After Iris had left to get ready for her day, Luna returned to her experimenting. After cycling through her spells again she still couldn’t find anything unusual. Though she tried to meditate after to regain her mana for a third round, she couldn’t quite soothe another issue: she hadn’t eaten anything yet. Not having eaten anything before working was a truly terrible feeling.

And so Luna found herself quickly sauntering upstairs to grab her cloak before leaving the safety of the estate to find breakfast. After about an hour's walk, she found a suitable place: a small cafe near Middle Cove. While the menu was small, it had her favorite non-magical breakfast: smoothies and muffins. Once she’d eaten, the elf decided to make her way to the nearest Harris Farm Market. There she picked up the essential toiletries she and her Mistress would need for the estate to be livable, as well as ingredients with minor traces of mana for the meals they would be making for themselves.

All in all, the Ice Sorceress had spent no more than three HDMS. With all the goods tucked into her storage ring, she began to make her way back to the bayside estate. Her mind, now free of distractions, had focused on the important matter at hand: what was inside of her?

If this mana-like sensation wasn’t affecting her spells, then what exactly did it do? Every time she cast magic, the new presence felt like it was drawn forth from its mostly secluded place in her body, as if it were being tugged on. But it wasn’t actually being used in the casting of her spells.

If it had no effect on her spells, then perhaps it could be useful in another way. The best method Luna could think of for trying to get a grasp on it was to try circulating the sensation through her body similarly to how she circulated her mana. Doing that, she hoped, would reveal more about the nature of whatever had taken up residence inside of her.

Though there was something she couldn’t quite shake about the whole situation. The speed at which this new presence grew within her couldn’t have been ordinary. One moment it wasn’t there, and then the next it suddenly was. Was this what mages who had an Awakening felt? Did elves even have Awakenings?

The possibility of such a thing couldn’t be so quickly ruled out. In fact, if that was the case, then that would mean she’d suddenly gained the ability to utilize elven spells. Though to use such spells would most certainly require the tutelage of another elf. After all, it wasn’t like there were any textbooks around on elven magic.

What did elven magic look like anyway? As far as Luna could recall, her textbooks that mentioned elves never really went into detail. Instead, they were brief and sparse on details. She knew Iris’ parents intentionally bought books that were lacking in information on elven magic to put the Ice Sorceress at a disadvantage, but there wasn’t much she could do. Who else would provide her with such advanced spellbooks?

Sourcing such books about elves on her own would be difficult as well. Would books focused on elves with useful information even be available in a Frontier City? Luna had her doubts. The Tier 1 cities always took first grab at resources over the Frontier Cities. And likely none of them contained the intricacies of elven magic and how to cast it properly.

The elf tried to imagine what it felt like. Was it a mysterious, earthy kind of magic, or was it something rawer in nature? Just the thought of what it was like excited her. And normally she wasn’t one to get excited.

The Evoker was still nervous about having ‘awoken’ though. What did Polaris intend for her? Did the woman havve her best interests in mind, or did she have other plans?

Polaris was strange though. Was it Luna who stumbled upon her, or had Polaris somehow willed the her to come to her? And what did the bluette have planned? Having gleaned no real information about the woman nor her intentions, all the elf could do was speculate.

And who exactly was this ‘friend’ of hers?

The word friend often was interpreted differently from person to person, and even then context could be a factor in its meaning. If so, then how well did Polaris and her friend know each other? How much could Luna even trust Polaris?

Having such essential questions looming in her mind was unsettling. The anxiety of the unknown had always been overwhelming. But now it was even more so. She feared letting her mind continue to wander from question to question. It would only cause her more and more worry.

Thus, the Ice Evoker pushed most thoughts from her mind for a moment to regain her clarity. There were things she needed to do and she needed to plan out how to approach them. To do that, a clear mind was necessary.

First, she needed to determine how to control this new presence within her. Only knowing it was related to magic somehow bothered her. Once she could finally get that out of her mind, she’d be able to focus on other, more important things like: what did Polaris want with her?

Second, she needed to remain cautious when it came to Polaris and her friend. Polaris was an elf, and that alone was enough to make her suspicious. What would an elf want with another who was raised by humans?

