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We arrived to the clearing as Jeseia had described by early afternoon, The camping place was tucked away in a small bowl of land sheltered by knolls. The tree line was just off to our left with a creek running along side before dipping into the woods. It was a really nice camping spot really.

"Alrighty, we're here Tan. Lets get everything setup for tonight, shouldn't take too long." Jes chimed, the vixen unusually bubbly today. She set her pack down and started easing out the straw mat we share. "Get us some firewood? Enough for two camp fires"

I stroked along her ears as I strolled past, nodding, and making my way into the woods. Once I entered the trees, I easily picked a sturdy one that'd provide enough wood for two fires plus some for the next travelers through here. I drew upon the elements, the usual confusion of trying to draw on them at the same time was greatly subdued. Each was there in equal volume and fairly tranquil. Even fire was somewhat at peace here. I had no trouble drawing upon water, air, and earth at the same time to readily chop the tree down and into firewood.

It took me a few trips, but I stacked the firewood neatly near the straw mat. Jes was already busy at one corner of the camp, digging a small hole in the dirt. "Stack half there for us, and the rest on the other side of the camp from me." She smiled, wagging her tail about while I dropped off the stacks of wood.

"Good good, now take this dirt I'm scooping out and make a mound of it off to the side, we're making four points around our camp." Jeseia told me, she drew some water up from the soil into the bowl she'd dug. Making a small pool of water.

"Let me guess, we need to light that far camp fire here soon?" I teased, building the small pile of dirt.

"Yep, but first. You need to set each of your elemental tokens at each of the appropriate physical representations. Air, just set on the grass as it's all around us."

I nodded softly, opening the pouch at my waist and drawing out my four tokens. I set fire atop the firewood I'd prepared. Air next atop some soft grass, followed by my water token in the small pool Jes had formed. I set my last token, earth, there on the mound of dirt I'd piled up.

"Alright, get comfortable in the middle, and I'll light the fire on the far end." Jes smiled and scooted past me to start the fire beneath my fire element charm, scampering back to me just as I settled in to sit.

"Okay Jes, now what do I do?" I asked curiously.

"Well, your actual trial isn't until night fall, but we're going to spend the afternoon meditating and relaxing here. It'll be much much easier that way." Jes chimed in, "Now relax"

There I closed my eyes and drew slow breaths. Jeseia there sitting in front of me, petting at my hands lightly while I sat there. "Good good, now feel out to each of the elements through your tokens. I know you don't have them right with you, and it will be very weak. But they are there and listening." Jes said, squeezing my hands lightly.

I reached out and felt each element in turn, I wasn't sure what Jeseia meant by them feeling weak. I could feel each element as if I held the tokens directly. I opened up to all four elemental forces at once. Air, Water, Earth, and Fire all at peace and easy to listen to. We were like five friends sitting at a table, almost equals sitting together and chatting.

"Why are you here?" I was asked of my four companions, it was actual words and not forces of emotion now.

"I'm here to learn about the last element, spirit." I replied, no longer feeling the presence of our camp or Jes.

"No, that is what you are here to do today. Why are you here?"

"I don't know, I know something isn't right. From the beginning, something has been wrong. I don't know why I'm here." I replied, unafraid.

"You are here because you are meant to be here."

"I don't understand, all of this was because of a dream I had" I replied, more confused than when I came to this place.

"Something is wrong. The balance is off. The scales are tipping. You have seen the truth of this, more so than any others."

"Why do I feel more? Why can I do more? Jeseia and Granh have been at your service for years and years, myself barely a couple of weeks."

"It is because you are not of Jeseia and Granh. You are of man. We can not linger to explain it to you. This is something you must learn for yourself. You have trained with the wolves, and earned bravery. You must train and learn from the Foxes, the Felines, and finally the Dragons. Only then will the answers you seek be understood. Only then, will you be able to help us. Now go, continue your journey. We will never abandon you."

I was then alone at the table for a moment, my mind slowly drawing back to our camp and Jes who was staring at me with concern in her eyes. "Tan, Tan? Are you there?"

"I'm fine Jes, we, we came to an understanding. Air, water, earth, and fire, we were quite close." As I spoke, I glanced around, the sun had just started to set and Jes was smiling to me.

"I'm glad, I could feel you there, just didn't realize how deep you'd gone. Now, please help me light the last fire. We have something to begin." Jeseia smiled, drawing me close as she prepared to start the main fire of our camp.

"Allow me." I smiled, drawing upon fire easily to start a warm and contented camp fire from the stack of wood. Jeseia smiled a little before slowly drawing me back to the mat.

"Lay down here for me." She sweetly told me, easing me down to the sleeping mat we share. Slowly she undid my kilt, baring me to the air. She then stood, mrrring quietly to me as she slowly drew off her blouse and pants, setting them aside to stand there before me. I blushed slightly as she slowly settled atop my nude frame. Her body was warm and the sensation was rather electrifying. Just past her face, I could see the half moon starting to rise behind us.

"Spirit, Life, is the balance of everything." She spoke, pressing soft kisses to my lips, neck, and gradually chest while her body slowly pressed and moved against mine. I slipped my arms around her lightly, one petting at her neck while the other lightly gripped at the small of her back.

"Spirit balances all four of the elements, it balances night and day. Spirit pulls everything together, is the great bond of everything." She again said softly me to me as she rocked against my form. Our breathing becoming heated as we kissed and roamed our hands along each others body.

"You can not feel spirit as you can the others, it's the glue of the world about us. Spirit can only be felt initially by two ways." Her body slowly eased onto mine as we joined at the hips, both of us arching in against the other with softened groans.

"You can find spirit, life, by taking many. Or by trying to create one" With that our lips locked and her speech was over. We laid there together as one.

We made love long into the night, the tension between us, the shared trials and journeys we'd shared built the bond. This night, we cemented it. Each time one of us would finish, I could feel the spark of life. The spirit element would surge through us every time we'd come to our peaks. I lost track of the hours we were together. Sometimes we were gentle and tender, other times our passion was too great and we were firm and rough.

Come dawn, we finally wore each other out. Jes curled up with her head in my lap, peacefully dozing. I felt a peace coming from her, from everything, that I'd never known. There, while stroking her hair and resting myself I felt the presence of spirit as clearly as I felt dawn coming. Sitting, there, at the center of our camp, at the center of my four other tokens, was a gemstone. The gemstone was brilliant and dull at the same time. I could feel it from here, the promise of new life and the ebb of life well spent. I closed my eyes and pressed a soft kiss to Jes' lips, slipping from beneath her head to curl up next to her and catch some sleep as well.

We awoke some hours later, the sun nearing its height of the day. Jeseia, mrring deeply to me as she drew close for a kiss, her tail wagging around softly. "We should wash up and tear down our camp so we can head out before it gets much later"

I whined to her again playfully before slowly standing, "I think that's an excellent idea." I chuckled quietly, easily easing her smaller frame up to her feet and the two of us making our way to the stream towards the woods. We washed each other down, admittedly taking more time than needed, but it was a lot of fun while we were there. There was a brief race back the camp where we dried off a bit in the sun before dressing once more. I picked up each of my five elemental tokens and slipped them into my pouch at my waist. I drew upon all of them at once, all five elements were at perfect harmony and peace.

As we bid farewell to this place and began to head south to return to Granh's camp, I spoke up. "I think I have a story to tell you this time, and I think we have quite a few nights together on the road."

"That sounds great to me." Jes chimed back happily, holding my hand in her paw as we began to head south.