had no intention of entertaining me.

I am still not ready to stop experimenting for today. Can I somehow apply the mana manipulation and telekinesis I’ve been using to great gains directly to a constructed magic?

The answer is yes apparently. I thought so as I watched a ball of conjured water spin around me and form into different shapes.

“How about a Balto statue made of water?” I said so as the water took the form of my archnemesis.

How about thinking of molecular motion then like I did for that gun magic? Suddenly the statue began to freeze into a perfect ice sculpture. A very successful experiment if I say so myself. I grinned with maniacal glee as I thought of the possibilities.

“This is going to be great!” As I almost hit myself for never thinking of trying something like this before.

I promptly began working on my idea. Finding a perfect patch of soil. I began to shape the soil around in form of a large bowl-shaped hole. Which actually really took a while to do with just mana.

Finishing it and hardening the surface must have took another hour as I was beginning to get exhausted.

The last step, impossible till now. Was actually the easiest one. Filling the large bowl with warm water. I promptly threw myself into it.

Yes. I did the stereotypical open-air bath. Take that other reincarnated heroes!

Later on, as lady Haltia arrived. She found me dozing off and almost drowning submerged in water. To her great mockery.

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The later months, were spent with myself frantically practicing with my new magic. And trying to get a read on other elements. The comprehension of the runes jumped up by leaps and bounds now that I had one of them within myself in which I could circulate mana.

I was also able to help mother more proactively with the forest. As I could now easily form water blades to throw at the creatures. The previous magic gun kind of fell into disuse, seeing as I had to prepare materials, and it required a great deal of concentration for each shot. Moments I was wholly defenseless during a real fight.

Mother also took the opportunity to teach me what she could. Not much as I wanted actually, because apparently a hands-off approach is the ideal. As much of the magic practice is tinged by your own biases and personal experiences. All I would be getting was her own perspectives, and not necessarily what worked best for me.

So today I think I’m ready to try and make my own first rune. A fire element one.

Much have I thought on the nature of fire. The heat and the chemical reactions that form it. I desperately tried to remember everything I was ever taught about it in science class, and ultimately arrived in a semi coherent comprehension model.

This is what I meant with personal experiences. Mother had absolutely no idea about chemical processes and atomic theory. Her vision of fire was wholly more metaphorical.

As I prepared to do so. Haltia approaches me with worry.

“Are you sure you are ready for this? What if you end up hurting yourself?”

“Don’t worry mother. I’m ready for this.” I said so trying to sound a bit confident and not as nervous as I’m actually am.

“I will have to trust you on this. But take it slow and be careful.”

As soon as she gave me some space. I lied down and began to concentrate on the mana. Slowly pushing towards me. I thought of my understanding of fire.

As soon as I began to push mana from my soul with that understanding in mind. It was like a hot plier made its way through my insides. Carving my flesh in the form of pathways extending from my soul. I was in great pain, but gritted my teeth and continued.

Soon, as the mana finished its way through me, and painfully engraving my flesh on its path. What appeared before me was an absolutely huge ball of fire. Exploding in the sky in a shower of sparks.

“I guess this counts as a success.” I said just I lost consciousness.

When I woke up. Mother was beside me examining the newly created runes. They extended over the previous ones and into my arms. Making for a pretty cool look if I say so myself.

“I hope you don’t intend to do something this reckless so soon again. You’re much too young for what you just did.” Said mother with a curious look.

Oh, you have no idea. I thought so to myself.