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Absorbed in Magical Studies

"Now tell me, Sini, what is the next step when utilizing physical magic to move an object." Ceylon, the gryphon master of transformation magic, asked as she lay on her belly in the mossy opening of Sini's cave, quizzing the black and purple dragon about his latest lessons. Over the course of the preceding months, Sini and a few others had enlisted Ceylon to teach them in a series of group and one-on-one lessons in an attempt to excel beyond others in the field of magical application. Though she was considered one of the greatest living mages, she was also absolutely massive in size compared to Sini, who looked like a large dog next to a horse when compared to her.

Sini was doing well, but his ambition grew beyond the pace of his skill and he wanted to learn more and to learn faster even if he was already a quick study. This was why when he answered he did so with exquisite posture and confidence in his voice. "When remotely moving an object, it is important to visualize the object in its entirety during every step of its movement. Failure to do so could result in a destroyed object, potentially at the particulate level." He nodded as soon as he finished, sure of the accuracy of his answer.

"Very good, Sini. Not a lot of people know or understand that nuance when it comes to physical magic. However, there are other ways to handle the situation; tell me, what is an alternative way to remotely move an object without expending too much energy on the specifics of its entire mass? How would you deal with a situation like that, or one where you didn't or couldn't know it's entire constitution?" Ceylon cocked her head to the side and nodded slowly, front talon reaching out to grab a few idle rocks.

A moment passed as Sini thought up how he was going to respond. "Well, if I don't know the entire object, and am not controlling it by manipulating its mass directly, then the next step would be to conjure an external object to manipulate it like a remote hand."

"And how do we do that?"

"Mentally focus on an area that solid objects cannot pass through, often in the shape of a hand or tentacle or other object that will interact with the world at your behest." Sini explained, his grin growing wider. "And one must program its features and properties to one's needs, such as specifying that air can pass through but liquid or solids cannot, or risk doing damage to the object in question."

"Also very good, yes. One last question, and this one is one I don't think you've experienced the answer to just yet but I'm curious to see how far along your individual studies have progressed. Tell me, Sini, how do you know for certain what this conjured object looks like? How can you be sure that what you're imagining in your mind's eye is as it was conceived, not over stepping or under stepping?"

Sini had to pause for a moment to let his mind delve into the books he'd read at Ceylon's personal library, trying his best to pinpoint the single answer that would best serve as a solution to this inquiry. Quickly, he answered as soon as he knew the answer. "To a magic user, the errant mist and ademane used to trigger the spell should be glowing in the shape of the object, a radiant light that only the magic user themselves are able to see."

Ceylon's beak slowly opened as she smiled wide, chirping contentedly at him. "Very good! Very good, indeed. Your studying has been coming along well, and it's good to see that you have taken to the theory well, but your next test is more practical." She grabbed each of the rocks she'd been collecting, and laid them in a pile between her front talons. "I want you to organize these all from smallest to largest, right across my wrists. However, the caveat is that the rocks cannot touch either you nor I nor each other once you've started the test. If I feel the cold of their surface on my skin, you must start over and we can try another way, okay? Let me know when you wish to start."

"I'm ready any time, let's do this!" He got to all fours and growled, lips peeled back to show off his teeth as he got into position - a traditional look of bravado and confidence. "Can I start?"

"Can you?" She asked with a hint of condescension. "I don't think I have the answer to that inquiry. May you? Yes, I give permission to proceed, but only you can determine if you're capable."

Sini narrowed his eyes, faking a twitch. "I know you're trying to be wise and helpful and all that, but I could do without the patronizing philosophical lessons; I know the difference between 'may I', and 'can I'. I just want to learn how to use magic, not get an unhelpful critique of my use of the common tongue."

She kept her eyes trained on him, smirking gently. "Well, magic use and the casting of spells is equal parts language, math, philosophy, and skill. While the concept of imagining a flame and conjuring it seems easy, it's the knowledge of science and chemistry that informs and intensifies the pyre. The spiritual need for fire is what gives it meaning, while the mathematics and subtleties of physics and logic can bite you on the haunches; you need to understand all of those factors before you can practice and hone your skills. Without understanding how to make fire and why you do it and what could go wrong, you will never be a proper mage. I lecture you on your use of language because the subtleties between 'may I' and 'can I' are similar to the difference between channeling electric energy and thermal energy. Very similar feelings to a mage, but the minute differences could mean the difference between bringing your friend back from the brink of death and burning them to a crisp."

"Sigh. Fine." Sini exhaled, realizing that he'd crossed a line. "So, may I begin my test?"

"Yes you may. I insist." Ceylon confirmed, bowing to him with a playful chirp.

"Good. Let's do this." He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, imagining all the ways he would be able to use physical magic to move and manipulate the rocks that were in a pile between Ceylon's front legs. There were many ways to do this, from rolling them around and sorting them that way, to picking them all up at once and sorting them in the air away from her talons before setting them down. The former was the simplest, requiring the least amount of concentration and energy, but the latter would have been the most impressive while also requiring the most effort.

Naturally, he went for the latter, since it would be the best. When he opened his eyes again, he focused on each of the rocks, his magic illuminating them to his eyes and only his eyes as he picked each one up into the air between Ceylon's talons and her chin. He counted seven rocks in total, the smallest one the size of a pebble up to the biggest one about as big as his fist, but that brief moment he tried to count made him lose control and drop one of the rocks directly on Ceylon's talon, the shock subsequently releasing all the other rocks to crumble over her wrists and land in the moss. "I'm so sorry!" He apologized, reaching out to grab her talon in remorse, but she stopped him.

