2 CH 2 - Daughter

The vast forest spread out for miles. Tall proud trees rising into the air, their branches curling at the suns warm touch. Life was everywhere in the mostly untouched land. Creatures of all sorts, magical and normal rooted around, going about their daily life's in peace. The only odd thing about the forest was the small shuffling of the trees. From above an eagle observed how a small spot of the forest was moving. Opening and flowing to create a small pathway before flooding back. It let out a screech of warning to those below. Humans were coming, ones with magic.

The three that were tromping their way along looked rather out of place. One was a young girl of seventeen. She wore a simple gray dress and had wild red hair that she had attempted to pull back from her face. The other two were men of middle age. They looked to be soldiers, or fighters, by their muscular frames and the way they marched in perfect unison. The men seemed to be enjoying the walk, the girl on the other hand did not look pleased.

Daughter Morea was not happy. She hated being outside, she hated bugs, and she hated being sent on missions. Yes she was a Daughter of Stone, yes she had sworn her life to helping them succeed and flourish, but she had mostly been planning on doing that in the way of research and study. Of furthering the groups knowledge of the earth they drew their power from, and how to strength their weaves and mastery over the ground. As well as researching a few things she was interested in on the side.

She knew plenty of other Daughters of Stone who were more then happy to spend hours rooting around in the forest, or even... gardening. Which, to be honest, completely baffled Morea. Who on earth would ever enjoy spending hours outside in the blistering heat? Doing back breaking work, getting dirty and filthy, dealing with bugs and the gods knew what else, in order to have a little food grow? She would much rather spend her time in the coolness of a room, practicing magical formulas and rune crafting, reading and studying, and growing their knowledge of the power that they wielded. And doing research, there were questions she was desperately trying to find the answers too, and she knew that time was of the essence.

To be fair she knew that many of her companions considered her to be strange. As an order that naturally drew their power from the earth it always seemed to baffle them that she wanted to be indoors so often. That she cared so much for being clean, and that she loved to study and experiment. Mother Unara had warned Morea more then once that she would never graduate beyond a Sister if she didn't spend more time communing with the earth. Which... was partly true.

The ability to cultivate and grow ones magic was immensely important, and one of the easiest ways to do so was to spend time around whatever magical affinity you were most attuned to. Drawing in it's power, learning to weave the threads of magic into a useable spell, and learning the ability to cultivate the magical energy in yourself was all part of growing as a Weaver. Heck it was hard enough to grow beyond a Third Level Weaver without being almost totally immersed in your elements environment. Not to mention reaching the godly level of a Thirteenth Level Weaver!

But to increase ones magical affinity you had to spend time cultivating and drawing in the magical energy from your element. Most did it by meditating or spending time around the magical energy they were trying to cultivate, drawing in the overflow of energy that naturally rose and dissipated around them. A few would even try to pull directly from the magical currents to increase their growth even faster, these people usually didn't live long. Connecting yourself to something that was basically a magical ocean was suicide and a good way to be overwhelmed and dead. Most people gathered the fine magic that rose like a mist from an oceans surface, taking in bits and pieces and feeding it to their center

But it was also boring. Like really boring. And on top of that, the Daughters of Stone were already incredibly famous for their power and how fast their members were able to grow in strength and magical prowess. It was honestly shockingly unusual. Anytime Morea tried to bring it up however the question was just brushed aside. Even Mother Unara didn't seem to think that the question carried any merit. They were more gifted she would say, or they had better methods for teaching. Even her fellow Daughters didn't seem to care, most of them were just happy to be off the street!

Morea honestly thought all that was a load of horse shit. She had studied other cultivating methods, studied other orders and schools to see how they taught and imparted magic. Though the Daughters of Stone did have an unusually strong cultivation method it didn't seem that much better then the other ones she had been able to get her hands on. Admittedly the others she had studied were limited as few people were willing to share such things, but still. None of it added up.

There were so many different ways, yet all seemed to pale in comparison to the Daughters of Stone. It wasn't a bloodline thing, as the order mostly recruited only orphans and abandoned girls. She had heard some of those above her say that family ties were too messy, and it was easier to deal with those who had none. That way no family would ever be able to influence their order, or try to learn their secrets and take them as their own. Plus it was easy to recruit children who were starving, alone, and had no other prospects. Most kids in those situations didn't hesitate to make a blood oath in order to get out of their horrible situations. Morea and her younger sister had been one of those girls, and she knew they owed the Daughters of Stone their lives. So she stayed and was loyal, the blood oath was good motivation for that too.

