Curator POV

After asking the shaman for the basics of how mana is stored in those unlike me things become much more clear. Looking at Babe as she scuttles up to the ceiling I can, after a bit of focus on her, see what the shaman described as a mana heart. Really, it's just the same, or similar, energy as I see in myself and as bands upon my form. Though, still good to know others have these too.

"As for putting your mana into things, that would depend on what fundamental forces you fall into. Old stories tell of dungeons of fire or ice, who's denizens and scions took on those aspects."

Hearing that a small chuckle would resonate from me making the shaman stop and look at my form with confusion. Babe too stops her movement up to a dark corner at the top of my, for lack of a better word, shrine to look upon me.

"Did...did I say something humorous, Curator?"

'Not to most, no. Tell me shaman, what do you think cold is?'

"I...don't follow. Cold is cold."

'And what is heat?'

"Well...heat is warmth, it's the energy of the sun shining down on you"

'That's close. Heat is energy. Cold is just the lack of that energy. The thing I found humorous earlier is that they are seen as different things when they are two sides of the same coin as it were. Something that is cold, merely lacks the energy that is heat. Heat it's self is just the vibration of very, very small things that make up well...everything.'

That look of confusion turning to the start of understanding on the shaman's face is worth every second of all this. Who knew that there's a specific face for having one's mind blown. Then there's the rush of energy as he truly starts to understand, that mana gathering in the hollow inside me a moment as it's absorbed and condensed replacing more than the mana that was spent on getting this place ready for their visit. They see it too, as it's brought in.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"If...if that's the case, then cold must burn like heat can right? If they are the same sides of one coin as you put it, and then...where did you pull that mana from a moment ago? Did you do something to me, or my people? Did some creature die nearby?"

'Clever fellah, yes, cold can burn too. To much, or too little, energy in a living thing can harm or kill it. As to the mana, in a way I did something to you, yes. I helped you understand a truth, a very very deep truth, of how the universe works. For me at least, helping other know and understand things around them, to some degree, gives me much. Which is only fitting. You'd mentioned dungeons of fire and ice. If they were considered aspects of such, I am too, a dungeon of an aspect. The aspect though is Knowledge, and by extension, change. As knowledge brings about and is the catalyst of change. That explains why you changed so much from what you were Babe, and the same for Poppit. Also why the flower changed as it had when I accidently put a small bit of mana into it, and why that other plant I intentionally did slight experimentation on changed to that tasty leaf you enjoyed earlier shaman.'

To this the shaman fall silent, just looking at my core, slack jawed in surprise. Giving him a moment I'd go to check on Poppit right quick.

Poppit POV

Bliss! Pure bliss! The walking scaled things warmed up to us, surprisingly fast when it was clear we were there to help and started being nice to Poppit. Those little claws can reach all the spots we cannot to scratch and itch. They seem to like to do this for us at they've not asked Poppit to do anything but they still scratch us when we are above the sand some. Clever little fingies are the beeeeest!~

Curator POV

Okay, quick check on Poppit, things are going very well on that front. Seems the rest of the camp is much more okay with things than the leadership was. With how much happy their exuding when I shift my link over to them so heavily, it's probably better for now to let that be. To much of that happy feeling can cloud the mind after all, I do have one more thing to do with the shaman.

'There is one last mater that we must broach then. That being do you wish for a name, shaman? I've no way to tell you what exactly would happen, however, there would be much, much more you could learn with such an arrangement, even if some of that knowledge should be considered forbidden to those who don't share my mark.'

Watching him carefully as he goes from slack jawed to a mixture of nervous and excited before being to pace back and forth in thought, it's hard not to praise how seriously he's taking that question. After all, he can learn more, and get more power. Yet it will come at the price of not being entirely part of his clan any more. Not to say he won't be able to live wit them or be part of their festivities and other such, yet he will be marked always. An outsider, even if they're all in my domain with him.

"Yes, I think I would. This won't hurt, right?"

'Honestly, I've no idea, it...shouldn't from what I've observed. Neither Babe, nor Poppit, seemed to have felt pain from being named and growing or such. That said, shaman, I give you the name of Vekla. You will help with research and learning of magical concepts and development as your main focus in my service.'

With that said, it's easy to feel the mana flowing out of me and into the little reptile. I watch in a mix of fascination and apprehension as his body twists and changes, his, more or less, undeveloped mana heart growing as easily a band or two forms around it, only for one to slowly be consumed by the changes happening to his body. His form would lift off the ground slightly with the sheer energy coursing through him. Empowering and, I'd say either changing or mutating him to better fill his role, and name. After a few minutes he'd once more be on the ground standing on wobbly legs.

"That...didn't hurt much...but was very unpleasant."