She is not the least bit surprised when she sees him shift into a more human shape - the shimmering of purple light in those eyes had given him away as being, at the very minimum, something not completely natural.
She still hadn't expected this tall, imposing figure dressed completely in black - most shapeshifters, in her experience, are wizards of not much greater physical stature than she is. And not too bad-looking, either, at that.
When he begins talking, though, is when she gets a bit more...nervous. She hadn't sensed any evil intent from him, and for him to come right out and tell her that he is a demon...either he is what he says he is, or it is a very clever ploy to trap her. She knows there are forces out there that would covet her powers, for while there are many elemental mages and such out there that can control one or two elements, it is rare indeed to find one that can control all.
But still...how would he know about her? Her family line and their calling?
Her mother had taught her one thing, the greatest lesson she had ever learned - trust your instincts.
She closes her eyes for a moment, stilling her thoughts and tapping into not only her own feelings, but the part of her that is kept a secret of her family extending back centuries - the blood of the dragon.
Interestingly, she can feel her hand reach out towards the amulet, without any thought behind it...as if it is being drawn there of its own volition. She opens her eyes and looks into the tall stranger's just as her small hand closes around the amulet in his hand and takes it for her own, and places the necklace around her neck.
"I accept your gift, Lupinius."
The words seem to echo strangely in her own mind as she says them...her vision is suddenly enveloped in light that is the purest, emerald-green color she has ever seen...
...and without warning, she is sucked into a world of blackness.
Her initial reaction is that she must have been tricked, but that thought only crosses her mind for a fraction of a moment - this is not the cold darkness of death, and does not have the evil feeling she would have thought. Rather, she feels comfortable, as if she were floating in the womb again, waiting fo birth.
She tries to look around her, not able to see and searching for some point of reference, and as she does so she gets the feeling that she's no longer floating, but instead standing on a level surface, and it suddenly occurs to her that she can see again - as though she were being lit from above, a brilliant shade of green light, as though the sun's light had been filtered through emeralds. She looks up, and what she sees makes her breath (and is she really even breathing, anyway, in this place?) catch in her throat.
A huge, emerald-green, glowing dragon is descending towards her. It floats down and lands before her, a creature of untold splendor and magnificance, light that is so bright that, were she anywhere else, she would have to shield her eyes for fear of blindness - but here, she is only able to gaze at it in rapt wonder.
The beast lowers its head to her level, its eyes gazing directly into hers, and from it, she hears a voice - a gentle, almost loving voice, not quite male and yet not really female either,
"Ah, a new master! Valeria Raxollen, Master of the Elements! The voice is pleased in tone, young and yet somehow ageless. "Your life has been simple to date, but full of longing - the need to fulfill your purpose, to live up to the legacy your family has laid out through the generations. And...what's this? The blood of the dragon flows through your veins! Most interesting. An odd choice for a Guardian, though - you have no proper fighting training, no mastery over a weapon...though your magical prowess speaks for itself. Ah, yes, I know it all...for now I am a part of you. From now until you die, I will remain a part of you, though you will not see me again. You will not grow any older, the wounds you receive in battle will heal quickly...you will bea force to be reckoned with, so long as you can keep your head firmly attached to those shoulders."
The dragon sits back, and its eyes narrow a bit as if it is considering what to do with her. "Valeria Raxollen, you lack the combat capabilities of a true warrior, and as such, I see fit to grant you a lifetime of training in this area. When you come back to yourself, you will find that you are able to wield weapons and even fight with your bare hands and feet, when needs be. To aid you with this, I give you the ability to create whatever melee weapon you wish out of the any of the elements, as befits you and your magical ability. Now, indeed, you will be a most formidable opponent."
The emerald dragon rears back on its legs, wings spreading wide as it looks down at her. "And as a final gift to you, I give you something that is befitting of the dragon's blood that has flowed in your family's veins for generations. Use your gifts well, Valeria Raxollen, Master of the Elements. And never forget - We are Guardians."
Without warning, the dragon leaps a short distance into the air, flying up, then arching over and plunging directly at her, its mouth wide open...surrounding her with beautiful, emerald light...
...and without warning, the light fades, leaving her staring at the black-clothed form of Lupinius, next to the Singing Lake.
She gazes at him in frank wonder, that he is still there, she is still here, and what she has just gone through.
She feels...strangely different, as well. More aware of her body, her muscular movements, and as she shifts her position, she knows that from the way she's standing, looking up at Lupinius, she could take him with a kick to the head or a punch to the solar plexus or...
She is shocked to find the knowledge of these things in her mind. And is doubly shocked to find that, if she wanted to act on them, she feels as if her body would be able to pull it off without hesitation, as though it were already second nature to her.
She feels the sudden urge to stretch, and does so, spreading her arms out to the side and stretching her body's muscles - which feel much more powerful than they had a short time ago - and feels something odd brush against her left arm. She looks that way, more out of curiousity than concern, and gasps in yet another shock.
Stretched out from her back, just touching her arm, is a broad, scaly, green dragon's wing.
At first she is not convinced it belongs to her...and then, just to try, she tries to pull it back in.
She nearly falls over when the wing obeys. Looking over to the other side, she sees another, identical wing. Her eyes go wide as she tentatively tries to flap them, and as she does so, the wings push out and down, stirring the dust - and actually lifting her an inch or two off the ground!
She looks back at Lupinius, retracting the wings as she does so, with a look that is mixed shock, pleasure and wonder. "This...this is some gift!"
