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Description
     The little girl opened her eyes to see her own reflection staring back at her.  She was relieved it wasn't anything more dangerous than that to have snuck up on her.  Still not entirely sure where she was going she had no idea what she would find out here, or what might find her, but her reflection showed her how ridiculous she looked with fear in her eyes.  She released her tense hold on her pigtails, stood up straight, and dusted off her leather dress.  After a few seconds the reflection disappeared, replaced by a gentle glow from within the crystal.  The girl had learned about these crystals fom her master; he called them "breathing stones," rock formations that boasted the most visual, natural representation of the flow of mana, the life essence of the planet, into and out of their interior like a large animal taking a deep breath.  She placed her hand against its surface and she could swear she felt its warmth.
     Other members of her clan had another name for the crystals, or at least the smaller, palm-sized chunks harvested from the larger structures.  They called them "catch stones," because their innate ability to absorb and expel mana could be manipulated to soak up and deflect spells cast by mages, since a spell is not much more than an accumulation of mana.  That's why the girl had come here, because when everyone else had refused to mine for the crystals after mages had been spotted in the area, her master had decided to take on the task himself.  He had been distant lately, for good reason, but she could not accept his reckless disregard for his own safety.
     The girl took her hand from the crystal as the light started to dim.  The crystal formation was massive, reaching the height of the cavern ceiling, and it was far from the only one.  The fluctuations from an illuminated path to a darkened hall of mirrors were going to slow her search considerably, but she would remain vigilant.  She stepped cautiously around her twin when it had reappeared and into a makeshift hall of her doubles, all shapes and sizes, some flipped upside down and suspened in mid-air.  It was made all the more daunting that she could feel residual energy in the air, as if each of her images had its own lifeforce, until she realized that her ability to feel that energy was the key to her salvation.  She closed her eyes and relaxed her entire body, feeling mana flow into her being.  The mana within her body was tempered, transformed into that energy which is common yet unique to all lifeforms: chakra.  Finally, the chakra left her body, to be reabsorbed by the earth as mana, but slowly enough that her own presence could still be felt in the air.  It's a natural cycle to all living things, practically unnoticed except to those that are paying attention, even by the girl when she was too preoccupied with her own fear.  A few moments of calm breathing and she could feel her chakra filling the crystals, mixing with the natrual mana, and showing her blind eyes every crevice and nook through the cavern.
     She started slow, placing one foot directly in front of the other while keeping her elbows tucked in and her forearms out to help "feel" her way through.  She had to be especially careful because some of the edges of the structures were jagged, and though they still pulled mana into them they remained thin and hard to notice.  She ducked under low hanging branches and pushed herself over high mounds, all while keeping her eyes closed.  Eventually she came to s small clearing, devoid of the crystals, and stopped instantly.  The energy flowing in front of her had suddenly become very different, eradic, like a river cut by a sharp cliff.  She opened her eyes crossed toward each other, staring at the massive blade's point inches from her nose.  The figure beyond the blade was still encased in shadow, but the girl did not need to see his face to know its form.
     "How like a dog you've become, little one," the figure began, "following your master wherever he may go.  In all the lessons you've learned I would have hoped obedience to be the first."
     Saya attempted to refocus her gaze into a defiant sneer toward the man's darkened face.  "Perhaps not like a dog in that regard, but more to save her master, even from his own foolishness."
     The gleam of the crystals cast dimly into the clearing, gently illuminating the parts of her master's face not covered by his long gray hair.  His steely eyes would pierce her if she did not already know them well.
     "You put much in danger coming to this place, Saya," her master replied.  "Much more than I think you realize."
     Saya crossed her arms.  "You should not be here, either!  You should be with the tribe today of all days."
     Her master's face didn't falter, and his arm remained firm under his sword's weight.  "That is not your decision.  I will not be your master for long, but I am still you master today."
     "And only a day more," Saya added sadly.  "Do the thoughts and feelings of your fellow tribesmen mean nothing to you?"
     "My duty in this place is for them, and my legacy to them is not created in a day.  In truth, you grieve my absence, which I do not fault you; I will miss you, too."  Saya looked away, wiping her sleeve across her eyes.  Her master emitted a short burst of a sigh, letting the edge of the sword touch the ground.  "It is not of arrogance that I come here, Saya; it is my pride.  I am not prepared for tomorrow; indeed, I would not be prepared years from now, but I do not have a choice.  I must be prepared, I must stay strong, for myself...and for my student.  That is what it means to be a master...and that may be the final lesson that I can yet teach you."  The air groaned as her master flung his blade onto his back, an act as effortless as it was amazing for even someone much younger than him.  "Come, little one.  We shall return."
