Ash 60th
A haze hung over the woods, critters jittering in the afternoon dreary. Alphonse sat upon a fallen log, feeling out of sorts. She'd lost. She'd failed her mission to cleanse Nivenhain of Dranoch, and she feared retribution. Further, she'd been worn down and broken, wounded and forced to flee with her tail between her legs, and her deepest friend Vesta had shown her the folly that lay in her beliefs in a manner that left the Rathor broken. At the same time, Vesta had admitted to her that they had a bond, and Alphonse was torn between whether to accept or reject being tied to someone she had so much enmity for.
Vesta had been there for Alphonse, dozens of times.
On the other hand, the woman had manipulated her. Much of her life was puppeteered by Vesta's strings, and striking this deal with her meant her power over Alphonse would only grow. Some part of Alphonse knew this inherently, and bucked it, and yet she could not throw away the offer of Kinship, either.
The outcome? Vesta had shown her a profound feeling. A certain freedom, which she now craved like a drug. The freedom to simply be, to not dance to the tune of gods nor the men and women who ruled this world. Now she could feel nature, just as she could feel Irothar and Veravend. Her connection to Malek felt muted by contrast, an afterthought nurtured by the constant, ever-present burn of her Beacon.
"Alphonse, how are you feeling?" came an inquisitive voice, but to Alphonse the sentiment felt cheap; she was sure the woman could read minds.
"I'm... confused. I'm just, going through a lot, okay?" bristled Alphonse, brushing over the back of her head with a big hand and combing the fur with her claws. "I don't know what to think anymore."
"Then how about a lesson?" smiled the cat in a most unsettlingly wide grin.
"Yeah, I don't know--okay, fine? What for?" questioned Alphonse.
"That Rune I gave you," said Vesta with a pause. "We should study the animals of these woods. You must Imprint upon a variety of creatures, and you must learn to do so by adhering to the foundational principles of the magic. Do you wish to hear them?"
Alphonse sighed, leaning forward with an elbow on one knee. Her tail flicked with agitation. "Yeah, yeah, I'm listenin' you old wort." Her eyes cast astray, but as Vesta spoke, the words still lingered in her mind.
"Mmh, hmm," Vesta hawed.
"And what use is there to turning into an animal anyway?" groused Alphonse. "I'll be weak and tiny."
"Pipe down and listen," Vesta snapped. "Have some patience, or your petulance will see you learning these lessons on your own, over years! Animus is much more than turning into an animal, you will find." She waved her hand. "To answer your question, Animus can be used to alter and improve upon your own biology. Some animals see things in a different way. Some can fly, and some can breathe in the water, and that is just scratching at the surface of what possibilities this will offer you. It is how I, someone not so apt for the wilderness, can survive out here. By shrinking your mass to that of a bird, you need not eat as much, and the possibilities of what you can eat to survive grow exponentially in variety. Furthermore, by adapting appendages and additions to your own body, you can improve upon your own biology. Better, stronger, faster."
Alphonse felt cowed by the small woman's terse voice. "Tsch, you've got it, crone." It left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she had to listen. She knew full well dabbling in arcana without any kind of training was a danger in itself.
Vesta peered at Alphonse, matching gazes with the tyrant. "...Before you may even exhibit the traits of an animal, let alone fully assume its shape and identity, you must learn Synchrony with everything that animal is."
"Pah," Alphonse groused, sitting tall with her back straight as a board. Her tail lashed, and she pointed at the elderly Rathor. "Spare me the philosophicals, tell me exactly what I need to do."
Vesta shrugged. "Alphonse, you need to trust me. Listen to what I have to say, and when we are done here, you are welcome to prance off down your own path like the wild, petulant child you are. Would you rather keel over and die than be a little grateful?"
The larger Rathor's jaw tightened. "Fine," she said. Vesta hit on a really good point: Alphonse didn't trust her. Not one bit. "I'll play along, I guess. You gave me the Rune already, so I might as well. I just, still don't see how this is going to help me. I don't fly away from my problems."
"If you had wings, Alphonse, you wouldn't have that sickly wound upon your belly," Vesta pointed out.
"At least I have clothes," Alphonse bit back. Vesta was indeed nude, having flown to the wilderness with nothing. For the first time in her life, Alphonse witnessed a truly rare spectacle: Vesta was silent, robbed of a comeback.
Vesta's eyes lidded, a long and deep sigh wafting from her lungs. "Synchrony is important. Without it, your mind will be clouded by instinct as you express the traits of an animal. Synchrony can be achieved through expression of that animal, to understand where its instincts pull, and with that knowledge, to resist." She waited for Alphonse to acknowledge her.
Alphonse understood a sliver of what was just said, but nodded along in defeat. "Go on," she said.
"Every species of animal is different. It will take time to adapt to every new form you take," said Vesta.
Alphonse shrugged. "I think I've got it, I don't know."
Walking around Alphonse, Vesta gazed up into the trees. "You'll get it in time. My goal now is to teach you the theory. Practical matters... they will be left up to you in your own time."
"Okayyyy..." muttered Alphonse.
