If one were to say that the demonic incursion left an imprint on Kerii's mind, that would be an understatement. Every gory detail was seared into her brain. The screams of the dying citizens in agonizing pain that she knew were injured beyond her capabilities to heal. The sounds of claws and fangs tearing through flesh. The hopelessness she felt through it all. It was torture. What made it all worse, was that this event happened in Orchidia, in the very town she called home. It housed Lamia Scale, which she could not help but feel was her life and soul. She was merely in her home when the demons began invading her town. She was deaf to the sounds going on around her, and the only thing she could hear was an eerie voice playing inside her head. Determining the gender of it was impossible. At the moment, she was so stunned, confused, and disoriented that she had no clue what it was... but now that she had time to think over it, it dawned on her that the voice belonged to Ëala. As much as she did not want to believe it was so, that was the only plausible explanation. The presence of Ëala was growing from within, which would also explain her influx in magical capabilities.

Kerii held pressure against the cut along her shoulder as she walked to the library. Blood was still seeping from her wound, but it would heal with time. As she suspected though, now that the adrenaline from the battle was wearing off, the pain from the scratches was really beginning to set in, though this did not deter the mage. She wanted to make it to the library to immediately begin studying magic. When she arrived though, a look of despair spread across her face. Her lip quivered as she stepped up to the blood-spattered doors. They were both swung wide open, with one barely hanging onto its hinges. A few limp bodies laid across the floor, including those of some bookkeepers she was fond of. Though she could not see their chests rising, she bent down to check someone's pulse. Dead. She desperately checked another's. Also dead. Tear drops welled in the corners of the elf's eyes as she walked through the piles of scattered books. She eventually picked one up and tried her best to read. The words were blurred by her tears, but after rubbing her eyes, she could make them out. The book was on nature magic, the very kind she possessed. She learned how to cast a few spells on her own, but if she was going to progress, she would have to learn from another source. She could not rely on herself and Ëala for the rest of her career if she wanted to become stronger. This book covered the basics of nature magic, but according to the table of contents it would delve deeper into more complex subjects as the chapters went on, including a unit on healing.

WC: 504/3600 (10% WC Reduction due to INT)

In order to learn spells other than the ones she seemed to innately know, she had to first study the element. Though it seemed rather basic, she still had to learn the basics before moving onto more difficult things. As she read, a lot of things became clear to the elf. Nature magic was using one's inner power to either manipulate or generate plants of all sorts. It encompassed a large range of magic, and could be as restricted as using one thing such as vines or wood, to being able to create an incredible myriad of flora. As far as Kerii knew, her form of nature magic was the later, and instead of manipulating pre existing plants, she generated them via her magic. She had to wonder how that was remotely possible though. You could not create anything out of nothing. That violated the laws of science she had come to know and embrace. There were several theories floating around as to what truly happened. Technology was simply not advanced enough to tell which one was true, but Kerii personally believed the one that molecules were rearranged to produce spells in the case of her nature magic. After all, she was not uprooting trees and plants in order to cast her spells, and as far as she knew, she was not taking them from another location. Given all the nature mages that used a magic similar to hers, surely there would have been dozens of reports of mysteriously disappearing flora.

Kerii read the pages of her nature book, periodically glancing up to search for another book on spirits. Given that she had one trapped inside of her, she should learn how to utilize its abilities as best as possible. Ëala so far was a bit of a finicky spirit. It only appeared when it wanted to, but when it did, it seemed to mess with Kerii's mind. It seemed that whenever something stressful happened or whenever she used her magic, something changed. First, Ëala spoke. Then, her magic became stronger. This was actually a trend she had progressively seen. If she wanted her healing spells to become more powerful, she would have to go through difficult situations. Why such a thing would happen, that was beyond her. Ëala worked in mysterious ways... Though she wished it didn't. Kerii's mind worked in a very logical fashion. The books she read were helpful in both understanding how nature magic worked and how spirits typically functioned. She was even able to draw similarities between the two and thus grew in her comprehension of how her magic was supposed to work. The spells she currently knew, she knew out of pure instinct. All she did was attempt to cast spells similar to Ëala's Blessing and it worked. If she attempted to cast something more powerful though, she would be met face to face with failure. She could not rely on instinct, nor could she wait for Ëala to teach her things. The elf had to take matters into her own hands, and the library was the best place to do such.

