Rozimer sipped tea and watched as Elmar sweated proficiently. He supposed this was one way to do this, but one of the longest ways. Had Elmar explored his mana, he would have seen that instead of heating his skin, he could have scrubbed it with mana.

But bumps in the learning process were part of the experience, as Rozimer’s mother would say. Next to him, Persephone waited with a bated breath. The woman accepted her reincarnated son with open arms, and she didn’t want him to go to the Underworld.

Which was strange. Weren’t Hades and Persephone the King and Queen of the Underworld? Their son could go there, and they would still see him. Rozimer had always wondered what would happen to him after his death.

He knew of ghosts that escaped the Underworld. Glorifin being one. The transformation wizard wondered what his old nemesis did now that there was no golden apple to guard. And during the rainy season too. Did the old grouch need to eat anything? Rozimer had to spread the word that there was no treasure left in that cave.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the gray of Elmar’s skin pale and turn a healthy, rosy color. But it was taking the boy too long, in Rozimer’s opinion. Perhaps Elmar simply was not talented enough? Just because someone could be a decent elemental mage did not make them decent at every other school of magic.

Elmar’s breath hitched, and then his skin turned rosy all at once. Rozimer nodded in approval. It seemed that the boy had finally realized that the pain was a part of the transformation and the faster the transformation was, the least amount of pain he would suffer.

“You took your sweet time.” Said Rozimer to the huffing and puffing Elmar, who stared at his outstretched hand and turned it this way and that.

“I felt like I was skinned alive slowly, so, I pulled the whole skin off. It hurts to breathe.” Said Elmar. Persephone was by his side instantly, wrapping her arms around him.

“You did great, dear. Beetle?” She asked, and she pulled out a jar of beetles she had collected from outside. The rain did nothing to her, much to Elmar’s relief. Elmar reached out inside the jar and took a handful of beetles and gobbled them whole. His skin turned a couple of shades grayer.

“All that hard work, undone.” Tutted Rozimer. He had presumed this might happen. He could eat while in this form, true, but it had taken him a year to master the art.

“Listen to me, boy, you have to control how the food passes through your intestines and how it is disintegrated in your stomach. Now, make your skin rosy again and then eat a single beetle. Best if you get the soul of the bug in your stomach as fast as possible.” Said Rozimer.

Elmar looked down on the ground, defeated. Then he closed his eyes and braced himself for the pain to come. Moments later, he was rosy and healthy looking. He swayed, half kneeling on the ground, Persephone’s arms around him his only support.

“You can take a rest, son. You don’t have to do this all at once. You did a lot today. I mean, you look like an elf to me.” Said Persephone as she tried to stop Elmar from causing himself further pain.

“Rozimer, what is the trick behind eating in this form? Besides forcing the food to go to my gut like a rampaging horse?” Asked Elmar.

A bead of sweat fell from his forehead. Maintaining this form was exhausting, and he didn’t know how he was going to be expected to maintain a human form with a Litch’s eating habits.

“Well, you coat the food in mana, of course. Since you only need the soul, don’t bother with eating the bug. I have seen Litches tear our souls out of bodies before in fights. Do the same to the bug and place the soul in a bubble before you eat it.” Said Rozimer. He took out a jar with pills and pulled one out.

“Like this pill. See how it is inside a mana shell? The inside is a very sour dust. If someone tries to drink it directly, they will get an upset stomach and vomit. But because the mana shell makes sure the tip of your tongue doesn’t get acquainted with the sour dust, you can ingest the pill just fine. And I have to tell you, all sleeping pills are sour and mana coated.” Said Rozimer, and he placed the pill back inside the jar.

Elmar remembered how he had torn a chunk of the fire demon’s soul in the battle. But it hadn’t simply stayed in his hands. It had begun to disappear around the edges quickly after it made contact with the air. He had to be quick.

He took a beetle out of the jar and with the fastest movement, he was capable of, he tore out its soul. Persephone looked a little green at that, but she still tried to smile.

Then Elmar began to cocoon the soul with mana. Half of it evaporated, but Elmar was happy that he even had anything left in the mana bubble. He brought the thing to his lips and then gulped it down.

The experience of having a mana bubble pass through his intestines was strange. The bubble kept getting stuck, which made Elmar hammer at his chest trying to dislodge it.

It was hard to breathe and, between keeping his transformed skin a healthy color and forcing the bubble down with mana, he was exhausted. Finally, the bubble reached his stomach and he relaxed back in his chair.

He felt a warm, gentle, hand press against his forehead. His eyes met Persephone’s and he grinned.

“Thanks, mom, you bring the best tasting beetles.” Said Elmar. Persephone smiled and ruffled his hair. Elmar knew that it meant the world to her when he called her mom or mother. One day, he may even call Hades father. But for now, all the games the god played were still too fresh in his mind. Like open wounds that were just beginning to close.