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"With that, the Ritual of Beasts is complete." Frea announced.
That was faster than what I expected, Alina said she healed a small bird on the way but I guess Nefertiti is the one who mostly finished this trial.
"Good job." I patted her back yet she was still depressed.
At those times, she prefers to keep it to her own until her mood improves on its own. Nefertiti's thoughts started to change a lot lately and she is as smart as a young teenager now. She can read my thoughts and do many smart things. Still, I feel like she has passed the threshold of being just a cat long ago. She is evolving and having her own personality grow further and further, and with the Magicka I provide to her, she became stronger and stronger. Her lifespan should surpass her race members greatly.
But as I said, let's keep her own matters for her in the time being. She would tell me if she really feels she can't get through anything on her own.
After the completion of the Ritual of Beasts, Frea said that this one will be the Ritual of Tree and here where things get interesting for me.
The Stone of Tree is no ordinary stone and the place it is in is no ordinary place.
"How far is the Tree Stone?" I asked.
"It is really close, just a short ride to the northwest."
It is clearly where I remembered it was.
"So, tell me about the Tree Stone, is there any special place around it?" I asked.
Frea looked at me with a questioning face, she didn't understand at all.
"I am asking about the Stone's location, how does it look like?"
"Ah! It is just a normal area, the same stone as all of the All-Maker stones, the only difference between them is the Runes on their bodies. The Tree Stone is on that Hill in a lush area."
"Lush Area?"
I was having my own thoughts about the matter.
The Tree Stone was on the center of the Temple of Miraak and it was the core stone that Miraak tried to steal the power of the All-Maker with but that…
That hasn't happened yet! I am a few years too early.
I had to wait and inspect the place for myself once I arrive there.
We took the road leading up the hill but it wasn't how I remembered it from the game. This area should have a lot of Dragon Remains left and right but it seems that these remains were sealed under the land.
Until we later arrived at the top of the hill, I finally got the enlightenment. The Temple of Miraak had no single trace in this area, the only thing that we met was the lush area with many trees and the incredible density of Magicka around the tree stone. The place looked like a grove similar to that of the Eldergleam Sanctuary.
So all this will be destroyed by Miraak, huh? Tsk! Such a waste.
Miraak is the main antagonist of the Dragonborn DLC but it is still not the time to worry about him.
"How will this trial go?" I asked Frea.
"It is actually the easiest one. After you activate the Runes on the Stone, you will take those seeds to plant them in the area." Frea said and showed me some seeds she was carrying.
"Seeds?"
"This is all there is to it, these seeds are the seeds of the First Tree, the Shaman of the Skaal gets them only from the Spriggan Matrons so it is we only brought this much."
"I understand."
It seems that these things are precious.
"Don't worry about it. Performing the Pilgrimage is important to the Skaal even if it is more than once a year. Even if an outsider did it, the Lands of the Skaal will be blessed anyway and we will grow healthier and stronger."
"All for the good then."
The Skaal are really good people and I would love to ally myself with them even more. Anyway, it was my turn to activate the Runes.
After it was done, I returned and started looking for a place to plant the seeds in.
"Frea, look at that." One of the Skaal boys called for Frea.
She went and looked at what he was pointing at then her expressions became a bit sorrowful.
"What is it, Frea?" Alina asked.
"Sigh! Since the Red Year, the eruption of the Red Mountain harmed half of the life on Solstheim and made the other half sick, some of the trees around this Grove are very old and now they are getting harmed by the Ash."
Frea started pointing at some trees that had some of their branches and parts of their trunks died.
"Is there no way to fix it?" I asked.
"Is there a way to bring back the dead?" She replied.
This is indeed sad. According to Frea, some of these trees are hundreds of years old and they should be taken down to no infect the other trees.
"Can't the Spriggans heal the trees?" I asked.
"The Spriggans in Solstheim are rare and they are some of the few servants of the All-Maker left after the land was ravaged in the Red Year. We intend to keep them safe until their numbers are good enough to survive in the lands." She said.
"I see… Alina, didn't we meet that Burnt Spriggan some time ago? Can't it help?"
Before she could reply, Frea interrupted.
"The Burnt Spriggans are as sick as those trees, they can't do anything to help anymore."
"Is that so? Well, I will just need to try something out first."
I had Alina to call the Burnt Spriggan that was following her since yesterday, it took it a while to come into the grove and stand before Alina.
"Let me inspect it for a second."
I had Alina to keep in still while I go through the Spriggan's body with some detection magic.
It was identical to the normal Spriggans with fiery energy raging through its body, it had the same branch-like limbs and the long claws on its hands with the iconic humanoid face of the Spriggans. It didn't carry any hint of nature at all.
It was fascinating how could such a creature made of wood adapt to its opposite nature which is fire. I inspected again and again with the best Scanning technique I have and came to a conclusion.
"This Spriggan, I think I can fix it."
"""Huh?"""
Well, I said something absurd after all.
"I think I can fix it."
"... How?" Alina asked.
