• “Name- Wait where did this come from?”
• “If I am to move on from my past, I need to become something new. A new identity for a new beginning.”
• “Huh…”

‘I did think up a few nicknames for her before but never had the courage to bring it up to her… It was a bit awkward to only refer to her as ‘that one murderous, drowning spirit’ or water spirit for short.’

• “I’m not good with names…”
• “You’re thinking of something mischievous aren’t you? I won’t let you go easy if you just blurt out something flippantly.”
• “You got me…”

‘What about Nile…?¹Big ass river flowing through Egypt. too simple…? This isn’t Earth so there’s no place called like that right? But she primarily lives in the lake… so Baikal?²One of the largest and clearest freshwater lakes in the world. too unique…’

She didn’t like any of the names that came to her mind. Slowly her head hung lower and lower, crestfallen. Oddly amused by Alicia’s troubles she tried to hold back a giggle yet it still slipped out, cracks formed in her resistance and in the end she broke into a laughter of schadenfreude.

• “Enjoying my suffering a bit too much aren’t you?”
• “I’m-…  Sohh-Sorry…”

Trying to speak while chuckling through the gaps between words she apologized. Regaining some composure…

• “I-… It’s just been long since the last time someone cared for me, you giving an effort to find a name that I will be happy with… just really made me glad and I just smiled on my own. That and the expressions you make are quite entertaining to watch. Truth be told, I’m fine with anything you come up with.”

Eyes ever so slightly arched in a squint paired with a warm and inviting smile, a textbook example of a genuine expression of happiness,³In Psychology this is called a Duchenne smile. the polar opposite of her usual cold and stoic demeanor. Heartfelt confession and a rare beaming smile, gave Alicia the inspiration she was looking for.

• “Llynbel…”⁴Not to be confused with Lynbell, see AN for more details and breakdown.

>Conditional requirements met. Forming covenant… Standby…

‘Wait what?!’

 

>｢ Epic ｣ spell acquired. New title granted: Chronicler.

Taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly she appeared to be refreshed…

• “Llynbel… Llynbel…”

Softly repeating it over and over under her breath, trying to commit her new name into memory. Still beaming, ‘LLynbel’ turned to Alicia who was frozen still mouth agape.

‘I forgot! Names to spirits either form contracts or covenants, of course how could I forget, it happened with Dryssia then…’

• “Don’t tell me… you forgot about the implications of granting a name to spirit…?”

Awkward and shaky smile, combined with Alicia’s lack of response, was enough of an evidence for her.

• “Nooooo?”
• “Very… convincing.”
• “Okay… could you explain why names are important to spirits?”
• “Not just to spirits, names are a powerful seal, an anchor. Unlike mortals like the highborne and the humans we and many others are not native to this plane of existence. We lack the physical bodies that bind us to this realm, thus we must inhabit something, anything that we can cling onto that exists in this world for they become the anchors holding us in this place, a body. That is the ‘life’ of lesser spirits. Such spirits when they attach to a certain object or a place for prolonged periods of time, mature and reach the point of developing something resembling an intelligence, like me for example - and the place they anchored to - again in my example the spring in the mountains - turn to their place of provenance.”
• “Uh huh that’s mostly things I know…”
• “The reason why we’re protective of our territory is if our place of provenance is defiled or… somehow even destroyed, it won’t be long before we too share the same fate. For without a body we will be lost in the winds, scattered in the whimsical flows of magical energy. However we can have something abstract anchor us as well, a name from a non-spiritual being that we accept. Names are a type of affirmation that realizes us into reality, something that marks us as an unique individual, setting us apart from the countless spirits that drift on endlessly. Instead of us just being emanations of a particular place, we become the embodiment of it and one who grants the name becomes a host, a type of living provenance of that spirit. By becoming ‘real’ we are no longer confined to the place we are born from and can follow our hosts anywhere they go if we so wish. It comes with some benefits to both the spirit and the host. For the most case if it's a covenant, after all we have plenty of incentive to keep our hosts alive.”
• “I think I get it. Anyway before I bring you to the Elves we need to get you dressed up in something proper. Come on.”
• “Is…? Is that… really necessary?”

‘Still hesitant… She fears that something similar to the past may happen because of her but that’s exactly why she needs to be exposed to them to slowly get over that trauma. Plus this lake is like a cemetery of people she killed, that can’t be good for anyone.’

• “Yes it is. Besides we’ve gotten much better at making clothes since then.”
• “We…?”

‘Ah right, she never met Alice properly…’

• “I’ve got a surprise for you then.”

---

Walking past the silken perimeters and the greeting spider on them. Llynbel was strangely intrigued by the Aranaea both their numbers and diversity. Reclusive Dire wolves forming a pack, patrolling the premises. The dryad she saw before even had one on what appeared to be a leash, while she tended to the herb gardens, hand feeding the Great bees known for their size and temper. Alicia’s place of residence was also a home to some of the most savage inhabitants of black forest. A news that came as a surprise to the water spirit who rarely strayed far from her lake. At the entrance of the burrow underneath the great tree Alicia called for her.

• “Down here.”

A large chamber was dark with the only source of illumination being the modest amount of light shining through the entrance. Faint sounds of something shuffling in the dark alerted her. However Alicia didn’t seem bothered by neither the darkness nor the dubious sounds, thus she could maintain some composure. Her confusion and worry was still conveyed to Alicia nonetheless.

• “Ah right I’m fine with the darkness but you’re not, here.”

