Nearing the end of the rock training, Alex’s concentration slipped once again, but this time he lifted the boulder three feet off the ground before it crashed down again. Angry and frustrated for the thousandth attempt of failure he dropped to his knees and begins punching the ground to relieve his aggravation. The ground did little to ease the rage floating inside when control is always just out of reach. Failure was what Alex had always felt like growing up, but here and now it weighted more on his mind than the boulder could ever place upon him.
“I believe it is time for another task.” Gerieg said emotionlessly. “Elo get ready.”
“Nay!” Alex roared, startling his three masters and two younger siblings. In a fit of rage he accepted all of his flaws and benefits, weakness and strength, loss and gain, calmness and rage. All of the anger he felt he shed like an Akaror skin as he stood and glared at the task that always seemed just out of reach. Then he remembered an early statement Gerieg made that now seemed to make sense; ‘Heat is power’.
None moved or spoke as Alex began to find enlightenment of what was needed from that statement. Certain aspects of his training began connecting with how his masters explained details about a Furion. Heat was power. His body produced a tremendous amount of heat physically while inside he always fed his rage with images that caused his abilities to flourish. What if it wasn’t necessarily stories and images for triggers? He debated internally. Gerieg also said his trigger used to be war orphans. Could there be another way to instantly gain strength? Thinking back, Gerieg never looked as if he concentrated in his heightened state, more like he held himself back. What if he was always using his abilities and only allowed the exact amount of force he’d need to be exerted? It began to make sense. Alex was always warmer to the touch than anyone else, like he ran a constant fever. Could it be possible?
Alex stole a glance at his master, seeing the confusion written on his aging face. His anger now relaxed along with the frustration and worry. All of the questions were calming for a new conclusion was reached. Triggers were merely the beginning, using restraint was the key to this task.
Finding his calm center again, he remained standing. Five pairs of eyes watched for what he was attempting. He didn’t focus on forming a grotesque image of his friends being harmed, but thought of his own rage that fueled him. This part always seemed to be either smoldering or burning and consuming everything it could. Slowly he set the smolder to grow in increments and miraculously it obeyed. Sweat and grime clung to his skin, but he could feel the flesh of his skin warming in conjunction to his rage. The thundering of his heart raged as it always did, but it became a tempo his heat flowed from.
Alex leaned forward, not focusing on holding any horrifying images, but thought of slowly dialing his physical strength up with the mental image of a flame. Concentration became easier like this and his fingers found the grooves he became accustomed to.
Tightening his grip, he tried lifting and found more heat was required. The imaginary flame grew, as did his strength. Nearing a quarter of the full intensity of his heat, the boulder lifted.
Careful not to let the fire consume more than the effort required, he moved slowly. In this way, the physical exertion was of more focus than feeding the all consuming fury, but the milder intensity gave easier control. The new way of looking at his abilities made the boulder feel heavier, but the concentration wasn’t nearly as difficult. The boulder continued rising past Alex’s best attempt.
With a roar of effort, Alex lifted the enormous stone past his chest and above his head. Jaws dropped as he met each set of eyes. Shade was the first to howl with success, Ava soon joined. The three mentors stood motionless. Then his feet began sinking into the ground for the weight was too intense for the surface area his lone two feet provided.
Gently placing the boulder back, Alex coxed his rage back to a slow smolder. As the rock reached rest so too did his heat.
Shade pounced over and licked the side of his face, then howled again in congratulations. Ava flew precisely and landed on his shoulder to rub her cheek against his head. All three were tired, but this success was rejuvenating.
“Well I’ll be an Orggians uncle.” Elo said with a joyous expression. His large brown mane turned down upon his lifelong companion. “It seems as if he has finally completed the task in a record breaking time. What took him a week, took you four months.”
“He sure is lively.” Sheer injected moments before Gerieg stepped forward in disbelieving astonishment.
When the two Furions stood a comfortable space apart the grandfather asked “What did you do different to achieve success for this task?”
“May I sit first?” Alex asked as the exercise and new experience took its toll.
Easily granted for all, they all took a break and rested in the grass while Alex explained his thoughts, in detail, and what he did differently. Gerieg liked details and this time he wasn’t disappointed.
Just as Alex ended his explanation his master erupted in laughter once again. Gerieg reached forward and patted his student’s right shoulder, for the left remained occupied. “So you have finally put the small fragments together and stumbled upon the greatest secret to using our abilities. Speaking to fiends and animals is a parlor trick compared to finding the very core of our power. Some part of our mind regulates our abilities. Communicating with the worldly creatures is the beginning of our traits and our final result, after the training is completed, will be to use everything at our disposal in a moment’s notice. As of right now you have completed your third task and have recognized how to distinguish and regulate your strength.” He leaned back and began petting Elo’s large golden forepaw. “My friend, I believe it is time to see how competent he is in the use of this new discovery he’s found.”
Elo shot his partner a pointed look and received a serious nod. He rose to his full height. “Alex, it is now time for me to stop holding back. To complete the fourth task is to force me to yield in my attack. Do not attempt to dominate me for I have Gerieg’s protection.” To emphasize what he meant Alex felt that same pressure emanate from Gerieg again, just like he did to the Juguan priest. The only difference this time was that Elo seemed to be filled with a fraction of the sense as well. Just before Alex could ask what was happening, Elo roared, frightening Ava from her shoulder perch to fly behind Shade for safety.
