Closed Old Snake, New Tricks [Svan]

[Tinnok]

She sat herself down and listened in. At first she was entirely believing in the story. Kelvics could shift and so could Dhani, would this trait somehow intermingle between races? She wondered precisely how a lion snake would look and simply imagined a snake with a mane and stored the thought away, continuing to listen.

But the more he spoke, the more it didn't make much sense. She had never heard of Kelvic pairings leaving animal traits more than strange eyes and teeth, and the more she thought about how it didn't make any sense, the more she realized that half of the things that had come out of this Dhani's mouth in their short time together was complete shyke.

So when Svan burst out laughing, Tinnok's face was quite dead pan, yellow eyes waiting for further explanation. It was an interesting tale she supposed...but she wanted to know the truth.

And the truth was simple.

"A book?"

Tinnok's brow furrowed and she leaned forward. "And what did book say? How it happen?"

He had pulled the claw from his finger like it had been rubber from those plants out in the jungle. She understood the basics of reimancy...could morphing be similar. With her water, she seemed to pull her own essence out to create the substance. Perhaps morphing was similar, but shaping your own body? It seemed like a different use of her Djed that might be difficult to pat down.

And he did his so quickly. Tinnok imagined how long it took her to form her ball of blue grey matter that transformed into water. Perhaps he was just better at morphing than she was at reimancy.

Instead of waiting for Svan to answer her vague questions, she decided to more specifically ask. "Your...what is word....Djed? You make it into shape of body...makes you...what is word...mold? Do you make claw by pulling, shaping? Or it just appear?"

[Licearsvansan]

"A book?" The halfbreed asked. "And what did book say? How it happen?"

You know, for a second there I almost thought she was about to ask what a book was, but -thank the Goddess- it seems she IS literate. Will wonders never cease? Svan fought the urge to stand up and give her a round of applause. Instead, Svan replied with the most original answer since the phrase 'I dunno'.

"You know, it said...stuff. Morphing stuff." The Dhani remarked nonchalantly as he scratched behind his ear with the morphed talon. He had noticed that she seemed to be eyeing his eagle claw rather curiously, which was normal. However, there was something off about the way she looked at him. It lacked the usual amazement and fascinated zeal that most people had when they saw him morph. Granted, she had seen him do this once before, but something about it made Svan feel like he was being analyzed by her. And when she spoke again, Svan's suspicions were only increased.

"Your...what is word....Djed? You make it into shape of body...makes you...what is word...mold? Do you make claw by pulling, shaping? Or it just appear?"

Svan backed away slightly, noticeably uncomfortable. His amused expression had vanished and he had begun to grow increasingly defensive. "Its hard to describe. Its not exactly a pull or a push, but it doens't just "happen" either... its like - Why do you want to know anyway? He said suddenly as he changed his voice to a "cut to the chase" sort of tone. It wasn't that he didn't want to answer her, it was just that it seemed like there was something else that she wanted to say. It was clear that this woman was interested in more than simply keeping light conversation with him. She wanted something from him, and Svan wasn't interested in humoring her by pretending that he wasn't aware of it. Svan folded his arms and looked Tinnok in the eyes. One eyebrow was raised in curiosity, but his eyelids were low and doubtful as if nothing she would say would surprise him. He was fairly sure he knew what she wanted, but he wanted to give her a chance to say it herself.

Whether she knew it or not, this was her chance to convince him.

oocSorry for the shortness, I have a final tomorrow to study for.

[Tinnok]

Tinnok watched his face, how it grew a bit more shaded...suspicious of her motives. Well...she had always heard that witches were suspicious...she was..wasn't she?

Instead of explaining why she wanted to learn morphing...at least in great detail. The half breed thought it might simply be easier to show him how she knew so much about magic in the first place. She closed her eyes a moment, finding that sweet spot in her center. It seemed easier than before...maybe because she had summoned her res only a few chimes before to clean his wound? Even that simple task had taken something out of her...but she also felt this sensation, this pull to cast again...and so she answered it now by laying her palms out, one inside the other, and summoned her silvery blue res from her hands. It swam out of her pores and pooled in the small space there, sitting like a strange piece of water, she drew it up and decided to try something she hadn't done before...make it move.

