Kanoe had run into Keemari on the campus earlier today. He looked at her with that same smirk he had when he left them after making the contract with them and I was sure it sickened her a bit. He spoke to her a bit something that might intreast her.

"Kanoe, I've recently come across some magic that might be right up you alley. It's up to you if you want to learn it, this time the first lesson is free. Since you and Clarice did such a fine job last time. I'm willing to let it go. Simply use the flower I gave you two to come to my home and make time for two maybe five hours worth of training. I look forward to seeing you there. I'll have some tea ready. Of course it won't be poisioned or carring any other chemicals. We are after all there to learn." I tell her with a smile rather then that smirk which she hated as I now wait for her to come into my world tree.

Running into Keemari could sour any good day for the witch, assuming she ever had a 'good' day. Beyond a cold stare, the woman ignores the teacher and continues to her next class. Her jaw clenches slightly to his voice and smirk. She wanted nothing more than to watch this druid burn to ash but she could do nothing of the sort and Keemari knew it. Though she was also his apprentice like Clarice, the teacher generally kept his focus on the elementalist. This was probably more due to the fact a druid does not do much with the darker paths of magic that Kanoe uses. But, the witch could not help but think that he preferred Claire over her. She was not jealous but the thought of him taking her lover's bed made her mana flare slightly.

The young student stops and lets Keemari continue. The mention of a lesson meant for her did make her finally turn her head to look at the man. She was of course skeptical and very wary of the offer, especially on the note that it was free. There was no such thing as good news on this island and this was going to be no different. She was quickly learning from many mystics and otherworldly beings that the price for magic and knowledge tended to be her body. Five hours with him. She might just go crazy within that time either in rage or a torrent of sexual bliss. But, she was his apprentice. He was a source of knowledge that she intends to use until he becomes useless and she becomes strong enough to free herself and Claire.

The mention of poisons only pissed the woman off further but Keemari had already turned to continue his own business in the school. She remembered Claire mentioning about having tea with him and that was how her 'apprenticeship' began. Kanoe returns to her room after class. She slips out of black and red uniform, slipping into a more comfortable robe. The soft black fabric caresses down her bare skin, a soothing reminder that she was not in that horrible school anymore. The woman sighs as she pulls her long hair out and letting it fall to rest behind her shoulders. Since she was not exactly traveling by foot, she decided to go without shoes. Her upside down cross necklace rests gently over her chest, her robes covering all but her head, hands and feet. She did not want to give the horny little wolf any ideas.

Gazing at the strange enchanted flower, she frowns. There was a long talk when Clarice explained what the flower did. The thought of Keemari being able to enter their room anytime was anything but comforting. She kept suggesting to move the flower to the window and face it outwards, hoping that any peeping tom takes a very shocking first step upon transport. Shaking her head, the witch finally uses the flower as directed and waits to be taken to Keemari's tree.

The flower grows large and engulfs Kanoe almost like eating her alive as she is taken in and it returns to it's normal size. Several second later a large flower appeared before my door opening up as you had some pollen on your robes but other then that no worse for the wear as the door to my tree was open and waiting for you to enter.

It was as discomforting as she thought it would be. Being eaten whole by a giant flower was not something she wanted added to the list of things she has experienced. The process was completely painless as the next moment, the plant opens revealing a large tree. Large was an understatement, it was huge. How it can be unnoticed on the island, assuming she was still on it, could only be explained simply by magic. Pollen floats about her as she takes in the grand sight before her. She sighs as she notices her black robes having fine yellow pollen on it. Tch, how annoying. She dusts herself off as she steps through the open doors.

You see my inside as I pour myself some tea and drink it. I then notice you and set it down. "Ah good evening dear Kanoe. How have you been. The trip wasn't too rough was it?" I ask her in my usual civil manner, but that smirk I wore was there as I look you over, your dress doing little to disrude me of thinking of you naked and servicing me. Although you could service me just as well clothed and that was fine by me as well. Ha, ha, ha.

"It was fine," She replies, still trying to dust herself off.

The more she remained in Keemari's presense, the more she thought of it all being a trap. She was always paranoid of others but this one had a significant power over her. With a long sigh, she tries to calm herself. It was time to focus on what lesson was at hand.

"Messy but otherwise fine," She answers, "You already know how things are for women on this island so I'll leave it at that. You mentioned about finding magic that is of use to me?"

Beyond their little introduction discussion Claire and Kanoe had with him, she had yet to receive a one on one lesson from this man. Though that could be considered a blessing telling everything has a price and free tends to be the most expensive.

I lean back. "Yes I do, but first tell me. What is darkness?" I ask her a simple yet complicated question.

A vague question but Kanoe thinks on it, brushing a few strands of hair back behind her shoulders before answering.

