Training continued the next day in much the same way with Sétanta ensuring she had the basic movements of the spear down before moving on to the variations. Sétanta yelled out various positions and transitions and watched Alanna's formed as she moved through what was basically just a kata incorporating both with forward and backward movement. When she went through the basic routine forward and backward Sétanta threw in side to side movements. It took a few days but Alanna showed a remarkable proficiency with the spear or staff. It had impressed Sétanta and he was excited to be able to teach intermediate movements and techniques.
Allana enjoyed the routine and after having her stance adjusted and grip fixed several times she started to feel the movements agreeing with her body. She was even able to slightly shift her hands and feet to her body size, her strength and her speed, which cleaned up the movements even further than her instructor's guidance. It felt like a bit of her old self was offering hints. Her success was intoxicating.
She was having less of an enjoyable time trying to train her druidic abilities. There was a nymph trying to help while the Queen attempted to get the dryad that lived as a part of the great tree in the town center to train her abilities. At her teachers insistence she finally tried her wild shape in her lesser shapeshifting ability and it was one of the most terrifying and mind altering experiences she had ever felt. She had no idea what a Smilodon was but thought it would be some sort of dinosaur given the name. So, when she transformed herself and managed to transform herself into a midnight black 450kg saber tooth cat with 200cm length and a 40cm tail, she was not prepared.
Her instincts that were naturally repressed by common sense, societal expectation, and general intelligence were suddenly far less restricted. She felt the urge to hunt and toy with prey of which she saw pretty much everything as. She was proud of being superior and could not imagine why another creature would not serve her whim. After nearly eating the nymph who managed to escape into the garden plants an irritated giant cat decided the entrance doors to the keep was a good spot to nap and slept there for a few hours much to the chagrin of, well, everyone.
The only reason she found it in herself to change back to her other form was because a large part of her psyche wanted to continue staff and spear training the next day. So, after several hours of napping and generally terrorizing the keep staff she transformed back into her natural self. Once she was herself once again she was not only mortified by her actions, but she was also concerned by how much the shape affected her mentally. She genuinely did not care about anything other than herself. It was quite alarming.
Toward the end of the transformation though she could feel herself starting to break through the instincts. However, this shape was not something she wanted to use when around friends, family, or allies. It would certainly require more training to ensure she stays in control. Although, what her senses were telling her while she was in that form was nearly overwhelming. Due to that she did not want to completely subvert the instinct as it was both a part of her and better at discerning what it sensed.
From her intelligence mind's passenger seat, Alanna experienced the incredible sense of smell and the variety of odors that the big cat could sense. Each being gave off different odors depending on their moods. They also gave off various pheromones that triggered some of Alanna's haughtiness as for many it was a scent of fear and their fear was delicious and right to the big cat.
Her hearing was also quite good and several of the sounds she heard were out of a human's and apparently a druid's range. However the level of her hearing perception depended on where she focused her ears. Her eyes were interesting because she was certain they would be better in lower light and her field of view seemed higher but things just didn't look right. Movement was easy to catch but everything was just a bit more dull. Not that the cat had any issues with it yet the intelligent mind preferred her human vision.
What suprised Alanna the most was the sense of touch. She did not realize how easily it was for a feline to determine footsteps based on the subtle vibrations in the ground when she was laying down. When the wind shifted she could immediately tell even if the breeze was so minimal her human body wouldn't have noticed. It was fascinating how much more she could feel.
While there were quite a few amazing things about the transformation the loss of herself to the instinct was still too much for her to accept changing unless she had no real choice. She could tell her ability to move silently would be far greater but until she could be certain it was safe for others around her she would use the form sparingly. When she found her instructor the next day, the nymph was also insistent she not use that form again. Alanna didn't blame the poor creature. She was no longer a cat but she still could smell the terror that radiated of the nymph.
The nymph was actually quite good at describing nature and nature related magics which included quite a bit on alchemy and herbalism which was clearly the occult magics that this creature showed her proficiencies in. However, using natural magics such as the growth spells was a bit outside of the woman's focus. She had several collegues that were involved in other aspects of natural magics like chemistry and astronomy. However, Alanna was not interested in these fields as these were now scientific studies and no longer considered natural magics. Although, she rather liked that the nymph thought of them as magic.
It was nearly a week after she had begun her training when the dryad finally agreed to see Alanna. The druidess was a bit concerned with the time she spent here but remembered that time did not pass at the same rate here. It could be longer or shorter than the overworld and she honestly was not sure how to leave. She did not know if she could retrace her steps since she stepped through a few circles and how or where they transported those that stepped into them, Alanna could not tell. Neither could anyone else for that matter. The Queen explained during dinner on the second night that the circles were set up long ago by the greater deities in the Tuatha. While many considered Medb a goddess, and she technically was, she was only a minor goddess barely above a demigod which many considered her current spear instructor to be.
Stolen novel; please report.
