—Come on Siara, focus!
It really was something that required the utmost attention and focus, though one could say all task that demanded a set amountof attention almost always went better when one applied themselves fully. The act of Mana Degradation was no exception to this way of thinking and standardly worked better when one fully applied the best of their abilities. Although the argument could be made that Mana Degradation or any endeavors that dealt with the subject of Mana absolutely needed the caster's one hundred percent focus. Siara hadn't neglected this fact and made sure to always give one hundred and ten percent when it came to the handling of her own Mana. Of course, there were always external factors when one was applying themselves as well.
"Stop slacking off runt!"
Siara was thrown that external "motivation," if you could call it that, which loudly trespassed into the space of her left eardrum causing the girl to jump a bit. Regardless of this act—or thanks to it, Siara was able to garner her focus to the task beneath her. As a result, her flow of Mana tightened immensely becoming so thin one would have struggled to see it throughout the air. The voice that provided this "motivation," or rather, the helpful interruption as Siara would say. Was named Fia, or "miss Fia" as many of the girls around the space referred to her as such.
The other girls also worked within the practice of Mana Degradation, and at present were standing just feet away from Siara in a circle as they funneled their Mana into the same space, she'd handled hers. Fia stood over all of them, acting as each girl's "benefactor" in one way or another. It was an unwelcome situation that Siara wished she could rewrite everyday she stepped into the Syentharian sand dunes, the dreadful workplace she'd found herself in. Fia took her in stating she had "immaculate potential" as a Mana Degrader and placed her into her work immediately. It wasn't a well-paying job, but it was one that, about a year back Siara would've been a fool not to take.
Focus, focus
See about a year ago, Siara found herself—without any precursor or warning of the sort—transported into the world she was living in right now. She'd been transported just a couple miles outside of where she worked now, in the unforgiving climate of the Syentharian sand dunes which even natives of the area had trouble with. It wasn't just unforgiving in its violent winds, rising and falling temperatures, and standoffish inhabitants. But also in the nature of it's Mana and the discrepancies that were caused because of it. Specifically, the Wyrmkin that were present at all times of the day. They were a type of Wailbeast, abominations Siara learned existed due to a Mana disaster hundreds of years ago.
That was all Siara knew about it, but she didn't think it would've been prudent to learn anything more. Since you were able to outmaneuver Wyrmkin if you'd had knowledge of their nest which Fia was meticulous about tracking down. Though even she couldn't keep a mental note of all of them, which led to several occasions of Siara almost walking right into their nest. Aside from those times though, actual encounters with Wyrmkinwere scarce, but the threat of them alone made life in the Syentharian sand dunes a life many were afraid to live. And even though Siara agreed, it wasn't like she could ever walk away so she didn't think about it.
"Good, now finish it."
At Fia's words the four girls' efficiency in the handling of Mana had grown considerably in a couple of seconds. While you could attribute that to Fia's presence, you could also say it wasn't a positive thing in almost any of the girls' minds. In fact, it was only due to her negative impact on the girls that had heightened their performance. Maybe there was something to be said about performing under pressure, it was a point of interest for Siara back in her world that she didn't quite understand until she met the chaos-incarnate that was Fia. She couldn't even think of slightly deviating her Mana flow—let alone messing up.
The four girls continued directing their Mana to the object beneath them which hung by several wires that ran past them and up to the ceiling of the large structure they were standing in. They ran to an object—no, a person, rather which had a black coat of Mana constantly swirling around them. The Mana was dense—so dense that Saria thought had anyone tried to break it they'd end up breaking something themselves instead. That observation was before she even learned to control and sense Mana, now that she could, she knew Mana that dense was truly unbreakable and could only be degraded. Those wires ran from the bottom of that sphere of Mana as well, seeming as if they pulled on the person's arms and legs.
Saria always thought this was a weird measure seeing as she'd heard from Fia that the person being suspended had died long ago. Regardless the restraints on the corpse had been kept up, regularly fastened by a man named Leroy, who often flirted with miss Fia. She was never receptive to his charms but hated when he took an interest in Saria and the other girls. Leroy was the equivalent of what Saria knew as a "utility" worker or someone who worked in manual labor. It seemed no matter where Saria went those jobs didn't change. Guess there was always going to be someone who needed things to be built.
