Welcome to Gaia! ::

Brise smiled sadly at Ana's words. It had been a very long time since someone had said something like that to her.
"He is not being truthful, he can be quite charming when he smiles. But alas, he keeps that part sealed up inside where only few dare tread." She laughed gently, feeling more at ease than she had in centuries.

Maverik leveled his blank stare to her, his eyes still revealing his pain despite trying to hide it. "You would not say that should you know the truth. I am not human, Ana. Have not been for a very long time. I am something even the ancients would be weary of. There is a dark reason I have been around as long as I have." There was a slight growl to his voice. He didn't mean for it to escape, but it did anyway.

Brise sighed, then started chanting under her breath. In a matter of moments, Maverik was no longer standing there, but a sword in its sheath stood on the end of the black and red holdings where he had.
"That is Maverik's Weapon form, Ana. It won't hold long, and when he shifts back, do not be frightened. He can't hear me at the moment, but he will be extremely angry with me when he regains speech." She sounded sad, her eyes screaming her regret. She had wanted her guardian to reveal himself, but she had recognized the stubborn set of his jaw.

Within a few scant moments, a towering male took the place of the contained blade, his eyes were the same jet black, but blazing with barely constrained anger. He was wider than before, leaking danger with just a glance.
"Piccola, you must be have lost your senses when that boy dropped you." His voice held malice, dripping with pure threat despite calling her little one. "Scusa, Ana. I hope I am not frieghtening you in this form. I was a warrior before my death, this is what I looked like the day I died. Brise knew better than to force a change such as this." He bowed, nearly trembling in rage at his charge's actions. He was more embarrassed than anything, yet still quite angry.
"I must look like a beast to you, and understand if you find me repulsive." He voice was dark, brooding, as he felt himself returning to his usual form. Turning, he started through the halls to a room in which he could release him pent up everything.

Brise blinked back tears and stayed where she stood. "Sometimes I do not think, but I know Maverik well. He is like a father to me, and I saw the set of his jaw. He refused to let you see his other side, because I am frightened by it." Her voice cracked, her head and wings drooping in sorrow.

Brise nodded sadly, shifting back into her other appearance. She was not comfortable in this form, had never truly been comfortable in it, really. She watched as Ana went after Maverik, her eyes still sad as she slowly followed behind. She truly felt bad for her actions, but knew it was pointless to worry over what was already done.

Maverik stopped, keeping his back to the elf he had started to warm up too. His breath hitched in his throat, his muscles tensed as those words washed over him. Only Brise had ever said such a thing to him, one of the reasons he kept his true form sealed away most of the time. She had been very small when he had first found her, and that was the only form he had had.
"I do not wish to be rid of you, Ana." His voice was slightly husky with holding his emotions at bay. "But you must understand exactly who and what I am. I was raised in the old world way, yet I am still a warrior to my very core. When I loose my temper, no one is safe from me, having been bound to this world, I have gained a power very few possess. The power of aura is a danger to everyone, Brise has power over essence, so she is only partially safe. You can not hide the fact my true form scares you as it does Brise."
He could feel the pulse of her light, elemental aura, soothing his battered soul. With Brise, it was always to protect her, keep her from harm and try to make her happy. But with Ana, he had smiled a true smile. Something he had not done in far to long.
"It was dark times I lived, only two have given me light to keep going. Brise is the first." You are the second. But he would not yet utter those words.

Brise stood in the doorway, half in, half out. She heard only the last part, about the light. Choking back a sob, she leaned heavily against the frame. She had considered herself a burden to Maverik, never considering she helped him.

He stood dumbfounded, completely unprepared for her understanding, less lone her words. She was offering to be his light, his love. He felt his heart tighten and shatter in relief from a great weight being taken from him and gone forever.
"Ana," he whispered her name, nothing more, but that one, three letter word carried every emotion he was feeling out of his body and into the air between them. Disbelief, gratefulness, love, joy, every emotion they could ever reveal what he felt in that instant. "Grazie, you have no idea what this means to me."

