Spellbinder Notes (Day 17)

Species (according to Ursa):

17) Shapeshifters

- Shapeshifters are human with ability to change into animals

- Origins of the shapeshifting skills is unknown

o Some think it came from survival modes

o Some think came from cross-breeding with animal gods/spirits

o Some think it is an evolutionary ability

§ ? – did they evolve from animals or are humans that evolved animal abilities?

- Most common shapeshifters are avian and lupine

o Where werewolf myths come from

o Contrary to myths, shapeshifters do no become blood thirsty animals or lose their ability to think as they always did

§ So if they are vicious when in animal form, that's just who they are…lovely

- Most shapeshifts immigrated to Taikaa after the split to escape persecution in the human world

o ? – does that mean some still live in our world?

"Great," Osiris sighed inside Chenoa's mind. "Look what you let happen?"

"What happened?" Chenoa asked, confused and disorientated.

She stood in her own mind, looking around. Osiris stood next to her, but otherwise everything was dark. While she could move around, she knew that it was only in her own mind. Her physical body was stone still.

"We have been bound and blinded so we are stuck in here until it is lifted. How could you not see that coming? I mean you know that pretty boy wasn't going to kill you. Not that he could. I have felt a fraction of your power and his is nowhere close to yours."

"What are you talking about?"

"Never mind. This sucks. I can't even explore your memories while we wait."

"What?"

Osiris paced circles around her. She watched him still dazed and confused. Finally, he leaned against one of the black walls that surrounded them and just stared at her. Slowly a smile crept back into place.

"You know you are much prettier in here than out there."

"Huh?"

Chenoa looked down and saw her skin was a dark, earth red, very similar to Cor's color. Her hair hung down in luscious waves of black. Her feet were bare and she wore a simple cream colored tunic that was lashed in the middle by a braided rope of red.

"What the hell?"

"Your true self. With the outer part and mental-you bound, you can be the real-you with no inhibitors. And I must say you are gorgeous."

Approaching her swiftly, Osiris ran his fingers through her dark hair. Chenoa, stunned by his quick movement, did not react. Biting his lower lip, Osiris stroked her hair again.

"I have always been a fan of darker beauties though."

"Don't touch me!" Chenoa snarled, knocking his hand away from her.

In a flash he grabbed her wrist and kissed the inside of her forearm. Struggling, Chenoa curled her lip in disgust as he kissed up her arm. If this was just their mental beings, why did she feel his lips as if it were all real?

"The mental is just as real as the physical," Osiris murmured as if he knew what she was thinking, which, Chenoa realized, he probably did. "The only difference is physical memories and scars, they fade away, but mental are permanent. You can bury them deep, yet they will always haunt you."

Throwing Chenoa to the ground, Osiris fell to the black floor, his arms pinning her down. Chenoa did not know what was wrong with her. She felt weak and helpless. Never in her life did she feel less in control.

"You humans only practice physical strength, so mentally you are a weakling. I could do whatever I want, and you would not be able to stop me at this point. If you ever wish to give me a real challenge, Chenoa, you must start strengthening your mind."

Lowering he traced his lips against hers, but he was right. Mentally she had the strength of a babe. It was unfair. She had all this power, but she couldn't even use it to protect herself.

"You'll never be able to use your powers if you are this mentally weak. Power is about strength of mind and body. If one or the other is weak, your powers will consume it."

He kissed her neck, humming to himself. Licking his lips, Osiris smiled to himself. He was going to do nothing more than tease her. Osiris wanted her at her best and strongest. Then he could feed off her strength. Right now her fear was pleasure enough. Women were always so scared about their virtues.

"You taste nice," he told her, licking the space between her breasts. "I can't wait to taste more."

"No!" Chenoa gasped, feebly trying to fight back.

"You are so cute when you think you have a choice. It just makes me want to kiss you."

Locking his lips onto Chenoa, Osiris kissed her. The kiss was not passionate but it was long. Long enough for him to feel the spark of her power as her body surged in fear. Yes, fear would bring her power forth, but if she was not mentally strong enough it would destroy her and Osiris would lose out. Pulling away, he stood up and walked to a wall where a door suddenly appeared.

