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Artemis took a breath in, and then out.[break][break]

“Keep yourself centered, child.” Undine would speak softly, yet with a stern demeanour, as she watched over her young charge train herself through the preparation stages of their bond. Well, the next step of their bond. The Main Spirit of Water had acquiesced to the young woman’s request of being her partner. There was no denying that Artemis had been very well suited to be her chosen vessel. She had been the strongest water element mage she had encountered in a lifetime, though that was not counting the fact that she had been sealed as well for too many years. Also, there was something about the young woman’s mana that reminded her of the Atlanteans’ own. It felt like the sea and ocean itself manifested into a person, and it called out to her like a beacon. It was the reason why she had been able to force their Full Spirit Dive, if only for a few minutes. Without that resonance, she knew that the Full Spirit Dive would not have been successful at all. No, any other water element mage would have more than likely been rejected by the sheer power that Undine knew she harbour within her. Pure water mana. Undine was a being that was the personification of the element. The progenitor of water and all of its form; a manifestation of the element’s purity, power, and essence. There are few mages out there who could say that they are suitable to be her companion, to be her voice and champion. [break][break]

“Find your mana. It will take some time, but you need to be able to feel your mana flowing through your system. It is what gives you life. It is the source of your powers, your affinity. It will be hard at first, but I am sure you have the aptitude for it.” Undine would slowly guide the young woman as they made their way towards the harbor of Raque. The water that poured off her vase would pan out to become a water platform, and she made it just enough so that it fit her charge as she sat down to meditate. Artemis had been adamant about using her own transport spell, a golem of sorts that was made in the image of a sea monster, mythological in its name and form. However, Undine had pride. She would not be caught leaving her charge in the hands of a golem spell. No, Artemis was now the chosen companion of a Great Spirit, the manifestation of water itself. Undine would rather have her close and in capable hands. Besides, it had been a very long time since Undine herself had a chosen champion. The last time had been when she had fought side by side with the Atlanteans to contain the Calamity. That had ended in a disaster, and for decades upon decades, she had been trapped. No more. Too long had she spent wallowing by herself as the world around her changed with the tides of time. Too long had she been idle, unable to guide the few, and to keep the peace and balance that existed in the world. Too long had she been kept away from the world, unknowing, and a non participant.[break][break]

“The world has changed vastly it seems…” Undine would whisper, though Artemis heard it. It had been quite a long time since she had been outside of Atlantis. The races that now filled the streets were human. The diversity of the races were now gone. Elves. Dwarves. They had been more plentiful the last time Undine had been to the surface. Then again, times changed and power shifted. Of course, there were traces of the old blood within the humans themselves. Undine was sure of it, if only by conjecture. The old blood was alive, the races were found within the humans themselves. Even her charge, Artemis Somerset, had some Elvish blood within her. That, and possibly some Atlantean as well. Of course, she could not be totally sure. Yet, there was something about the young woman that reminded her of the Atlantean Royalty. It was miniscule, yet it was there. As though a blot of ink on a sheet of paper. A small, tiny, and almost inconspicuous blot. However, it would not escape the keen senses of the water spirit. No, it was certainly there, if only so very faint. “The world has changed indeed.” Undine would shake her head, trying to wrap around her mind the fact that the once more primitive society had now built cities and roads of sophistication. Everything was more refined now than it had been previously. [break][break]

“I suppose you have been trapped within Atlantis for quite a lot of time, hm?” Artemis would open her eyes, taking another look around as they slowly passed through Raque. They were floating through the air, and Artemis still felt quite in awe at the fact that she was riding the venerable waters of Lady Undine. The water the flows from her vase was something close to a legend with those who choose to worship the Great Spirit. It was said to be holy, and possibly the source of all water within the world as a whole. Yet, of course, it was most likely some sort of mythology concocted by the Church of Clover. The waters that the Lady Undine used definitely felt more primal than the water that she herself could conjure. It felt more powerful, and definitely more raw in terms of mana. Yet, it also felt gentle; loving even. The water she was now sitting on gave her a sense of calmness that she would otherwise be unable to find if she just meditated on her own, even with waters that stemmed from nature. It was an eerie feeling, strange in every sense of the word. Yet, it also felt very familiar, as though she had been missing this her whole life, a friend that she never knew she had. “The world has changed so much, and every few years, we see more advancement in not only magic research, but also in infrastructure and engineering.” Artemis would nod, “The world is always moving, constantly shifting, and yet…”[break][break]

