Just Breathe Part 48

Realis noun-The waking world of reality in which people carry on their daily activities; the real world.

scrimshaw noun-An art form in which pictures or words are carved into the teeth of slaughtered whales. In pre-industrialized times, whalers often practiced scrimshaw to pa.s.s the time on whaling expeditions.

Sentinel noun-A "super human" who can control dreams and manipulate his own Elements to either defend against or attack Elementals with Elemental magic. A Sentinel's purpose is to maintain the Balance between Elements, which requires him to protect humans from excessive Elemental interference. Sentinels are mortal, but they tend to live longer than the average human.

shade verb-To be overshadowed or eclipsed by an Element. Earth shades Water, Water shades Fire, Fire shades Air, and Air shades Earth. Prolonged exposure to an eclipsing Element results in death and ascension to the shaded Elemental's G.o.d.

Shadows noun-Short-lived but powerful remains of nightmares left behind in the Dreaming when a human wakes suddenly from a bad dream. Shadows can pack physical force and harm other dreamers if left unattended. When the collective unconscious is disturbed or unbalanced, Shadows become common.

Shifter noun-An Elemental with the ability to change his/her shape. Very few possess the gift of shifting.

Songline noun-An invisible filament found in the Dreaming that contains information about every human from the past, present, and future. Songlines can be followed through time, but the process is extremely daunting. Depending on the complexity of the relationships involved, it can take years or even decades to decipher information gathered from a single Songline.

Terra noun-G.o.ddess of Earth and the eldest of the four Elemental G.o.ds who rule the planet. She is made of pure Earth and represents physical strength, stability, order, discipline, and inflexibility.

t.i.the noun-Payment of an Element due to the G.o.ds. Archelementals collect t.i.thes from all Elementals at the equinoxes. This ma.s.sive influx of Elemental energy is then sacrificed to the G.o.ds, and the one who has the most controls the Balance of the world. Therefore, it is important that all Elementals t.i.the to their G.o.ds.

Waeter or Waeter Elemental noun-An Elemental whose body is composed of at least 50% Elemental Water. Waeters tend to be intuitive and emotional. Their auras are mostly blue.

Water noun-The Element that keeps humans emotionally stable, content, and adaptable. A shortage of Water in humans can cause emotional problems. A severe deficit can lead to depression or sometimes even suicide. Water manifests as blue in auras. Note: When referring to the Element itself, Water is capitalized, not to be confused with water in general.

whale song noun-A pattern of repeated vocalizations produced inside a male humpback's body that may include clicks, whistles, upsweeps, grunts, drags, and chirps. Humpback songs vary by geography, but all the males in one location sing the same song. Evolution of the song occurs over a season, so the song changes from year to year. Scientists used to believe the songs played a role in mating, but they seem to attract other males rather than females. The purpose of the songs remains a mystery.

Wyldling noun-A human being. Wyldlings are amalgamations of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Their bodies contain the Elements that Elementals crave. These hybrid Elements replenish naturally within the Wyldling over time, but sudden, drastic shifts can cause illness or even death.

Zodiac noun-A rigid-hulled inflatable boat often used by marine biologists to get close to whales. Its small size makes for easy maneuverability and fairly fast speeds.

About the Author.

Kendall Grey, word wrangler, whale warrior, wicked wench, and lover of tongue-tripping alliteration, was born without an off-switch between her brain and mouth. She's been called the "Flux Capacitor of Twitter" and "A little package of love all wrapped up in F-word paper," but she's really just a maniacal writer relaying eyewitness accounts of the rave inside her head. She writes urban fantasy with strong romantic elements and also dabbles in erotica and horror on occasion.

Kendall lives off a dirt road near Atlanta, Georgia, but don't hold that against her.

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