Understanding that Elo was in no mood for going easy, Alex stood while fanning the heat that increased to his call. Needing time to think, he bolted for the cover of the trees, Elo pursued without mercy with his great strength and size propelling him in the chase.
It was difficult fueling his strength to run like Gerieg demonstrated, with strong lunges. What was hastening Alex’s progress were all of the unforgiving attacks Elo threw, claws extended. It took near a minute to find the weakest amount of flame to achieve a Furion’s run, but Elo superseded that speed easily. Around sixty percent was what was needed to keep just out of his reach. What made matters more difficult is that Elo remained giving the feeling of having his own sense of dominance that his partner bestowed.
When the control felt just right Alex changed tactics. Sparring with Shade for so long helped give light to Elo’s movements, strikes and tactics. This time Alex went on the offensive. Using the terrain to his advantage, Alex found a flexible sapling, grabbed it and wound it around a rigid tree to give it a snap; for Elo was close.
Releasing the tension of the sapling just as Elo crashed through the bramble caused a moment of surprise as the limbs and leaves smacked his face without mercy. Taking the rare moment, Alex ran around the tree he used as a pivot and pulled his fist back. With a sudden flare of explosive heat, the force of his punch quadrupled as it connected with Elo’s jaw. The impact caused Elo to slam his head against another, and older, tree. He then jumped back to see if it was enough.
Elo stumbled a few times, but remained standing. His large brown eyes soon showed he was only dazed for a few moments. He rubbed his jaw with a paw and
grinned. “Nice use of making the terrain to your advantage. Your punch held quite an impact, but your still lacking if you think that will do me in. Since you did that, try to avoid this.” Elo swirled to straighten his body directly at Alex. His large mane of brown fur began moving oddly and a visible shake came from his target. Elo’s special ability was coming next. Needlelike hairs shot from his mane.
If it weren’t for keeping a hold on his heat, Alex would never have been able to avoid the bulk of the attack. Using an oak tree for protection, most of the hairs were captured on the trunk’s hard flesh while Elo laughed. “Nice try, but I saw some strike you. In a moment you’ll be unable to move and I’ll have to bring you back.” He was right for upon Alex’s right hand and foot were dozens of sharp brown needles that were perfectly straight and easily penetrated his clothes. “Don’t worry, my needles cannot kill a Furion.”
“I know!” Alex laughed and walked around the tree to glare at his master. He grabbed a few needles and pulled them out and dropped them on the ground. Numbness settled in the areas where needles penetrated, but not enough to lose motor control or total sensation. “Master Elo, did you honestly think that I’ve only been doing the training you’ve set for me? Think again for I’ve been slowly building my immunities against you and other poisons.” Elo’s large brown eyes widened as Alex flexed his fingers which should have been lifeless at the moment. “When Master Gerieg said Furions have the ability to nullify poisons I did some experimenting on my own. Using knowledge from my books about poisonous plants, I first ingested mildly poisonous leaves that would kill if taken over a long period of time and in larger quantities. The next day I took another leaf and it didn’t even numb my tongue.” Proof of his words were quickly noticeable.
“Since our training first began I’ve slowly worked from mild to moderate poisons, taking just enough so that the effects weren’t perceptible to hinder my training. Berries were harder to come by, but Shade helped me find them. There were a few mushrooms that were so poisonous that I had to boil them a hundred times while everyone slept to render the effects less dangerous. Several times I needed to go away for the runs found me.” Alex smiled at his own previous discomfort. “Then when we attacked the men from Jugo I found one of your needles. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Like Shade’s neurotoxin, I’ve built an immunity against a Beran’s paralytic needle. The first time I pricked my little finger, just enough to break the skin, it went numb and useless for a full day. It took three more attempts just to be sure the hairs don’t fully paralyze me. Now your attack is only a minor discomfort.”
“So you’ve been going beyond what you were told?” Elo ground out.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to get back to my friends and Lily.”
Elo blinked and then the whole mood changed as he began to laugh. “Wait until I tell Gerieg this.” He shook his head and his brown mane began to relax. “Alex, would you like to have a ride back to the others?”
“I’d rather not, for Shade wouldn’t like it. You lead and I’ll keep up. I’ve never been to this part of the forest before and it will be difficult finding my way back.” Elo nodded and began running back towards his partners.
Alex kept pace easily, now that he could will the strength to his aid.
Within a few minutes Elo and Alex entered the clearing to find everyone enjoying the failing sunlight. Shade and Ava were instantly up and made it to his side, looking him over for they were worried about his health.
“Sheer, Gerieg, we must council again.” Elo said, interrupting all other worries and conversations.
“First, tell us if he passed.” Sheer asked, anxiously flapping her wings.
“Indeed, but in another peculiar way once again.” He then looked to Alex. “Run along now. You’ve surpassed the fourth step as well. All of you should bathe, eat and get some rest. Tomorrow will be a new day and a new task will be set before you.”
