A Demon's Core

I immediately dive back into expansion. Not that I get very far before running out of mana again. When my imps returned to somewhat normal behavior, I asked Second to take my orb back to my chair, but First insisted that she be the one to do it. She seems rather possessive of me. I wonder if she was upset when she discovered that Second had moved it while she was not here. Well even if it did upset her, she was focused on more important issues at the time. After that First spent the rest of the day in Second’s room watching over Seventh and keeping her company. When it came time to sleep she faced a terrible dilemma. To sleep in her customary spot beside my chair or to sleep in Second’s room. She wanted to bring the orb back in so she would not have to choose, but Second rejected that idea. Seventh did not like the idea of me watching her constantly. It seems she is still not entirely comfortable with me. She will come around. I hope.

It actually made me feel a little bad for not telling them that my vision is not fixed on where the orb is located. At least, not anymore. Some of them may have figured that out already, but Seventh clearly had not. Not that I am surprised by that given that she just got here. I will try to give her the privacy she desires, though I do still intend to check on her occasionally.

First decides to sleep in Second’s room and continues to do so for the next few days alternating between Second and Seventh’s beds. First and Second spend a lot of time taking care of Seventh. Second tends to her injuries while First is mostly there for emotional support. Strangely, she seems to be healing much faster than I would have expected. In fact, on just the second day after her arrival she is able to actually walk around with some help. But the next day after that, though still limping, she is walking around unaided. Even the bruising has mostly subsided. Where I had once feared she may have broken something in her leg, she can now walk around without assistance.

When I compare that to Third and the injuries he received on the day she arrived, his are far less healed. Despite his wounds being mostly superficial he is clearly not healing as fast as Seventh. I wonder if she might possess some kind of unique trait that allows her to recover faster. First and Second are also abnormal so it does not seem too implausible. But that would mean that three out of my seven imps are “abnormal”. If that is the case, then maybe what constitutes “normal” for imps is not as rigid of a standard as I had thought.

Now that Seventh can walk again First wants to take her outside. Second is on board with the idea, but Seventh seems reluctant. She is afraid of encountering vukra. They reassure her that the entire time they have been here, they have not seen a single vukra anywhere in the area. It is safe.

“If safe why have weapon?” She asks, still not convinced.

“No vukra, but some monsters still. But they are no match for us. We scare them off.” First replies confidently, brandishing her bone spear.

I am curious what she means by monsters. Is she talking about the big lizard she saw a while ago? She called that scary and said they hid from it but she did not refer to that as a monster at the time. I did assume there might also be other dangerous things out there as well. But I would like to know what First defines as a “monster”. But that seems to have been enough to convince Seventh and she grabs her knife. The other four decide to go along as well turning it into a whole group outing. For the first time in quite a while I am left alone with naught but my thoughts for company.

Later First, Second and Seventh return. Their hair looks a bit wet so I guess they went to the river. The other four apparently decided to stay out longer. Seventh is moving slower now than before they left. She still does not need assistance but walking it is clearly harder for her now than it was before. That is probably why they returned earlier than the others. I guess she still has a way to go in her recovery. But she seems more relaxed now so the trip was definitely good for her.

The next day I think I have figured out why she is healing so quickly. I do not think it is anything unusual about her, but rather it is coming from Second. I was watching while Second was checking on her injuries. All but the worst of them are almost completely healed now even though it has only been a few days. Every time Second touches her, the mana that I can usually feel coming from her stops. But whenever they are not in direct physical contact Second’s mana goes back to normal.

What I suspect is that Second is using her mana to heal Seventh. Though she does not seem to be doing it consciously. If she was aware of it, I am sure she would be much more active in healing her, instead of just when she happens to be touching Seventh. Though I have not completely ruled out the possibility that maybe Seventh is the one who is somehow leeching mana from Second in order to quicken her recovery, but that seems less likely.

But either way, this means that mana can be used to accelerate healing. I could probably test this out on Third. But is it right to experiment on my imps like that? If something goes wrong it could hurt him. I will ask for his permission to try it and if he agrees I will just have to be very careful.

In Third’s room, it looks like Fourth is trying to organize her glass collection. But she seems to be frustrated by something with all of her glass spread out before here. Maybe she can not decide how best to organize them? Third, on the other hand, is sorting his his bones into separate piles. It looks like his main sorting criteria is size.

I would like to try an experiment if you are willing. I say to him and he perks up and puts down the bones he is holding. If it works as I intend it should be able to heal all of your scratches. I do not know what will happen if it does not work though. It might even hurt you. He thinks for a moment then nods.

