The trials that followed were what you would have expected. Tests of strength, that I did well at. Not as well as I could have. I made a real effort to not make anyone feel that I was a god amongst men. Though when I looked at how much better I was then they were…. I wondered just what my limits would be if I tried to find them. Spears and Axes were thrown. Sparring with fist fights…. that sort of thing. We were divided into 4 groups of 10. By the end of this there were 27 of us.

One of the assistant right masters assigned us a region to go to. Several of my fellows were concerned. They had all came from areas where the old religion still was strong. People kept. We were going towards the frontier of the Empire of the New God. It was said that the empire of Equilon was ruled by the God-King before he became a man.

The folks along the frontier were being plagued by wolf attacks. Warriors sworn to the land and the people serve. It doesn’t matter if the people we serve share our beliefs. The needs of the people and our abilities to act are what matter. The other 9 I was assigned with were men I did not know.

Ronan was a fine spearman, but his preferred weapon was a hammer. Cian was excellent with Axes and knives. If I knew the betting pools, they like I were on the list of people who seemed certain to make the final 27 slots. Oisin was another wonder: He struggled to keep off the bubble the whole time. This was the last time he as a man would be able to make the ranks of those sworn. Cathal was an arrogant bastard. He also got particularly mouthy while drunk. Colm had his tongue cut out by an inquisitor of the church. He and Cathal were likely not going to make it through this test I thought. Oisin however seemed to want to keep Colm’s head where it needed to be. Declan was a card cheat. Cian nearly cut his throat twice as we made the journey. Art was somewhere between me and Oisin on the age range. He seemed to gravitate between Oisin and I in conversations. He was kind of insecure and he wanted to gravitate towards a stronger man. Daire was the other red head in the group. He had a temper as red as his mane. Donall like me was also a fostern.... but unlike me he had a grudge towards the new church. He hung out with Colm quite a bit. He normally encouraged his anger. Him, Daire, and Colm together was a recipe to get someone killed. Fiach was the short one of the group. He like Oisin struggled to keep off the bubble in the other challenges.

“So” Oisin turned to me “What’s the plan their big man?” Cathal piped up “And why are you asking him?” Cian smacked him in the head “A mouth can be closed you know.” Cian said with a smile. Cian had long blonde hair…. which was also rare. Cathal’s hair was black as the soil. As were most of the others in the band. Ronan spoke up “Oisin has been sizing up the pup.” He glared at Cathal “Anyone who actually has had to work to get here has been sizing him up. “Ronan pulled out a coin and fidgeted with it. “These tests aren’t just to see if you can fight…. this one least of all. Its to see if you have a brain in your skull.”

I barked “Its also a test to see if we can work together.” My voice cut over the chatter. “So…. the farms around this section of the Barbic Forrest are close enough. Want to split up and see if we can catch the wolf or get evidence of it?” Fiach spoke up “What if this is a serious problem?” Donall shook his head “If it is a serious problem then we are fucked. But if we all lump on the most likely farmer…. And we don’t solve the problem most of us are going back home.” He points to me, Ronan, and Cian “If we fail those three are likely going to pass regardless. I’ve not seen evidence enough any of the three of them would be dishonorable enough to set the rest of us up to fail. “

Cathal dismounted and pointed at me. “Let’s go big man. We settle this by wrestling.” The others all looked at him like he had lost his mind. I probably had as many inches on him in height as I did in reach. I dismounted and put my feet on the ground. “No punches then? No knock outs? No biting? “He nodded a bit. “No need to injure anyone else.” And with that we locked up.

I didn’t go all out with Cathal and I gave him time. He probably was the toughest cuss where he came from. I dropped my arms and wrapped them around his body. “I can make this quick if you like.” He quickly popped off and punched me in the nose. The others all laughed at him. “What is so funny.” He yelled at them. Oisin perked up “Its your mouth and your ego. He baited you into hitting him.” I didn’t acknowledge it. But with that quick bit of trickery, we agreed to divide up.

3 of us would be riders. Myself, Fiach, and Declan. We were the three best riders. As we did, I went to the most forsaken bit of farmland. There were more jagged rocks and boulders there then there was ground to plow. Oisin was outside the rough stockade fence. “What’s going on?” I say to him as he laughs. “Kid…. I need to switch positions with you. I think the God-King is cursing me. The old Goat won’t even talk to me. “I dismounted and knocked on the gate of the fence.

Out of the earthen hut came a twisted old man. His legs were healed wrong. They walked but not in the way a body is supposed to walk. He had arms that had also healed wrong. They still worked but likely gave him no end of pain. He looked me over, then looked at Oisin. “You.” He pointed to me “I told the other one…. I have no need of warriors. If you want to stay on my land after sun fall you need to work. My mule is sick. I need some one to plow. Oisin laughed at that. “Leave your weapons at the gate.” He said firmly.

Oisin as one of the riders meant this circuit would be the weak point. I clasped him on the shoulder. “Get on the horse. When you cross paths with Declan have him switch routes with you.” He nodded to me and went to get it done.

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And the old man strapped me to a plow. The soil was more stone than soil, and what soil there was likely was clay. His plow was dull from misuse and abuse. Likely why his mule had gone lame as well. I noticed several goat skins hanging out to dry. But this farm wasn’t fit for them. He could be a herder…. but I didn’t see any dogs. I had been told it was wolves and to this point I believed other then the magic that brought me here…. magic was just STORIES. The fact magic got me here hadn’t primed me for the idea magic could exist in this world.

