Pokara the Changed

Pokara was just trying to follow the instructions. The scroll, found near the snowy training grounds, promised mastery of water-walking. Poring over the diagrams by the icy lake, they practiced the complex hand signs, determined to get it right. They never noticed the scroll was from the Rock Wizards' exchange program, detailing a binding spell for fusing spirit with gemstone. When they performed the final kata, they did not glide across the surface. They plunged straight to the bottom, where their chakra latched onto the lakebed’s rich sapphire deposits. They emerged hours later, dripping and sparkling, their form transmuted into living crystal. Their sensei hailed it as a profound breakthrough. Now known as 'the Changed,' Pokara accepts the praise with a thoughtful gaze that everyone mistakes for wisdom. It's actually just them trying to remember where they left the *correct* scroll.