I felt a shift in the air, and he went diving back down toward the clouds. I dove to follow him and heard the ocean crashing below me. When I felt the spray of the sea touch my claws, I caught myself at the last second and spread my wings outward, skimming my talons over the water.
Cold ocean water sprayed into my face, and I nearly fell out of the air in shock. Oberi tried to hold in a laugh.
Hey!I splashed him back with my tail, but he dodged out of the way. I flapped my wings and went after him, but Oberi was faster than me and ducked. I flew over top of him.
You can’t catch me!he alleged.
Oh? Want to bet?
I chased Oberi through the sky, twisting and turning, but every time I thought I’d caught up to him he pulled away from me.
Watch out!Oberi called.
He warned me too late, and I flew straight into a flock of birds. One of them landed in my mouth and crunched against my teeth. My first reaction was to be disgusted, but I found Ienjoyedthe taste of blood on my tongue. I ate a few more, just because I was hungry.
The beach is up ahead, Oberi warned me.
I heard him land. I came down right on top of him, tackling him playfully to the ground. I couldn’t really land well, so might as well fall on top of him. Oberi nipped his sharp teeth at me and tried to buck me off, but I had him pinned down.
Told you I could catch you, I teased.
Oberi’s teeth connected with my wing a moment later, and he yanked me into the sand. He was gentle with me, and it didn’t hurt, but it sure as hell made my heart rate spike. I got my legs under him and shoved him off of me, then twisted to get on top of him again.
Yield, I told him.
Oberi laughed.Never!
We roughhoused for a few moments more, shoving at each other. He was heavy, and just as strong as I was, so it was fun tossing each other around. We caused earthquakes on the beach as we wrestled, spraying sand everywhere with our tails. If this was a real fight and not just playing around, we’d be well-matched.
When I’d pinned Oberi underneath my talons, he shifted into a husky and slipped out from under me. I spun around to try to find him, until I felt a sharp sensation travel up my leg.
“Ow!” I screamed. This time, it came out audibly as I shifted back into an Elementai. I ran my hand over my ankle, but I found no injury. “Did you justbiteme?”
As if my canine teeth could penetrate wyvern scales,Oberi responded.
I noticed he hadn’t exactly denied it. He was stronger than he was letting on.
Footsteps came from down the beach. “Excellent!” my grandfather exclaimed. “You will need more practice, but now we know what you’re capable of.”
I got to my feet and dusted off my pants. “It was definitely something. It was different than when I use Elf magic on other people, though. It didn’t feel like I wasstealingOberi’s magic, so much as borrowing it, like I can borrow Ava’s Fire.”
“As I suspected,” my grandfather said. “You two are bonded, so your power is one and the same. You are unique in that you are an Elf who can utilize Oberi’s power, but it is part of you nonetheless.”
“I could only shift into a wyvern, though,” I stated. “Why can’t I shift into his other forms?”
“You can take on Oberi’s form because you share a soul— other Elves can’t overpower amutabeecha, but your magic is deeply connected to Oberi’s. You’re borrowing his power the same way you do with Ava’s Fire, but you’re limited by your own identity. Elves can take magic from other shifters for a short period of time, but it doesn’t last, because shifter magic is an identification of the soul. It’s more about who you are than it is about the ability itself. You are more Yapluma than anything else, so your magic identifies with Oberi’s Air form. His other forms are mostly identifiers of Ava’s piece of your soul. With practice, you may be able to take on Oberi’s Earth form as well, but Air has always been your dominant trait. Was it difficult?”
I shook my head. “Not at all.”
“It certainly looked easy,” he said thoughtfully. “I wonder… Elves can’t siphon from other Elves, but you’re a demigod. You may be able to overpower another Elf.”
“What good does that do me if I already have Elf magic?” I asked.
“NotallElf magic,” he reminded me. “Talented Elves each have a unique gift. You may be able to use it. Try it on me.”
I hesitated. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t. If we want you to become the strongest Emperor ever, then you need tobe the strongest Emperor.”