The girls Mana wrapped around the wires, latching onto the dense energy that had nested on the corpse that lie suspended in the air. Bit by bit it made its way to the corpse, gnawing at the Mana which desperately tried to keep it away with its density. Mana Degradation was hard, it was certainly something that Saria took pride in regardless of how she was led to it. She strained her face a bit, in unison with the other girls who clenched their teeth to brace for the pain of the Mana they'd poured from their hands. The denser the Mana the harder it was to degrade it, and it was hard to do a job when your employer didn't tell you whose Mana you were degrading.
Fia always said it was on a need-to-know basis, so Saria assumed she didn't need to know.
"Good, good."
Nevertheless, that jet-black Mana started to fade replaced by the light blue lines that fed on the dense pools of Mana they were being fed. When they finished their meals, the girls finally let their hands rest at their sides, a wave of exhaustion was all that was waiting for them as pools of sweat causes their skin to glisten. The already hot climate of the Syentharian Sand Dunesdidn't neglect in pushing this reality further as it only served as an enhancer to the girls suffering.
"Good job, you were all a bit sloppy, especially you Siara so don't slack off. I don't have time to be dying for your mistakes alright?"
"Y-Yes ma'am."
"All of you need to get it together, we can't risk a potential Mana Inversion, then we're all fucked."
Mana Inversion.
A phenomenon when Mana gets so dense all the Mana within the atmosphere, living beings, or any Mana present is drawn to the source of the phenomenon and links to it. Not only linking the Mana inside of a user to its own Mana, but linking the psyche, thoughts, and feelings of a person as well. Its danger lied in this fact and the revelation that it could corrupt natural flows of Mana which would throw landscape into all kinds of disarray. Mana Inversion alone was considered the worst [Mana Evolution], those being terrifying phenomena no one could fully comprehend. No one knew how such a thing had come about or if they did, they didn't tell Siara, and since she didn't see the point in learning said things, since she didn't leave the sand dunes, she didn't know either.
It wasn't just a fact of her not looking for the knowledge though, as Siara figured if this knowledge wasn't generally known to the public—or if it was, then most people would only know about the [Mana Evolution] themselves rather than the details of the cause of them. Aside from that however Saria also had her more personal reasons for her lack of information gathering. While it was true that she was limited to the Syentharian Sand Dunes, she was also still reeling from the effects of having been transported to a new world in the first place. The emotional toll of that was hardly ever addressed in stories that wrote about this from her homeland. So perhaps that bias caused Siara to underestimate the degree at which such a thing would hinder her.
Guess i should've known. It was during the quiet nights when work was scarce and Fia wasn't breathing down her neck that Siara was able to squeeze in a good cry or two. While she was thankful for those nights, she was also thankful for the fact that times like that were scarce. There was something to be saidabout wallowing in one's feelings for too long, which was something Siara wanted to avoid, so in some way she was thankful for the constant pressure Fia put on her and the other girls. Siara wiped her face off with sweat and stepped out into the sea of sand that was the Syentharian Sand Dunes, it wasn'tmuch of a home, but Saria considered it a blessing to be put in a place where she could find work and something sustainable so fast.
Especially considering the alternative to that was dying in the [Witherfowl,] the seasonal sandstorms that had taken more lives than even the Wyrmkin in the sand dunes. Siara had never encountered one, and although she didn't bother with information gathering, she certainly made it a point to learn more about the Syentharian Sand Dunes seeing as they were her home now. Even if it's a bit sandy. As her thoughts concluded a rash-ridden hand shoved a pouch right in front of her eyes, it jingled a bit as a hand shook it lightly from the side.
"Here, i thought you might be thirsty and i've already had a drink."
"You know, i feel bad every time i take your water, you've gotta stop offering it to me."
The voice which came from her side, had been from Jiya, a woman Siara met around the same time she met the other girls in her workplace as well. She hadn't met many Mana Degraders, but Jiya was the first one, although Fia herself was one as well she didn't like being "lumped in" as she called it with the rest of them. She often prided herself on being a "real Mana Degrader," a point that Jiya and the others girls took pride in as well. It may have been deceiving due to the terrible pay, terrible boss, and harsh environment, but Mana Degradation was a legitimate job. At least that's what she heard from Jiya, that Mana Degraders were revered as essential parts of society in certain parts of the world.
