Furion's Trials (Book Two of the Items Trilogy)

by H. Lee Morgan, Jr

  With similar thoughts Alex asked “Master, how is it that these trees look as they do?”

  “They’ve been like this for longer than I’ve been alive.” He stated with a feeling of safety at being home again. “When these trees were younger they were threaded together and interlocked so tightly that only minor maintenance is needed to keep them the way they are. There is one more structure such as this on the opposite side of this hidden place. It is quite a feat of ingenuity if is do say so.”

  Shade awoke a few minutes later and was also told what happened.

  Once both of them had recovered, night had fallen quickly behind the mountains when Shade looked to Sheer. “Master, you said that you wanted Alex to choose another partner. Can we get this over with so our progress will continue to grow?” Alex wondered where all this came from, but there was no point in arguing that all he needed was Shade. It was selfish to rely solely upon his younger brother, but mostly he was afraid that he’d make the wrong choice in a new fiend partner. Alex still didn’t understand the true depths of having partners, but he would still try to find the answers in his own way. The only problem is that he could only choose one and feared all of the other Fury’s would be resentful of him. He was confused, but if Shade wished for him to choose, he would find the most compatible among the candidates.

  Sheer smiled. “Certainly,” She then looked up and around at her other friends. She then called out “Come my brethren! It is time to find my student and our young master Alex’s new partner!”

  With that, a flurry of wings and feathers descended from all around and many of the giant Fury lords that were too large to fly inside the spaces between the trunks were forced to walk or hop towards the center. The smaller ones weaved and dodged the trees and quickly landed before Sheer and the others. Alex soon stood beside her and Shade was right there too. Many raptors formed loose lines to be inspected and greeted. Within a minute all of them arrived and stood silently under Sheer’s calm and expectant gaze. She was easily seen as the leader of these predatory birds, that much was for certain. And they all admired her in their own unique way, but all showed her respect as both a leader and partner of a Furion. Sheer reminded him of Allahandra; loving, fierce, respected and gracious. When he whispered those thoughts to his brother, Shade agreed with a toothy grin. These birds admired her and stood like her own personal army.

  As the multitude formed four long, silent and expectant lines it wasn’t until the last large male stopped moving that Sheer began to speak. “Though only one of you will be chosen as a Furion’s partner, do not feel ashamed for each of you are all worthy. If you are chosen you will become mainly become my student and will be put through rigorous trainings to make you as powerful as you can possibly be. Being a partner will never be easy, especially in the current situation. If any wish to remove themselves from being chosen, back away now.” None moved so much as a feather which pleased her. “Very good, please wait patiently for your turn to be spoken to and considered.” They all tucked their beaks to their chests and bowed respectfully to her. She then looked up and to her immediate left. “Shall we begin?” Alex nodded.

  Together the three of them stepped forward and walked up to one of the male lords who stood an inch taller than the five foot Sheer and his breast was larger and more muscled. He had brighter, yellow colorings and kept the white tipped wing and tail feathers that gave away his Fury heritage. Sheer then introduced him to Alex and Shade. “This is my life-mate Breaker. He is powerful and strong and has been a proud father to our hatchlings. He might not be as fast as our females, but his strength is undeniable.” What she left unsaid was that he was one of the very few who didn’t want to be partnered for that meant he’d be parted from Sheer and go wherever his Furion wanted. This was easily explained in his expression and the rigidness of his stance. He wasn’t considered.

  Alex spoke with Breaker for a minute but he just didn’t feel compatible with him and Shade. Sheer took the hint and introduced the next candidate, and the next and so on.

  It was easily counted that Sheer had eleven chicks and nineteen grand-chicks that were all grown. Many of the Fury had acceptable personalities and wished to become partnered, but something just didn’t feel right. They all had great qualities like sharply curved talons that could shred an opponent or powerful wings capable of great speed. Most were just too big for the partner Alex imagined. Fury’s that were too large had a difficult time cutting through the trees or tight spaces and that would be a huge disadvantage when an aerial attack would be inside a confined area. When the observations were confided, Shade agreed that being bigger and stronger had some disadvantages and wasn’t always the best in certain situations.

