Decisions, Decisions:
Serena walked slowly back into the main hall, feeling a bit dazed. I mean, there was so much for her to take in. She was a princess? It couldn't be possible. Could it? but Raksha had said that it was, and she would have said something if she wasn't absolutely certain. So it was true. She, Serena Harwood, well, actually no, Kiara Serena and then some other names Harwood was a princess. Wow. Now that wasn't something that happened every day. And she was special. She had special powers. She was special. That was a new, amazing feeling to her. She had always been the quiet and shy one, and even at Silverstone high, she wasn't anyone to write home about. Perhaps that was because she didn't really have any friends to get to know her, but as things stood, she was no one special. So it didn't occur to her that she had something out of the ordinary, which was why the concept of being a princess was a part-shock to her. But... maybe it explained a few things. The slight lack of love she felt towards her parents, her foster- parents. The feeling of being alone, of wanting something more. Did she have that chance now? To change things?
She shook the thoughts from her mind as she sat down in the chair that she had vacated earlier. She could see Ryan emerging from another door, one that she hadn't been through before. Funny, she didn't remember seeing him leave. He ambled over and sat down, and once more the air between them was filled with tense, but pensive silence.
And that was how they sat for a few minutes, deep in thought, each carefully watching the other .Serena was lost in thought, pondering recent events, and was only shaken from her own private world when Raksha's voice sounded, surprisingly close- she hadn't heard her walk over.
"Well, I think that it's time we sorted out your shifting powers, don't you?"
*~*~*
Her question was greeted with confused silence. Ryan forced himself to look up and focus on the woman in front of him, tearing his thoughts away from what Kherron had just told him. He would deal with that later. For now, it seemed that there were more important, new things to discuss.
"Our shifting powers? What do you mean?" Her voice was sweet, soft and quiet, but earnest. He had to consciously refrain from staring at her as he had been doing earlier that evening.
"Well," Raksha was saying, "You have each got to choose your shifting abilities- which animals you will take on. There are some that are specific to you, but there are others that you can choose for yourself. However, you have to choose things together, and find animals that work well together, or are of the same species, as, remember, you have to be able to work together and communicate with one another. Here you go- these are for you." She handed out a slip of paper to each of them.
Ryan looked at his blankly for a moment, before concentrating on it and reading what it said. On the top of it was printed his name. Not his full name, he noted, but the name that he had been using all his life, Ryan Drache. Underneath it was a table, with several rows. Some of the boxes were filled in, others had comments in them, and others still were completely blank.
He stared at his sheet in amazement as Raksha began to explain things on them.
*~*~*
Serena couldn't believe what she was seeing. Quite a few of her boxes were filled, although she still had a few choices to make. But the variety of things she could change into... wow. She hadn't thought that she, of all people, would be able to do that.
Raksha started to go through all the things on the sheet and their meanings.
"Right. The first row has the title Signature, right? Well, that is to be your signature animal... your strongest animal, and the one that you will train most in. You also have secondary animals, which are your second strongest forms. These animals have been preset. They are a reflection on your true selves. The rest, however, are slightly more diverse than that. We'll have to go through them together. Now, let's see. Could you show me both of your sheets, please?"
Serena slowly turned her slip around, so that Raksha could read the writing, as Ryan did the same.
"Oh, good." Raksha looked relieved. "They match up really well. We can start now, then. Okay, Serena, what is your signature shape?"
"Um... a snow leopard"
"You're lucky. There aren't many of them around. They stand for purity and are like queens of their kind." She gave her a meaningful look. "Lithe and graceful... it should suit you well. What about you, Ryan?"
"I've got a black panther"
"Yes... another good choice... I shift into a panther too, you know. They too stand for elegance and are heroic and brave and majestic at the same time. Athletic and clever, you should do well as a panther. Okay, Serena, what's your secondary animal?"
"It's blank."
"And you, Ryan?"
"It's empty too."
"Right. Well, this is where the decision making starts, then. I think it would be best if your secondary shapes should link well with your signatures. I reckon that it would be easier if you could mostly have the same shapes, as it will enable you to fight better as a pair. What do you think?
"Well," Serena said, thinking it over, "I guess I could become a panther too, for my secondary shape. That could be fun. If Ryan doesn't mind, that is."
