A Tamer's Tale

"Alright, don't tell me then." Keira huffed. Waving her hand, a series of roots shot from the ground, forming a table between the two. "It doesn't matter anyway. What matters is that you have awakened, and you have affinities."

"Let's start with the very basics. Aether is the fundamental energy we use to cast spells. We channel the surrounding Aether into our bodies via affinities, directing them into soul constructs or willing the Aether to take a rudimentary shape that we desire." making sure Rue was still listening, she paused. "It takes much more mental strain to cast a spell equal to that of a soul construct; those who mentally cast spells have to visualize the spell before directing the surrounding attributed Aether into their visualization. Soul Constructs cleanly avoid that restriction."

"What about Environments?" Rue asked, curious about the beast-taming aspect.

"Soul Environments are parts of your Soul Ocean that you have granted a Beast. Depending on the size of the piece you grant, the closer your bond and the more you will both feed each other's growth. But if this Beast were to die, and its Soul Environment was a large portion of your soul, then you would incur serious damage, losing that piece gifted to the Beast."

"That sounds ominous," Rue muttered, unsure he would give a beast such a large portion of his soul. "Can I contract any Beast?" Elias continued to prod; the more information, the better.

Keria nodded her head, "You are limited by your affinity. To facilitate the proper growth of the Beast, you have to create an environment within your soul using the attributes you have at hand. Those who awaken many affinities are more likely to take the path of a Tamer. Those that only awaken a single affinity during their awakening ceremony often specialize with Soul Constructs." Staring into Rue's eyes, she spoke with an undertone of seriousness. "But do not let that trick you. A Mage's power is not based on how many affinities they have but rather the strength of their affinities. Even if a mage only has a single Fire affinity, that does not mean they are weak. Each mage is dangerous, period."

Rue nodded, taking the advice to heart. It made sense; quality often trumped quantity.

"But Taming a Beast is not all negatives." Keira clearly explained a few more benefits of having a bound Beast. One those being a positive feedback loop Tamers have with their Tame's; this often increased the rate at which you could condense your Soul Ocean. Another was the ability to possibly make use of their Beast's affinities. But that wasn't the best part. Apparently Bound Beast can also help with the Advancement of the Tamer to the next stage. It made sense to Rue given that the Beast would literally live within the Tamer's soul.

"How do I make a Soul Environment?" Rue asked

Kiera looked at Rue with apprehension, seemingly deciding whether she should continue to teach him. She shook her head, "That will be later. First, let's go over the classification of mages."

Tapping the table between them, a single ripple sprouted from the center. "A stage 1 mage is only capable of so much. When they use Aether, a certain amount of ripples influence the surrounding environmental Aether. A stage 1 mage will produce 1 ripple, a stage 2 will produce two, and a stage 3 will produce 3. Simple."

Rue nodded, he had known that for some time now, but he had always wondered how a stage 1 mage advanced to the next stage. "How do mages advance?"

Kiera spoke with a tone of absolute seriousness, "Advancement is the most deadly threat a mage will ever face in their lifetime. Only advance once you have accumulated a potent enough Soul Ocean." Seeing that Rue understood how serious the matter was, she continued. "Advancement is deceptively simple but equally deadly. The task to advance is simply expanding your Soul Ocean using Aether. First you must pull in and purify the surrounding free Aether of its attribute before you can use it to build a larger Soul Ocean. The most accepted way to prepare for Advancement is condensing the water within your Soul Ocean. Soul water is used to both purify and control the Aether within your Soul Ocean. The fine control that helps make Advancement easier is often trained through the construction and refinement of Soul Constructs, but if a mage has not prepared potent enough energy, then they won't be able to expand the Soul Ocean to the required minimum. This often results in the collapse of the mage's soul." A silence permeated between the two. Though Rue was practically a newbie magician, he could understand the consequences of failure. There was little chance someone could survive a collapsed soul.

"How far does someone need to expand their Soul Ocean so it doesn't collapse?" Rue asked after a short period of silence

Kiera looked somewhat proud, "Now that is a good question. To pass the threshold, a Soul Ocean must only expand twice its size from the previous stage. Still, many ambitious mages expand further if they have the energy. Each Advancement refines the advancer's Soul Ocean exponentially after each Advancement, more so if they exceed the minimum requirement."

