"Hmph."

"What's wrong, baby?" Sol asked her eldest daughter, Salia, when she snorted after peering out the carriage window.

"They are already heading to the temple." Salia said and looked down. Sol smiled.

"Do you think I would let them in that easily? I don't mind if they try to get into other cities, but that place is mine." Salia looked at her mother.

"What did you do, mother?" She asked, a little intrigued.

"It wasn't me, baby. Master set it up. Right now, an old beast, an Alpha dark panther, has been given permission to turn it into his lair. His pride will move there, along with some prey species from the other side of the mountain." Sol smiled. "They will enter, but never leave." Salia smiled.

"Master is that powerful?" She asked in surprise. "I thought you were the strongest, mom." Sol smiled gently as her daughter looked shyly at her. "Your essence spills out all the time."

"A precaution, baby." Sol said. "Long ago, Master didn't have enough time to teach me how to advance properly. Even those of my time could only get as strong as a free core realm, but Master said there are other steps that are missed because we lack guidance." Sol sighed. "Once I reach peak Core, I have to let the essence bleed away, or I will grow unstable." Sol tilted her head slightly.

"Mother? What's wrong?" Salia asked as her mother seemed a little confused.

"Oh. I see." Sol's eyes cleared of her confusion. "Master just told me how to proceed! Watch. I will also teach you as she taught me." Sol lifted her hand and began to saturate the bones of her hand with the death element that leaked from her body.

As she was able to saturate each bone, no matter how small, she felt like something finally slide into place after struggling for ages to move it.

"Our Master is powerful, but the trek through time cost her a lot of energy. Bringing Symi forward, cost her even more." Sol said softly. She looked at her daughter. "As we cross the forest, send the soldiers to hunt. Get as many different beast cores as you can." Sol flexed her hand after all the bones were saturated, and now cautiously worked on her arm.

"This will take time." Sol said in surprise. "I don't have enough death element to do it all at once." Salia frowned.

"How is that possible? You have the largest well of elemental essence around."

"You spoke correctly when you said I have a well." Sol smiled and sighed. "If you keep the same proportion of strength, if I am a well, then Master is an ocean. She never fills up her reserves." Salia was speechless.

Never fills her reserves? Her mother had huge pools of elemental essence, and she's never run out before. The way Sol spoke about this 'Master' from across the forest, she sounded more like one of the ancient beings of lore.

A guardian of the elemental building blocks of the world. Or something more.

* * *

"We've reached the mountain, mother." Salia said and looked up the slope. "I wonder how we can cross over this beast since there are rank fives on it." She said quietly.

"Don't underestimate the death element, Salia." Sol said firmly. "Death is one of the rulers, just like Life, the second ruler by Master's side. We must cross over to get to Master's side." Salia sighed a bit.

Her mother had become ever more focused and single minded since she learned of her Master's presence in this time period. Salia has been with Sol for over a thousand years already, and knew of her mother's determination, and inability to move away from a goal.

"Hm? Do you feel that, Salia?" Sol asked as she looked out the carriage window.

"A tremor, almost like you when you get angry." Soon, ahead of the convoy, a passage opened up in the ground, and a young woman in brown leather walked out of the hole. She was flanked by two large stone bears. The girl smiled, and licked a one of her longer canines.  When Sol saw her open her mouth, she could see a longer set of lower canines, and upper ones, just like she herself had when she was at rest.

"Master said you were coming, but wanted to provide you with a way through the mountain." Elena grinned. "This old mine is something Master found not long ago. She had me open it up on the other side so you could come visit." She looked at Sol, and tilted her head when another head popped out beside her.

"Little Symi misses her mother, but two thousand years is a long time to go without company.  You must have been quite lonely. Come. Symi will be eager to see you."

* * *

"Mother, she feels like you." Salia said softly as she gazed at her mother's face. Sol still felt a little shock as she already had two thousand years of existence, yet the girl she just saw was no older then twenty.

"She commands stone bears." That was what caught Sol's attention. Salia shook her head.

"I don't think so, mother. I think they respected her, like companions, but she doesn't command them. They are still wild, but look up to her strength." Salia sighed. "I can understand how they feel. The elemental essence around her was compact, and powerful. Almost like she was ready to burst out."

'Elena is almost ready to transform, Sol.'

"Master?" Sol asked in surprise as her Master's voice felt much stronger within the mountain.

'I hibernate. My body is in the middle of its transformation. I shall move your troops to places around the temple. They will watch the territory, build outposts, and begin a proper place for the Queen and her girls to rest.' Her voice vibrated within Sol's space and caused her to swoon in pleasure. As the death element surged within her in response, an altar formed within her space.

'Sol, my Queen of Death. A ruler, like my life mother. Have you missed me, little one?'

* * *

"Mother! Our soldiers are spreading out!" Salia said. "I didn't give them any orders!"

"Master did." Sol said.

"Master? She can do that?" Salia asked in surprise.

"She's the Master over all the elements. Even mine. The soldiers will move around her territory, build garrisons, and start our home. The temple is Master's place." Sol looked at Salia firmly. "Her servants will not be used to our ways, Salia, especially Giel. We'll need to consume beasts for now." Salia looked disappointed, but heard a soft sigh at her ear.

'Sol, you already have your supplies brought with you. I will not interfere in that. No eating my people. But the kingdom of Thules will have a civil war soon.' Sol was surprised as she just got permission to eat certain ones that will make life difficult for her people.

"Mother? Was that Master?" Salia asked. Sol nodded. "She sounds so young, but my heart trembled when I heard her voice inside. Like I felt fear for the first time in centuries."

"Master is powerful, Salia. I rule death, but she rules all. Also remember how strong that girl felt. She rules the earth element." Sol hugged her daughter to her chest, and soon smiled gently.

"You're overflowing again." Sol murmured happily as familiar teeth sank into her skin and skimmed off the top of her overflowing elemental essence.

Her Master was kind enough to provide pleasure for pain, which allowed her to enjoy her daughter's methods. She was filled with devotion for the gifts she's received from her Master, and couldn't wait to see her again.