You know. I never understood where the cuteness of a chibi came from. Sure seeing them on a page or a game was adorable in the more childish sense. But it never really occured to me what it would be like if I got to actually hold one.
And I'll tell you. It's as cute as it seems. My palms held a tiny person wrapped in shadowy cloth. The top of her face covered by a vale. Sleeping away in the palm of my hand.
I almost wanted to flip a table and scream why while doting on this tiny lifeform.
But I had other issues. (Sin. What is this?) I asked. Obviously hoping my encyclopedia of all things worldly could understand. But much to my chagrine not so much.
/Not a clue. This entity before you appears to be a piece of Nox. But its purity is much higher than what we ran into with the crystal. If I was to theorize I'd say she may have been the soul shard after it was processed by you. But there is no telling till she has grown more. Perhaps eating more crystals will clear things up further?/
Sin replied questioningly.
I rolled my eyes as I gently cradled this small creature before me. The waters seemed warmer than usual after that. There were little to no tremors in the water and no killing intent or prey to be found. So after an hour or so of swimming about I found my way back to the ship.
It's hull below the surface was lustrous and we'll lacquered. It's red hues seemed to drift through the ocean current as it raced through the waves. The crashing water danced across its wooden exterior as the sails fluttered energetically from the blustering wind.
I lept from the water with great force making a large splash onto the deck. The water flowed from me quickly as my form shifted back to my civilian self. The crew were startled at my first appearance but quickly recognized who I was.
A cabin boy approached me. Looking no more than 14. His hair was the color of straw and unkept. His eyes were a sea green and his body looked thin for his age. His feet were mostly bare and he had the look that he had been cleaning judging by his rolled up sleeves, and the wet knees of his trousers.
He bowed to me quickly. "Cap'n is waiting for you in her quarters sir." He said respectfully.
I nodded as I patted him on the shoulder before walking toward the Captain's Quarters. "Well met boy." I said as I went. I controlled my claws so I didn't scratch the wood on the deck. (What? wood these days is expensive!)
Each step was a little slow and calculated. While to everyone else it looked like a nice and elegant gait*.
I found the Captain's door and knocked loudly before entering. Her desk was covered with maps, bottles, and assorted trinkets as per usual. Her hair was a mess and she was splayed over the chair in unconscious drunkenness. The smell of rum filled the air about the cabin that and the tinge of iron. Blood.
Looking around I found the source.
Ivan. Bloodied and beaten he had obviously been tortured the past few hours for what he knew. I'll be honest. This was impressive. Using my influence on the area I saw within his body. He had been beaten, stabbed, shocked, and had his wounds salted. Every cut and strike hit effecting areas without hurting the lethal areas.
I couldn't help but nod as I sent out a little Pheonix fire to fix him up.
I couldn't have him bleed to death before he could answer for his crimes. And this healing method wasn't the most pleasant thing either. He grunted with gritted teeth as the fire entered his body through a wound on his left shoulder.
A sizzling sound filled the air along side smoke as it went to work. But even as the fire burned every wound and bruise began to sew themselves back together. Slowly and painfully it worked on him.
Amanda looked at me with a slightly raised eyebrow.
Watching the healing process was a bit of a shock to a person who knew little of fire magic as it was. Amanda had little talent for it and as a child always dreamed of wielding such powers.
Unfortunately her connection to the elements was nowhere near enough to use magic. And as rare as that was she was bullied and scorned by many. Some had even made attempts on her life.
But her love for magic remained through all these years. And now her thoughts turned to a possible chance to change her fate. Possibly even break the limit she had had placed on her from birth.
As I turned to Amanda I saw a slight sparkle fill her eyes as she saw the pheonix fire. And it wasn't just awe from what I could tell. It was sadness.
Curious I extended my influence some and found something shocking to me.
"You... have no magic. No... not even mana veins. How?" I asked as my face turned to one of shock.
Amanda bit her bottom lip a bit as she walked back to her desk and pulling out a bottle. "Let's just say that the gods felt I wasn't fit for magic when I was born. So my love of watching such is... fascinating." Her face was slightly flushed from alcohol but I could tell she was thinking straight.
I could already understand her thoughts. I might have lived a very short time. but thanks to the shades my mind was aged hundreds of years more than hers. Wisdom is often found with age as they say.
"You seek a connection to magic. But sadly I know no way to do so. My medical abilities are simple and incomplete." I said as I sat across from her.
"But what I want isn't a simple yes or no." Amanda said as she stood up with her eyes brimming with vigor.