WC: 504+518=1022/3600

Kerii delved deep into the knowledge of spirits and nature magic. She alternated between the books, really only focusing on the topics that concerned her unique brand of magic. For example, while she looked on the basics of nature magic, she skipped its potential poisonous aptitude in favor of the healing section -- the very sorts of spells her magic specialized in. Similarly, she skipped the sections on poltergeists and haunting spirits in favor of possessions and spirits that required a host of sorts. The wealth of knowledge she acquired was incredible. Finally, bits and pieces that she was unable to connect before were becoming clear to the young elf.

The Lamia finally felt confident enough to practice a new spell or two. There were plenty of people in Orchidia who were gravely injured. Though she did not expect any of the spells she wanted to practice to heal such extensive damage, she believed that she could at least heal moderate wounds. If people had broken bones or deep gashes, Kerii felt comfortable attempting to remedy such injuries. After all, she was able to heal Ren's leg which had rather deep puncture wounds from what was likely to be the demons' teeth, tough their claws would be a viable option as well. Regardless, she had been quite impressed by the amount of healing her lowest leveled spell could do. Practicing a more powerful spell would likely yield even greater results, though the elf was unsure by how much.

Kerii closed her books and her attention went away from the words in them and back into the real world. As she did, she could hear a faint groaning sound coming from within the library. Startled, the elf shot up from the chair she was seated in and winced at the quick sear of pain she got along her shoulder. It did not seem to be coming from any of the corpses she saw before. No, the sound was coming from somewhere else. Kerii listened intently, and discovered that the weak noise she heard was coming from behind the counter. Having figured out the source of the sound, the elf immediately went in that direction. She peered over the wooden desk to see an old woman's arm outstretched on the floor, quivering ever so slightly. The woman was alive. Not wasting any more time, the Lamia leapt over the counter and crouched down by the old woman who she instantly recognized as the kind librarian she frequently saw. A heavy piece of wood had fallen on the woman. It splintered, creating a puncture wound. She was miraculously alive, but only because the object was blocking the blood flow. The woman tried speaking to Kerii, but all that came out were incoherent sounds. In the past, she would have froze up. She would have no clue what to do and would distrust her own healing capabilities. After the demonic incursion though, Kerii gained newfound confidence. She was no longer a timid little elf who fell victim to her family's ineptitude. She was a mage of Lamia Scale who was about to save this woman's life.

WC: 1022+521=1543/3600

Kerii knit her eyebrows and a stern, concentrated expression came upon her face. Her mind went back to the books she read and quickly drew a connection between the spirit sealed within herself and nature. She could feel a positive energy build up and knew that she had to exert it with some sort of motion to better direct and concentrate her spell. The elf did not know why this was the case, but she felt a strange urge to blow a kiss towards the woman. It was inexplicable, but it just felt... natural. "I'm sorry," Kerii murmured before lifting the piece of wood up from the librarian's abdomen. The lady gasped, no doubt at the sudden jolt of pain she likely received. Blood started pouring out of the wound much faster than before, but Kerii was prepared. Having built up the magical energy, she was already blowing a kiss towards the woman's injury. Translucent pink rose petals danced towards the woman. The moment they touched her body, her abdominal wound began to heal.

The elderly woman's punctured organs were repaired and the majority of the skin went back to normal. There was still a rather deep cut left, but it appeared that it would require no more than disinfectant and stitches. Kerii breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She expected her healing spells to be strong, but not that strong. Despite how well the lady's injury seemed to be mended though, she still withstood quite a considerable amount of blood loss. Her complexion was pale and seemed to be too weak to stand up on her own. The elf helped the woman to her feet and half carried her out of the library. Luckily, not too soon after she did so, she found a medical team doing search and rescue. She flagged them over and left the librarian in their capable hands.