"Yeah," Ryan put in "I'm fine with it. And um I could be... I dunno. I, no offence, but I don't want to be a snow leopard."
"True," Raksha interjected. "Those are more feminine characters. What about a golden leopard? Those are very similar."
"Cool. Yeah. Okay." The air was filled with silence for a minute as they both filled in their forms.
"Well, this is going really well. Right. What have you got next on your list, Serena?"
"Um... I don't understand... it says something about a family link."
"Mine says the same."
"Let me see that...." She peered at the document carefully. "Oh, that's nothing. It's just that you both have signatures and secondary shapes as cats, so you have a link to the cat family. This means that you will be able to change into another four big cats at will. You will be weaker in these forms than in your first two forms, however. So, what do you want to be? You should each pick two."
Serena thought about it. Which two would be useful? "Cheetahs run really fast. That would be useful. And Pumas can handle trees, so that's my second choice."
"Okay, so then I'll say... tigers, because they are strong fighters and swimmers and Jaguars, because they are really agile."
Raksha nodded her approval. "Good choices. Fill them in on your forms. The only thing, however, is that Serena, I think you would end up shifting as a Bengal, or white, tiger, because of your magic. So you should put that down instead. Ryan yours will be the normal tiger. Next."
Serena looked at her sheet. "I've got four more boxes. Two of them are filled, with Vixen and Otter."
Raksha nodded again. "Well a vixen is a female fox, so I guess that would make Ryan a Fox." He nodded, scribbling it down. "But two otters wouldn't go well together. I suggest you taking a weasel, as they are clever and cunning, to offset the playful otter, Ryan." He nodded again, still writing. "So, what have you got in your last boxes, Ryan?"
He looked up. "I've got... Hawk and Brown Bear."
Serena worked it out and said, "I guess that would make me a... polar bear and a... well, I don't want to be a hawk. Is it okay if I could be a kestrel instead?"
"Yes, that's a great choice. Is that it?" They both nodded. "Right. So read out your lists. Serena, then Ryan."
Serena took a deep breath before saying:
"Signature... snow leopard Secondary...black panther Family link...puma, cheetah, Bengal tiger, jaguar Others...otter, vixen, polar bear, kestrel"
Ryan read after her:
"Signature... Black panther Secondary...golden leopard Family link...puma, cheetah, tiger, jaguar Others...weasel, fox, brown bear, Hawk"
"Good" Raksha seemed satisfied. "Well now that that is sorted, we can get on with other things. For now, most of your training will take place with your personal trainers, who you've already met. Serena-you've got me, and Ryan, yours is Kherron, right?" Ryan nodded.
"Well, you will have some of your basic history and some of your partner lessons together soon, but for the first few days, I think you'll be by yourselves, mostly. There is much for you to learn, and I hope you work hard.
"Well, I think that you should meet up with your trainers and get started. I don't think we'll meet again for a while, so I'll see you in about a week or so. Once you start school." She paused for a moment, then spoke again, having remembered something. "Ah, yes, there's another thing that I should tell you. Both of you have school as well, and for now, it's easiest if people don't connect your magical selves to what you look like in the day to day world. So, what we've done is spelled you."
"Spelled us?"
"Yes. In case you hadn't realised, both of you have... a distinctive appearance. You may not have noticed it before, but that is because you've been under illusion spells for various reasons. However, you actually look slightly different, more... inhumanly beautiful, is probably the phrase for it. It is easy for people to recognise you, and if anyone connects you with your Night World selves, or indeed any other selves or things that you do, you may be in danger. However, we've had to start to release those spells recently, so we've put a different sort of spell on you. We've spelled it so that when you enter the normal world, you're going to change in appearance slightly, at least for a little while, until we can determine that you're safe. You won't change a lot, you should still look the same, mostly, but there will be slight changes. It means that even if someone from this circle ran into you in the other world, chances are they wouldn't recognise you unless you told them who you were. This will allow you to mingle more easily too.
Basically, you've now been spelled so that people won't know that you're a Night Person unless you tell them. So, they could have heard of a shifter called Ryan Drache or Serena Hardwood, but even if you tell them that your name is Ryan Drache, or Serena Harwood, they won't put two and two together. I don't know if you two go to the same school or not, but chances are that you wouldn't really recognise each other if you did, unless you worked it out, told each other, or did some kind of magic, or had some form of magic affect you both.
