Neoma lightly nudged Aella with her foot. “Hey. Wake up.” 788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVapU25WIb
Aella twitched and yawned. “Mm?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlRtGxouZZ
"Come on. Or I will flip you into a pool of water." She nudged her again.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRgxzqOwyAg
Aella’s eyes flashed open. “I’m up!”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPk9f7wqL8P
"Except we have no water around," Luna pointed out.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzNYmk51l3O
"…" Aella looked around. As Luna said, not so much as a puddle in their immediate area. "Oh."788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXI2BRvdTx
Luna giggled. “You’ll learn when and when not to fall for her tricks.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6TashfqMg
Neoma shrugged, getting up on her horse. “Don’t eat too much, we need that food.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6iSYUFuoK
Aella laughed along with Luna, and slowly got up. Wow, she was sore…788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGlzj5c0mt
Luna paused in her laughter. “But….but I wanna go hunting,” she whined.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctBP3SGpNE
"Luna, what can you catch out here?"788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLAMAaw9Sy
Aella looked at them curiously. She wasn’t quite sure what they were talking about… did Luna know how to hunt? Aella’s dad did, but her mom said it wasn’t ladylike. Luna was a lady though…788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7bH6bkmZq
"Um…."788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrEPPctU1L
"Exactly." 788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdfHxqrt9S
Aella pulled herself up onto her horse. “Didn’t know you hunted.~”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeVCDSVjEi
Luna grinned and nodded, flashing her pointed teeth. That made sense, didn’t it… She had only JUST held Luna as a fluffy cat, and cats hunted. Encouraged by this, Aella continued. “Is it fun?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiWSBrnxdV
"Yes!" She giggled, going into her cat form. Aella hummed happily, though she wished she could pet her friend again. Her fur was so SOFT!788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozEnZ8a6P9
Neoma stared ahead, tilting her head to the side for a second. Aella didn’t bother questioning the gesture, and went ahead with her questioning.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDR5FUIeE3
"How far do you think we’ll get today?~"788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNGa0GywwO
The elemental shrugged, looking down at the shadowy horse.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKz5HpMdCLE
She let it drop and started humming absently, gazing up at the sky.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3fNIrGJ8A
"….What do you want to know?" Neoma finally asked, after about 20 minutes of silence.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP3dWebR316
"I wanna know a lot of stuff!" she said enthusiastically. Neoma was actually OFFERING to answer her questions? This was wonderful!788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJToiMaYjpK
"Well, ask away."788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtaXGEmyhq
"Okay. Do you have any other powers besides the shadow horse thing? Does Luna, besides turning into the most adorable cat ever? What’s your favorite thing to do? Do you like traveling like this?"788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5QkjVbTag
"Of course. Shadow is an elemental power. One of the strongest. Most people who have shadow powers are rather…creative, and work well with illusions." She blinked, then said a bit slower, "No, Luna is a familiar, do you know what that is? I like a lot of things, and no, I prefer shadows, but that’s a one person thing. My second favorite would be wolfback."788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnuT4Y4Gh9j
"Can I see some of your other powers sometime? And no, don’t know what a familiar is. Can you name one of the things you like?"788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYBnLzaZSq
"I guess. She assists with my fighting, magic, and so on. And no."788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsIRcML1J8
Aella made a face at the last one. “Aw.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMgjLnvSbE
"What else?" Neoma finally looked over at her, and her face brightened further at this.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Kf02ohZHi
She thought for a moment. “Have you ever just helped someone like this before? And how much do you know about shapeshifters like Cináed, anyway?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Mt1s1ZzHw
She glanced over at Luna. “Yes. Not a lot.” 788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2HkihwbbI
Aella tipped her head. “What DO you know?” she wondered. 788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGLArSrVRF
"The name implies a lot. And I guess silver hurts them?"788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgs2hnKR8k
"And some other stuff," Aella said a bit absently. "I’m not sure which, exactly… I only know snatches of it from Cináed. I try not to, though, he scares me." She didn’t like when she caught pieces of his thoughts. They were always mean… were ALL shapeshifters like that? She hoped not.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡee3VqyMusw
Neoma nodded. “Anything else?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRORefbTmuZ
Aella hesitated. “Why are we going to France?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdNvoKlunB
"So Luna and I can go home."788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQk9yFyFDW9
"Is your home that way?"788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDc6HoxJVp4
"Hm…you can say that." Neoma frowned. "…Well. Have you heard of these things… they’re called dimension ties."788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfyGUszQLJ
"… huh?" Her expression went completely blank, and her mind matched.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qrURvemc6
"That’s what we call them, I don’t know your word for it." She patted her horse for a second.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSfcyJpoIo
”What exactly are they?” she asked, utterly confused.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYZmTOKFqn
”You don’t think this is the only plane of existence, do you?” The elemental raised an eyebrow, looking off to the side. A part of Aella did wonder why she didn’t like making eye contact… maybe she was shy, or worried, or sad. Oh well, she would be more cheerful eventually!~ Aella liked making people happy, a room full of happy people was always the best kind.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJCV0PPKYP
Oh, she was zoning out. Not that what Neoma was saying made much sense, but it was rude to stop listening!788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPt2HKPu2y
”…Earth. Do you think it’s the only place with life forms?!”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGn22uE5vqj
”There’s more places besides Earth?” Now she was excited by the thought of places like that, ones she’d never heard of. “Is that why you wouldn’t tell me where you were from?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWT9FUxXmgd
She nodded. “Yeah, part of it.” Luna looked up, tilting her head for a moment, then gave a purr, making Aella inwardly squeal.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmZRlkhDT1
"Will I ever get the chance to see it?"788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7l1vUXLD4U
"You might," She looked up, "if we ever GET THERE."788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkd62NCPC4L
”Yay!~”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsuD2BnoDCL
Neoma paused again, sitting sideways on her horse. “So besides shapeshifter and all that funstuff,” (she rolled her eyes at the word fun), “what was your life like?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHR5nGoYvQZ
”Mm?” Aella looked over at her. “Pretty normal, I guess. Middle-class family, lived in a pretty coastal town in England…”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Nt54jaSTJ
“…. Middle class….” She tilted her head a little, like she had no idea what she was talking about. “You were poor, then?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVKUOknUtUR
Aella giggled. “No, we weren’t poor. We just didn’t have as much money as all the really rich people, like the royalty.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMEGq1trSb
“Oh.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mqaipLcQR
”Mhm.” Aella smiled absently and returned to stroking her horse.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt4yCKQCEBL
She let out a soft breath, still keeping her eyes on Luna. After awhile, she bit her lip and finally tore her eyes from the cat, only to let them fall to her lap. “Sorry.” It sounded a bit forced, not like something that normally came out of her mouth. 788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpU8ZcM6XfZ
”… huh?” Aella looked back over at her. What could she possibly be apologizing for? They were both being so nice to her…788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3iYSl6qNg
"I’m not good with people." She shrugged. "So, sorry."788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4krsG1idul
“You don’t need to be sorry,” Aella said with a slight smile. Not good with people… well, that would have to be fixed, wouldn’t it?788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNOYZ1xsbE
She nodded, looking to the side again. “… Thanks.” Aella just grinned at her new friend.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAe8BtZXSV
After a while, Luna seemed to get a bit bored, and she started to dash off….only to have Neoma call her back. Aella giggled a little, and Luna tilted her head. Then she gave a slight cat-like growl when she was forced onto Neoma’s horse.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjeWHxnOi5t
”I’m boooored,” Aella drawled after a minute or so.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcpcvimgRd
Neoma looked up. “What do you want to do then?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWAeZAIHuz
She gave the question some serious thought. “Dunno. What’s there to do?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVpc3qwgPc
”We are riding on horses. What IS THERE to do?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlBQ2ZbpjM
“…. Dunno?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljtSh1WpUj
She grumbled a bit, then sighed. “I dont know, either.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLu4wlDUSMc
”Aww.” Aella sighed. “So we’re gonna be bored until we get somewhere?” That sounded… boring.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWW6UKBboT
”I think so. Yeah.” Neoma glared at Luna, who was trying to hop off the horse.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSsgDuyK3O
