The domain of a prodigy

The branches were similar to those of hawthorn, with long sharp needles. The brambles dug in like blackberries or rose bushes. The dreadful force of nature now pressing into Dahlia was shredding into her and revealing just how cruel this domain could be.

Nevertheless, she wasn't one to give up so quickly and her mind raced while trying to find solutions. Already, the effects of the space attribute had made themselves clear. Did she understand everything perfectly? Probably not. Could there be other factors at play that she had yet to discover, very possible. However for now, all she knew was that her movements seemed to be reversed.

When she tried to walk away and jump out of the brambles, it only pushed her deeper and deeper in. Was it an issue with perception similar to an illusion? Perhaps. Or maybe the domain was twisting directionality as a whole. Either way, now was the time for action and analysis could come later.

Dahlia was quick to come to terms with how things needed to be handled and though she might not be the most physically adept or agile, doing the mental gymnastics of reversing directions in her head was annoying, but manageable. Something that most people would likely struggle with greatly, she simply saw it as a small brain teaser.

The actual forces at play here were odd. Her perception seemed normal, yet when she wanted to step backwards, her foot would go out front instead. Clearly forces weren't totally reversed either because her muscles were still manipulating her limbs normally and she hadn't become a total ragdoll. It was almost like the 'Lost' portion of her aspect confused the sense of direction between her mind and her actions.

While she walked 'forwards' in order to actually step away, Dahlia could finally take a look around and see what was happening as she had been distracted. A dark thicket had already ensconced her like a cocoon. The question of 'how the hell is this going to be a useful domain if it attacks me?' came to her mind, but she set it aside. Similarly to the previous domain, this one seems to have quite a few questions and caveats applied to it.

Right now though, the real question was how to get out. Unlike before where she was able to simply stop her flowing mana and end the domain, here she could tell that her mana was still flowing unsteadily and stopping now would just bottle it up inside. Worst case scenario is that things could get far worse and far more lethal. Instead some other solution was needed.

The briars hadn't slowed down and were continuing to encroach on the small safe space Dahlia had found, but time was running out. Her mind was racing with a hundred solutions with some feeling riskier than others. She was just about to try out one when a burst of light suddenly arrived, accompanied by the sound of splintering branches.

Like an angel descending from the heavens, a cow-girl maid smashed through the thicket in a ray of sunlight; her eyes lighting up upon seeing a scratched but mostly unharmed Dahlia. Batting away the encroaching vegetation with her axe, all while clearly struggling with the confusing directions, Bessie finally spoke up in a reassuring voice.

"Don't worry My Lady. I'll protect you for the rest of this. These plants seem to be the most unruly part, so there shouldn't be an issue so long as I let you have some space. Just let the mana keep flowing until it feels comfortable."

Dahlia sighed at the woman but couldn't help but smile. She had been prepared to try casting a spell to protect herself, but doing that while forming an unstable domain was a good way to receive some serious magical recoil. With her maid here, another trip to the medical ward was likely just avoided. In the future magic could be used alongside her domains but now? It was something to be avoided.

"Thankyou Bessie. I feel about two thirds done, so this should last just a little bit longer. I also don't think it'll change at all. My mana flow might still be tumultuous, but it doesn't feel particularly chaotic. Just keep us protected and it'll be over in a moment."

They smiled at each other and continued with their own individual tasks. Now with the terrifying branches not trying to consume her, the domain felt a lot comfier. Sure it was kind of dark and spooky, but there was an almost gothic beauty to it all. Mostly barren branches, spotted with razor sharp leaves and needles made it look as though the entire domain were a spooky evil forest from some fairy tail or legend. Once Dahlia recalled that 'The Wood of Endless Night' was compatible with illusion dark magic, she couldn't help but smile.

'It might be scary or whatever, but I have the sudden urge to use illusions to make this a stereotypical dark forest. With fog, bats, and wolves! Hehehe, ok, so long as I can stop it from trying to stab me, I might come to like this quite a bit…'

Bessie saw her now giggling mistress from the corner of her eye and couldn't help but smile. She was adorable and having far too much fun. She was just sitting down on the ground and still was bleeding from a bunch of scratches, and yet rather than mope about or be scared, she was merely chuckling to herself like a little mischievous gremlin. A pretty and adorable gremlin, but a gremlin nonetheless.

Meanwhile, the maid was trying not to show it, but she was actually rather struggling. It's not that the domain was resilient. Everything that was growing was less durable than her own coral reefs that she could create. The issue was the direction flipping. Bessie realised that while she wasn't an idiot, she also wasn't always the sharpest tool in the shed. Most of what she did was based on instinct and intuition. So with a domain as mentally taxing as this… It was just anathema to the maid.

Instinct demanded that her reaction speed was fully thoughtless. An innate action that needed no time to process. Someone like Bessie who was so well trained and driven by instinct suffered far more than an analytics or amateur fighter such as Dahlia. In all honesty, the girl had no idea just how disruptive this domain was and, for the sake of trying to look cool, Bessie was trying hard not to show it. She would explain later, but for now looking impressive was more important.