She shuddered for a moment. Remembering how it had been right before they had joined. Her and Lydia, her younger sister, curled up in the corner of their house while their father drank himself stupid. He'd waste most of the money they'd manage to beg for, spending it on booze and the whores he'd proudly bring in like they were something he had earned. Then there were the times he had run out of money, and those were always the worst. At first it wasn't much of anything. He might beat them more, or yell more. But eventually he had gotten desperate and had found an odd man who would pay well for time alone with the girls.

Morea's stomach churned as she remembered the spider like man. His shifting eyes, nervous smile, and crooked stained teeth were forever seared in her mind. The way he had chanted and sang, calling on dark magic, forbidden magic. Lydia had received the worst of it, and even now she would still wake up screaming from the nightmares.

The night their father had died had been the worst. The rain had come down so hard that the inside of their little hovel was soaked. The weather meant that few people had been outside so they had earned almost nothing from their begging. Lydia and her had wandered home, bare feet frozen and cold as they had wrapped their rags even tighter around themselves. Lightning flashed in the sky, and she could remember the role of thunder as they stumbled into their home, only to be met by their angry drunk father.

He had beaten her, Morea remembered. Splitting her lip till she coughed blood up. And then he had turned toward Lydia, a sadistic smile peeling open his face as he reached out a hand for her. All he would say was that the man was waiting, and though Lydia screamed and begged their father didn't even flinch as he dragged her off. She had never been the same after that, the man had done something that warped her, changed her. The feeling of his magic had left an imprint on them both, the dark emptiness it commanded was like a void in the soul. She would never forget that feeling, and she had never felt anything like it since then. There father had died that night, and the girls had fled.

Shaking her head she brushed aside the dark memories. The past didn't matter, things were different and she still had a goal. That night she had become a orphan, and soon after she and Lydia had been accepted into the Daughters of Stone. Things had gone well, but as time went on it became obvious that there was something off about Lydia. Something not quite right in the way she smiled and talked. They'd managed to hide the worst of it, the dead animals, grotesque pictures, and intense nightmares. But it was only getting worse. It worried Mother Unara and the others, and Morea feared the day when they would simply say enough was enough.

But Morea was going to fix it. All that time she spent buried in the books was for finding a cure for Lydia. Something to help make her whole again, and so far she had been unsuccessful. That was the worst part about being on this mission, she was away from her sister and couldn't watch over her, couldn't make sure she stayed out of trouble. And she was waisting valuable time that could be used for her special research. There had to be something out there that could help Lydia, she just knew it.

She casually brushed aside a lock of curly red hair. Which promptly fell back onto her sweaty face. With an exasperated sigh she tried to brush it aside again, only to have it return a moment later. "Fine," she huffed, "Be that way!" She rolled up the gray sleeves of her dressing, wishing once again she had thought to bring something more comfortable to wear. She had been in such a hurry to get this whole thing over with however that she had forgotten a few things in her rush to leave.

"What way daughter?" Two voice asked from behind.

Morea jumped, it was always creepy hearing two voices talking in perfect unison, plus she hadn't meant to say anything out loud. "Nothing," she quickly said, turning to face her two companions. The two men behind her looked like exact copies of each other in every way. They were twins, born identical in the first place, and it was hard enough for her to tell them apart. But she had known Yaren and Val for most of the time that she had been at the order and she had gotten pretty good at telling which was which, not that they ever acknowledged if she was right. Both of them had flat gray eyes, with jet black hair, chiseled features, and stood a little over six feet. The biggest difference she had ever been able to notice was the fact that Yaren had a small freckle underneath his left eye. A freckle, her powers of observation needed work.

They of course were more alike then most twins, as a Binding had been cast on them soon after birth. The Daughters of Stone never let men into their order, except for those who were bound. Being bound meant that both of the men had had their magic centers woven together shortly after birth. They were now essentially one person. They shared thoughts as one person would, spoke in unison almost all the time, which could be creepy as hell, and always was aware of what the other person was seeing or feeling. They had no clear identity apart from one another, and most people usually treated those who had undergone a Binding as being one person. Morea thought that was quite rude.