Now that the woman was well on her way to getting proper medical treatment, Kerii could focus on helping other people, and potentially learning yet another spell. Perhaps she could also practice her new rose spell some more. After all, she could hardly call a spell mastered after practicing it for merely a single time. Very few mages could say the same. Perhaps with some lower-leveled spells they could. Come to think of it, it did not take as much energy as she thought it would to heal the old librarian. Usually that was only characteristic of spells that were not as powerful. So either the elf's body suddenly found a way to conserve mana whilst producing great spells, or her spells had for some reason grown in strength. As she did not physically feel any different, she placing bets on the later. The exact why was still unbeknownst to Kerii, though she had a feeling a certain spirit might. Rather or not said spirit would tell Kerii what was going on was still up for debate. Ëala had a mind of its own and only seemed to make itself known during certain circumstances.

WC: 1543+507=2050/3600

Rosa:

Since the Lamia's mind just had to naively wander and start to theorize about Ëala, she seemed to have jinxed it. Fully expecting not to learn anything new and deciding to venture off in search of more injured persons, Kerii started making her way around Orchidia. Before she knew it though, she began to get a searing headache. Her eyes became hypersensitive to the light, causing her squint and eventually squeeze them completely shut. Becoming dizzy, she stumbled to the side and braced herself against a wall. The dizziness turned into full on vertigo and the elf struggled to stand. The world was tilting on its side, but she managed to grab the handle of a door and tumble into an abandoned shop to seek privacy. There, she sat on the floor and held her head as she tried to get a grip on reality, but even her best attempts were futile. Just like the morning of the demonic incursion, her hearing suddenly went away and her whole body became paralyzed.

The headache and vertigo gradually faded away, but Kerii still could not move. She didn't even feel as if she was in the same realm anymore. She could not feel nor hear a thing. The only slight form of relief was that she was able to hear her own thoughts, but even those were fuzzy and difficult to keep track of. Before long, she could make out the same whispers she heard from earlier. As they grew louder, she could finally make out that it was repeating her name: "Atani," it hissed. "Y-yes," she stammered, the reply coming entirely coming from her mind. "You want to learn more spells. Is that correct?" The elf paused a few moments before replying. "Ëala, is that you?" It let out a soft chuckle. "I think you know the answer to that. Now how about answering my question?" Kerii bit her lip. Or, well, at least she imagined herself doing so. "Yes."

Ëala slowly materialized itself. For the first time, Kerii could actually visibly see what Ëala looked like, and it appeared that "it" was a "she." Ëala seemed to be made of a silvery, wispy material, but she clearly had the form of a young adult woman. As her corporeal appearance became more solidified, Kerii let out a gasp. It looked exactly like her, but with a more sinister look. "Y-you're me." Ëala rolled its eyes and placed its hands on its hips. "In every host's mind, I take the form of their body. Outside of a host, I would look like nothing more than a misty glowing orb before I vanished, but that's besides the point. I am here to teach you about your magic. I like to call it "Ëala's Blessing" while people start out with it. Fitting, no? Once someone shows mastery of it, it can actually morph into something much more beautiful... much more powerful. For you, I believe it should be called Biophilia, don't you agree? Now, let's get started. I have all sorts of things to teach you."

WC: 2050+512=2562/3600

Ëala held her hand outstretched for Kerii to take. Hesitantly, the elf reached for it, and she was quite surprised to see that she was witnessing everything in the first person. She was in her own mind, but her physical body was suddenly materialized. "Oh, don't act so surprised," Ëala mused. "This is your mind after all. You can do nearly anything you want, but I need to take the reigns for a while." Despite how illogical this entire situation seemed, Ëala had a point. Kerii let out a sigh and took the spirit's hand. "Excellent." A sickening grin came upon Ëala's face and the dark space around them began to shift, changing into a dense forest. It was dusk and a thin layer of mist hung low to the ground.