Gerieg and Sheer looked perplexed and allowed them all to leave for the night. It didn’t take any coaxing for Alex looked forward to the freezing stream to wash the work off. Luckily he remembered the bar of soap in his pocket for both he and Shade needed a decent lather. Ava only needed water to get clean; soap annoyed her feathers and was difficult to preen out.
After bathing himself and fully lathering Shade, he finished telling the accounts. Ava was meticulously fluffing her tail feathers as Shade dove violently into the deep water to wash the bubbles from his coat. He emerged laughing, white fangs glistening in the rapidly failing light. Even the water did little to slow his wagging tail. He shook the water from his coat and said “Oh I wish I could have seen Master Elo’s expression when you showed his needles were ineffective.”
“It was still dangerous.” Ava worried, flitting over to stand on the sun-warmed rock Alex sat on while he washed his clothes.
“For who, Alex or our master?”
As he dripped and walked to them she smiled up at him. “For our master for it sounded as if Alex had the advantage and was winning.”
Shade laughed some more and Alex bluntly stated “If it was a real fight, Elo would have used his acid and there is no immunity one can build up for that. Also I believe he held back just enough to allow me time to work on adjusting to this new sense I’ve learned to use.”
“Speaking of,” Shade shook again, splashing some on Ava who glared at him. “If you can do this at will now, try picking me up like master Gerieg did to Elo back in Alluan.”
“Are you sure?” Shade nodded as Alex slid on his wrung out pants.
It took two tries, but Alex managed to lift his large younger brother clear off the ground. Shade commented his hands became quite warm, but his impenetrable coat protected him. Even Ava looked on in wonder as someone smaller than a Shadow Fang lifted him without breaking a limb or pulling something.
Soon they made it back to the shelter, after gaining supplies from the Orggian. As Alex prepared a fistful piece of meat for Ava an unexpected visitor approached them. Ginger, the Pikro matron, hobbled into the firelight.
“What can we do for you, Ginger?” Shade asked, crossing his paws.
Her beady eyes looked at the three and settled upon Alex’s. Her raspy voice was still strange, but not unkind. “Gerieg cannot come here tonight, for he is quite busy at the moment. He is a dear friend and if he is worried so am I. He told me about your experimentation with poisons and toxins. I’ve known several Furions in my hundred and six years, but you’re the first to take poisons before your training is complete. Might I ask why you’ve done something so dangerous?”
Before he answered he took the spitted piece of pork off the fire and, like her mother, Ava stood on top of her meal, extended her wings around the meat and began ripping chunks. Leaning back against Shade’s ribs Alex said “Because I don’t know what will happen next. For all I know someone could slip a poison in my food and if I haven’t built my strength against it, it will likely kill me. Some fiends, like yourself, have deadly poisons that are so potent they can kill hundreds, if not thousands.” She smiled knowingly, green quills rattling over her round body. “I’m not one to sit around waiting for something to kill me without having some kind of preparation. It is reckless to think otherwise.”
Ginger then laid on her belly. “Alex, what do you know of my kind?”
“Only what I’ve read.” He admitted.
“Tell me what you’ve learned then.” She listened as he told her what he knew. As he ended she cackled. “Those books never get everything right.” As her head shook so too did her multitude of quills. “We Pikro aren’t born poisonous. As young, we are as dangerous as our porcupine cousins. To make our quills deadly we ingest toxic and poisonous plants, kind of like you have done. I myself have lost count of all the deadly plants that would kill any other living creature. And to be sure that when I pass on I have had my young ingest some of the shards from my quills to keep them safe.” Then she cocked her head. “I’ve already been granted permission, but if you
wish, I could give you one of my quills so that you can expedite your ability to nullify just about every poison there is.”
“That would make things easier.” Shade commented.
Point taken, Alex leaned forward and smiled. “I would appreciate the assistance.”
Slowly, Ginger rose to her feet, turned around and flared her massive collection of quills. Fear drilled through them all as they began to shake and rattle. Suddenly a single emerald looking quill shot forth from her backside and embedded itself into the dirt between her and them. As long as Alex’s forearm and as thick as his little finger, the quill remained imbedded at the angle it shot from.
Alex began reaching for it, but she shouted “Stop!” and he did. Ginger turned around to warn “Do not touch it with your bare hand. The poisons in that quill are so concentrated that even a Furion will be killed, until he becomes immune. Use a cloth to hold it for now for the inside secretes the poison along the outer surface. If not, the poisons will seep through your skin and there will be no way to save you. If you are determined to do this then I suggest that you boil my quill until the water bubbles clear. You will understand my meaning soon enough. Dump the poison water over where no trees or grass grow. It is too dangerous to frivolously spread poison just anywhere. Do you understand?”
“Aye, Ginger, and thank you for doing this.”
She bowed back after Alex did. Before she left she said “I’ll come back next week so that you can get a new quill and increase the potency of the task.”
Once she was gone Alex dug in his pack and found the last piece of his tattered tunic and carefully plucked the quill out of the ground, careful not to touch it with any part of his skin. He then proceeded to wrap the entire length.
Furion's Trials (Book Two of the Items Trilogy) Page 23
