Jasmine and Ember kept studying as the guys messed around. Laughter echoed throughout the bar while they focused intently. They went through passage after passage, studying the grimoire's contents.
Jasmine burrowed her head in her arms seemingly troubled. After deeper study an issue had come up. Even if they were to summon spirits they couldn't speak to them.
Only some spirits speak the common language, most at least understand it. Speaking spirits are rare so humans devised a way to communicate with spirits that didn't rely on language.
Spirit mages created a way to speak rhrough mana. Of course this only worked for communicating with mana based creatures or other mages. After all the intricacies of mana manipulation involved in using [Spirit Speech] required high understanding or incredible mana sensitivity.
Neither Ember or Jasmine had this skill. They couldn't move forward without it so Jasmine was at a loss.
Ian turned to her seeing she was troubled.
"What's going on? Having issues with the book?"
Jasmine looked up at him with a sigh.
"No it's not the book. It's us, even if we do summon spirits we have no way to communicate with them. There's a skill that lets you do it but we both don't have it."
Ian wore a thoughtful expression at her issue before he seemed to remember something.
"Don't you have a skill that let's you understand animals?"
Jasmine turned to him with a confused expression.
"Yeah, what about it? That doesn't apply here, spirits aren't animals. My skill wouldn't work on them."
"Well, do you have a skill point? Try and upgrade it, maybe you'll get what you want like I did."
Jasmine eyes slowly widended before she quickly sat up and opened her display.
"I didn't even think about that Ian. Thanks for the help."
From beside her Ember let out a sigh of relief.
"Hopefully this works. I was ready to give up on this for a little longer."
Jasmine quicly spent a skill point in upgrading her [Animal Speech] skill. A suspenseful second quickly passed as the skill upgraded. Jasmines eyes shot wide open as she read the new skills description.
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[Nature Speech]- From understanding animals, you've taken your power to the next step. Now able to understand all natural species, be they animal, plant or spirit. Can only understand those of equal or lesser level than yourself.
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"This is it! Let's go! I got it, this is exactly what we needed."
She stood up, her eyes shining with excitement. Ember looked up at her before standing with her.
"What are we waiting for then? Let's go!"
Ian turned to them as they stood.
"Ggod luck guys. I hope you get cool spirits."
Jasmine turned to him, her eyes still bright in anticipation.
"Yeah, we're heading out to actually summon spirits now! Or at least try to anyway."
The two scampered out of the inn, heading toward the destroyed western district. They left the city and headed into the forest.
After around thirty minutes of walking about they found a suitable clearing to conduct the ritual. Jasmine once again opened the grimoire studying the guide laid out for them.
"We need some plants from around here. Preferably anything with traces of mana, to attract spirits."
She turned to Ember before they split up to search. After ten minutes they met back in the clearing, each holding bundles of various herbs and flowers.
"From here we have to lay them in a circle right?"
Ember turned to Jasmine while she began to lay the plants down.
"Yeah, let's hurry."
Jasmine quickly joined her and began laying her share down on the clearing. With both of their bundles the two laid out a decently large circle on the ground. She held the [Tome of Summoning] in her hands as both her and Ember stepped into the circle.
Jasmine held the grimoire where both of them could see its contents before they began to chant. The glow of pure mana devoid of affinity leaked from them as they chanted. The circle of plants was not only connected but the inside now held complex runes and structures.
Subtle lights began gathering around them, like fireflies. Only there was a myriad of colors among them. The entire rainbow shone around them in the form of tiny lights.
Ember and Jasmine looked on in awe as they continued their chants. The spirits around them came closer almost completely surrounding them. A few curious lights got closer than others.
As the atmosphere changed the magic circle began to shine brighter. A torrent of mana was drained out of both Ember and Jasmine as the ritual took hold completely. The lights around them came into clear view as they became able to see the spirits.
Jasmine mind began to spin as information flowed into her head. [Nature Speech] wasn't literal speech, it was an intinctual understanding. It consisted more of an exchange of intentions rather than words.
What came to her more than anything was curiosity. The spirits all looked toward them as they stood in the middle of a magic circle.
Jasmine stepped up and spoke in the gentlest manner she could.
"Hello spirits, My name is Jasmine Aglain. I am a druid and my hope is to make a pact with one of you today."
Ember followed behind her speaking in a more candid manner.
"I'm Ember. Spirits of fire, I want to make a contract with one of you if you would have me."
With their intentions expressed, the spirits began inspecting them. A contract was a big deal to a spirit. They treated them with upmost respect as their duty in accordance with the treaty between the races and spirits.
A few lights came forward, an red light headed for Ember. The spirit got quite close before she could see it's form completely. It was a small salamander with dark red scales.
At Jasmine's side a green light appeared. The spirit was curious about her presence and especially her flower crown. The nature energy coming from it seemed to attract a plant type spirits. More green lights came from around as they circled her.
Jasmine looked on in awe as their forms came into sight. A wolf cub made of vines scampered across the sky. A small pixie seemingly made of leaves circled around her. And directly in front of her as mass of vines formed a small dryad.
Ember and her salamander began to establish a pact. Although Ember couldn't understand it, the spirit could understand her. It quickly planted its head against her neck. A firey glow emerged from where they made contact as a mark was left behind on Ember.
A red scale pattern appeard going down the right side of her neck. Contracts with spirits often materialized in tattoos. They served as a symbol of the bond shared by the mage and spirit.
With that their contract was established and a barrage of notifications came on Ember's display. She learned [Fire Spirit Magic] through her contract with the salamander.
Jasmine still stood staring at the three spirits around her. All of them seemed fixated on her crown but the dryad seemed especially ebthralled by it.
"Hi guys. It looks like you really like my crown huh. It is pregty nice, do you know anything about it?"
Jasmine spoke out to the spirits and felt their reply. They didn't know the crown but the energy coming from it was familiar to them. Jasmine slowly approached the dryad, a spirit of the forest. The spirit had similar white flowers on her body.
"Look, we're twins. Do you want to form a contract with me little one? I like you a lot!"
Jasmine crouched down to be eye level with the small dryad. Her smile grew even wider as she felt the spirits agreement. The small dryad smiled and reached its hands towards her. The spirit's small hands covered Jasmine's neck as branches extended from them.
A green glow emerged where they made contact. The magical glow lasted a few seconds before the dryad removed her hands. On Jasmine's neck a branch patyern now spread up into her face. The beautiful green pattern added to her already otherworldly vibe. Now Jasmine truly looked like a dryad, born of the forest.
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Chapter 29! This one took a little bit sorry. Honestly didn't know where to go but I have a directionnin mind now. Things will begin to ramp up here soon just wait. As always feedback is welcome.