The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage: Wandmaker Vol.2

WM [82] Shedding

Bjorn watched intently as Tanisha winced, bracing herself for some dramatic transformation. Seconds passed, but nothing happened. Her tightly shut eyes fluttered open, and she gave herself a once-over, her expression shifting from apprehensive to confused. There were no immediate changes, no surge of power, no physical shifts. She stood and examined herself further, patting her arms and legs to confirm that everything was intact.

Bjorn stood too, his many heads tilting as he observed her from every angle. One head leaned in close, tasting the air for any trace of change in her magic, aura, or scent, but everything about her seemed the same. Just as he was about to shrug it off, he heard a faint crack and felt something hit one of his heads before clattering to the ground.

He looked down and saw a shard of something pale and delicate, it was part of Tanisha's tiara, what wendigo females called their antlers. Her hands flew to her head in alarm, fingers frantically feeling for the broken section. When she found it, her face crumpled with distress.

"Big Man?" She whimpered, her voice trembling as tears threatened to spill. "I'm not going to lose my tiara, right?"

Bjorn's chest tightened. He had never seen her so distraught about her appearance before. He knew wendigo prized their antlers, but he hadn't realized just how deeply they valued them. Since Tanisha had grown hers, they had become the focal point of most compliments she received from her people. Even back when she was mistaken for a demon, she'd secretly preened every time someone's gaze lingered on them.

Bjorn hesitated, unsure of how to comfort her. Even if he could talk he wouldn't know what to say, but before he could muster anything, another piece of her antlers snapped off and fell to the ground.

Tanisha's gasp was sharp. She crouched down to pick up the second tine, cradling it in her hands like something irreplaceable. Her lips trembled as she stared at it, the devastation in her eyes almost unbearable to witness. She took a deep breath, then another, trying to steady herself. For a brief moment, it seemed like she might compose herself and accept the loss. But then, with a cruel inevitability, another tine broke loose and tumbled to the floor.

That was the breaking point. A sob burst from her, unbidden and raw. She sank to the ground, clutching the broken pieces of her antlers as tears streamed down her face.

Bjorn lowered himself beside her, his frame a comforting presence even as he felt helpless. He leaned one of his heads close, nuzzling her shoulder in a gentle, wordless gesture of support. Whatever was happening to her, he would stay by her side until they figured it out and if there was a way to fix it, he would ensure they found it.

"Tanisha, are you okay?" Fuyumi asked.

The young girl was so distraught she couldn't even form words; she only held out the broken tines so Fuyumi could see them. Fuyumi didn't seem to understand and neither did Aurelius when he came to check on her. Just like Bjorn they weren't sure what to say or do other than ask if she was alright or in pain. It took a few minutes for Tanisha to compose herself. When she opened her eyes, everyone noticed the change.

Her eyes were the same as Bjorn's, they already shared the golden color and now they also shared the vertical slit pupils. If she weren't in the process of trying to compose herself, she would look quite menacing. It took a few minutes for her to calm down.

"I am alright everyone." Tanisha said. "What did you see from Bjorn using his UCP?"

She obviously didn't want to talk about what just happened and Fuyumi took the hint.

"It's like I thought." Fuyumi said. "It is essentially a far more precisely guided cultivation method. Most cultivators would kill for something like that. What did you see, Aurelius?"