FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The Gift

Edward's Storyline, Chapter 2.4

copyright comidacomida 2018

Despite still trying to wrap my head around 'twenty million millennia'. I looked at The Ancient One and asked him (them?) directly "So... which one of you is the oldest?"

I could have sworn I saw the rainbow Serpent's scaled lips quirk into the hint of a smile, but it was the green Dragon's voice that came out. "Ugh... Humans."

Out of all of the things I was learning the most obvious one was that progress when it came to learning about spirits was slow. There was some information that I was touching on but it felt like it was just out of my grasp but close enough that I just had to reach a little farther. Committing to that direction, I looked to Tom and said plainly "I don't think I can deal with all of this right now. You're really old, right? Can the two of us talk about some of this sanely?"

The Rhino's grizzled face was split by a warm smile and he bowed his head slightly. "Whatever you wish to discuss, Nekhed."

I didn't manage to realize at the time that he was using a foreign language. "Why do we have to be naked when we talk?"

The smile disappeared from his face as he paused. After a few seconds he spoke again. "We will talk, and we do not have to be naked."

"But you said we'd talk naked?"

He let out a slow sigh through his ample nostrils. "I did not say naked, Edward; I said Nekhed. Nek-hed. You are my Nekhed."

That made a LOT more sense. "Oh... that's Hebrew. Right. So I'm your Nekhed? What does that mean?"

Medved, who smiled through the entire exchange, crossed his arms over his chest as he spoke from the side of his still-grinning muzzle. "Grandson."

Before I could question the name Tom was already speaking. "I am a Sentinel spirit for the chosen people. Before the Twelve Tribes and the Conquest of Canaan I was there. I was bade by my seer, Jacob, later named Israel to look after his descendants."

I was mostly following what he said. "Israel like the nation?"

Tom nodded. "Yes or, more specifically, Jacob, son of Isaac-- grandson of Abraham. He was named Yaaqob, and later given the name Israel."

Although he was talking plainly it still felt like he was dancing circles around me. Maybe it was because of all of the mind games from The Ancient One, or maybe I just wasn't ready to hear that Tom had met someone who was mentioned in the Bible. "So... Jewish people."

My continued bone-headed responses started to get to him. "Yes, Edward. Do you wish to speak in private about The Ancient One or shall we remain here and discuss history as I remember it and the differences between what happened and what modern records and religious texts claimed to have happened?"

Were I religious scholar and not dealing with a strange serpent from ancient history I might have answered differently but, frankly, I was never that into religious history and I was dealing with The Ancient One so the Rhino got his wish. "Okay... let's go back to my room. He's a more pressing issue anyway."

Tom followed me to my room and after he lowered his head so his horn wouldn't hit the door frame I closed it behind us. Even as he moved to occupy the center of the room I turned to ask him about why he ducked. "Wouldn't you have just gone through it?"

Although I didn't give him very much context the Rhino apparently didn't need it. "Ah... you mean why I ducked when I came through the door?"

I nodded in response. "Yeah. You didn't really have to, right? I mean, wouldn't you have just passed right--"

The words fell out of my mouth when he passed a hand right through the wall and brought it back into the room without leaving any kind of mark behind. "Yes, Edward. I did not need to duck when I came in, but I see how you wipe your feet on the mat outside your door even when you have not been walking through the mud."

Honestly, I hadn't even thought about it but, thinking back, I realized he was right. "Oh... I guess it's just out of habit."

He moved to take a seat on my nightstand, large enough that it looked more like a short stool for him. "And my motion is a matter of courtesy... which is the same reason why you wipe your feet. Your feet were not dirty and I was not going to put a hole in your wall but it is a sign that we respect our surroundings."

On one hand, I remember not really liking that he chose my reasoning behind my actions but, at the same point, I found it insightful and, as I thought about it, reasonable. "Yeah. I guess so."

Motioning toward the bed, Tom gave me the impression that he was willing to settle down and begin talking in earnest. As I did so, he started us off. "Why does the Ancient One have you so vexed?"

He led into the discussion with quite a question and I had to sit there and think about it for what felt like a really long time. "Well... I want to hate him."

His little gray ears perked up. "And you do not hate him?"

Shrugging, I brushed my hair back . "I mean... yes? Kinda. There's way too much to him to be able to say, I guess. He's an alien as far as I'm concerned-- I can barely understand why he does what he does and all of his answers just make it harder to find any common ground. Mostly, I just can't figure out what the deal is with him having three personalities. Besides, none of you seem to like him, so that's supposed to say something, right?"

Although his expression remained fairly consistent throughout my meandering attempt to talk about my impression of The Ancient One, once I brought up the rest of the spirits, Tom's eyes narrowed slightly in thought. "Why do you have the impression that we do not like The Ancient One, Edward?"

I'd thought it was obvious but, for his sake, I spelled it out. "You and Medved don't like what he did to mom and Treboada regrets being involved with him in the first place. Why? Isn't that the case?"

Tom let out a deep breath and shook his head. "It is not so easy with spirits as that, Edward. To begin, I do not believe that any of us hates The Ancient One. Truth be told, I was helped as a young spirit by them while I was trying to find my way. True, we may be in opposition to The Ancient One but that does not mean we could not also like him."

Considering I'd seen Tom and Medved ready to fight to the death against the Ancient One I found that explanation difficult to understand. "I don't get it."

Rather than answer my question, he brought up another topic entirely. "You have not worked today, and you do not work tomorrow, correct?"

I nodded. "Right. But what does that have to do with--?"

He interjected. "If I may make a request, I would like to share a simple ritual with you tonight. It will soon be Friday evening, which is Shabbat according to halakha. I wish to share that with you and, once it is done, I will tell you about The Ancient One and you may ask as many questions about my opinion of him as you desire. Is that a fair Bargain?"

Considering he'd already said he would talk with me about the Ancient One I felt a little put out that he'd suddenly make demands. However, what he was asking didn't seem all that unreasonable. Still: a religious ceremony? Geezus. So, after having spent a minute to think it over, I--