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The Gift

Richard's (FA) Storyline, Chapter 3.1

copyright comidacomida 2018

The next few weeks passed quickly. I got used to my schedule of classes and, moreover, I got used to having the spirits around me. Jack was ever at my side, joining me in my room at night; it was a little ritual of sorts for him to get the light every opportunity he had and, more often than not, he joined me in bed. I enjoyed the closeness, and when he was with me I felt just a little more secure in my skin and with the world around me.

The two Cats were usually a cause for great stress for the poor Gryphon. They usually roamed the college campus during my classes but were always there on time to meet up with us when I was heading to lunch or at the end of the day when I was on my way home. During my work out days they usually wandered through the weight room or did laps in the gym while I went through my own physical regimen. It wasn't until the evenings that they began to get pushy, insisting that they get some time to show me a little about magick (rule number one was that there was a big difference between magic and magick).

Anapa was somewhere between the Gryphon and the Cats. Yes, he stayed close to me, but he was usually lingering just a step behind and well within eyesight. He often spent the during my class wandering up and down the aisles, looking at the various notes everyone was taking or looking at pictures that showed up in our text books. After awhile he eventually migrated to hanging out just beyond the door of the classrooms as I sat listening to lectures but whenever I looked up it wasn't hard to locate his Amethyst eyes staring in at me. I wasn't sure at the time whether he was just giving me space or drawing further away.

The structured schedule of classes helped to mitigate the chaos of having the four of them around. The first couple of weekends were spent recovering from the busy schedule during the week and getting caught up on errands. I had graphing paper to buy, replacement pencils and pens to purchase, bills to pay, and a meeting with one of my program councilors from the college. That third weekend, though-- that was the first one where I had the entire day free and four sets of eyes looking at me expectantly.

Despite what would become a tug-of-war for my time, that Saturday started pleasantly enough. I normally woke up at six to get ready for class but that morning I had my alarm clock off so I slept in until almost eight. When I finally did rouse, Jack was in bed next to me, one arm draped across my ribs with his other talon gently running through my hair. The feathers from his neck and shoulders puffed up against my back as he must have realized that I was awake. "Good morning, my boy. Despite the hour I had not the heart to awaken thee. I hope thou hast slept well."

I found myself smiling. "I did. Thanks Jack."

He disengaged, rising up as he put his feet through the mattress and onto the ground beneath it, stood, and walked through my bed and toward the exit of my room. He stretched, arms and wings wide with his back arched slightly. A moment later, in a shimmer of golden light his armor fused with his body, leaving him fully ready for the day and he turned around to regard me. "It has been some time since thou hast spoken with thy parents. Would it not do all of you some good if thou chose to reach out to them this morn?"

Nodding, I swung my legs around so I could sit on the bed with my feet on the floor. Considering the age of the house the fact that I had olive green shag carpet in my room wasn't anything unexpected and, truth be told, I enjoyed the way it felt against my toes and I wiggled them before responding. "Yeah... that's a good idea. My mom usually isn't out of the house on Saturday until at least nine. Let me get up and find something for breakfast and I'll give them a call."

The Gryphon's ear tufts rose as he smiled and he went to my dresser, resting his talon on it before sticking his head through the top drawer. I heard his muffled voice from within. "Thou art running low on undergarments, Richard... I believe that it may be wise to do laundry soon as well."

While it might sound like the constant suggestions and advice would get annoying, something about the way Jack offered up his helpful tidbits made me feel far more cared for and looked after than imposed upon. Rather than agree, however, I sat there for a moment, watching the way his talons gripped the wood on the top of the dresser while his head was through it as if it weren't even there. That consideration brought up a question that called to be answered. "Hey... Jack?"

He withdrew his head and turned to regard me, ear feathers still raised. "Yes, my boy?"

"Why are some things solid for you and other things aren't?"

The Gryphon considered my question for a moment before answering with a question of his own. He tapped his left talon on the dresser. "Art thou referencing thy wardrobe?"