“Okay, I will do it.” He says, which attracts Fourth’s attention and she looks at him curiously.

“Do what?” she asks.

“Master will try to heal me.” Now her full attention is on Third with an expression that looks both curious and excited. I am not really sure how to go about this. Do I pour mana into his body the same way I do with the rift? Can I even do that? The rift is easy to interact with because, even though I do not understand it at all, it feels like it is a part of me. It even follows the orb where ever it goes. But my imps are different. Though I do feel like I am connected to them somehow, they are still separate from me.

But I do have to connect to them with my mana in order to communicate. Maybe if I use that as a starting point, but instead of using it to speak, I use it as a bridge to send mana into him.

I start slowly with just the faintest trickle of mana flowing through the connection. His body seems to be absorbing it without any problems so I start sending it a little faster. At first he does not even react but soon he starts fidgeting and his expression conveys discomfort. His entire body is now saturated with mana so I cut off the flow. I observe him for a while, but despite all the mana in his body, none of the cuts and scratches still visible on his arms or face appear to be healing at all.

How do you feel?

“Really warm, a bit itchy and uncomfortable. But with lots of energy.” He says while punching at the air.

Do you feel any pain? He stops punching the air and inspects his body, poking himself in various places.

“No pain.” He declares. He sees the scratches still on his arms. “Healing didn’t work?” He asks.

It would seem not. We will leave it at that for now while I try to think of something else. You should probably find a way to work off some of that extra energy.

I do not know if mana can be consumed through physical activity. But since I do not think he knows how to use any kind of magic, I can not think of any other way he could use the mana other than physical exertion. He thinks for a moment then grins. He approaches Fourth and whispers something in her ear. She giggles and then, with a coy smile, takes his hand and leads him to the bed. I think that is my cue to leave.

So simply saturating their bodies with mana is not enough to heal injuries. But it does apparently give them an energy boost. While that was not the objective, it could be useful in its own way. Maybe healing needs to be done in small increments. Seventh certainly was not healed all at once, but that might be because that healing may have been done subconsciously rather than intentionally. Or maybe there are some other factors involved that I am missing entirely.

I think it is time I talk to Second about her mana. Not only that, I still need to ask what she meant when she said they were all getting stronger. She is in her room at the moment and Seventh is currently napping. First is there too, as expected. I will ask her as well. She has been with me the longest, even if only by a little, so it is possible that she might also have some insight on the matter.

I have some more questions I would like you to answer if you can. I send to both of them.

“I will do my best to answer them.” Second replies.

“Yes, me too. I like to help.” First agrees excitedly.

First I would like you to elaborate on something you said earlier about all of you getting “better and stronger”.

“Well, since I have been here I have felt like I have been getting stronger and faster. Maybe not by an extraordinary amount, but enough to feel the difference. I spoke to some of the others about it, and they reported similar feelings.” Second explained.

“And I got big!” First adds. Second gives her a questioning look.

What exactly do you mean by that? She looks confused by my question.

“I was not always big. I was the same size as others before. Then I come here and now I am bigger. Though didn’t notice how much bigger until others arrive.” Second looks as surprised as I am by that revelation.

“So you were not always this tall? Did your body change in any other ways?” Second asks, while looking her up and down.

“Boobs got bigger.” she says excitedly while cupping her breasts with her hands. “Hmm, also hips. And longer tail too. Made walking strange at first, but got used to it quickly.” First definitely has a much more voluptuous figure than the other female imps here, but why did she change like this? And perhaps more importantly is how? Based on her explanation it seems reasonable to assume that me bringing her here somehow caused this transformation, but then, why did it only happen to her and not the others? It is a little distressing to think that I forced these changes on her. Even if it was completely unintentional. But she has never complained or given any indication that it bothered her or I likely would have learned about this earlier. But she does not seem unhappy with the changes so maybe I am overreacting.

What about your hair. Did it change as well? She is the only one here with blond hair. All of the other have either black or dark brown hair.

“No, my hair was always like this.” She states, running one hands through her hair. Should I take comfort in the fact that at least one of her abnormalities was not directly caused by me? Even if it is the least significant of them.

Have there been any other physical changes?

“We have been eating and sleeping less I believe.” Second replies. “But its not that we are forcing ourselves or anything like that. Rather, it seems we genuinely need less than we did before.”

“We eat less, but not feel hungry. We sleep less, but not feel tired. It’s very good. Feels better than before coming here.” First interjects.

“Yes. Truthfully, I did not even notice at first. It was several days before I realized the difference. I was concerned initially, but I was also feeling better than I ever had before so I decided not to worry about it.” Second continues.