It should keep you inconspicuous. Don't worry about how this will affect you, as the spells will gradually wear off, and you'll soon find life changes a little, but for now, it'll seem the same as it used to be. I mean, you've had to have similar spells on you for most of your life, to keep you safe. You needed them, to make you look a bit more normal, like the other kids. We've only just released the dampeners a little, and you may have noticed your appearance changing slightly lately. During the next few weeks, however, the dampeners are going to be removed almost completely, while the new spell remains in place. We will still have some parts of your power barred completely, for your own safety, but this will not affect any of your power or your fighting ability. So, within the next month or so, you may find that other people are going to see you differently. You'll appear more graceful and more beautiful that you seemed to be before, as the dampeners are removed, and other Night People will recognise you and talk to you. This is just a warning, so you know what to expect. Everything should go okay, but if you have any concerns or problems, then come to us, and we'll help sort them out. Okay?" When neither of them replied, she started walking away, calling behind her. "Come on, Serena."
Serena followed, yawning. She was exhausted. Raksha caught her yawn, and then said "I can see that you're tired, so I think we'll call it a night. However, your daily routine is going to change from now on." She drew Serena into a corner, talking quietly.
"You and Ryan need special training, and you're going to get your training every day for now. You'll train with me at first in all your animal forms, including dragon. Don't forget that one, even though it wasn't on the sheet, okay? This means that you're going to have to come here every day. Okay?"
Serena nodded, opening her mouth to ask a question, but was cut off again by Raksha.
"Yes, I know, you need to know how to get here. Now, listen carefully. This is a secret. Between you and me. No one else can know about this for now. I have something for you, that will allow you to come here whenever you activate it. You don't have the skill to activate it yourself, yet, as you need to have a tie with your inner self, and you need training for that. However, I have keyed it for now, so that you will be transported here at 10 o' clock sharp every night, no matter where you are. Remember that. You have to be alone at 10 every night, or someone may see you. Right?"
"But won't someone notice that I'm gone for hours every night?"
"No. The thing is, when you're here, time stops in the other world. So you won't miss time there, so you can still get in regular hours of sleep and work and all." She paused, thinking. "I think that's everything, so here it is". She reached into a pocket of her shirt, and brought out a thin gold chain. "here." She held it out to the girl.
Serena took it carefully, staring at it. It was beautiful- a small gold pendant of a rose. She slipped it on.
"It has been spelled, so that other people won't see it. But don't take it off, okay? Later, when you're initiated, I'll give you a real one, but this will do for now, while you're getting to grip with your powers."
Serena nodded.
"And another thing. I didn't want to mention it in front of Ryan, but you ought to know this. Your appearance is going to change. You see, I don't think you noticed this before while you were here, but your eyes... they're different to most people. They change colour."
"Change colour?" Serena looked sceptical. Who had ever heard of anything like that?
"Yeah." She pulled out a mirror and handed it to Serena, who took it and stared at her reflection. Sure enough, her iris seemed to be changing colour constantly. Scary. She tore her eyes away from the mirror.
"Why?"
"Um, I'm not sure. Technically, the changing eye colour is something that belongs to Redfern Vampires... but I think it's just a way of all your powers expressing themselves. However, as you are a shifter, people are going to think it a bit odd that you have a vampire-like gene. So, we've had to sort that out too. Until you officially become a princess, you're eye colour is going to be different for every world that you live in."
"Every World?"
"Yeah. Look, you'll learn more about this later, but for now, you only need to know that there are five different parallel worlds running alongside each other. Most people can access one or two, but you, I think, have the ability to access all five. You can't do it yet, but you will soon enough... don't worry, you get shown how to do it. So, in your normal world, the Day World, your eyes will be brown. In the Night World, your eyes will probably change colour... there's nothing we can do here to control it, because that is it's natural state in the Night World. I'll teach you how to change things like this, so that if you ever enter another world, you know how to disguise yourself. It's just to make sure that you don't get followed from world to world and tracked down..."
Serena just looked confused.
"Don't worry about it, I'll explain it again another time..."