She held the ball between her fingers, a clumsy mishapen ball, but roughly spherical nonetheless, drew it over her shoulder and hurled it Svan. As it left her grasp, the skin of her fingers barely brushing against the strangely cool substance, she willed it into her natural element: water.

It was a small splash that struck him upon the face if he let it, but a splash nevertheless. Tinnok smirked somewhat, pleased with how the experiment turned out...then frowned...she felt a strange emptiness within...that piece of her calling to do it again...to try more shapes, more complex diversion with her magic. luckily for her the whispers were over ridden by an entirely different desire...the one that wanted to learn more magic.

"I have not know water magic for long. This thing you do, that is well liked by Myrian, it bring us closer to Caiyha it is said, and let us fight better for Myri...can teach me?" She said curiously, unsure of what precisely his attitude would be after she hurled a piece of magical water at him. She coughed to fill the silence, curious.

[Licearsvansan]

Svan watched patiently as Tinnok worked her res out of her body. It wasn't the first time Svan had seen reimancy, but it was a rare treat to see it up close. That is, up close and not in the form of a fireball aimed at his head. The Dhani stared at the blueish water-like pool slowly forming in her hands. The snake suspicion shifted into interest. It was a strange thing to see the color of someone's unaltered res. It was something akin to seeing a person's soul poured out into some strange puddle. Svan watched as the woman before him changed its shape into a misshapen ball and lifted into the air. It was actually quite a magical experience to see someone using reimancy for a reason other than attacking him. SPLASH!

As the water ran down his face Svan opened his eyes and gave Tinnok a look that resembled and angry wet cat. It seems some things never changed. The bird will always beat him, Svan will always hit his head, and reimancers will always attack him. Svan lifted his arm up to realize that he didn't even have a shirt on to wipe off the water. The Dhani instead simply wiped his hands over his face and shook his wet hair like a dog so that little droplets of water showered the two of them. As he pulled up his face from his hands his expression was one of playful vengeance. Sharp Dhani eyes glared at the half breed, but a mirthful half smile betrayed his real feelings. He had forgotten for a brief moment what it was that had caused his concern earlier. Unfortunately, he was reminded in six short letters.

"-let us fight better for Myri"

Svan's smile dissolved almost instantly. That was the problem wasn't it. Regardless of how he felt on the issue, this woman was an enemy to his species and anything he taught her would likely be used to harm his kind. To teach her anything was to turn his back on his people. While he wasn't exactly fond of his fellow Dhani, they were still kin. How could he choose a woman he had just met over the people he shared his blood with? Still a little shaky, Svan rose to his feet, his face was solemn and tired. "I-" He was about to tell her that he couldn't teach her but words abandoned him as he met her eyes. "I need some time to think about this... I'll be back." He couldn't tell her the truth. After everything she had done, after all the hatred she must have pushed aside to even allow herself to speak with him, he couldn't tell her what he really meant to say. He just didn't have the courage to deny her.

At least, not to her face.

Svan turned and headed back to his camp without so much as a second look. It was the third time he had done such a thing, but this time it was different. In the past he had left only so that he could return, but he had no plans of coming back this time. As he made his way back to the camp he found his bag and began to dress his wound properly. Taking out the dressing of the wounds did him no favors as he was reminded of Tinnok's handiwork. Pushing his conscience to the back of his head Svan reminded himself that he was doing this for his people, and that it was the right thing to do. It did little good but Svan was soon able to mend his wounds with the medicine. With that done the snake quickly felt the full weight of his exertion, and he collapsed onto his bedding to sleep. Sleep however, proved more difficult than he had originally thought. As he placed his head against the cushion of his bed roll he was harassed by thoughts of Tinnok. It was like the last time he had left her, but now the thoughts were cruel and vicious. They mocked him for his cowardice and betrayal. Images of Tinnok sitting alone in the clearing waiting for his return accosted him again and again until he wished that he could simply forget it all like some horrid dream. He fought back by reasoning that in refusing to teach her he was showing his loyalty to his race and family, but this only changed the insults into unwanted praise. His thoughts mutated and soon his mind was celebrating him for being such an exemplary member of his race, and drawing specific detail to the cruelty in abandoning the halfbreed with the promise of his return. Hateful parallels were drawn to remind him of how much he resembled his mother, and as time passed the voices in his head only grew more disgusted with Svan.