     Saya didn't wish to protest an argument in her favor, but she also didn't want her master to sacrifice his mission for her sake.  "Haven't you gathered any crystals?"
     "I have, but transporting them during the daylight hours would be foolish.  The load would render me defenseless, and I now have more important cargo to transport besides."
     Saya pondered that for a moment.  "Hey, I can take care of myself!" she proclaimed.
     "Keep telling yourself that and one day you will believe it."  Her master moved past her, beckoning with his head to follow him toward the cavern entrance.  He released his grip on the sword's handle as he strode, and it clung to his shoulder blades without aide of a sheath, a feat that had always fascinated Saya; in fact, many deeds she had witnessed her master accomplish with that weapon entranced her.  She could not be sure if any wielder of the sword became near invincible or if her master alone was infinitely deserving of awe.  Either way, the thought of a day after tomorrow was too terrible for her to bear.
     As sunlight began to filter through the glass walls near the mouth of the cave Saya felt a chill.  Her first instinct was just that the temperature had dropped in preperation for a summer rain, but the feeling was closer to cold water streaming down her arms.  She still didn't feel any cause for alarm until her master stopped walking.
     "Saya," he breathed, "in a moment you must take swift action.  When I move, you find cover quickly."
     Saya shuffled slightly to his side, but still behind him.  He was staring intently at the crystal structures ahead, but she could not discern what had caused him to stall; then, in a flash, she understood.  A sharp protrusion from the crystaline mass extended with sudden speed, aiming to pierce her master's chest.  Her master's counter-attack came quicker, shattering the offending object with a forceful swing of the blade.  Saya expected no less of her master, but stood in awe of the way the crystal disintegrated.  Surely even a thinner shard of the crystal was stronger than for a single blow to reduce it to a small flurry.  Then she realized that's exactly what it was: snow.  It was an icicle that formed to assault her master, and one that did not form naturally.  They were in the presence of a mage.
     "Saya, down!" her master commanded, but too late for her to react.  Every crystal pillar around them erupted with icy spears seeking to pierce their flesh, and Saya watched helplessly as a single point advanced toward the center of her eye.  She couldn't blink, she couldn't move, and she waited patiently for her end to come.

Description
     The little girl opened her eyes to see her own reflection staring back at her.  She was relieved it wasn't anything more dangerous than that to have snuck up on her.  Still not entirely sure where she was going she had no idea what she would find out here, or what might find her, but her reflection showed her how ridiculous she looked with fear in her eyes.  She released her tense hold on her pigtails, stood up straight, and dusted off her leather dress.  After a few seconds the reflection disappeared, replaced by a gentle glow from within the crystal.  The girl had learned about these crystals fom her master; he called them "breathing stones," rock formations that boasted the most visual, natural representation of the flow of mana, the life essence of the planet, into and out of their interior like a large animal taking a deep breath.  She placed her hand against its surface and she could swear she felt its warmth.
     Other members of her clan had another name for the crystals, or at least the smaller, palm-sized chunks harvested from the larger structures.  They called them "catch stones," because their innate ability to absorb and expel mana could be manipulated to soak up and deflect spells cast by mages, since a spell is not much more than an accumulation of mana.  That's why the girl had come here, because when everyone else had refused to mine for the crystals after mages had been spotted in the area, her master had decided to take on the task himself.  He had been distant lately, for good reason, but she could not accept his reckless disregard for his own safety.
     The girl took her hand from the crystal as the light started to dim.  The crystal formation was massive, reaching the height of the cavern ceiling, and it was far from the only one.  The fluctuations from an illuminated path to a darkened hall of mirrors were going to slow her search considerably, but she would remain vigilant.  She stepped cautiously around her twin when it had reappeared and into a makeshift hall of her doubles, all shapes and sizes, some flipped upside down and suspened in mid-air.  It was made all the more daunting that she could feel residual energy in the air, as if each of her images had its own lifeforce, until she realized that her ability to feel that energy was the key to her salvation.  She closed her eyes and relaxed her entire body, feeling mana flow into her being.  The mana within her body was tempered, transformed into that energy which is common yet unique to all lifeforms: chakra.  Finally, the chakra left her body, to be reabsorbed by the earth as mana, but slowly enough that her own presence could still be felt in the air.  It's a natural cycle to all living things, practically unnoticed except to those that are paying attention, even by the girl when she was too preoccupied with her own fear.  A few moments of calm breathing and she could feel her chakra filling the crystals, mixing with the natrual mana, and showing her blind eyes every crevice and nook through the cavern.