"Building off of Synchrony, Immersion is a concept I suspect you will struggle with," began the old hag. "To truly become an animal, you must immerse yourself into the life processes of that creature. It is a sense of empathy for the creature. Rathor and those who live among them have an inherent edge, for we must navigate a society of differing primal instincts and Purposes. This is a similar approach. Immersion unlike Synchrony is not how to move within the body, but rather the physical, habitual, and emotional being of the animal."
"Sounds like gobbledygook to me," admitted Alphonse. "Is it similar to when you gave me the Rune?"
"Yes, although the Rune is an extreme, forced case. Immersion will require effort on your part," said Vesta.
"Is that all? I think that's enough for one day," said Alphonse, crossing her arms and rolling her neck.
"No, have patience," said Vesta with a firm glare. "We must cover Ethology next." Alphonse fell silent, so Vesta continued. "Ethology is when... your mindset affects Synchrony. As you are Rakura Rathor, you will be a good match for aggressive and territorial animals, as you exhibit these traits naturally. You will struggle even taking the proper form of a bird, for flightiness is not within the domain of your personality."
"So why even bother, if it's gonna be more work?" grunted Alphonse.
"It gets easier. I am able to understand the ethos of several families of animal, and so I utilize each of their forms and can draw reference from many sources of mindsets. I encourage you to do the same, Alphonse."
"Yeah, yeah, so what's next?" pestered Alphonse. Her claws dug into the grass between her legs. She could barely sit still.
"Erm, just something to say on weight. If you morph into a much heavier or lighter creature than your original size, you may begin to overstep your boundaries. Given your large height, it may be some time before you can take the form of a smaller bird such as a raven, but perhaps a large condor from the mountains shall be a more fluid change. If you try to transcend your capabilities without care, you will certainly risk destruction of the original self, which is a very real danger to Animus--it may be safer to utilize this magic sooner than later, as the consequences for abusing it are some of the worst I have been made aware of." Vesta inhaled. "Phaw, I could have done better explaining that in fewer words, but do you understand, Alphonse?"
Alphonse grumbled, and nodded. "I don't push myself too hard with my other Runes either. I'm ...afraid," she admitted. "It gives me the creeps just using the stuff sometimes. Is that all? Can I get some sleep, now?" grumbled Alphonse.
Vesta shook her head. "No, we should gather you your first Template, by hunting an animal and observing it. Rabbits and birds will be easiest to find in this area--I saw many while waiting for you as a raven."
"Wouldn't a wolf be better, or somethin'?" huffed Alphonse. "I thought you just said, tiny animals like that're pointless."
Taking hold of a pebble from the dirt, Vesta started tossing it up and down in her little bald paw. "They will be useful to learn with until more suitable Templates can be acquired, and the challenge will help you grow. Alphonse, if you train only with easy forms, then you will be very limited as a practitioner of Animus, and you will struggle to understand creatures that may represent the aspects of many different creatures. It is imperative that you expand your horizons, so-to-speak." Tilting her head to the east, Vesta summoned Alphonse. "Let's go. You've had plenty of time to rest."
"I thought you'd never run out of things to say," said Alphonse as she threw her weight forward and stood, slinging a backpack over her shoulders and fetching her scabbard. The pair of them started trudging off into the woods. "So, I think I'd rather a bird than a rabbit?"
"The ravens here are very similar to those across the world," said Vesta. "They also do not run or hide when in plain sight."
It did not take long at all with the pair peering up into the dead, twisted oaks before a black lump up in the branches caught both their eyes. Vesta did not bother lowering her voice. "There it is. Stare at it, feel the animal until you form a link with it. This is called Imprinting."
Bending over the branches, the raven honked and flapped its wings, warning the pair of predatory creatures below unnerving it. For now, it remained at rest.
Looking up at the black-feathered bird, Alphonse did feel something of a connection, and as she focused on that feeling, the connection rippled to life. She took a sharp breath, pondering over the sudden feelings. The seconds began to tick onward, and Alphonse could feel the being of what was a Raven being drawn into her through a series of feelings and impulses, the confusing sensation personable and bizarre, to her. Before long, the sensation departed, and Alphonse felt numb, a very different presence somewhere within inherently accessible and foreign.
"Now you must immerse yourself in what you can observe. For a novice, this will take time," said Vesta. "See how it preens its feathers to clean itself, how it grips the branches with its talons, and how it feels threatened by our presence? Imagine living as this creature, based on what you see."
Alphonse nodded, paying attention with a patient, feline focus. Every little movement, she studied, and the minute rolled on. Eventually the bird grew nervous, and began to fly. The Rathor witnessed how it leaned forward, the puff of its chest as it uttered a loud "kaw!" and unfurled its wings. The way its wings scooped at the air as it flew hinted to her mind at the complexity of this bird, and by the time it left her sight entirely, she had a pretty good idea of a raven. She turned to Vesta. "So are we done here?"
Vesta nodded. "Now you must explore the art of Integration in your own time. I would suggest mastering the Raven and learning to turn into it before considering larger animals."
Alphonse blinked. "So...? We're gonna go? Finally."
"What providence it should be that my most accomplished student is the least well mannered, hm?" bit back Vesta. "Maybe I'll enroll you at Nardothis in Daravin. They'll hone your metal."
"Pah," spat Alphonse as they trudged through the cold woods. "Can't afford it. Waste 'uh time."
"You may just be my most hopeless student, all the same," replied Vesta in a quick jab.
