I nod in response to his last statement. "Yeah, the name sounds familiar. Could you, I'm really hating myself, I'm going to say the word; yep I hate that one word more than any other in any language I've heard before, please continue now?" Ouch, that hurt, but it's over with and I said the word without flinching. I think I just earned myself some major brownie points.

"No need to worry. Did I not promise I'd tell you all you needed to know? So, how do you say it? Let's get this show on a roll.

I came upon Dominik's request, and of course told a few tales that would liven things up and make the young ones enjoy a bit of history along with it. Apparently I did a fair job for I was invited back many a time until his death many years later."

Something must have shown of my face because he added," Unfortunately, he had a run in with a rogue lycanthrope of the Das Eisen Klaue clan. Those of your clan are immortal but, accidents still happen. Trust me, he died valiantly from what I've heard. I still tell his story even today when I walk among you clans Ceatas for storytelling.

Your clan is one of many a proud warrior in both the past, and now. The sad thing is because you are literally beasts of crystal many of the Ferus Noctu are often distrusting of your clan. They think because you no longer keep a furred animal form; you have cut yourself off from the part of nature that is fundamental to us all."

"What do you mean by that anyway? If I concentrate when I shapeshift I can take on a furred form, not just my crystal one. Not to mention, what part of nature, what does this all mean?" I still don't understand. All these things I never knew existed, and yet here I am still a student, still the learner. What more could he have to teach me? I only needed the discipline and pertinence to listen, then and only then could I even begin to comprehend. I've been working against myself in a way. I wanted to know what I really am, but I hate what I am because I don't know so I tried blocking a lot of it out. Now I was being forced to see the truth that had always been there. I could keep masking myself, but Koyote would only think me an immature child if I hide my true thoughts with mindless sarcasm and other mannerisms that I often use to cloud how others view me. Sometimes you must never let you true nature show, but if you hide it too well you begin forgetting how to show what you really want the to see. At least the people you trust enough for it. Like when I'm with Raziel, we've come to trust each other so I can be myself with ease. Could I come to trust Koyote so soon? On the first night I've met him?

Well I was going to try, and see what happens. If worst comes to worst I can kill him if he threatens me. I doubt it will happen but you never know with his kind. Any number of things can happen at random with them. They are often more chaotic than the lycanthopes I've seen before.

I my attention snaps back to Koyote as he continues, and answers my question. "I know you may be able to take a furred form, but only the most powerful of the Crystallinus Bestia are capable of that. That is the part of nature most others think you have left behind. You are no longer quite so like your animal cousins. It's unnatural for you to change to crystal while your cousins have fun.

You see, each clan save for maybe my own have a ruling element to guide you, and which gives you strength, draws your clan closer together. The reason behind your crystalline forms is for the fact that your clan has two ruling elements instead of one. The combination of Ice and Earth does that for you. Your clan slit off from the Gelu clan which is why one of your elements is Ice. The element of Earth can from when the split group of Gelu merged in with Terra clan. Eventually the two became undistinguishable from each other and so the Crystallinus Bestia came to be. To be sure because of that as far as I know the Terra clan doesn't exist anymore, but there might be a Ceata or two left in the world somewhere. I am not sure on that matter though. " That helped a bit in the explanation. My ruling elements are Earth and Ice…that would explain a lot of my different abilities.

Soon I notice that in the time we had been walking, and chit chatting the white line of sunrise had begun to press against then night sky. I hadn't even noticed that much time had passed. I know Koyote can feel it, and he'll probably want to head off before the sun comes up. Most vampires don't function well in daylight. They are, after all, naturally nocturnal.

"Thank you for what you've told me. Is there anything more I need to know tonight?"

As if he were cued by my thoughts he answers, "No, not tonight. Dawn approaches and I would like to be off and sheltered from its light soon. I will meet with you and continue this some other time, Acerbus Tigris. For now I believe you have what you should need to know, to face the shadows of the past, and shed light into its darkness. I know of your conflict, young tyger, and I will say no more about it. I have aided you all I can. From here on you are on your own until I find you have true need of me. Farewell, young tyger, I shall see you again some moon.

He disappears before I can answer. I haven't a clue as to how he knows all of this…he couldn't have read my mind. I would have felt that, and he knew it. This is ending up like a continuous paradox. Old questions are answered but, new ones arise in their wake. How am I ever going to understand? He knows on my conflict…that can mean many things. If only I knew; I'm just so confused.

I mist myself back home, and pace in the living room for about an hour after the sun had come up. I can't think of anything in particular; my mind is just too occupied at the moment. I finally worked off enough nervous energy to sleep. I head up to my room, and change into an oversized blue T-shirt to sleep in. I crawl into bed and let the pressure of the last few days just melt away as I relax and snuggle down into the blankets. The last thing I see as I fall asleep is the fierce eyes of one of the tyger murals on my raven painted walls. They are a blazing fire-amber so much like my own…my world goes black as sleep sucks me under. Maybe today the nightmares will stay away, maybe…