As soon as she started to course her magical energy through Alicia something strange happened. It was to stimulate the latent energy within her, but the reaction was far too soon and much stronger than anything she felt before. ‘Probably just a gimmick of a spirit stimulating another’s magical energy…’ she thought. In the first place, a spirit-like entity that can’t use magic was unheard of. It’s normal for one’s magical energy to be repelled and disrupted by another due to dissimilarity. What was unusual was in a short while, the very nature of Alicia’s magical energy changed.

She was perplexed as what to do, considering stopping the process, but before she could act out her thoughts the stream of energy changed and started to match her own. Magical energy that repelled one another, now became attracted to each other. The miniscule current of magical energy she emitted, gained more energy and returned to her like a tide smashing into a cliff. The phenomenon was comparable to throwing a ball to a wall only for the ball to bounce back to her with extreme speeds far greater than the energy she invested. If repulsive energies meeting was akin to suffocating fire using  water, attractive energies instead were like feeding fuel into it; not the same but acting in unison to create a blaze more than any single of them could achieve. Everytime she would emit her magical energy through Alicia, it returned to her in greater quantity. She felt as if a geyser of hot water was erupting within her lake.

It wouldn’t be strange if the spider girl’s energy were depleted with each cycle contrary to the water spirit’s expectations, showed no sign of diminishing; rather it seemed like it was growing more and more. Magical energy of even the same type of spirits often didn’t mix well. It was Alicia’s that had the unnatural ability to change its properties. Needless to say the feeling was completely new to her. Though Alicia’s magical energy matched the properties of hers it wasn’t exactly the same, thus the feeling was familiar with only a few nuanced differences. The sensation of tide clashing into a cliff eventually developed to that of rushing river pouring into her.

The water-like energy was different; that it had warmth and movement  in it. A sharp disparity to hers that was only frigid, cold and still. It was the first time she felt the warmth of something other than the sun, awash in a foreign yet intoxicating sensation… Even though the goal of stimulating Alicia’s magical energy was already met she couldn’t bring herself to stop. To her who knew only frosty stillness, the allure of warmth was… irresistible, addictive. It was the same as a person who had just tasted a hot bath wanting not to go back to the icy cold showers.

The more she took in, the more the allure of it grew. In her absent minded state she looked down and saw her own face in a pool of water, wearing a drunken and provocative expression. She hung her head low and couldn’t muster the will to face Alicia, thankful that she wasn’t looking at her. How could she? what she was doing was no different than stealing. Not a petty pittance instead an enormous swathes of energy, something that almost everything animate needs to live. It was no different from stealing the very lifeforce from someone else. Minutes passed before Alicia herself stopped the procedure. Ashamed and guilty, fidgeting like a convicted criminal before the judge she stood - as frozen as someone trembling can be - in front of her prosecutor.

For Alicia who didn’t know any better was simply curious as to why she was in such a sorry state.

• “Hey! Are you okay?”

Not knowing how to answer the only thing that escaped her was a high pitched… noise… After gathering the tattered remnants of her will she finally formulated a coherent answer. 

• “What?! Yes of course. How was it? Did you learn how to perceive it?”

It was a poor attempt to brush off the matter.

• “I think so… what next?”
• “For now try to learn how to move it around your body, after that you can try outward emission. I need to take a little break, I'll be nearby.”

She wasn’t particularly tired that she would need a time off, however Alicia’s probing gaze filled with worry was only further driving the knife and twisting it in her wounds.

Promptly returning to the depths of the lake as if to escape, clarity returned to her mind as she was separated from the source of her dismay. She misjudged the magnitude of her magical energy. Now informed of the mysterious nature of Alicia’s magical energy… she metaphorically shuddered with the thought. The extremely vast pool of magical energy should be able to be felt even from outside of Velauhart, yet hers couldn’t easily be tracked as if obscured… The answer is that it wasn’t, it was never obscured. By its unique essence it simply mutated to whatever energy it came across, matching it. The farther it travelled from Alicia more they changed and adapted. She wasn’t hiding it; by her nature she simply excelled at being unnoticeable.