"Do you know how much further we have to go?" She asked with a frustrated sigh, trying to brush the stubborn curl out of her face again, only to have it return a second later. She wasn't sure if hair could mock you, but she was seriously feeling like it could.

The two men walked up to her. They both put their hands on their hips, before titling their heads to the side, the same thoughtful expression on both faces. "Shouldn't be more then another day or so. Are you really so interested to finish?" They both asked, "We figured you'd be excited to explore some."

It always creeped her out when they referred to each other as we, but then acted like they were one individual. And they weren't totally wrong, she loved exploring books, and old ruins, and places that were full of unknown magic and knowledge. Not... the woods. She hated the woods. And sunlight. And dirt. And... well a lot of stuff that had to do with being outside. She noticed a small spider crawling up her arm and quickly flicked it off. She added it to the list of things she hated.

"I honestly would much prefer to be back home," she said with a small shrug. "I hate being out here, it's boring, and we're not really exploring since we have a mission. This feels like more of a chore... and a punishment."

Both men let out a barking laugh as they said, "Being with us is a punishment?"

She could tell from the goofy grin they we're making fun of her so she returned the smile. "More then you know."

They both cocked their heads and made a sad pouty face. It was creepy, but the kind of creepy that was almost cute. She chuckled as they all continued on their way. They were in the middle of no where, and had been for the last six days. To anyone who was watching them it would have seemed like they were aimlessly wondering, but it was far from that. They were steadily making their way west, heading deeper and deeper into the forest. It was slow going. There was no real discernible path, but it was little trouble for someone of Morea's level.

She had finished her Third Weave a few months ago. Her magic center was no longer the greenish brown color of someone who practiced earth magic. It was now the dark emerald of someone who wielded the power of stone. The whole processes had not been easy. Mother Unara had walked her through it, and Morea shuddered to think about what could have happened if she had attempted such a thing alone. Changing one's magic center was not for the faint of heart. She had to condense her center, compressing it like rock was compressed, feeding the energy of the earth into it as she did.

The experience had been brutal, but worth it. As her magic condensed and hardened, so did her body. Her muscles and bones were tougher now, and her skin was harder to break. She could probably jump out of a two story window and be perfectly fine. Though she wouldn't be trying that anytime soon. Because well, she hated heights, it was dangerous to be off the ground!

However the compression of her magic center meant there was little the earth could do to hold her back now. As she walked the trees and bushes naturally bowed out of her way. Slithering through the ground like a snake in the water. Their roots moving them to avoid her as she made her way steadily forward. Even rocks and pebbles rolled out of the way, all of them moving so the Daughter of Stone could pass. She was even nice enough to make sure Yaren and Val were able to pass through too, before willing everything to go back to its original resting place. It was all thanks to the enchantment woven into her shoes that she had received upon becoming a third level weaver.

"Why did you get assigned this mission, Daughter?" The twins asked as they all marched forward.

Morea was still focused on defeating the annoying curl as she answered them. "Well... to be honest I completed my Second Level Weave a while ago and it is customary to make a pilgrimage, to go out and commune with the earth after doing so," she said with a roll of her eyes. "After you complete your Second Weave and become a Third you are elevated from a Child to a Daughter in the order, and the little outing they force you to go on is considered the transition between the two. I might have been dragging my heels a bit, so this "mission" was dumped on me so that I would have to go out. Mother Unara even told me that I would not have access to the library or any of the magical formulas until this was completed, so here I am. In this place," she said waving her hand at the forest around them. She needed access to the library too if her research was going to continue, Lydia's sanity depended on it

In truth they were making really good time. As a Daughter of Stone, Morea had the ability to command things connected to the earth. Stones, dirt, plants, and anything else that was of the earth or grew out of it. Every Daughter of Stone could, but mot specialized in a particular discipline once they completed their Second Level Weave and entered into their Third, officially becoming a Sister of Stone. Some focused on plants and things that grew, learning how to manipulate the very life that sprouted from the ground and bending it to their will. Others focused on the ground and dirt. Learning how to make it move and flow before them. Entire towns could be moved, fields plowed, trenches dug, and so on by someone powerful enough. And finally were those who focused on Stone. The rocks and things beneath. These were able to find specific metals with ease, command mountains to move, and even create buildings out of the stones beneath their feet. They were also fearsome in battle, able to fling boulders around, sending them crashing into enemies.