"While I would love to wait for their painful exorcism to begin, I think I must be leaving," he smiled, blowing her a kiss before he opened the door and disappeared.

At that same time Chenoa heard a sweet voice talking to her.

"Chenoa, I have unbound your ears so you can hear me. I am going to place an amulet around your neck. Do not burn it off. It will help keep him out of your mind."

A cooling presence appeared on Chenoa's chest. She looked down and saw a silver spiral appear there. Fingering it, Chenoa felt stronger and more in control. Taking a deep breath, Chenoa nodded to herself.

The voice spoke again to her.

"Ve are going to unbind you, please remain calm."

Light flooded her vision so that Chenoa had to lift her arms to protect her eyes. Slowly she headed towards the light, knowing it was her way out. Blinking Chenoa sat up in real life. Her body was stiff but working. Lustig, Lieben and the beautiful priestess looked at her with genuine concern. Lustig's face was puffy from crying; Lieben's forehead was creased with concern, but Priesterin smiled pleasantly at Chenoa.

"I vas right in guessing he had already left us then," Priesterin said knowingly. "I figured he vould not vant to undergo an exorcism."

"Yes, he left moments before you unbound my ears," Chenoa confirmed, touching poor Lustig's face with her hand. "I am sorry, Lustig. I hope you are okay."

"I am fine. I vas just scared," Lustig forced a smile, though her body still trembled.

"Vhat or vho did that to you, Senoa?" Lieben asked gruffly.

"Uh…"

"It must have been a very poverful TruthSeeker," Priesterin answered with a crooked smile.

"TruthSeekers cannot possess people," Lieben protested.

"They can if they have SoulEater blood in them and if they have accidently absorbed some of your pover."

"Vhat?"

"The first time he pried into my mind, he pulled at some symbol. It tore and he got struck by some of my power," Chenoa said, hanging her head in an unexplainable shame.

Shaking her head as if it was exactly as she expected, Priesterin touched Chenoa's arm compassionately. Confused still, Lieben looked between the two. Lustig chose to nod her head as if she understood, but it was all beyond her as well.

"Unfortunately, you and this man are bound together for now, until your pover is extracted from him," Priesterin explained, her fingers resting on the amulet that hung around Chenoa's neck. "Yet this vill allow you to stay in control. He vill still be able to enter, but he vill not be able to stay for a long period of time or control your body anymore."

"Will he be able to touch me?" Chenoa asked, blushing scarlet.

"Only a little. Due to your connection, I cannot stop him from touching you, but he vill not be able to reach you everywhere unless you let him."

"Touch her? Vhat is she talking about?" Lieben broke in.

"It is a woman thing, my son."

Looking put out, Lieben frowned, but did not push the subject. Lustig and Priesterin helped Chenoa stand up on her shaking legs. Her body felt weak and overspent, but she was grateful to have her mind to herself. Lustig held Chenoa's hand gently. The watch they had been play fighting over lay forgotten in Lustig's pocket.

"Lustig, help her walk around so she can regain her strength," Priesterin ordered.

Lustig complied with no comment, leading Chenoa out of the large priestess tent. Watching her for a moment, neither Lieben nor his mater spoke. Finally, Priesterin turned grimly to her son.

"You must take her to Taikaa, my son," she said as if they were finishing a previous conversation.

"I must?" Lieben was surprised. In his years on the earth, Lieben had only seen three people pass through Portae and actually leave into a different world.

"There is something reminiscent of the Great Goddess in this girl. It is vhy such people as the TruthSeeker-SoulEater man vish to control her. And you said that she is trying to cross over to find a friend vho was kidnapped. Vhy vould some go through such lengths vhen they could just capture her themselves? It is all too odd."

"I can see your point, mater, but…"

"You must go and protect her. She has not yet unsealed her povers. And, frankly, she is very mentally weak as most humans are."

"Ja, mater. I vill. Vhen should we leave?