If she was leaking it all around her those closer to her would absorb her energy unintentionally. And those creatures would mutate or at least evolve using Alicia’s energy as a catalyst. Thankfully there hasn’t been any case of it happening… for now. And now that she’s learning how to more finely control her magic… she shouldn’t leak it anymore.

Her thoughts were cut short by an unprecedented spike of magical energy. Surfacing to see what it is she was met by a ball of flame easily able to devour all but the largest of creation. Alicia seemed unfazed by her creation… no her face had a hint of expectation… what more could she want? The sphere of fire was one of the largest she saw in her long memories… She only heard rumors of its existence, a Pyroblast spell used by only the most accomplished of mages. It was famously used to utterly demolish the stone walls and iron gates of a fortress, almost immediately breaking the spirits of the defenders causing them to surrender and winning a fight without a drop of blood in times of war. What she saw in front of her was that same spell in its full glory. Almost seemingly unsatisfied with it’s already destructive power she changed the spell’s composition. So it evolved to meet the expectation of it’s caster, feathering golden flames became more and more vigorous and turned white and then to calm blue in color and in flames. Even those untouched by the flames, were singed and scorched just by its presence.

• “What are you doing?!”

She couldn’t help but to ask.

• “Ah!”

The devastating spell altered to an unknown extent flew upwards detonating in the skies it’s shockwave shook down the leaves out of trees and the water out of the basin of her lake.

Slightly upset she gave Alicia an earful.

• “There’s someone coming here. Are you expecting someone?”
• “What? I don’t have visitors…

‘Who would come here…? Ah, the damn highborn. Should’ve driven them out of this forest when I had the chance.’

-Wait, it's them… You should hide somewhere, I’ll drive them away.”

Once a spirit, one’s senses are sharper than most others, with them she could easily make out when something was near.

• “Show yourself. I know you’re there. If you don’t answer, I’ll see if you’re amphibious or not.”

Done skulking behind foliage after they understood that they had been caught, they finally presented themselves. Long pointed ears peeking out of the sidebangs of velvet red hair done in a ponytail and through the strands amber colored eyes with some hints of anxiousness. A humanoid female dressed in varying shades of forest green, olive and russet, composite recurve bow in hand and quiver of arrows on her back.

The water spirit had yet to fully recover her composure in spite of it she still managed to emulate an arrogant attitude.

• “State your business highborn and make it short.”

She disliked to mime the high and mighty attitude but she couldn’t stop it, images had to be kept. To her it was much better to be hated and feared than to be belittled and exploited. This time she had good reason for it. Alicia’s appearance is quite unorthodox, bearing more of a likeness to a djinn than a spirit. She could easily be mistaken as a monster. Driving them away from her is the best way to protect them and Alicia, respectably. Mostly them. When it comes to it, if they were to attack her, in protecting herself she might just torch the whole forest down with excessively powerful magic.

Kneeling one leg touching the grass laying down her bow at her side and leaning forwards eyes cast down.

• “I am the ranger captain of a village that depends on your waters and… we now call ourselves, the elves, swülde en üys. This one was on patrol as… a strange loud noise alerted me.”
• “Well? Do you see anything out of the ordinary?”

Her eyes darted around nervously.

• “I… no…”

Obviously thanks to Alicia’s experiments soot and ash, burnt trees and scorch marks were prevalent on the one of the shores of her lake visible even from across where they are. But bringing them up when the embodiment of the lake itself was a lousy notion that would only invite a disaster.

• “If you see nothing then be gone with you. I’m in no mood to entertain you.”
• “Of course…”

Her voice was nearly faltering… though she found some solace in the knowing that she was free to leave.

• “But before that. Tell me your name, or has your culture degenerated so that you no longer name your offspring?”
• “My name is Faenas.”
• “Hmph, I’ll remember it. I might have a need of you.”
• “Then… I will go now…”

Almost like escaping from a monster she fled quickly, forgetting her bow on the ground…

Confirming the highborn had left far enough:

• “It’s okay now you can come out.”

No answer.

‘Strange did she wander off somewhere…? I don’t like this… Awfully hard to catch when she wants to hide… I should’ve thought of something before that…’