The
Tests
Armageddon smiled at Bruce, “How? Well I’ll test Neeka
and during the tests some of his abilities will show themselves, maybe all of
them.” Armageddon stretched and yawned hugely, “But if you don’t mind, can we
start in the morning? It’s been a long day for me, and I know it has for you as
well. Tomorrow we’ll start the tests and then start for the village beset by
the Mage over there.” Armageddon tilted his head towards Macor
as he spoke.
“Good idea.” Bruce said, “I’m pretty well worn out.” Bruce
looked over at his friend standing there listening and asked, “Neeka, that
OK with you?”
Neeka looked at the black Wolf and
then over at his friend. They both seemed completely done in and he snorted,
“You two would make poor work horses.” He waited a second and if a horse could
smile, that’s what he did next and added, “I’m tired too. Tomorrow is fine with
me.”
Armageddon and Bruce chuckled at the same time and Bruce
walked over to his Neeka and put his arms around his
neck and said, “I really am glad to have you back my friend.”
Neeka snorted and nuzzled Bruce,
“Me too Bruce. Me too.”
Bruce went to his saddle bag and pulled out a large blanket.
He had had that saddle for many years. Riding in it was like putting on a
comfortable old shoe. It just fit exactly right in all the right places and
didn’t bind anywhere. Bruce looked at the images stamped in the leather of the
saddle bag and it was like he was looking at them for the first time. There
were the familiar images of Birds, Otters, Lions, and many other animals. Bruce
hadn’t noticed it before but three animals seemed apart from the others, A
Moose, a Horse and an over sized Wolf. He frowned and knew he had seen that
exact image for years but it seemed to take on significance now.
He looked up and saw Armageddon getting comfortable on the
ground. Just before he put his head down to sleep he looked over at Bruce and
winked, then closed his eyes. He was so black he almost melted into the night.
Bruce sighed, then stretched. Too
much has happened too quickly. I’m seeing things that aren’t there and seeing
things that have always been there but reading into them more than there is. He
looked over at the Wolf again and swore he could see him smiling.
Bruce shook his head, “Too tired.” He thought to himself. “A
good night’s sleep will put everything back into perspective. It’s been one
crazy day.”
As Bruce spread out the blanket on the ground and curled up
on it he thought to himself again, “Yes, it’s been one crazy day.”
Bruce slept soundly through the night and when he awoke, the
sun had already cleared the horizon. He sat up and stretched and saw Armageddon
tending a fire and boiling some water in the teapot. The aroma of the tea was
unmistakable.
“Good morning Armageddon. Sorry, I seemed to have
overslept.” Bruce said rising and rolling up the blanket while speaking.
“Good morning to you too Bruce!”
Armageddon said. “I hope you do not mind but I took some of your tea and
started it brewing. I didn’t want to wake you to ask permission but I hoped you
would not mind.”
Bruce shook his head, “No, I don’t mind at all. It isn’t
mine anyway. It belonged to Macor. I assume he
doesn’t mind either.”
Armageddon chuckled, “No, I supposed he doesn’t.” The Wolf
poured Bruce a large cup of tea and handed it to him.
“Thanks.” Bruce said breathing deeply of the fine aroma. He
then looked around and asked, “Where’s Neeka?”
Armageddon poured himself a cup of tea and turned to face
Bruce, “Well, if he found that valley of grass I sent him to just as the sun
was rising, I suspect he’s about 2 miles east of here. Why don’t you ask him?”
Bruce looked puzzled, “Ask him? How..oh! That’s right! Bruce thought hard, as though he
was speaking and thought to his friend, “Neeka, where
are you?”
“Not so loud Bruce! I’m not deaf!” Came
the instant reply. Armageddon told me of a valley filled with sweet grass and
was he ever right! This is the best grass I’ve ever eaten! I’m only about 5
minutes from you if I run back.”
Bruce chuckled, “Take you time. Sorry about shouting, I’m
not used to talking to you like this yet.”
Bruce caught the distinct impression the Neeka
was chuckling, “No problem Bruce. We both have a lot to learn. See you in a
little while. Call if you need me.”
Bruce turned to Armageddon and said, “He seems satisfied enough.
He found the place you mentioned and is getting his breakfast.”
Armageddon smiled and nodded taking a sip of his tea.
“So tell me,” Bruce started, “What are these tests and how
do you give them to Neeka?”
The Wolf set his tea down on the nearby table and looked at
Bruce. “Actually Bruce, the tests have already begun.”
Bruce looked confused. “Already begun? How? What do you
mean?”
Armageddon looked at Bruce hard and asked, “What do you know
of me Bruce. I mean, what do you really know?”
