Special notice - Due to ongoing employment issues, this will turn into a weekly post, on Saturday mornings.

Aila sat down beside her servant, whom she named Nuri, but had to hold off on giving her the core. She scanned her carefully.

"Mm, no sign of the poison coming back out. Organs are healing with the residual life energy, but your health is still low. They didn't feed you properly, did they?" She lightly rubbed Nuri's arm and shoulder. She opened her eyes.

"M-Master." She whispered. Aila smiled softly.

"My poor girl. You will get stronger, but you'll need to eat properly from now on. No over stuffing your poor belly until it hurts, just to keep selfish people happy." She reached down and took Nuri's hand.

"They told you." She said in a whisper, as she was still weak, and felt horrible.

"Of course they did. They are so angry on you and your sister's behalf. Force feeding you to make you fat and comfortable. It would clog your arteries up, and make your chest hurt early in life. A real big waste. I want my girls to live hundreds of years, with happiness, looking forward to seeing the sun rise in the sky, and the sun set. Look forward to sleeping, and getting up. And look forward to eating. These are the simplest pleasures of life, my sweet Nuri, and it's time you had them." The woman's eyes blinked.

"Nuri?"

"Your new name." Nuri felt a warmth spread throughout her body as she also felt a soft intrusion within her consciousness. "I give names to the ones important to me. Alara, the Seer of Underground Black, and Ivadra, the Black One." Nuri then watched as Aila rattled off names, and her eyes glowed in the color of the elements they were assigned.

"Ellie, my little water baby. Elena, my earth baby. Shaala, the wind mother, and Kaala, the flame mother." She touched Nuri's cheek. "Nuri, my life mother. And Nadya, the light mother."

After Aila checked out Nuri's sister, she went into the kitchen, and left them to rest. Nuri looked at Nadya, and saw her eyes mist up.

"Nadya." She watched her shiver. "You felt it too."

"Mm." Nadya said softly. "Is she a god?"

"I don't know, but she's real gentle. I've never had a gentle master before."

* * *

"Kaala."

"Eep." She chirped and blushed. "Y-yes, Master?"

"Nuri and Nadya will eat in the room. They are still too weak to get up. A small amount of good quality lean meat, more vegetables, some bread, and a good sized piece of cheese. Don't let them overeat like they were forced to. When they adjust, their bodies will shrink down to their natural size, and they will be more comfortable." Aila smiled, and ran her fingers along Kaala's ribs. She frowned. "Also, make sure you and the others eat healthy sized portions. No starving. Your poor bodies have been deprived of food for far too long, and food is not so expensive that you can't afford to eat it." Kaala lowered her eyes.

"They said we ate too much." She felt the temperature increase and lifted her eyes.

"Too much? They starve my girls, eat like self entitled lords, and say you eat too much?" Her eyes glowed red.

"M-Master?" Was their new master angry at them?

"Sorry, Kaala." She saw her flinch. "You'll get used to your new name, and to how you should eat, and behave." She looked into the pot, then at them. "When it's ready, first set up a bowl and plate for me. Then wait." Kaala bowed.

"Okay, Master." After she walked away, Elena smiled. She looked at her sister.

"Master is quite smart. If she didn't say to put the food on her plate first, they wouldn't put much on their own." Elena said.

"It's Master. Of course she's smart." She looked at her sister. "Did you feel her call your name?" Elena nodded.

"I always do."

* * *

"Master! Supper!" Kaala called out. Aila jumped down from the roof that had already been half filled in. They couldn't see how she did it, but the planks she used were grown together, and there wasn't a bit of light between the boards.

"Looks like we'll need some lamps from town soon, or you won't be able to see." Aila said, as she finally realized that her eyesight was really good. She looked at her bowl and plate. "Good, not too much for me to eat." She pointed at another bowl. "Put a bit more in that one." Kaala nodded, and served up the stew. She cut the bread and cheese, and set it on the side of the bowl.

"Elena! Ah, sorry, I'm used to calling out first. Your supper, Elena." She heard her chirp, and thought that her girls weren't used to their names, so she smiled. "Make Nuri's, Nadya's, Ellie's, Shaala's, and your portions that size. Don't skimp." She heard soft chirps after she said each name, and shook her head. She wondered if the girls would get used to having names soon.

"Ah, I wonder what my girls, Alara and Ivadra are doing?"

* * *

"Magistrate."

"Black One." He sat down carefully. "I seek advice. Should I pursue the one in the forest, or leave her be?"

"Half truth." Alara said.

"I would be cautious, Magistrate." The Black One said firmly. "She is one with Life and Death elements. She would not have to come close to strike at you, or Thules Kingdom." The Magistrate hid his discomfort. "Do you know the saying 'Let sleeping dogs lie'?"

"I do."

"Do you know why that saying exists?" Ivadra snorted. There was no one within the kingdom of Thules, nor enough of them, who would have the strength to harm their Master. "It's eerily similar to 'Don't poke the stone bear', don't you think?"

"If she's a threat to the Kingdom of Thules, I must take care of her before she becomes too strong!" He said firmly.

"If she was a threat to the kingdom, you wouldn't be here. She would have already wiped the kingdom from the surface. Did you know we had a lich in Underground Black?" She asked. He faltered, and looked nervous.

"He did, sister."

"It was an ancient agreement. We didn't interfere, and he didn't send out an army." The Magistrate said quietly.

"Truth." Alara's eyes flashed brightly. This angered her. What angered her, also sent a soft signal to the one that the kingdom should fear greatly.

"I see. Well, that lich is gone." The Magistrate sighed. "That comforts you? Well, this will make your day then!" Ivadra grinned. "The lich was absorbed by that lady in the forest! If you think our ancestor was scary, just piss her off!" Ivadra's temper roiled, and the dark elements now more abundant then before, started to stir up a breeze. The Magistrate paled.

'Oh fuck! I thought that lich was scary, but the Black One is even worse? Should I send for reinforcements?' He asked himself. His question was answered quickly.

"Don't worry, Magistrate!" Alara said, a scary unnatural grin on her lips. She felt the fluctuations of elemental essence, and now that chaos storm moved towards the town at an insanely fast speed.

"Our Master comes, and she is angry!"