Tonto, a bit more
Tonto was passing through the city gates, pondering the strange girl who looked human but was not, when he realized that he wasn’t alone. He turned to find that Nye had fallen instep slightly behind and to his right. “Hello again; don’t tell me you spent that coin already.” Tonto smiled at the lad.
“No, I gave it to a friend of mine who needed it more.” Nye answered; he lengthened his steps to catch up with Tonto. “Are you leaving town already?”
“Yes, I have some more traveling to do, and I don’t want to be a bother with all the festivities.” Tonto smiled at the boy. “What are you doing? This is a bit of a ways from where I left you.”
Nye shrugged, and then turned to Tonto. “I actually followed you.”
“You followed me?” Tonto did not know whether he should be offended or flattered. He was leaning toward the later. “Why would you want to follow me?”
“I thought I could help you.” Nye was staring off into space when he answered.
Tonto laughed. “I doubt there is much that you could do that might help me, but thanks for the thought.” He was definitely flattered now. They had gotten a fair way out of the city, and were pretty close to the place where Tonto would need to turn off to pick up the scales. Although Tonto was enjoying the company, he was worried what might happen if he could not get the boy to leave before they got to his stash.
“I can help you much more than you might think.” Nye’s voice had changed when he said that, and Tonto looked at him to find he had grown shorter and now had the same barely pointed ears that he had seen on Phoebe before he entered the cart.
Tonto stopped dead in his tracks. “You are a fey!”He thought back to what the man had said about the fey being masters of disguise and mischief. He also felt rather stupid for not sensing the essence in his companion earlier.
Nye just shook his head. “Yes, I am fey. You my friend are a bit of a fool though. You should always be aware of what is going on around you.” He pulled Tonto to the side of the road. “Let’s get off the road before anyone else comes along. I believe this is about where you got on it this morning.” He gave Tonto a crooked smile.
“Wait how did you know that?” Tonto was startled and confused.
“I found you in the clearing this morning.” Nye stated it simply, but he could see the horror on Tonto’s face. “Don’t worry; I’m not going to tell anyone.” He had assumed the boyish form again, but retained the pointed ears. He continued. “Do you have any idea how terrified I was when I first saw you? I thought for sure the humans had done something to breach the treaty. No dragon should be this far east; I mean the last time I saw one was right up in the mountains, and he was crossing them going the other direction. Of course then I saw the elfish on your back. I heard plenty of tales growing up of the ancient days when elves and dragons owned the land. These stories come from before humans ever arrived here, and I thought for sure that they had completely fallen to legend.” Nye had grown quite animated as he spoke of the old tales. Tonto had just been following Nye, wondering when he might actually explain what he was talking about, and how he might be able to help. He now walked over to the small pile of scales that he had shed earlier, and began placing them in his pack. Nye followed Tonto across the clearing and plopped on the ground beside the pile still talking. “You see, these tales tell of a select few elves and dragons that tried to combine their magical abilities, and failed. They ended up being cursed with the bodies of each other. The dragons suddenly took on the form of elves and the elves turned into dragons. They were rejected by both races, and tried to find a way to end their curse. Instead they found that they had received the freedom to change back and forth between either one of their forms. They were the very first werewyverns. Apparently there were other elves and dragons later that tried to do the same thing, and it didn’t work. That first set were the only ones, and they started mating and producing offspring, but none of the young ended up with the ability to change either. Their children were born as either elf or dragon. The tales say that is what happened for many years until by some chance of fate a baby was born under a night filled with dark magic. It was the second generation of werewyverns, and no one knew how it happened. They fell from legend as the old ones died off, but the tales tell us that if the correct conditions arise, someone who is of the original bloodline could still produce another one.”
Tonto’s eyes grew wide. “The dark of the moon.” His birth must have been under those special conditions.
Nye did not hear what was said because he was still rambling on. “So I had to wait and see if your marking had anything to do with that, and low and behold you turned into a human. You must be the first werewyvern in centuries!” Nye was very excited to relay that news.
“I am a werewyvern? So I really am cursed.” Tonto considered the small figure before him. "But you are not afraid of me?"
"No" The fey answered bluntly. "I have nothing to fear of you; you are a creature like myself. We are born of magic, and it courses through our veins. There is no reason I should hate you, just because the rest of the world does, it’s not your fault that you were born."
"You are probably the only one that feels that way." Tonto grunted ruefully. There was so much information that he could barely grasp what the boy beside him was talking about. He took comfort in the fact that he now had a friend that knew his secret, and was not going to try and kill him. “So how is it that you think you might be able to help me?”