⟨ Fire Aspect ⟩

↳⟨ Flame ⟩

Light from the fire that flickered in through magic revealed a girl at the back of the room on a bed of web with identical appearance to Alicia with few key differences. Adorned in modest dress, handspun from cashmere and silk, comfortable and snug fitting. Although it had it had simple design the details of it held some charms of youthful femininity.

Llynbel was turning her head to and from between Alicia and Alice repeatedly in disbelief.

• “You… But her? Huh?!”
• “She already knows about you so let me introduce her to you instead. She’s Alice, my uhm other half? She helped me make that sundress you’re wearing right now.”

‘Well it was mostly her that did the making…’

• “That… is why you felt different altogether…”
• “Probably? Anyway I thought we should remake your sundress since we've improved a lot since we’ve made your current one.”
• “Oh, no I’m fine with this…”
• “At least let Alice patch up that cloak.”
• “Okay, fine.”

⟨ Weaver ⟩

Bringing in and wrapping a fair size stone in dense layers of silk and hanging it from the ceiling…

⟨ Bestow Element ⟩

↳⟨ Fire Aspect ⟩

And imbuing it with a fire element…

⟨ Flame ⟩

before setting aflame, she created an improvised lantern that could burn quite some time.

• “You might need light so… I also have something I need to look into, I’ll be just outside.”

Leaving the two alone, she exited the burrow to inspect one of her new additions carefully.

‘An epic?’

>Epic. Powerful spells reenacting events of mythical, legendary or historical significance.

‘I believe I received this after I formed a covenant with Llynbel… Moskstraumen… isn’t that a place that exists?’

‘Devastator… That doesn’t sound very safe…’

>Designation Devastator. Spells with the tag are known for their widespread destructive capabilities.

‘Well what did I expect out of something titled ‘Devastator’?’

---

A while later Llynbel emerged from the subterranean dressed in her new dress. Though ‘new’ is an overstatement as there weren't any significant design changes made to it, even so the small ornamentations and stylistic touch ups added to the sundress made it seem like it was a completely different piece of attire.

‘She just needs some sunglasses and a sunhat and she’ll have the full ‘day at the beach’ set.’

• “You didn’t want anything new?”
• “Evidently, I have grown quite fond of this. Though I must say it was quite the shock to learn that there were two of you…”
• “I get that a lot.”

Noticing the bundle of cloth she was holding…

• “What’s that you’re holding?”
• “Her… Alice was it? She told me to give this to the ‘big tree’ I don’t suspect I just hang it up there?”

She looked at the great oak as she enquired.

• “That would be Dryssia’s new clothes then. Her current one wasn’t tailored for her so it’s quite the tight fit. She should be in the Apiary groves tending to the flowers there.”
• “Ah, the dryad.”
• “Rufus!”

A majestic direwolf far larger than any specimen quickly came trotting to her.

• “Could you bring our new friend to Dryssia?”
• ‘Of course!’

‘I’m still not over with how much they sound so…  much like humans…’

• “You know… you have quite the talent of attracting unusual things near you.”
• “I guess I’m just that likeable? Oh right you also need to meet Ramiel, he’s at the Elven village.”

Worry was shown clearly on her face.

• “Is that really necessary?”
• “Don’t worry I’ll come with you.”
• “If… you say so…”

---

Following the canine she was led to a glade with odd trees with hollows. Colorful bouquets of wildflowers grew from the soil. Bees entered and exited from its hollows. In the field of flowers, surrounded by a buzzing swarm of bees stood the Dryad.

• “Dryssia! Do you have a moment?”
• “Loner lady?”

Nickname from the honest girl stung painfully still.

• “Please don’t call me like that. I received a name, Llynbel.”

Perhaps learning that she had found someone new to call a friend Dryssia was ecstatic.

• “Does that mean… Hoooh! Yay! Loner lady isn’t lonely anymore!”
• “Eheh… Anyway Alice wanted to give you this.”

Unwrapping the dress folded up by a thin cord of silk she immediately wore it over her old dress… Since it was larger and looser than her old one it still fit. Although she knew it was meant to be worn just by itself… she dared not tell her with how happy she was.

As she was feeding the bees before, when she came over they followed her as well. Great honeybee workers were already of significant size… But few know… or live to know… that well developed hives can spawn soldier bees to protect the colony. Half the size of a human adult, their beating wings generated such winds as they hovered. With their slim and sleek physique no one would blame someone for mistaking them for wasps or hornets. Barbs on their stingers had a maleficent sheen from the coating of venom.

Llynbel would have attacked them if she hadn’t seen them near Dryssia.

• “The soldier bees… are quite… friendly?”
• “Their queen is also master’s… master’s… Uhm… Kiln⁵Kindred? So they won’t attack me! The big bees said that they’re here to protect me.”
• “Suppose it makes sense that they protect the hand that feeds them… I guess I was worried about nothing… I must be going now, take care.”
• “Okay!”

At the village another surprise was waiting for her, ornery thundergoats obediently being milked and following the elves as if they were domestic livestock.

‘Perhaps I should reevaluate their worth…’ she thought not knowing their leader Ramiel was one of the first of Alicia’s kindred.

---

‘Few days has it been since Llynbel’s introduction to the Elves was… stiff and awkward at best. But she didn’t freak out, that’s a start anyway. Getting over her trauma will take time… so right now all I can do is be supportive and let time heal. Nothing particularly concerning happened for the few weeks, everything is good…’

• ‘The egg sac… is hatching…’

‘Ah… Correction… Everything WAS good…’