“I know you’re here to help Neeka
learn how to use his abilities and I know that Tarnissaloo
told us you’d be coming.”
The Wolf smiled and as Bruce watched he started to grow,
“Did he really? He told you my name?”
Bruce watched as the Wolf grew over ten foot tall, then
twenty, then thirty. Bruce was getting uncomfortable as the Wolf grew to almost
forty foot tall and then replied, “No, he never actually said your name.”
The now giant Wolf threw back his head and laughed. The
laugh sounded like thunder ringing across the countryside. As the Wolf began to
speak he reached down and, before Bruce could move, grabbed him with one large
paw and held him at eye level, “So what you’re telling me stupid Moose is that
you don’t know anything about me at all!”
Bruce was now getting scared. The Wolf was right! What did
they know of him? They had just made assumptions. It could have all been
coincidence! The he felt the Wolf slowly closing his hand around his chest. The
Wolf was going to crush him!
“Crush you? Heavens no Bruce! That would be too quick!
Perhaps just break a few bones perhaps…”
“Put him down and put him down now!!!” Came
the clear and distinct thoughts of Neeka. The large
horse was standing near the giant Wolf and Bruce was amazed at his friend’s
appearance. Neeka was glowing bright red and his eyes
shone so bright red they were painful to look at.
“I said, put him down!” Neeka
again demanded and at that the giant Wolf laughed.
“Ok,
Armageddon slowly placed Bruce back on the ground and then
started to shrink to his normal size. Neeka still
watched the Wolf, glowering at him, but realized Bruce was only shaken but
unharmed.
“What were you doing to Bruce? Why were you trying to hurt
him?”
Armageddon chuckled, “Well, first off I was not trying to
hurt Bruce. Had I wanted to hurt him he would be paste right now.
What I was doing was testing you.”
Neeka looked confused. “Testing
me? How?”
“Yeah, how? And why does your
testing have to scare the stuffing out of me?” Bruce added.
Armageddon laughed once again, “Bruce, I couldn’t tell you
what I was about to do because of your link with Neeka.
Neeka, you had to believe Bruce was in serious
trouble. We also know one, may two of your Faerie Fur abilities.”
“We do???” Both Neeka and Bruce
asked at once.
The Wolf chuckled. “Where were you when you caught the
thought that Bruce was in danger?” He then asked.
“Over in the sweet grass meadow. Eating.
You know that.” Neeka replied.
“Yes, I do. And how did you get back here.”
Neeka started to reply and then
said, “Umm, I don’t know!”
Bruce looked at Neeka and said,
“What do you mean you don’t know? You ran here. You had to.”
“No Bruce. I didn’t” Neeka said.
“I caught the thought that you were in trouble and knew I had to get back here
fast. Next thing I know I’m here and really angry with Armageddon.”
The Wolf nodded, “That narrows that ability down to one of
two. You either have the ability to run very fast, or you have the ability of
teleportation. Over short distances they look very similar. However the other
ability I’m sure about. You have the ability to control fire, with your eyes.”
“I can what?!!” Neeka asked.
“He can control fire? Like start one?” Bruce also asked.
“Far more than that Bruce.”
Armageddon replied to Bruce and then looked at Neeka
and continued, “When you came into camp, afraid your friend was hurt, you were
glowing red. That’s a sign of teleportation, although it could be Farspeed as well over short distances. However your eyes
were blazing red. At that point I realized Bruce and I were in very serious
danger.”
Bruce looked at the Wolf and scoffed, “I might have been in
danger, but you?”
“Did you see your friends eyes Bruce? Had he lost control he
would have reduced us to ashes in an instant. Faster than a porcupine can toss
a quill you and I would have been dust.”
“I can do that?” Neeka asked. “How?”
Armageddon said, “Let’s start small. My
teacup on the table. Look at it hard. Think about making it boil. Think
hard.”
“Neeka looked at the teacup for a
moment and suddenly the table grew impossibly bright, too bright to even look
at. Bruce covered his eyes as did Armageddon and almost as soon as it had
started it was over. The table and teacup were no more than fine ash on the
ground.
Armageddon whistled, “That’s some power you have there Neeka. Strong! Like I said though, you need practice.
That’s also what I meant about being in danger. Had you done that to us Bruce
and I would be in no better condition than that table right now.”
“Wow!” Neeka exclaimed.
Bruce looked at his friend and asked, “You’ve never been mad
at me have you Neeka?” He then smiled.
Neeka snorted, “No Bruce. I don’t
think I could ever be mad at you.”
Bruce laughed a little and looked at Armageddon, “You said
he can control fire. What does that mean?”
“Just what it sounds like. With
practice he will be able to start fires, extinguish fires, and even move them
with his eyes.” The Wolf turned to Neeka and said, “Neeka, do you see that campfire I was brewing the tea over?
