The tribe members formed a wide circle in the clear space between the fires. I found myself ushered away with the other Lost to stand their backs while the tribe meeting proceeded. Even Jennifer appeared beside us, her son conspicuously missing from her arms. I saw her glance back over her shoulder towards Earth’s tent.
The sudden transition from mingling to exclusion sunk a hot poker into my building nerves. I knew this was likely part of their traditions, but some lingering doubt tugged at the edges of my mind. Even Sarah eyed the backs of the gathering with a frown, her bushy tail twitching behind her.
“With the authority of Acting Matriarch of the Shadowclaw Tribe, a position bestowed upon me by the true Matriarch of the Shadowclaw Tribe, I, Dance of the Earth, hereby call a meeting for all tribe members.” Earth’s voice boomed out over the gathering.
“With the authority of acting patriarch of the Shadowclaw Tribe, a position bestowed upon me by the true patriarch of the Shadowclaw Tribe, I, Midsummer Rain, hereby call a meeting for all tribe members.” Rain echoed Earth’s words.
“On this day, the 3rd of November in the year 4329, is to vote on the addition of seven new members to the Shadowclaw Tribe.” Earth continued.
“Wind through the Trees! Step forward!”
Wind stepped away from the gathering and into the center of the circle.
“You have brought these seven individuals before us to have their character judged before the tribe. Do you, as their sponsor, agree to stand and be judged beside them?”
“Matriarch, Patriarch, and fellow tribe members.” I heard Wind’s firm voice. “I have brought these seven before the tribe with full confidence in their character. I will stand and be judged beside them.”
“Very well. Let them enter the circle!”
The circle of tribe members parted before us and in the space of a moment, nearly a hundred pairs of eyes settled upon us. My jaw clenched, my stomach churned, and my knees turned to jelly beneath their gazes. I froze, caught in the moment of panic beneath their gazes.
Calm down. It’s just a ceremony. It’s just a formality.
Beside me with her head held high, Kevin stepped into the circle.
The chains of tension shattered and I found myself moving in behind her. One by one the others followed. One by one we strode into the circle to stand beside Wind with our heads held high and our hearts thundering in our chest. Only Kevin appeared unaffected. She placed a steadying hand on my shoulder.
I took a deep breath.
“Before us stand eight individuals.” Earth spoke. “One is of strong character and ability who has proven themselves countless times. Seven are Lost, untested individuals requesting shelter and guidance within the tribe.” Earth cast her eyes to the night’s sky where the Rift’s jagged shape tore the heavens in two.
Earth continued. “We, the present members of the Shadowclaw Tribe, have met these seven today and have judged both their character and their potential as fellow members of the tribe.
“Wind through the Trees. As the sponsor for these seven individuals, do you have anything to say on their behalf?”
Wind straightened and spoke. “When I met these seven today, they had been set upon by an Obsidian-horned Beetle. Through their own grit and determination, they defeated it. Seven unpathed succeeded without aid or training against a level 25.
“When the swarm chased, the Lost did not abandon their weakest members or their injured. They fled as a single group, prepared to live or die together. Through these actions I have witnessed the strength of their character, their loyalty for their comrades, and have seen a glimpse of the potential strength they can provide to the Shadowclaw Tribe.”
Paul and Jennifer fidgeted uncomfortably beneath Wind’s words, for Wind had grouped them with the rest of us. I didn’t blame the two for running: Jennifer thought only to protect her child, and Paul… well… who wouldn’t run from a scary death-beetle? I certainly did at first.
“Thank you Wind.” Rain nodded. “Does any member present wish to speak up against their character?”
Silence.
“We will now vote to accept these seven into the tribe, or to reject them.” Earth said to the gathering. “All those in favor of them joining, speak now.”
A loud cheer rose up from the circle. Members all around us stomped their boots and paws and let out cries that sent a shiver down my spine. The latter half need not be asked.
The gong of Mara’s ladle against the iron cauldron brought the gathering to silence. Earth and Rain held out their hands and together traced a pattern into the air. Faint purple light trailed behind their fingers. Then Rain spoke spoke together:
“To the seven who stand before us: We are the Shadowclaw Tribe. We trace our history back to before the old Heli Empire, and now stand as forerunners heralding in the new. We open our arms in offering for you to join us as fellow brothers and sisters. Will you stand before us and be named?”
“We do.” The seven of us spoke as one as if something guided our answers. The air hummed around us and a strange energy brushed against my fur and tingled my whiskers.
“The one known as ‘K’ please step forward.”
Kevin took a deep breath and stepped forward to stand alone before Earth and Rain at the head of the circle. Only now did I see a runic symbol drawn in the snow around where Kevin stood. The lines began to glow with a faint inner light.