Still, the thought that bothered Svan above all else was the thought of how he must seem to Tinnok. A halfbreed like her could only be born from the relations between a Dhani male and a female human. It was clear by the way that she had looked at him that she held no love for the Dhani. And if she hated the Dhani so much then one could easily imagine how she must feel about her father. But what could drive a person to hate their parent? It wasn't a hard question to answer. Tinnok's father had abandoned her, likely before she was even born, and now here Svan was completing the cycle. It didn't matter whether her father was kind coward or a cruel rapist, he had abandoned Tinnok, and now so was Svan. It was a thought that made him sick to his stomach, and one that refused to let him sleep.

After what felt like years spent lying on the ground staring at the canopy above, Svan finally made a decision. With slightly renewed energy Svan rose to his feet, and walked over to his bag. He picked up the water flask and lifted it to his face to let the cool water run down his dry throat. Once satisfied, he placed the flask onto the belt around his hip. With little more preparation and precious little time to lose before Samantha would wake up, Svan set out to find Tinnok. Judging by the change in the shadows Svan realized that a significant amount of time had passed, and the chance that Tinnok was still in the clearing was slim. Still Svan had to try, and even if she wasn't there she wouldn't be difficult to track if he shifted into his Dhani form.

Svan still wasn't sure how he was going to say what he wanted, but at the very least he was going to say what he needed to her face. She deserved that, if nothing else.

[Tinnok]

She watched him go and sat with a thump on the ground. Today had been such an odd day. She reflected on the kiss she had given the Dhani and realized that it had been a mistake. As if it took that long to figure out kissing the Ancient Enemy was a bad thing. But he was not like them...but he was...it was so bloody confusing Tinnok couldn't wrap her head around it.

Chimes passed and he didn't return. Tinnok wondered it some elaborate preparation was needed perhaps like reimancy...when Asheera had filled her with her own res. But Svan had said he just learned it out of a book...but then again he could be lying, as he had done so many times already.

As she waited her mind drifted to various places...and she felt a hunger rise in her. Not to eat meat or anything...but there was an emptiness where she had felt her own res come out...and the temptation to try it again began to grow.

She shook it off at first, after all Svan was coming back and there was no need tiring herself out with Reimancy if he was going to return to show her a different kind of magic, but as the chimes ticked on Tinnok's patience grew less and less...and her desire to conjure her element grew more and more.

She stood up suddenly and approached a tree. She had been using her ability quite passively. Throwing balls of water wasn't like balls of fire or even chunks of earth...it wouldn't hurt, but water had the ability to carve out valleys, destroy mountains and make the roughest stone as smooth as silk. If she could use such power, but fasten it...perhaps into a weapon...a blade of water, perhaps her reimancy could be used for offensive as well.

She smiled at the idea, but actually working of such a feat was bound to be harder than the image in her mind. She felt the emptiness within dissappear as her center alit with energy and Res seeped out of the pores in her arms, trickling down like a drying stream to rest in her palms once more. She willed the substance to float, eyes focused on the unshaped blob of silvery blue substance, then using her fingers, pulled at it, forming it into a lopsided crescent. It was strange, working with her hands but knowing the shape was being altered by her will...her mind, and something warmed within her at the sensation. In the end she had molded almost a boomerang shaped crescent, shoddy, but there, and just as with the small ball of water, she plucked it from the air with her forefingers and hurled it towards the tree, willing it into its true form as it did so.

It splashed ineffectively against the tree and Tinnok cursed. That was when her legs collapsed beneath her and she realized how light headed she was. She growled at her own weakness, and rose, shakily. That attempt had been folly...but she knew what to do this time.