About a minute and a half passed until Dahlia finally breathed a sigh of relief and closed off her mana circuits again. The forest of thorns didn't crumble and turn to dust. It remained, unmoving and uncaring to the rest of the world. The growth merely stopped all while the supernatural darkness and space distortion dissipated. Finally, Bessie swiped away a large section of briars, now using magic now that she knew it wouldn't impact Dahlia, and then she turned to look at the girl on the ground while raising an eyebrow,

"So that was somethin' huh?"

"Heh heh, yeahhhh, I wasn't really expecting something like that if I was being honest. But… I don't hate it. I see issues but there's definitely potential. What do you think?"

Bessie looked down at the girl who was currently flopped on the ground and chuckled.

"I think you might be underestimating that domain a little. I can't say how well it will interact with other magic, but the mix up in direction alone makes it a little bit terrifying. You have no idea how awkward I felt while just batting away some bushes. But… while annoying, those thorns and branches can be cleared quite easily. They're frail. Although it might have been scary to be trapped by them, an enemy would typically deal with them quite easily. You'll need to mix other abilities in to actually make use of them."

Bessie was running through various combat scenarios in her mind and fragile attacks and barriers like that very rarely were able to overwhelm casters. The injuries those thorns caused hurt, but were unlikely to have any major impact in a battle as well. It would be ruthless against mortals and some close quarters combatants might struggle, but that was about it. How to make use of it would be up to Dahlia though as the maid lacked the lateral thinking needed for situations like these.

While Bessie was thinking, Dahlia was doing the same. She recognized that the space attribute really helped level the playing field against more skilled enemies. With Bessie emphasising that fact, it was without a doubt a domain that would likely be used for more subversive and tricky fights. Overwhelming might not be an option, but if mixed with space magic, illusions, and then some nature based offence, it might really have potential. Finally, in the worst case scenario, if the enemy closes in, all of those attributes could be used alongside her melee combat as well.

She began nodding to herself a little as plans began to form in her mind. Little strategies and things she wanted to test. She might need to learn how to counteract the effects that targeted her, but beyond that she really quite liked this. It lent itself well to her calculative and sneaky side. Looking around though, she realised something.

"Hey Bessie… this domain crowded the entire training courtyard. I still want to test the last one but… I think we should relocate."

At first the maid wanted to scoff. 'No way' she'd say, casually and without concern. 'A beginner in domains could never' she wanted to declare. But then she looked at the girl. Then she looked at the size of the previous domain. Then she nodded.

"Yeah, ok, smart thinking."

Exiting the castle took time. Not only because they were going at a walking pace but also because the castle was gigantic and neither woman had any desire to rush. Instead, Bessie offered to piggy back carry Dahlia as they went to a new destination, allowing the girl to change her tattoos to their final form as they travelled.

In the end, the two ended up taking a nice forty minute stroll outside of the castle and ended at a small forest away from the city. The castle was placed right on the edge of the town, so it wasn't too time consuming to leave. Meanwhile, Dahlia who had been cooped up not only inside the castle but inside the Lionysus estate as well, was looking about in wonder. Even as her tattoos shifted and pain ran through her, her eyes were filled with joy.

There was an entire world out there that she had never experienced. The brief walk through the city streets, even though they were still damaged from earlier, still let her see commoners wandering about. Some were working, some were mourning, and some children were even playing. The sight felt strange but lovely to her.

Then, as they left the city and approached the nearby ancient forest, Dahlia found herself struck by wonder yet again. This time due to the majesty of nature. The forest they were approaching was famous and was associated with countless legends. Tales of beasts, heroes, and mythical treasures were all abound and related to the giant wood they now approached.

Being over a hundred kilometres across and not ending until the Lukresh Grand Duchy ended and the Dargovich March began, even the trees on the edges looked more ancient and legendary than anything Dahlia had seen before. It left her wondering what jaw dropping sights might be closer to the centre, or what wondrous secrets may still hide within its depths.

They didn't go in too deep though. Only enough to avoid the attention of others if something extreme might happen. Finally as they arrived, Dahlia wanted to ask hundreds of questions. Her child-like excitement begged to be released, but ultimately she managed to hold back. There was a time for now and a time for later after all, and her domain testing fell into the 'now' category.

Bessie didn't miss the awe in her eyes though. The excitement she showed here as well as in the city made her make a mental note to let the Archduchess know just how excitable the girl was. Who knows, maybe she could facilitate a date or something between her two mistresses.

Regardless, for the time being she simply prepared herself. If it was like the last domain, things might get a little tense, but it wouldn't be too bad. The concern was that this domain was almost pure nature and it might be explosive compared to the other elements. While the maid didn't know everything about Dahlia's aspect, she knew enough to know that this was the element to watch out for.

Seeing Bessie fully prepared Dahlia just smiled, said a small, quite nervous "Thankyou" before repeating the previous process. She calmed herself. She focussed. And she prepared for the loss of breath she knew would come. Thoughts of Valentina flashed through her mind as she wished she could have a taste of her bite's sedative, and if not then at least some arms to hold her, but she knew she couldn't be greedy. Not now at least.