Undine would nod along. There was truth in her charge’s words. The world was constantly moving, changing, evolving, growing, and most importantly, becoming better in every sense of the word. There were the bad eggs, yet as each day passes, more and more research is conducted. People are now able to use mana in much more complex ways than before. Spells have become more and more intricate. Healing has become so much more sophisticated, and therefore could be more useful now in saving someone’s life than it had been in the olden days. Yet, where progress goes, the evils tend to follow. Of course, the world cannot exist with good alone. Evil always follows where it is not wanted, sowing discord, and creating problems that only energize its existence. That was the truth of the world, and there was nothing Undine nor the other Great Spirits could do about it. Though, Undine herself was sure that some of the other Great Spirits did not see themselves as beings that carried the task of cleansing the world of its corruption. Salamander, for one, was known to be quite a recluse. This was the same for Gnome. Sylph, on the other hand, was more of a wildcard than anything else. No, it was only her that took up arms and was more active in the suppression of the taints in the world, at least, that was what she knew. The Calamity had been her ultimate enemy, yet, it was now gone. At least, from what they knew, it was gone. It could resurface one day, that much was always a possibility. But, Undine knew that with Atlantis resurfacing to the open world, they would be much more adept at defeating the creature of darkness personified. They would not fail like they once did, nor struggle as much as the last time they had fought. No, this time they would triumph. [break][break]

But that was all conjecture.[break][break]

“The world moves on, yet the evils stay the same.” Undine would finally say as they started their descent towards the beach located by the shores of Raque. “Evil lurks in every corner, waiting to strike when people are at their weakest. The corruption reeks, and it is always unmistakable when it surfaces. Yet, it is always up to the people to truly drive back the darkness that tries to encroach upon the light.” The Great Spirit would shake her head now. “There is no existence that is without evil, after all. And truly, the Calamity that we fought was but one of the many that seek to destroy life and corrupt its meaning.” Undine knew that there were others as corrupt as the one the Calamity. In fact, probably much stronger as well. There was a reason for her resurfacing, after all. She could have decided to go back into the deep waters, living her existence in a tranquil environment. Yet, she knew that was not what she was meant to do. Especially not after the speech that her young charge had given. “And this is why I chose to come with you, child. For you to be my chosen, and be the vessel of my power.” Undine looked down at Artemis, who was still sitting with her legs crossed. “For you to have the power to fight back against the shadows of this world, you must master the ability to use the strength of the ocean and the sea. My strength.”[break][break]

Artemis nodded. She knew it was not going to be easy, nor was it going to be a walk in the park. Lady Undine had chosen her, possibly moved by her speech, and becoming the Great Spirit’s charge. She was sure that Lady Undine herself had had a few others in the past whom she had shared her power with. The fact that she had been in Atlantis fighting the Calamity meant that she was active within that nation at the very least. No, she was not the first, nor will she be the last. Yet, she was still chosen none the less. That was an honour that she would always remember, and bear as a source of pride. There were few in the world who could say that they were chosen by one of the Main Spirits as a companion, and fewer still could say that they have experienced the power of the Main Spirits coursing through their veins, through their mana. But this was why she was here, after all. Artemis wanted to be able to master the powers that she had experienced when the Lady Undine had forced them into their very first Full Spirit Dive. She had, at first, thought that it would be easy to achieve it once more, since they had done it previously. However, the Lady Undine made sure to explain to her that it was impossible for them to do it once more. The time when she had forced the Full Spirit Dive had not been pleasant for the Great Spirit. The strain had been quite heavy for Undine, from what she had told her, and Artemis herself knew that it must have taken a toll. Full Spirit Dive was the very last tier of connection between a spirit and its chosen partner. Lady Undine had told her that the first step was a bonding, which they had already done while in Atlantis. The next step was something called the Partial Spirit Dive. It was the reason why they were going to the beach at Raque. To be close to the water, to the open sea, and most importantly, to Atlantis. Partial Spirit Dive was best learned surrounding by nature, and Artemis knew better than to question Lady Undine for her insight. At this point, she knew that the Great Spirit knew best, and she was just going to follow her every instruction. At the end of the day, it will only benefit her in the long run. Harnessing the power of a Great Spirit was something that would be a boon for her and for the Clover Kingdom, after all. [break][break]