On the other hand, Polaris did seem excited about their short meeting, and Luna had never heard seen an elf that looked similar to her. There was also something mysteriously alluring about her. Perhaps it was because she was an elf who was interested in her, or perhaps it was because the circumstances of their meeting were mysterious.

Nonetheless, until Luna knew more about her it was better to remain wary.

Finally, she needed a way to break the recent developments to the Isozaki sisters and Zoey. The only reason Iris took it well is the Water Abjurer was still half asleep, likely having just rolled out of bed. However, the others would be fully awake and alert when they saw her. She needed to prepare for how they would react, especially Eriza.

When Iris finally revealed to her inner circle that Luna was an elf and made Luna take off her cloak in front of them, Eriza’s reaction was to throw a glass cup at her and demand to know what she had done with herself. After Ren had given her a minor cure wounds to seal the gash on her head and Eriza had calmed down, the misunderstanding was cleared up.

However, the elf didn’t want a repeat of that incident. Eriza was much stronger now, and though she’d likely not react violently, given the previous incident happened, the elf thought it best to find a way to break it to the girl gently.

The question was: what was the best approach the first and third matters? There were many possibilities, but ultimately only one path could be taken. And thus, Luna spent the rest of the walk to the Castle Cove estate pondering her next step.

One the estate was in sight, it was clear she’d missed a visitor. The telltale sign was what appeared to be a letter stuck in the crack of the abode’s front door. Luna looked over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching. But to her disappointment, there was no one visibly present.

Carefully, Ice Evoker walked up the pair of steps leading to the door and studied the letter. It was the size of a standard greeting card and held within a blue envelope addressed to her. From what Luna could determine just by looking at it, the only thing holding it up was the pressure between the door and the frame. Visibly, there appeared to be no surprises, but that didn’t mean caution shouldn’t be taken.

The elf leaned back and closed one eye, then slowly pulled the letter from the door, hoping that it wouldn’t explode. Fortunately for her, she would get to keep her eyebrows and arm. Instead of an explosion, there was something else emitting from the letter. Something very familiar: an intense, dreamy sensation, the same as the faint one within her. There was no doubt as to the origin of the letter. It was from Polaris herself. The bluette had marked it to make it unmistakable that it came from her.

But if the woman was as far away as she made herself out to be, then how could she have already sent a letter to her? Better yet, how did she know her exact address? It was possible she had been scryed upon, but how would she get a letter with the exact same sensation that was now present within her here in such a short amount of time.

The elf pushed the thought out of her mind for the moment and made her way inside. For now, she set the letter on the counter and began putting away the goods she’d bought. If her first encounter with Polaris was any indication of how she’d react, then it was likely she’d forget to put the refrigerated foods away in the refrigerator. So, rather than let food go to waste, she hastily put it away and stored the toiletries in the bathroom. Now there would be no need for a second trip to the store.

Once she finished, she picked the letter up off of the counter and made her way over to the faded blue lounge, sat down and took off her cloak. Upon opening the letter, she felt the intense dreamy feeling it was emitting fading to a degree. Quickly, the Luna pulled out the folded piece of paper and began to read.

Luna,

I apologize that our conversation was cut short. I’m sure you have many questions, though I’m afraid the risk of prying eyes prevents me from giving many answers. However, that doesn’t excuse the fact that you have a right to know what has happened. I’ll explain without going too deep into detail, as well as tell you what my current plans for you are.

Last night you mentioned you thought you were dreaming. It’s only an assumption, but I believe something much different happened. I believe that you had an experience yesterday that you hadn’t had before, one that forced the world to remember you. You see, when you appeared in my grot, the world was remembering you, likely because your essence had been roused for some reason. It’s quite a complicated situation, and I do apologize if I’m leaving you further confused now, but I believe this conversation is best had in person, as you’ll have many questions.

There is another significant matter I wanted to discuss with you in more detail, and it actually is the reason for my short visit. You mentioned that you have had no contact with any elves and that humans raised you. If that is the case, then you likely have no idea what essence is.

In the simplest terms possible, your essence is a spiritual energy unique to you that allows you to connect and interact with nature. I’m certain you know what I’m talking about. The new sensation you’re feeling with your body, that is. If not, well, there’s now genuine reason to be concerned. Some enclaves also refer to it as an aura, though I like to use the two terms interchangeably. The main point is: all things possess an essence; ours is just happens to be a little different. We have the ability to both generate and manipulate it.