"Don't be sorry, be better. Try again." She kept her expression neutral, striking blue eyes piercing into his soul. "And this time, stick to something you can do, you're not impressing anyone by over-extending yourself and failing when you could be operating within your limits and succeeding."

Sini huffed at himself and tried again, this time pulling each of the rocks off her one at a time, starting with the pebble and two others to one side of her talons, and the three largest on the other side with the median in between her wrists. The physical magic lasted about three minutes, interjected by the occasional drop when Ceylon's tail whipped around, distracting him. Luckily, none of the rocks touched her, so he didn't have to start over. When he was finished, he stood tall and grinned, a bit of purple smoke billowing up out of his maw - a display of his poisonous nature that helped to shape him.

"Very good, Sini!" Ceylon complimented, legitimately impressed. She was so happy with his progress, in fact, that she got to all fours and bowed to him. "So good that I think our lesson is done for today! I do have some things to focus on, and I think you have improved greatly since our last meeting so I am comfortable leaving you to your studies. Sini, I want you to keep working on your magic, no matter what. You've got skill to be sure, just keep at it and I'm sure you'll be a great mage some day."

He felt his wings spreading, as if he were floating. "I am glad to hear that, but I feel like I could be learning faster. I have so far to go, and I'm just not going fast enough!" His heart burned with ambition, something he wanted to express to Ceylon in order to impress her before she left, but he didn't think he was doing well enough to truly get her admiration. He'd been learning from her for months, he felt he should have been able to juggle a half dozen objects or more with ease by now. "Tell me, Ceylon, how could I bump up my pace?"

With a gentle chuckle, Ceylon licked her beak and stepped up close to the smaller dragon, placing a talon on his shoulder as she looked into his eyes. "Keep practicing. Your pace will quicken exponentially once you've mastered one type of magic, making every subsequent victory come faster. There is no magical spell that will make your skills leap forward, not that doesn't come with consequences, anyway. I mean, if I really want to, I could infuse you with some power and give you a boost of magical potency, but that wouldn't actually make you any better, it would only serve to make your existing spells stronger without your sense of self control growing with it, so that would be bad." She patted him gently and rubbed her cheek to his before turning and spreading her wings, looking back over her shoulder as she was about to leave while her tail stiffened behind her to act as a rudder.

"Wait!" Sini halted her as he got a whiff of her aromatic scent, the gentlest subtlety of what he assumed was her estrus; presumably why she had to leave. "What do you mean by that? Are you saying it's possible to absorb the powers of another?" She hadn't, but he'd read some things and wanted to prod at her a bit, test her mind. He sniffed at the air, noting that it smelled somewhat tangy, like the estrus of a hen, which he found quite distracting. Normally he'd not have noticed this, but her hind end was facing him and he'd been idly crushing on his teacher since they started learning.

"It's possible, yeah. Not something you should really be thinking about, though. Wouldn't do you any good, to be honest." She shook her head and spread her wings wider, stretching them in preparation of diving out of his cave. "If you're curious to learn more about the theory of magical absorption, do yourself and everyone else a favor and focus on something else. You have physical magic to focus on, and if you master that, then I might be able to take you to the subject of transformation, okay?"

He hung his head, faking shame. "Yes master. Forgive my inquiry." Sini wasn't a bad person, and had never shown any inkling towards malicious intent with his desire to become a mage, but his prodding towards a topic that was expressly forbidden and borderline malicious was quite peculiar.

She wasn't convinced of his apology, so she turned back around and cocked her head to the side, eyes blaring a hole in him. "Look, Sini, you really need to get this out of your head. Something being possible is not the same as having it being permitted. Stealing magical power from others is very unethical, even if they are capable of rejuvenating their strength. Having power beyond your control is hazardous to yourself and to others, and if I find out that you've become a threat, not only will I halt your lessons, but I will extract every last bit of your ademane from your body, ensuring you never cast another spell. Understood?" Her tone went from scholarly to violent quickly.

Sini nodded rapidly, eager to sate her concerns. "Yes master. I still want to learn more, though. I understand that there's a difference between action and knowledge, and I'd love to learn more about the process, or to be more specific, how it applies to consumption in plants and animals. I think that, if I could learn more about how to absorb magic from ademane rich game or the few rare plants that have magical properties, then I might be able to make progress in that field."

"Everything has at least a little bit of ademane, Sini. You rejuvenate your magic by consuming any creature raw, but cooked meat destroys the juices and-" She stopped herself and turned around again, once again with tail up to act as a rudder and wings spread. "Next week, I'll do a group session with you and Rimefang. He's working on restorative and thermal magics and I think you two could learn a lot from one another. He's been picking it up very quickly, and he has a similar interest in these same questions. I'd love to stay around, chat, and explain, but I do have places to be and a meeting to attend. Be good, be smart, and don't shy away from the other students in your group. You are all focusing on different practices and I think social-" She stopped mid sentence, realizing she was getting redundant. "Don't be stupid, practice your approve magic, and read. I'll see you in a week."

"Aye." He bowed to her, cracking open one eye to focus his physical magic under her tail, subtly prying her lips apart to get the faintest peek of the deep red flesh within before she left. He noticed that she lowered her ears and chuckled as he did so, acknowledging his lewd act even as she kept flying away. He'd been flirting with her since day one and she'd been flirting back, which was why she blew her scent at him and raised her tail towards him, and likely why she didn't look too deeply into his potentially dangerous ambitions. At least, that's how he interpreted it, and she didn't respond negatively when he used his magic to prod at her loins so that was the evidence he needed.

