The hunt begins
Pain!
Deep within the temple, there was a young girl of about ten years of age. This girl was thrashing around within the blankets that she used as her bed. Other than the thrashing and clutching at her head, the girl's magic was reacting in an almost violent manner.
She had been unwell for several days coming up until this point with no seeming cause, being restricted to her bed while the priestess went to the nearest magical market to fetch a healer to help with the situation. However, the situation was more complicated than they thought.
What was happening was a form of soul magic, the reawakening of a former life. This, however, is a dangerous process as the former life can be seen as a foreign entity by the person's magic and in the attempt to protect one's self from such an event their own magic could accidentally kill themselves.
It is due to these events that it is necessary for a person to have been pre-conditioned for the awakening. Allowing for the previous and current lives to be compatible and combine with minimal fuss. This does not say that there will not still be rejections as some people are too individualistic, wanting to be wholly in control, or plainly refuse to go through with the event but either way the event is a very personal one.
Xxxxx
Within the mindscape Atalanta, the young girl was looking around what could only be described as the most magnificent forest she had ever seen. Looking into the sky she could see a full moon high in the sky lighting up the woodland in an ethereal sheen from its rays.
"Beautiful isn't it?" came a voice from behind and above her, turning she got a shock as she saw what could only be described as an adult version of herself sitting comfortably upon a branch of a tree casually tossing and catching an apple.
Feral green eyes watching every move the young girl made, it was clear that this was not a woman to be trifled with. "Yes," she squeaked out. The woman smiled at her before dropping down.
"Do you know where we are?" the woman asked her. Atalanta took a look around her trying to figure out where she was." No," she replied with a shake of her head. True it was a pretty forest but she could not recognize it. With a slight smile, it was explained.
"Do not worry child, this is your mindscape. The representation within your mind shows to represent you. It is quite fitting actually though I am personally wondering what is hiding behind the fog banks in the distance." the woman explained. This however brought up another question for the young girl.
"If this," and she waved her hand at the surrounding Forrest," is my mindscape Then what are you doing here? Surely you should not be here if what you say is true," This just brought another smile to the woman's face.
"Smart girl, While it is true that I should not be here unless I was forcefully breaking in. This however is not a normal situation. You, my dear girl, have what lived a past life." This brought anything Atalanta up short of anything she was going to say.
A past life? As in lived before and somehow been reincarnated? That was the sort of thing that happened in her storybooks. Yet here was this woman who looked exactly the same as her proclaiming that this was exactly what had happened to her.
"I can see the doubt so how about I tell you who I am?" spoke the woman as Atalanta's mind was churning over her option in her mind, it would not hurt to know that. So with a small jerky nod, she gave her consent to gain the information.
"I am Atalanta the chaste huntress, member of the crew of the Argo." "well fuck!" was all the girl could say. It's not like anyone could blame her as she had just found out that she was the reincarnation of the woman that she was named after.
"Okay say I believe you, what does this even mean?" asked the girl with a tilt of her head expressing her curiosity. "Well your would gain my memories and abilities, the only problem was that if you were not similar enough to have a resonance in magic you could destroy your self but just by the look of your mindscape that would not be a problem."
Atalanta was thinking through what was said during the conversation. There was a possibility that if she refused to comply that she would be possessed rather than just a nice calm transition, this would explain her illness, It was her magic making any of the necessary preparations for the process. This would mean it was an inevitability. So better to go through with it on her own terms!
" Okay let's do this, I just want it on record that I am doing it under protest!" This however just made her older version smile. "I know what you mean I don't trust this either but it is what we have." so reaching out with a hand she waited for the younger, when the two clasped it was as if an irresistible bungee cord was pulling them in.
The pain was incredible, slowly motes of energy that made up the older broke down and seeded themselves working into the youngers body. It took an unknown amount of time but the difference could be seen within the surroundings as the Forrest became denser and lusher, the longer the process went on. Finally when the final mote seeded itself between the young Atalantas eyes knocking her solidly out even within her mindscape. The process was complete now all that was left was to see if it took or was rejected.