Now, onto the matter at hand. The amount of essence you currently possess must be incredibly small, based on how long your projection lasted. That or you have quite a weak grasp on it. It’s to be expected given the fact that you’ve had no formal training whatsoever. So, to increase your current pool of readily available essence, help you recover it faster and get a better sense of control over it, I want you to meditate.

Focus on your natural surroundings. Listen to the birds as they sing and the waves as they lap against the shores of the bay. Feel the cool air coming off of the water, and focus on your surroundings. Feel what mana still permeates the land, and let it flow into you. And when you feel like you’re connected with what little nature there is in Sydney, focus the feeling of your essence into the palm of your hand. I think you’ll be delighted with what happens next.

After your first time, please do continue to meditate and become closer with nature. The more you understand your place amongst it, the stronger your aura will become, and the more you will be able to do with it. Feel free to experiment with it over the next few weeks. Perhaps you’ll discover something quite motivating.

Now, I bet you’re wondering why I’m telling you this instead of my friend. It just so happens that my friend is out of town with her apprentice at the moment. She’s giving the girl a taste of the raw, natural world we live in for her summer break, though knowing her she’s definitely enjoying it as well.

Unfortunately, it is unknown when she’ll be back, and because of that I’d rather you not be left out in the dark waiting to be contacted by her. I know I’d undoubtedly go stir crazy waiting for her. So, in the meantime please practice what I’ve asked you to do. I’m sure you’ll find the results to be worthwhile.

See you soon kiddo,

Polaris.

P.S.

This morning I watched you as you played around with the spellcraft you’ve learned. I must say I’m quite impressed by the spells you’ve cast, especially the one that created what appeared to be a small iceberg laden with spikes. If I were you, I wouldn’t neglect your human spellcraft just because your essence has suddenly jumpstarted itself. You never know when it will come in handy.

And yes, I will explain how I’m able to travel so quickly when we finally meet in person. I bet you’ll love it.

The elf sighed when she finished the letter. She now had more questions and less answers than she did after her conversation with the bluette. The Ice Evoker wasn’t one to get irked, but the whole situation was bothering her at this point. Then again, it couldn’t be helped. It wasn’t like she could just frolic off and find Polaris. Where would she even begin? Worse yet, she still didn’t have an answer as to how the woman got to Sydney and left so quickly.

At least she had one answer. Essence. That was the new sensation she was currently feeling. Apparently it was the connection between herself and the natural world. But if it connected her to nature then why did it feel like it was trying to gently tug her away from reality?

Luna read over the letter again and looked outside. Given the estate’s size, the yard was large. The landscaping, however, was quite modest. It was home to a few different species of trees and seasonal flowers. Waves gently lapped at the rocky south-western edge, while the grass gently swayed with the light wind coming off the water.

If the girl was understanding her now apparent elven mentor correctly, she needed to meditate somewhere in the yard and focus her senses on what was a part of the natural world. If she did that, then she would be able to get a better understanding of her essence.

The elf stood up and made her way out onto the deck, then walked down the stairs and onto the grass. While most of Sydney wasn’t exactly natural, she supposed it was just natural enough for what Polaris had planned to work. Awkwardly, she sat down near the rocky shore and closed her eyes.

At first, her mind was buzzing about, thinking random thoughts that sidetracked her from the task at hand. She wasn’t used to having questions that she couldn’t readily find the answer for. It was an irksome but rare occurrence.

When she was finally able to push such thoughts from her mind, she felt oddly calm. Listening to the sound of the waves and feeling the gentle waft coming off of the bay, Luna closed her eyes and began to meditate, focusing on those two feelings.

Slowing down had never been her forte. The girl always had a task at hand that kept her mind occupied. It wasn’t that not having anything to do was terrible. Rather, it was that she was always seeking to progress in some manner or she was serving her Mistress- er, Iris. She really needed to remember to refer to the Water Transmuter by her name.

There her mind went off on a tangent again. Once again the Ice Evoker refocused her mind on the natural sensations around her. She felt the soft, grassy ground below her and slowly exhaled. But this time, her mind remained focused on the natural sensations around her.