And that the only reason they were treated poorly on this particular job was because it was one almost no one would take due to the risk surrounding it. Even so Saria found a friend in Jiya and the other girls who helped her adjust to life in the sand dunes. Jiya herself was a fan favorite amongst the [Windscorn Clan,] specifically their leader Jericho. Who constantly harassed Jiya, though Fia kept him off of her for the most part. Jiya was strikingly beautiful though you wouldn't know it as she always wore a robe over her face to keep the sand away.
But when that robe did come down one would first see a bushel of messy light-brown hair that fell into place beautifully caressing the soft skin of her ears and neck. If one was able to withstand that you'd meet a pair of ethereal eyes in the literal and metaphorical sense. Jiya's eyes were blessed with what she'd once called the [Tactician's Spark] which allowed her to handle Mana at a rate of efficiency higher than the average Mana user. Though "higher than average" was putting it lightly and even discrediting Jiya a bit. Though it helped for Saria to simplify it as she was still relatively new to the concept of Mana as a whole.
Though according to Jiya there were those who were blessedwith—or inherited, spectacular abilities having to do with Mana. Jiya mentioned hers might be inherited— [A Birthright Calling]— but she didn't really know as her parents dropped her off in the Syentharian Sand Dunes and never looked back. But it never seemed as if Jiya held onto any resentment for thus fact at all. Almost as if she understood it. But it was explained to Saria that Jiya's eyes glow bright yellow like that due to the [Tactician's Spark], but it was also just as much due to her genetics. Either way those eyes had a luminosity in them that was unmatched even by the ethereal presence that was the [Celestial Moonscape,] or as Saria referred to it, the moon.
While her body was often wrapped up in clothes that made it hard to discern her figure, Saria, having helped Jiya with her robes from time to time got a peek at her body. What was revealed to her was a fairly curvy girl, her waist was akin to that of a pear, and the size of her chest were quite ample as well. She made sure to keep her lower body covered as this would draw the most attention to the men of the Syentharian Desert and Jiya was happily single. Though it seemed as if she loved once but she never talked about it, though what could Saria say to this as she kept her own secrets as well.
"I'll stop offering it when you stop looking like you need it," she chuckled as she sat down.
"H-Hey degrading Mana that dense is tough! We don't all have eyes like you, you know!"
Though in all honesty Saria's proficiency at Mana Degradationor Mana handling in general was quite advanced for somebody that had only been handling it for a year. She was "somewhat remarkable" according to Fia and was even praised by Jiya herself a couple of times. So even without a [Birthright Calling] or the [Favor of the Damned] she did well with her handling of Mana. Though being blessed by the world through a [Favor of the Damned] would've been nice. But the way it was explained to her those were only given by those who had been—and felt—truly rejected from the world on every level. So, it probably wouldn't have been a good thing had she had one of those anyway.
"Even with my eyes Mana Degradation is hard work, especially when i have to work with four other people. It gets tiring."
"You can say that again! That Mana's getting harder and harder to handle every day, not to mention the harassment from the Windscorn Clan is picking up again."
As if they had been summoned the three girls in question all walked out of the large building, bracing themselves for the oncoming sand. Saria had built a rapport with all three of them and was at least on a name basis with everyone. They could at least say they all had an amicable relationship with one another, their common boding point being their dislike of Fia. Isha, Shantae, and, Klessi. Who were also Mana degraders, though they were what Fia would call "average" at their job.
They were all native to the Syentharian Sand Dunes and were all very good-looking with Saria being deemed the least attractive of the group. Though she didn't disagree with that placement. Isha had long beautiful blonde hair that seeped out of the headscarves she used to keep her hair from getting dirty, with bright blue rounded eyes that were almost like a perfect circle. While not very curvy Isha's appeal was found in her cute demeanor. Shantae had long platinum blue hair with, and her eyes contained a mixture of that same blue and yellow, it looked like stardust had been sprinkled in her pupils. She, unlike Isha was curvy, not Jiya curvy but curvy enough to make any man who walked past her look twice, and she wasn't shy about that fact.
Klessi though was probably the quietest and the youngest aside from Saria herself who was only seventeen. Klessi was freshly twenty and had peached color hair and light green eyes that carried a certain intensity in them. That intensity perhaps came from having lived twenty years' worth of life in the Syentharian Sand Dunes, it was an experience Saria could slightly understand as even living there a simple year was rough. Isha who had spoken plopped down beside Saria, whose green-ishblue eyes fluttered at the sudden development.
"Oh, stop your complaining, things wouldn't be so bad if you guys wised up and played nice with them, they do keep us safe after all."