"As you can feel, this place is abundant with Magicka but a mystic should know that there are tons of energies that come from the Heaven and Earth other than Magicka, the Vital Essence that is used when performing the Thu'um for example, the Spirit Energy that is associated with the Aura Arts and the Life Force that goes through all living things. I can feel that this place is very dense with all those energies, maybe a little inferior to the Eldergleam Sanctuary but it is all here. I can try to use some of the power around to fix Groot over here."
They all turned silent but Alina spoke right away.
"Do it, it is for the better. But do you understand what caused it to be in Burnt Spriggan from the start?"
"I am making a guess. Even though it adapted, Groot here took a form of energy it shouldn't have taken and it mutated Groot in a sort. I need to set the balance back into its body. The Spriggans are Lesser Spirits and their power are in their cores or Taproots, I will direct the energy it needs to it and absorb the other one."
"Absorb?"
"Yes! I know how to do it and it is not risky, on the contrary, it is much safer for me to absorb it than the energy of nature. But in the meanwhile, I need you and Jull to do something for me."
""What?""
"Remember the Red Scrolls I gave for the two of you and told you two to study it?"
Alina furrowed her brows and Jull asked.
"Didn't you say that is your most important achievement to date?"
"Yes, now I want you two to unseal them and take a far corner and follow the steps written in them. If you failed it wouldn't be a problem but the three of us will miss a very important opportunity."
The two followed my commands and went to the side.
"Jon, what exactly are you doing?" Wulfur asked.
"Guess it on your own, but I have found something interesting inside Groot over here."
"Can't we just finish the Ritual first and do whatever that is later?"
"What would you choose, reforge an old blade back to shape or just patch it with some metal?"
"Reforge it of course."
"I am reforging the problem here. Now listen, I want you to watch over everything while I am busy. Jorna, I want you to stay with Nefertiti for a while."
"Fine!" "Got it!"
"Frea, I am asking you to take care of the Spriggan once I am done with healing it, you are a Shaman so you can talk to them, right?"
"Eh! I am- I mean, I am still an apprentice."
"You will do just fine, just keep calming the Spriggan with magic for now."
"... Fine."
This opportunity I got is priceless, I should make the most of it.
I focused my attention on the Spriggan and cast 'Bind', it is a spell that I rarely use but it can trap the target in its place and prevent it from moving. An Alteration Spell that is just like the Illusion Spell 'Paralyze'.
Anyway, I sat in front of the Spriggan and aimed my hands to its core. I looked left and right to take note of everything before I go full focus.
Nefertiti and Jorna are fine, Wulfur is ordering the two Skaal boys around to secure the place, Frea is calming the Spriggan with soothing words of its language, Alina and Jullanar started their first cultivation close to the center of the grove.
All in place.
"Okay, here we go."
On the fingertips of my left hand, a golden white energy started to come out, it was very pure but carried a hint of chilliness and seemed not so balanced but that was the gist of it, this is part of the energy I absorbed back when I visited the Eldergleam sanctuary for the first time, the same energy that caused me the state of Astral Damage.
That energy went out of my fingertips and slowly invaded the inside of the Spriggan targeting its Taproot. The Spriggan that was mostly quiet made a pained sound and started to fight back.
"I am sorry Groot but this will be all okay in a second."
My right hand was guiding the golden white Energy coming out of the left to the center of the Taproot. Once I could feel it, I directed the Energy to attack and refine it, this process would kick away the foreign energy.
But I didn't want it kicked out, I wanted it into me. So with my right hand, I started absorbing that wild energy from the Taproot of the Spriggan and it started emerging as hot energy with a red hint to it, it was very hard and wild to take it but I didn't falter and started trapping it inside my body as fast as possible.
The process took almost ten minutes but I felt so drained and tired like never before but I was about to get done now.
Still, that red energy was wilder than I thought, I know it is a Heart Energy but it is very lively and I didn't think it would be this naughty.
Finally, with the last bit of the Heart Energy coming out, I trapped it between my palm and it was trying to escape away as much as it could.
At that time, a voice talked to me.
(Impossible! You managed to grab that amount this fast?)
'Shadow, you bastard! You are the one who kept insinuating me from the start? What made you think I wouldn't Dare to accept such a challenge.'
(Heh heh heh, apologies. But you are too weak to hold that much power, you can't even handle the power of a tiny Heart Stone. This may be good if you are stronger but right now you will harm yourself and others.)
'You know what, I like it that you can't read my mind unlike the Augur.'
(You are the one who told him to keep me out. He also doesn't listen to me at all.)
'Yeah, he has a good anti-virus system.'
(Virus? How mean! Still, I am interested in what reckless thing you are going to do! My money is on you causing yourself another Astral Damage.)
'...'
I stood up ignoring the voice in my head and looked at the Spriggian that collapsed with the fire on it dimming out.
"Frea, use 'Healing' and 'Calm' on it. Wulfur, make sure to keep Frea safe."
They nodded and retreated away from the Red Energy that I was trapping my in hands.
I walked away and went closer to Alina and Jullanar then sat in front of them. They were focused and seemed to be going through the training the right way.
Now... it is time for all of us to be stronger!