The Matriarch and Patriarch stared at Kevin with serious expressions upon their faces, purple energy gilding through their fingertips as their hands traced patterns through the air.
“Do you agree to cast off your ties and your name to stand with the Shadowclaw Tribe?” Earth’s words were lined with power.
“I do.” Kevin answered in a firm voice. The purple energy shimmered and crackled at her words.
“Do you agree to uphold the code of the Shadowclaw Tribe and to act with the strength of character and integrity expected of its members?”
“I do.”
The shimmering purple energy grew brighter, pulling away from the fingers of Earth and Rain.
“Will you strive to place the needs of the Shadowclaw Tribe and its members before your own?”
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“I will.” Kevin declared.
The purple energy hung like a cloud above Kevin’s shoulders. Light from the runes at her feet rose up to meet it.
“With my power as acting Matriarch, I hereby present the newest member of the Shadowclaw Tribe:
“Autumn Snow!”
At the matriarch’s words the purple light descended upon the Autumn Snow’s shoulders and infused into her fur. Her entire form glowed with the same faint light before winking out with a sudden finality.
The tribe broke into a cheering roar.
Autumn Snow stood in a daze, her eyes flitting wide around the roaring crowd. She began to walk uncertainly back towards our little group, but Wind directed her off to one side. A sanask and a vul’heli parted, allowing the newest tribe member to take her place among the circle.
Mara’s metal ladle struck the iron cauldron and the crowd quieted.
“The one known as ‘Paul’, please step forward.”
Paul stepped into the runic circle looking nervous. We’d all seen the magic involved in the ceremony. Real magic. I wondered if it could detect sincerity in the vows of the new members. Would the jaded old man truly stand there and accept his name with honesty?
The ceremony continued and the magic soon gathered above Paul. Although less vibrant than before, the gray-muzzle vul’heli stood and responded to the vows with a conviction that surprised me. This time it was Rain who named the new member.
“With my power as acting Patriarch, I hereby present the newest member of the Shadowclaw Tribe.
“Evening Badger!”
The tribe roared and Evening Badger took his place among the tribe.
“The one known as ‘James’, please step forward!”
My stomach lurched, but my legs moved on their own accord. I placed one paw in front of the other, hoping that I looked more confident than I felt. Then I stood before the Matriarch and Patriarch of the tribe, the eyes of all the gathering upon me and me alone. For the first time since I arrived in this world I felt truly out of place. I was an imposter in a strange world in a strange body not my own. Was I really worthy?
Earth and Rain’s serious expressions felt different when it was me beneath their gaze. They were judging me, their eyes boring into the soul of the human nerd hidden in his vul’heli shell.
Their hands moved then, and I felt as much as I saw the ripple of magic woven between their fingers. Beneath me, the runic circle flared into life.
“Do you agree to cast off your ties and your name to stand with the Shadowclaw Tribe?” Rain asked.
I found that I instinctively knew the proper words, but I also knew I needed to say them with true conviction. Magic brushed against my soul, carrying with it traces of ideas and concepts and understanding. I needed to embrace my new self as a vul’heli rather than the human I left behind on Earth. I needed to embrace the strength of the Shadowclaw Tribe and my place within it. More than anything, I needed to belong: to stand beside Autumn Snow and my sister as part of the tribe. Together we could be part of something greater.
“I do.”
The air shimmered crackled with the force of my words.
“Do you agree to uphold the code of the Shadowclaw Tribe and to act with the strength of character and integrity of its members?” Rain asked.
I knew nothing of the code of the Shadowclaw Tribe, yet I felt it infused with the magic around me. It spoke of a sense of inclusion, of comradery, and protecting values of the tribe. It also spoke of duty, strength, subtlety, and cunning. It spoke of sacrifice, the strength of one’s self, and the balance between them. It told me of the struggle of the ‘heli and the blood spilled by those who came before.
“I do.”
The magic of the ritual grew in strength, pulling at the bonds that tethered it. I felt the magic prodding and judging me as if by its own will.
“Will you strive to place the needs of the Shadowclaw Tribe and its members before your own?”
The magic gave no more secrets. It simply waited to be made whole by my words and my declaration to the tribe.
“I will.”
The magic condensed into a cloud drawn from the will and soul of each tribe member and solidified by my own conviction. I saw real power there. Something that I knew would become a fundamental part of who I was.
“With my power as acting Patriarch, I hereby present the newest member of the Shadowclaw Tribe.
“Dancing River!”
The magic descended upon me as it had with the others, raging through my body in a torrent of power that merged with my flesh and soul. Heat and emotion coursed through my veins.