I want you to stare at it, then imagine the fire
caught in your stare. Then simply move it, say, to that pile of kindling about
3 feet away. You can do it.”
“I’m not sure, after what I did to the table.” Neeka thought, “But let’s see.”
Neeka stared at the fire for a
second our two and then the fire suddenly stopped burning. It didn’t go out,
just stopped burning. It was as though the fire itself had turned to crystal.
It was frozen in time as Neeka stared at it. As he
shifted his gaze to the pile of kindling the frozen fire moved with his stare
and when Neeka stared at the kindling it burst into
flame. The fire at the cooking pit was completely out.
“Excellent Neeka!
Exactly right! You learn quickly!” The Wolf exclaimed.
Bruce went over to where the cook fire had been and touched
the logs that had been burning only moments before. They were stone cold..
“How can this be?” Bruce asked, “This fire is completely
out, like it had been out for days.”
The Wolf nodded, “Quite right. When I said Neeka could control fire I meant that literally. He took
everything that the fire was, and moved it. That included the heat, the light,
everything. He simply moved it to another location. It doesn’t matter the size
of the fire, he can control it. I have the same ability.”
The Wolf looked at Neeka and
asked, “Want to take a stab at discovering your first ability?”
“Of course!” Neeka
thought back, “I’d like to see just how fast I can go!”
The Wolf chuckled, “Well, the only way to find out for sure
is to send you on a journey. Over short distances I can’t be sure.” Armageddon
looked at Bruce and asked, “How far was that village you came from to get
here?”
“Under normal circumstances, about 2 days.
Less if you are in a hurry.” Bruce replied.
“That’ll do fine.” Armageddon said.
The Wolf looked at the large Horse and asked, “Do you trust
me Neeka?”
Neeka looked at the Wolf for a
long moment and thought back, “Yes, yes I do. While you tricked Bruce and I earlier you did it for a reason. I believe you are exactly
who you and Tarnisaloo say you are.”
“Good.” Replied the Wolf. Because I
want you to go back to the village you came from just as quickly as you can. I
mean you have to believe your life depends on it, then
come back. Can you do that?”
“Sure, but I don’t want to leave you both for that long.
It’ll take awhile.” The great Horse thought to both of them.
“Much less than you think big Fur, much less than you
think.” chuckled Armageddon.
“When I say go, I want you to run as fast as you can, when
you get there look around for a moment or two and come right back, again as
fast as you can. Ready?”
“Yes!” came the excited reply of Neeka.
“Then go!”
As Bruce and the Wolf watched Neeka
simply vanished. Armageddon started counting softly, “One thousand one, one
thousand two, one thousand three” He had gotten to thirty when Neeka suddenly reappeared in the camp.
“Very good Neeka, now, this is an
important question. How long did you spend in the village looking around?”
“Not long.” Thought the Horse back. I saw a drummer boy at
the gates signaling all those affected by Macor’s
spell to come there for treatment and then returned. Maybe 10 seconds at the
most.”
“Farspeed!” said Armegeddon. “Not teleportation. It figures.”
“Bruce looked at Armageddon, “What do you mean, “It
figures?””
The Wolf smiled, “Well, first you have to know how some of
these abilities work. While the re is never any guarantee, it seems the
abilities you receive are related to your species. For example, Neeka is a Horse. It would make sense he would have Farspeed as opposed to say, being able to stay under water
indefinitely. He could also have had teleportation but that is more commonly
seen in species that are already fast, like the Cheeta.
Had he shown Teleportation he would have been gone about as long as he looked
around in the village. Time from here to there is
almost nil. Since he took some extra time he has Farspeed. This means he can get from here to there
exceptionally fast, but he needs to go around obstacles just as you and I
would. If he had teleportation, nothing in the way would matter. He would
simply leave here and appear there.”
Armageddon continued, “Myself,
being Wolf, gets invisibility, in order to avoid being seen. I also get Growth
because of my species innate strength.”
“So do all species get the same abilities?” Neeka asked?
“Oh no.” Armageddon replied. “Many
Wolfs will get many of the same primary skills but there are many other skills
that seem randomly distributed. For example, with me, invisibility and growth
seems to make some kind of sense. Maybe even control of wood. But fire and water? Those just seem to be random.”
“So I have more than speed and fire control.” Neeka asked?
“Oh yes.” The Wolf replied, “At least one more and most
likely several more.”
“You seem certain he has one more ability.”
Bruce said.
“I should.” Armageddon chuckled. There is one skill that
every single Farie Fur has, no matter how large or
small.”
“What is that?” asked Neeka.
But that is a story for tomorrow.