"At day's first light. The TruthSeeker mutt vill be sore that she has blocked him out and he vill tell vhoever he vorks for and they vill come to find her."

"Ja, mater. I understand. Thank goodness night is almost over."

"Ja, my son.

When bedtime rolled around, Lustig asked if she could sleep with Chenoa. Everyone consented, so the small imp crawled onto the mat and fell asleep instantly. Chenoa hugged Lieben good night, thanking him once again for saving her from Osiris. Turning dark gold, he stammered it was nothing then left quickly, feeling like a fool. Once Chenoa lay her head down, she slept. The knowledge that in a few short hours she would be on her way calmed and reassured Chenoa.

As she slept, a shadow appeared in the tent. A tall man looked down at her with concern. She was no worse for wear, but he had felt her calling out to him all day. Kneeling, he brushed back her hair. Chenoa did not even move. Thinking, he took a moment to come to decision, then placed a hand on her forehead. Blue woven light pulsated down his arm to her skull. For a moment he thought himself successful when a flash of silver shot at his arm. Recoiling, the man snarled silently, staring at the silver spiral that rested on Chenoa's chest.

"I thought someone might pay a visit tonight," Priesterin voice said from the doorway.

Turning sharply, the man looked at the small, childlike woman, forcing his face to be smooth and expressionless. She studied the man and found him to be almost perfect in every way. At this moment, though, his long hair was a splattering of black and white that reflected silver in the light from her lantern instead of its usual sleek black.

"You could take her now," Priesterin said in matter of fact tone.

The man looked at Chenoa with deep longing but turned back to face Priesterin defensively. Sighing, she placed the lantern down and opened her arms to show she had no weapons and meant no harm.

"I was just curious to see who would play such games with a lost goddess," she informed him. "She is in her weakest form and yet you play with her. If you desire her so badly, then take her. No one would blame you."

Again, the man looked at Chenoa with longing, but then stared angrily at Priesterin.

"Ah," she smiled as if she finally understood. "You cannot take her? She must choose you…am I right?"

"Mind your own business, priestess," the man snarled, his perfect face still perfect even in his bitterness.

"I am. As I said I was just curious. I will leave you be, but I will warn you, I made that amulet myself and it shall keep all who do not belong in her mind out. If you wish to win her over, you shall have to do it the old-fashioned way."

Priesterin left the tent, leaving the man behind, fuming next to Chenoa. A shifting movement next to him caught the man's attention. He looked down and saw Chenoa curled up on her side, her face covered by her red, curly hair. How he hated this new face of hers. It wasn't who she was. She wasn't anything like the woman he loved anymore. That wasn't necessarily bad. Twitching, his hand seemed to glow bright blue. Looking at it, he knew part of him wished to strike her down right now, but not yet, he convinced himself. Blowing out the fire in his hand, the man squatted down next to Chenoa again.

"You must remember for your sake, my world," he told her soothingly. "For if you don't and you betray me again, I will kill you."

Then just as lovingly, he kissed her forehead and disappeared. From outside the tent, Priesterin watched, her body tingling with fear. While she had managed a brave face in front of the perfect man, she knew she was no match for him. Priesterin had hoped he would not call her bluff and whisk away the poor human girl, and she had been lucky. If he had, she knew that the girl would have been lost.

"There is nothing more foolish then a fallen god who cannot accept that the gods' time has passed…" she murmured to herself, though her body shook.

She went to bed quickly and prayed to Luoja that all would be well. The world could not live through another battle of the gods.

Chenoa woke early, too eager to be on her way. Lustig still slept, Chenoa's watch in her tiny little clasp. Smiling, Chenoa brushed back strands of her violent blue hair and decided that Lustig could keep her watch. It was just a watch to Chenoa and Lustig really liked it.

"Something to remember me by," she said to the silent air before she left the tent for the last time.

Lieben stood waiting by the large village fire, though it was out, only producing gray-purple smoke. He carried a large pack on his back and forced a grin when she appeared. He was very nervous. He knew that traveling with Chenoa would mean he would be gone for a long time and he had never left home except to hunt. It wasn't that he didn't want to. Anything that kept him in Chenoa's presence was a good thing and he had always wondered about the other realms, but he would miss his friends and family.