Instead of shaping with her fingers, Tinnok drew her res out, the substance sliding out between two finger tips, holding it horizontally in front of her. She pressed it together, into a small ball no bigger than a marble, and focused her energy on this singular point. She took a step back, feeling a sudden nausea in her gut that she chose to ignore, then took another. Five paces back she then started forward, sprinting for a short distance, and when she hit the spot where she had begun she flung her fingertips outward, releasing the res and imagining her scimitar, its curved sickle edge flying outward, transforming into water.

The water blade hit the tree with a resounding CRACK. It was a dull water blade she had made, unrefined and untempered due to her own lack of prowess and imagination...but bark was chipped of the tree, and a strange line formed out of the sheer force behind the blow if nothing else.

Tinnok did not get to see her progress, however, for she had collapsed, a trickle of blood running out of her nose...learning first hand the product of over giving...and it would be this state in which Svan would find her, splayed out upon the ground.

[Licearsvansan]

When Svan finally returned to the clearing he was met with the unsettling sight of the halfbreed lying prone on the floor. Her position was far too unnatural for her to be resting, which meant that something bad had happened. Svan immediately assumed the worst and counted the woman as either dead or dying. He rushed over to her as quickly as he could and knelt beside her. As he crouched he was met with the all too familiar smell of blood and his eyes narrowed in response. He wondered who would do such a thing to her as he quickly scanned his surroundings. A Dhani wouldn't leave a body to die, but a Myrian might. He imagined a group of Myrians out on patrol beating the poor halfbreed to death simply because of her blood. The thought infuriated him. Sure, he had refused to teach Tinnok because of her blood, but he didn't kill her. Anyways, he had a good reason not to teach her. Right?

Svan lifted and turned her body over so that he could inspect the damage, grumbling all the while, "If I ever find out who did this I'll..." Svan stopped as he stared at the woman's face. It was smeared in half dried blood, but there were no wounds and he could feel her breathing in his arms. Now he was lost. He checked her for for any indication of where the blood was coming from and it seemed as if it was simply a bad nosebleed. Nosebleeds though, didn't tend to leave people unconscious. "Maybe some one sucker punched her?" Svan thought to himself as he sat backwards against a tree. No sooner had he sat down than was he greeted by the feeling of water soaking into his trousers. The snake hopped up in shock. "The petch?!" Svan looked down to see that the water at the base of the tree was soaked to capacity. The Dhani wondered for a moment what could have caused it, but his mind quickly flicked back to Tinnok's display of her own magic.

Svan dropped Tinnok as if she were a bag of shyke. Overgiving, really?! Svan been ready to hunt down the people who had attack Tinnok and show them exactly what it means for a Dhani to be "creative", but as it would turn out there was no attack! Just some dumbshyke halfbreed beating the petch out of some tree until she hurt herself. Not only that, it showed that she had been too busy stabbing trees to even care that he had left her. Svan sighed, this was just another reason NOT to teach her morphing. Giving someone who was ashamed of their own race the ability to morph was like locking an alcoholic in a wine cellar. The fact that she couldn't even restrain the urge to cast water certainly wasn't encouraging Svan. Still, he couldn't help but admire her resolve. Stupid as it was, she had pushed herself until she collapsed. The respect she earned in that regard was all that was keeping the Dhani from slapping her into Tuesday.

Shaking his head at her stupidity, Svan picked up her unconscious body and set her head on his lap. He poured a small bit of water from his flask into his hands. He then used his wet fingers to wipe away most of the dried blood from her face. It was a slightly tedious process, but there was little else he could do. He had no medicines to treat overgiving, and the only thing he knew about helping unconscious people was that you want to keep their heads elevated. With that done there was little left that he could do but wait. He had only dealt with serious overgiving once in his own life, but the experience had left its mark. Svan had tried to break the rules and morph the burned flesh of his legs, but had only succeed in further damaging them. The pain of trying to morph them now was comparable to the feeling of ripping off his legs...slowly. Luckily, this woman's first experience wasn't so severe. To Svan's knowledge punishments for severe overgiving tended to be related to be more ironic than a simple nose bleed. Unless the cost of her overgiving was actually that something internally had been turned to water, Svan imagined that she would be better in a few bells.