Serena nodded again, while hiding another yawn.
Raksha got the hint. "Okay, I'll show you how to make it send you home now. Anyway. I'll see you tomorrow."
And so the pair split up, deep in thought.
*~*~*
Ryan turned away from Raksha and Serena, and saw that Kherron was waiting for him outside the door to his study. He beckoned to Ryan, so he got up and wandered over to his trainer, while manfully trying not to yawn. Kherron waited until Ryan was close to him before speaking softly, so that he wouldn't be overheard.
"Have you finished sorting out your shapes?"
"Yeah"
"May I see your sheet?" Ryan handed it over, and Kherron inspected it carefully. "Well, you have some good shapes. And don't forget, that on top of this, you have raven form, from your... other... heritage." Ryan nodded. "Anyway, I have something I need to discuss with you- your training."
"Yes. When am I to train, and how?"
"Well, I know that school is on vacation for the next week or so, and so I think that it is best if we begin as soon as possible. Tomorrow, I think would be best. We will train daily, and I will teach you most of your basic arts, so that you'll soon be able to have joint pair lessons with your partner, in learning how to fight. However, though I can teach you most things, I can't teach you to handle all your shifter forms, so for that I have enlisted Galen to help you."
"Does he know I'm a..."
"No. he doesn't. And he doesn't need to, so don't tell him. Okay? Any other questions?"
"Um, yeah. How do I get here?"
"Well, in time, you will develop the power to change from world to world at will. However, you are not trained, and so have not developed that power yet. So, until you do, and until you are initiated into the circle, I have a key ring for you. This will activate at 10 o'clock pm precisely, and will transport you into my office. Remember that. You have to be alone at 10 pm, or some people will see some strange occurrences."
"But won't they notice I'm gone."
"No. The advantage of travelling between worlds is that when you leave one world, time stops until you return again, unless of course, you spell it not to. So you will be able to get normal amounts of sleep and get all your work done, without anyone being any wiser to it. Okay?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Then I'll see you tomorrow at 10."
And with that Ryan was transported home, unaware that in another room off the main hall, Serena was doing the same thing, returning to her birthday party with something else to ponder about.
Serena walked slowly back into the main hall, feeling a bit dazed. I mean, there was so much for her to take in. She was a princess? It couldn't be possible. Could it? but Raksha had said that it was, and she would have said something if she wasn't absolutely certain. So it was true. She, Serena Harwood, well, actually no, Kiara Serena and then some other names Harwood was a princess. Wow. Now that wasn't something that happened every day. And she was special. She had special powers. She was special. That was a new, amazing feeling to her. She had always been the quiet and shy one, and even at Silverstone high, she wasn't anyone to write home about. Perhaps that was because she didn't really have any friends to get to know her, but as things stood, she was no one special. So it didn't occur to her that she had something out of the ordinary, which was why the concept of being a princess was a part-shock to her. But... maybe it explained a few things. The slight lack of love she felt towards her parents, her foster- parents. The feeling of being alone, of wanting something more. Did she have that chance now? To change things?
She shook the thoughts from her mind as she sat down in the chair that she had vacated earlier. She could see Ryan emerging from another door, one that she hadn't been through before. Funny, she didn't remember seeing him leave. He ambled over and sat down, and once more the air between them was filled with tense, but pensive silence.
And that was how they sat for a few minutes, deep in thought, each carefully watching the other .Serena was lost in thought, pondering recent events, and was only shaken from her own private world when Raksha's voice sounded, surprisingly close- she hadn't heard her walk over.
"Well, I think that it's time we sorted out your shifting powers, don't you?"
*~*~*
Her question was greeted with confused silence. Ryan forced himself to look up and focus on the woman in front of him, tearing his thoughts away from what Kherron had just told him. He would deal with that later. For now, it seemed that there were more important, new things to discuss.
"Our shifting powers? What do you mean?" Her voice was sweet, soft and quiet, but earnest. He had to consciously refrain from staring at her as he had been doing earlier that evening.
"Well," Raksha was saying, "You have each got to choose your shifting abilities- which animals you will take on. There are some that are specific to you, but there are others that you can choose for yourself. However, you have to choose things together, and find animals that work well together, or are of the same species, as, remember, you have to be able to work together and communicate with one another. Here you go- these are for you." She handed out a slip of paper to each of them.