  Then something caught his eye. It was a Fury in the line, but it was unlike all of the others for this one had yellow around the eyes and feet, just like Breaker. Only three other Fury had such coloring. This one was no more than four-and-twenty inches tall compared to all of the other lords met thus far. Sheer caught Alex looking and walked him over for introductions. This Fury was not only smaller, but had a vibrant personality that seemed to have something to prove. It was easy to distinguish that this was a female for she wasn’t as built as males and her woodsy wing feathers and salt and peppered breast was more sleek and sensual for her species. She was built for speed. Her talons dug into the soil beneath her and were easily as sharp as any blade. They were a deadly weapon and her sharply curved beak looked as menacing.

  Sheer then extended a wing in the little one’s direction. “Alex, I wish to introduce my youngest daughter. Her name is Ava. She is four years old and quite a headstrong chick. Out of all my children she showed the most…”

  Sheer stopped speaking as Alex dropped to a knee. Ava’s eyes widened as she honestly looked at him for the first time. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Ava. Tell me something, are you a good hunter?”

  None had yet been asked such a question and the other Fury’s broke their rigid and regime lines to look at the four of them. Ava ruffled her feathers as he spoke to her so closely or dropped himself to her level. She was polite in that it didn’t take long for her proud answer come. “I have only gone hungry seven times since my parents taught me how to hunt for myself.”

  “That is quite an accomplishment.” Shade admitted and looked more closely at her. “Not even I can boast of such a feat.”

  She shot him a humored glance. “Then you should have been born with wings instead of paws.” Ava expanded her impressive six foot wingspan.

  Shade chuckled. “That would be true, but let me ask you this, can a small Fury such as you stun your enemies like your mother can.”

  “Would you like to see for yourself.” She mused and began to open her beak. “Ava,” Sheer said shortly, giving her daughter a warning look. It was all that was needed for Shade’s answer.

  “I will not stand for this!” A nearby Fury lord exclaimed, one that hadn’t been introduced yet. It was a large male who stood seven feet away and he seemed remarkably angry for some reason and obviously disgruntled. Before any could ask what the quandary was he went on as all eyes turned upon him. “You cannot honestly be considering that runt to be your partner. She is too small and won’t ever grow into a lord like all others here. Ava is broken and should not even be here. A Furion needs power to compliment theirs and fiend lords are that strength. She is worthless and weak.”

  “I’m not weak!” Ava shrieked. Outrage filled her eyes and only the male became her focus. With a sharp hop, the wings expanded and powered down. Fighting was the last thing that needed to happen and only one person was close enough and capable of stopping it before things got out of hand. She began flying, but Alex’s reactions were faster. With the sudden stretch of his left hand he caught both of her yellow legs, barely missing the sharp black nails. Rapidly beating wings became a flurry of feathers as Ava realized she was stopped. She only quit as Alex demanded “Ava, stop!” When she calmed and hung upside down he carefully turned her over and pla
ced her on the ground again.

  As they looked up, Shade stood between them and the instigator. No sounds escaped him, but his form was daunting. The other Fury were all shouting again until Sheer angrily intervened. She screamed for silence and it was quickly granted. All watched as she stepped forward and Shade backed away.

  With anger in her own eyes Sheer approached the one who caused the commotion. They were of equal height, but not standing. She was more imposing. An awful silence entered the group as all fiends under the shelter looked upon them. “Get out.” She ground out. “You have ruined a tradition thousands of years old and this is unforgivable. By my authority as one of the five matrons you are hereby banished from this place, never to return. I hope you’re unmated for you’ll need to take her too.” His beak dropped, openmouthed. “You will never become partnered with a Furion. Now leave these mountains immediately!”