The elf let nature embrace her as best she could. Though she still felt awkward trying to commune with nature, there was this strange sensation she got, as if she were being welcomed. As time slowly passed, it became an odd, earthy feeling. Even the heat of the looming summer faded, replaced by a coolness similar to what one would expect when exploring a cave.

Luna’s focus shifted onto the sound of the tree leaves softly rustling. And oddly enough, she felt like she was becoming a part of her surroundings. There was a belonging amongst the plants and earth below. It was like it was trying to embrace her, but couldn’t quite reach her. Eventually, the faint feeling stopped getting stronger, and didn’t resume doing so.

While maintaining the earthy feeling, the girl slowly opened her eyes and held her palm out in front of her, then focused on her essence. Steadily, the dreamy sensation moved through her chest, up her shoulder, and then down her arm into the palm of her hand. Shockingly enough, a few droplets formed in her hand.

The drops themselves were a faintly glowing icy blue, fading to azure at the edges. Resisting the urge to fling her hand up, Luna held it steady and paced her quickening breath. In the palm of her hand currently was what she assumed to be physical magical energy. One of her magical energies, that is.

So it was true then. The Ice Evoker could use the same magic full-blooded elves used. The proof lay right before her in the palm of her hand. It may not have been an elven spell, but it wasn’t anything she’d studied in her spellcraft studies.

She rolled the droplets around in her hand. Physically they seemed to act like any other liquid. A new question now arose: what where the drops used for? Luna recalled Polaris’ words: I’m sure you’ll find the results will be worthwhile. While the droplets were indeed impressive alone, there had to be some use for them. Or so Luna thought.

The Ice Sorceress continued to stare at her hand for a moment, contemplating what to do next. A thought came to mind: the droplets came from her body, so what would happen if she tried to return them to her body? It was at least worth a try because if she were simply able to reabsorb the essence then she could practice forming it again.

Curving the palm of her hand, she tilted her head and let the droplets fall into her mouth. Oddly enough, the taste was familiar to her, yet she couldn’t quite describe it. It was welcoming, and felt like something she’d tasted a long time ago, when she was still a kid. But she couldn’t quite remember put a name to it.

The Evoker thought long and hard about the taste, and then her vision unexpectedly became completely white. Though she could no longer control her body, she could feel a ‘body’, though it was very small. When her vision returned, she could tell she was sitting on a lap in a familiar room. It was Iris’ Mother’s study.

“Luna, you’re such a smart girl. I think you might even become one of the most powerful elves to have ever lived,” a woman said in a nurturing tone, one that a mother might use when praising her child. But the voice was one that sent chills down the elf’s spine. She knew that voice all too well: it was Iris’ mother.

She herself completely dumbstruck. Iris’ mother was speaking to her, but she didn’t remember this having happened. Then again, she’d made it a habit of pushing most of the memories of her younger years out of her head when she’d moved into Lilith’s, intentionally trying to forget it all, save the Spellcraft she learned. Those memories were purposely tucked far away for a reason.

“You think so mom?” the younger Luna said involuntarily in a sweet tone.

Luna thought she was going to be sick. In no way whatsoever would she ever speak so kindly to Iris’ mother. But her attempts to resist found no purchase. She was currently stuck in the memory. A very intense, full-body experience of a memory. And no matter how hard she tried to stop it mentally, it wouldn’t stop.

At the same time, the warmth permeating from the woman behind her filled her body with warmth. It was welcoming and though The Water Sorceress felt disgusted by it, she also didn’t want to leave the woman’s lap. It appeared that she was experiencing the feelings she had in the memory at the same time as her current self’s feelings. Her past self-felt comfortable and safe, while her present self simply wanted to be free. After all, this was the same woman who had caused her so much grief. How could she ever forgive her for what she did? By now, the elf was screaming at her childhood body to run. However, it wouldn’t budge, not even a little bit.

“I know so. In fact, I think all of you will become powerful magisters someday,” Elsie doted while gently hugging the girl in her lap. Her tone continued to be that of a mother praising her child.

Stop it. Stop it stop itstopitstopitstopitstopit! No more, please! Luna screamed internally as she fought back tears. Why, why all of a sudden was she remembering this? Out of everything that she could have remembered, why this memory specifically? It was a bittersweet reminder of a happy time that would never return. She wasn’t even sure why things had gone from such happiness and warmth to pain and misery.