Ryan looked at his blankly for a moment, before concentrating on it and reading what it said. On the top of it was printed his name. Not his full name, he noted, but the name that he had been using all his life, Ryan Drache. Underneath it was a table, with several rows. Some of the boxes were filled in, others had comments in them, and others still were completely blank.
He stared at his sheet in amazement as Raksha began to explain things on them.
*~*~*
Serena couldn't believe what she was seeing. Quite a few of her boxes were filled, although she still had a few choices to make. But the variety of things she could change into... wow. She hadn't thought that she, of all people, would be able to do that.
Raksha started to go through all the things on the sheet and their meanings.
"Right. The first row has the title Signature, right? Well, that is to be your signature animal... your strongest animal, and the one that you will train most in. You also have secondary animals, which are your second strongest forms. These animals have been preset. They are a reflection on your true selves. The rest, however, are slightly more diverse than that. We'll have to go through them together. Now, let's see. Could you show me both of your sheets, please?"
Serena slowly turned her slip around, so that Raksha could read the writing, as Ryan did the same.
"Oh, good." Raksha looked relieved. "They match up really well. We can start now, then. Okay, Serena, what is your signature shape?"
"Um... a snow leopard"
"You're lucky. There aren't many of them around. They stand for purity and are like queens of their kind." She gave her a meaningful look. "Lithe and graceful... it should suit you well. What about you, Ryan?"
"I've got a black panther"
"Yes... another good choice... I shift into a panther too, you know. They too stand for elegance and are heroic and brave and majestic at the same time. Athletic and clever, you should do well as a panther. Okay, Serena, what's your secondary animal?"
"It's blank."
"And you, Ryan?"
"It's empty too."
"Right. Well, this is where the decision making starts, then. I think it would be best if your secondary shapes should link well with your signatures. I reckon that it would be easier if you could mostly have the same shapes, as it will enable you to fight better as a pair. What do you think?
"Well," Serena said, thinking it over, "I guess I could become a panther too, for my secondary shape. That could be fun. If Ryan doesn't mind, that is."
"Yeah," Ryan put in "I'm fine with it. And um I could be... I dunno. I, no offence, but I don't want to be a snow leopard."
"True," Raksha interjected. "Those are more feminine characters. What about a golden leopard? Those are very similar."
"Cool. Yeah. Okay." The air was filled with silence for a minute as they both filled in their forms.
"Well, this is going really well. Right. What have you got next on your list, Serena?"
"Um... I don't understand... it says something about a family link."
"Mine says the same."
"Let me see that...." She peered at the document carefully. "Oh, that's nothing. It's just that you both have signatures and secondary shapes as cats, so you have a link to the cat family. This means that you will be able to change into another four big cats at will. You will be weaker in these forms than in your first two forms, however. So, what do you want to be? You should each pick two."
Serena thought about it. Which two would be useful? "Cheetahs run really fast. That would be useful. And Pumas can handle trees, so that's my second choice."
"Okay, so then I'll say... tigers, because they are strong fighters and swimmers and Jaguars, because they are really agile."
Raksha nodded her approval. "Good choices. Fill them in on your forms. The only thing, however, is that Serena, I think you would end up shifting as a Bengal, or white, tiger, because of your magic. So you should put that down instead. Ryan yours will be the normal tiger. Next."
Serena looked at her sheet. "I've got four more boxes. Two of them are filled, with Vixen and Otter."
Raksha nodded again. "Well a vixen is a female fox, so I guess that would make Ryan a Fox." He nodded, scribbling it down. "But two otters wouldn't go well together. I suggest you taking a weasel, as they are clever and cunning, to offset the playful otter, Ryan." He nodded again, still writing. "So, what have you got in your last boxes, Ryan?"
He looked up. "I've got... Hawk and Brown Bear."
Serena worked it out and said, "I guess that would make me a... polar bear and a... well, I don't want to be a hawk. Is it okay if I could be a kestrel instead?"
"Yes, that's a great choice. Is that it?" They both nodded. "Right. So read out your lists. Serena, then Ryan."
