Oberon flew up towards the clouds with renewed energy and vigor. While Amber laid down on his back like a wilted flower. The clouds were a well known strong source of mana in this world, so that was naturally where they were headed. She needed a way to get back some of her lost energy.
[You could always drink down some refined mana water.] Said Arabella into Amber's mind.
Bugger off.
"As soon as I get back some of my energy, we need to head back towards where the mimic's attacked to get a look at the situation."
"Why are we going back there?" said Oberon while Alina made herself comfortable inside Amber's pocket again.
"If there are as many dead bodies as I think there will be, we are going to make a Blood Pixie," said Amber.
"A what?" said Oberon while Alina gasped in horror.
[Disgusting! Why would you make such a vile thing?!] said Alina.
"Why would I not? You said that in order to make a blood pixie there needs to be a great deal of fresh dead bodies, a lot of mana, pixie dust, and strong emotions present when the deaths occurred. Why would I allow such an ideal opportunity to pass without exploiting it? I have such high quality materials available."
Alina's face turned a little green at the mention of materials, but Amber just chuckled. Having gone through medical school, she had long gotten used to the sight of dead bodies. Squeamish people amused her.
As soon as they reached the clouds, Amber closed her eyes, and concentrated on sucking in mana energy. It was just the most basic of techniques, but it was the only way of cultivating that Amber had picked up from Arabella's memories. What she really needed was a good magic teacher.
While her eyes were closed, golden, silver, light purple, dark purple, and light blue light started slowly being sucked into Amber from the clouds around them. Her skin started to glow with a radiance and she finally opened her eyes and sighed contentedly. For a few moments after she opened her eyes, the color of them shifted from the medium purple that it normally was, to dark purple, then blue, golden, silver, light purple, and then back to medium purple.
Alina's eyes widened as if she'd seen a ghost and then she quickly looked away.
[Tch! You really are trouble. Don't do that in front of other people.] Arabella said.
"I feel much better now. Now let's go make my Blood Pixie," Amber said.
[Do we have to?] Alina said with a whine in her voice.
Amber chose to ignore her question and grabbed hold of Alina by her legs. She held her other hand underneath Alina, flipped her upside down, and shook her vigorously.
Alina's face turned green and her eyes became unfocused from the abrupt movement.
Then Amber stuffed Alina back into her pocket. She held out her hand and looked at the white glittering sparkles resting in her palm.
After a moment, Alina stuck her head up out of Amber's pocket. She watched as Amber put the white sparkling dust into a little glass container with a cork stopper.
[How could you do that? You're evil!] said Alina.
"Yes, I've heard," said Amber in a bored tone. "I need pixie dust and that was the fastest way to get it. I wouldn't call it evil, so much as logical, and efficient. Here, have a treat for being useful," said Amber while handing Alina a large almond.
Alina pouted for a moment longer, but her mood improved drastically once she started munching on the almond. She held the almond with both hands while happily humming.
"So what are we going to do after you make the...creature?" Alina said with a resigned and curious voice.
"I'm going to collect my egg just as soon as it starts to get dark and it's possible to see the green mana smoke once again. Then we're going to head home."
"Home?" Alina and Oberon said together.
"Yes, home. Obviously you two are coming with me," Amber said.
"Yes, of course," Oberon said happily. "I will go anywhere my master goes."
[If I'm that important to you, how could I refuse? Sometimes I'm too awesome for my own good.] said Alina while flipping her hair." A pleased smile appeared on her lips and a little pink graced her cheeks.
A tiny twitch appeared on Amber's lips while watching Alina's antics. But soon her face was neutral once again, as if it were just a momentary trick of the light.
Soon they arrived at a scene of absolute carnage. A vision of such horror that it would make the average person scream in terror and run away from fright. A slow smile spread across Amber's lips in absolute delight, while looking down at such perfect materials.
There were bodies piled of yuki-onna, mages, and mimic's. They had all desperately fought for their lives and were entangled with one another. Limbs had been ripped off and thrown haphazardly with blood of different colors pooled here and there; sometimes mixing to create other colors. Guts and brain matter were open to the elements. On top of the pile of bodies, were the two lovebirds who had put on such a spectacular play earlier.