"To put simply," She began, "The opposite of light. Where there is light, darkness will always be there absorbing..devouring what light it draws in. Darkness is the absence of light. Others use the term to describe good and evil such as the darkness in one's heart. I do not have a specific elemental description if that is what you are seeking."

She could think of no other ways to describe darkness.

"Hmmm, I suppose that's close enough. Still you miss the true intent of it. Never the less follow me." I tell her as I take her outside. I breath out and focus my center. I then put my hands together and spread them apart as a tiny ball of darkness is in there. I then crush it between my hands. "Invoke." I say as my white fur turns black my eyes glow a deep red as she could feel the dark energy coming off my body or inferanal it was a mix of the two as I growl out. I then make a motion with my hand and blow a tree twenty feet away into bits with just the force of my dark aura.

I then release the spell and fall to a knee breathing hard. "This technique is one I discovered. I think you can see the benfits of it." I tell her. "And the disadvantages."

Keemari had her complete attention as a light tingling over her skin reveals that he had begun channeling. She did not know the druid was even capable of using dark energies. The tiny ball of darkness did not look like much. But, when he crushes it and speaks the word, his body went through a strange transformation. The wolf definitely looked much meaner with black fur and red eyes. Kanoe couldn't help but tremble by the aura the creature was emitting. The witch gasps and flinches away from the exploding tree. He was able to do all this with just a wave of his hand?

The young witch was a bit shocked to see Keemari fatigued from the spell. Dark arts tend to have large prices but most of the damage she suffers from her spells were due to lack of control. The spell was still very powerful and would be a nice step forward.

"I see," She responds, "But if it can bring you to your knees, will I be able to handle it?"

"This art is very wild and it took all my control to keep myself from going boom with it. Only a true dark art practioner can wield it and take it to it's full potential. However you are correct you are not ready for it yet. So we will take baby steps so the risk to attain it are not so great." I tell her as my body has returned to it's orgianl shape and color.

I then stand up. "However I must warn you, that this art is very hard and if on the final step to achieve it you can't it could cost you your dark magic, perhaps even your very life. Of course for such a powerful dark magic surely you know this price is about right for it should you be unable to attain it on that last step." I tell her.

Control was definitely not one of her strong points. The mention of the island's dampening effects on magic made her think about all the times she hurt herself from channeling her power. She has suffered burns and nearly broken bones trying to produce powerful attacks to fight of the monsters that took her body. If that was happening with the dampening, what will happen when she leaves the island? The thought truly scared her but she could not resist the lure for more power. She was going to show him and everyone how powerful she can become.

"Losing my magic would be losing my life. You should know this after tearing it out of Clarice," She speaks evenly but her eyes blazed angerly at the wolf man, "Just my ordinary spells cause me damage and pain, this spell will no doubt kill me if I attempt it now."

"Which is why I've brought you here to learn control." I tell her holding up my hand I focus my drudic powers to a point on my finger. "First try and concentrate your magical focus to just one finger and keep it there." I tell her.

Her eyes follow the finger. If it were not for the strange tingling feeling over her skin, she would not know Keemari was doing anything with his mana. Only from her first lesson from Mage did she learn how to see the threads and flow of mana but it still takes moments of concentration to make her eyes adjust. She did a similar excercise with her mistress before but it was to learn a spell that increased sexual sensitivity. Poor Hanaji, but the lesson did bring her steps closer to her own goals.

Holding out her hand, she closes her eyes for a moment. The dark witch blocks out all the sounds of the world around her until there is only a hidden high pitch whine about her. Only then does her eyes open. Seeing the mana flow all inside the world tree and around Keemari was like performing the mana sight for the first time. Her body sways as she grew dizzy, trying to adjust to the massive scintallating colors flashing across her vision. Taking a deep breath she finally regains her composure and begins focusing on her own mana flowing inside her.

Having a large overflow of mana made controlling her own power a strenuous task. It felt like she was pushing a boulder up a mountain as she slowly forces her control over the flow and begin to push it toward her open hand. Her blood felt like it was boiling as her sight could see her forearm glowing brilliantly with compressed threads of mana. Slowly, she pushes it to her hand and to the very tip of her finger. Threads were breaking off in brief sparks of black flames. She had practiced and improved in this but still it was like controlling a river by standing in the middle of it.

I tap the tree and two platforms come out with a small pin in the middle. "Now from the point of your finger have your magic flow down your arm and up your back to keep you steady as you do this." I tell her as I put my finger on the needle and hold myself up on it with just one hand holding my other arm behind my back. "This is your training, if you can't learn to control your magic to this degree to be able to hold this pose for two hours at least then you simply have no abilty for it." I tell her as I look up at her.