He considered waking her, but he remembered reading that meditation was a good cure for overgiving and by association so must sleep. If that was so then it was best that Tinnok got all the rest she needed. Svan sat there patiently for several bells as she used his pants like a pillow, and only on rare occasions did the Dhani so much as shift. Long stints of doing nothing often bored humans, but snakes liked to sit for bells sunbathing and so did Svan. Aiding his calm patience was the fact that for the first time all day the Dhani felt like he was able to rest. As he sat there he finally had a chance to sort out his thoughts and feelings without any sort of pressure. By the time the jungle began to darken Svan had answered many of his questions, but a choice few remained. Those however, would have to be answered by Tinnok.

Believing Tinnok to have gotten sufficient rest, Svan grabbed his water flask and lifted her head. He smiled, she was much nicer when she was asleep. Makes me wish she would never wake up again. Svan mulled over that thought for a moment. I guess I could have phrased that better. The Dhani shrugged. At least she hadn't heard it. Svan lowered his hand so that it supported her neck and let her limp head fall backwards. He then carefully raised his flask to her lips, and splashed the entire contents of his water flask down, or in this case up, her face. he took special care to make sure that a fair portion drained into bother her mouth and nose. Svan's ACTUAL goal was to make her first overgiving experience slightly traumatic by waking her up drowning so that she might be less inclined to overgive in the future.

That being said, it did nothing to stop Svan from smiling smugly and saying, "Vengeance is a bitch ain't she?" when she awoke.

[Tinnok]

Tinnok was aware of a comfortable sensation before she was awoken rudely by the water. It was warm and peaceful wherever she lay, the ground's heat seeping into her body, something comfortable beneath her head. And then all of a sudden she felt as if her head had been dumped into a stream.

With a start the half breed sat up, water flying every which way, her nose streaming with the liquid as she coughed and sputtered and cleared her throat of the foreign element.

"Petching Shyke!"

Her doused head whipped from side to side and found Svan...with that damnable grin on his face. She lashed out an arm, but her fist hovered inches before its destination....that wound on his chest, and her arm dropped wearily as a pulsating headache echoed in her mind.

No one had ever taught Tinnok of over giving...Asheera had bade her come back in a season to check on the half breeds progress, but she had given her no advice or warnings in the mean time...Tinnok did not know what that feeling was called, that desire, but she knew the dangers of it now...even if what she had experience was minor in comparison, perhaps due to her complete lack of prowess.

Realizing her proximity to the snake she slid back somewhat, something in the back of her mind realizing that he had been there just as she had waited for him...and it was darkening out now.

"I know not what..." She trailed off and looked at the tree, a visible strip of bark removed from its surface...and smiled, then frowned and looked back at the snake.

"You not going to show me your magic...are you? You lie to me again?" If a Myrian could sound hurt, that was it. It would be why he didn't return, why he took so long, but it wouldnt explain why he was back.

"Why not leave...why come back?" She found she simply couldn't be mad at him. First of all she was too damn tired, it felt like someone had sucked all the water out of her body and she was just a dry husk...and the headache. A hand drifted to her forehead and she leaned forward, Goddess what was this?

[Licearsvansan]

Svan flinched as the fist rocketed towards him but to his surprise the blow never came. The snake even wider, "Now who's pulling their punches?" He was thankful of course but he could never pass up the oppertunity to do some "friendly" teasing. Tinnok dropped her arm and Svan moved to give her some room as she backed away. Now that he had a chance to look her over Svan reached the conclution that perhaps he had woken her too soon. She looked weary and confused. He could all but see her sore tired brain trying to connect all the pieces and find out what was going on. As her eyes flicked over to the tree she smiled, and even Svan's own smile grew softer and less mocking.

"You not going to show me your magic...are you? You lie to me again?"

Svan's smile disapeared just as hers had and he looked away guiltily. His eyes fell once again on the bark, and he noticed that the mark was just high enough to strike his heart if aimed at him. He suddered at the idea that she might have been imagining him there on the tree when she struck it. "I-"

"Why not leave...why come back?"

