Sorceress and Apprentice (for Matisse)

[GorboGrandman]

Cecilia had been traveling for what seemed like days, but was really just a few hours, in a rather fancy horse drawn carriage, she was on her way to live with and be trained by a very powerful sorceress. A prophecy had been given to Cecilia's parents when she was still a baby that she would grow up to be a famous hero, one who's name would be heard all around the world. Ever since that day they had trained her to the best of their abilities to be a legendary hero, but alas they had no knowledge of the arcane world so she had to be sent off to someone else for further training. They had agreed to let a sorceress they had heard many rumors about train their daughter for several years, upon hearing the prophecy herself she was more then glad to take on the girl as a student. She sent a very comfortable horse and carriage to pick the girl up and bring her to the floating island the sorceress called home.

Cecilia, on the other hand, did not care for this idea. She had little to no interest in anything related to magic, no one around her growing up was capable of using magic so she never thought much about it but now it would be the focus of her training for several years. Ever since she can remember she had always been given special treatment over other girls her age. When they had been learning house keeping and other tasks, Cecilia learned how to use many different weapons like swords, spears, daggers, and even crossbows. This would cause her to act more like a boy her age as she often did this training with her father or with other men from her village. Upon leaving, her parents had even pooled enough money together to have a special short spear made for her. Secretly she had wanted a set of armor, but she knew that she might grow out of it and would need a whole new set later.

Finally the horse drawn carriage stopped and Cecilia was able to get out and stretch her legs. She looked around for something that looked like a place a sorceress would live, but couldn't find anything until the driver of the carriage simply pointed up. She would slowly look up to see a massive floating island hovering very high up, something her parents neglected to tell her. The young teen stared in awe for a few seconds before she thought of something, how was she suppose to get up there?

[Matisse]

On the Island of Fire and Shadows, a beautiful woman named Helena was sitting outside of a small house, next to a pond.
"Show me the apprentice that is coming to me." she commanded.
The water in the pond begun to swirl, and then returned quiet once again. But it was not her reflection that the pond showed anymore, but a young twelve years old girl, looking up to her island.
"I hope she's better than she looks." Helena whispered.
The sorceress had had many apprentices, but not a single one completed the training. Weaklings, of body or of mind or of will, or a combination of those. She really hoped that this girl of the prophecy wasn't yet another disappointment.
She moved her hands, and from the pond came out a wolf cub with black fur. After some seconds, the cub became a wolf big and mighty.
"Bring the girl to me." she commanded "If she wet herself in seeing you, leave her and return to me alone. I don't train cowards."
The wolf nodded, and left Helena jumping in the air like it was ground.
Soon, he was out of the island and fell like a rock right in front of the girl, with bared fangs.

[GorboGrandman]

The girl continued staring up at the island, maybe there was a ladder? Or perhaps it could float down lower to allow Cecilia to get on? As she was lost in though she would finally notice something large and black dropping from the island, maybe that had something to do with her being able to get on. As the black figure got closer and closer to the ground Cecilia noticed that it was going to land on top of her, so right before it hit the ground she quickly ran backwards to the carriage and watched to see what exactly dropped from the island.

To the teen's surprise, it was a large wolf with is fangs bared and growling at her. Without thinking, she would reach into her possessions and grab the spear her parents had made for her and would run in front of the carriage to protect the driver.

"Stay back! I dunno what this beast can do if it fell from that height and lived but I can't just run away."

Cecilia readied herself, spear ready and pointed at the wolf waiting for it to make a move. One thing her father told her was to let the opponent make the first move and observe what they do before attacking.

[Matisse]

Helena was looking at the scene using the pond. In seeing the girl's reaction, she chuckled.
"This one as the temper of a warrior, for sure." she whispered to herself, then commanded "Move next to her, slowly. I want so see how she reacts."
The wolf heard the command of the sorceress right in his head. He begun to take steps in the girl's direction, very slowly.
"And a little touch."
With those words, the sorceress snapped her fingers. In reaction, the yellow eyes of the wolf became bright red, and started to emit a slight luminescence.

[GorboGrandman]

As the beast would slowly approach, Cecilia would change stances to be more defensive. She would very slowly walk to the side, circling the wolf so she could see if it was more interested in her or the driver. When the wolf kept it's eyes glued to the young teen, she knew this thing wanted to fight her. Then she suddenly saw the wolf's eyes turn red and she stopped moving and gripped the spear tightly, waiting to see what this wolf was going to do. Each breath was slow and hard, she was scared but she knew she couldn't just run from this thing.

[Matisse]

Helena was really impressed by the young warrior. Ground control, strong nerves, situation analysis, fear control. She was quite impressive for her young age.
The sorceress was satisfied: that girl would become her pupil.
But she decided to continue with the test, to really see what her level was.
"Jump against her." she commanded.
Responding the her voice that resounded in his head, the wolf let out a howl, and leapt at the girl with a sudden movement.

[GorboGrandman]

Cecilia's heart was pounding, even though only seconds had passed it felt like hours of waiting. Suddenly the creature would start moving again and it would quickly pounce towards the teen. Since she had noticed the movements before, Cecilia was prepared and would dodge out of the way, though not very gracefully, she landed on her back but quickly scrambled back on her feet and back into her fighting stance.

[Matisse]

Helena decided she had seen enough. The young girl was brave and capable for her age, but a lot work was still needed.
She raised her left hand in the air, as she said "By the Mother Earth decree, I grant you the gift of speech. Invite her to come to me."
The wolf suddenly stopped. His eyes returned yellow, he lowered his fur previusly high on his back and stopped to show his fangs to the girl.
Looking at the young warrior, the wolf opened his mouth and begun to talk, in a deep and guttural voice "The sorceress is pleased, human female. Get on my back so I can take you to her."

[GorboGrandman]

The teen had readied her spear and this time was ready to try and stab the beast when it tried to pounce. She watched as the wolf's eyes changed back to yellow and as the rest of it's body language showed that it didn't want to attack anymore, but Cecilia still kept her guard up, this could just be a trick, if this thing could survive a fall from like that then who knows what other things this beast is capable of.

She was taken aback when the wolf started talking to her, Cecilia would cock her head like a confused puppy and slowly got out of a fighting stance. This was a test from the Sorceress? She guessed that would explain why this wasn't an average wolf.

"U-uh... okay?"

Cecilia would slowly approach the wolf and gently tapped it with the butt of her spear to slowly climbing onto it's back and trying to get comfortable.

"What about the rest of my belongings?"

[Matisse]

"Worry not, earth dweller." the wolf replied "Your belongings will appear next to you once you set food on the island."
He hoisted himself to his full height, and let out of powerful howl.
"I'm the Lord of the Pond." he then said "I advise you to hold tight to my mantle, daughter of man. It would be unpleasant to see you smashed to the ground."
And without waiting for an answer, he begun to run on the air, like it was solid ground, at a terrifying speed.