He watched intently as Ceylon flew away, her black and white form shrinking in the sky over the horizon and eventually disappearing beyond the trees and mountains in the distance. This left him in his den, alone and contemplative as he thought about what was next for him. He had kept in contact with Rime and a few others including Tzerin from Ceylon's magic classes, so he knew all about their research and the sort of skills they had each been developing so that could help him with the plan he had in mind to further research magical transmission.

In their studies, Sini had focused on physical magic, one of the harder disciplines to learn but also one of the most powerful. At the same time and independent of the group session, Rime was focusing on thermal and healing while Tzerin had mastered electric magic and was already working on the first rudimentary elements of telepathy. Between the three of them, they had learned a very wide variety of spells, covering much of the spectrum. Sini was the farthest behind, as he was still in the earliest stages of his studies while the others were coming up on mastery of their simpler spells, and that was all that mattered to him. As far as Sini was concerned, the fact that his field was the hardest to master didn't matter as much as the fact that he was farthest behind.

With that twisted bit of logic in his head, he set about preparation for a great boost in his skill, a grand ploy to leapfrog ahead of his peers by emulating and duplicating their results within him.

The next day, Sini awoke from his slumber with a wide grin upon his face, wings spread out to cover his nest as he gave one final yawn. When he was done, he folded his wings up, twisted his neck to stretch, and hopped out onto his mossy, grassy floor.

He loved the green in his cave, as opposed to the muddy brown and black and gray of most. His den was on the side of a mountain, and the combination of moisture and water that trickled in kept the vegetation lush and rich, which was perfect for him since he couldn't imagine not having the gentle caress each blade of grass offered his toes. Comfortable, inviting, and pleasant in every way, he was happy to cultivate it, especially if it meant gorgeous beasts such as Ceylon came for a visit and would stick around longer than expected just to enjoy the physical sensations that only Sini's cave offered.

Sini stretched out each of his limbs one after another before making his way to the mouth of his cave, standing tall over the slope of the foothills that stretched out before him. The morning fog lightly blanketed the world, giving it that distinct mountain spring smell that Sini loved so much, signifying a great start to the day.

Before long, he stretched his wings and leapt high into the sky, flapping hard to soar over the forests of the Kerolioan subtropics en route to his peer's home.

Rime didn't live too far from Sini, but he was a little farther north given his propensity for ice and cold. His cave was high near the peaks of the Sorche mountain range, just below the snowy ice caps which were about a fifty minute flight from Sini's more luscious and more lively cave. The two of them had met in Ceylon's magic classes at the beginning of the semester, both with an interest in similar magic disciplines while going in different directions.

Ever since the beginning of the lessons, both of them had met up together, visiting Rime's place, then Sini's place back and forth to share secrets and practice both on each other and on the environment. On some occasions, they even allowed themselves to get intimate and share physical passion with one another.

Sini had some questions for Rime on this fine day, mostly about how he'd gotten so far ahead in his studies. Despite Sini knowing better than to ignore that Rime was merely headed down a simpler path, he just couldn't get it out of his head that he was behind and he needed to catch up. To him that was all that mattered and it helped to drive his devious plotting.

Half an hour later, Sini found himself gliding down to the summit of the Sorche mountain range, shivering and cringing as he landed on the icy surface with his claws digging into it for grip. Already, he felt the light film of frost forming on his scales as the moisture from his home got blasted by the icy wind of Rime's, all of which he shook off in a cascade of ice shards. This was as good a reason as any to call on his friend and lure - erm, guide - him back to the more temperate cave that Sini called his home.

"Hey, Rime! Are you around? It's Sini!" He shouted into the mouth of the cave, ears tuned to the echoes that came back from deep within the system of tunnels. Moments later after the reverberations of his voice died down, he heard a voice calling out from deep within.

"Oi!" Rime called back, followed by the sound of claws scraping on ice as he emerged from the cavernous depths. "How are you today, and what are you doing this high in the mountains?" He asked, sauntering his way towards Sini, wings folded tight up against his back to keep from catching any of the cold wind that howled around them.

Sini cocked his head to incite Rime to get in closer, worried that without shouting his voice would be lost in the frigid air. When they got close enough, Sini explained. "I was thinking we should spend some time practicing spells! Ceylon just finished her weekly lesson with me last night and told me to tell you that there was going to be a test, and that we needed to both be on point if we were to pass." Only half true, but it should have been enough to incite Rimefang to come visit.

"Oh, yeah that makes sense. We're nearly halfway through the semester. Come on in, I'll cook you up some tea and we can get working! It's not as cold and windy inside as it is out here!"

"No, no. Sorry. I don't think that's a good idea. I'm not one for ice like you are and I already prepared some steaks for cooking before I came." Sini countered. "I think we should head back to my place, a nice temperate land where we can both relax and not have to contend with the elements. Make sense?" He nodded, hoping to foster positivity.

After only a brief pause and glance out over the squall-obscured lands below, Rime nodded in agreement, mimicking Sini. "Okay, yeah that makes sense! Let me go pack some of my stuff up; been trying to crystallize an ice spell for the hell of it. Wanted to see if I could do it." His voice was nearly lost in the howl of the mountain winds, but Sini still heard him well enough to twitch his eye in disdain, unhappy to hear that once again Rime had leapt forward to the next level.

"Sounds good. I'll be out here waiting! Don't want to get caught up in the ice and slip down onto an icicle or something. I like my drake-parts, if you'll indulge my crudeness!" He offered a sly wink before turning around, preparing to leap off the summit when Rime returned.

"Can do! Will only be a minute!" Rime concurred, then dove right back into his cave again to collect his belongings for a few minutes before coming back out with a saddlebag on his haunches. "I'm ready to go! You lead the way, Sini, I have a vague memory of where to go from here but I don't remember the exact location of your den."

