The Earth Arcanum

Callum stood within the Earth Nexus; his gaze rested upon Ysildea as she glanced at the large crystal in the centre. "The Earth is all about defence. Its power lives in both the lush wildlife above ground and the vast cave's and caverns that spread out below Xadia's soil." Ysildea began to speak, tapping her staff gently upon the ground.

"The Earth is strong, able to withstand centuries of devastation. All connected to it feel a desire to protect the green. To defend the natural life that inhabits the land, to defend its beauty from those who would seek to destroy it." She paused, glancing towards the large crystal.

"Its power is strongest in cave and caverns of Xadia, but when a crystal such the one before us is present, its power will forever be strong, though they are rare to find, and difficult to transport." She went on, her gaze locked upon Callum. "The strength to defend, is limited only by ones will."

Ysildea closed her eyes and slowly moved her form, balancing out one of her legs, her arms above her head. "To connect to the power of defence, one must be ready to sacrifice themselves for others. To know that when the time comes, they will openly welcome death without hesitation, but they must also have great respect for the green, to respect the natural world as it is." She finished.

Callum blinked. "So, the Earth Arcanum is all about protecting others, ready to throw your life away in the defence of another, how I haven't connected to it yet evades me, the amount of times I've nearly died protecting others without hesitation."

Ysildea released a deep breath. "And the green? Do you respect the green and the natural world? And what of Dark Magic?"

Callum nodded. "I've never liked Dark Magic, it ruins nature, it kills and never gives. A curse that has caused my family much pain, to see it gone would make things easier for humanity to live. It is the one thing that reminds me of how much the world has taken from me." He said.

Ysildea nodded in understanding. "You view Dark Magic as a curse, yet it is not one. It is a disease, one that can easily be removed with the proper actions." She paused, glancing over the other Earth Mages. "And the green?"

"My family has always had a connection to nature, my mother could understand animals, which was passed on to my brother, King Ezran. Nature has always been a fall back for peace and quiet, it gives all, and only takes when it needs to." Callum explained.

Ysildea frowned. "Being able to understand animals is rare for an Elf, but near impossible for a human to have such an ability, it seems your family has been blessed greatly over the ages. Never was your family truly of the human or Elven nations, perhaps, it dates back to a far more ancient race that predated us all. One long extinct."

Callum blinked. "Long extinct?"

Ysildea. "There were six different races before us all, created by The Ancient Ones, each race connected to a different Primal Source, the Dryad's were connected to that of the Earth. Over time, they died out, as did the others until they were no more."

She eyed Callum closely. "It is said they were wiped out by one of The Ancient One's because he felt they were impure and brought only chaos to the world. But each of those ancient races had a unique ability, the Dryads could understand animals. It seems that they have survived through your family line, that ability having adapted and evolved for the human race."

Callum blinked. "What were the other races?"

Ysildea crossed her arms. "Those connected to the Sky were known as Harpies, their ability allowed them to sense when one had an evil soul. To the Sun, were the Manticore's. They had the ability to harden their form at will. The Ocean were the Selkie, their ability to change their form when out of water. With the Moon, were the Lich, with the ability to communicate with the undead. Last, were the Dracaenae, connected to the Stars and blessed with the ability to teleport."

Callum widened his eyes, then closed them. "The Earth, it seems to have always been a part of my family, I just need to find the key." He muttered, glancing up at the crystal. "I am not afraid to die for my family, I'm not afraid to die protecting Xadia, I won't let Dark Magic harm nature ever again, I refuse to let it. I will defend the green against all who seek to harm it." He said, eyes narrowed as he stood tall with determination.

Something clicked within, a spark of strength. The need to defend all grew, to protect Xadia from Dark Magic and any other threat it may face manifested strongly. "The Earth, I understand it, it defends all, it will stand for eons, never allowing others to take it down without a fight. It protects the other Sources, it houses them, it connects them all together."

Ysildea smiled. "The Earth is yours to command. The training begins tomorrow. For now, study the Stars, and master their spells."

I'd keep the idea of a cursed magic for later down the line, there's a reason Ysildea and many Elves and Dragon's don't view it as a curse.