But even so, why did she have to remember this memory of her speaking with Elsie. This very woman had once treated her as if she was her own child and then overnight began treating her as if she didn’t exist. The woman suddenly began neglecting her youngest daughters and adopted child, standing idly by while her husband hurled abuse at them without hesitation. That kind of betrayal was like being stabbed in the back. It wasn’t just painful, it was something Luna couldn’t find it in herself to forgive.

“I’ll do my best! We’ll go to Cambridge and become the most famous mages ever,” her childhood self cheered happily. What a naïve girl she was back then. A naïve, innocent girl whose world had yet to be ravaged by the reality to come. The Water Sorceress wanted nothing more than to pick her up and whisk her away to anywhere but here. The heart-wrenching pain of knowing what would eventually come made it hurt all the more.

“Good girl, now run along. I have to finish some paperwork and then I’ll start making dinner. We’re having battered snapper and chips tonight,” the woman said while ushering her childhood self out of her lap.

Battered snapper and chips was one of Felicity’s favorite meals. Elsie used to spoil Felicity and Iris so much when they were little. But now? Now all Felicity seemed to be to her mother was a tool that could be used to manipulate Iris.

The Ice Evoker wasn’t sure how much more she could take. Everything began to ache. Her mind, her heart, her body. In general, she felt an aching pain rising within her. Was this an intense version of grief?

“Eden! Can you teach me how to cast a spell?” her younger self called out as she ran down the hallway to Iris’ eldest sister’s room.

No more, please. Please…, Luna begged. The elf couldn’t take any more.

Suddenly, the memory faded as quickly as it had come on. The elf found herself sitting in the same spot she originally was, alone. Everything was just as it had been before she had suddenly been thrust into the full-body experience.

Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she recalled more memories of her halcyon days. Those carefree, happy days when she felt like she could take on the entire world. Compared to the now cautious, somewhat timid person she was, the old her would have taken this head-on. But that was the old her. The present her knew that scars didn’t fade so quickly. And she had many scars that were healing.

To distract herself, the elf began to meditate again, seeking that earthy natural feeling she’d felt before. Anything to get her mind off of the memories. And soon, she had completely zoned out, tuning out everything but the rustling of leaves and the gentle feeling of the wind kissing her.

Luna couldn’t tell how much time had passed. She kept her focus on feeling out her natural surroundings. Oddly enough, the bluette felt if she focused enough she could become one with the waves. The gentle motions of being rocked about had taken over her mind, though she felt the same earthy feeling as she had when meditating earlier.

Producing more essence wasn’t of any concern. She just wanted to remain in the calm, welcoming embrace of what little nature surrounded her. It seemed like hours had passed by since the incident from earlier in the day. Fortunately, her tears had all dried up, leaving no trace of their existence.

The Ice Sorceress soon began to sense a presence next to her. Iris must have returned from her trip to the Tower. If hours had passed, then it would be about time for the girl to return anyway. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Sure enough, the Water Sorceress was sitting next to her, wearing a pastel green sundress. She really loved her pastels.

“Welcome back. How was your trip to the Tower,” Luna asked in a tired voice. All of the day’s events had taken their toll on her. Usually a little meditation fixed that, but doing so didn’t seem to be having the effect it generally did.

“It was alright. My application is in. It’s going to be a few months before anything is made official but it’s hard to believe something will prevent me from gaining citizenship. What about you? You seem to be enjoying yourself. Relaxing a bit?” the Transmuter replied.

The Ice Sorceress knew she couldn’t tell her about everything that had happened. At least not the memory. For now, she’d fill in the gap with a memory she made up and hoped Iris wouldn’t see through the lie.

“Something like that. Polaris somehow visited today. She left a letter in the door within some interesting details. She was watching us this morning apparently.”

To her surprise, Iris leaned away from her a little bit, puckering her lips and taking on a concerned expression. Generally the girl was more easy-going when it came to oddities like Polaris’ apparent visit. “That’s a little unsettling. How would she travel here so fast?”

“I agree, but it doesn’t seem like she means any harm. I learned how to do something pretty cool thanks to her. Though unfortunately I don’t have any idea how she was able to travel so quickly. I didn’t see her,” Luna explained as she held up the letter.

Iris’ expression immediately changed from concern to intrigue. “Do tell.”