Shantae smiled and draped herself over Isha who'd barely managed to keep her balance.
"But only because they think they'll get something out of it, if Miss Fia didn't pay them there's no doubt they'd start getting their payments in other ways. I don't even wanna think about it!"
Having exclaimed this Isha wrapped her hands around her body and put herself into an embrace that was half-joking and half real fear. Mana Degradation was a dangerous job. Not only due to the harsh conditions of the Syentharian Sand Dunes or the Wyrmkin that accompanied them, but also bandits and other types of Wailbeast that were present. The [Windscorn Clan] was contracted by Fia to protect the girls on their trips to the tomb they completed their work in. Though "tomb" was inaccurate as it was a large white building that went so high up one couldn't hope to see it from the bottom at all.
Saria dreaded having to climb it but told herself to "get over it" as the corpse was suspended at the apex height of the building. Surrounding the main white tower were four other ones which only reached about half the original's height. From those were wires which connected to the middle tower, sloping upwards to converge at the top. The most stunning feature though was the floating ring that wrapped around all the towers, it went in a giant circle and reminded Saria of a track. Fia called it a Fowlemitter a device that presented a false coat of Mana, making it seem as if this whole tower didn't exist to outside eyes.
Fia said this was a necessary precaution as there were those who—if they knew of the tower's existence—would surely come in search of such a thing. At least that's what she told the girls, Saria didn't question it though since the nature of the job was already dangerous, she didn't want to know anymore about it. Having said that though, the protection of the [Windscorn Clan} was starting to prove, useless as there had been no incidents which needed their expertise at all. Though Fia still insisted they keep them around for protection anyways.
'Im sure we'll be fine Isha. Miss Fia doesn't say it, but she does care about us. She wouldn't let us get taken advantage of like that, no matter what happened." Jiya smiled as she said this, she had a way of making her words feel as if they were reality. It was a quality that was not in abundance in the sand dunes and was especially not expected to be found in someone claiming to be native to the sand dunes.
"Provided we pull our weight. And some of us are doing less of that than others."
In that tone, one may have found what a Syentharian Sand Dune native was supposed to sound like, or rather, what Saria would've expected anyone from a place like this to sound. It was a voice that sort of sounded flat, not due to dejection or any sort of feeling like that, but just due to their never having been anything in it at all. While environment does play a part in the formation of such a personality it's also how one views their surroundings as well as uses them. Klessi was unlike Jiya in this way, who you could say never succumbed to the early temperament of the sand dunes. Saria too was like this, which is why that bitter tone was aimed at her.
"What was that back there Siara? Your Mana Degradation was sloppy—unfocused. Get it together. Useless."
"I-I uh..."
See it was a common fact that Klessi didn't actually like Siara all that much. In fact, it was dislike to such a degree that it constantly infringed on the dynamics that had already been solidified between the girls. It was always awkward when one person in the friend group didn't like another, while this fact bothered Siara it also gave her something to latch onto. Knowing that people in other worlds still had this problem as well, it made them feel oddly relatable and helped her establish a sense of normalcy with them. Well, as much as she could.
"Let it go Klessi, we just got done with work can't we all get along for once?" Jiya stood up and wielded that smile she always wore excellently. It really was a well-placed smile, and it always seemed like Jiya knew exactly when to use and what to use it for. Klessi gave an unreadable expression until she let her thoughts be known in a soft sigh as she placed her hands on her hip.
"Fine. But don't blame when she drags us all down, i'll see you guys later, i was headed back to the Kafa anyways." She waved her hands nonchalantly not looking back as she did so. the other girls turned to Jiya and Saria waving goodbye to them as well. Though Klessi made sure her waves were only aimed at Jiya rather than Saria.
"Well, we're headed out too. Gotta wash the sheets and tidy up the house. Also, Shantae's got a date today—guy from the Windscorn Clan of course. We'll see you guys back at the Kafadon't stay out too long!" Isha smiled at them as her and Shantae disappeared from sights following within the footsteps of Klessi who had been long gone at this point. The "Kafa" they were referring to was what homes in the sand dunes were called. Well, "home" was an understatement it was more like a small square built with clay, mud, and the scarce wood the girls managed to find. Fia had "graciously" given them all a place to stay under the agreement that the girls would become Mana degraders.
It was a choice they barely had as most of them had no place to call home or people to find family. Saria was no different and during her first days in this world was almost killed in the harsh climate of the sand dunes. It was Fia that saved her and offered her a—albeit restricted— but relatively safe life as a Mana degrader.