Sini nodded and leapt into the sky, opening his wings to catch the wind before flapping and angling himself just right to dive down the slope of the mountains, banking and rolling before hitting the treeline below the clouds. Once he leveled himself out and caught a proper glide, he glanced back to see Rime following him, matching his every move and coming to float high above the treetops.

Together they enjoyed a leisurely flight, the humid air of the thick forest below them buoying them high in the sky with the aid of thermals billowing off rocks and cliffs giving them the lift they needed to keep afloat. Though it took Sini less than fifty minutes to get to Rime's mountain home, their casual glide back to Sini's cave was considerably slower, resulting in a trip longer by half. This was made somewhat boring by the fact that neither of them could really speak to one another while in flight, as even with a leisurely pace the air rushing past them doused all other outbound sounds. The could have flown closer and chatted, but that always held dangers for creatures as large as dragons.

Eventually, they did find Sini's plateau, and the two of them dove one after the other, corkscrewing in midair before flaring out and landing gently on the soft moss of his floor. Upon setting feet down on the grass and moss, Sini dug his claws in and smiled, the deep rumbling that resulted in his chest from the sensations most akin to a purr. "Welcome again to my abode, Rime!" He declared, happy to be back after that brief yet unpleasant stop at the mouth of the ice cave.

Behind him, Rimefang landed and stretched his neck, patting each of his four feet on the ground as his tail whipped around the side of him, the tip cracking in the air. "I keep forgetting just how hot it is here compared to my place. Feels a little awkward, to be honest." He reached back and grabbed a book from his saddle bag and started reading as he walked on three legs towards the cave, checking his notes. "But if my notes are correct, this region should be perfect for ice-based spells. Lots of humidity in the air means that I will have plenty to pull from if you don't have access to running water."

Sini guided him to the common area - an open cove just inside the mouth of his cave with comfortable spots to sit and a roof angled just right to keep all but the most torrential rain out. A fire pit stood in the middle, surrounded by seats, moss, and other casual comforts for sitting. The entire area was more of a sun room or front porch than an actual living room, as it was exposed to the elements and the door was farther in the cave as the cut off between 'inside' and 'outside'. "Well, we can sit here, chat things up a bit, practice magic here while I go finish the prep on that steak, if that works for you. Had it marinating but I still need to add some seasonings."

"Of course!" Rime confirmed, plopping his rump down on the soft grass near the fire. "Would you like me to trigger the flame? Would be good practice for remote pyre."

"For sure! I'll get the steaks. You're into steak, right?" Sini asked, realizing he should have really asked earlier. Before getting an answer, he slipped into the depths of his cave to grab the slabs of meat from underground where a magical gem kept them cold but not frozen. He did hear Rime answer in the positive, saying he was happy with steak, but Sini wasn't focusing too much on that. The pleasant snack of ulokar steaks was merely a distraction for the real meal, Rime's magic.

Upon returning, he was pleased to see that a crackling fire had already been erected with the kindling sparking and popping as it turned to ash. "Good job!" He complimented, genuinely impressed but harboring a bit of resentment that Rime was that good after only training a few months. The steaks he held were in red-brown wrapping, so he tossed them to the side and grabbed the grill meant to cook meat over the bonfire. After putting it in place and adjusting it so that it was just right, he sat back on his haunches and rubbed his belly. "So how long have you been able to do that?"

"Do what, make fire? That was one of the first things I ever learned, I think. That or accelerated healing. What about you?" Rime asked, snout in his book as he flipped through the pages. "I heard you're doing physical magic, right? That means you must have blown right past me and Tzerin and the others. Master Ceylon says that physical magic is one of the major five, above even the telepathy that Tzerin has been learning care of Valencia the Mind's Eye. So how good is your fire?"

Sini was ashamed to admit that he didn't even bother learning the elemental stuff, and that his ability to conjure fire extended no farther than his claw tips and could barely light a match. Instead, he spun this inadequacy so he didn't look like a fool. "Oh, I don't even know anymore. It's been so long since I tried I don't even know if I could hurl a fireball. I'd be interested in finding out some time, but lately I've just been too focused on the physical magic. I must confess, I'd love to just absorb all that elemental magic from you, copy it and emulate it. Do you think that's possible? Ceylon said it might be, but said there were risks."

Rime licked his talon and flipped the page, still reading his book while the fire built itself before him. "Oh, I'm sure it is, but I have no idea how to do it. If Master Ceylon is to be believed, however, you should never give up on one discipline just to focus on another. To be a true mage you really should keep diligent in all types of magic, for if you leave one behind it can take years to build up your skill again. Easier to just keep on top of it all than risk losing it." He chuckled to himself and folded up his book, putting it back in his bag. "Unlike cocks it truly is a matter of losing it if you don't use it."

In spite of the looming reality of Sini's plans, he couldn't help but lightly laugh at the joke. "Good to hear, I suppose." He grabbed the giant slabs of meat and unfolded the paper that held it and the marinade that it had been soaking up, tossing them on the grill with a satisfying sizzle and tossing the wrapper to the garbage can. "So what's next for you?"

"Honestly, I'd love to see some of that physical magic. Ceylon has told me you're getting quite good at it, and I've seen her do it, but I'm curious what a few months of practice from a dedicated mage can do." He tilted his head, eyes held open as he waited for a demonstration.

"Well alright, sure. Uh let me see here. What should I manipulate. Do you have any crystals in your bag? You said you were trying to infuse one, right?" He leaned over to gently nuzzle and prod at Rime's bags, hoping to find some gems or anything worth arranging.