"You don't have to come," Chenoa said straight out as if she could read his mind.

"No. My mater asked me to protect you and I shall," he replied with a grim set to his mouth. "It vill be an honor to serve the only living Spellbinder."

Blanching, Chenoa looked at him. She had never told him she was a Spellbinder. Grinning genuinely this time, Lieben nodded to his mother, who watched from her tent.

"She knew right avay. She told me, but I vanted to make sure you vere comfortable first. Our vorld can be scary as it is and you are new to all of this, right?"

"Only been a few months. And I'm not the only living Spellbinder. There is at least one other."

"Ja, as I thought. And you vere right not to tell me. Many people prize Spellbinders for slaves and meat. But your secret is safe with me. Mine vord is mine life."

"Thank you, Lieben."

Adjusting his pack, Lieben waved goodbye to his mother and headed into the woods. The Shimmering Forest was quiet at daybreak. There were no animals to make noise and no people around to be talking or singing. They walked on for many hours silently. Neither knew what to say even though they both detested the silence.

"So how old are you?" Lieben finally asked awkwardly.

"Me? I am fifteen," Chenoa responded automatically.

"Fifteen? But you look nearly hundred and fifteen."

"I am going to take that as a compliment…but Lieben, humans don't live that long."

"They don't?"

"No, we grow old around fifty and die around eighty to a hundred. Most can't even imagine living to a hundred and fifteen."

"Das is odd. Mine mater tells tales of humans living much longer than das."

"Really?"

"Maybe vhen humans lost their vill power, they lost their longevity."

"It is possible. A lot of sacred texts in the human world talk about people living to six or even eight hundred years old."

"Das must be it then. Well, since you are a Spellbinder, you must have a very long life ahead of you. Much longer than the humans."

"I guess. I never thought about it."

Going silent, Chenoa wondered if this was true. If it was that meant that she would outlive not only her father, but Gabby, Chris, and everyone she knew. The idea terrified her. It was a terribly lonely idea.

"Vhy do you look so sad? Do humans not long for longer lives?" he inquired, confused.

"Some do and the idea is exciting but all I can think about is how I will outlive everyone I care about."

"Oh…yes, if they are human they vill live much shorter lives. I am sorry. I did not even think about das. It is a very sad idea."

"Yes…it is."

Both fell silent. Lieben had only mentioned it because the idea excited him. He would hate to think that she was like a pet and would only live a fraction of the years he did. Her being a Spellbinder meant that he could have her in his life for a very long time. It had never occurred to him that her friends and family would not enjoy her longevity.

Deciding not to say anything more, in case he just made it worse, Lieben picked up the pace. Maybe if they were tired from the long hike, she would forget his huge faux pas. Chenoa adjust her pace to keep up with him, letting her mind wander. In this fashion they walked for several hours, seeming to going uphill the whole way. Chenoa trusted Lieben so she never questioned when he suddenly changed directions, after he paused and listened with his pointed ears.

"What are you listening for?" Chenoa finally had to ask.

"The portal. It has a distinct sound."

"Really?"

"Ja. Imps have very sensitive hearing and the portal makes a soft humming noise."

"Oh. Is it moving?"

"Ja. The portal changes quite often. It moves so only imps can find it."

"Oh…okay…"

"Dis vay."

He headed to the left, leaning forward as they continued up a steadily steeper slope. Blowing out a puff of air, Chenoa followed closely behind. She worried about night coming again, though she didn't know how long days lasted in Portae. Chenoa hoped that days lasted at least as long as the nights did. She had already been separated from Cor, Ursa and Chris for three days. They had to be worried sick about her.

They changed directions two more times before Lieben picked up his pace. The portal was humming loudly in his ears. They were so very close. Suddenly a man appeared in front of them.