Nye briefly stared at Tonto before responding. “Well, I know you have had no training on the control of your essence. That showed through when you were trying to change back this morning. I have a feeling that your power can be used only for transformations. I want to try and teach you the control to maintain either form for as long as you need, or want.”
Tonto nodded. “I will certainly take any help I can get, but I really don’t think you will be able to do much to help me. I can’t hide my essence from those around me, and that’s what got me into trouble.” He suddenly remembered the strange words that Phoebe had spoken. They were actually true, the next person that had offered him help, actually had the ability to do so. His thoughts were interrupted by Nye laughing.
“I know you can hide your essence, you did it went those soldiers were talking to you, although you probably did not realize you were. As far as control over your form, I think I have a pretty good grasp on that, even if I don’t have such an extreme being.” Nye proceeded to shift to the form of a much older man, and then back to the boy he had been. Next he changed into a girlish figure, and then into an infant. He ended by stopping in his actual form of a fey just over two feet tall. He still looked much the same as he had when he was a boy, but he seemed to have aged a little. “I have been working on changing and holding forms for years now, and I think I can help you tap into that side of your essence without a problem.”
Tonto nodded. “I really hope you can help. Before you decide for sure though, you should know that the paladins are looking for me.”
Nye shrugged it off. “The paladins don’t mess with us fey; they know we have more power than they do. You and I both know you have more power than I do, so they should know better than to try anything with you.”
“Maybe, but I still need to learn how to control it.” Tonto had a sudden thought. “Hey, why didn’t you tell me about being what you are sooner?”
Nye gave him a withering look. “I didn’t say anything because firstly you should have been able to tell, and secondly you didn’t tell me anything about yourself. I am not an overly nosey person, but I would like to know some things before I get involved with someone.”
“Oh, I guess that seems fair. I really should be more alert about that kind of thing too, especially after what happened last time.” Tonto proceeded to tell Nye about his encounter with the wizard and paladins the night before.
Nye grew very excited. “You are fireproof? That is completely awesome. It’s too bad you can’t breathe fire yet, though. I wonder how long it will take before that happens.”
“I really don’t know.” Tonto was about to start telling Nye something else when the fey held up a hand.
“Keep still, and quiet.” Nye whispered. He had grown very tense and was now looking over his shoulder in the direction of the road.
Tonto stopped talking immediately, and he too turned toward the road. He had been relaxed while he was talking to the little creature, but now he tensed up. His instinct kicked in, and he allowed himself to feel everything around him. He could sense the approach of three people, two of them having strong magical power. They were traveling down the road, and it didn’t seem as though they had noticed the boys sitting in the woods. Tonto assumed that was because they were so far off of the road, but he could not help growing worried.
Nye had changed back to the form of a boy and now he looked at Tonto curiously. He did not say anything as he watched his new friend’s eyes turn to slits and his ears grew pointed. Tonto even took on a little bit of the reddish tint on his arms. Curiosity got the better of him and Nye reached out and ever so gently touched the tip of the reddening ear. What happened next took both of them completely by surprise.
Tonto had simply been trying to hear what was being said by the men on the road, but as soon as Nye touched him he could feel nothing else. He was able to feel all of the thoughts that were running through Nye’s head leading directly up to the point where he had touched him. Tonto could feel the power swirling around inside Nye’s head, much like the power in his own head. He recoiled at the touch of another beings consciousness, but to no avail. He was feeling everything in his own body, but he could also feel everything about the being beside him. He suddenly felt a wash of understanding as Nye’s mind shifted through all the magic he knew in an attempt to find a way to break the bond. Tonto wanted so badly to stay there and learn what he could from his companion, but he could feel the panic welling up, so he forced himself to relax and hold completely still. Just like that morning as soon as he was able to cease all movement the spell was broken, and the magic holding them dissipated. As soon as the connection was severed Tonto slumped down gasping for air. His vision grew blurry, and he could barely hear anything even though he could see that Nye was talking to him. It did not grow any better until Nye grabbed his shoulders and gave him a shake.
“Tonto! Tonto, can you hear me? Are you alright?” Nye sounded like he was yelling through a tube.
“What in the world was that?” Tonto felt like his tongue was made of cotton. “What happened?”
“You used a mind meld.” Nye sat back and stared at Tonto. “I had no idea you had that much power, let alone you could actually do that.”
“A mind meld, what is that?” Tonto rubbed his ear where Nye had touched him. It burned like fire, but it was icy to the touch.
“Mind melds are used by the most powerful wizards to train students. They tend to drain a drastic amount of essence, and have been known to kill wizards that hold them for too long a time. My cousin did one to me one time, but I just barely felt him before he had to break it. He actually passed out afterword.”