“Partial Spirit Dive, hm?” Artemis mused to herself. Their descent would be slow, with Undine choosing a spot that was isolated. The beach itself had a few people milling about even this early. They were mostly beach combers, but they were still prying eyes. Undine has wanted some form of privacy for their training. “This power, it would be something that is less in terms of raw mana boost than the Full Spirit Dive that you had forced us to undergo, yeah?” She would Lady Undine, her face scrunched up in thought. “A power that strong, even if it is only a fraction, is still truly deadly.” The training she had been undergoing since they left the Green Mantis base was supposed to be a primer for the actual Spirit Dive attempts. Meditation. Peace of mind. To feel the world with just her mana, and in turn, to be attuned to her mana at a peak. But it was not as easy as she would have liked it to be. While meditation was something that she was used to doing, trying to latch into her mana and attuning herself to it was hard work. To be at peace with the world, that was the easy part. Meditation was not the hard part. No, Artemis found herself struggling with the mana aspect of it, something that she had not done at all, and was a new layer of challenge for herself. Artemis, however, was always up for a challenge.[break][break]

Undine would slowly glide towards a small cover just to the southeast portion of the beach itself. The place was small, and isolated for the most part save for a small strip of sand that led to the main beach itself. However, from what the Great Spirit could see, the place was unused. Unlike the rest of the beach, where the sand was disturbed by the footsteps of the beach goers, and the imprints lasted for the most part, these white sand grains were undisturbed. There were no traces at all of human activity, which suited them just well. The fewer the traces of human touch, the better. Nature, after all, was strongest when it was at its purest. It was the reason why Undine herself was a Great Spirit. She was a manifestation of water, one of the oldest forms, and one of the purest as well. No taint. No traces at all of anything save for pure water. This was definitely going to be the place that they will train in. “Let me land us at that cove, and then I can explain more as to why I am having you do this meditation exercise.” Undine would explain, as they slowly touched down on the soft white sand. [break][break]

Artemis took a few moments to get her bearing as she stood up from her sitting position. The water platform was still quite steady, which was interesting to begin with. It was giving Artemis some ideas on possible spells later on, though that will be on the back but see for now. The priority for the next couple of weeks is to master the Partial Spirit Dive. But to be able to master something, one needed to first be able to do it. That was the goal today for her. Artemis knew that for their bond to deepen, she needed to be able to access the powers of Lady Undine. It was like a well of mana just waiting to be tapped into, and Artemis was sure that a dip into Undine’s power was enough to grant her a significant boost in terms of just spell strength. But as with any type of great power, it was not easily achieved. If something was easy to achieve, she learned that it usually meant that it was not worth as much. The things that are the hardest to achieve and to earn are the ones that are worth the most. It was the same with her training with Ki. That one had taken quite a long time, three days in fact, and yet the results were quite worth it. To be able to sense the natural energies without relying on mana was a skill worth the effort, and she was reaping the benefits of it.[break][break]

But this training was just quite different.[break][break]

“Come, child, come closer to the water.” Undine would gesture towards Artemis as she moved closer towards the beach’s edge. The water would be the key to unlocking Partial Spirit Dive for her young charge. This was especially since the waters here were the closest to the waters of Atlantis. While mana existed in everything, the waters here were possibly the closest one can get in terms of just the concentration of water element mana, while streams, rivers, lakes and even other beaches were water sources that held mana within their depths, the beach at Raque held the waters that were closest to Atlantis, which meant that the concentration of mana was higher here. Atlantis, after all, was where Undine herself had come from. It’s depths held her mana and her presence for longer than one would imagine. This meant that some of her own mana have bled through the surrounding waters. And now that Atlantis itself has been risen up from its hollow depths, this only meant that the waters that were saturated with Undine’s own presence was now on the surface as well. Her mana within the waters itself would be enough for Artemis to get a head start on learning Partial Spirit Dive. While Partial Spirit Dove usually took quite a long time to even learn to use, Undine knew that time was of the essence. The world has changed, and with it, the corruption that seeks to undermine the peace has also changed. It has grown more powerful, and that meant that her young charge will need all the help she could get, and soon. While her True Form could be a boon in and of itself, Undine knew it would not be enough. No, if they really wanted to gain the upper hand against things such as the Daemons that her young charge had fought against during one of her dungeon runs, a story that her young charge had relayed to her, then Undine knew that a better weapon was needed.[break][break]