  “But” was all he got out before her head struck forward and she sunk her sharp beak in the side of his neck. Blood was instantly seen as he jumped away and scrambled for safety. Soon he was gone and Sheer looked at all of the shocked fiends around and said “I will not tolerate anyone who breaks our sacred laws. They are no more heroic than egg-breakers to me. We do not think ourselves above others for we fly above all and none are above us. Our race cannot afford to have such ambitions as he or else we’d all turn into those like my brother, Rake.” Those words made all of them look down or away. “We will fly free together or fall to the ground alone.”

  During her speech Alex and Shade conversed and came to a conclusion they both agreed fully with.

  When order returned Alex gained Ava’s attention. “You are what I am looking for, that much is clear.” She blinked in confusion. “I thought choosing would be difficult, but it wasn’t for we need someone like you. My wish is for you to be our new partner, but only if you wish it as well.”

  “You want me?” Her yellow rimmed eyes opened wider. “Why? Though the banished one did have valid points that were rude, why me?”

  Shade answered as he lowered himself to his belly to look more easily upon her. “For starters you can do things the large ones cannot. You were able to fly amongst the trees without effort while they were forced to land and approach on foot. You retained your advantage whereas they lost it.” Shade then motioned to his elder brother. “We also like your defiant spirit in the face against such odds. You didn’t even hesitate to take off after someone three times your own size, weight and strength. You would bring more to our pack than the others we’ve met, should you agree that is.”

  “Ava,” She turned her head almost completely around as Sheer and Gerieg approached. Her mother then spoke proudly. “there is no law amongst us or the Furions stating that a partner must be a fiend lord or even a fiend for that matter. There are some old stories that tell of mighty avian partners that were more powerful and skilled than any lord. If you wish to become Alex’s partner I will be proud of you and you will never regret being bonded to someone as good as he. Shade will also be a great companion to have for he is kind and easy to know.”

  With all sides pushing her on and the sense that she was better than the others she cheerfully said “I agree. Now how do we become partners?”

  “I haven’t a clue.” Alex admitted and Shade added “Me either.”

  “Spend time together.” Gerieg spoke simply. “It won’t take long for the three of you to build a relationship. When you can anticipate each other to a degree your link will be formed and irreplaceable. Soon you will become family and Alex,” he smiled to his grandson. “as the Furion you will always lead them like the head of that family.”

  “Or Alpha.” Shade added.

  Sheer flapped once to stretch her wings and call attention to herself. “Tonight I want the three of you to spend the whole night together. Get to know each other for tomorrow your training will resume. I have already caught fish from the stream and the Orggian have offered some of their vegetables for you to eat tonight. Gerieg and I have some business to attend to with other fiend leaders and we will meet back with you by morning.”

  With a few short goodbye’s they left the firelight and the other Fury’s moved away to find the perch they resided on before being summoned. Several minutes later it began to drizzle.

  “What would you like to do first?” Ava chirped.

  “We should eat the meal that we were given for we’ve not ate in two days.” Shade commented and stood to his full height.

  Together the three moved by the fire. As the rain trickled through the opening, the fire was strong enough to keep alive and remain giving off warmth. Some sprinkles did land on them, but quickly evaporated. Roasted bass, carrots and potatoes were wrapped beside the fire and soon all three were enjoying their meal and getting to know each other. Ava listened to their pasts and marveled at them. Never once leaving the safety of the mountains, Ava commented that she would love to visit the places they spoke of.

  She spoke of herself and how she lived. She also explained that a Fury’s shriek cannot be used continually for it strains their voice. Like any voice, it can’t yell forever nor can it be maintained for long. Short bursts are the key. They can only shriek a few times before needing a few hours to be able to yell again.

  As the rain began to subside and their appetites satiated they watched as the different Shadow Fang packs and Beran prides left the canopy to do what they wished for the night. A few Orggian families moved into the canopy to sleep, their hard shells protected them and gave comfort in the branches and boughs. Whoops filled the air several times as they told each other goodnight.