Serena took a deep breath before saying:
"Signature... snow leopard Secondary...black panther Family link...puma, cheetah, Bengal tiger, jaguar Others...otter, vixen, polar bear, kestrel"
Ryan read after her:
"Signature... Black panther Secondary...golden leopard Family link...puma, cheetah, tiger, jaguar Others...weasel, fox, brown bear, Hawk"
"Good" Raksha seemed satisfied. "Well now that that is sorted, we can get on with other things. For now, most of your training will take place with your personal trainers, who you've already met. Serena-you've got me, and Ryan, yours is Kherron, right?" Ryan nodded.
"Well, you will have some of your basic history and some of your partner lessons together soon, but for the first few days, I think you'll be by yourselves, mostly. There is much for you to learn, and I hope you work hard.
"Well, I think that you should meet up with your trainers and get started. I don't think we'll meet again for a while, so I'll see you in about a week or so. Once you start school." She paused for a moment, then spoke again, having remembered something. "Ah, yes, there's another thing that I should tell you. Both of you have school as well, and for now, it's easiest if people don't connect your magical selves to what you look like in the day to day world. So, what we've done is spelled you."
"Spelled us?"
"Yes. In case you hadn't realised, both of you have... a distinctive appearance. You may not have noticed it before, but that is because you've been under illusion spells for various reasons. However, you actually look slightly different, more... inhumanly beautiful, is probably the phrase for it. It is easy for people to recognise you, and if anyone connects you with your Night World selves, or indeed any other selves or things that you do, you may be in danger. However, we've had to start to release those spells recently, so we've put a different sort of spell on you. We've spelled it so that when you enter the normal world, you're going to change in appearance slightly, at least for a little while, until we can determine that you're safe. You won't change a lot, you should still look the same, mostly, but there will be slight changes. It means that even if someone from this circle ran into you in the other world, chances are they wouldn't recognise you unless you told them who you were. This will allow you to mingle more easily too.
Basically, you've now been spelled so that people won't know that you're a Night Person unless you tell them. So, they could have heard of a shifter called Ryan Drache or Serena Hardwood, but even if you tell them that your name is Ryan Drache, or Serena Harwood, they won't put two and two together. I don't know if you two go to the same school or not, but chances are that you wouldn't really recognise each other if you did, unless you worked it out, told each other, or did some kind of magic, or had some form of magic affect you both.
It should keep you inconspicuous. Don't worry about how this will affect you, as the spells will gradually wear off, and you'll soon find life changes a little, but for now, it'll seem the same as it used to be. I mean, you've had to have similar spells on you for most of your life, to keep you safe. You needed them, to make you look a bit more normal, like the other kids. We've only just released the dampeners a little, and you may have noticed your appearance changing slightly lately. During the next few weeks, however, the dampeners are going to be removed almost completely, while the new spell remains in place. We will still have some parts of your power barred completely, for your own safety, but this will not affect any of your power or your fighting ability. So, within the next month or so, you may find that other people are going to see you differently. You'll appear more graceful and more beautiful that you seemed to be before, as the dampeners are removed, and other Night People will recognise you and talk to you. This is just a warning, so you know what to expect. Everything should go okay, but if you have any concerns or problems, then come to us, and we'll help sort them out. Okay?" When neither of them replied, she started walking away, calling behind her. "Come on, Serena."
Serena followed, yawning. She was exhausted. Raksha caught her yawn, and then said "I can see that you're tired, so I think we'll call it a night. However, your daily routine is going to change from now on." She drew Serena into a corner, talking quietly.
"You and Ryan need special training, and you're going to get your training every day for now. You'll train with me at first in all your animal forms, including dragon. Don't forget that one, even though it wasn't on the sheet, okay? This means that you're going to have to come here every day. Okay?"
Serena nodded, opening her mouth to ask a question, but was cut off again by Raksha.
"Yes, I know, you need to know how to get here. Now, listen carefully. This is a secret. Between you and me. No one else can know about this for now. I have something for you, that will allow you to come here whenever you activate it. You don't have the skill to activate it yourself, yet, as you need to have a tie with your inner self, and you need training for that. However, I have keyed it for now, so that you will be transported here at 10 o' clock sharp every night, no matter where you are. Remember that. You have to be alone at 10 every night, or someone may see you. Right?"
