"I can try", Zalbos chuckled. "Just don't touch me, and you're set."
Zalbos smiled wickedly. Casually, he (disguised as a she) sidled over to a nearby tree, picked off a forest gecko, and dangled it in his hands.
"The first thing you must understand with the art of shapeshifting is that... shapeshifting is one of those energy practices that is less difficult to accomplish than say, finding your inner self. That is, still no menial task. You must focus on your inner self first, in order to accomplish the easier task. Completely relax your mind, and let your spirit come to the forefront. Ground yourself with a connection to the earth. Believe. Find a place in yourself you can truly be comforted, no matter the circumstance. Then think. Think all you can about your quarry. Do this, and focus hard on the pattern, the spiritualistic vibrations emanating from this gecko. I will watch."
Zalbos, in an instant, shrunk to the ground, transformed into an exact replica of the reptile now scurrying away in confusion. He looked at the creature, and lay an elbow across a small twig, a tiny smug expression on his face.