Neoma lightly nudged Aella with her foot. “Hey. Wake up.” 662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4a487iWbAJ
Aella twitched and yawned. “Mm?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMVmeaDVt2
"Come on. Or I will flip you into a pool of water." She nudged her again.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zKZd2Anj6
Aella’s eyes flashed open. “I’m up!”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfLXSxAZlv
"Except we have no water around," Luna pointed out.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xYofZ6KNu
"…" Aella looked around. As Luna said, not so much as a puddle in their immediate area. "Oh."662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHbCzAPkaN
Luna giggled. “You’ll learn when and when not to fall for her tricks.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAy31KtH73f
Neoma shrugged, getting up on her horse. “Don’t eat too much, we need that food.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvkLBzsk1l
Aella laughed along with Luna, and slowly got up. Wow, she was sore…662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46vRW2Puby
Luna paused in her laughter. “But….but I wanna go hunting,” she whined.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQpzYYbidPH
"Luna, what can you catch out here?"662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCp7YNfErtD
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…662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUNLrrrhe9y
"Um…."662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TWKPOghnS
"Exactly." 662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRrPCEp5G3
Aella pulled herself up onto her horse. “Didn’t know you hunted.~”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhf08tS4tw
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?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlvhX82PFp
"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!662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5F77Cfm61T
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.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQXR1ms7cI
"How far do you think we’ll get today?~"662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKvLELrCWx
The elemental shrugged, looking down at the shadowy horse.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqzuq8z1r9
She let it drop and started humming absently, gazing up at the sky.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqZFgFFnnw
"….What do you want to know?" Neoma finally asked, after about 20 minutes of silence.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSagNMFRt1B
"I wanna know a lot of stuff!" she said enthusiastically. Neoma was actually OFFERING to answer her questions? This was wonderful!662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8t16aMrn8
"Well, ask away."662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdXnsdfd2X
"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?"662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OyiL19DIZ
"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."662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdAl9Ka8lC
"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?"662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvjsNdqDQW
"I guess. She assists with my fighting, magic, and so on. And no."662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKec3RCx3sH
Aella made a face at the last one. “Aw.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6zZIEWVyy7
"What else?" Neoma finally looked over at her, and her face brightened further at this.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3vAy12Kfc
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?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenRCMtsUtC
She glanced over at Luna. “Yes. Not a lot.” 662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuqDoxpsC0
Aella tipped her head. “What DO you know?” she wondered. 662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTSfEHAjhR
"The name implies a lot. And I guess silver hurts them?"662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qeIrV0Jcr
"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.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqZ2aereD4
Neoma nodded. “Anything else?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQILwcD47y
Aella hesitated. “Why are we going to France?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XJjqgjuKZ
"So Luna and I can go home."662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzU2jYjmyz
"Is your home that way?"662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FNT7mniom
"Hm…you can say that." Neoma frowned. "…Well. Have you heard of these things… they’re called dimension ties."662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCvjS9AYM1
"… huh?" Her expression went completely blank, and her mind matched.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoIbNLH0ji
"That’s what we call them, I don’t know your word for it." She patted her horse for a second.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHOwoNraac4
”What exactly are they?” she asked, utterly confused.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5o4IhPBt1Z
”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.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUaPtxSN9k
Oh, she was zoning out. Not that what Neoma was saying made much sense, but it was rude to stop listening!662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyVjI63R6F
”…Earth. Do you think it’s the only place with life forms?!”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKwjTWywmm
”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?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBYqmh03uD
She nodded. “Yeah, part of it.” Luna looked up, tilting her head for a moment, then gave a purr, making Aella inwardly squeal.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFE4RXbpCnN
"Will I ever get the chance to see it?"662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14tlyn1vPZ
"You might," She looked up, "if we ever GET THERE."662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAzgkLGeMG
”Yay!~”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fbHKukteM
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?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnNVb8gB4A
”Mm?” Aella looked over at her. “Pretty normal, I guess. Middle-class family, lived in a pretty coastal town in England…”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRaBXAArLZS
“…. Middle class….” She tilted her head a little, like she had no idea what she was talking about. “You were poor, then?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFVRb97BFg
Aella giggled. “No, we weren’t poor. We just didn’t have as much money as all the really rich people, like the royalty.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjP0TVXZrKl
“Oh.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6VS8DH0iV
”Mhm.” Aella smiled absently and returned to stroking her horse.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBjh76UjB7
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. 662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6vJbUe5V7
”… huh?” Aella looked back over at her. What could she possibly be apologizing for? They were both being so nice to her…662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyCHo2XT8n
"I’m not good with people." She shrugged. "So, sorry."662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtrIE0lOhiD