Rue looked thoughtful, his gaze landed on the simple wooden man on the root table, a single ring emanating from its figure. "What stage am I in? And what should I focus on?"

"You are currently stage 1."

"And we should begin with condensing your Soul Ocean, constructing Soul Constructs, and searching for more Aether crystals."

Rue paused, his thoughts returning to earlier in the conversation: "Before that, could you teach me how to make a Soul Environment? I have a certain Beast in mind."

"Really now, what creature would be so unfortunate to catch your gaze, brat?"

"I already told you I traded with a squirrel." Rue grinned

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Rue sat cross-legged, his eyes fluttering as Kiera stood before him with her hand on his head. "Good, now that you have sectioned off a portion of your soul, connect it with your affinity and begin shaping the terrain to best fit your desired Beast."

Within Rue's Soul Ocean, a small section about 1/10th his soul began slowly morphing and changing around the central pond. The terrain shifted into a small rolling hill with a few large boulders lying around. Plant Aether was pulled from the outside, growing sparse patches of thin grass. Rue hoped that the grass would expand as time passed. Either that or he had to find an affinity that allowed him to grow vegetation.

Slowly, the Soul Environment took shape. A short rolling hill and sparse patches of grass adorned the simple hill, but the truly impressive part lay underneath the surface. A small series of caves twisted and turned, creating a maze. At the center of the Soul Environment, not far from the surface, a large geode, which took most of Elias's energy and effort, proudly lay. He hoped the Treasure Squirrel would appreciate the geode.

Rue relaxed his body, creating a permanent connection between his Earth affinity and the new Soul Environment, stabilizing it and preventing any dispersion. The Soul Environment clearly settled in his soul, ready to take up residence.

"Remember, Brat, there are different ways Tamers can tame beasts. With how weak you are, you only have the option to tame a creature on equal terms; you won't be able to place restrictions on it." Keria stated, "Make sure you are careful; Beasts can do a lot of damage during the bonding process if agitated." She couldn't help but look at Rue in worry. She didn't know if the kid was ready for this, but she could see a burning desire in his eyes. No matter what, he would learn what she was teaching him; whether it was now or later, it was only a matter of time. She would rather have her teach him than someone who wanted to use him.

Standing from his cross-legged position, Rue bowed, "Thank you." He simply spoke, gratitude clear.

Keria waved her hand, a rare embarrassed look flashing on her wrinkled cheeks. "Of shush, just go already. Oh, but before I forget." She paused, shuffling away, rummaging through a nearby drawer. Picking out a doll from within, she handed it to Rue.

Each piece of straw was perfectly braided around one another. The doll wore a simple green dress with long blonde linen flowing from its head. A small fabric rose lay in its hair. "Your sister dropped this the other day. Make sure she gets it back. I would hate for her to worry any longer."

Rue gently held the exquisite doll, "Thank you again, I'll make sure she gets this doll back." Turning to leave, Rue waved goodbye before he trudged back home.

Walking back home, Rue couldnt help but worry. He wasnt entirely sure if it was the right idea to Tame the Treasure Squirrel. He at first wanted to wait, but he also didnt think he would be able get so close to another Beast.

At this point, he was running out of figurines, and he wasn't sure if the squirrel would return if he didn't have anything to trade. He always knew he could ask Jerimiah for more figurines. Still, at the steady stream, they were going missing, and he could tell Jerimiah was getting confused.

Taking a deep breath, Rue made up his mind. Even after one month, the little guy had yet to attack him, not to mention that he was getting better at understanding him. Clenching his hands, Rue mumbled, "Let's hope I will have a new friend at the end of the day."

Arriving back home, Rue gently laid Jule's doll on her new bed. Then was quickly picked up by Jerimiah, "How was Grannies?"

"It was fun! She taught me lots." Rue said, purposefully leaving out the specific details. Jerimiah smiled, rubbing Rue's head with his knuckle. "How can you fit so much knowledge in this little noggin of yours?!" he joked, teasing Rue.