Instead of offering, Rime grabbed his bag and pulled it away. "Not so sure that's a good idea. I'm trying to infuse them with healing and ice magics, and I am concerned that if you use physical magic then it might absorb that spell and either get confused or reverse the process or start over. I won't lie, I don't know if that's how it works, but I'm not willing to risk it. Do you want some rocks or something instead? Pretty sure rocks don't absorb magic."

Sini nodded and concentrated on the pile left by Ceylon when she had visited, narrowing his gaze to pinpoint his focus. By conceptualizing a bubble around it rather than manipulating the rock itself, he was able to carry it over while it rocked and twisted in the air, with Rime staring open-mawed the whole time right up until it was dropped at his feet. Not content with that, he focused on the steaks, prying them one at a time off the grill to flip them with another satisfying sizzle. "See? Simple stuff, but I'm coming along very well. Yesterday I was able to juggle seven objects at once!"

"No!" Rime blurted out. "I don't believe you."

"Honest!" He had only held them up for a few seconds and lost control the moment his focus was divided, but he had totally done exactly that! "Sadly I've been told not to focus on multi-object levitation, because one slip of the mind could hurl a pebble right through you, so I can't show you now. Some other time, for sure."

Rime nodded in approval, chuckling to himself. "I have to say, I'm really happy someone with the pedigree of Ceylon is teaching us. Without her, I'd be floundering with only the ability to lightly heal tiny scraps and scale scabs, but with her you're lifting objects with your mind! Seriously impressive."

With Rime's guard lowered, mind focused on the food before him and the feat that Sini had displayed by using remote physical magic, Sini knew it was time to make his move. As he sat there, poking at the steak before him and making idle chatter with his unwitting prey, the pores around his neck, under his arms, along his tail, and lining his snout all gave off a gentle purple mist that was too fine to be seen by the naked eye. This was a poison meant to mess with the equilibrium of potential predators and also sort of a drug that worked wonders on fellow dragons.

Before long, Rimefang would be unable to resist, having succumbed do Sini's unique abilities.

"So, tell me a bit more about your path, the course you took to get so good at your elemental magic so quickly." Sini said with a hiss as he sidled up nice and close to Rime. "I'd love to know more about that bit of your history, and don't forget to add a bunch of detail, I want to absorb it all!" As he got close, he felt his glands constrict and squeeze out more of the mist that filled the air. He was careful to not use too much, as they were still technically outside and a light breeze could disperse it to the air and his poisons would lose their effect. He needed them to lower Rime's inhibitions.

Rime was no fool; though the poison was nigh odorless and so thin it was invisible to the naked eye, yet he still sensed something was wrong. He pulled away from Sini, sniffing at the air as he did so. "What's that smell? It's almost toxic to my nose, and it's kind of burning my nostrils." He waved a claw in front of his face before laughing. "That's not a fart, is it? If so, whew, no wonder you're single!"

Sini's gaze grew flat as he narrowed his eyes, scoffing before thinking up an excuse. "I think it's the grill. It's brand new and while it works well, it tends to fill up my yard with a very faint smell. I noticed it when I got it, but you're the only other one who has other than me. Most people can't detect it so I didn't bother sending it back. The food still tastes delicious, though!" He faked a smile and used his physical magic to pick up one of the steaks, conjuring an item underneath it like a plate to capture the juices and not risk rendering it in half by trying to manipulate the steak itself.

He was learning quite quickly that physical magic was truly difficult to master without committing any mistakes that could destroy the object meant to be manipulated.

Rime took the steak between his talons and tore into it, ripping the juicy meat in huge chunks before chewing and licking his chops. Bits of blood and juice dripped down from his maw to sizzle next to the fire as he grinned. "You're right! Delicious steak isn't ruined by the toxic stench of the grill. I'd still consider getting a new grill, though; that's not a pleasant smell and it might turn some off the idea of nomming with you even if the meat is delicious." He ripped another bite and gave a chew before returning to any tales.

But Sini was finding himself running out of patience. His poison secreting glands were already getting drained with how much he'd pumped into the air and he knew that he'd need to make a drastic decision if he were going to make a move on his prey. Once again, he sidled up next to his unwitting guest and used his magic to draw in his own rare steak from the grill, taking a bike as he leaned in close. "So I have a bit of a confession." He started in between juice-drooling bites. "I'm running a little behind on my elemental skills and I was wondering if you could help me out with it."

"Sure! I thought that's why we were here in the first place, to have me teach you about my stuff and for you to teach me about yours." Rime took in between bites, only to stop and look at Sini with a glance of suspicion. "Why are you making such a big deal about that? We both have a test to study for, don't we?"

"Well, I haven't been entirely forthright with you. I want to teach you what I'm doing, but I don't think I'm skilled enough to teach you what I've learned. Clearly I am capable of doing physical magic, but I don't think I understand enough of its fundamentals to set you on the right path. That said, you have mastered your craft and I was wondering if you'd be willing to give me some of your talent, that way I can catch up with you. The more power I have the better I can then teach you and others!"

Rime licked his lips of the juices with a chirp. "Sure, I don't see why not. I mean, without sharing knowledge we don't collectively go anywhere, but I can't help but be a little disappointed. So I guess that's you admitting that you let your elemental magics go without practice for too long and you need me?" He tossed the last of the steak into his maw and sucked the juices from his fingers before continuing. "I accept that. No shame in admitting when you're falling behind. So what do you want to learn first?"

The declaration of Sini's inadequacy made him growl to himself before he subdued his frustration. "Well I kind of want to learn how to do all of it at once. I think if we go lesson by lesson it could be weeks before I catch up."

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that if there's only one of me?"

Sini took in a deep breath, focusing on how he would go about presenting his plan. "Well, I've been doing a bit of research in my own outside of my lessons, and I've discovered something that might help. It's something I can do to literally absorb your powers from you through physical touch."