I am not sure what to think of that. Obviously not needing as much food or sleep while also not facing any negative effects as a result is certainly convenient. But I can not even fathom the kind of alterations to basic biological functions that would have to occur for that to even be possible.

I suppose that is good then. But please do not push yourselves if you do feel like you are not getting enough of anything. Have there been any changes besides physical? I have noticed some myself already, but it is still worth asking in case there are things I did not notice.

“Well you probably have noticed the others getting smarter. Even my own mind feels clearer and sharper than before. It’s quite exciting really. Imps have always been looked down upon for their lack of intellect. But now that is changing.” Second states cheerfully.

“Yes. I am very smart now. Like a genius.” First exclaims, striking a triumphant pose. Second chuckles at her display.

“Indeed, you have improved greatly and I'm very proud of you.” First beams at the praise from Second. “Even as smart as I was before, it was not easy for me to learn to speak properly to a standard my old master deemed acceptable. But you are learning all on your own.” She looks down sadly.

I imagine she is probably remembering some of the “lessons” she had to go through. She never elaborated on what those lessons were like for her, only that they were “harsh”. Nor did I ask. With some of what I know now, I do not think I want to. First notices the sudden downturn in her mood and becomes worried.

“I’m sorry. I didn't mean to learn so much. I will stop. Please don’t be sad.” First pleads.

“No. You didn’t do anything wrong. I was just remembering some unpleasant things from my past. You should never stop trying to learn.” Second reassures her. Then is a little flustered as First wraps her in a hug.

“It’s okay now. There are no sad things here.” First croons.

“Thank you. I’m alright now.” Second says with a slight smile. “But back to the topic at hand, there is another thing that has changed, but I am not sure how to best explain it.” She is silent for a little while as First looks at her quizzically. “It’s like I can feel something different that I can’t quite identify. I think the best why I can describe it is some kind of strange energy that I have never felt before.” So it seems she has noticed her own mana, but she does not know what it is. She does know what mana is in general and is familiar enough with it to be able to differentiate between good and bad mana. So it seems strange to me that she can not identify her own.

Are you aware that your body has been producing mana? Second looks shocked at my question.

“What? How is that possible? A person’s body can’t just suddenly start producing mana, can it?” Second starts twisting around inspecting her body as though she expects to be able to see the mana. First is looking confused.

I still do not know much about mana or how it works so I do not know what is or is not possible. It could have been just another change triggered by you coming here.

“But I have never heard of any imp being capable of using magic.” First’s face lights up when she says that.

“You can use magic?! Show me! Show me!” First implores.

“I’m sorry. I can’t. Even if I have mana, that does not mean I know how to use it.” Second explains, much to First’s disappointment.

But I think you have been using it for healing. Second looks confused for a moment. Then realization dawns on her and she looks towards Seventh.

“I did think she was recovering unnaturally fast. Did I really heal her with magic?” She looks like she is having a little trouble processing this. Is it really so unusual? I have yet to encounter any other magic users so I do not have any other point of reference. If Second does not know the answers, there is currently no one else I can ask.

“Magic healing. That’s amazing!” First hugs her again. This time lifting her off the ground and squeezing tightly enough to make her uncomfortable.

“Too tight.’ She wheezes.

“Sorry.” First apologizes sheepishly, gently putting her back down.

That is not the only thing you have done though. You also left cracks in the wall in the hallway. A horrified look crosses her face and she drops to her knees.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to break anything. Please don’t punish me. I-I’ll fix it. Then there will be no problem.” She begs. She sounds actually afraid. I once again find myself wondering what she must have gone through to produce such an extreme reaction.

It is okay. I am not angry. There is nothing to worry about. Please calm down. I know it was an accident. No one is going to punish you. First is looking worried again.

“Thank you. And I’m sorry. I know you’re not like my old master. But when you have been treated a certain way for a long time...It can be hard to move on. I will try to be more careful though.” She is calmer now, but still looks distressed.

I think we should wrap this up unless there are any other changes you have noticed?

Second shakes her head somberly. First looks upset now and reaches out to take Second’s hand and gives it a comforting squeeze. Second looks to her and gives her a small smile. First’s empathy for others is admirable. It is one of her most endearing qualities. But I worry for how it hurts her sometimes. I also feel bad for hurting Second yet again with my questions. I reach only to Second this time.

I am sorry. It seem every time time I have questions I end up upsetting you. It is not my intention to cause you such distress.

“It is not your fault. You are not responsible for the things that happened to me in my past. I’m glad I can be of help to you. Please do not be afraid to ask anything you need of me.”

Thank you. You have given me a lot to think about today. And I am sure I will have more questions for you in the future.