Pausing, he pointed his finger up, "You must have gotten that from me! I am quite the genius." Jerimiah announced, looking quite triumphant.

Eliza chuckled as she stepped into the room. Grabbing a few clean dishes, she began to set the table. "Alright, boys, prepare yourself for dinner! It's almost ready."

"Yes, Mom!" Both Jerimiah and Rue said, scrambling to help her set the table.

Not long after, Gabe and Jule stumbled in. Both were covered in mud, but Jule wore a victorious smile on her face. Before she said anything, though, she spotted the doll gently placed on her bed. Her eyes widened in disbelief. Running over, she picked it up with her dirt-covered hands. "IT'S SO PRETTY!"

Jerimiah laughed, and Eliza gazed at Jule with her head tilted and a sweet smile on her face. "Make sure you thank Rue and Granny. She sent him back with it today." Eliza said,

Jule locked Rue in with her gaze and swiftly grabbed him, bringing him into a bear hug. "Thanks, little brother!" She sincerely said, a wide smile on her face.

Rue hesitated briefly before embracing her back, a small smile forming on his face as he mumbled, "No problem, sis."

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That night, in the darkness of his home, Rue patiently sat on the ground. In his hands, the rest of the mobile figurines sat. His fingers unconsciously caressed the grooves and edges of each figurine as he waited.

Then, as usual, a floorboard rose, and a squirrel head peeked from underneath. Its cheeks were once again full of gems. Climbing out of the hole, it gently grabbed each gem from its mouth, neatly placing them in a straight line before Rue. Once finished, it plopped its butt down, waiting for Rue to choose whichever gems he wanted.

Glancing over the variety this time, Rue was surprised to see another Aether crystal. But he shook his head; he wasn't here for Aether crystals. With silent movements, Rue placed down each of his dazzling figurines.

The Treasure Squirrel tilted its head, unsure what to do. They had always traded, but the human wanted to do something different this time.

Rue merely pointed at the squirrel before he closed his eyes and extended a thin piece of his soul anchored from his newly created Soul Environment.

The translucent pale string of energy gently floated through the air, smoothly making contact with the squirrel's forehead. Connected, Rue extended his thoughts through the soul string. His desire to Bond the Treasure Squirrel smoothly transferred over, swiftly followed by promises of many shiny gems and crystals.

Initially, the squirrel was skeptical, but the promise of shinnies immediately solidified its decision. Fully accepting the connection between them, the Treasure Squirrel disappeared from view.

Immediately, Rue felt a faint connection with the Treasure Squirrel snap into place. He could hear its thoughts and feelings. The main one being curiosity, and not far behind was anticipation for all the new shinnies that it would soon receive.

Waving his hand, the Treasure Squirrel appeared in front of Rue. It looked somewhat disoriented, so he gave it a few seconds. Reaching out, he picked up the little rodent. Holding it up to his face, the squirrel sat up on his palms and stared into Rue's violet eyes. It tilted its head and then flicked its tail, wrapping it around Rue's wrist.

Rue felt a sense of happiness from the squirrel, almost like it was now more excited to have a friend than the shinnies it loved so much. Rue removed one of his hands from underneath the squirrel and poked its nose, a smile forming on his face. "Hey little buddy, " he whispered. It was still night, and he didn't want to wake up his siblings.

The squirrel responded by grabbing his finger and nibbling on it, a gleam of mischief flashing through its eyes. Rue giggled, taking his finger from the Treasure Squirrel. "Now that we are friends, what should I call you?" he asked, unsure if the squirrel could actually respond.

Through their connection, the squirrel sent a series of feelings and vague ideas, but none were words. The vast majority had to do with concepts such as gems and light. Taking those into account, Rue raised his eyebrows, an idea popping into his head: "Aha, I know. Let's call you Shiny!"

Shiny nodded vigorously, its body practically vibrating with energy. Taking that as a yes, Rue grinned. "Let's get into lots of trouble, Shiny!" Both their eyes now gleamed with mischief.

"Squeak!"

Jumping up and down, Shiny dove into the ground. A short thought materializing in Rue's mind. He was off to pack up its lair.