Rime sniffed at the air again, this time inhaling a deep breath of the poison mist before glancing over to Sini. "I don't know, that sounds almost too good to be true. So you just touch me and copy my magical talent? I'm not sure if that's a real thing that actually works." He paused a moment, sniffing the air again. "But then again, I guess we'll never know if we don't try. That's the glory of science and magic, right?"

"Exactly! See, you've got the right idea. So you're okay with me taking your magic?" Sini asked with a stroke down Rime's spine, between the wings and down to the base of his tail. The poison - which was equal parts toxin and drug - seemed to be doing its work. He had proposed what should have been a ludicrous suggestion, yet Rime seemed curious and even had his curiosity piqued. That wasn't enough, however, and Sini knew he needed to seal the deal with something a bit more intimate, so he stepped up behind Rime, eating the last of his steak in the process of using some of his physical magic to lightly prod at Rime's loins, caressing him manually.

"Well I don't want you to take my magic or anything, just...copy it. Emulate it. I mean, that makes the most sense, doesn't it?" Rime's voice wavered a bit as he came to wonder if maybe there was more to this, his hindquarters shifting gently as he

Still determined and convinced that his poison mist was working, Sini hopped up onto Rime's back, mounting him before the fire with his muzzle buried in between Rime's neck and shoulder, both of his front legs wrapped around his torso as he whispered into Rime's ear. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, Rime. You won't even miss it." While he was covering the smaller dragon, he continued to use his physical magic to gently caress and knead at Rime's sheath and cock, urging it out.

There was a brief moment of hesitation as he realized what was happening to him, but Rime quickly submitted to Sini, having grown to be at the mercy of the poison mist that was being pumped into the air between them. He grunted and pushed back, bucking his hips a bit to rub against the invisible force that was pleasuring him while his tail hole contracted.

In response, Sini migrated his magical hand down Rime's underbelly and over his balls, coming to rest up under the tail with each of the digits prodding at the hole. With a gentle motion, he used his magic to part at the draconic lips, expanding the anal ring enough to ready him for the next step.

Almost as if he were running on instinct now, Rime got up to all fours and hoisted his tail, pushing it to the side to expose his rump, presenting himself as a willing recipient. He didn't speak, as the poison was taking hold and limiting his ability to make any other than feral sounds such as a light growl and a chirp of pleasure, but he was still able to beg for something in him from Sini. The look on his face that spoke of worry and concern faded a bit as he grew complacent of Rime's actions, eventually giving way to one of complete contentment.

"Glad to hear it." Sini added as he bucked his hips, cock tip prodding out from its depths to stab at the base of Rime's tail. His motions and the gooey slaps of cock flesh on scales further inciting Rime to grunt and push back and lift his tail. "Now all I need to do is consume your body so everything touches, and I'll be able to take your skill." With that last statement, he opened his maw and bit down on Rime's neck, fangs digging into flesh and injecting venom directly into his bloodstream at the exact same time that his cock found its mark and plunged into tailhole.

Rime growled and threw his head back, tail still up as he pushed back. The sting of the venom was intense and painful for a few seconds before mellowing out into a tingling burn that spread through his body. His muscles tensed and his wings threatened to spread, but nothing came of it as he settled into complacency with his head down on the ground near the bonfire, rump muscles tensing to massage the cock that invaded him.

"There we go. Good boy." Sini cooed at him, slowly pulling his lips off the scales and removing his fangs from flesh to leave a couple of drops of blood and ademane seeping out. As he stood in place, with his front legs wrapped around Rime's hips, he gave a proper thrust to bury his cock deep in the other dragon's tailhole, a warmth that he relished as he started to grind. His member sloshed in and out of the tender hole, stirring up the loins and prodding at the prostate to coax cock from Rime's sheath. "Yeah, that's more like it."

His sinister motives were coming to fruition with ease, as he had managed to coax Rime into a practice session and lower his inhibitions with the subtle effect of both poison and venom. The drugs he secreted had filled the air, lowering the dragon's guard and making him more prone to suggestion, even such a crazy proposition such as submitting himself to another so that his skills could be taken.

What Rime didn't know, and what Sini had planned all along, was that the best and most effective way to transfer the magic from one to another was if his entire body was pressing out against flesh, such as the membrane-lined flesh of a stomach. Sini's plan was to consume Rime, thus absorbing all of his magic in the process before expelling what was left. This would not kill or even harm Rime - as long as all was done well - but it certainly would transfer his skills into Sini, thus giving Sini a great boost in his magical abilities while also leaving Rime weak and pitiful.

Given his satisfaction with how easy his plan had come to be, Sini felt he deserved a bit of pleasure before consuming his prey, so he kept at Rime's rump with gyrating hips, his cock pumping in and out like a stallion until the tender tailhole flesh was raw and sloppy. Despite having pounded Rime thoroughly enough to render him soft and malleable, the muscles that tensed up beneath the thick layer of scales and hide kept a gentle squeeze that served to pleasure Sini from base to tip.

Had Sini been worried about pleasuring his partner and not just himself, he could have mated for hours, but that wasn't his concern at the time. Instead, he wanted to get off, and have a nice filling meal in the form of a fellow dragon! While he kept his front legs squeezing tight around Rime's waist, he pumped hard, deep, and fast until he quickly felt that familiar tingle of pleasure that built up in his loins followed by an explosive eruption of his seed deep within his dragon prey. Cream filling, as it were, a joke that made him chuckle with a vigor that pumped more of his essence deep into Rime.

