Neoma lightly nudged Aella with her foot. “Hey. Wake up.” 770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLHmhyhrd5
Aella twitched and yawned. “Mm?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH0g4UIm7G
"Come on. Or I will flip you into a pool of water." She nudged her again.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbV1vazmUM
Aella’s eyes flashed open. “I’m up!”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNNf9V8cLq
"Except we have no water around," Luna pointed out.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQoMYWanzgo
"…" Aella looked around. As Luna said, not so much as a puddle in their immediate area. "Oh."770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRAJwLlDrl
Luna giggled. “You’ll learn when and when not to fall for her tricks.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1g5pdcT4r
Neoma shrugged, getting up on her horse. “Don’t eat too much, we need that food.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZPQOQoWlC
Aella laughed along with Luna, and slowly got up. Wow, she was sore…770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKovaItNtGE
Luna paused in her laughter. “But….but I wanna go hunting,” she whined.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIxgtYsFl0
"Luna, what can you catch out here?"770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4R0kfoni0
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…770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4kvfqLnGz
"Um…."770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfV2PItJG9
"Exactly." 770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwB2UhhQhHd
Aella pulled herself up onto her horse. “Didn’t know you hunted.~”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpCr1pN8fU
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?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTrv6Jgqun
"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!770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNN5h4Wz5MO
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.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfj2vaUYSg
"How far do you think we’ll get today?~"770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbjd8CEQKW
The elemental shrugged, looking down at the shadowy horse.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeD7BwuB1p
She let it drop and started humming absently, gazing up at the sky.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWqjo7EbBz
"….What do you want to know?" Neoma finally asked, after about 20 minutes of silence.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGS9BFqm0T
"I wanna know a lot of stuff!" she said enthusiastically. Neoma was actually OFFERING to answer her questions? This was wonderful!770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuR7MMVWJv3
"Well, ask away."770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YeOInqlEL
"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?"770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsTcdRCsXG
"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."770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzkzbFnx5Z
"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?"770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JyJGGqek2
"I guess. She assists with my fighting, magic, and so on. And no."770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn8WKEir0co
Aella made a face at the last one. “Aw.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfP3etQyefZ
"What else?" Neoma finally looked over at her, and her face brightened further at this.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQ0haaCl1W
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?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAouXQegYmL
She glanced over at Luna. “Yes. Not a lot.” 770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5SplD4Pl1
Aella tipped her head. “What DO you know?” she wondered. 770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBlkoWleZl
"The name implies a lot. And I guess silver hurts them?"770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IvAyTpl9V
"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.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRybqbbe8U
Neoma nodded. “Anything else?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydu4ybaYK1
Aella hesitated. “Why are we going to France?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfeDO6xJRE
"So Luna and I can go home."770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gFw2j2npw
"Is your home that way?"770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrb0t9eIcq
"Hm…you can say that." Neoma frowned. "…Well. Have you heard of these things… they’re called dimension ties."770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YnmBEUH2r
"… huh?" Her expression went completely blank, and her mind matched.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdRBj694Ok
"That’s what we call them, I don’t know your word for it." She patted her horse for a second.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjiNZRwjwW6
”What exactly are they?” she asked, utterly confused.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvyRlaFFG6
”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.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlizM6nLNX2
Oh, she was zoning out. Not that what Neoma was saying made much sense, but it was rude to stop listening!770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNDWLBSyoc
”…Earth. Do you think it’s the only place with life forms?!”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzOGqovbjT
”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?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8DyEr2E5h
She nodded. “Yeah, part of it.” Luna looked up, tilting her head for a moment, then gave a purr, making Aella inwardly squeal.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkSxcmVw9T
"Will I ever get the chance to see it?"770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zQPAQxhvO
"You might," She looked up, "if we ever GET THERE."770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXDGhXi1u2
”Yay!~”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkoGSf6AcrI
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?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskn0g3ZvIG
”Mm?” Aella looked over at her. “Pretty normal, I guess. Middle-class family, lived in a pretty coastal town in England…”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtS11eKvybF
“…. Middle class….” She tilted her head a little, like she had no idea what she was talking about. “You were poor, then?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkYu4Fn8oG
Aella giggled. “No, we weren’t poor. We just didn’t have as much money as all the really rich people, like the royalty.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD255nzfuYl
“Oh.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt85EU0SVXj
”Mhm.” Aella smiled absently and returned to stroking her horse.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCCra4NRN4t
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. 770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtFowtYkYb
”… huh?” Aella looked back over at her. What could she possibly be apologizing for? They were both being so nice to her…770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFv8e7WMMaY
"I’m not good with people." She shrugged. "So, sorry."770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Qshiv8uWL