Brise calmed herself and walked farther into the room. Clearing her throat, she had a sheepish look about herself. Her jewelry betrayed her inner feeling by jingling merrily together. Her bangles chimed as she fidgeted, trying not to break the happy mood she was picking up from the both of them.
"If I may make a suggestion, we really should start training. Especially if Ana is going to be staying with us for awhile." Her eyes twinkled in mirth, despite her trying in vain to hold it in.

Maverik found himself smiling, already to late to stop and hide his embarrassing dimple. Laughing despite himself, he placed a hand tenderly on Ana's shoulder and leaned down slightly.
"I do believe that little imp of a ward is correct, cara mia." He teased, leaning down a little further and placing a light kiss on the elf's lips.

Brise broke out in a wide grin and ran up to hug them both. Laughing, she poked Maverik's ribs and felt carefree for once.
"I told you someone could tame you." She teased, turning her attention to Ana. "You've no idea how happy this makes me, and I know Maverik is nearly bursting at the seams in joy. He just doesn't show it all that much."

Maverik cleared his throat, then calmly dislodged the mixed angel from both he and Ana.
"Yes, well, I do believe I'll let Brise show you some of the things I'll teach, then see what you can do at your present abilities. Does that sound alright?" He watched her face, happy with just living in the moment. When he had still been alive, he would have never even thought of doing what he was, or had over his new existence. But now, he had life, he no longer had to just go through the motions. Everything was going to be a moment in life, he could tell. Between Brise and Ana, he was certain he was in for a lifetime of living, and surprises.

Grinning, Brise walked a bit away from them before flinging her arms out. Twin wind blades raced up her arms, blurring everything around them. Spinning, She sent two slices through the air to hit the stands on the far side. Two dents formed on the metal.
"That took me a very long time to be able to do, and a lot of practice. I just wanted to show off for a bit. Now I'll show you what Mavy will really teach you right off." Widening her stance bit, Brise released the weapons and swirled her hand in the air for a moment. A small ball of compressed air floated just over the surface of her skin. In the blink of an eye, it changed to a mini tornado spinning on her palm. It alternated between growing and shrinking.

Maverik stood quietly by, watching Brise play with her ability. She wasn't showing much of what he had taught, but what she did show was some of the things he had taught her for protection. The ball was great for a shield, and the tornado was a nice weapon in close combat. Only wind users could stay steady and not be swept up in the storm.

"Where would you like to start?" He asked, glad to see the awe in her eyes. "I would not suggest the blades, it takes great skill and concentration to be able to hold the form and even to send it out. When you become more familiar with my teachings, we will practice it, but not now." He spoke softly, waiting for Brise to return to where they stood.

Nodding her head, Brise glided over to them.
"It took my a decade to be able to hold the image, but I was much younger than you are now. It took me forever because I had not yet learned patience." A slight blush colored her cheeks for a moment. "But it's really fun to do, but hard when you first start. I'll even help you work on holding the image until you get the hang of it. Its similar to the ball, just going up your arms instead of floating above your hand."
She was nearly glowing in joy. She finally had someone to hang with.

"You'll get the hang of it in no time, Ana. The ball is the first thing I learned, Maverik said it was the best thing to start with because most everything starts in that shape." She shrugged and redid the forming of the ball slower, just in case Ana needed it.

Maverik nodded once at Brise's words.
"Most of what I teach starts in that form, but the weapons start on a different area entirely. We'll go slow, just going over simple things today. I don't want to over work you on your first day." He walked behind Ana and placed his larger hands over her smaller ones. "Here, this is how you go through the motions." He guilded her through the motions slowly, making sure not to use any powers doing so.

Brise nodded as she tossed her ball to Ana. "Try holding the one I made, but don't be surprised it it explodes." She explained, watching to make certain her new friend wasn't harmed.
Maverik stayed close, just to make sure Ana knew what to do and that it didn't grow to powerful for her to control.