Aila frowned as Elena started to smile, then giggle.

"Wait a minute! Did you tease me?" Aila said with a fierce look in her eyes. Elena grinned.

"Don't give me that look, Master!" Elena said with a wide smile. "You wouldn't hurt me even if you wanted to snap at me!" Elena let out a slow breath when Aila smiled.

"I'm glad you realize it. But why did you tease me?" She asked.

"Unlike you, Master, the rest of us need a core. The channels will help us to absorb it from a beast core, but only if we use a filter crystal to help. Once the elements gather, they will form a core." Elena smiled. "You'll have to give me a lot of elemental essence in order to make me a core." Aila rolled her eyes.

"Imp." she said grouchily. "I love an imp!" She firmly held Elena's wrists, and began to push earth essence into her body, and she didn't circulate it.

"Master?" Elena looked at her as she felt the earth element saturate her body.

"You want earth essence? I have plenty." Aila's eyes glowed silver as her emotions became agitated, and she circulated a large amount of the basic element of earth.

Elena groaned and was soon pressed to the ground. Aila laid on top of her, pressed a knee to her mound, and smothered her sounds with a passionate kiss.

As it was just the two of them, Aila was able to focus all her attention on Elena, and flooded her channels to the limit. She helped Elena's channels to thicken, and turn that small space behind her heart into the focal point. It was the same method she used to make a light core, but this time, she did it within Elena's body.

Elena blinked as her Master's hands held her own above her head as she pressed her to the stone. It was so passionate, her elemental senses took over the active pursuit of a goal, and turned it into an instinctive focus.

As a small gem formed under the constant flood of essence, deep within her consciousness, elemental eyes opened.

'Master?' This glowing brown being watched as massive amounts of elemental essence surrounded her, and she slowly began to understand.

'Master! I understand!' She said joyously. 'I finally see what you mean!' This elemental being was the part of her consciousness now nestled in the core, and the focal point to direct the elemental essence into her space.

She could see the bonds between the stone particles, and how they lined up like soldiers, each protecting his brother's back, while baring the burden of his brother standing on his shoulders. Except for the top layer or outer layers, the rest were surrounded and protected.

'Elena?' Aila's eyes opened, and Elena's consciousness felt a sudden and profound terror as she looked into the eyes of a being that looked like a raging sun.  Due to her sight focused on elemental essence, she could see the raging rivers of elemental essence contained within her Master, with so much radiating out of her eyes that terror flooded into her.

'Master, too bright! You're too bright!' Aila's consciousness had only blinked, and spoke in a whisper within her own mind, but all connected to her felt a tremor within their hearts.

Like all her closest companions, Elena was now sure her Master was a god.

* * *

Elena rolled her eyes. She hadn't seen her Master's inner self. What she saw was her Master's eyes. She had never seen her eyes using her elemental senses before, and what she saw had terrified her.

Aila's eyes looked like twin suns, but they were right in front of her. There was so much power there, and it was quite startling, so it scared her to death. Terrifying was a word, but the actual sensation of seeing a god's eyes right near your own nearly caused her heart to stop.

The soft whisper was at her ear, which put her elemental senses to sleep, and things returned to normal again. Elena shuddered and started to cry.

"Baby!" Aila gathered her close and rocked her gently in her arms.

"M-Master. I was so scared. I could see the stone like you said, but I looked into your eyes. So much power." She said with small sounds, and shuddering breaths.

"I didn't realize how you would see it, baby bear." She said softly. "I don't see the source of others like that." She whispered.

"Of course you don't!" Elena said angrily. "You're so powerful, how could any of us frighten you! We're like a candle while you're a raging forest fire! Beast shit!" Elena swore, which made Aila smile.

"Don't be mad at me, baby bear." She said softly. "You have what you need now. Can't you feel it?" Elena blinked.

"I have a core?" She said quietly. "I have a core!" Elena grew excited.

"Yes, baby bear." Aila whispered, her hand slid over her chest, and radiated earth elements into her chest so she could absorb them into her core. "You have an earth core now. You have lots of things to learn now, baby bear." Her fingers slid to the left and playfully tweaked her nipple.

"Master, don't tease me. Don't we have to go home so the others aren't left alone? I'm the strongest of them, and I'm out here with you." Elena blushed. "Besides, we had our turn this morning." She blushed brighter. "Shaala and Kaala have waited a long time, Master."

"Ah, true enough." She rubbed her face on Elena's chest as she sat on her lap. "Such small perfect breasts you have, baby bear. You're going to find yourself being a bit cranky from time to time. Just like a stone bear."

"Oh." Elena frowned slightly. "Is that why you now call me baby bear?"

"Yep. Your core is young, and needs time to grow. As you grow, so will your strength. Like a stone bear, your speed will be a bit lower, but your strikes will be heavy. Your sister is going to have a lot of fun when you go into heat." Aila grinned.

"Heat? Like a beast?"

"Similar. An earth core has many advantages, but a few disadvantages. One is a more wild nature, along with seasonal breeding cycles." Aila hugged her tightly. "We are going to have so much fun during your first cycle." She tapped her nose.

"Master." She blushed. "So mean."

* * *

"Master, why do I feel a fluctuation up ahead?" Elena asked as Aila slowed her speed. She looked back at the young woman she had on her back, and smiled a bit.

"Good girl. You feel the advanced element, metal. It's an iron tusked boar. Did you want to stop and kill it? It's going to be Kaala's, for her bacon and smoked meat business." Aila said over her shoulder.

"Won't I get in your way?" Elena asked.

"No, baby bear. I'll put you in a tree, and run the bastard down." Aila turned and watched as Elena nodded.

"Okay, Master. It's close to home, so it's better to take care of it since its decided to be stupid." Elena said, her lips curled back in a snarl. She blushed when Aila ruffled her hair.

"Good girl. Let's go kill us some pork!"