“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?662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLcRTiXLth
She nodded, looking to the side again. “… Thanks.” Aella just grinned at her new friend.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqQ9z6hlr4
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.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRleHrDx55
”I’m boooored,” Aella drawled after a minute or so.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDab5G9TjE
Neoma looked up. “What do you want to do then?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9A3d11ydu
She gave the question some serious thought. “Dunno. What’s there to do?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdwNvJtkYW
”We are riding on horses. What IS THERE to do?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaumaKryN3k
“…. Dunno?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsiZGWrskR
She grumbled a bit, then sighed. “I dont know, either.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxAMOwGBQ2
”Aww.” Aella sighed. “So we’re gonna be bored until we get somewhere?” That sounded… boring.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡomBEC9jsPB
”I think so. Yeah.” Neoma glared at Luna, who was trying to hop off the horse.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9CSk1ottJa
Aella groaned and thunked her head dramatically on the horse’s neck (said horse just snorted). This could take FOREVER!662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4V9rCxSn0
“Oh, calm down, its not that bad.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzocDBd1jL
“… Fine.” She pouted.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BQSyQrEpX
Neoma looked off to the side, following along the road, while Aella started humming quietly to herself. Neoma watched the other, then looked away.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn46L02Y1Vq
It wasn’t long before Aella was shifting restlessly again.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KIKzjhxea
"You’re bored again, aren’t you?" Neoman had shifted postions by then, laying with her arms around the horse’s neck.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUS8JxGoNdr
"Maaaybe."662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxYMvXiKtf
”It’s in your body language. You’re acting fidgety, so either you’re nervous or bored.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5Y0xZLMsa
“… Okay, bored.” Wow, Neoma was smart!662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fK5E6VDRD
She rolled her eyes. “Well, you can continue to ask questions, I guess. It’s almost sunset, give it an hour or two.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UuGKxD7dY
“Okay~”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsMo7Xc0J6R
After a long drawn out silence, Neoma stated, “At least France and England aren’t at war?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7vfHZWDtR
”That wouldn’t be fun,” she agreed.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ZrjMIcCOA
"War isnt an easy thing, no matter your social status."662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0aqHWKHgv4
Aella shook her head with a slight frown. “Mom says it’s really awful.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYA0XUcjDt
She looked ahead. “England and France go to war a lot, dont they?” She asked this quickly, glancing aside.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6gmw4vuujL
She nodded. “Yeah… why?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZjcaD3Dl0
”Just making sure I was right.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxA5nhnIjP4
“Oh.~ Well, you are!”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWvgtNaNe2
Neoma looked at the girl. “We need to blend in with the locals, though.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kJeMo4brZ
She frowned. “Um… Okay. How exactly do we do that?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIA86pYPIM
”Fashion.” Neoma had a hint of a smirk on her face, and tilted her head a bit. “Which is ALWAYS fun…”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36BdNNjQ3H
“I know!~”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWmyVCmmV7
”That was sarcasm, nuts for brains.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYtcI2dKio
“… It was? But fashion IS fun,” Aella said matter-of-factly. How could Neoma think otherwise? That just didn’t make sense.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMw8iohfbJe
”Not Earth fashion.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGNADq0Co7
“Uh-huh,” she said stubbornly. 662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoTS3T2ARUC
”I much prefer my world’s fashion. Less skirt-y.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3bhyqJf5C
“Skirts are nice.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEv8QkUsEy
”Ugh, nope.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUd4xIdjBuo
“Yep!~”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrs8FkJDDL9
”No, pants and shorts are much more convenient and comfortable.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyodL2HqkK9
“But skirts and dresses are prettier.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqVdkuOBuu
”And?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpgMPIak3H
“And what?” Aella blinked. 662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVU5q81euyt
”What use is looking pretty if you can’t do anything while you do?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbCCXUyo5Bx
“Who says you have to do anything that might ruin your clothes while you look pretty?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjhq9c4bQe
”Because nothing fun comes out of it!”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxyHLP0XXVX
“It’s fun to be pretty!”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDY6dDEXUu
”I’d rather not.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwXlAezk3D
“That’s too bad, then. I like looking pretty.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPWcsoyBru
"And I really don’t care."662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2HtTUr6q0
Aella pouted, and Neoma gave a sly grin.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ5IiNG0Z2b
“… Won’t you have to wear a dress to blend in, though?” The girl suddenly questioned.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSL8wSCIgru
”Shit.” She groaned, hitting her head on the horse’s neck.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlcvgttXon
Aella laughed. “Shut up.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWMU0SnPqO
“Sorry…”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0ggF5CzoM
She gave some sort of odd hand signal, not raising her head.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQh2ilOrUB
Aella was still grinning a bit. “I do think you’ll look pretty in a dress, though.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNN8T9AsD51
”I don’t… like dresses….”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHDPDXqqyw
“It’ll be alright… they’re not THAT bad.~”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC42p3hxUp3
”This is coming from Miss Happy-Cheery.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatnNkFov7f
Aella just grinned wider.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiE14OUOhk2
”Not a compliment.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EvqYA6J5i
“Sounds like one to me.~”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJyu7CLGjL5