  It wasn’t long until they were all exhausted. Shade rolled on his side and rested his head on his paws, careful not to hurt himself by his nine inch sabers. Alex relaxed his back on his brother’s warm side and astonishingly Ava climbed onto his lap, after asking for permission. She then laid against Alex’s chest and fell asleep, careful not to hurt him with her talons.

  She fit right in.

  Chapter 10

  With the whooping sounds of the Orggians, all were woken. It was oddly dark, like an ominous purple dawn that felt more like the fading twilight. Dark reflections from the mountains made the area eerily colored. Around the three that would become family, all of the fiends began rising for the new day. Only it was extraordinary and startling, there were now thousands of fiends around them. How they snuck in under the expansive canopy without waking Alex or Shade, they didn’t know. The only one who was familiar with the surroundings was Ava and she didn’t understand their concern.

  Shade caught the sight of a Pikro laying alone and nearby the trunk of a hollowing tree. He showed his brother and they both smiled at it for it was the first time either have seen one outside the book’s illustrations.

  Pikro were changed from porcupines after the Ancients delivered the gift to man. Its iridescent green quills were laced and infused with a deadly poison and could be shot like arrows if they wished. Larger than most dogs the Pikro remained a strict vegetarian and most creatures steered clear of them or risked being attacked. Ever confronted with danger they’d spin around and expand their spiked defenses and shoot quills at the enemy.

  Just as Ava hopped down from her perch on her new partner’s thigh they saw a swirl of movement approaching. Gerieg, Sheer and Elo had returned and the hordes of fiends parted from them with admiration and respect. His red cape was darker in the new light and the blue tunic was nearly black. Daunting would be a tame word for how these three elders looked, moved and carried themselves. They were on a time sensitive mission and they wouldn’t allow weakness into what had to be done. All hope would be lost if their teachings failed, so they would be sure it wouldn’t. When the three elders stood before their students the area became silent as all watched eagerly in anticipation.

  Gerieg stepped forward first. “Alex, now that you have two partners as I do, we may increase your training time for we no longer need to worry about getting here with all due haste. I will gi
ve you chores for the morning and from noon until night we shall work together.” He then turned his blue eyes to the younger brother. “Shade, you are to remain beside Elo during most daylight hours.” He turned his sights lower. “Ava, you will do the same with your mother, but be warned she will not go easy on you. Call her Master until all three of you complete your training.” Ava nodded seriously to him and he smiled approvingly.

  His grandfather took something that he had hidden behind his back and held it out. A rounded, oval piece of formed and hardened leather with two adjustable straps was offered. “My boy, since Ava and you’ve chosen each other I must explain something. Remember when we spoke of how Furions make fiends into lords and sometimes some fiends don’t develop, Ava is one of those who haven’t. I’ve known her since she hatched and she hasn’t changed into a lord. Since she won’t grow I have this present for the two of you. This will be a shoulder perch so that should she get tired you may carry her without fearing that her talons will pierce your clothes as well as your flesh. This was mine when Sheer was small, but as you can tell it would be impossible to be of use to us now. Here,”

  Easily, he accepted the gift and both Shade and Ava watched as he slid his left arm through the loop and fastened it comfortably under his armpit. Secondly the other loop went around his head and comfortably rested against the right side of the neck. With a few simple tugs the straps were perfect. Smelling of old leather, it wasn’t offsetting in the least. Fresh leather was. Arm and shoulder rotation wasn’t hindered either. Smiling and grateful for the gift Alex asked “Ava, fly on up and see if you like it.”

  If ever a Fury could smile, she did at that moment. A small jump and a few skilled flaps of her wings later she found the material and clamped her talons down just strong enough to keep her balance. Tucking those large wings, Ava turned around to face the same direction. Her weight wasn’t a problem, but it showed she was latched on. The leather was comfortable and allowed a closeness that would help them create ties to each other. Shade came closer and commented that he wished he could change his size to do that too, but Ava laughed and said he didn’t have the proper plumage to pull it off.