Chapter 22

Magick In The Air

"Here, hold our drinks a moment, and don't drop them." Gwen gave Kel a sly grin.

"What are you going to do?" Kel asked, quickly glancing around the room.

"Give you two things, a gift, and a tangible demonstration that this is real. Oh, don't worry--a side effect of the sphere is that if anyone were to look in our direction, their eyes would just slide past without seeing us. Neat, huh?" Gwen flashed her a grin and then closed her eyes, drawing herself up and centering herself in the spot. A look of concentration on her face appeared, her paws together fingers just touching. With a deep sigh she rested her paws on the table, separating them slowly. "Watch closely now..." Her voice seemed to be a thousand miles away. As Kel stared at the table, a slight shimmer danced across its surface and a blue book materialized in the space between Gwen's paws. In the center of its leather cover was a circular design, a salamander and dragon intertwined. Kel's jaw dropped. Gwen slowly opened her eyes, a soft smile on her face. "Voila!" she said reclaiming her drink from the stunned vixen.

"W-w-what_is_it?" Kel whispered, not believing what she saw before her eyes.

Gwen smiled at her reaction. "If you are going to walk the path of magick, you're going to need a spell book, this shall suffice until you can create your own. The logos on the cover, a salamander and dragon, are my families magical seal. If you will be my student, then you will fall under its protections."

"If?" Kel asked, somewhat confused.

"Yes,if. If you truly wish it, then you must contemplate your decision, take the next three days and meditate upon your choices, and if this is the right direction for your life. Inside on the first page you will find The Oath. You must swear to align yourself with the currents of magical energy in service of the most high. If this is the direction you wish your life to go then we can set up an initiation to firmly set your feet upon the pathways of magic. Open the book and look at the oath, but do not read it aloud until I tell you to do so. This book shall provide tangible proof that this really happened and that magic is indeed real, for you will doubt what you saw here tonight really happened. This is a big step, don't rush into it." Gwen advised, pushing the tome to Kel who hesitantly touched it, to prove to herself it was real; it was. Its Leather cover was buttery soft... after feeling it, she opened it to the first page, and it was blank. Kel gave Gwen a quizzical look, and the skunkette nodded "Look again."

When Kel's eyes once more fell upon the blank parchment of the page a string of text appeared and quickly filled the page. 'Alignment of Powers, Oath of Practitioner' It was amazing! The gold lettering seemed to shimmer. Kel glanced at it, it outlined what was expected and bound her to a course of action, then the last line startled her. 'Until Time Stops, And The World Is No More.' "Whoa." She reverently closed the book and looked at Gwen with a new understanding.

"H-how did you do that, make it just appear here?" For this was like a dream come true.

Gwen sipped her soda, "That was a simple demonstration of the magical technique of material manifestation. You've heard the saying 'As Above So Below'? " Kel nodded.

"Well, magical manifestation passes through three planes of existence: The Creative; The Astral; And The Material. I visualized it on the creative, or causal plain, drawing it down to the astral, where it took on form and substance, then manifested it on the physical, material plane." Gwen inclined her head in Kel's direction.

"Amazing." Kel whispered. I _knew_magick was real."

"As real as breathing." Gwen nodded. "You must keep this in confidence, for there are those who fear what they don't understand; and destroy what they fear."

"Oh, okay. I understand. I don't know how to thank you." Kel said.

"Thank me, by never betraying the trust I place in you, Kel. The consequences would be...unfortunate." Gwen said flatly.

"I would nev--" Kel was cut off by Gwen's upraised paw.

"Never say never, and from now on, be very careful what you say, for you are treading close to the pathways of magic and you never know who's listening. A flippant comment can have disastrous results."

"H-h-how so?" the wide-eyed vixen asked.

"For there exist beings that will assist you in carrying out your will, your stated desire. If you say something like. "...I wish...fill in the blank" you have just issued a magical command, So you can see that if you flippantly wish for someone to 'drop dead' then there is a good chance that they will do just that, even though you didn't mean them any harm."

Kel paled slightly. "Oh-my-God, I've _always_believed that!" she exclaimed, bringing her paws to her muzzle. Gwen nodded. "It's true. The greater your knowledge, the greater your responsibility. Some furs say, "What you don't know, won't hurt you..." In the realms of magic, what you don't know can kill you. If you don't consider the consequences of your actions."

Kel nodded mutely sipping her soda feeling the weight of the monumental decision settling upon her shoulders. "What now?" Kel's gaze returned to the book in her paws.

"Well, place your paws over the seal and say to me, I, say your full name, Accept into my keeping, this gift." Gwen said. " That will declare to the guardians that you are moving under their protections."

Kel placed her paws over the embossed symbol of the entwined Dragon and Salamander. While looking Gwen in the eyes, she made her declaration. "I, Kelso, Amanda, Vixxen, accept into my keeping, this gift." Was it her imagination, or did the sign beneath her paws get warm for a moment?

"Now," Gwen intoned. "Close your eyes and tell me what you see..."

"I see...blackness...an--" the look of surprise on the vixens face told Gwen that the guardian had accepted her into it's protection, Provisional as it may be.

"I-I see...a dragon! It's _looking_at me...it's beautiful!" she smiled.

"Kel!" Gwen tapped her paw as she spoke, breaking the spell. Kel's eyes flew open and she gasped. For just a moment Kel could swear those Dragon eyes were mirrored in Gwen's. She blinked and there was just Gwen. "What did you see?"

"Y-your_eyes_, they were different. It was as if the Dragon were still looking at me through _Your_eyes."

"That was the Guardian. It _Saw_you, It _Knows_you have the book now, It will be w_atching_you. Place this book under your pillow when you sleep. You will have vivid dreams--do not try and interpret them--just record as much detail as you can, also any feelings you have or had. For their significance will not be clear to you at this time."

Kel nodded. "I can do that, I often record my dreams," she replied, smiling at the green eyed skunk.

"This is a bold step, Amanda. If you decide not to accept training, we shall still be friends, so don't think that you must follow this path to keep my friendship." Gwen smiled at her.

"Okay, uh...thanks." Kel felt that she was definitely in unknown territory here--it was unsettling, but that little voice in her heart kept saying this was right. This was what she had been searching for her whole life, wasn't it? And now. .

"We had all been given a second chance at Life..." that little voice whispered. And Kelso Amanda Vixxen smiled.

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