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The Gift

Stephanie's Storyline, Chapter 8.5

copyright comidacomida 2018

The Raven shook out his wings. "He wants me to enchant you so you can understand him. He said it will make it easier for--"

I almost shouted in surprise, very nearly getting up out of my seat before realizing where I was and how many onlookers were there. Quieting my voice and forcing myself to calm down I asked "You can do that?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah... but it's REALLY exhausting, and takes up a huge amount of Spirit Energy... and even then it doesn't last for a very long time... just a few hours at most, give-or-take."

Anapa spoke up hesitantly. "I help... I help..."

The Raven motioned to the Jackal. "He offered to help with the Essence expenditure... but he's already used a lot."

It was quite an unexpected offer. Pulling the cord overhead to signal to the driver that my stop I stood and slowly made my way to the exit, using the time it took for the bus to come to a stop to formulate my plan. Once I had disembarked, once again flanked by Kyle and Anapa, I smiled, leaning closer to Kyle, and I kissed him on the cheek. "Affection gives you Spirit Energy... doesn't it? Please help with the Glamour, and I'll give you another when you're done?"

His feathers puffed up further at the offer and he took a step back, the rings around his nostrils on his beak reddening. "Stef-- that's... I mean..."

I had a feeling I'd said something wrong. "Isn't that fair? I mean, it'd really help if I could understand Apana so making sure you had enough Spirit Essence--"

Kyle held up a wing to silence me so I stopped talking. He rubbed the feathers of his wing across those on his head as he sighed, and he looked to me with eyes that suggested he wasn't really all that comfortable explaining... but he did anyway. "Stef... I don't want you to kiss me JUST because you want me to have Spirit Essence."

It was a vague explanation but judging by his body language and the sincerity of him turning me down I realized exactly what he meant. I'd just basically told him I'd kiss him because he was helping me, not because I wanted to. He liked me; he'd said as much before we left home, and I just held a kiss over his head like it was a reward for a job well done. "Kyle-- that's not what I meant!"

His wings shrugged outward, feathers spread helplessly as he looked down toward the ground. "No-- no... I get it. Humans tend to be most truthful when they aren't thinking about what they say."

"Listen... what I meant--"

The Raven looked back up toward me, his eyes closing as he began intoning something in a language that didn't sound as if it were made for a Human's voice. Combining the cawing of a bird and syllables seemingly not of this Earth, he began to glow with a purple aura and, as his chant reached a crescendo, the light flowed from him and to me. The color of the glow shimmered and changed until it surrounded me in a deep aquamarine hue. I felt a soft tingling and then the light faded altogether. Pulling his wings back in, Kyle's head lowered again, this time with fatigue. He let out a breath, murmuring meekly. "It's done... it should last for long enough."

I stepped toward him. "Kyle... I--"

He turned away. "I need to get some rest now... G'night, Stef.'

Rather than walking off he just faded out of being, shimmering into a mist of Amethyst sparkling light before disappearing altogether. I was so stunned at his evaoprating into nothing that Anapa's words surprised me when he spoke up from his place on the lawn. "Can you now understand me, Priestess?"

The word Hemet'netjer was exactly what the Jackal had said but, for some reason I understood the meaning as if he'd spoken it in English. Nodding in surprise I answered him. "Yes. I understand."

My companion's head cocked to the side, ears rising as he gazed at me. Anapa recovered quickly though, flicking an ear as he stated "Forgive your loyal servant, my Priestess, but the Glamour works only one way, and your devoted follower still understand very little of your tongue."

Trying to focus on the task at hand I put Kyle out of my mind, vowing to myself to make up for it later, and I motioned to myself, and then to Anapa, and made what I'd hoped looked like some kind of 'spell casting magical hand-waving' gestures. He blinked, expression blank as if he had no indication of what it was I was trying to convey.

The Jackal Spirit wasn't slow, however, and he quickly came up with an alternate to sign. "Your dutiful servant begs forgiveness for stating his opinion without leave, my Priestess, but your reliable disciple prays that you will indulge him-- doing so will make it easier for him to offer you direction and seek your approval by begging your divine hand on his worthwhile left paw, or else your disapproval by resting your holy touch on his most unworthy right one."

Considering how little I had been able to understand the Jackal in the past I was overwhelmed at just how eloquent he was... and how ingratiating. After a moment's pause due to the surprise I slowly reached out and rested my hand atop his left paw. Even more surprising was the way his neutral expression changed as his gold-ringed eyes opened wide and his muzzle parted in what almost looked like euphoria. When he spoke his voice remained calm despite the faint shiver to his paw. "Oh, my grand Priestess... you have blessed and honored your faithful devotee. He will not disappoint you."

After working through a system that would allow me to offer simple 'yes' and 'no' answers in a way that satisfied his request we got right down to business. I was glad Anapa knew what he was doing, but frustrated that I wasn't able to learn more about the process or ask questions; I was limited to following his lead like a high school freshman tagging along with a senior who was leading the charge on a science project two grade levels above the freshman's knowledge.

The entire process took almost two hours, during which time Anapa remained completely focused toward the end goal, leaving me no time to actually get to know him. It was a shame, unfortunately, since I realized I would have little opportunity to actually get to speak with him during the short time I could understand him. There was a keen intellect and a warm heart in the Jackal, a willingness not only to belong, but to seek a connection and it made me sad to know that I wouldn't be able to appreciate it as much once everything returned to how it had been before.

The series of rituals finally came to an end, leaving me sitting in my old room, alone with Anapa, who continued watching me like an obedient dog at the table hoping without hope that he'd be thrown a scrap of dinner. Once he realized that I knew we were done his eyes slowly migrated down to the carpet; a moment later his mask of neutrality returned and his unflinching gaze shot back up to seek out my face. He spoke softly, but firmly. "Priestess, your loyal servant has done what is within his power to protect you and keep you safe. He begs you to forgive him when he asks you to acknowledge that he has done the task to your liking."

Despite being a little frightening, it was impossible to deny that his deference and adoration had a certain exotic charm but, then again, it may just have been the fact that I couldn't understand him most of the time. Finally hearing his words for what they were was not only unique, it was broadening; there was a humanizing element to it. It also created questions in my mind. Did Anapa really think so little of himself that he would so easily latch onto me as some kind of divine priestess, or maybe it was just a formal way to speak in his ancient language and didn't mean exactly the same thing as the translation implied? I didn't know.

One thing I DID know for certain was something I remembered. Even the words leaving my mouth were somehow translated by the Glamour Kyle had put upon me as I repeated the phrase I'd recalled Anapa saying once. The translation was exact. "Thank you."

His stoic expression dissolved in an instant, replaced by a smile of pure joy and true, vibrant Amethyst colored tears in his eyes as he remained there on his knees with me, bowing forward at the hip until his entire torso was flat against the carpet. He spoke softly. "You have honored your humble follower, Priestess. He is truly blessed this night."

I had long-since begun wondering by that point if he wasn't the only one who was so blessed.