As she released her mana, both she and Bessie were confused at first. While they were expecting something massive and terrifying, what occurred instead was nothing. She could feel the mana escaping, but it just seemed to seep away. Despite the lack of results though, the cramping of muscles and loss of breath happened all over again.

Knowing it was coming, Dahlia had done some deep breathing exercises first, but it was hard to properly prepare for holding one's breath so long. Still nothing had happened in the surrounding area but Dahlia was on the verge of losing consciousness. It had been ninety seconds and that was basically her limit.

This left Bessie in an awkward spot. If she stopped the mana flow directly, Dahlia would be freed from this issue but then she could have a sudden backlash as the mana shuts off. Meanwhile if she asphyxiated, she would likely recover quickly and wake up, but falling unconscious could easily cause incredibly chaotic magic to be produced. There was another option, but…

'May Her Grace forgive me for this'

Bessie rushed up to Dahlia and tried to breathe some fresh air into the girl's lungs. Dahlia's eyes shot open as she received the impromptu CPR and, despite the urgency and serious nature of things, she couldn't help but blush hard.

'She's my maid! My maid and my friend! And I'm suffocating! Calm down damn you!!! Oh, but she does have soft lips… Wait wait wait, breathe you idiot! Breathe and focus on magic!'

Frankly, it was quite embarrassing for both of them. Bessie wasn't exactly innocent either. Considering she spent so long with Valentina it would be impossible for her not to be a little bit corrupted by her mistress, but in the end both women really didn't like pushing boundaries like this. However, the effects of what Bessie did could immediately be appreciated as some oxygen managed to find its way back into Dahlia's lungs.

The intense mana draining lasted for a full minute after Bessie had already intervened, but by the time it had, both women were blushing furiously and had come to the mutual and unspoken agreement that this would never be known by anyone else.

When Dahlia could finally start to get some words out, she first simply mumbled a little "sorry…" before clearing her thoughts.

"Uhm, right. That might have been awkward but thank you. I have no idea what's going on with my mana right now, but if I suspect you took any other option to help me there was a huge risk. It may not look like it because we can't see any effects, but my mana is going absolutely insane right now. It feels like it keeps getting pulled taught only to suddenly whip into a new shape, It's like it's trying to find the path of least resistance out of many. That or it's opening multiple paths at the same time…"

As her words trailed off, Bessie looked at her confused but alarm hit her as she saw the sudden fear in Dahlia's eyes. Then the girl started talking rapidly.

"Bessie, it was my second guess! It was opening a whole bunch of different paths of flow simultaneously and I think it's going to all happen at once. Get back quickly I think this might *BOOM*"

Her sentence was cut short as a complete explosion occurred from the ground beneath her. Branches, trunks, bushes, and roots all burst up like a giant forest popup book. As though an explosion made of unnaturally large trees had just detonated from the ground below.

Bessie was thrown back off her feet and couldn't even see Dahlia as she had either been completely consumed by the wood or was launched up into the air. Just looking at it, the sudden forest must have been 200 metres in diameter and 150 metres tall at the central point. The sheer quantity was terrifying, not to mention the eruptive force behind it all. There was also the question of if this was all there was.

Theoretically there was at least a little bit of darkness and space attribute mixed in though it honestly might have been overwhelmed by the nature attribute. But even if those two elements weren't in there, usually domains weren't passive. You didn't create them and then they just remained stationary. The question was, just how much would this monster of a domain do?

And it really was a monster. Dahlia's first domain was already far beyond average and her second was frighteningly potent. But this? This approached being unprecedented. The size, scope, and even shape of it made Bessie remember back to a time. The one time she had ever witnessed the Grand Empress Dowager fight and the domain Esmé Kalisto created. Though much larger than this, it had shared the same sense of terrifying grandeur. This had potential to become magic at its absolute peak.

At that time, Bessie could only think one thing. 'This could define a generation. This is a domain of a prodigy.'

Inside said domain, things had gotten a little hectic. Dahlia got scared when a bunch of tree tops burst from the ground. One looked pretty stationary and she hopped on top of it to avoid the giant roots on the ground that slid around like giant wooden snakes. Much to her regret however, her 'safe spot' suddenly burst high into the air and she found herself stranded on the top of one of the highest trees in her entire domain.

"Nice view" one might say, but Dahlia had a few other concerns. Such as… not dying of a heart attack nor falling to her death. It turns out that 150 metres is quite high. She couldn't even take in what was happening within the domain because her brain was currently in crisis mode.

She was so distressed that she thought she was even hallucinating. Why on earth would she hear a voice after all. It's gotta be hallucinations.

Wait.

What?

"Are you even listening? I came all this way to see you too. I heard you got roughed up and I wanted to see the damage. I mean, you are a little scratched up, your arm is a mess, and you're hanging from a giant tree, but if I'm being honest you're looking quite nice compared to how I last saw you."

'Why?

Why is she here?'

Directly in front of Dahlia, flying in the air as though it were the most natural thing in the world, Sabrina smiled at her daughter, relishing the expressions of fear, confusion, and dread on her face. It had only been a week but seeing her again was just so refreshing~