“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?770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpR8VQolPs
She nodded, looking to the side again. “… Thanks.” Aella just grinned at her new friend.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNWqmngQdQ
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.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr0XbvY5Avb
”I’m boooored,” Aella drawled after a minute or so.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3XreTR1Zv
Neoma looked up. “What do you want to do then?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIfzBUCUPt
She gave the question some serious thought. “Dunno. What’s there to do?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6J98bS5ocd
”We are riding on horses. What IS THERE to do?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡok6BCigCVJ
“…. Dunno?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRpeg7i0WX
She grumbled a bit, then sighed. “I dont know, either.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5NFbJcWQZ
”Aww.” Aella sighed. “So we’re gonna be bored until we get somewhere?” That sounded… boring.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41WG4RB6Hc
”I think so. Yeah.” Neoma glared at Luna, who was trying to hop off the horse.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWiQihLlRN
Aella groaned and thunked her head dramatically on the horse’s neck (said horse just snorted). This could take FOREVER!770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsxJLlYGj5
“Oh, calm down, its not that bad.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbEesNzKxm
“… Fine.” She pouted.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhFTrRAWBo
Neoma looked off to the side, following along the road, while Aella started humming quietly to herself. Neoma watched the other, then looked away.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1RbC4bypN
It wasn’t long before Aella was shifting restlessly again.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTW30mEYBYN
"You’re bored again, aren’t you?" Neoman had shifted postions by then, laying with her arms around the horse’s neck.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwKsn7nmca
"Maaaybe."770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73Wk1TNiGd
”It’s in your body language. You’re acting fidgety, so either you’re nervous or bored.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8eVdJes4C
“… Okay, bored.” Wow, Neoma was smart!770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGDqlCzlcs
She rolled her eyes. “Well, you can continue to ask questions, I guess. It’s almost sunset, give it an hour or two.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyMAxY2rwU
“Okay~”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRrWF517NH
After a long drawn out silence, Neoma stated, “At least France and England aren’t at war?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsprOw0EaGw
”That wouldn’t be fun,” she agreed.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFubg6SloV
"War isnt an easy thing, no matter your social status."770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWscosdIQgb
Aella shook her head with a slight frown. “Mom says it’s really awful.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlK5S2bQ74
She looked ahead. “England and France go to war a lot, dont they?” She asked this quickly, glancing aside.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgikDOHCl1
She nodded. “Yeah… why?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvUl87YFC4
”Just making sure I was right.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6SdjwmCFE
“Oh.~ Well, you are!”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTSjAdmRVk
Neoma looked at the girl. “We need to blend in with the locals, though.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKD5Qh3rHfH
She frowned. “Um… Okay. How exactly do we do that?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHnSb6Cmc8
”Fashion.” Neoma had a hint of a smirk on her face, and tilted her head a bit. “Which is ALWAYS fun…”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnP4auzdxbc
“I know!~”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNv4Y1VwSh
”That was sarcasm, nuts for brains.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEMF7nMclS
“… It was? But fashion IS fun,” Aella said matter-of-factly. How could Neoma think otherwise? That just didn’t make sense.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2oDllYrRa
”Not Earth fashion.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiaDTzANRo
“Uh-huh,” she said stubbornly. 770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCnrZIzNOQ
”I much prefer my world’s fashion. Less skirt-y.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUbCb49FYq
“Skirts are nice.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpo3d2kHs7F
”Ugh, nope.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHL7YPGc4P
“Yep!~”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMNSvAKWNP
”No, pants and shorts are much more convenient and comfortable.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECmmKzL7So
“But skirts and dresses are prettier.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIABxvvfmqE
”And?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWQlrgkvKRE
“And what?” Aella blinked. 770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuqAsUUlfO
”What use is looking pretty if you can’t do anything while you do?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuCFQBLLPS
“Who says you have to do anything that might ruin your clothes while you look pretty?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yoLh5qBu7
”Because nothing fun comes out of it!”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXMFDGJHuV
“It’s fun to be pretty!”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJ6FmZIJ6O
”I’d rather not.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiK6jr5XIWo
“That’s too bad, then. I like looking pretty.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKg1FqNSpx
"And I really don’t care."770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5v80PzH3l
Aella pouted, and Neoma gave a sly grin.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpd5m7VIRkJ
“… Won’t you have to wear a dress to blend in, though?” The girl suddenly questioned.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmPFZ7abCv
”Shit.” She groaned, hitting her head on the horse’s neck.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJCcqqxuQ8
Aella laughed. “Shut up.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYQ63tQo25
“Sorry…”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeockxOjz3E
She gave some sort of odd hand signal, not raising her head.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqIneYCca3
Aella was still grinning a bit. “I do think you’ll look pretty in a dress, though.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoEaj57kMSH
”I don’t… like dresses….”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAROdSxVGZ
“It’ll be alright… they’re not THAT bad.~”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGArMpPMDy1
”This is coming from Miss Happy-Cheery.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4aFjp5FS4
Aella just grinned wider.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTlptsmHF3
”Not a compliment.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGJgWue8cb
“Sounds like one to me.~”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztfPlkFk54