Artemis turned her attention to the beach itself, before slowly making her way towards the surf. Slow. Cool. Relaxing. The cold sea water would brush against her toes as she made her first few steps into the water itself. It had been awhile since she had actually been to the beach and took a relaxing get away. Well, too long since her and Lydia had made their way away from it all, she supposed. And yet, every time she was this close to the sea, she still felt like it was a home away from home, something she had been missing for almost a lifetime. She had always chalked it up to her being a water element mage. After all, having such an affinity meant that one was more than likely to feel at home when closest to their element. And yet, this felt different. There was a familiarity to it that goes far beyond just one’s affinity to the element. It was an interesting feeling, something that she knew must have an explanation. Artemis was hoping that the Lady Undine would be the one to tell her what this meant. She must have the answers, after all. But for now, she would follow instructions.[break][break]

“Do you feel it, my child?” Undine would ask as she watched Artemis walk further into the sea. The water was now cresting on her knees, though the clear blue sea made it so that one could still see their feet and the sand beneath. There were small fishes that swam around. It was an idyllic place, peaceful and very serene. “Keep your eyes closed, and let the sea push you back and forth.” She would guide her young charge. “To be able to harness the power of the ocean and the sea, one must be able to be one with the ocean and the sea.” Undine would look towards Artemis, holding her shoulders to stop her from going deeper and farther into the ocean. “Stop here. There is no need to go further into the embrace of the ocean. Instead, feel the movements. It will be hypnotic, enticing, but that is expected.” The sea and ocean were both a massive well of power, and it was also a very emotional mistress. It can be calm and serene one day, and be violent and temperamental on another day. [break][break]

“I can feel the ocean trying to pull me in, and then push me back. It is a force that is unlike any other, primal, and filled with untapped strength.” Artemis would speak her mind, her feet digging into the soft sand beneath the waves. “It is filled with...mana?” She quirked an eyebrow at that. How can a sea be filled with mana? This was the first time she was experiencing this sensation. Previously, when she had spent time in the sea or the ocean, she had felt a sense of belonging, and that was it. A second home. Yet, this time, she was feeling something different. There was a presence within the sea itself. Mana was everywhere, and from what she could see, even the fishes were filled with their own mana, though only a miniscule amount. “What is this…” She would ponder as she kept her concentration throughout. With Undine’s hand on her shoulder, she found courage to explore her new senses. Was this what the Lady Undine had been talking about? She had been instructed to be at peace with her own mana, to not force it, but rather only be the vessel for it. A lot of the mages within the Clover Kingdom viewed mana as something to be used, when in fact, it is only to be channeled, with the mage as the conduit for its powers. That was the explanation that Lady Undine had been giving her for the past few days since they started their lessons about Spirit Diving. [break][break]

“The mana is around us, child. Mana gives life. It gives us the ability to exist. There is no place for anybody to try and manipulate this primal energy for their own use. Mana is somewhat sentient in its own way,” Undine mused. She was, of course, talking about herself. She was a being made of pure mana, after all. She was the sentience that stemmed from mana being concentrated. “However, instead of manipulating the energy, the mana around you, be its vessel.” Undine would squeeze the young woman’s shoulder. “The mana flow through you as though you are a mere container for it. Instead of forcing it to your will, let it be your guide instead. You are but the vessel of power, the conduit in which mana flows. Your spells are the manifestations of your mana, following your desires, your will. But by forcing mana to do what you please, you ignore the fact that it is not something to be used as though it is a disposable item. It is a living component, something to be respected, and something that should be accepted wholeheartedly.” Undine paused for a moment, “This is the secret of the Spirit Dive. To be able to just let mana flow means that when we combine our mana, there is no interference. It will flow freely, melding together as one. I already know that your mana is suitable with mine, but we need to make sure that your mana is ready to accept my own.”[break][break]

