"Sister, these children can already use all of the mana around them. It is amazingly hard to catch them in this game." Onyx struggled to catch even the youngest of the echidna children. They had not all perfected their abilities to change forms and some ran around in their mixed forms while others in serpent or humanoid.
Midnight was huffing here and there. She had long switched to her dragon form to boost her speed. That was her natural form and it was what she would use to be serious. Not that she was able to even touch one of the kids. She felt that she was at a massive disadvantage.
"They can't even sense us!" The laughter came from behind a tree as two children tried to taunt Midnight and Onyx and little. They were having the time of their life with two new people to play with.
Not to mention that there had been a few adults that told them that the dragons were too proud of a species to attack them or doing anything unbecoming. Therefore, the children fully accepted that Midnight would play with them when Onyx and Midnight had come over to them.
"Sister, I think they are saying that we can not sense them with mana. They may be correct." Onyx coiled around himself. He was a little frustrated. He could sense the light mana and the darkness mana around him. But he couldn't keep hold on their shadows. It was very annoying to find that the children he was playing a game with had outdone him when he had just showed off his strength so recently.
"Nature mana." Midnight returned with just that. She could feel it being used. Natural mana that Walker used was being used by children. They didn't even appear to have systems yet while others did. Yet, right now they were using mana like it was nothing.
This confused both Midnight and Onyx a lot. They had no idea how this all worked. Especially since they couldn't understand the fact that everything in this little village seemed to radiate natural mana. Their bonds with Walker had ensured that they were more sensitive to it.
The two of them saw that the rest of the party had drifted off here and there. The only one left without going anywhere was Alice who was softly humming nearby as she enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere. "Alice, can you help us win this game?" Onyx thought that this was the best method. Getting a third member of their team to capture the children and tag them was the best way to get ahead.
Being snapped out of her own thoughts about light elemental mana and the calming feeling of this jungle, Alice looked around and smiled. She normally was busy with those that were injured in the cathedral or the adults. When she had been a bit younger, she had been allowed to spend time with the other children since she lacked healing ability. Once she gained her system, she had been unable to relax and play a game like this.
"Of course!" Her cheerful voice made the light in the forest vibrate slightly. She didn't hold back when she wanted to relax. She could control the ability to manipulate light with her voice. What was the point of doing it all the time though?
"Let's round them up," Alice spoke and the light started to form in to a fence. The same kind that she had seen on farms before. She found herself very invigorated after realizing that the echidna children were having the time of their life just playing some games with Midnight and Onyx.
But the addition of a new player made them all shout and yell in joy again. They started taunting and laughing here and there as Alice started to sing about the senses built around farms. Her songs made the light take on shapes that many had not seen.
This drew the gaze of a few echidna parents who had been working nearby. They were amazed to see such things since Alice was not of their race nor was she able to use natural mana. Yet the light mana she used was spectacular.
The sheer control was more than most echidna in the village had over any elemental mana. It set aside Alice as someone that would be outstanding if she was born an echidna. Little did they know that this ability was something she was born with and she had thought of as a curse at own point.
With Alice's addition, onyx started to copper her and made the shadows of jungle trees arc upwards. He created his own walls by manipulating the shadows against the light fences that Alice made.
This left Midnight with a clear sight. She could spot the children being blocked and darted through the shadows that Onyx made. She couldn't use natural mana the same way that Walker could. She couldn't even understand how the kids of the echidna could use it without seemingly having systems yet.
She played in to her strengths and ambushed one deep red scales echidna child. Her sudden pounce brought about a shrill giggling before the echidna turned and joined her team.
The more this game progressed, the more that Midnight found herself sensing the uses of natural mana. As she pounced and found other children hiding, they started using mana right around her, Onyx, and Alice.
"You won't catch me. I'm going to be the next jungle dancer when I learn enough to get my-"
A still feeling came through the air that put pressure on the child taunting them. A single echidna slithered I've run serpent form. Clearly the mother of the echidna child.
"You know the rules the elder gave us. They are not as knowledgeable as we are and are still learning. Do not tell them anything that will trouble them." The stern warning was barely audible as the mother dragged away the child for some punishment.
The oppressive stillness was gone instantly leaving everyone with no target. The game had come to an odd end. Yet, it felt like the three had nearly heard something both amazing and confusing.
Besides that, Alice found herself without any loss of mana at all. She had felt the light elemental mana around and it was oddly stronger than usual. The same strength that came when Walker shared natural mana to help everyone.
"Comfortable mana…" Alice mumbled this while she realized that Onyx and Midnight had just noticed this too.
"This is a good place to train our senses…we were just now without realizing it." Onyx spoke clearly making Alice and Midnight snap out of their own thoughts.
It appeared that the interruption had scared the children back to their own parents and huts. They didn't want to be caught up and in trouble. Especially since they could meet the others that had come to visit their village. New things were always very tempting to a curious child.
Midnight shifted back to her dragonkin form. She wanted to train like that. She wanted to see how much stronger she could get while here. With the fact that she could already grasp more mana around her, she was sure she could catch up a little more to the others.
She couldn't let Onyx surpass him and she had to get closer to the level that Walker was. He was already making advances. She could sense it. A feeling between them. Their bond sending some signs that Walker was starting to learn something more. Something that she hadn't grasped yet.
"Sister, you won't be getting ahead so easily." Onyx knew exactly what Midnight was thinking about. He was sure that he could keep up his rapid growth. He had prepared himself and pushed himself farther than normal. The reward was a clear path that he could take to strength and all he needed for it was determination.
"You won't beat me." Alice knew there was a major gap in understanding. Both Midnight and Onyx could sense more than here. Could learn through their bonds with Walker.
She knew she could still grow though. The mana around here was practically screaming at her that she was nowhere near the end of her potential. That she hadn't even started scratching the surface yet.
Back in his hut, the echidna elder sat calmly while most drifted in odd shapes around him. "Oh great goddess of life. Please guide these heroes as needed toward the true path of existence. Please allow my people to act as your hands. May we bring your will."
The solemn prayer was met with a soft pulse of nurturing natural mana. Just enough to acknowledge the prayer but also the promise. The silent sound of a quest appearing to the elder yet again made him smile slightly before he focused himself on the tasks at hand.
….
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