Kat PoV
Priestess Liana reached down towards the basket at her side, pulling out a few small bundles and three tools.
Each bundle was filled with so kind of herb mixed with sothing that radiated low levels of mana, while the tools were rather primitive.
A wooded mallet, a thin bone needle, and a wide pick like wooden utensil; my vague mories on how the ancients gave themselves tattoos resurfaced for a mont, and I held in a sigh as I realized that this really would hurt.
Keeping my sleeve rolled up, I watched as Priestess Liana's face turned serious, her eyes moving over my skin before she reached for a bundle.
Dipping her fingers into the mixture, she pinched and ground them up, her hand flaring with mana for a mont as she heated the materials.
Creating a goopy ss, she dabbed her fingers into the partial liquid before draping it onto my skin, using it to trace out ornate patterns onto my arm.
The goop was white in color, though a hint of pale blue shone under the light as she applied it.
It was cool on my flesh, and it stuck to where she placed it, not dripping or moving.
Tracing the patterns out onto my arm took a few minutes, and sotis she needed to reach into another bundle to retrieve a dry powder that 'erased' her previous lines, allowing her to make it flawless.
When she was finished, she nodded to herself before opening the last bundle, mixing those pale white herbs and powder together to create sothing similar to ink.
Resting it on her knee, Priestess Liana grabbed the mallet and pick, dipping the wide wooden pick into the ink before resting it on my arm.
Then, she began to gently tap the mallet against the edge of the pick, allowing the slightly sharp edge to work the ink and goop into my flesh.
Each tap was imbued with mana that would travel down the pick and into my arm, and I grit my teeth as I felt the familiar burn of mana being pushed into my flesh.
The lodic taps of the mallet against the pick was soothing though, and I took deep breaths in beat with that lody, calming down and focusing on sothing besides the pain.
Priestess Liana worked long on getting the general outlines done, constantly moving the pick as she pushed more and more of the mixture into my flesh, where it set and waited for the final touches.
Next, the Priestess set down her mallet and pick and reached for the needle, her eyes narrowed as she said "This is where it gets painful... A few of the Arese never step past this point due to the pain, so..."
Giving her a nod, I took a deep breath before muttering "Just... get it over with.", which made her smirk.
"Very well..."
The bone needle was covered in small engravings, and I watched as the Priestess' mana slipped through each crevice and cut inside the needle, imbuing it with a soft blue glow.
Softly taking my arm, she began to puncture the flesh and allowing her mana to seep inside, earning a soft growl from as I felt the influx of foreign mana warring against my own.
Controlling my rampaging mana inside my left arm, I grit my teeth as sharp pangs jolted through my arm and towards my heart and Core, the Priestess' crude mana slowly binding itself to the muscles and flesh of my upper arm.
Each puncture bound the existing mana and pignts to my flesh, taking the previous work and turning it permanent as she moved slowly around the entirety of my arm.
Seconds between each puncture were filled with pregnant silence as I ground my teeth together, holding back the cries of pain that wanted to slip free from my mouth.
No one around the fire spoke, each of us focused entirely to ignore the pain we were causing or experiencing.
The constant influx of mana was painful for , but I could barely imagine what the Arese themselves went through; the more I focused on what was happening to my arm, the more I realized that the punctures were all located on the veins themselves, so that the tattoo and mana given could seep into your mana network and forcefully drag mana out of your Core.
For soone with a fully functioning Core, this was still incredibly painful, but bearable; it felt like the tattoos that I had already given myself, with so extra pain added on top.
But, for the Arese who didn't have a functioning Core, this was likely an extrely hellish procedure, as your unused mana was yanked from your underdeveloped Core and forced to work through your relatively normal veins.
Every race had a Core, which was linked to their circulatory system much like their heart, so your body was capable of withstanding any sort of mana movent inside of your body, but just like most things, if you never once exercise that ability, it stagnates.
Having it forcefully reawakened and 'turned on' would be painfully unbearable for most normal people, but the Arese were made from hardened stock.
They were warriors through and through, and I imagine the ones that cannot receive tattoos are the ones with incredible underdeveloped Cores, which would likely slowly beco more common as ti progresses.
Distracting myself with analytical thinking was a success, as Priestess Liana eventually sighed and said "Alright, we're done. Run your mana through your arm and follow the pattern I inscribed."
Nodding, I looked down at the pale white lines that blended in on my arm, just barely noticeable against my equally pale skin.
Chuckling softly at this hidden tattoo, I pushed so mana from my core and carefully studied the path that Priestess Liana had created, frowning slightly at the complexity behind it.
My mana trickled through the latticework of veins and arteries inside my arm, before I nodded as I felt the tattoo flare up, the lines shimring softly before they enveloped my body in a warm layer of mana.
Staring down at my hands, I smacked my fist against my palm, before nodding again as I noticed the lack of pain from such a hard blow; there was no sting or lingering 'pain'.
Withdrawing the mana from the tattoo, I felt the warmth leave my body, and I repeated my earlier test, instantly noting the sting of hitting myself.
"So? What do you think?'
Turning towards the Priestess, I smiled as I said "It looks like it works; I just won't know how well until I get into a proper fight."
Nodding, she grinned at as she pointed behind , saying "Why not go have yourself a spar with Valaka and Eyoli? They shouldn't have anything else to do today~!"
Following her finger, I chuckled as I saw the two won standing off to the side, Eyoli pouting slightly as she rubbed her blank wrist, while Valaka watched everyone else with pursed lips.
Getting up, I winced slightly at the numbness of my arm, only to reach over and trace so simple runes out, healing the bruised flesh.
Waving goodbye to the Priestess, I grinned at the two won as I approached them, much to their 'annoyance'.
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