Few days prior…

• “Felt tired you say?” The spirit in the form of a young girl asked to clarify, clearly intrigued. Humming for a while…
• “I don’t quite know what exactly you are so take what I say tentatively. It’s likely that you’ve run out of energy for a while.”

‘I’ve run out of mana? Really? Doesn’t sound very mana like…’

• “What’s with that skeptical look? Anyway if you were a full fledged spirit you wouldn’t even be here. For us running out of magical energy is the same as running out of blood… In another word inevitable death.”

Hearing the weight of what it means to be out of mana shifted Alicia’s attention  wholeheartedly from her work on the web trap.

• “Things are a bit different for mortal races though. If they run out of magical energy nothing particularly disruptive happens, unless of course they try to use magic.
  When you use magic you’re consciously imparting your will to nearby spirits often through instructions for them to take action for example to set a fire, move something or become something. To rephrase you’re giving them food for them to work, except the very food they consume dictates what they should do. Magical energy is that food. You may think why do they need it but to just exist is to be in constant threat of debt. It’s like the universe itself doesn’t want anything to exist. Now think about this: what happens when you try to use magic when you don’t have the magical energy? Does the magic not happen? Wrong. The phenomena still manifests but the spirits take different type of energy. The energy of life itself from the user and if they try to recklessly use magic in this state numerous times not so intended effects happen such as nausea, headache, vomiting, atrophy, weakness, general state of confusion, fainting and in the most extreme case: death.”
• “Energy of life?”
• “Yes, nobody’s really sure about it but what is known is that: it exists in most living things, anything living creates it and consumes it in some form and without it nothing could live.”

‘That sounds like something I’ve learned about in school… what was it again…? Energy… energy huh… Something every living thing has… cells? How do cells make energy… Mitochondria makes energy but what’s it called… Adenosine Triphosphate. To take any action a payment of energy is needed from living things, that currency is ATP. So if what I’m thinking is correct, the spirits take your ATP as their payment to do their work. Lack of ATP can cause tons of problems and give them too much, you’ll die. I guess ATP is what she’s referring to as Life energy… quite aptly named. Much easier to remember than Adenosine Triphosphate.’

• Since we’re on the topic let’s continue with how magic and spirits are related. Magic is a form of communication in that sense. Not every spirit is the same and thus they often have favorite foods, this is what affinity in the simplest form means, while yes you can make spirits work even without their prefered source of sustenance you can make them do more for less if you can make their favorite food. On the flip side there are spirits that draw energy from very specific sources, think of them as highly picky eaters. Magical energy is gained naturally over time but there are two ways to increase it further. Consume others, often violently or to… for a lack of better words, engage in a mutually agreed copulation.

Many choose the former since it’s most immediately rewarding and simply faster. More often than not these picky spirits don’t have a natural source that they can reliably feed upon, because of this they forcibly possess any of the mortal race preferably animals with weaker wills who are more instinctively driven, to take their energy. The animals become more ravenous, bloodthirsty and aggressive as their life energy is depleted so they feed to keep that encroaching hunger at bay. They’re called many different things but the popular name seems to be magic beasts, of course in the same vein these discordant spirits can also possess humans, elves, dwarves, beastmen you name it they can possess it. Those who’re possessed by these spirits are called demons, power hungry and warlike. To us they’re all called Djinn. Rarely the creature that’s possessed by the spirit can overcome their instinctual wants either through strong will or simply having enough magical energy reserves to sate and use the spirit. Regardless of the outcome the Spirit will always win. This merging of two different entities taking the best of both of them is almost always empowering. Which is why you see hybrids and chimeras. Hybrids are merging of two vastly different entities while chimeras are amalgamation of more than two. It is my belief that you’re one such being. Though it is the first time I’m seeing something that’s a hybrid between a spirit and something else. Perhaps you’re even a chimera yourself.”

• “I wonder…”

Meanwhile in the depths of the forest, a shrine made of bones and rock was erected by tribes of hunters and trappers all over. Each depicting an eight legged creature with the upper torso of a humanoid. They would come to pray for a bountiful hunt and safety. Offering the first of their catch in honor. The most preferred of those being almost always half burnt indigenous game called rockbird, prepared with the scent of mille flower.

Announcement

Chapter may or may not near the end of this week. Also

I read you loud and clear... and as I promised

Guess I'll have to start reading up on more erotica... goddamn it.