Arc 705, 2nd trial of Vhalar
Alex threw her bag onto the small bed she was given, tired and sore. The walk there had tired her more than anything else she remembered doing, and she felt ready to sleep for a month. But Draen was having none of that, and pulled her up, pointing out the features of the small, two room cottage. "There's my room, you've seen your bed, and this is the kitchen." He stated, pulling back the curtain that separated his room from the main area. He led her towards the back door"Now back here is where I work, and you'll work too. Now I hear from Ashley that you know how to make certain kinds of sleeping draughts and pain relief?" He pushed open the back, opening up to a well-lit, and fairly clean, open barn. Cages of varying sizes covered the walls, but all of them were large enough for Alex to fit in. Various animals filled them, and all had some sort of injury. At the far end, it opened up into a medium sized room with various medical and apothecary equipment covering the walls, though much of it was old and well used.
In the centre of the room was a solid wood table, its top scored by thousands of cuts, and stained by Immortals-know-what. The floor was solid stone, as if the room was hewn from a mountainside, but was covered in fresh reeds, giving the room a crisp, clean smell. There appeared to be the basic ingredients she would require to make the various potions he had asked for, and she was relieved. Good, I won't embarrass myself just yet.
He continued, pointing out various medical tools soaking in a clear liquid. "We brew our own disinfectant here from potatoes. Works surprisingly well." They left the barn and he continued explaining. "We house animals here for a while, but the ultimate purpose is to return them to the wild, particularly the rarer species. We also do our best to go out into the forest and monitor movements of animals, to get a rough idea of how many there are." Off to the left of the small house was a garden, overflowing with greens of all kinds. Beside the tangled and overgrown bed, a small shed stood, smoke pouring out of it. A rancid smell came from the tub next to the building, and several pelts hung above it, dripping brackish water.
"We either grow or catch our own food here, and save all the parts. It's been dozens of arcs since I had someone here who knew what to do with the apothecary stuff, so you can have free reign there. I think there are a few old books somewhere in there, and they might be of use. But the main point of you coming here was to learn about the Grey Velox, and study them in person." He shivered all over, and Alex watched in fascination as his form changed, and a Sev'ryn was left in his place. She had never seen the transformation, and it was fascinating to her.
"Well come on then, show me yours." His voice had changed, becoming deeper and more methodical, and a certain gravtias that she hadn't heard before rang out. Alex took off her sweater, and pulled out the threads holding her wing slits together. It took her much longer, having little experience in transitioning. Her parents always forced her to remain in Human form unless absolutely necessary. He waited, patiently as she slowly turned. She felt the tugging begin at her back, the pulling sensation as the wings grew from her shoulders. They snapped out straight, feeling glorious freedom in her feathers. She had only had her wings fully extended once before, and she reveled in the sensation. She didn't even notice the rest of her form changing, but when she looked down she saw the scaly mess that replaced her hands, and she couldn't meet Draen's eyes.
"Hey, look at me." His voice was soft, and she could tell he knew of the struggle she was going through. "You are you. Regardless of form. If you ever wish to be a Grey Velox, you must first be comfortable as yourself."
He straightened, and continued speaking to her as he walked back towards the small cottage. "You need to practice switching forms three times daily. While you're not switching, I want you to stay in the Avriel form, and for god's sake, practice flying. You'll need the muscle development, and I'm fairly certain that you don't know how." Valyeria's cheeks burned as he calmly pointed out her flaws, and she felt incredibly embarrassed. How can he be so nonchalant about that? She began to feel the start of a dislike for the man, but before it could bloom she squashed it. He has what I need. I'm going to be here for the rest of the season anyway, I might as well try to get along with him. She followed him inside, remembering how she first had met him, and snorted at the perception change.
Alex packed her bags, and wished goodbye to her parents before she headed out the front door, and greeted Draen, the tall man with grey hair. He was a Ranger in the North Woods, by Etzos. In particular, he was responsible for healing any animals that hunters would catch accidentally in their traps and leave for dead. He was also Yludih, and one of the people in her parents criminal organization, though Alex didn't know that yet.
He was tall for a human, well over six feet, and he towered over the ten-arc-old. His silvery hair was kept short, and despite only being fifty arcs, his skin was weathered and leathery. He had grown up in Etzos himself, and had apprenticed to a ranger when he was young. His love of the outdoors only grew as he aged, and her parents told her that he knew more than a dozen animal forms. She looked up in wonderment at him, her adoration of him absolute.
Valyeria lay on her bed, awkwardly situated between the cold stove and a counter. She was missing her parents, and she felt their absence like an ache in her chest. She felt a small sob rise up, and she smothered it, refusing the bawl like a baby. Control yourself! She shifted uncomfortably, her wings digging into the bed no matter which way she lay. Her first flight was breathtaking, and she recalled how the forest looked, an ocean of green extending beyond the horizon in all directions.
Even that thought only distracted her momentarily. She rolled onto her back, sighing as she found a tolerable position. How do Avriel manage this? She groggily thought as she slowly faded to dreamland.