The man had a very wiry frame with his joints visible through his skin, giving him an almost too thin look. His face was very oval with a broad nose and thin lips. His eyes were as golden as the sun and so was his long hair that hung in mass of thick dreadlocks. Contrasting sharply with his bright hair and eyes, the man's skin was deep ebony that seemed both there and not there. His whole presence seemed to be there and not there as if he was between worlds.

"Lieben," the man said in a slow, rhythmic voice.

As he spoke, Chenoa smelled spices and summer air.

"Vhat are you doing here?" Lieben growled, jumping back.

"Please, Lieben, listen to me."

"I have nothing to say to you, Elixir. Move. Ve are trying to get to the portal before it moves again."

"Lieben, my son, please."

"Do not call me that!"

Sparks sizzled at the end of Lieben's hair. His eyes narrowed at the Nonelement, who watched him mournfully. Chenoa hovered in the background, not sure what to do.

"Please do not go into Taikaa, Lieben. It is dangerous."

"Vhat do you care vhat I do?"

"You are my son. I love you."

"Spare me your Nonelement spew. Nonelements love only themselves."

"That is not true and you know it. We love more deeply than any other creatures in existence."

"Vhatever you say, vater."

Trying to push passed his father, Lieben growled as Elixir placed a hand on Lieben's shoulder. Elixir's eyes fell on Chenoa and they became dark. For a long moment no one spoke.

"You must turn back, Lieben. Nothing good wait for you in Taikaa. Here you are safe and strong. In Taikaa you will be a small fish in a very big pond."

"Das is not your business. I have a task to do and I vill do it."

"Little Spellbinder, please tell my son to turn back."

Startled Chenoa blushed as both men looked at her.

"I…I don't have the right to tell Lieben to do anything. He's an adult. I just appreciate the help."

"Ah, Spellbinder, you are no help. Yet how can you be? You don't even know what awaits you."

"What awaits us then?"

Elixir blinked and stared at Chenoa for a long second before speaking again.

"The past awaits you, young one. I hope you are ready to face it."

"What is this past everyone keeps talking about?"

"Sometimes it is kinder not to tell things."

Shifting his attention back to Lieben, he begged again.

"Lieben, please. I cannot protect you over there. And you cannot feed off the magic in the air like you can here. Taikaa is not your element."

"Please, let go, vater."

Lieben's voice had softened and he seemed to be in pain.

"I promised mater I vould protect Senoa and I am going to. It is mine duty."

"Ah, so Priesterin has seen what I have seen. Yet she chooses to let you be involved."

Stepping back, Elixir flickered there as if in defeat.

"I will not stop you then. Please be careful, Lieben. No matter what you think, you are my son and I love you."

Elixir threw his arms around his son in a tight embrace before releasing him and watching Lieben run away. Chenoa went to follow when Elixir appeared in front of her.

"You must protect him, Chenoa," Elixir said seriously, his eyes and teeth sharper looking. "If anything shall befall my son, I will come after you."

"I will do my best, sir."

Relaxing, Elixir nodded.

"I know…I know…but I love no one more than Priesterin and Lieben. And to a Nonelement love is everything, next to hate."

Lieben called for Chenoa and Chenoa said she was coming. Elixir held her back for one more moment.

"Each Nonelement has a territory. I chose Portae because of Priesterin, but I can enter Taikaa's No Man's land. Reach there and call for me if you need assistance. Be safe, Ona."

In a flicker of light, Elixir disappeared and Chenoa sprinted after Lieben, confused but grateful for the potential for assistance in the future. Up ahead Chenoa found Lieben standing by a glimmering oval, his face bright with excitement. The circle, up close, was humming, almost like a hummingbird's heartbeat. It stood eight feet tall and four feet wide. It was hardly something a person could miss. The portal shimmered like a heat haze and didn't have any of its own color or design. It merely distorted the images behind it.

"Das is it," Lieben panted with adrenaline.

"What do we do?" Chenoa stammered, her stomach in knots.

"Ve just valk through it."

"That's it?"

"Ja. Das is it."

Swallowing hard, Chenoa looked into the portal.

"Okay. Let's do it."