Many other groups studied the earth, but none of them compared to the Daughters of Stone. It was a well known fact that even a Mage who was a Fifth Level Weaver was only just as strong as a Daughter in her Third. The whole thing fascinated her.

"Ahhhhh," the twins intoned. "So they kill two birds with one stone. Getting you out on your pilgrimage, and having a task completed as well."

Morea nodded angrily. "It is so like Mother Unara to do something like that, and a stupid kidnapping of all things! I can't believe she even trusts me with something of this level, it's not like I make it a habit of storming castle walls or tearing down the temples of our blasphemous enemies, I'm not like the others, battle does nothing for me. What if I get caught!"

"We don't mind a good fight," the twins answered, both of their hands playing over the edge of the sword strapped to their sides. She knew they were deadly with it. One of the things that made a Bonded pair so powerful was the fact they could see and feel each other at all times. And when they fought together they were a true terror. The ability to know where one would strike allowed the other to respond perfectly, often overwhelming opponents in the blink of an eye. And although they moved in sync most of the time, bonded pairs often went through rigorous training that allowed them to separate and split apart for brief moments. She had heard of Bonded pairs tearing through large groups without even breaking a sweat as a result, their opponents not able to counter their attacks.

"I'm glad," she said with a sniff, "I'd prefer just to watch and let you do all the fighting." She motioned down to her gray dress that was already a bit torn and covered in sticks and dirt. "I'm already a mess, and I would prefer not to add blood to this look I have going on."

That seemed to amuse them for some reason. "We live to serve of course Daughter, but we assume that if they sent all of us on a this mission, it might be a little too difficult for any of us to just sit and watch."

Morea huffed at that but didn't argue. "You're probably right," she sighed. "This whole thing must be semi serious if they sent us all out."

"At least you get to commune with nature along the way," the twins said, both smiling.

She rolled her eyes, wishing she had kept her mouth shut about that whole thing. "I'm communing, don't worry," she sniffed as a nearby tree slowly slid over a bit and out of her path. The spell she was using was a basic Second Level Weave. It was woven into her shoes, inscribed on the soles and all she had to do was keep feeding it a steady trickle of magic. The spell was released every time her foot touched the ground, sending out a little ripple across the earth and simply "pushing" things out of her way in whatever area she directed.

That was a simplistic way to describe it of course, without having a basic attunement to the earth it was a hard spell to maintain, but for most of the Daughters of Stone it was as easy as breathing. She had to keep a little mental control over it, keeping her mana cycling but also making sure to release it as she moved, allowing the earth to move back. To do it without an enchantment in place would have been a lot more difficult, having to manage and pay attention to everything that she approached.

Morea purposefully released the enchantment as she moved, causing the tree to sharply move back, its branches slapping Yaren in the face. Val winced too, feeling the sympathetic pain from the bond and they both shot her a glare. "Whoops," Morea said with a sweet smile, "All this communing is making me sloppy." They responded with a rather rude gesture as she laughed and they all continued to troop along.

A sudden roar made them all pause mid step. Her bonded companions drew swords easily, spreading out in front of her as they warily looked around. Morea was a little ashamed to realize it had taken her a few seconds to shake off her surprise and get into a ready stance. Mother Kira, her combat instructor, would have given her a smack on the head for that.

The roar shook the air again, booming through the trees. The sound was tinged with magic, she could tell by how the air vibrated and hummed with the energy. "It's magical," she quietly said as they began to cautiously make their way forward. She released the enchantment on her shoes, which made it instantly more difficult to walk as things weren't moving out of their way, but it would also help keep them hidden and not announce their presence.

"We figured," the twins answered. "Magical beasts are quite common in the forest. The deeper you go the stronger they become. Hunters make their way out here quite a bit, the right beast can fetch quite the price."

"It can also kill you," Morea muttered as a small tremor shook the ground. "Are we fighting it, or going around?" The bonded pair simply both looked back at her, their flat eyes not saying much. So it was her decision. Awesome. "Let's try to avoid it, if any of us get injured or hurt we will have to turn back or spend days recovering, which is not worth it." They nodded their agreement with the call and as quietly as they could they all began to slink forward, moving away from the roar, and deeper into the brush that closed in all round.