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The Gift

Richard's SF Storyline, Chapter 1.4

copyright comidacomida 2018

Jack took that as an opportunity to add his own voice to the mix, and he did so with a question. "Thou hath the bearing of a Tribal Spirit, Sabhana... yet thou art not bound to a certain people?"

For the first time I was able to see Sabhana offer a smile that didn't reach her eyes; it wasn't that it was disingenuine, but it was obviously hiding a great amount of pain. She lowered her head and shook it slowly. "No, Jack... the people to whom I'd sworn myself chose to abandon me, and now--"

Treboada placed a paw on her shoulder. "An' now she goes where she's wantid an' th' eejit ingrates 'ave no idea what they're missin, eh, Lass?"

Sabhana offered him another of the sorrowful smiles but said nothing. As the silence dragged on I felt compelled to say SOMETHING, so I concluded the evening by suggesting we all go inside. Moving toward the ladder I spoke up. "I think that's enough fresh air for tonight-- it's getting late and I need to start getting ready to waking up early for classes."

Sabhana tucked one leg beneath herself and slid down the roof like a baseball player sliding onto a plate. She continued out into midair but latched onto the lip of the gutter before falling off completely. She hung there as if she weighed nothing (considering a spirit, I realize how stupid that sounds-- of course she didn't weight anything). The cream colored Wolf remained there as I descended the ladder. "You're a student? What is it you're studying, 'A leanbh'?"

I stepped off of the ladder and she let go of the gutter, landing on the ground beside me, eyes and ears focused in my direction as I tried to figure out what she'd just called me. Treboada climbed down after me; he apparently knew why my answer was delayed. "She called yeh a child, lad... but not in a bad way, mind yeh-- ta all o' us yeh far yungah."

Glancing at the black Wolf I noticed he was offering me a helpful smile; his statement didn't feel particularly helpful. "Aye. She be pure barry... believe yeh me."

Looking back to Sabhana, I headed for the front door. "I'm studying to be a medical professional."

Her smile went as wide as Treboada's, if not wider. "Ah... my word! That's brilliant then! A Seer AND a healer!"

Treboada gave her a gentle elbow as he passed by her. "Easy there, Lass... 'e isn't sure yet 'ow much 'e wants t'deal with Spirits yet."

Jack walked by her next, remaining close to me. "Richard is still new to the ways of Spirits... tis my duty to protect him from that which would interrupt his life's plans, and that includes The Gift. Should he decide he doesn't not wish to--"

I stepped into the house and looked back to the three spirits on the porch. "Jack, I didn't say I didn't want to interact with spirits-- this is just still kinda new and I have a lot on my plate. What I--"

I fell silent when I realized that there was someone behind me; that strange sensation of the hair on the back of my neck rising. A split second later Balam's voice spoke up in Spanish from inside the house. "Why is everyone still outside?"

Looking back to Jack, Treboada, and Sabhana standing on the porch I realized what I hadn't done yet. "Sabhana... you may come in too."

Jack preceded her and Treboada came in after her. She nodded her head as she passed through the door, smiling. "Thank you, Richard. I'll be a good guest. I promise."

I nodded. "Good... I hope everyone will be. This place may be crappy, but I can't afford to repair holes in the walls or whatever damage spirits might cause if there's a problem."

Balam spoke from the side as everyone filtered in. "You have a lot of spirits here. You cannot help us all."

Treboada, who had clasped paws with Sabhana, glanced back toward me and the Jaguar. "What'd th' ket say nao, Lad?"

I glanced between Balam and the Wolf. "He said that I can't help all of you. How am I supposed to be helping?"

Jack addressed that question in a matter of fact tone. "Richard, Humans provide the energy spirits require. While thou art a source of great amounts of spirit energy, thy ability to project it is limited and it is nigh impossible for thou to supply enough for four spirits for any great length of time."

Before I could respond to that statement Balam spoke again. "Did he tell you what he wants from you?"

I looked back to the Jaguar, picking out words I knew in Spanish as I tried to explain what I'd just been told. "He said you all want energy that will help you live."

Snorting, Balam pointed at Jack and spoke plainly in Spanish. "You. You need to tell the Human what you want from him."

Both Wolves glanced at the Gryphon and Jack looked to me. "What did he say?"

Confused, I did my best to explain. "I told him you said that all of you need me to give you energy, but he said that you want something else from me."

Jack's feathers puffed up and I saw a hard glint appear in response to the statement, Topaz orbs gleaming in indignation. "I have already told thee, Richard-- I am a Heraldric Spirit. I must have someone to herald... to protect. Dani chose thee some time ago, and I can find no better way than to choose for myself. I want to be thy Heraldric, plain and simple... nothing more."

I really wasn't sure how to respond to that statement so I looked to the Wolves, trying to find a way to avoid having to comment by asking them the same question. "What about the two of you? Are you after something too?"

Sabhana opened her muzzle to speak but Treboada steamrolled right over her, his Emerald eyes gleaming with as much intensity as Jack's had. "Listen, boy-o, yeh can call it whateveh yeh want-- business, o' selfishness, o' some kinda' hidden agenda, but what it comes down to is that we be spirits, an' we have needs. Yeh be Human, an' that means yeh 'ave the ability t'elp us keep on keepin' on."

Despite his ardent, willful statement my question wasn't exactly answered. "So... what is it you want from me other than the 'spirit energy' thing?"

Once the black Wolf had his opportunity to speak Sabhana stepped up, reaching out to press her paw against the back of my hand. Although I could feel it, the sensation wasn't so much physical as it was the memory of my mom comforting me when I was crying once and telling me everything would be alright. When she asked me a question, it felt like she was asking for permission to tell some kind of epic tale. "Richard... you are still new here in this city, aren't you?"

I answered the question she asked and the one it felt like she was asking. "Yes."

She smiled softly, sitting down on the back of the couch, perching on it as she spoke. "You left what you knew behind-- friends, family, your old familiar stomping grounds, and you came here because there was a chance that you could find something missing from your life-- something new and different and... more. Yeah?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

Her smile slowly faded, almost reminding me of a flower that had gone out of season. "I had something special a long time ago back in Ireland. The Humans there were my friends and family. That was where I called home. Then, things changed, and now, I am here, looking to find something new and different and more. To be honest, I don't know yet if that is you, but I would regret it if I didn't try to find out, yeah?"

There really wasn't anything else I possibly COULD say. Regardless, my answer didn't feel as though I had been trapped into giving it; I actually felt like I understood her meaning. "Yeah."

Treboada crossed his arms over his chest and poked a thumb in her direction. "Same fer me, Lad... 'cept ah'm also lookin' fer trouble an' Seers tend t'bring plenty o' it. Plainly put, yeh could use a good strong Wolf bahind yeh."

As everything came into focus I realized that I had four spirits in my house with me and all of them were looking to me to give them the energy they needed to survive. Somehow whatever they needed from me wouldn't take away from me while adding to them, but they needed it nevertheless and I couldn't 'make' enough to help all four of them. Balam had also told me that each of the spirits also wanted me for something else and yet, as I thought about it, only three of them had told me what that was.

I looked back to Balam. "What about you, Balam? What do you want from me?"

The Jaguar's predatory gaze peered at me as he settled down into the armchair on the far side of the room. His tail curled into his lap as his paws rested on his knees. He spoke simply but cryptically. "I want you to be my voice."

I--