"Well, we should get going too, i wanna head back and show you a knew book i've been reading it's about the kingdom of Tirnallé."
"Tirnallé? The kingdom? How did you manage to get a book on that?"
Tirnallé., it was a kingdom that Saria had gotten to know quite a bit about within the year that she'd been transported to this world. It was a large kingdom to the south, that had been named after the "Great Catalyst," Tiranal. A woman who singlehandedly plunged the world into catastrophe with the creation of her "Six Wills," which in turn caused the creation of an alliance between kingdom's known as "The Five Great Monarchs of Power." It was this bit of history that Saria found herself learning a lot faster than the others and quickly learned Tiranal was a woman with which the world had been thoroughly acquainted with. On the topic of Tirnallé itself though, Saria heard it was a "kingdom of merchants" or more so a melting pot of ideas rather than a traditional kingdom, it was also the place where many of the sand dunes markets acquired their produce.
"I ordered it a long time ago! Miss Fia bought it for me! I wanna read it to you when I get back, apparently it has a lot of information on Tirnallé and Tiranal herself!"
"Well, if it means that much to you, we can head back home right now, maybe you can read it to me on the way," Saria brushed the sand off her garbs and splashed the water she had left on her face. At her words Jiya gave a "Yay! Im so excited!" as she clapped her hands like she was some sort of child. The pair started to walk into the bulk of the sea of sand until the sound of footsteps or at least something wafting through the sand had come up behind them. One thing you picked up on when living in the Syentharian Sand Dunes—even if only for a year like Saria—was the sound of something that was coming up behind you. Every resident within the sand dunes was able to discern what was coming up behind them, and how far away they were, and if that wasn't enough, with her [Tactician's Spark] Jiya could tell the flow of Mana belonged to a human.
"Wait Siara, hold up a second," they turned to see Fia holding a basket in her hands which she chucked at Saria who had managed to catch it by a hair. "Need you to run the errands for tonight, pick up something for you to cook dinner with," she pointed at Siara. "Consider it punishment for your lack of performance today," she turned to look at Jiya. "Jiya, go with her, make sure she doesn't pick up some weird crap."
"Weird crap?! Just what do you think i'd buy?!"
"There's no telling, that's why i'm having Jiya come with you, that or you'll be accompanied by someone from Windscorn, and I know you don't want that. So, what do you say Jiya, accompany the runt for me?"
"Why do you keep on calling me that?!"
Jiya smiled. "Of course, i'll accompany her, that gives me an excuse to bother her with this book the whole ride there. And there's no way I'm passing up on that."
"So, it was all about that, huh?"
Fia smiled, it wasn't a sight that Saria saw often but she seemed to have a soft spot for Jiya. And according to Jiya herself, a soft spot for Saria as well, though Saria hardly saw this at all. Regardless she couldn't deny that Fia's jabs at her seemed to harbor no real malice, even if Fia herself was a bit rough around the edges. That's putting it lightly, actually.
"Good. You guys can take my Wind-waider, don't want you getting roughed up on the way there. Dead Mana Degraders are no good. Hit the nearest outpost from here, that one's moderately safe. Now get going already i'll see you all when you get to the Kafa."
Giving her a small "right!" Jiya grabbed Saria by the arm and took her off to the wind-waider, which looked like a normal skiff to Saria. It had an arc of wood that went overhead both of the seats on it, the seats themselves were a couple of feet apart with a plank of wood connecting them, and they had large flags on the top of them. There was nothing particular on the flags themselves, but Fia seemed to take immense pride in keeping them clean since they never had even a speck of dirt on them every time Saria saw them. Jiya sat in the driver's seat, though there was no engine for this specific vehicle—or rather, there was, and it was simply one's Mana.
"Ready to go?"
"Yep."
Jiya raised her hands, and a faint glow of light blue energy encased the outline of her hands, while she commanded it, the energy itself seemed to be alive as well as it spoke to the wooden vehicle and a second later—true to its name—the wooden vehicle started to skiff across the sand. Or truer to its name in this world—it began wading across the wind which caressed the bottom of the wood as it floated along the sand dunes. It was then that Siara was reminded of the best part of the Syentharian Sand Dunes, and perhaps its only redeeming quality.
The peaceful breezes one felt when riding in a Wind-Wader, and the smile of her best friend Jiya.