Adam awoke early the next morning. Opening his eyes, he took a small moment to once again marvel at the fact he could see again. Morning light was creeping into his house and he decided to do some random morning exercises. It felt very refreshing and nostalgic.
There was some simple food in the house that Adam ate for breakfast. After that, Adam made to leave the house. The clothes he had were rather loose on him and Evelyn had shown where the tailor shop was the day before. When Adam opened the door to leave, he found Evelyn just a few steps away!
Evelyn greeted Adam with a smile: “Good morning. What's with the look of surprise? I just came to see how you were doing and thought that you might like to go to the tailors to get some proper clothing.”
Adam shook his head with a small chuckle. “Morning, Evelyn. I was surprised to see you because I used to be blind before I Dragon-formed. When I was blind, I had access to an elemental sight that would have let me see you coming from a hundred meters off! To suddenly find someone on the other side of my door without me realizing they were there... it was just extremely surprising.”
Evelyn listened with interest. “There really is more to your story than what you told at the party. You didn't mention you were blind before.”
“Well, I told everyone the part that concerned the unique look of my Dragon-form and why my Human-form is so young. That's what they were interested in.”
A thought suddenly occurred to Evelyn as she narrowed her eyes: “You didn't use that elemental sight to peep, did you?”
“No! Not intentionally, anyways. I was very young when I got my elemental sight and I would experiment with looking into rooms far away from me... I accidentally saw a few things, but that's it! I was given a hard enough time as it was for that accident.”
Evelyn gave Adam a slightly doubtful look with an 'mhmm.' Adam could only sigh and shake his head. He decided he was definitely not going to disclose that he could still use his elemental sight when his eyes were closed. Moving things on, he said: “Well, let's head on off to the tailor.”
As they walked to the tailor, other topics of discussion cropped up and Adam was finally clear of Evelyn's incriminating look. Finally, they reached the place for the tailor. Walking in, it seemed like any normal tailor. There were various types of clothing on display and fabric that you could choose to make custom clothing. There were even some types of fabric that had been created using a unique method of spiritual enhancement! Evelyn's 'flaming sapphire' dress was once such example.
A fancily dressed and well groomed man walked out to greet them: “Hello! You must be Adam, the one the village is abuzz about! I am Theodore.”
Adam scratched his head in slight embarrassment. “Hello. Is my arrival really something that would set the village so abuzz that many people already know me before I meet them?”
Evelyn enthusiastically nodded. “Guess I didn't mention it too much, but outsiders are really rare! We might get three or four outsiders that come to the village over a span five-hundred years or so! Compare that to the twenty to fifty people that are born in the village over the same span of time.”
“Oh... guess I really do stand out then.”
Theodore clapped his hands together in anticipation. “Now then, I imagine you are here for some better clothing? Ever since I heard of you and your unique Dragon-form, I have been designing a special set of clothing for you! It will even be prepped so that you can complete a formation that will allow the clothing to store itself as raw spirit essence in your Dragon-form!”
The last part confused Adam. “Store it my Dragon-form? Ah, so I should be able to resume my Human-form and have the clothing appear on my body instead of being naked. I take it that your dress is the same, Evelyn?”
Evelyn nodded. “The formation is very special and unique. So much so that it took a few thousand years for it to be created! Since then, the formation has been passed down and everyone in the village has at least one set of clothing that can follow their Dragon-form.”
Adam was surprised. “This formation took a few thousand years to make! Wow... um, just one thing. Theodore, you said I would have to finish the formation?”
Theodore nodded: “Yes. In order for the formation to be properly utilized by your Dragon-form, you have to be the one to complete the formation. Don't worry, it will be simple.”
“But I can't use formations!”
This statement surprised Theodore. “For some reason I thought you were a spiritualist. Do not worry, there is a similar method for spirit martial artists to create a flow of spirit essence through the clothing to achieve the same result!”
With a small sigh, Adam shook his head. “I am a spiritualist. It's just that I follow an unorthodox path where formations are useless to me since I use a different method to control spirit essence.”
Theodore was even more shocked than before. “... Well, that will make things difficult. I suppose it makes some sense, though. You are able to control lightning. That is something no one has been able to control before.”