I shrugged; that was a complicated issue in and of itself. "Well... with my dresser you touched it with your hands but you stuck your face through it-- but I meant my bed as opposed to the ground. You don't sink into the ground but you can walk through the bed... or lay on it for that matter."

I'd become accustomed to the miniscule differences in Jack's beak to know that he was smiling. "Of course, my boy. It is a matter of universal understanding versus intent."

The vague answer didn't help a lot. I walked past the Gryphon, who stepped aside and gave me free access to the dresser. As I grabbed my clothes for the day I asked for clarification. "I'm not sure I follow. What's the difference?"

Jack explained as I changed. "A bed, by definition of human use, is for laying upon. To that extent, the purpose of a bed can be utilized by a spirit for the same purpose if we have the intent to use it as a human does. If we do not, then it is as insubstantial as anything else that is not used by a spirit."

I pulled my last pair of underwear on, wondering if Jack was watching me get dressed out of the corner of his eye or if I was imagining it. Focusing instead on the topic, I tried to paraphrase. "So you mean you can lay on a bed as if it were solid for you because that's what beds are for, but if you don't want to lay on a bed then it's the same as if it doesn't exist for you?"

He nodded. "Tis simplistic but an accurate enough way to look at it, yes."

Pushing forward on that frame of insight I made a conjecture. "So... you don't fall through the ground or floor or street because people consider them to be things we walk on?"

The Gryphon nodded again. "I once heard a Spirit Guide say that the rules of sprits follow the will and whims of humanity. While I could not honestly tell thee if it were true, there is something to be said for that thought."

Thinking back to something Sabrina and Phillip had told me, I proposed a connecting thought. "The Cats told me that magick is about belief and intent... Sabrina said that the mind of a human is a powerful tool and Phillip said enough humans together could change the world by changing the way they view it."

Shrugging, Jack stepped forward and, like a mindful companion, adjusted the way my shirt's collar was resting against me. "I know little about magick, Richard, but I can honestly say that the world is a confusing place during any age... perhaps there is some truth to their words or perhaps they are only exposing thee further uncertainties."

I looked up at him as he peered down at me with his Golden gaze. I prided myself on honesty and not shying away from hard topics of discussion. "You don't like that they're teaching me magick, do you?"

An expression that suggested a degree of inner conflict crossed his beak but after a short pause he was able to put words to his thoughts. "If thou dost wish to learn magick then I would not propose to stand between thee and thy goals, but, honestly, I am concerned about thy teachers, my boy... and not simply because they are spirits."

I reached out and held a hand to the Gryphon. He looked down at it and, nares reddening, placed a talon in it. There was concentration evident in his gaze but, despite that, his digits passed through my own. Rather than dwell on that fact I addressed his question. "Why? What concerns you, Jack?"

He let out a soft breath. "They claim to be teaching thee and yet, last I heard, thou art unable to cast a single spell unaided."

It may have been a private conversation but, as with any other element that involved living with spirits, privacy was never guaranteed. Phillip spoke up from the wall that separated my bedroom and the living room. "Magick isn't the same as riding a bicycle or throwing a ball, Sir Knight. It is a complex study that can take years to master."

Phillip and Jack did not get along very well and the honorific 'Sir Knight' was one that Cat used whenever he was anticipating an argument or responding to a slight. I quickly interjected before their rivalry threatened my morning's tranquility. "Good morning, Phillip. Where are Sabrina and Anapa?"

The Cat perked up immediately. "Good morning, Warlock. Sabrina is in the living room readying your lessons for the day. The Jackal left some time before dawn and isn't back yet."

I hadn't expected Anapa to go anywhere so that reveal caught me by surprise. "Do you know where he went?"

The Cat shrugged indifferently in response. "I don't keep track of him, but I suppose Sabrina and I can seek him out with a scrying incantation if it is important to you."

Having only just recently woken I was already reeling from all of the moving parts that struck me during the first part of my day. Taking a steadying breath, I--