Neophytes of the Stone by C Lee Tocci

Author:C Lee Tocci [Tocci, C Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Laurel Canyon Publishing
Published: 2014-07-18T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Faunamorph

“Faunamorphing,” said Keotak-se, “or Shapeshifting is a skill that some stone warriors may acquire.”

Lilibit lay on her back, waving her arms and legs, making dirt angels in the gravel. The spring sun was warm on her face and the sound of the breeze rustling the newly budded leaves was much more pleasant than the grating drone of Keotak-se’s lesson. Mr. Tree might be a powerful stone warrior, but he was duller than dust when it came to lectures. Marla hissed at her and she sat up. Every neophyte from all four clans huddled quietly on the hillside, listening to Keotak-se’s lesson.

“Usually, Faunamorphing can only be mastered by a warrior of a risen Stone Voice, but there is a possibility that your guide stones, the stones that led you to Kiva, might be able to channel enough power to effect a rudimentary transformation.”

Lilibit looked around smugly. She knew that her stone was powerful enough to let her faunamorph. She sighed and plopped down on her back again. None of the others, except Todd, knew about her morphing and he’d told her not to mention it.

“Even if your guide stone cannot channel,” Keotak-se continued, “this training will at least prepare you for the time when you receive your true stones of power.”

As usual, there was the excited buzzing that happened whenever anyone talked about the new stones they’d get when the Stone Voice rose. But Lilibit didn’t want a new stone. She was quite happy with Ewa-Kwan. She pulled it out of her pocket and rubbed it against her cheek, grinning as her jawbone vibrated with her stone’s song. She was so busy listening to her stone, she missed the next part of Keotak-se’s lesson and was surprised when everyone started to stand up. Shoving her stone back into her pocket, she stood as well, brushing the grit off her leggings.

“What are we doing?” she whispered to Marla.

“Running,” Marla answered.

“Why?”

“Weren’t you listening?” Marla asked, then sighed as she answered her own question. “Keotak-se said that running as fast as you can is one of the ways to get the inside of your body moving. Then, you think about what animal you want to turn into.”

“Really? Why running?”

Keotak-se, overhearing Lilibit’s question, chose to answer. “When you strain your body to run past its normal endurance, the cells in your body begin to move very quickly, like water boiling into steam. It is then that the power of the Earth Stone, when properly channeled, can restructure your body, down to its smallest element. Extreme fear has also been known to trigger the effect, as well as extreme joy.”

From the far side of the clearing, Todd asked, “Can you get stuck in that new shape?”

Lilibit twisted her neck to find Todd. Sure enough, Sylvie still clung to him, like seaweed to a boulder. It had been two weeks since the water balloon incident and Sylvie and Todd had become inseparable. Sylvie waited for Todd outside their hogan every morning and hung on him, following him everywhere he went.

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