Cult of the Lamb : The Man in the Forest

Chapter 13: Teeth in the Darkness

At long last, Merida had finished the strenuous sparring section of her training. Narinder was satisfied with her ability to maintain focus during battle, and assured her that it was all she was aiming for. Not for her to be able to beat him, just focus on her objectives and carry them through to the best of her ability. In that, she was successful. There were only two weeks left in her training, and she was going to spend it trying to summon a single ball of fire. She knew better than to underestimate the seemingly simple task, and felt a bit nervous as she followed Narinder through the forest.

"What if I can't do it...?" She asked after a prolonged silence.

"It will take time, but you will do it." Narinder insisted in his usual, calm way. "As you said, it is in your blood. There is no reason you should lack the ability." Merida nodded a little and went quiet while they continued along the path to the lake. He didn't believe she'd be able to do it so early, but thought it wise to take her to the lake regardless. Just in case.

When they arrived at the lake, Narinder instructed her to follow him along a dilapidated dock, and motioned for her to sit at the end of it. Merida did as she was instructed, sitting down cross legged to look out on the large lake.

"Before we do anything, I want you to meditate. You seem nervous, and I cannot allow you to attempt anything while you are anxious."

"Sorry, it's just all these precautions. It's like you're expecting me to blow myself up out here." Narinder shrugged a little.

"It is a possibility." Merida glared up at him for the disconcerting words.

"You know it's probably better for you to lie, right? How is that supposed to calm me down?"

"I do not believe lying about this would do you any favors. It is better you appreciate the danger you will be in, than to be blissfully unaware. But, as I said at the beginning of your training, if I did not think you were ready, I would not allow you to try. Now, just focus on meditation. Clear your mind of those anxieties, and we will begin." Merida sighed and gave up the fight. She settled, closed her eyes, and released a deep breath. She assured herself that nothing bad would happen, and allowed the fear to slowly wash away from her. It was not a fast process. It took the better part of an hour before she was satisfied with her mindset. She glanced back to Narinder who had been patiently waiting while he watched the lake. "Done...?" He asked, noticing her gaze. Merida nodded, maintaining her calm was imperative, and she wanted to avoid talking herself into more stress. Narinder nodded and took a seat on the dock a good six feet away. Merida took the hint, turning on the spot to face him. When she was still, he lifted his hand and a miniscule fireball, no larger than strawberry, appeared hovering over his palm. "This is what I want you to attempt. Nothing more, nothing less."

"How...?"

"The first step is to solidify your goal in your mind. Right now, that is creating this flame. You will picture it, and impress your will upon it to manifest it into being." Merida furrowed her brow.

"How the Hell do I 'impress my will' onto something?"

"I assure you, it is more simple than it may sound. But, it takes a while to grasp the ability. Even I struggled with it after I lost my Crown. It was weeks before I had been able to produce curses anywhere near my old prowess. Then years to fully regain the abilities."

"Well, that's a confidence booster." Merida rolled her eyes.

"Yes, but I did warn you it could take a while. This is not news to you."

"Right." Merida sighed. "So, what do I do?"

"The best way I can explain it, is to believe in it. To believe that you can conjure it, and believe it will be there. It may sound childish, but faith in yourself and your abilities is important. To impress your will upon it, means to give power to the image of the flame. Thus giving it the power it needs to exist. This is all very vague, I know. But, you'll understand it in practice." The flame disappeared from his palm and he nodded towards her. "Clear your mind, imagine the flame, and try to conjure it." Merida nodded a little and held out her hand, imagining the flame in her mind exactly as it had appeared in Narinder's hand. She still was unclear on how to give the image power, but tried nonetheless. She found herself sort of... pushing without meaning to. "No, it's entirely mental, Merida. Something this small should require no physical effort."