The power faded, condensing into a warm glow that completed something fundamentally missing from the very nature of the self. I no longer stood as a wayward soul in a strange body, but as Dancing River, a true vul’heli and the newest member of the Shadowclaw Tribe.
In a daze I turned back to the roaring cheers of the circle. Autumn Snow and the vul’heli beside her parted to give room to the newest member. I took my place among the circle of the Shadowclaw Tribe.
My tribe.
Autumn Snow beamed a smile at me, and I returned it in full. I found that I could instinctively sense an aura about her and the others telling me that they too were of the Shadowclaw.
As I stood in a daze, the cauldron rang out and my sister was called before the gathering. As with us who came before, the magic grew with her convictions and descended upon her vulpine form.
“Laughing Brook!”
I cheered with the rest, a goofy grin upon my face.
Next came Jennifer who stood straight and silent before the crowd, stating her vows and receiving her name.
“Young Rose!”
Then Mirrin stood before the crowd. When the rituals started and she took the vows, I noticed a slight change in the magic that settled above her. It was powerful still, yet more subdued as if something were missing. She wasn’t one of the ’heli. I felt a tinge of sorrow that her experience would not be the same as ours.
So too changed the words spoken by Earth:
“Will you keep your given name or be presented with a new one?” Earth intoned.
“I will keep my name.” Mirrin answered. There were no looks of disapproval with her decision, no indication of surprise, just the continuation of the ceremony.
“With my power as acting Matriarch, I hereby present the newest member of the Shadowclaw Tribe.
“Mirrin!”
The crowd roared with no less vigor than with the heli who came before and Mirrin stood among us as a member of the tribe.
When it was Karl’s turn, he followed Mirrin’s lead in keeping his name.
Soon Wind stood alone inside the circle.
“Wind Through the Trees.” Rain began. “You have brought seven before us to be judged and they have been judged worthy. I, as acting patriarch of the Shadowclaw Tribe, uphold that you have acted in good faith towards your oath and the tribe. Please take your place in the circle.”
“With all matters attended to, I hereby conclude this meeting of the tribe. Let us welcome our newest members!”
The tribe cheered once more and the circle broke. I looked at Autumn Snow beside me, a silly grin on my face.
“Do you want to be called Autumn or Snow?” I asked.
“Autumn.” Autumn grinned back. “How about you? Should I call you Dancing?”
“No.” I laughed. “Just River.”
“Good, that way I can call your sister ‘Brook’ and together you can be the Waterway Siblings!” Autumn laughed.
“I wish Karl had taken a name. With his bright scales he could have gotten ‘Flame of the Dawn' or something cool like that.” I said.
“Yeah. Say, have you looked at your status yet?” Autumn asked. I summoned it with a thought.
Name: Dancing River Species: Vul’heli (Shadowclaw): Level 2 Age: 18 Mana: 80/80 Stamina: 38/50 Total attributes: 48 Primary Path: N/A Secondary Path: N/A General Abilities: 3
“My name and race changed?” I murmured, and brought up the racial abilities.
Species Abilities: Senses of the Vul'heli (Passive): Effective perception is doubled when using auditory sensing. Shadowclaw Vul'heli (Passive): Effective dexterity is increased by 20% when hiding, sneaking, or tracking your prey
The magic of the ritual felt powerful, but to change my species in the system went far beyond my expectations.
A deep strumming sound filled the air and drew my attention to a sanask running its claws over the strings of an oval instrument nearly as tall as itself. A new space formed between the fires and several members of the tribe began to dance to the lively tune. Everyone seemed to move with a different step or pace, some entwined in the arms of their partners, while others twirled freely around them.
I began to edge away, but Autumn grabbed my arm and dragged me over to the fires.
“Your sister is right. If you keep hiding from every social interaction, you’ll end up like Badger.”
“I don’t know how to dance!” I protested. My face flushed at the thought of tripping over my own paws in front of everyone. Yes, that was it.
“I’m sure you’ll figure something out.” Autumn laughed. “Let’s enjoy ourselves.”
We danced. It was a floundering silly dance filled with flailing arms and stumbling legs. I kept whacking strangers with the bushy tail I somehow kept forgetting existed. All too soon Autumn and I broke apart and I found myself dancing with Rain who guided me through several simple steps before passing me off to an amused Mara. The hulking sanask moved with surprising dexterity, cleaving a path through the crowd as we traversed the clearing. She passed me off to my sister where we somehow managed to trip over another pair, falling to the ground in hysterical laughter.
The first song ended and another began: a fast energetic tune. Brook helped me upright, flicking me on the nose and dashing off to find a new partner. With a wild grin on my face, I set off to find one of my own.