The Queen explained that the dryad was considered a type of land goddess and would also be a minor deity, but she rarely ever left her tree. Alanna was, of course, quite curious about the dryad as they were a staple in many of the fantasy stories she loved. This land goddess went by the name Lulura and was worshipped by many of the faery that were more closely tied to natural forces such as water, plants, etc. It was quite similar to the nymphs except it tied its life force to a single tree and once so tied it rarely, if ever, left the area. It was also not part of the Tuatha or their children. It came from other lands when the Milesians came to the world above and it too chose to be cast down with those most similar to its kind.
Queen Medb was able to get the meeting with Lulura but warned that the dryad would ask a boon or require a trade that would, in all likelihood, make Alanna uncomfortable or unwilling. Alanna decided it would not hurt to at least have the meeting and then she could decide her next step. When Medb offered to join her, Alanna felt a great sense of relief. She had come to trust the queen over the past week; and though the queen had a profound sense of selfishness about her, she was also kind and compassionate to those she found worthy of such.
The morning of the meeting with the dryad Lulura came and Alanna felt a good bit of anxiety as she made her way from the castle back toward the town. The queen brought out a pair of horses for the short journey and Alanna found herself becoming excited once more. The druidess loved the majestic animals and had been part of an equestrian society during her junior high and high school days. It had been years since she was able to ride but she could tell that these beautiful creatures were pretty docile and were a bit older. She hoped they were able to run but she did not really pay attention to how the stables handled their charges. In this moment it would not matter as she would let her mare run for a short while at least.
They made it into town after a short run down the hill and along the outer city wall. Alanna asked to go the long way instead of the postern gate to let the horses run a bit. She was also curious to see if her gate guard friend would be there but was disappointed when there was a different person on duty. The stopped at the massive tree and tied off the horses nearby. When the walked up to it Alanna could not help but marvel at its massive size from her position at the base of the trunk. As she was looking up she felt the tree shifting; then from around the trunk a spiral staircase of wood, vines, and leaves formed and sped toward the ground. She looked toward the queen who had a polite smile etched on her face as she staired up the stairs while her hands were clasped at her waste.
Alanna looked back up the stairs in time to see what looked like a rather stunning woman with bark like skin and green hair descending the stairs as though she were a queen. If Alanna had seen this creature prior to the queen she would have been stunned by her otherworldly beauty. However, with all the beautiful creatures in the otherworlds, she was starting to become a bit numb to it. What she did find attractive though, was the poise and grace the creature showed as it descended from the boughs of the tree.
Lulura smiled serenely as she viewed the women in front of here. "Be welcome in my home." She offered and extended a hand toward the bough indicating they should ascend. Alanna was a bit concerned with the stairs but followed the queen who did not hesitate. She found that even though the stairs were made primarily of vines and leaves, they were pretty sturdy. The trip up was surprisingly short as the stairs only went around the backside of the trunk where the dryad touched the bark and a large entrance opened up into a small cottage like home. After questioning the dryad about the home she had shared that this was a temporary construct to make it easier for guests to feel comfortable. The dryad existed as one with the tree and so this room was constructed specifically for her guest's comfort. When pressed on the construct by Alanna the dryad explained she created it just before the got to the end of the stairwell. The only reason the stairs were created was for a dramatic entrance.
Alanna was suitably impressed by the control in the dryad's magic. It was very well controlled and quite powerful. What was even more impressive was the deep connection to the land. Given what Alanna had been told about the dryad's origins she was a bit confused by the connection to the land. She tried to focus on the feeling of the land around her and in her. There was a faint feeling of connection to the dryad like she was one point on a vast web of connections but it was difficult to see what it connected to. It was difficult for Alanna to understand.
A prod to her shoulder brought her back to the present and she noticed the queen and the dryad looking at her carefully. She was certain she missed something and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry. What did you ask or say?" Alanna said. The dryad smirked as she sat in a chair made of wood and gestured for her guests to sit across from her at a couch made from branches and leaves. The queen sat with poise that matched the dryad while Alanna did her best to not look to out of place between the pair of goddesses.
The dryad looked from to the queen. "Her soul is ancient." The dryad said. "It is older than both of ours combined." The queen nodded "You were a part of the land before I was born Lulura. Yet our kin were here long before yours and she is likely to be one of the first." The dryad looked at Alanna with predatory hunger that would have put her smilodon to shame. "You have told her of the pact?" The queen shook her head in the negative. "I told her you would require a boon or a trade." Medb said. The dryad looked back toward Alanna and offered a salacious grin. "I will agree teach you the magic of nature and you will likely find no one else as capable as this type of magic is an innate ability for the few of my kind that exists." Alanna looked at the woman carefully. "What is the price?" She asked. The dryad's salacious grin became more predatory and her sharp canines showed in her toothy grin. "The price dear druid is in either blood, saliva, or—" she looked Alanna up and down and shivered in anticipation. "Or other bodily fluids."
Alanna grimaced and looked at the queen who was wincing as well. The queen offered an apologetic shrug and smile which did not make Alanna feel comforted. Alanna looked back at the dryad. "Well the last one is straight out for me. I am uncomfortable being that vulnerable with anyone. Explain to me the other options."