“So it all started this morning after I tried experimenting with my spells.”

Polaris quietly sipped on her mist mint tea while watching from afar as others meandered about the shrine. It had undoubtedly been a surprisingly fruitful past twenty-four hours and she needed a moment of quiet to run it all through her mind.

Luna’s sudden appearance was definitely a shock she’d never have been able to predict. It was unfortunate that she wasn’t able to find the girl sooner. Though raising a child wouldn’t have been her strong suit.

As for Luna herself, the girl seemed bewildered by the sudden developments. So she was likely telling the truth when saying she was the first elf she ever met. Though that alone was terribly unfortunate, it did have its advantages. It meant that other elves around the world likely didn’t know about her either. If anyone knew, it would probably be the pyromaniacs from the Enclave of Wildfire or the star lovers from the Enclave of the Ocean of Stars. But neither of those would mean any harm. They were friendly folk who preferred to keep to themselves and stay out of worldly drama and elven politics.

No, the real issue was keeping the Annwns away. Them, the Hvítálfar and the Enclave of Twilight. Aside from those scheming Enclaves there was no one to worry about.

For now though, Luna was too far away for them to take notice of her. If the girl was living somewhere closer and more populated, like Shanghai or Singapore, they definitely would have taken notice. But the fact that Sydney was a Frontier City on the bottom side of Australia worked in her favor. No one would go looking that far for someone. Not unless they were there for other reasons.

Besides, there weren’t any humans that would have a desire to use Luna for their own gain. Kilroy apparently was neutral on the matter, and Fei Lin was too busy with Brisbane. While she would have loved to entrust the woman with Luna’s safety, she was far too unpredictable.

No, having her connection in Sydney protect Luna was for the best. She wouldn’t have any external factors who would influence her to give up Luna, and she could be trusted, shallow as their relationship may be. But after this, their favors would likely be done.

The more concerning matter was how would she catch Luna up on all that she should have learned by now. An elf raised by humans, she mused. What benefits would she have from her upbringing? Actually, how did Luna even end up in the care of humans? Was she not with the rest of the Enclave when it fell?

Although, that did bring the possibility that the rumor she heard years ago was true. If that was the case, then it’d be best to get moving and find those two sisters. If Luna was alive, then perhaps that rumor had some credibility. Of course, they wouldn’t be coming to Kyoto anytime soon, but hopefully they could be convinced to join her in putting an end to the unfortunate events in Scandinavia. After all, she could use all the help she could get.

For now though, the more pressing concern was her talent for magic. Given the girl’s ability to cast human and, in the near future, Druidic magic, she could become quite the versatile druid. Of course, for now the main task would be for the girl to cultivate and hone her essence.

Another important question was: why did the world seemingly remembering her out of the blue? The elf supposed that only Luna could know the answer, though the woman did have her theories. And in time, she would have answers as well.

It was unfortunate that before she could begin training the girl to become a Druid she would have to deal with a few bothersome loose ends. Most notably, finding a way to get the Annwns and Hvítálfar to back off from Luna.

The ever-looming issue in Scandinavia would need to be dealt with soon as well. And she was horribly unprepared for it. She’d need to enlist help to deal with it. Not just regular help either. This time she’d need aid of people like her connection in Sydney.

In the meantime, Luna was better off in Sydney. For the moment, there was no real training she could do with the girl anyway. The girl could likely only produce a minuscule amount of Essence, and until she could create a small pool of Ambrosia in her hands there was no point in practicing magic. She likely couldn’t even manage to properly druidcraft her surroundings. Hopefully within a year she would be at that point.

It was also important to take into account how Luna felt about her situation. Given the girl likely had deep roots in Sydney it wouldn’t be smart to just rip her away from everything she had. That would only make the bluette seem like she had ill intentions for her and possibly inflict wounds upon her. She didn’t want to damage an elf who was once part of her former Enclave, after all.

The woman was still in disbelief that there even was another living elf with Auralis ancestry. Perhaps they were even closely related, given their former enclave was small. Knowing that she was no longer alone in that regard relaxed her. Perhaps someday, she’d have some more answers to her questions about her Essence as well.

For now though, she was content to sip on her delicious mist mint tea and make plans for the future. The next few years were going to be exciting.