A large smile was spread across Amber's face with her upper set of teeth showing. It was the largest smile Alina had seen on Amber's face since she had met her and this was the reason, piles of dead corpses. Alina's face was pale and she felt dizzy.
Amber jumped off Oberon's back with a smile on her face and a bounce in her step, while humming. Alina flew out of Amber's pocket and flew onto Oberon's head. She sat down, getting comfy while Oberon walked around, looking for a bit of grass to lay down on that wasn't near any carnage. Although he had seen plenty of death over the years, this scene was a bit much for even him.
A flock of strange large birds, the size of adult people, that looked like crows, were tearing out guts, and slurping them up like giant worms. Their black feathers were a deep frightening black with the appearance of spilled oil on a black top road. Their eyes were the color of rubies, shining out from the dark feathers around them. Their beaks and feet were silver, but stained with blood, long claws dug as they ripped into their prey. A few of the twenty large birds feasting, looked up at the newcomers' arrival, but soon went back to devouring their prey. In the center of the rest of the birds was a much larger bird. He was about three times as tall as Amber, with golden tipped black wings. He tilted his head while staring her down.
Do you know what these creatures are? Amber said to Arabella in her mind.
[They're Eekron. They normally don't attack living things, unless they consider them a threat. The golden winged eekron that's watching us is their leader. He's trying to size you up to see if you'll back down.] Said Arabella.
How does their hierarchy work?
[They fight until one of the birds gains the golden feathers and that bird is considered the new leader. If the current leader with the golden feathers dies, they fight again. But if someone defeats the bird with the golden feathers, the loser has to either leave the flock or submit to the winner; bowing their head to them.] Said Arabella.
How do you even know all of this? Said Amber in her mind.
[I was very excited about the idea of picking up familiars as soon as my mana unlocked. Not unlocking my mana gave me a lot of free time to read, so I read a lot. I tried to encourage myself that it was fine, because my time would soon come, and I would be well prepared. As my mana test approached, I was super excited, but the mana testing stone was blank. It never reacted at all. After we left, I waited for any indication of mana to appear, but while I waited, days slowly turned into months, and then years. Everyone around me found out their magic talent, but I was the only one left out.] Said Arabella.
[My parents had been hopeful that I could bring them some lost honor, but once I turned into a disappointment, I lost what little love they had left for me. I turned into their shame and lost any friends that I thought I had. What was supposed to be a new and exciting chapter in my life, turned into my living nightmare. Depression overwhelmed me while the man that I dearly loved was playing around with my maid who mocked me. After a while, I had no interest in eating or drinking and soon I was too weak to do either if I tried. I couldn't move on my own and no one was willing to give me any assistance whatsoever. I was facing death and started to resign myself to it.] Said Arabella.
[Do you know that I'm kind of grateful to you in a way, but also resentful. You're so vibrant and alive even though I can feel similar pain hidden inside you. I can feel the similarity between the two of us, but you haven't collapsed in your sorrow like I have. You thrive in the chaos of your life and pain; as if it were a thrilling adventure. I know that you're probably right about me being a screw up who would get this body killed. As strange as this may seem and as difficult as this is for me to admit, I'm not ready to leave you. The world is too painful for me to be alone anymore. Being in here is like looking at life through a window and sitting with someone who has experienced similar pain as mine. You're not getting up and walking away, because you can't. As strange as that may seem, this type of life is soothing to me.] Said Arabella.
Amber closed her eyes and sighed. She knew exactly what Arabella meant. She had gone through her own depression. This suffocating feeling that you think will never go away and seems like it may choke you to death any minute. The scariest part was that you weren't entirely sure you would mind if it did, as long as it meant that you didn't have to feel anymore.
I can't give you back this body, there's no decent way to transfer my familiars to another body, and I have too much invested here. However, life is meant to be lived, not viewed from a window. I'll allow you to stay for now, but I'm still going to figure out a way to get you out and into another body. As payment for this body, I'll allow you to stay with me for as long as you want, after you're removed. Just don't cause me so much hassle in the future and make yourself useful, said Amber into her mind.
Amber felt a large flowing of joy from Arabella fill her and sensed her crying.
It's fine, you have a home now. I won't run you off or abandon you, said Amber into her mind
[Alright.] Said Arabella in a choked whisper, through happy tears.