     She started slow, placing one foot directly in front of the other while keeping her elbows tucked in and her forearms out to help "feel" her way through.  She had to be especially careful because some of the edges of the structures were jagged, and though they still pulled mana into them they remained thin and hard to notice.  She ducked under low hanging branches and pushed herself over high mounds, all while keeping her eyes closed.  Eventually she came to s small clearing, devoid of the crystals, and stopped instantly.  The energy flowing in front of her had suddenly become very different, eradic, like a river cut by a sharp cliff.  She opened her eyes crossed toward each other, staring at the massive blade's point inches from her nose.  The figure beyond the blade was still encased in shadow, but the girl did not need to see his face to know its form.
     "How like a dog you've become, little one," the figure began, "following your master wherever he may go.  In all the lessons you've learned I would have hoped obedience to be the first."
     Saya attempted to refocus her gaze into a defiant sneer toward the man's darkened face.  "Perhaps not like a dog in that regard, but more to save her master, even from his own foolishness."
     The gleam of the crystals cast dimly into the clearing, gently illuminating the parts of her master's face not covered by his long gray hair.  His steely eyes would pierce her if she did not already know them well.
     "You put much in danger coming to this place, Saya," her master replied.  "Much more than I think you realize."
     Saya crossed her arms.  "You should not be here, either!  You should be with the tribe today of all days."
     Her master's face didn't falter, and his arm remained firm under his sword's weight.  "That is not your decision.  I will not be your master for long, but I am still you master today."
     "And only a day more," Saya added sadly.  "Do the thoughts and feelings of your fellow tribesmen mean nothing to you?"
     "My duty in this place is for them, and my legacy to them is not created in a day.  In truth, you grieve my absence, which I do not fault you; I will miss you, too."  Saya looked away, wiping her sleeve across her eyes.  Her master emitted a short burst of a sigh, letting the edge of the sword touch the ground.  "It is not of arrogance that I come here, Saya; it is my pride.  I am not prepared for tomorrow; indeed, I would not be prepared years from now, but I do not have a choice.  I must be prepared, I must stay strong, for myself...and for my student.  That is what it means to be a master...and that may be the final lesson that I can yet teach you."  The air groaned as her master flung his blade onto his back, an act as effortless as it was amazing for even someone much younger than him.  "Come, little one.  We shall return."
     Saya didn't wish to protest an argument in her favor, but she also didn't want her master to sacrifice his mission for her sake.  "Haven't you gathered any crystals?"
     "I have, but transporting them during the daylight hours would be foolish.  The load would render me defenseless, and I now have more important cargo to transport besides."
     Saya pondered that for a moment.  "Hey, I can take care of myself!" she proclaimed.
     "Keep telling yourself that and one day you will believe it."  Her master moved past her, beckoning with his head to follow him toward the cavern entrance.  He released his grip on the sword's handle as he strode, and it clung to his shoulder blades without aide of a sheath, a feat that had always fascinated Saya; in fact, many deeds she had witnessed her master accomplish with that weapon entranced her.  She could not be sure if any wielder of the sword became near invincible or if her master alone was infinitely deserving of awe.  Either way, the thought of a day after tomorrow was too terrible for her to bear.
     As sunlight began to filter through the glass walls near the mouth of the cave Saya felt a chill.  Her first instinct was just that the temperature had dropped in preperation for a summer rain, but the feeling was closer to cold water streaming down her arms.  She still didn't feel any cause for alarm until her master stopped walking.
     "Saya," he breathed, "in a moment you must take swift action.  When I move, you find cover quickly."
     Saya shuffled slightly to his side, but still behind him.  He was staring intently at the crystal structures ahead, but she could not discern what had caused him to stall; then, in a flash, she understood.  A sharp protrusion from the crystaline mass extended with sudden speed, aiming to pierce her master's chest.  Her master's counter-attack came quicker, shattering the offending object with a forceful swing of the blade.  Saya expected no less of her master, but stood in awe of the way the crystal disintegrated.  Surely even a thinner shard of the crystal was stronger than for a single blow to reduce it to a small flurry.  Then she realized that's exactly what it was: snow.  It was an icicle that formed to assault her master, and one that did not form naturally.  They were in the presence of a mage.
     "Saya, down!" her master commanded, but too late for her to react.  Every crystal pillar around them erupted with icy spears seeking to pierce their flesh, and Saya watched helplessly as a single point advanced toward the center of her eye.  She couldn't blink, she couldn't move, and she waited patiently for her end to come.