"Okay so how do I absorb mana then?" Emerson asked.
Phaenna hummed in thought for a moment. "Well that question has a few different answers. First off one could absorb mana from the environment around you. Places with abundant natural resources generate mana, so forests, the undersea realms, even violent places like volcanos. Human settlements have far less mana than what you would find in the wild places, which make sense considering they mercilessly cut down our worlds wilds." She said that last part with a sneer.
'I suppose a magic beast would be an environmentalist, huh?' Emerson thought to herself. As Phaenna opened her mouth again seeming to continue on her rant Emerson gently interrupted, "what are the other ways to absorb mana?"
Phaenna closed her mouth and seemed to compose herself before continuing, "well you can also aborb mana from things called mana stones. Mana stones appear naturally underground from the formation of the earths mana, or a magical being can condense their own mana into a stone."
As she said this the griffon held out her hand and in a flash of blue light a small orb appeared on her hand. "Here take this stone, you can absorb this. It will be the easiest way to go about this."
Emerson reached out and took the stone and brought it to herself. "Now what?"
"Now try to feel the mana inside the stone. Send your sense inside and try to pull the mana into yourself. If you can do that the mana will naturally spread wherever it's supposed to go, wether it nourishes your body or creates a core."
Emerson closed her hand around the marble sized stone and closed her eyes, trying to sense the mana as she was told. At first she felt nothing but after trying for a few minutes she could feel warmth emanating from her closed fist. Slowly she tried to will the warmth from the stone into herself. As she did Emerson felt that telltale warmth travel up her arm and then down into the pit of her stomach just above her navel, where it consolidated much like the mana stone that used to be in her hand.
Phaenna raised an eyebrow in surprise. 'Even if I thought this may be the case it's still surprising. To think a half human with a demon bloodline has been born. Whoever this girls parent is really screwed up huh? I wonder what kind of punishment they faced in the netherworld? Hmm well it looks like this will take a while, I think I'll get her some food and a place to sleep.'
When Emerson opened her eyes the first thing she noticed was that Phaenna was no longer seated in front of her and that the sun had set. "Over here dear!" She turned at Phaenna's call and saw a massive tree that definitely was not there before. At the base of the tree was her griffon host who seemed to be roasting some kind of small rodent sized piece of meat (Emerson really didnt want to know) at a small fire. "Come and eat Emerson then inside this tree I grew for you is a place to sleep, I do believe humans enjoy sleeping away from the elements, yes? Then in the morning we will begin your training."
"Training? What kind of training?" Emerson asked.
"My dear in this world might makes right. No matter where you are it is survival of the fittest. I'll I'll teach you to use your new mana core and maybe I'll call someone to teach you to fight like a human would. I told you I'd help you so of course I won't let you leave my realm until your able to protect yourself."
The next day Emerson awoke inside her new tree house (ha) and got up from the small bedroll Phaenna provided her. Exiting through the door sized hole in the tree she saw Phaenna once again at the small fire at the base of the tree. Without look at her Phaenna said, "I have breakfast for you here dear. I've decided that I will be cooking all your meals for you so you can focus on your training. In fact I've already scheduled your day for you. Everyday after breakfast you will meditate and work on gathering mana until lunch and then after that I will instruct you in mana control until dinner. After dinner is your time to relax understand?" Emerson didn't quite know what she got herself into but nodded nonetheless. And so Emerson's first day in a new world ended and the next 3 months began.