Aella groaned and thunked her head dramatically on the horse’s neck (said horse just snorted). This could take FOREVER!788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajTjzQOzlH
“Oh, calm down, its not that bad.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0Wt863pdl
“… Fine.” She pouted.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnd1qeOnlwG
Neoma looked off to the side, following along the road, while Aella started humming quietly to herself. Neoma watched the other, then looked away.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1ol9aD9a4
It wasn’t long before Aella was shifting restlessly again.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdjBfcPJ0D
"You’re bored again, aren’t you?" Neoman had shifted postions by then, laying with her arms around the horse’s neck.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CAn4xWmA4
"Maaaybe."788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFFljptvwT8
”It’s in your body language. You’re acting fidgety, so either you’re nervous or bored.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmTgir8XPt
“… Okay, bored.” Wow, Neoma was smart!788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAr048AnZH
She rolled her eyes. “Well, you can continue to ask questions, I guess. It’s almost sunset, give it an hour or two.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfPpilZXmu
“Okay~”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRmkTri8He
After a long drawn out silence, Neoma stated, “At least France and England aren’t at war?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnrI4TbOQ4
”That wouldn’t be fun,” she agreed.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuOm6K9nJS3
"War isnt an easy thing, no matter your social status."788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyQ2tTGCBH
Aella shook her head with a slight frown. “Mom says it’s really awful.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCydD5UNKv5
She looked ahead. “England and France go to war a lot, dont they?” She asked this quickly, glancing aside.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJPO2e9Mbd
She nodded. “Yeah… why?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH7LYnyC9U
”Just making sure I was right.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3yRNYBqlT
“Oh.~ Well, you are!”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0zCPcaOwk
Neoma looked at the girl. “We need to blend in with the locals, though.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjDzV1RnAQ
She frowned. “Um… Okay. How exactly do we do that?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vMB9QD4bd
”Fashion.” Neoma had a hint of a smirk on her face, and tilted her head a bit. “Which is ALWAYS fun…”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjtonkWqUw
“I know!~”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UB1e99LUI
”That was sarcasm, nuts for brains.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMqgbKSOv8
“… It was? But fashion IS fun,” Aella said matter-of-factly. How could Neoma think otherwise? That just didn’t make sense.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogAAha9dbv
”Not Earth fashion.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZiP4j6sJq
“Uh-huh,” she said stubbornly. 788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3yoZsz9BV
”I much prefer my world’s fashion. Less skirt-y.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQonvCAzrwI
“Skirts are nice.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCVFKChnLI
”Ugh, nope.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVI9Hfd47cM
“Yep!~”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3H43aZf198
”No, pants and shorts are much more convenient and comfortable.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97PXCS7D7p
“But skirts and dresses are prettier.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GVZs78IjD
”And?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6PQq45zHn
“And what?” Aella blinked. 788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Yu22V0SMz
”What use is looking pretty if you can’t do anything while you do?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpLjOG8IeX
“Who says you have to do anything that might ruin your clothes while you look pretty?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQ6Nxa7mIY
”Because nothing fun comes out of it!”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KVEoq7Gbd
“It’s fun to be pretty!”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrorcAXcBwQ
”I’d rather not.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5T9vW6OHWl
“That’s too bad, then. I like looking pretty.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XJAZvKs8S
"And I really don’t care."788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlCTFv40PS
Aella pouted, and Neoma gave a sly grin.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKr3FO2TLp
“… Won’t you have to wear a dress to blend in, though?” The girl suddenly questioned.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjkeVno8bu
”Shit.” She groaned, hitting her head on the horse’s neck.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZzGwJFtPD
Aella laughed. “Shut up.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSezjGFms9f
“Sorry…”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50hZ7LcXWA
She gave some sort of odd hand signal, not raising her head.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqRQRj9fCT
Aella was still grinning a bit. “I do think you’ll look pretty in a dress, though.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghbUiHNmyV
”I don’t… like dresses….”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzc4nzEf5r
“It’ll be alright… they’re not THAT bad.~”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcg2dgsJl2Z
”This is coming from Miss Happy-Cheery.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooEaMDs3Qd
Aella just grinned wider.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wftivN1c8
”Not a compliment.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7S8pdYxWph
“Sounds like one to me.~”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlolgY8f0nV
”Well, it isn’t.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruwzYlIcKq
“Why not? Isn’t being happy and cheerful a good thing?” How confusing.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qfhdUZe5x
”To you, maybe.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLFxJC9yfg
“Why not to you?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsLbN3RnYV
”I get annoyed easily.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLTbhnZTfc
“… Oh. You should work on that.” How could you be happy if you got annoyed so easily? Maybe THAT was why Neoma seemed so grumpy…788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxumIvuBj3
”…” Neoma finally raised her head, glaring at her.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNiHuMgSRa
Aella went silent for a moment. Oops. “Sorry.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1DRlVrXv8
”No, no…”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYySjAahNe7
She gave her a confused look, and Neoma made that hand gesture again. Aella blinked, then looked away to her horse.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjqrpRc2TF
* * * * *788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwbFqnK0vs
Neoma poked a small fire with stick, staying near its heat. “Okay, so do you like fish, by any chance?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdmbDsAiDoJ
Aella nodded, brightening considerably. “I like pretty much all seafood.~”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgA6IhuZV2p
“The next town is a seaside town…” She poked it again, her hand moving over to the fruit.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUaJ1iEaKx
”Oh, yay!~” Towns on the coast were her favorite! Like her home.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4cj1LTtZpU
Neoma looked at the girl again. “How old are you?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwenS7nBs5f
”Fifteen, why?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXdvQlu9yZ
“Hmm.” She gazed into the fire, then looked to the side. “In your years, I’m 19.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJS1viTvdtO
”My years?” Aella tipped her head curiously. Were her years special or something? Maybe they were longer. Or really short. Or…788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiCaJNvmpL
“Human.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaonq6dpLL
Oh. “What kind of years do you use? And how old are you in those?”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEY1ZToyqCh
“For my species, years are nothing. I’m much older in that time.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3aUBRLd3a
”Wow…” Neoma didn’t look old, but it sounded like she was ancient!788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xJ55au7tv
She nodded slowly.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHqpw2QQXa
”What about Luna?” Aella wondered.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MEudtVrJI
“Luna is sixteen.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2mp0jWkM8
”Oh.~” Almost the same age as herself!788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOXObooS5b
She nodded again, sliding over the basket. Aella poked around inside it and pulled out a tasty-looking fruit.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkrubHy6G7e
When Aella looked back to Neoma, she was playing with shadows, making little figures out of the darkness. She watched her interestedly as the elemental’s hand rose up, dragging a shadow with it. After a pause, she changed the shape into a sphere, then pushed it into the fire. To Aella’s surprise, it began to burn.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8yg1IBEmV
”Shadows can burn?” Aella piped up curiously.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBIoJ8EXxM
“When they turn into something physical, yes.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeth7b2ecQ
”… huh.” Whatever that meant.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvc4kfYIZoZ
“You see…” She lifted another shadow, starting to form it into something. “The ability to change an object’s property normally needs to melt, heat up, or freeze. But if you can change something that doesn’t even exist in a different property, then…” She started to make a point on it. “It becomes part of the element, MADE out of the element.” She threw the object into the other’s lap, a small black dagger the height of the her hand.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9R0LoOtYau
“You can’t melt it, you can’t freeze it. It’s forced to stay THAT element until changed by someone who can control the element itself.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH18mlZYt6g
”… um, okay,” Aella said uncertainly. She supposed it at least made sense to Neoma, and that was important… The dagger resting in her hands was simple, dull and not decorated. After a few moments, it misted out of her hand, startling her, and dripped off it into the shadows. Then it was back into Neoma’s hand.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1dDHE7gWD