Svan turned back to her. His face like a man coming home from war. "Because I said I would." There was really nothing else to it. He had lied about many things in his life and broken more promises than he could count, but this one time he couldn't bring himself to go back on his word. He wanted - no, he needed to come back. To leave her here like that would be akin to turning his back on everything he said he wanted to become. For all it was worth he might as well turn his back on the goddess herself if he ran away.

As he continued to look at her he shook his head. She was in such a sorry state and the way she brought her hand to her forehead..."You petching dumbshyke." Svan leaned in with a smile, "Its called overgiving, its what happens when you use too much magic. Think of it like a magical hangover." Svan waved his hand in the air with the word "magical", and his tone suddenly grew less mocking as he continued. "Don't worry, you only suffered a light case so the effects should wear off soon. If it were a serious case you might notice by the feeling that your blood has been replaced with water or maybe you might see you're arm dry up like a raisin or perhaps some other wonderfully horrible affliction." The snake laughed softly at the all too real possibilities. As he finished his expression grew warmer and more weary. He wanted to say something like "I'm glad you're alright", or "You nearly gave me a heart attack", but sedementality was never his strong point. Instead Svan simply patted her arm and hoped its meaning would go through without the need for words.

Then he remembered what she had said earlier. His stare fell to the ground and he let out his breath. What he had to say wasn't going to be easy. "I had some time to think about what you asked of me, and Tinnok I-" Svan paused. Why did it have to be so difficult? He knew exactly what he had to say, but actually telling it to her made it a hundred time harder. "I like you Tinnok, wait, what I mean by that is that if it were my choice alone I I like you enough that I would gladly teach you morphing, but...Tinnok, compared to the the other things in our life my personal opinion of you doesn't matter. Lets be serious, if I teach you this magic there is a good chance that you will use it against other Dhani, or if not that then you will teach it to other Myrians who will use it against my kind. I abandoned my race to follow Caiyha, but I can't betray them. I want to teach you but the fact remains, I'm a Dhani and you're a Myrian." Svan glanced up at Tinnok. Her eyes were like those of a snake and her skin almost resembled scales, but there was no hiding the truth. This woman was a Myrian, the sworn age old enemies of the Dhani and therefore Svan as well. Giving her so much as a sword was the same as sticking the blade in one of his own kin.

Tenatively Svan allowed himself to meet her eyes, and refused to let himself look away. He wanted to see every emotion that was going through her if he was going to do this. He had to, if he didn't then he would never be able to let go of this day. He would go through his forever second guessing his decision, always regretting his failure to look her in the eyes as he told her. So he watched, and as he did he felt the strangest of sensations. Instead of growing more doubtful of his choice he grew only more certain that this was the right thing to do.

"But that doesn't mean shyke now does it? Its as I said, you and I are family under Caiyha before enemies in blood." Svan smiled warmly "So I'll teach you under ONE condition." Svan's smile disappeared and his voice grew grim and serious. "You must swear to me- No, swear to Caiyha that you will not teach this magic to any other Myrian. Not even if Myri herself were to demand it of you."

Svan watched her carefully. He couldn't accept anything but complete sincerity right now. He was willing to put Caiyha before his people, but if she wanted to learn morphing he had to know if she was willing to do the same.

[Tinnok]

If only she had known then the events that would occur in nearly a week's time. How much the tables would turn from this one event. She would sometimes look back on this promise and laugh bitterly at her own hesitation...for there had been no need. Myrian bodies laid strewn before her eyes, a Dhani...a constrictor slithering away without a care for what she had done...for what she had become.

But that moment was not yet here, and Tinnok slid a tongue over her lips watching the snake. Overgiving. It was a fitting word, and it made sense. Just like a runner could pull a muscle and a newly trained swordsman could so easily cut themselves, magic could bite back. Yet it seemed to her that magic pulled at your very core...she had never had a sword ask her to use it. The lesson had been a harsh one, but one she needed learning as her head continued the throb.