Off to the side, Evelyn suddenly had a look of excitement. “Adam, you never did tell me how you actually control spirit essence! You didn't even mention it at the celebration last night! Is it too much to ask for you to tell us how you do it?”
“Eh, I suppose.” Adam briefly described how he controlled spirit essence with song that was sung from his soul. He even gave a small demonstration of a simple hum while creating a small ball of fire in his palm.
Evelyn was enthralled by the idea of using song to control spirit essence. “That's so neat! It must have been hard to master, though. And you even became a dragon in less than two hundred years while still following an unorthodox path like that! You must be really skilled or really lucky.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Adam didn't know what to do about the praise that Evelyn was throwing his way. Theodore was still pondering on the main problem though. “That still doesn't really help me figure out a way for you to use the formation, though.”
Adam thought about it for a moment. “Well, do you have an example for me to study? That's really been the only way for me to learn how to control spirit essence in specific ways is to see them move in action.”
Theodore thought aloud: “I don't really have anything prepared right now..”
Evelyn then said: “Oh, I know! You can watch me! Remember how you learned how to change between your Dragon-form and Human-form by watching me? Can't you do the same thing?”
Adam agreed: “That should work.”
Before the two could suddenly run off on impulse, Theodore interjected: “Before you leave, can I get your measurements? Do you also want to go over my design?”
Theodore took some of Adam's measurements before taking him over to a table where he had designs. Theodore enthusiastically went over the designs he had drafted for Adam. The outfit had something looking close to a dress coat that hung down to the mid-thigh with a material the color of abyssal black. The coat was trimmed with white-silver silk as well as golden silk along the seams and edges. On the back of the coat, there was a stitched white-silver thunderbolt outlined in gold. The buttons on the coat were made of gemstones of various colors to reflect different types of spirit essence. There was an undershirt that was golden colored and had a pattern to make it look like scales. The pants were also abyssal black and trimmed much the same as the coat. Adam could only blankly stare as Theodore excitedly went over the details and showed Adam some sample materials of the cloth he was going to use. At the end of it all, Adam said: “Isn't this a bit ostentatious?”
Evelyn gave Adam a disbelieving look. “Have you looked in a mirror recently? No matter what you wear, you are going to stick out like a soar thumb in any crowd! Might as well go big with your clothes as well.”
Adam briefly glanced down at himself: “Is there something odd?”
There was a mirror nearby to help check the fit of clothing. Evelyn grabbed Adam by the arm and dragged him over. “At the celebration, we weren't just curious about why you seemed so young. Just look at yourself!”
Adam looked at the mirror and he was slightly shocked. It was the first time he had found out about his golden irises! His hair caught the eye too, but not nearly as much as his eyes. Evelyn then continued: “And don't forget about your Dragon-form! Your scales are the same abyssal black trimmed in white-silver! Your eyes are the same gold and there are faint clouds of spirit essence that can be seen drifting about under your scales! When you Dragon-form, you do so under a shower of lightning. Lightning! Now tell me, is the outfit Theodore planned for you any more ostentatious than that?”
Hearing Evelyn's description, Adam felt a bit embarrassed. Now that she had said all that... the outfit didn't seem that bad. “Won't the outfit be costly, though? All the materials were spiritually enhanced.”
Theodore waved one of his hands in a dismissive gesture. “I love making things like this and you still need some proper clothes. Consider it my welcome gift.”
After they finished talking about Adam's new outfit, they parted from Theodore. Evelyn took Adam to an open area where she had enough room to Dragon-form, without catching too much attention. Before starting, she gave Adam a questioning look: “You don't think it will take too long to figure it out, will it? It is rather taxing on the soul to switch between Dragon-form and Human-form multiple times in a row.”
Adam shook his head: “I haven't a clue. It might be simple enough that one time will do it. It also might be complicated enough that it will take me a few days or even months. There's no telling until we try. First, let me examine your dress.”
Evelyn nodded as Adam closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate. Curious, she asked: “What are you doing?”
“I'm looking at the spirit essence that forms your dress and trying to identify the formation within and how it controls spirit essence in its normal state.”
“So you still have that elemental sight that let's you see through walls, then?” Adam froze. “And when were you planning on telling me this?”
“Well, you were too busy giving me an incriminating look earlier! Now be quiet and let me concentrate.”