The predator dragon had a tight grip on his prey - his submissive - which gave him the confidence to properly use his position of power to take more than just magic from Rime. Though he had his magical conquest in mind, he was finding more and more that he needed Rime's flesh in another way, a more intimate way. As such, he kept at his tail hole, rhythmically bucking his hips up time and time again in a series of wet splashes, the girth of his cock forcing the natural lubricants that the tail hole secreted in preparation out all over the ventral scales.

While his prey was distracted by the throbbing cock lodged deep in his tailhole, Sini let go of his hips and grabbed both sides of Rime's head, wrenching it back so that it was upside down looking at him. He licked his lips and opened his maw wide, wrapping it around Rime's head with ease, swallowing his prey head first. The two were significantly different sizes, with Rimefang being the smaller of the two, but that didn't mean that he would go down easy, nor would he slip with ease into Sini's belly.

Knowing this, Sini took special care to keep a proper grip on Rime's neck and shoulders, holding the ice dragon in place as he eased his way forward and around, forcing his maw to glide down Rime's neck to eventually reach the shoulders and torso. The complacent head and horns of his prey bent backwards to slide through his gullet and into his belly, easing the passage even as Sini had to shift and tug Rime onto his back.

Once he was sure of his footing, Sini twisted his neck and stepped backwards, dragging Rime on his back while gulping and lunging forward to swallow more. Thick trails and beads of saliva trickled over Rime's chest coming from Sini's gullet as Rime's head and neck made a bulge in the larger dragon's throat. He struggled a bit, twisting his torso and tensing his neck a bit, but the struggling didn't last long as Sini quickly gaped open his maw and pushed forward, jaw muscles relaxing and loosening up enough to engulf Rime's shoulders.

His maw distended and twice as wide as normal, Sini kept at his meal, eager to consume but not to harm. This was made difficult by the pressure building up in his gullet as he tried to swallow more of Rime's body, the shoulders proving to be a difficult obstacle to overcome; as he gulped and tugged and pulled with his claws, he felt more of the smaller dragon's torso slide through his open maw only to slip back out every time he released his teeth to clamp down on more dragon flesh. The only solution was to bite down - blood be damned - and grab at Rime's hips to keep him in place.

In one steady motion, Sini dug his claws into the ground and pushed forward, neck twisting as his maw gaped open and he gulped heavily. The rhythmic contractions of his throat - the peristaltic waves towards his gut - sucked on Rime's body with ease as his scales stretched like a snake and accommodated the girth that passed through them. He quickly caught his lower jaw getting stuck near Rime's shoulders. This proved to be a challenge, but only for a moment before he wrapped his arms around Rime's body to press the wings to his back and streamline him.

The rest of the consumption went on with relative ease, with Sini's cavernous gullet expanding and stretching forth over a complacent and barely moving Rimefang, each of his limbs including all four legs and both wings folded up nicely as Sini's maw drooled and feigned a belch. He stepped forward, lifting Rime up high to the sky so that his hind legs were nearly touching the roof of the cave's mouth, allowing gravity to take over and have him slide with ease down Sini's gullet. The dragon's form shifted and sank into the pink abyss, legs idly kicking at the air as he disappeared, head and neck curled up tight inside belly.

With one final gulp, Sini closed his maw around the last of Rime's hind claws, leaving only his tail writhing and wriggling outside his insides. With one more gulp, his muscles pressed against Rime's haunches to force him in deeper, tugging in the tail with him to have the massive form lurch and disappear.

Sini offered a massive belch as his tail wagged behind him, cock still hard and dripping from the mating they had shared before the meal. The bulge in his belly was so big that he had a hard time moving, with the sag of his torso lightly dragging along the moss beneath him. His wings spread wide, as a feral would do to protect a mate or meal. His consumption was complete, and now all he had to do was find a way to keep his prey complacent for the duration of the transfer of magic from him.

According to the texts that Sini had taken the time to read - both the ones in town and the ones that Ceylon had put on loan to him - The next step was to instigate a spell of both healing and reverse healing at the same time. He was to cast on Rime a spell of very gentle attrition while also restoring himself; if the transfer worked properly, he would fully absorb all of Rime's magic skill and potential, leaving his prey gurgling in his belly and weak upon his reemergence.

He patted his belly and Rime pressed his claw out against the abdominal wall in response, pressing palm to palm between the scales. As they touched, Sini could feel the spell coursing through his body that weakened Rime and strengthened himself. His prey was about to learn something important about Sini, and the deception that had been on display.

While Sini had admitted the truth about not excelling at elemental magic, he had conspicuously failed to mention that he had been quite gifted in restorative magic and its permutations. Ceylon didn't know about this, Tzerin and the other classmates didn't know this, and he opted to not tell Rimefang about it for this very reason. Every time he'd talked about being behind, it was exclusively in relation to elemental magic, not restorative magic. In reality, he'd been practicing his healing and attrition on the side in preparation for his lessons on transformation, since he knew that mastery over curative spell types - especially attrition - was the first step towards learning transformation.

According to his research - as well as the few idle questions he'd bothered to ask Ceylon - Transformation was a cumulative effort between physical magic, curative magic, and attrition with a hint of certain electric-based elemental magics. First, attrition must be applied, weakening the body to allow for the physical magic to take it to the next step, altering the body's composition while an electric surge was pumped through the tissue to keep it alive before having it restored in its new form.

The reason this was so immensely difficult was that all of the magic spells needed to be perfectly aligned and mastered, with a flawless understanding of biology and chemistry as well as a keen mind that didn't focus on anything out of place. One distraction could result in the guts being turned to mush or bones split in such a way that the marrow would escape beyond repair. Too much attrition would scar the flesh with necrosis, yet not enough would mean that the body would be rendered upon the application of physical magic. Nerves could be severed, which was why the electrical charge needed to be applied, and healing too late or too early would result in the new form becoming a twisted abomination.

