Stitching

Overview

Stitching is often compared to fusion and there is debate among magic users as to whether or not this is a separate type or a subset of fusion itself. The magic involves taking two or more living beings and forcing them together to create a new creature. It is much like alchemy , fusion , and essence magic put into one discipline and extremely difficult. This is the most complex form of magic and Ilya Shiroko  invented the practice.
A genius in terms of magic, he was able to not only create single creatures, but a viable species that could reproduce on its own if he gave them the correct capabilities. The Illyanoi respond to their creator on a genetic level that can then be passed to later generations and have been used for centuries as a fighting force. He was able to achieve this through the use of a marker. This is an innate magical spark within all living beings and is partly inherited. By tying his family marker to a creatures, he was able to make them obey his family and pass that connection down. Ilya’s descendents learned to produce the creatures as well and the secrets of their specific form of the magic are highly guarded within the family. Taras Shiroko I has taken to connecting is Ilyannoi to his unique marker rather than that of the family as he does not trust them.
Due to its close connection with the Shiroko family, there is no specific name for those who practice it and they are generally called by whatever essence they primarily use.

• Taras is called an Aliq-esh due to his ability to manipulate two essences, but there is no specific designation for his stitching ability. As the ruler of Eoion, it is assumed he can do this by default.

Limitations

Much like alchemy, diametrically opposed creatures cannot be stitched at all. Bird wings could not be directly stuck onto a fish, for example.
Tissue that was never part of a living being cannot be used for stitching. A rock cannot be stitched to a lion for harder skin, but a turtle shell could be used if proper procedures were followed. Using fossils is extremely difficult as the longer the material has been deceased, the harder it is to work with.
The more basic the elemental parts are, the easier they are to fuse. In terms of the fish and bird, if both were broken down to proteins, nucleic acids, fats, and carbohydrates, then they could be stitched and the parts shaped because they are now compatible. This requires an extensive knowledge of molecular biology and anatomy, which all people who use this magic are taught. The caster must also be sufficiently powerful to pull the elements apart like this, which requires some extensive of essence magic as well.