She watched Svan's face, his hesitation as he began to speak. His usual candor and easy wit was gone, in place of something serious. Teach Myrians? Who and what did he think she was?! Why would she teach such a skill to her cohorts...why did he think she owed them anything, least of all magic?

But he wasn't wrong either. The idea of a Myrian actually letting themselves be taught by an abomination even if she wanted to was an absurdity in and of itself, but that did not remove from the fact that it was something she could use against Myrians and Dhani alike...though she wasn't sure if she pointed it out it would help her case any.

But he had returned...and suddenly his tone changed and she realized a few ticks after the words had left his mouth...that he was going to teach her.

Her golden eyes did not leave his, the slits widening enough to almost appear round, taking a long moment to string the sentence together in common. "I swear upon my one true mother...I will never teach the art of morphing to another Myrian." Her voice was solemn, though her eyes held the crackling anticipation of an eager pupil. She felt the collection of her center seem to almost warm somewhere in the pit of her stomach at the prospect of casting more magic, right before the hammer within her skull slammed against her again, nearly forcing her to scream. She grit her teeth instead and drank some water.

She hung her head for a moment, and much more quietly... "Thank for returning..."

[Licearsvansan]

The snake glared carefully into her eyes as she spoke, and even once she finished his gaze remained steady. Then, all at once, a smile cracked though his grim expression. In a single moment all the tension and seriousness was gone from him, and in its place was an excitement that threatened to burst out of him. She had given him no reason to doubt her words, and he was eager to teach someone what little he knew of his magic.

Svan was all but ready to begin his lecture when suddenly the Myrian's face tensed and she pulled a bit of water to her lips. The Dhani chuckled tentatively and he bent close to her head to see if she was alright.

"Thank you for returning..."

Svan heard it like the whisper of a ghost. Too quiet to know whether or not what he thought he had heard was even real. The snake sat back up looking slightly perplexed. "You're-" Svan stopped himself. He wasn't quite sure if he had heard her correctly and if she hadn't thanked him then accepting thanks that was never given would only serve to make him seem pompous. Instead Svan adjusted his tone and began again. "You're alright aren't you?" Svan raised a hand to her face and hovered for a moment before deciding to let it rest. As he place his hand on her head he lifted up her chin slightly so that she could she his beaming face. It was getting late out, and Svan was tempted to order the woman to sleep so that they could begin when she was fresh, but he doubted that the woman who had knocked herself out attacking a tree would allow a little headache get between he and something she wanted. "Lets begin."

Svan leaned back and took in one might gulp of air. "Since you already know how to use Reimancy I imagine that I can skip over most of the basics about what djed is and how it works." Svan tapped his now unmorphed fingers against his thigh as if deep in thought and then shot up a half smug look to the Myrian. "Though I suggest you have your reimancy teach better explain to you the consequences of throwing around fragments of your life force before you go and kill yourself. After all, the only way your dead corpse could serve Caiyha is as a nice fertilizer...or as a nice snack I suppose." Svan licked his lips unconsciously as he leaned back. "So where to begin? Well I guess there first obvious thing I should point out is that morphing is very different from reimancy. However, in most cases knowing one magic makes it easier to learn another. Unfortunately this isn't always true. For example, according to my book a mage who is skilled in 'flux' magic tends to have trouble learning morphing magic. This is because while the channeling of magic comes easy for any mage once he has learned it, a certain mind set is required for each type of magic to become accessible. For morphing, the requirement is that the user has to grow more familiar with other being's bodies than their own. Because of this some people are able to easily able to pick up the magic while others struggle. When it comes to natural blocks like the how we naturally prefer to think in terms of our own body, you should be fine. Caiyha's gnosis should have given you plenty enough out of body experiences to easily bridge that gap. However, before we continue I need to know if you have any other mental blocks that might prevent you from learning this magic. I need you to be honest with me Tinnok, if I don't know what may stop you I can't teach you how to get around it. And without that knowledge it could take you years to learn morphing as it did for me.

Svan adjusted himself, sat up straight, and asked her the most important question he could think of, "Now tell me Tinnok. If you had to be completely honest, how would you say you view yourself? Are you proud, or ashamed of what you are?