Flames are dancing about my branches and leaves. It’s an amusing application of the Domain.

Rustle.

What do you mean it’s a waste of mana? I’m not even using any mana. The Domain is established due to the ten thousand mana used to create it. Since the effect doesn’t have a cost other than the amount of mana to create it I’m still trying to understand how it works.

My best theory so far, is that creating a Domain is like standing in a locked room.

Before you do that, the room is locked.

After you pay the 10k mana fee, the ‘key’ if you will, you can enter said room.

Once you are in the room, an effect is given to you.

Something like ‘within 20 meters all Fire spells cost 0 mana’ and as long as you stay inside the effect continues to exist.

The room itself is a part of the reality controlled by the universe.

Hence essentially a Dao is in essence knowledge of the various ‘keys’ that allow manipulation of reality at a primal level.

This next part is just a guess, if you could learn every key to a particular Dao then it would be possible to completely control that aspect of reality.

Such as the Element of Fire.

Or any Element really.

Going further out on a branch here, enough mastery in a complete Dao would allow you to ‘re-write’ the so called ‘Law of Fire’ to something else. Perhaps even allow you to create a ‘Bloodline’ in which your genetic information contains pre-programmed ‘keys’ that allow easy understanding of the Dao.

Rustle.

Well, I mean I don’t have any actual evidence of this no. It’s all guessing.

Ruuuuuustle.

No, I’m not really that interested in experimenting too much in that direction.

Besides, didn’t you want me to save mana so you could create a body?

On that note, why do you need a body anyways?

Rustle.

Since when is it impolite to ask such a question.

Thwack.

I stand corrected. Won’t happen again.

Anyways I’m glad Tevril got me the materials to make this new Artifact #101. Without the faults of the previous device I can now create a passive shield using the Domain and at the same time move faster about.

Rustleee!

NO, I did not just make this so I could scare the living daylights out of the Elven Elder for kicks, that’s pure coincidence.

Besides, don’t think I didn’t notice you making snotty branch waving motions at her. She could obviously understand them too.

Her face kept looking constipated when you did them, it was rather amusing.

What were you saying anyways?

Rustleee…

Is that even anatomically possible for a humanoid creature?

Rustle.

Wait, you can’t just go to sleep like that!

Dammit, who am I going to talk to now…

Oh, I did have some questions for Tevril’s dad.

+++

Azvril, Lord of the Foxes, Vassal of the Emperor, Hand of the Shadows, kept his face impassive with a massive amount of willpower.

How could such a powerful creature be so lacking in the basic knowledge of the world? Azvril thought.

“So essentially, when you were fighting I didn’t notice any fluctuations of mana, like at all. What exactly were you using to power such attacks?” the Red Death asked him politely. As a Mana Tree, his daughter claimed that she’d taught it the Common tongue, and that this creature of nightmare had above average intelligence.

I should introduce the Red Death to the Librarian. Hah! Azvril thought, a sinister smile flashing across his face. He could already envision the Librarian screaming in anguish as his books burned for being unable to answer ‘simple’ questions.

“Helloooo? Anyone there?” the Red Death said, sounding annoyed before Azvril snapped back to focus on him.

“Aura. The power I use is Aura. Aura is generated from a combination of several factors. The major uses of Aura for combat are speed, strength, increased lifespan, and resistance to damage.” Azvirl replied succinctly.

“What’s the difference between Mana and Aura?”

“Aura comes from within, Mana from without. There’s many schools of thought on the matter. I don’t really care personally, Aura is almost instinctual to manipulate for most Beastkin. For the Fox clan it’s even easier. Armor like my crystalline armor is powered by Auric Runes embedded in the armor. It creates a force multiplier causing a simple punch to be able to shatter steel.” Azvril said before asking, “Did you teach Tevril the Air magic she demonstrated to me?”

“Air? No, I just gave her some basic concepts to work from. All the spells from there on were developed by herself.” the Red Death said.

Casually giving a journeyman mage advice to raise her to a Master? Unbelievable. If she didn’t support this story and there wasn’t a single scent of lies, I almost couldn’t comprehend it. Azvril thought in shock. Covering his disturbance he asked another question, “Why were those tiny fire orb spells able to obliterate the attackers at the gates?”

“Each of those orbs was the same temperature as the Sun overhead.”

Azvril felt faint.

Red Death, what an apt name. He thought before stating he was required elsewhere and escaping.