Tales of Torrnal: Chapter 3
#3 of Tales of Torrnal
"Where do we start, is an excellent question." Jeseia said with a slight smile to her lips, "All five of the elements must train you in how to properly commune and guide them. Water is perhaps the easiest to begin with, so we'll start there. To the river Tanthis, we'll start your training tonight"
We made our way just outside the forests edge to the bank of the river, here it was shallow and moved lazily along. Jeseia sat lightly on the bank there, smiling and watching me as I stood confused.
"First you must learn to feel what the element of water is, then, you must listen to it. Finally, you must learn how to communicate back to it. Once you can work with water, we'll go to the others. Now, undress and sit there in the shallows."
"Alright, I'll try. What exactly is it suppose to fee...hey! Why do I need to undress to learn this?"
Jeseia smirked just a little, slowly removing her own tattered blouse and shorts, a blush starting to rise in my cheeks. "It's simple, if you die from sickness by sleeping it wet clothes, I can't very well teach you anything now can I?"
I couldn't help myself but stare at her bare pelt, my own anatomy reacting as well in a somewhat embarrassing manner. I too slowly undressed, keeping my front turned slightly away to avoid making this more uncomfortable than it already was.
She slowly settled into the water, marring pleasantly while getting comfortable. Her concentration was obviously centering as the water seemed to still around her yet flow everywhere else. "Now sit in the water across from me so we can start your training."
I nervously settled right in front of her, still blushing deeply as my erection throbbed just a little beneath the surface of the water. Thankfully it was cool, and things were starting to settle down. That is, until I found myself staring at her chest and then noticed her gaze down in my lap. I coughed just a little anxiously, "Alright, now what?"
"Close your eyes, feel the water flowing past you. Once you've relaxed, try to feel the water flowing through you. That will be the water element as it passes through all things. It's strongest here in the water and so you should be able to feel it once your mind calms. And, stop staring at my breasts. They'll only distract you and occupy your thoughts elsewhere."
I cleared my throat quietly and nodded, blushing deeply. Being caught looking is bad enough, being caught one foot away is even worse. I closed my eyes and tried to relax, soon the water flowing past me was a dull numbing feeling that I barely noticed. I then felt her warm paws on my legs, she murred just a little to me.
"Now relax, I'm going to help the water element flow so you can feel it."
I gulped just a little, a certain little someone started to wake up again. While I sat there, I eventually started to feel another stream flowing by, it wasn't wet. This stream felt more like, peace flowing around me. Tranquility in an almost tangible form was swirling around me.
"There you go, now listen to it. Feel the stream, it has much to teach you if you can listen."
Her paws slowly left my leg, thought I noticed she lingered right near my member longer than she needed to. As her influence left, I could still feel the element flowing about me, less stable and more turbulent but still there. I focused on the turbulence, and there, fleetingly I felt the need for guidance. The desire to flow true and without the turbulence around.
"Good, there it is. You can feel it now. Now, try to calm it down. Once you can calm the flow around you, you can guide it. Picture the water as it should be, flowing straight through you like water down a creek. No stones, no turns, just the water flowing"
I nodded softly and closed my eyes once more, breathing easier now that I could feel this mysterious force. I pictured it, flowing through me rather than around me. Soon things were quiet and calm, I started slowly think of it spreading around my waist the water. I could actually feel the water I was sitting in come to a standing pool while the rest of the stream ran true.
"There you are, that is the basics of what magic truly is. Not about control and force, but a gentle hand and mutual respect. You calm the waters around you, and they in turn listen to your requests. You are not in control though, never think that what you want is what will happen. You are merely asking and the element can choose to answer or not."
"So, I can't ever count on this, why learn it then?"
"You can always count on it. As long as you don't abuse this trust, you'll never be abandoned" She smiled softly, drawing a single dew drop from the very air around us. "The only thing you need is a token, a channel. Something that ties you to the element so that you can commune without sitting naked in a river. That is what was in my pouch, and why I couldn't get out on my own"
"How do I get a token? Can I just pick out one from the ground?" I asked, the calm of the water was refreshing as I continued to channel it around me, learning the ebb and flow of the magics.
"The tokens are given to you, water will give you one once you are ready. Now, continue to focus and tend to the flow of the water element around you. Feel it as much as you can, once you are ready, it will let you know. I'm going to leave you to it, Seems naked women, even breeds, distract you too much" She giggled just a little and left the water, even as she started to dress I noticed her fur drying abnormally fast before my eyes.
"They'll never abandon you." She smiles again and nods, heading into the woods and leaving me to my own devices.
I closed my eyes and returned to relaxing in the water. Soon I could feel the water not just in the river but in the plants near me, in the sky above. Everywhere I focused my thoughts I could feel the stream of water there, each distinct yet familiar. I spent several hours there, gently feeling the water and its steady persistent yet peaceful and forgiving nature. The river around me began to grow cold, very cold. The small area around me remained warm, comfortable.
Opening my eyes, I see that the surface of the river had actually frozen over slightly while immediately around me was still warm and flowing. The element flowed true through me and I can feel contentment, pleasant and warm. A piece of the frozen water broke free and floated right to me, resting there against my leg. Picking up the ice, it wasn't cold at all. This frozen water felt as warm and solid as a pebble on the road, it didn't melt either. It was like water, made solid and hard like stone.
Through this ice I could feel the entire river. This was my token, the water element had made a piece of itself in physical form and gave it to me. I slowly eased out of the river, it had already thawed out again and flowed strongly. Even out of the stream, through the ice, I could feel it all around me like a coolness that surrounded me. I quickly made my way back to the clearing and parked myself by the fire to dry off. Soon after, Granh and Jeseia emerged from the woods with rabbits skinned and ready for roasting.
"You passed the first test, good. Hopefully you can pass the others" Granh growled to me softly, A wolf clan being pleasant, even almost supportive was a rather unique feeling I'll never forget.
"Cook up these rabbits and get dressed, we'll need to eat before it gets dark and get some sleep. The rest of the trials are a bit harder than playing in some water." Jeseia tossed the two rabbits to me which I quickly set on some coals to cook. She said something to Granh I could only assume was a language as he nodded and turned to leave. I quickly dressed and sat quietly, the feeling of the water about me kept the nervousness of more trials from bothering me.
We ate the rabbits, sitting side by side quietly. This night made all the travels, risks, and odd encounters worth it. Stars were starting to come out, and I knew we wouldn't need shelters, the water told me that there wouldn't be rain tonight. I laid out on the straw mat, smiling in content serenity, Jeseia settled onto her own mat and murred again, I was starting to enjoy that sound.
"Thank you, for everything so far Jeseia, I appreciate it"
"You're welcome, but this is only the start, I fear for you, the road will be longer than any of us believe. Now, get some rest, tomorrow we start anew"
Hours later, I know not when, I felt movement nearby which jolted me awake. Jeseia had come over and curled up against my front, she nosed gently against my arm before getting comfortable. I faked being asleep for an hour or so, just watching her sleep. I've barely met her, yet she seems so vulnerable now that she has someone to help look out for her. I eased an arm over her small frame and she nuzzled it cutely, I hugged the vixen close and fell into a relaxed sleep of which I'd never known.
This time, Hopefully, I wouldn't wake up in some sort of pain.