The Fire Inside

Chapter 4 - The Run

Holding her aching head, Vera tried to sit up, yet there was something heavy lying on her chest. Opening her eyes, she saw Garret and the other four Users standing around her. All but one had a look of wonder. The High User boasted a smile of pride. Looking down now at her chest, she saw a wolf, or what looked like a full grown wolf. Yet…

At the tip of the wolf’s tail was a patch of white, and the wolf’s markings, though more defined, definitely resembled Luna’s. The wolf-type creature lifted its heavy head and shook it, looking around confused. Its shocking blue and grey eyes locked with Vera’s.

Mother? The word shot into Vera’s mind. No longer was it the cute girly thought of Luna. The strength had changed and the pitch had deepened, yet it was still feminine, and still it was Luna’s voice. This was no wolf, it was Luna herself, a strong form of a malamute.

“Luna?” her words broke the silence of the room, and Luna’s ears twitched. Of course, Vera could just communicate with her mentally, although she felt it would take a while for her to get used to that concept. Before she could say anything else, Luna jumped up and nuzzled Vera, rubbing her chest-sized head against her. Laughing loudly, and scratching her head, Vera forgot about her sudden growth spurt. A cough suddenly stilled them both.

“When you are quite done, I would like to congratulate you on passing your graduation, young Fire User. I would like to bestow on you the honour of no longer being a student, but a fully fledged User of the Flame.” He paused for a moment, allowing Vera and Luna to stand and straighten themselves. Standing side-by-side, she noted that Luna was now about waist height, yet her paws were massive, about the size of a dinner-plate.

“Worry not for her size,” Garret’s voice brought her back. “It is rare for this to happen, however it can be explained. All companions, when linked with a User, draw from them and take on some of their power. Although this does not affect the User’s power, it does show in the spirit animal. Some can speak, others are known to manipulate the elements without the help of the User. Lastly, very few grow according to the strength of the User, and continue growing as the User gets stronger. This is believed to be because they take the age of the User, mental and physical, and adjust accordingly. Although all companions live as long as their User’s, not all take on their relative size. It is believed this is formed with the strongest of links, and to that, I will congratulate you.” With the last of his words, the High User bowed to the two. With faces still in wonder, the other four Users, now standing two to each side, bowed in unison.

Taken aback, the two newly graduated looked to each other, then bowed quickly. The four other Users quickly left the room after the pleasantries. The door they had sealed simply returning to its blackened self. Garret then opened his arms in a sign of welcoming.

“I do have matters to attend to, however it is requested of you to please tell me about your experience later. Even though I initiate the trance state, I cannot control what happens within the binding process. Some events that happened may be of vital importance to the future of the User and their companion. The meeting should not take too long, and I should be in my office by sunset.”

With a bow, and no time to respond, he left the room, leaving the door open. Luna suddenly started bouncing around, jumping up and down in circles. Vera could feel her just as she did in the trance state. She could feel when she moved away, her happiness, her wonder at her new body and the strong connection she felt towards her owner. The bond between them as companions almost overpowered the mental link they now shared. This is probably what Garret was speaking about.

Suddenly stopping in front of Vera, Luna dropped into her playful stance, her front legs flat against the ground, her head resting between them with her ears back. Her back legs were straight with a whirlwind of a tail flailing behind her.

Come, race you home!

Really? Vera replied, getting used to the other voice in her head now. You have never won before.

Pfft, I feel so much stronger, so much more agile.

Vera suddenly realised that she might not have a chance. Down on the main lands, malamutes were used to pull heavy loads for days. They were not just pulling them though, they were running through snow and across ice. Here, Luna was suddenly full grown, with no weight behind her. Then an idea occurred to her.

Since you are so strong, why do I not ride you?  She was certainly big enough to be ridden, Vera was not that big herself.

Hmm, okay! She responded, her head cocking to one side as she briefly thought about it.

Moving forward, Luna pushed her head under Vera’s hand and then up against her chest affectionately. Gently placing her leg over Luna’s back, she straddled her, pulling her feet up off the ground, holding onto the scruff of her neck and shifting to get comfortable.

You ready?

Ready as I will ever be. Vera replied, suddenly nervous. She had never ridden anything before, but she trusted Luna.

Bounding forward, the malamute rushed out of the room. Vera had to lower herself and wrap her arms around Luna’s neck to stay on. Taking half the stairs in one leap, Vera could see students and teacher alike, jumping out the way and staring at the, what she could only imagine to be quite a sight. A small girl holding on for dear life to a big wolf, that was excitedly, tongue out, sprinting through the halls.

Breaking through the main entrance, she could now hear shouts of amazement and awe. A group of students had recognized Vera and cheered her on. The normally tedious walk between the campus and their living area was shortened dramatically by the eager Luna.

Stopping by their front door, Luna howled loudly. The people in the area stopped in their tracks and stared at the duo. The howl, much louder than before had echoed down the streets. Vera tentatively got off her back and smiled nervously at those staring at her.

That was a bit loud.

It was just my normal greeting. Luna replied while cocking her head to one side, then the other, listening to her howl echoing off into the distance, looking very proud of herself.

Let us just get inside. Vera started pushing at Luna, moving her towards the door, though she was sure Luna was allowing her to push her. As soon as they entered their room, Luna leapt onto the bed which visibly dipped under her weight. Although Luna was not panting from the run, a wave of tiredness washed through their link. Vera understood it though, the graduation had tired her mentally. It still felt as though some of the darkness was trapped in her mind, and now that they were in the place of comfort, the guards came down and left them defenceless against the strain they were under.

Vera crawled onto the bed with Luna. Curling herself into her usual ball, Vera cuddled up against her now massive puppy, who used to do the same to her. Luna gently licked her forehead before placing hers against it.

Sleep well Mother. The thought was gentle and soft, resting itself into Vera’s heart. I shall wake you before the meeting.

With a soft smile and a tighter cuddle, Vera slipped into a deep sleep.