”Well, it isn’t.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2X2UEOPYKj
“Why not? Isn’t being happy and cheerful a good thing?” How confusing.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXmIiQ4ffa
”To you, maybe.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVt4IC9qQP
“Why not to you?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0WkNI3qMrE
”I get annoyed easily.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcnxb1q7vfV
“… 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…662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDHj4ZRJ82
”…” Neoma finally raised her head, glaring at her.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6Dguh1xD3
Aella went silent for a moment. Oops. “Sorry.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOuT3tnme9x
”No, no…”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jf2fwskBt
She gave her a confused look, and Neoma made that hand gesture again. Aella blinked, then looked away to her horse.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVj9uwWO6c
* * * * *662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZmFYL2MlC
Neoma poked a small fire with stick, staying near its heat. “Okay, so do you like fish, by any chance?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnUyRxKe5v
Aella nodded, brightening considerably. “I like pretty much all seafood.~”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuNRBeqp2X
“The next town is a seaside town…” She poked it again, her hand moving over to the fruit.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0yXKxaV37
”Oh, yay!~” Towns on the coast were her favorite! Like her home.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUnVhGVQU7b
Neoma looked at the girl again. “How old are you?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQyuyLoOvX
”Fifteen, why?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9StXxvaOr
“Hmm.” She gazed into the fire, then looked to the side. “In your years, I’m 19.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUACZ9tK2cb
”My years?” Aella tipped her head curiously. Were her years special or something? Maybe they were longer. Or really short. Or…662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTpXlI9Slq
“Human.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxqN3jNZJu
Oh. “What kind of years do you use? And how old are you in those?”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulZTgKxPSO
“For my species, years are nothing. I’m much older in that time.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01JdJKFE04
”Wow…” Neoma didn’t look old, but it sounded like she was ancient!662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeqoHPtJlNM
She nodded slowly.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFtzqbyxnz
”What about Luna?” Aella wondered.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZFT0HmK2fR
“Luna is sixteen.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKpGfJT80r
”Oh.~” Almost the same age as herself!662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJzCFx0Cm6U
She nodded again, sliding over the basket. Aella poked around inside it and pulled out a tasty-looking fruit.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kRz6jwELi
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.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUKsqJajra
”Shadows can burn?” Aella piped up curiously.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvcRhlIxdWT
“When they turn into something physical, yes.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjcYFAXgeM
”… huh.” Whatever that meant.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBfUHkx086
“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.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUfYWn5oL0
“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.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNMNQLW7R8
”… 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.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYINDWYugY
"Woah…" The blonde stared as it got a shadowy look again, and Neoma used her fingernail to start carving something into it. 662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOk1apM4eA5
"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."662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6r5EHlnoB
”… Uh huh..?” Aella’s head was spinning by then, absolutely confused. She really DID try to pay attention, but…662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWYd6aAGJ4
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.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kgWWcZg16
”But… why?” she asked, trying to sort all of this information out.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRMXsje1nl
“It’s only a shadow, Aella.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnM0mMLkzeB
”Okay..”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX04HMNLLvc
“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.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Gkpahdp6v
”Oh.” That, at least, seemed to make a little more sense…662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheBTtUBSCR
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.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcIvD4I2IlF
”Wow… that’s really neat.” Aella’s eyes were wide.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHw3niWs7Mz
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.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1pPHZVYFe
”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.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9z2tLbkQD7
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.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDu6yDbWuEt
"Just… punch it?" Aella tipped her head.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUL1Y9hyRTL
“Not too hard, just proving a point here.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhENBAyhZF
”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.”662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAerLjVz1H
"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."662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl68iGtZMz4
"Huh."662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDR7m5t1WV
She nodded. “Fire might crack it.” She pushed down the shield, looking at the shadow ball still sitting in the fire.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUuQWjbEiC
Aella blinked. “Huh,” she repeated.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILEhvQmSFJ
"Now, if you got your hands on a light weapon, you could break it too. A fire one would probably burn your hand, though…"662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTowfaEEzpr
"That’s really interesting.~" Aella hummed, gazing into the fire and the black pit in its center.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡri3aZYNg4S
Neoma nodded, looking at the sky. “The stars here are weird,” she stated unexpectedly.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVuOR7DoSl
"Weird how?" Aella looked at her, blinking.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCR0rG1fwAP
"Not in the same places." She shook her head.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3ZLoPszsO
"So it’s different in your world, huh… I’d like to see how they look there."662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbchSflz95M
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.662Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvUQqsSxvW
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