The Final Test - The Conclussion of the Training

[Monkey Monk]

Slowly the large sphere of a sun began to fall behind the distant
mountains. A flood of color was poured forth over the sky,
painting a wondrous scene for those about to gaze upon. Slowly
those colors began to fade as the ball of gaseous flames
traveled forth to another portion of the world. It was not long
before the sky was a black, dotted with the twinkling stars. The
moon was rising as well into the sky, shedding it's reflective light
and giving the lands a form of eerie appearance.

A large portion of the bamboo lands that was deserted for the
most part was in some sort of odd array. For reasons unknown,
the trees had seemed to move from where they were. They
formed what looked like a maze, nearly a full square mile in size.
The tough trunks made tall walls while the boughs created an
impenetrable canopy. The entire walkway of the maze was lit
with small spheres of what appeared to be ice, a tiny flame set
inside that didn't melt it's encasing nor seem to go out.

The entire set up had taken a long time to create. Many, many
magics had been put into the construction of this final test. The
creator of this entire maze wasn't even sure they knew how to
reach the center. Occasionally the magics on the trees would
waver and they would shift about, creating new passage ways
and different paths. Something of such a size was nearly
impossible to keep entire control of. However it only needed to
remain in some guide-lines for the night and then it would be
allowed to manifest and mutate as it would wish.

A lone creature sat upon a pillar of stone which marked the
entrance to the maze. A pelt of vibrant white was soft and
flowed across taunt flesh and trained muscles. Icey blue eyes,
which had at one time been cold and heartless but were now
fatherly and caring, gazed down and scanned the tree line.
Upon his right foreleg was a wondrous mark. It was cast forth
from gold directly into the flesh, taking the shape of a vicious
serpent curled about a dagger. Below that mark was a long,
deep scar. That scar was a reminder to the failure this mascu
had performed in his past. This being, who sat upon that spire of
rock, was Icewolf.

He had told his pupils that tonight was the final night of their
training. However he had not told them what they were to do.
Tonight was the night when they would enter the maze behind
him and use all they had been taught. They would have to pass
tests of strength, intellectuality, and morality. The pupils would
have to display all they had been taught in order to reach their
final goal. Only when they reached the center would they be
able to earn their marks. Just like every other test they had
gone through, this one was far from what it seemed.

So it was such that the teacher waited patiently for his students.
Like any good teacher, he had no favorites among the group.
They were all equally qualified from what he saw. The one called
Lothlórien was strong and eager, the two pups Zahevan and
Zotagu were equally eager but seemed to feel that they were
inferior, and the final one to whom Icewolf had yet to learn the
name of was mysterious. That one gave this mascu slight worry.
After all, this teacher was growing in his years and the last thing
he wanted to do was make another Taggerung. However the
truth was that times like these needed risk. Friends were dieing
all about and the threats on the horizon grew nearer with each
day. A sigh passed the lips of the mascu's muzzle as he gazed
down and spoke beneath his breath. "Let us hope that tonight
is the dawn of hope."

[Aveilthé]

The figure of Lothlórien came into view, her braids clicking from
around her face as she padded next to Icewolf. Her figure
looked a lot bigger - in terms of muscle, for her shoulders and
legs looked a lot more muscled than the many weeks ago. The
training fatigued her, but she refused to give up!

She paused when she glanced at the maze. "We... must... go
through this?" she inquired, keeping a cool and collected attitude
as she looked upon Icewolf. She was expecting a much more
difficult task. Once she inquired this, she'd look around for
the young ones. Being a single adult wolf, she felt quite clingy
to these pups, especially after losing a pup that didn't belong
to her, months ago. She always wanted pups of her own, but
always failed. Always...

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[Felypsa]

Incredible. It was simply incredible that Zahevan—and his brother with him!—could have survived this far. Survived and passed the tests that Icewolf lay before them. How much they had grown! Zahevan felt so much stronger than he had started out as. And if Zotagu was still the exact mirror image of him, then…Zahevan had muscles. But he was smarter, too. Wiser, maybe not. But he had benefited from this training. Not the least of which was that he was easily more confident in his abilities.

But even so, as he walked up to face the final challenge, he felt that newly established confidence take a downward spiral. He gulped as he nervously looked up at the great maze that they apparently were expected to navigate through. This was a far cry from the first boulder Icewolf had them push forward. Zahevan glanced behind for his twin. Even though they would probably be separated, he could take comfort in the fact that Zotagu was here with him.

“Wow,” Zahevan said softly as he stood near Lothlórien. In the time they’d spent both tackling the same tests, he had felt less wary of her. She was still intimidating sometimes, very different from his mother Novawing…yet there was something about her that reminded him of his father, Zydeko. Powerful and removed, great and daunting…but Zahevan knew he loved his sons, even if he didn’t always show it. Lothlórien was similar, and so Zahevan could relax to some extent while around her.

[Mama Z]

When nature called, it was often hard to resist its urge. But when it really called and you really couldnt stop and responde, Nature always seemed to find a way for vengence. Zotagu had been trailing behind his brother when said nature had given his name a ring and he ahd disappeared for a short time. It didnt take long though when he pawed up behind his brother, a certain sloth like movements in his limbs.

Ungracefully, and uncaringly he plopped down besides his brother. All four legs stretched out on either side as if he had fallen on some invisable ice. He closed his eyes and let his he loll to the right. "I shouldn't have had that rabbit.' He commented feeling more then beyond ill now. Yet some how he had found the strength to roll his head back so he was facing straight, and right about that time, his eyes grew wide and his head lifted.

What he saw was a huge onslaught of trees, many swaying to the movement of the wind, but pathways were laced within. Intertwining and veering away from each other, it was confusing to look at. Slowly multi-colored eyes looked at his brother then at Icewolf, and he suddenly felt sicker. 'We're going into that arent we?' He asked, hoping it was jsut there for looks and nothing more.