"I read a long time ago that God's could change people. Curse or blessing doesn't matter. I care not for my humanity. If only to wield even a little magic. I would pay the price." She said as she bowed low to the ground. Ivan was still unconscious which saved me having to knock him out to save any of her remaining pride.
"Not to be greedy. But everything demands a price. So what would I gain from this? You already swore to serve me for four years after my help. So what else can I gain in exchange for granting you power?" My voice rumbled through the cabin.
Her body did not change. Not even a shake or shiver. "Whatever you wish. I have no family, friend, or attachment to this world save the waves of the sea and my soul." She said with her face inches from the floor.
I let out a low and slow breath. "Then the exchange for it has been decided." I stood and approached her. "Your payment. Has already been recieved." I said as I cut her shoulder with a claw and my palm at the same moment before placing the two together.
"I warn you though. This will hurt." I rumbled out as a sizzling sound and smoke filled the air.
The captain suddenly collapsed to the ground as Her shoulder sizzled and smoked. My palm was already steaming and healing closed. Stifled screams and grunts of pain escaped her mouth as she shoved a piece of wood between her jaws.
Amanda's body writhed on the ground as my blood took hold. Her shirt tore apart revealing her chest wrap. A set of bulbous boils rose on her back seeming to bear something within. Something wanting out.
Her skin broke in places revealing scales piercing through around her shoulders, hips, and forehead. But the wounds quickly healed as the scales took their place. No horns grew from her forehead which I found interesting.
The boils on her back erupted into bright colorful wings that fell limply to the floor. The wet mucous clinging to them forming pools about her
.
Her feet elongated and formed scale covered claws as her toes deformed and changed.
Amanda's eyes had remained closed the entire time as she struggled and writhed. Suddenly opening to reveal deep ice blue eyes the color of Arctic waters. Full of focus and energy. An unbending will as it was. Her mouth opened revealing canines that had grown almost an inch in length as a mighty roar was unleashed.
Her frame fell completely to the floor where it steamed mightily as all her wounds sealed closed and the transformation reached completion. I slowly stood up and reached for the door. A cabin boy stood outside nervously wringing his hands.
"Boy." I said startling him from his thoughts. "Y-yes Sir!" He shouted.
"Bring me a large platter with every meat, veggie, and bread you have. The captain is hungry." I said looking him in the eyes.
He soluted and ran off below deck. And he was fast bringing back the food bowed when he handed it to me and ran off once more obviously feeling very sheepish over what happened.
I couldn't help but shake my head and bring the food inside.
I placed the food before the captain on the floor. Her breathes came in gasps and the pain had obviously subsided as she laid there. Eventually she let out a sigh of relief as a slight glow filled her body.
Some will ask why I transformed her so harshly from the robust human she was? Why didn't I just make some mana veins for her body?
The answer is that her body wouldn't have been able to take it if I just gave her mana veins. As they are something that people adapt to and are born with. It makes sense that I would have to force her body to accept foreign mana by creating an entirely new environment for it to survive. Her body aged and refined without mana would have exploded if suddenly forced to store it.
So reinforcing her organs and cells with my blood and energy was a sure way to do so without that risk. As this way I could build her mana veins and her resistance to mana so she wouldn't suffer from mana poisoning*. It also came with little cost or threat to her own life.
Even if she passed out and almost died Pheonix fire could heal and keep her from death even if her body went into shock. So this method was best in my opinion. Not to mention having a little beast blood would help her to instinctively understand basic magic use. That and Demi humans have a better storage capacity for mana than normal humans.
The glow subsided as Amanda's eyes opened once more. The scent of food reached her nose and she reached for the platter. Only to see it grow legs and start walking away from her.
Obviously this got her hungry, angry, and tired mind firing. She reached out her hand as a glow filled it and water tendrils shot forth wrapping around the platter and dragging it back to her where she hungrily ate her meal.
After she sat up having eaten, she suddenly froze as she realized what she had done. She held up her hand and another small water tendril formed from the floor. It waved with her hand movements as tears began to flow down her face. A happy smile tracing across her lips as a small giggle escaped from her.
I had already returned to my quarters by then. My move with the "platter growing legs" was to make sure she could function. I didn't expect her to use magic off the bat though. The ability to sense the world slowly retreated back to my body as I rocked in my hammock and I fell into a satisfied slumber.
[Gait is how a person walks. Leisurely, hurriedly, or otherwise calmly.
Mana Poisoning is an instance where the body of a person accepts too much magic into it at once and tries to absorb it. But the body ends up not being able to handle it causing extreme pain, burning, and otherwise bursting of said parts trying to absorb it all.]