So that was it then. Artemis had thought that all of the prepping that she had gone through was for Spirit Dive. Though, at first, she had been unsure as to why she had been tasked in meditating and trying to feel her mana and letting it free flow around her. She supposed that it had felt quite foreign when she had tried to let her mana free flow. Artemis had been very used to the fact that her mana came to her at her beck and call. She manipulated her mana, controlled it, ordered it to her whims. To let it just free flow was not something she was used to. It was the reason why even at this point, she had been having problems. Yet, now that she was at the coast, her knees submerged under the cold sea water, she felt an ease. The mana around her needed no coaxing at all now. With her eyes closed, she felt the mana swirling around her. It left her body, and bonded with the sea itself. Cold. Powerful. Her mana could feel the hidden power of the sea itself. In. Out. Her mana danced with the water. It would caress the mana that was inherently within the sea as Artemis felt everything around her come to life. It was as if a switch had been turned on and she felt much more in tune with her own element. She had thought that she had reached her peak in terms of how much her affinity with water was, and yet, she had been wrong. This was something else. Something stronger. Something that was almost unachievable if not for Lady Undine’s guidance. [break][break]

“You can feel it can you, my child.” Undine would smile at the progress of her young charge. “The water accepts you as one of its own. You are its daughter, a user of the water element.” The Great Spirit would then move herself beside her chosen ward. She placed a hand over Artemis’ head, giving her a soft smile as she felt the young woman’s mana free flow out into the sea. It seems as though that she had been right with her assessment and early evaluations of the woman. Of course, her spiel about fighting the corruption of the world definitely moved her to join the young woman as a chosen vessel, but that had not been the only thing that had moved her to make the decision. She had, as well, a very strong affinity with her element. Undine supposed it was the fact that the young woman seemed to be fairly strong herself. But Artemis Somerset definitely had a strong affinity with the element that she had been born with. This affinity, in turn, made it so that she was a very suitable successor to the previous chosen ward of the Great Spirit of Water. Undine supposed that she had been partnerless long enough. A new chosen water mage was here right in front of her, and the Great Spirit knew that both of them would do great things together. But first, they needed to be able to unlock the first tier of Spirit Dive. It was the mark of a spirit user, after all.[break][break]

“Now, I want you to focus on my voice. And to focus on my hand. You can feel the mana pouring from me, can you not? The mana feels almost the same as yours, yet more primal, much more potent.” Undine would coach the young woman through the process. “Feel my mana surrounding you, let my mana reach for yours as we bond together.” She would continue to slowly pour her own mana into the mana of her young charge. This would be what they needed to do in order to get into a Spirit Dive. Of course, they are taking it slow now. However, Undine knew that once she is able to do it once, Artemis will be able to get a hang of it. The first time is usually the hardest, especially since her own mana and her young charge’s mana were different, though similar. [break][break]

Artemis, for her part, slowly took in the Great Spirit’s mana. It was hard at first, but after being able to just let her mana freely flow, she used the same technique and let the Great Spirit’s mana freely flow into her own mana. Letting both hers and the Great Spirit’s mana merge and coalesce together. It was slow at first, since she was not used to just letting her mana do its own thing. And of course, her mana was at first rejecting the foreign mana. It was like an illusion, an intrusion of mana into another person. However, Artemis knew she needed to relax. The more relaxed she was, the easier it was for Lady Undine’s own mana to just mesh with her own. [break][break]

And then, she felt it.[break][break]

A surge of power. Her own mana felt as though it was energized. She felt it coursing through her veins, and within her own mind, there were now two presences: hers and the Lady Undine’s.[break][break]

“We did it” Artemis would smile as she took in her new appearance. The water made a great mirror as she found herself staring at her own reflection. While she looked mostly similar, she was quite shocked to find two draconic horns on her head. Her skin was paler, milk-like in its colour, and her eyes were a light shade of blue like the sea itself. [break][break]

“This is Partial Spirit Dive, my child, the first step. While your mana accepted my own, our bond is not truly complete yet. The next stage is the Full Spirit Dive, though for us to even practice that, we need to be able to perfect our Partial Spirit Dive first and foremost.” [break][break]

Artemis nodded. She knew that this was a new power, something that will be her trump card against those she went up against. Determination filled her very soul, wanting to master this power as soon as possible.

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TL;DR ~
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Spells Used:
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