So many steps, so much to consider, and so much that could go wrong. Sini knew that he'd need to greatly expand his skills before he went onto that sort of personal quest. In the mean time, he could make an effort to take as much magic from others as he could before he was caught.

Luckily for him, he had practiced the use of his poison and venom both on others that weren't as magically inclined, so he knew that when Rime would eventually emerge from his bowels in the form of an egg - weak and devoid of magical potency - he would remember the night as Sini had intended. As far as Rime was concerned, this was entirely consensual and even encouraged in the name of science and magical expeRimentation. Sini was in the clear as the dominant in this friendship, and he would continue to take advantage as long as it served his purpose.

Content with his actions, he lumbered his way back to his den, using what elemental magic he possessed to snuff out the flame and put the grill back where it belonged, leaving Rime's stuff there in a pile next to the cavern walls. Though getting through the rounded door wasn't too challenging, he still felt he had to be very careful when lumbering through his home to return to his den, where he would lie down for a proper rest. He could nap, he could relax, and he could focus his energy on the absorption of all that Rime had to offer.

In a matter of days, Sini would have taken every last drop of Rime's magical potential, and his prey would then be discarded. The spells took a couple days, but this night Sini was too tired to instigate them so he laid on his side and put his mind on autopilot, letting the process automate itself. Sleep came to him easy with a belly full of Rime, and nothing could interfere with his self-satisfation.

The next few days went by quickly, with Sini waking up each morning eager to test out the new abilities he'd acquired. Though the absorption of magic was taking many, many hours, he was noticing a clear increase in skills from the get-go, as well as a subtle but gradual change in his body. For starters, he quickly found that his horns were growing longer and the color around his eyes were changing. Even the first morning, he found he was able to ignite a flame and make his breakfast without so much as a hint of concentration; the flame burst from his talon with ease. Added to that, he found that the increased skill he was consuming from Rime enabled him to do the magical transfer exponentially faster every day, and as such his body kept changing, by having his tail shift into a blade and the spots around his eyes growing darker. This was part of the spell, one he presumed was absorption transformation.

One thing that he wasn't expecting, however, was that as the days went by, the bulge in his belly was steadily decreasing in size and his appetite was waning. He just wasn't hungry, and given the fact that his belly was shrinking with each passing day, he began to worry that he was taking too much from his meal. However, the longer he allowed that to continue, the less concerned he became, as he grew increasingly callous about the whole thing.

He was gaining strength, adopting new magical spells he barely had to practice, and the potency of his attrition and magic spells were growing exponentially, giving him far more strength for his next lessons. All that mattered was how he grew in power, and that his spell worked. In the interest of science and the progress of magic, he allowed the spells to percolate in his gut, further stealing what magic Rime had to offer until next to nothing was left.

On the fourth day, Sini was greeted by an irate Ceylon who had been waiting at the mouth of his cave to chastise him for his callousness and demand he let Rime out. Naturally, this upset Sini a bit at first, but he quickly conceded to the much larger, much more powerful gryphon, albeit reluctantly. When he raised his tail, he pushed out the egg that his body had encapsulated Rime within, an orb much smaller than when he went in - so much smaller in fact that he was concerned he'd stolen three quarters of the dragon's body mass.

Ceylon took the egg, but not before explaining to Sini what had happened and what he had done. As it turned out, the spell he'd hijacked and modified was in fact a rudimentary transformation spell, a revelation that bolstered Sini's ego greatly. He was also informed that had he kept Rime in for another couple of days, Rime could have lost all magical capabilities upon being reborn or have even lost his life. Since Ceylon had heard from Tzerin about what had happened - something that made no sense to Sini, but he didn't dwell on it - She was able to help save Rime and she would be able to nurture him back to full health and skill within a month.

The four days that Rime had spend inside Sini's belly had sapped about eighty percent of his magic, which meant that the remaining twenty percent could be revitalized in a fraction of the time it took to build it up in the first place. Though the spells were dangerous and potentially lethal or devastating to the prey or giver, the fact that Rime would not only be okay but have caught back up to his old size and magical potency within a month served only to bolster Sini's confidence.

What should have been a lesson in humility and the dangers of magical absorption only gave him the confidence needed to pursue his research and try again. After all, as long as he didn't take all his meals had to offer, then they could recover with relative ease. This was only the first step in his new life and only the inciting incident that would guide his quest for more power.

Despite him trying to keep his intentions hidden, he could tell by the look Ceylon gave him that she'd picked up on his plot, yet she still let him go and informed him that she'd see him that weekend at the next group tutoring session. Peculiar, but it worked to further embolden Sini in his personal quest; nothing would stop him from absorbing all the magic he could consume. Who knows, maybe one day even Ceylon would fall prey to his desires.

That was not a question to which he would immediately be granted an answer, as that weekend he was greeted by master Ceylon, Tzerin, Rime, and all the other students for the group lesson, where Rime's presence brought a smile to his face, not for his safety, but because of a drastic change in appearance that had been bestowed upon him after having taken a tour through Sini and being reborn days later. Now, he was noticeably smaller, with thinner horns and a subtle difference in form.

According to Ceylon, Sini had displayed the first signs of performing real, authentic low level transformation! That revelation bolstered his confidence even more, and made him realize that the reason that Ceylon had tolerated his dangerous experiments was because he was now valuable.

Sini had taken steps to successfully absorb magic from others, which put him at the top of his class, and an apprentice mage in training.

"Worthy accolades for one possessing my skill." mused Sini to himself, knowing this to be true.

And true it was.