"But won't someone notice that I'm gone for hours every night?"
"No. The thing is, when you're here, time stops in the other world. So you won't miss time there, so you can still get in regular hours of sleep and work and all." She paused, thinking. "I think that's everything, so here it is". She reached into a pocket of her shirt, and brought out a thin gold chain. "here." She held it out to the girl.
Serena took it carefully, staring at it. It was beautiful- a small gold pendant of a rose. She slipped it on.
"It has been spelled, so that other people won't see it. But don't take it off, okay? Later, when you're initiated, I'll give you a real one, but this will do for now, while you're getting to grip with your powers."
Serena nodded.
"And another thing. I didn't want to mention it in front of Ryan, but you ought to know this. Your appearance is going to change. You see, I don't think you noticed this before while you were here, but your eyes... they're different to most people. They change colour."
"Change colour?" Serena looked sceptical. Who had ever heard of anything like that?
"Yeah." She pulled out a mirror and handed it to Serena, who took it and stared at her reflection. Sure enough, her iris seemed to be changing colour constantly. Scary. She tore her eyes away from the mirror.
"Why?"
"Um, I'm not sure. Technically, the changing eye colour is something that belongs to Redfern Vampires... but I think it's just a way of all your powers expressing themselves. However, as you are a shifter, people are going to think it a bit odd that you have a vampire-like gene. So, we've had to sort that out too. Until you officially become a princess, you're eye colour is going to be different for every world that you live in."
"Every World?"
"Yeah. Look, you'll learn more about this later, but for now, you only need to know that there are five different parallel worlds running alongside each other. Most people can access one or two, but you, I think, have the ability to access all five. You can't do it yet, but you will soon enough... don't worry, you get shown how to do it. So, in your normal world, the Day World, your eyes will be brown. In the Night World, your eyes will probably change colour... there's nothing we can do here to control it, because that is it's natural state in the Night World. I'll teach you how to change things like this, so that if you ever enter another world, you know how to disguise yourself. It's just to make sure that you don't get followed from world to world and tracked down..."
Serena just looked confused.
"Don't worry about it, I'll explain it again another time..."
Serena nodded again, while hiding another yawn.
Raksha got the hint. "Okay, I'll show you how to make it send you home now. Anyway. I'll see you tomorrow."
And so the pair split up, deep in thought.
*~*~*
Ryan turned away from Raksha and Serena, and saw that Kherron was waiting for him outside the door to his study. He beckoned to Ryan, so he got up and wandered over to his trainer, while manfully trying not to yawn. Kherron waited until Ryan was close to him before speaking softly, so that he wouldn't be overheard.
"Have you finished sorting out your shapes?"
"Yeah"
"May I see your sheet?" Ryan handed it over, and Kherron inspected it carefully. "Well, you have some good shapes. And don't forget, that on top of this, you have raven form, from your... other... heritage." Ryan nodded. "Anyway, I have something I need to discuss with you- your training."
"Yes. When am I to train, and how?"
"Well, I know that school is on vacation for the next week or so, and so I think that it is best if we begin as soon as possible. Tomorrow, I think would be best. We will train daily, and I will teach you most of your basic arts, so that you'll soon be able to have joint pair lessons with your partner, in learning how to fight. However, though I can teach you most things, I can't teach you to handle all your shifter forms, so for that I have enlisted Galen to help you."
"Does he know I'm a..."
"No. he doesn't. And he doesn't need to, so don't tell him. Okay? Any other questions?"
"Um, yeah. How do I get here?"
"Well, in time, you will develop the power to change from world to world at will. However, you are not trained, and so have not developed that power yet. So, until you do, and until you are initiated into the circle, I have a key ring for you. This will activate at 10 o'clock pm precisely, and will transport you into my office. Remember that. You have to be alone at 10 pm, or some people will see some strange occurrences."
"But won't they notice I'm gone."
"No. The advantage of travelling between worlds is that when you leave one world, time stops until you return again, unless of course, you spell it not to. So you will be able to get normal amounts of sleep and get all your work done, without anyone being any wiser to it. Okay?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Then I'll see you tomorrow at 10."
And with that Ryan was transported home, unaware that in another room off the main hall, Serena was doing the same thing, returning to her birthday party with something else to ponder about.