Evelyn didn't say anything more as Adam showed a face of concentration. However, a thought invaded her mind that caused her to start fidgeting. Seeing her anxiety, Adam asked with a sigh: “What's wrong?”
Evelyn timidly asked: “You can't see me under my clothes, can you?”
“No, you silly girl! That's not how this works!” With a sigh, Adam explained how his elemental sight wasn't the same as seeing with your eyes. More like knowing that something was there and knowing what shape it took and what spirit essence it was made of. There was no way he could see her body as if he was looking at her without her clothes on.
Finally getting back on track, Adam continued his study. Adam felt that he was starting to get an idea about the underlying mechanics behind the formation. He had Evelyn Dragon-form while continuing to watch what was going on. As she Dragon-formed, the dressed seemed to fully disappear and he lost sight of it. Looking around, the spirit essence in the dress did not seem to stay as a cohesive form that was hidden away somewhere in the Dragon-form. Adam still did see the influence of the formation in the dress present in Evelyn's Dragon-form. When Evelyn transformed back into her Human-form, Adam could see faint amounts of her own spirit essence mixed in with the dress. Adam murmured to himself: “I see. A simple idea, but hard to actually accomplish.”
The formation basically made it so that the spirit essence that formed the physical shape of the dress was cycled into Evelyn's spirit essence when she Dragon-formed. You couldn't see any part of the dress in her Dragon-form since it was spread all throughout her body. The formation was linked to her through her soul and remained active so that when she Human-formed, the spirit essence that formed the dress would resume its normal shape. It was about cycling the spirit essence that formed the dress.
While Adam was busy thinking over everything, Heinrich came upon the scene. “I thought that was your Dragon-form that I saw, what are you doing Evelyn?”
“Heinrich!” Evelyn smiled and waved. “I was just helping Adam figure out the formation that allows our clothes to follow our Dragon-form. He can't use formations so he has to figure out what it does to replicate its effect in a different way.”
Heinrich gave a slightly disgusted look over to the currently oblivious Adam. “He didn't do anything weird to you, did he?”
“No. At least, I don't think so.”
“What do you mean you don't think so!?”
Evelyn shrugged. “I still don't fully understand the elemental sight he uses.”
Heinrich started walking over to Adam with the look of a fight in his eyes. Evelyn quickly ran forward. “Heinrich, stop! I am sure everything is all right, don't fight!”
Heinrich ignored Evelyn and stormed in front of Adam. He yelled: “Did you do anything weird to Evelyn!?”
Suddenly brought out of his thinking, Adam was extremely confused: “What? No! Wait, what?”
Adam had no idea where this question came from or even when Heinrich had suddenly shown up. Heinrich leveled Adam a steely gaze and then turned around to gently grab Evelyn's arm. “Let's go.”
“What's gotten into you, Heinrich? Adam still needs my help.”
Having made some sense about what was suddenly happening, Adam shook his head with a sigh. “How can she not see what's going on with him?”
“It's fine Evelyn. I got it mostly down, now I just need to experiment.”
Evelyn reluctantly left with Heinrich and Adam went back to his house. He didn't want to fail in his experiment and find himself naked in the middle of town. After pondering on the process, Adam Dragon-formed with the intent of controlling the spirit essence in his clothes to also be absorbed into his the Dragon-form. He then Human-formed and it was a success! Adam no longer needed to worry about his clothes ripping instead of following his Dragon-form!
Having already accomplished more than he expected in the morning, Adam thought of what he wanted to do in the future. Obviously, settling things with Heinrich was something that was going to have to be done if he wanted to stay in the village for any length of time. But how could he peaceably convince Heinrich that he wasn't trying to gain Evelyn's affections without his motives being suspected? Heinrich seemed to be really sensitive about the topic and Adam was entirely unsure about how to go about it. Other than that, he still wanted to learn more about dragons and maybe even work on being able to utilize his elemental sight in some form while his eyes were open. To more naturally reach out and use it than having to close his eyes and concentrate on it more than he had in the past. He also wanted to find a way to send word back to Segen that he was alright but would be gone for some time. So many things to do and Adam wasn't even sure where to start. Adam's stomach rumbled in hunger. It was now mid-day. With a smile, Adam said to himself: “Well, let's start with lunch!”