”Well, it isn’t.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLoCZzx2pH
“Why not? Isn’t being happy and cheerful a good thing?” How confusing.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLw7GDc9Lz
”To you, maybe.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9vsPxajNgT
“Why not to you?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgEOU0dMjN
”I get annoyed easily.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Jat3ucT7u
“… 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…770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGIYsupIXz
”…” Neoma finally raised her head, glaring at her.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwLh7bebHJd
Aella went silent for a moment. Oops. “Sorry.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIuvTKEK92
”No, no…”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPU3MBLMtAD
She gave her a confused look, and Neoma made that hand gesture again. Aella blinked, then looked away to her horse.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJqZB2J4RL
* * * * *770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUFEtnDCAP
Neoma poked a small fire with stick, staying near its heat. “Okay, so do you like fish, by any chance?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFb5IdIIvlG
Aella nodded, brightening considerably. “I like pretty much all seafood.~”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUuebyS4D3
“The next town is a seaside town…” She poked it again, her hand moving over to the fruit.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZR5Sq9nEm
”Oh, yay!~” Towns on the coast were her favorite! Like her home.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPz7oRYrIK
Neoma looked at the girl again. “How old are you?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiWMAdIgdq
”Fifteen, why?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnD28nOZa5n
“Hmm.” She gazed into the fire, then looked to the side. “In your years, I’m 19.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3T5k97jfY5
”My years?” Aella tipped her head curiously. Were her years special or something? Maybe they were longer. Or really short. Or…770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SV2sxgW74
“Human.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEH04KWfyG
Oh. “What kind of years do you use? And how old are you in those?”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNi8hWAxkfk
“For my species, years are nothing. I’m much older in that time.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2R8d2CVLcj
”Wow…” Neoma didn’t look old, but it sounded like she was ancient!770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6Xmd5z680
She nodded slowly.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCIxE3oKLlj
”What about Luna?” Aella wondered.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDipLFz3eC
“Luna is sixteen.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQEUccERQH
”Oh.~” Almost the same age as herself!770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhoqtIEH5f
She nodded again, sliding over the basket. Aella poked around inside it and pulled out a tasty-looking fruit.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bVwJhNKQT
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.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtELXZFzH2
”Shadows can burn?” Aella piped up curiously.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHEDzxqznB
“When they turn into something physical, yes.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmSZ8pWd5j
”… huh.” Whatever that meant.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡru6h8o3WbQ
“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.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzSmSOmPVA
“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.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE15Nppu1bj
”… 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.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EdNVhGQrP
"Woah…" The blonde stared as it got a shadowy look again, and Neoma used her fingernail to start carving something into it. 770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0M3ZYdmV1
"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."770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjKUBCZHnB
”… Uh huh..?” Aella’s head was spinning by then, absolutely confused. She really DID try to pay attention, but…770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjukmjkRHXz
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.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxIrkUyTp0
”But… why?” she asked, trying to sort all of this information out.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkt7BHMxL9C
“It’s only a shadow, Aella.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjUITDmF1Q
”Okay..”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fNgPMwyOa
“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.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjI5xbaknS
”Oh.” That, at least, seemed to make a little more sense…770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvomdzjHzB
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.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoeeIwoLkpD
”Wow… that’s really neat.” Aella’s eyes were wide.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWldKzdSpB
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.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIwFWdS4eo
”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.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jJpRKQ9xh
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.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXz04t0A9M7
"Just… punch it?" Aella tipped her head.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkz1OaXjvy
“Not too hard, just proving a point here.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLlyyxjnwQc
”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.”770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUU0K5sNeR8
"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."770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOY3HRZMp1
"Huh."770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLfYn8opOgv
She nodded. “Fire might crack it.” She pushed down the shield, looking at the shadow ball still sitting in the fire.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRrUJwqsJN
Aella blinked. “Huh,” she repeated.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgBQY6S422
"Now, if you got your hands on a light weapon, you could break it too. A fire one would probably burn your hand, though…"770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXIT5D0IHm
"That’s really interesting.~" Aella hummed, gazing into the fire and the black pit in its center.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6OSQgbUYJ
Neoma nodded, looking at the sky. “The stars here are weird,” she stated unexpectedly.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdLQhaIwQM
"Weird how?" Aella looked at her, blinking.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJwtWwRyjW
"Not in the same places." She shook her head.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWwrPr4oPk
"So it’s different in your world, huh… I’d like to see how they look there."770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbr4LI0PhOT
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.770Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzS9Q6yEHIB
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