The sun was getting near the end. I was sore from the day’s labors and the old man looked me over. “Name is Lyn” he said in a short bust of speech. “You?” I nodded “Brian” He motioned for me to follow him. “I invited you here to do my labor. So, the least I could do is offer you something passing for hospitality.” I was more distracted by my thirst, my hunger, my soreness…...the word passing meant something. It meant he wasn’t offering me Hospitality. I didn’t think of it at the time…because why in the world would I.

His hut was bare. There were matts on the floor for sitting. They were uncomfortable. He had a stew pot. It had a sickeningly sweet smell. Kind of like pork but also kind of not. He saw my noticing the pot “Unfortunately that isn’t ready yet. A neighbor offered me some boar.” He sighed “It was scrawny. Didn’t have enough to extend it.” He pulled out some fruits, vegetables, bread, and cheeses. I ate…. hoping the wolf would come…. I briefly entertained thoughts of letting the wolf kill Lyn.

“You of the old church or the new?” He asked me. Likely a question people got with the other farmers. “I guess you could say I am agnostic.” They of course don’t have a word for Agnostic in Ayalos…. but I said Agnostic. He caught that…. he smiled a bit “So you are a man of mystery. I like that.” He laughed a bit “I suppose I am like you…. Not a fan of the old church, nor a fan of the new. Must be hard to live that way.” I laugh softly “Can’t say I am not a fan…. just gods don’t mean much when you live in the moment. When you are out there fighting and dying for your people?”

Lyn chuckled again “An interesting perspective. Would you mind if I taught you something about the new church and the old?” I nodded…not to be rude to the old man. “Long ago…. during the days when the god king was a man. There was a sense magic was dying. Many of the elves went to wither…. those who didn’t wither sought the source of magic under the ground. Deep in the heart of the earth. The dwarves saw a great evil there and went to fight it. Who is to say what became of them.” He laughed. “But there were many men concerned with this. The fear was men would die, and become lost in this world.”

He got up and extend his arms wide. “So, men formed a pact in the far north. There was a magic in beasts these men said. So let us become one with beasts. Become one with the land and its power. The God-King had not broken with the old gods at that point. He was not even a King by his own hand. He consulted with the Old Buzzard. The Buzzard told him of the battle to come. The buzzard also had told the men anointed by blue paint…. if they killed the great warrior, they would save all men from obscurity and decay.”

My dear sweet Annie…. she was a part of this story. I didn’t know it or understand it then. She was also part of the story of the false god that oppressed these people…. her people….and she was part of my story as well.

“Of course,” Lyn said popping me out of a tedium-based hypnosis. “The God-King ascended to the heavens. So, you know what happened.” I smirked “He slaughtered them.” Lyn laughed “Too the man…. or….so he thought….one survived. And the Buzzard came down. She was feeding on the offerings of war one lay a broken heap. She of course turned into a wolf herself. A wolf of the night.

“Let me prophesize…. you shall live till an avatar of he who killed your brethren comes to your home. If you feast upon his liver, you shall be able to complete your great work.” I heard a noise. Bones snapping into place. A noise of pain. With wet sloshing as the body of the old man started to convulse. “It has been hundreds of years I have waited….and here you are boy….” I saw a face that resembled Wolf and Bear….it had horns like a Steer and its eyes were blood red.

It pounced on me. I punched it several times hard in the throat. It flailed back as I made my way out of the hut. I couldn’t get to wear I left my weapons. But there were rocks a plenty. I threw one at his head. There was a sickening wet thunk…. if this was a man, he would most assuredly be dead. But this creature was far from a man. I threw a second stone and its leg shattered. That gave me time to make my way to the gate.

I heard it howl to the moon. As it howled unlike the Red Ravens and Black ones, I had seen nothing but white ravens. The beast said something…. I later found out from the Druids it was an old prayer ‘Oh Phantom Queen, Come claim my offering.’ And even if I knew those old words coming from a mouth full of fangs my thoughts were somewhere else. I heard him start to run.

His neck and head had healed from the first stone. His leg had healed as well. I was rummaging about my weapons. I had a barbed spear which I pulled out. In the distance I could hear Declan’s horse. It was going at full charge. It would be great if he got there in time. As the beast charged at me, I pierced its chest with the spear. It hit the things heart or lungs. I twisted it. The creature’s misshapen maw gasped…or it would as the air was leaking from its chest. It tried to pull the spear out…but each pull only made the injuries worse.

It took time to claw at the edges of the spear. I imagine if it was just the barb it could force it out with its inhuman and alien healing. But I had gotten my sword and made my move. My blade was true and I cut its head from its body. With that the creature stopped moving. At which point Declan dismounted from his horse. I watched as the body began to rapidly decompose.

“Brian.” Declan said to me “The locals said it was some sort of were creature.” He laughed as we watched its remains start to turn to a black and green sludge. I in turn laughed as well. “Let’s get back….” Declan nodded.

Other parties who faced challenges lost men in battle. I found out had this beast faced the others…. he likely would have feasted on everyone. The belly of the beast had been my trial by fire. And it taught me that not only was magic real…. the gods likely were real as well. It didn’t say much about what the gods meant…...