Taylor never would have thought shi'd have gotten comfortable inside a coffin. Quite frankly, shi would have thought there would only be one reason shi would be in a coffin and shi would beyond caring or noticing if it was comfortable or not. But since vampires spend their daylight hours inside them, it only made sense that they made them as comfortable as possible. Taylor didn't know if Dracona had a daywalking amulet like Tatiana, but she apparently used her coffin for more than just a place for sex.
And partly because Taylor had spent up a lot of energy fucking, shi found it a little easier to drift off to sleep than shi thought. Like with many people, shi didn't know exactly when shi went from sleeping to dreaming. All shi knew was that shi found hirself surrounded by tall grass with a starry sky above hir. Shi started walking through the tall grass, aware there was somewhere shi needed to be. Eventually, shi noticed that shi was walking on all fours. A brief look at hirself revealed that shi was currently in the form of a true hyena. Hir waking self might have panicked a bit, but right now, Taylor didn't mind that shi was an animal.
Just then, shi came upon a clearing which gave hir a better look around. Hir detached human nature noticed that this wasn't the grasslands of North America. This looked more like the savanna of Africa. Just then, shi became aware of another hyena, an older and stronger one. Shi slunk back instinctively. "There's no need for that," said the other hyena, "You came here to meet me, remember?"
Taylor's thinking became a little clearer, enough to realize shi's in a dream and yet not threaten to awaken from it. Shi could also recall a few details from before shi went to sleep. "Shaman Kweli?" shi asked.
"Indeed," said the other hyena, bowing its head, "And it's so good to finally meet you, Taylor Wagner."
"I never thought I'd meet a real person in a dream," said Taylor, "But is this your dream or my dream?"
"Somewhere in-between," said Kweli, "This is actually part of the Spirit Realm. Or at least a part where the realms of dreams and spirits overlap. It's a little complex."
"Well, you're here to teach me about that," said Taylor.
"Among other things," said Kweli, "Let's start with something basic: shaping your dream self." The other hyena stood up on its hind legs before shifting into an anthropomorphic shape. Hir front legs became arms as four breasts appeared on hir chest. Hir pseudopenis became a true penis as testicles filled a sack between it and hir vagina. Shamanistic adornments appeared on hir body, including a bison skull headdress and many beads around hir neck. "It's quite simple," said Kweli, "Just imagine yourself in your werehyena form."
It didn't take more than a thought for Taylor to shift. Shi was relieved she had hir hands back and didn't have to walk on all fours. Shi stood up, noticing shi was a little shorter and less muscular than Kweli. Well, Kweli was hir senior in many ways. "Is it normal for werebeasts to dream they are complete animals?" asked Taylor.
"Sometimes," said Kweli, "Most often, it's as meaningless as any other dream. Sometimes, the beast instincts are trying tell something that the human mind is not aware of. But for us shaman, it could lead us to something that would beyond the scope of others. For instance, you instinctively conjured up this savanna and took that form because you were seeking me."
"Did I?" asked Taylor, "I wasn't even thinking it."
"The subconscious works in many mysterious ways. Even more so for us who are part-animal," said Kweli, "But this savanna is perfect for our first lesson. I assume you've read that packet I've sent."
"Yeah, but I don't have it completely memorized yet," said Taylor, "It was quite a lot to read."
"Not to worry, you are only a beginner after all," said Kweli, "So we'll start with the basics: contacting the spirits."
"Does everything have a spirit?" asked Taylor.
"Technically, yes, but not every spirit is worth contacting. Could you imagine how much of a headache the spirits of insects could bring?" asked Kweli.
"I don't think I want to," said Taylor.
"It's just as well because the less complex a creature's mind, the harder it is to contact its spirit," said Kweli.
"So contacting the spirits of people should be easiest," said Taylor.
"Yes, but most people's spirits are at rest in their respective afterlife. The spirits who dwell in the werebeasts' summerland are easiest for us to contact, but that's a more advanced lesson," said Kweli, "Of course, there are restless spirits who have not found their way to the other side yet, what we would call ghosts. Those are the easiest but riskiest for us to contact."
"Why is it risky?" asked Taylor.
"Because to contact spirits also makes us vulnerable to them," said Kweli, "A spirit with strong enough emotions could overpower a shaman and possess them. And that could be disastrous, especially if that spirit has ill-intent."
"But I'm not just gonna start seeing dead people right away, am I?" asked Taylor.
"Not at your novice level," said Kweli, "You may need help opening your senses into the spiritual plane."
"Actually, I had a bit of pot with a friend and I thought I saw spirit animals. Does that count?" asked Taylor.
"It does indeed," said Kweli, "Even I use cannabis for some of my rituals. However, I would advise against using it on every occasion."
"Is it bad for us?" asked Taylor.
"We have heartier health than humans," said Kweli, "But while cannabis does open us up to the spirits, it also dulls the mind. It would make us quite vulnerable to possession if used with excess. And some spirits, while not malicious, will twist words to their advantage. As such, we need to keep our wits about us when communing with spirits."
"Other smokers aren't vulnerable to spirits, are they?" asked Taylor, worrying a little for Marley.
"Not usually," said Kweli, "Someone usually needs a bit of magical capability to draw in spirits. Your average pothead wouldn't likely attract more than moths."
"Ok, so when I've got my spirit senses open, how do I call for spirits?" asked Taylor.
"Let me show you," said Kweli as their first lesson truly began.