"Woah…" The blonde stared as it got a shadowy look again, and Neoma used her fingernail to start carving something into it. 788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSsH6bDfGF
"It’s made of shadows, it can’t be anything but. Therefore you need to solidfy, liquefy, or make it into a gas like a shadow, or just leave it a shadow."788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kYc3IFu91
”… Uh huh..?” Aella’s head was spinning by then, absolutely confused. She really DID try to pay attention, but…788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTo5D1qfwrR
Neoma glanced up at the other with a soft sigh. “Okay, the idiot version. Now imagine that I threw this into the fire.” She held up the knife. “It will heat up, yes, but at which point would it melt? It wouldn’t.” She made the shadow become solid in her hands. “But say that I had…” She dipped her hand into a shadow, cupping them and pulling it up. “A liquid shadow. It won’t freeze and become solid. It also won’t become a gas. It’s going to stay a liquid.” She let it fall back into the shadows, picking up the knife again.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8I0vhF002
”But… why?” she asked, trying to sort all of this information out.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCb3a87Sgfw
“It’s only a shadow, Aella.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOn3m246uMH
”Okay..”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKPzC5BJGV
“But when you’re really powerful, you can practically turn them into a weapon. Now, it won’t work against some things, but against elements that are the opposite of mine…” A ton of pin-like shadows rose around Neoma, disappearing a bit in the dark and showing in the light of the fire. “… or humans, ‘cause no offense, but your kind are easy to hurt…” She let the pins drop. “It becomes a weapon.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGP7JyCxZd
”Oh.” That, at least, seemed to make a little more sense…788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhVzR1PUcf
Neoma grabbed the knife, holding it up. “Your shifter friend, it probably won’t hurt like this. It won’t hurt me, either, seeing as I did make it.” She pressed the tip of the blade to her palm and pushed down, but instead of stabbing through, it only flattened into her hand, spreading out in a circle.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkM4T8hncG
”Wow… that’s really neat.” Aella’s eyes were wide.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgiKRz3SgOY
She moved next to the girl, grabbing her arm and pressing the blade to it. It wasn’t enough to draw blood, but enough to prove a point. “For you, any harder would break skin, but for me, not even a chance.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQsGGlJO8H
”Wow… that must be neat.” Aella felt a little stinging sensation where the sharp edge met skin, but there wasn’t a drop of blood.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxqFGXs6JO
Neoma nodded. “I can also…” She dropped the knife, holding both her hands up and raising a thin sheet of shadow in an almost misty effect. “Try punching through it.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCLlPB55ux
"Just… punch it?" Aella tipped her head.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKZMoUaww0
“Not too hard, just proving a point here.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqSqVpnfYc
”A-Alright.” Aella aimed a light punch at it (okay, a REALLY light punch). It seemed to solidify as she hit it. “Oh, wow.” She pulled back her fist, watching as it returned to a a misty look when there was no longer pressure against it. “That’s really cool.”788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQLG25dSYn
"Now, let’s say someone with a light ability or weapon attacked it? It would break through. On the other hand, if I attacked a light shield with my shadow, I’d break that."788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7Yblz9lPG
"Huh."788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhzk1EEN3o
She nodded. “Fire might crack it.” She pushed down the shield, looking at the shadow ball still sitting in the fire.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡof6HIqv72U
Aella blinked. “Huh,” she repeated.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlCvsyezkCp
"Now, if you got your hands on a light weapon, you could break it too. A fire one would probably burn your hand, though…"788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYmyl9PpmU
"That’s really interesting.~" Aella hummed, gazing into the fire and the black pit in its center.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvFq4t7ZZp
Neoma nodded, looking at the sky. “The stars here are weird,” she stated unexpectedly.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSoPo10p8zN
"Weird how?" Aella looked at her, blinking.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnaXE4rbaAc
"Not in the same places." She shook her head.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNfTR3FOue
"So it’s different in your world, huh… I’d like to see how they look there."788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8SUaGuz0q
She nodded, closing her eyes. It didn’t seem likely that she would answer any more questions, and was clearly done with her explanation… Aella sighed and let her eyes flicker shut as she realized just how tired she was.788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73gNNFOVae
Penana
search
Loginarrow_drop_down
Registerarrow_drop_down