"How is this any better than me learning in the physical world? I was able to learn a new healing spell just a little while ago on my own." Kerii was frustrated, confused, and just wanted to practice magic on her own, but Ëala just stood there with a single hand on her hip. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Little Atani, when will you learn that you just can't always do things on your own? Especially with me in that pretty head of yours, I think you'll find that learning other spells will prove to be immensely difficult without my expertise." Kerii folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow. "And why would that be?" Ëala mimicked the mage's actions and replied, "Because of the contract. Didn't your mother tell you? Oh wait..." A smirk appeared on the spirit's face and Kerii's own became stern with anger. "You have no right to talk about her," Kerii retorted, but it was only met by Ëala's laugh. "Oh, I do. And for more reasons than you can even begin to comprehend, but that is a discussion for another time. We're here to learn magic, aren't we?" Ëala asked, innocent eyes meeting Kerii's steely gaze. "Don't call us 'we.' I'm not a part of you." Ëala sighed and shook her head. "You will come to accept me one day, Atani. For now, let's have you learn just one spell, hmm? Any spell you please." The Lamia rolled her eyes. There would be no getting out of this situation unless she caved in. "Fine. A healing spell, similar in strength to the one I cast before." She wanted to see how Ëala's method compared to her own, but the spirit simply rolled her eyes. "You're so predictable. I was hoping to teach you something catastrophic, but I suppose there's no changing your mind. Healing has always been your forte though, I suppose. Let's start with this then." Ëala waved her hand and a small collection of violets sprouted from the ground. "Your magic utilizes nature. All sorts of flora have natural healing properties. You just amplify them to a healing but nontoxic amount. Violets are just one of many that have a myriad of effects. Concentrate on it." Not entirely sure what Ëala meant by 'concentrate on it,' as that was a rather vague term, Kerii simply went with it and focused her attention on the violets the spirit had grown from the ground.

WC: 2562+541=3103/3600

The elf crouched down so that she was level with the violets and stared at them. Her gaze became fixated on the purple petals and could see the edges of her vision growing darker, as if her mind was literally trying to only focus on the flowers. It was a strange sensation, but it felt right for some reason. "Good, good," Ëala's voice softly spoke. "Now try to form a connection with it." Kerii took a deep breath in and out and let her fingertips touch the soft petals of the plant before her. Why she chose to do that, the elf was not entirely sure. Just as blowing a kiss seemed right for her previous healing spell, this one seemed right as well. A slight tingling sensation went through her hand and up her arm, but it did not feel uncomfortable. It felt rejuvenating in a way. As that happened, the violet's petals began to softly glow. They grew soothingly luminescent against the forest of dusk. The longer she touched the plant, the more comfortable she became. It was almost as if it was lulling her into a trance, and yet the elf was fully aware of what was happening. She was forming a bond between the plant.

Gods, that sounded weird... but it was true. Once the glow began to dim, Kerii began to panic. She didn't want it to go. Her vision started returning to normal and Ëala came back into sight. "What happened?" she asked anxiously, standing back up. "You formed a connection between the violets' healing prowess and your own," Ëala confirmed. "But it stopped glowing. It didn't feel like the connection had been made yet. Are you sure?" The spirit rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm sure. I'm the source of your magic, remember? I hoped you would've trusted me on this." Trust was a funny thing with the whole background of the Tathvirs, but Kerii supposed Ëala had a point. "Fine, but can I at least get out of my mind to practice the spell?" Kerii asked. "As you wish," Ëala replied, a smirk appearing on her face. Suddenly, the Lamia was thrust back into reality. All her senses returned and she was no longer faced with a migraine or dizziness of any sort. She could now actually see what shop she had stumbled into, and much to her surprise, it was not totally abandoned like she had thought it would be.

A teenage boy looked at Kerii with concerned eyes and a pained expression on his face. His leg was covered in blood, as were his hands, as he held them over the cut trying to stop the bleeding as best as he possibly could. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Me? I'm fine. I'm more concerned about your leg but... wait. How long was I out?" Ëala claimed that her process was faster, but Kerii felt as if she was trapped in her own mind for at least fifteen minutes. "Only a few moments," the boy replied. He tried to shift into a more comfortable position, but winced at the pain. His leg was seemed to be further injured than the mere cut, likely even broken. "Hold on, I can help." Once again, Kerii did a gesture that felt natural to her. She reached one hand up and it became covered in a cloud of swirling violet petals. She hardly had to concentrate or charge any mana to do this. Pointing at the boy's leg, she fully healed it. His injuries were not as serious as the librarian’s, but the new spell was shockingly easy to learn. For whatever reason, this spell was much easier to learn than the rose one. She did not know why Ëala's method worked, but it did. The boy thanked Kerii, but she hurriedly left. She needed to figure out this whole mess.

WC: 3103+646=3749/3600

Arvensis: