chapter 23
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Chapter 23

“So if I’m understanding you correctly,” Judy said slowly staring at her lap, “You have a teacher to help you control and eventually master your new powers, but it would mean you can’t become a cop for a couple of years?” she looked at Nick waiting for his response.

Nick looked at his paws in his lap with his ears folded down to his head, “I know it’s not the preferred option, but it may be the safest. I nearly burned down the campus because of a kiss, I would hate to see what happened if anyone simply made me angry while we were being cops. If I ever loose control, I don’t know what I would do. I have to learn before I hurt someone… Before I hurt you.” he said closing his eyes. He waited for the shoe to drop. For her to end it or be angry with him.

They sat in silence as he began to fear the worst was coming. Just as he was about to loose the battle with his tears, Judy spoke. “How often would I get dates?” she asked smiling up at him. Nick’s head snapped up as he looked into her eyes to see if he had heard correctly. She wore a small smile as she waited for his answer.

“You mean you would be OK staying with me? Even knowing how dangerous I can be?” He asked as hope swelled in his chest. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Of course Nick,” she said as she climbed into his lap slowly. “It didn’t scare me away knowing you had claws and teeth that could tear me apart if you were ever angry enough, so these powers are just another aspect of you. Once you learn control, I know it will be just like the physical side. You would never hurt me.” she embraced him, and layed her head on his chest.

Frozen in shock for a moment he watched her sit in his lap before recovering and wrapping her up in his arms. He nuzzled the top of her head and just enjoyed being with her. At a moment when he thought all was lost, she found a way to make everything better. She truly was an amazing mammal.

“so will you be dropping out of school?” she asked refusing to move from their embrace.

“I’m not sure. We didn’t talk much about what all this would entail. I don’t know if I will need to leave school, or even where I’ll stay if I do. I don’t know how often I’ll be able to visit, or even how often we can talk. I do know that whatever it takes, I’ll make time for you always.” he said as he moved back just enough to look into her eyes so she could see how much he meant what he said. He then smirked as he chuckled “you can’t get rid of me that easily.”

She laughed as she socked his shoulder, “Great and here I was ready to see you disappear.” she looked up smiling to make sure he knew she was joking. “I know you will need to go somewhere to practice, but I want you to know you are always here with me. I’ll always have time for you Nick.”

They parted ways after a while so that Nick could go talk to Donnie and Judy could get back to class. As Nick headed back to the garden, he thought about what it may mean to leave and learn about his abilities. He did not want to be away from Judy for so long, but if it meant she was safer then he had to do it.

As he walked into the garden he heard Donnie chanting and approached quietly as to not break his concentration and sat cross legged as he observed and waited patiently for his new master. Donnie was still facing the tree and holding his wings to his side as he chanted and hovered a few inches from the ground. He finally finished his spell, and as his talons touched down the tree in front of him pulsed as though it were a giant heart.

“Have you spoken to your mate?” he asked without looking away from the tree.

Nick froze for a moment before responding. “We aren't mates yet. We are close, but we foxes are very careful with selecting a mate, and sometimes it takes years of dating before we are sure. But yes I did speak with Judy. We are willing to do what must be done, but we have a few concerns. Such as Where I will stay, if I will be leaving school, and most importantly to me will I still be able to see or speak to Judy?” He said also staring at the tree curiously.

Donnie listened and thought for a moment. Then he spoke slowly, “I wont promise it will be easy, and I wont promise that you will always be able to contact her, but the rest is simple. You are about to travel to a place we are going to make your new home. When your training is completed you may keep it if you wish. As for communication, it will be some time before you learn how to transport yourself back and forth, but I will arrange it so you may visit and write letters back and forth during your training. You will have to leave school for the time being. I estimate about a year before you have enough control that you should be OK with walking around and not harming anyone, as that is what we shall focus on first.”

He final turned tword Nick and looked him over with the same stare he had always given as though he were looking directly into his mind. “I intend to spend as much time teaching you spells as I do annoying you or testing your anger in order to be sure you never lash out with magic because of your emotions getting the better of you. I need you to understand I have no ill will for you, but I will be using any manner of language and violence in order to ensure you can control yourself. Is that understood and accepted?” He said all of this while staring Nick in the eyes.

Nick thought it over for a moment and nodded. “Sounds like its for the best. I need to be ready for any situations that may occur. I don’t need to blow an undercover opp if I loose control of my emotions. I will submit to your training methods whole heartedly.” He said as he stood and approached Donnie. “I will do whatever it takes to be the best student I can be. All I ask is that you help me learn all I can as fast as I can.”

Donnie nodded then turned back to the tree. He approached and held out his wing. When Nick grabbed it he touched the tree and closed his eyes. In a flash that made nick close his eyes tight they were moved from the garden into what looked like a forest. Nick looked around as Donnie let go of his paw. They appeared to be on some kind of mountain with nothing but tall trees all around. It was nice and comfortable as far as the temperature, and even the light mist hanging around him was comforting.

“This place is inaccessible to any who do not know the ways of Druids. In time I will teach you how to access it from any tree, as well as use any tree to return. First things first however, we will need to make you a home. What better way to learn than to do?” Donnie said as he strode from the tree and approached a small clearing. He spread his wings with the tips up as though sensing the hearts of the trees around him. “This one will do” he gestured to one on his left.

Nick watched all of this with a quizzical look on his muzzle, but chose not to interrupt. He Stepped tword the tree Donnie had indicated and waited for instruction. Following Donnie’s instructions, he placed a paw on the tree and breathed slowly while closing his eyes. He listened very carefully trying to sense the heart of the tree. Slowly he felt something deep within the tree that seemed to pulse with the beat of his own heart.

“That is the soul of the tree. When you work your magic you are borrowing energy from all things found in nature. This soul exists in all living things and you will learn to sense it at all times. The more natural plantlike you have around you and the less electronic interference, you will be more powerful. For instance in this forest there is very little to interfere with your magic, but in the city it will be greatly diminishing to your abilities as well as require much more focus to perform your spells. For now I will teach you a spell which will alow you to manipulate the growth of a tree to form a one room home. Over time you may use the same spell to add rooms, and if you choose to stay here with your mate then you will always have enough space. Now repeat after me”

They chanted together for what seemed like an hour and the entire time Nick felt a warm feeling traveling from his belly and flowing through his paws. It was as though he was taking power from the air around him and putting it into the tree he was holding. After a long time, the tree began to pulse similarly to how the first one they used to access this place had. Donnie took his paws and led him back while they continued to chant and raised Nicks paws wide and palm up. The tree grew out slowly and expanded into the clearing. When it came into contact with another tree it seemed to take the tree into itself and use the new ones to continue growing. What once was a clearing was now a tree trunk that expanded out to the size of a tractor trailer.

Nick stared at it and continued to follow Donnie’s instructions, and soon a door appeared in front of him. They finished chanting and stepped tword it. Donnie led the way in the door and produced a small flame in his wing tip for light.

“This will be your new home. I will teach you to make windows, and torches that aluminate, but do not spread their flames. Once you have mastered your powers, you may choose to install electricity, and that is fine. Just be aware that the more unnatural your home becomes the more diminished your abilities may become in your home.” Donnie said all the while looking around the wooden walls and dirt floor.

He approached the door jam and touched the wall “here is where we shall install something I call a mage box. Bit of a play on words. It will be a magical mailbox that can transfer objects placed in it from this place to a place of your choosing in the normal world. And vice versa. Be careful who you tell about it, because it can also be used to track your home if an evil druid is hunting you.”

Nick followed his instructions and was able to create a small hole in the wall that was just big enough for a letter. He turned to his master and smiled. “Thank you for teaching me all of this already. I look forward to learning more. When can I learn the spell to come and go as I please? And will there be a way for Judy to come and go without my help?”

“There is a way, but I will not teach you that for some time. I want you to have no distractions for a while. For now, Ill create a temporary ‘mage box’ so that we can move your things here. If you wish you may bring Judy here so she can see it, and explain everything we have discussed.”

“Thank you master” Nick said. They went back out and to a tree where Donnie did the same spell as before and they began the process of moving Nick into his new home.

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