"The Gift", Sample Story Arc
Story by comidacomida on SoFurry
I have mentioned several times that the storylines featured in "The Gift" have multiple different endings and numerous ways to get there. The choices made by readers such as which human and which spirits are involved along with decisions given to the protagonist as the stories develop will earn him/her the friendship/disdain/love/hate/companionship/rejection of the spirits with whom s/he interacts.
As Lorelei appears to be one of the humans with the lowest votes I'm revealing an excerpt of one of many ways the second-to-last post could be presented. In this example, Lorelei was the recipient of the Anapa introduction. Additional spirits involved include Kyle, Tom, and Treboada. During the story Lorelei alienated Tom, off-loaded Anapa on a different resource, and was thoroughly taken-in and tricked by Kyle. In the end, a fight breaks out between Kyle and Treboada and, since the Wolf Spirit had been the heavily favored spirit and received the vast majority of spirit energy from Lorelei, he was able to overcome Kyle.
This is an example of one good ending, an indifferent ending, and two bad endings-- the bad endings included alienation for Tom, and the death of Kyle-- the neutral ending was an alternate source of spirit energy for Anapa, and the good ending was a romantic connection with Treboada. In this case Treboada is the focus of the final portion of the story and will include an ideal ending, including a lasting relationship, the development of the spirit from Naturae to a Companion, and Lorelei will even provide the ultimate gift: a name.
So... do you think you can do better? The four story lines for "The Gift" will begin soon, so we'll find out!
Oh-- and before you ask, no-- this isn't technically where this chapter would end. This isn't quite two pages, and this post is easily three times that. Do you want to see the entirety of this ending? Well, you'd better start planning for success and earn it! ;)
The Gift
copyright 2018 comidacomida
Chapter 12.4
SAMPLE
I don't know how long I stood there, the lights flickering in my apartment in the aftermath of the release of spiritual energy; they then went out entirely. Before Tom left for good he told me that Sleep wasn't the true end for spirits, but he assured me that they could die... I just never thought I'd see it for myself. To be honest, I'm still not sure whether I was more distraught over the fact that I'd witnessed Kyle's death, or the fact that I'd found out so suddenly that it had come to a point that was either him or me. Kyle had thought that he would be able to overcome my wolf guardian; he was wrong.
The fact of the matter was that, even after I realized that Kyle was being destroyed I hadn't told Treboada to stop. Kyle was going to kill me, and I was afraid-- terrified. When Tom left and after I helped Anapa find a priest I thought things were going to get better for the three of us... but Kyle only saw it as a chance to strike... and thank god Treboada was there. He had told me when we first met that he was a spirit guide, but he was also a warrior. Until that moment I didn't realize just how true that was. I finally understood what he had hinted at all along: not only was he a warrior-- he was MY warrior.
Treboada later told me that he wouldn't have stopped even if I had told him to; he would have sacrificed everything that we'd built up together if he knew that it meant I would be safe from what Kyle had meant to do. He told me that he wouldn't have been able to bear it if the Raven would have stolen what should only have been freely given. But that was later-- much later. At that point, all I could do was fall to my knees, grasping at the ephemeral black feathers that were already fading from reality. Kyle had been my friend or, at least, I thought he had been. Was I that much of a fool that I couldn't tell the difference?
I cried. God help me, I cried. Kyle had played at being my friend. He had insinuated himself into my life and pretended to care about me. I let him get close to me; he tricked me, and he encouraged me to push the rest of the spirits away, all with the goal of getting me alone so he could consume every last bit of life force I had. How could I NOT be betrayed? But why then was I still crying? It hurt in so many ways that I couldn't understand. I was crying over the death of someone who had planned to murder me. It took Treboada, my warrior, my guide to put things into perspective.
Paw still clasped over the wound on his shoulder, Treboada knelt down and I felt the spiritual tingle of his nose brush across the top of my head, His hot breath puffed out into my hair as he spoke. "You are safe now, Lorelai. Do not cry."
It was the first time in the months he had been with me that he had called me by name. In his soft, comforting tone I heard something different; perhaps it was the fact that his accent had disappeared or maybe it was a degree of compassion where before there was just iron-willed indifference. Even in the time we'd grown closer he'd always been so distant. I looked up, and saw him gazing down at me, and I gasped. "Your-- your eyes!"
Treboada had spent centuries without purpose; despite being a Tribal Spirit he had no attachment or connection to any group of people and the Emerald hue of his eyes had identified him as a free agent-- a Naturae spirit. Rather than responding to my surprise, he merely reached up and loosened the leather cord that kept his mane restrained during the battle and he dropped it to the floor. He wrapped an arm around my waist, far more tangible than I had ever recalled him being in the past; the Amber eyes of a Guardian spirit gleamed out from beneath his unkempt mane as he spoke softly "You are everything to me, Leannan."
It was the second time he'd used that name for me, but it was the first time I decided I would ask. "You called me that earlier... what does it mean?"
The black wolf had always been the serious type; I couldn't remember the last time I saw him smile, but he did, right then and there as he drew me closer to him. "You know what it means, Lorelai."
It was true. Even though I didn't know Gaelic I could tell that he was confessing something that he would never be able to say without some degree of protection of a foreign language. I traced the spiraling scar-tattoo on his shoulder as I made no more attempt to resist what I knew was coming. Sliding that hand up the ruffled fluff of his neck to the smooth, plentiful fur of his cheek, I closed my eyes even as he cradled my head and his muzzle met my lips. In the same way I felt everything that was me drained by Kyle, I felt it immediately empowered by Treboada. I could tell that the kiss sent a rush of power into him and, even as I returned it with eagerness I didn't feel that I was being drained, rather, I was strengthened in return.
He felt that much more real in my arms and the rush of sensations made me almost weak in the knees, but he was there to support me. His tongue sought mine out, easily capable of overpowering it within my mouth, and yet he was so tender. I had never before realized that a spirit was capable of being solid enough to bring me to the bed, and yet, even as he laid me out on the comforter I had no reason to doubt that he could do anything. He had helped me understand; he had protected me when nobody else could. He was my guardian wolf, and I was his 'Leannan'-- his beloved.
Splayed out on the bed, I made no move to resist as the Wolf loomed before me, still adorned in nothing but the fur he had worn into battle with Kyle. His tattoos and fur pigment glowed with a light that was not visible to anyone but me and, as his paws worked their way up beneath my skirt, his claws hooked onto my panties. I closed my eyes, gripping the linens of the bed as his muzzle replaced them between my legs. The moment his tongue touched my most intimate of places I gasped, and I spoke the single word aloud; the one he had said long ago would lower any and all barriers between us. "Yes...."