“Oh,” Tonto said meekly. “I didn’t know about it.” He considered for a moment. “So if I can do that mind meld thing, could you train me that way?”
“I could try, but I have to be thinking of everything I want you to know before we connect. If I don’t then it will take longer for me to think of it, and then we waste time. I can’t have you pushing yourself that far in a dangerous place like this; it will seriously affect your ability to fight, or even change forms. If you can’t change you and I are both history against any Paladins.”
“Not if you stand behind me, I’m fireproof.” Tonto was still slightly disoriented.
“I know you told me that a minute ago. I also saw it in your head.” Nye’s mouth dropped open. “I saw you get shot with an arrow, and I saw you in a wizards shop. I saw when he attacked you, and you turned into a dragon. The whole fight with the paladins and everything you told me about. I even saw everything that happened to you this morning, only from your eyes. It was like I was you, remembering what happened.”
“I saw you changing forms, and following me around.” Tonto was awed. “Was all that stuff real?”
“Yes, anything you saw in my head happened as far back as two days ago, and right up to what I’m thinking at the very second that I think it. An experienced wizard can hold it for an extended time, and the two minds actually start thinking together. You will probably need a lot of practice before that happens though.” Nye was happy to have found the new method of training.
Tonto got a funny smile before sitting up. “So anything I saw in your head, I will probably learn from you at some point.”
“Yes. I will do my best to teach you everything that I know, but most of it will not help you. The only stuff you will actually be able to learn will be the stuff related to changing forms.” Nye rubbed his finger absently, and then looked at it. “Oh, no wonder it hurts, there is a scale in it.” He turned his hand around and held it out so Tonto could see. “I guess I should try and get that out.” Nye took his other hand and pinched the end of his finger, using his thumb to slide the scale from his skin. When it did not budge, and hurt even worse than before, Nye took another look at it. “What in the name of all the gods..?” He could not find a voice to finish the curse.
“What is it?” Tonto could tell that something was very wrong. “What happened; is there something I can do?”
Nye shook his head and then held out his finger again. “The scale is actually mine. I think it grew there after I touched you.” His voice was completely numb as he spoke.
“You have a scale now? Is that even possible?” Tonto hoped that it was some sort of trick, and that any second Nye would use some of his skills to make the scale disappear, but he could tell by the look on Nye’s face that it wasn’t so. “How did you get a scale from me?”
“I don’t know. I had no idea it was even possible to create a mind meld just by touching, but this might explain why you lost so much essence.”
“What do you mean?” Tonto demanded.
“I thought it was strange that all your power drained away so quickly, but if you were using it to give me a scale, it actually makes sense. I really have no idea how it actually happened though.”
“So the reason I almost fainted was because somehow I was giving you a scale?” Tonto did not understand how Nye could keep saying that it made sense, because it certainly did not.
“I wonder if it’s permanent, or if it will shed over time like yours do.” Nye was considering his finger when he unexpectedly got a very mischievous look on his face. “Well, it can’t be all bad, there is a considerable amount of power stored in this scale, and I can draw on it anytime I need to.” He proceeded to hold his hand out and create a little trickle of water from the palm. He clenched his fist over it and allowed the water to continue running for several minutes. Nearly five minutes passed with both of the boys staring at the clear stream, and then Nye opened up his hand and it stopped. “I have never been able to hold that for more than a minute before I start feeling the drain enough that I have to stop.” Nye smiled. “I only used about half the essence that’s in the scale too. Who knows what I could do with it fully charged.”
“I guess it’s alright then; if you can use it?” Tonto was still not sure.
“Oh yes; this is excellent, especially if I am going to be trying to work with you and you have enough essence to outlast me by days.” He held out his hand again. “It is simple enough to hide too.” There was no sign of the scale. “I can feel it building more essence in as well, although I don’t know where it could be getting it.”
“I think I know that one.” Tonto smiled at his companion again, no longer worried about his safety. “My scales pull their power from my blood. As long as they are still planted in the skin, they hold and maintain the essence, and shift it as needed to protect me. Once they fall off, whatever charge they had before they dropped they hold until it is used by something else.”
“That sounds plausible, but does it work the same for me do you think?” Nye had shifted to the boyish form he had used when Tonto had first met him. He gave Tonto a devilish smile. “I can use my essence strictly for holding a form, and this scale for any other types of magic we might need. We should be able to walk through any town without fear.”
Tonto nodded. He didn’t really have anything that he could say, and chose not to speak at all. He was in fact thinking of the spells that had been running through Nye’s head just before he broke the connection.