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A Test of Fate.
The mirror was judging my past, present, and future.
After what felt like a lifetime, the images, familiar and unfamiliar, finally stopped. The swirls didn’t return and the Galadynia remained blank, not even reflecting me. I was emotionally drained. And I was pissed too. Of all the memories that it showed me, it wouldn’t give me the satisfaction of seeing my mother and father again. I glared at the mirror as another image came into view after a few moments.
My glare fell as I curiously stared into the eyes of a magnificent black horse. It tilted its head and I could have sworn that it was studying me, judging me. Like it was seeing right into me with its charcoal-colored eyes.
It reared its massive head and my reflection came back into view below it. In front of it. Gods, it was enormous in comparison. It snorted, and my heart dropped when I felt its hot breath on the back of my head. This wasn’t part of my future projected through the mirror…the horse was standing behind me.
Slowly, I turned around and came face to face with the biggest horse I had ever seen—except it wasn’tjusta horse. It was a Spirit. An actual Spirit was standing before me. I had never seen one.
Its body was as black as the night itself, its forelock and mane long and wavy. Its hooves, each the size of my head, were covered in the same hair and supported long muscular legs. At the back of its hindquarters, a thick wavy tail brushed the stone beneathit. The Spirit horse’s withers were well above my head. And just behind the shoulders were two tremendous wings. Covered in black feathers, they were folded and tucked to the sides of its body.
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t do anything other than gape and marvel at the remarkable being before me.
After a moment, it stretched its neck and extended its muzzle until it touched my chest. An electric shock tore through me and I winced at the sensation. The Spirit pinned its ears back and flared out its wings before it reared up off its front hooves slightly and slammed back down.
I shrieked and ducked, covering my head with my arms. The entire mountain shook when its front hooves landed. The rumble filled my ears and I felt it in my bones, my soul. I gasped when I felt a pulsing flare in my chest. I looked at the winged horse when it took a step back and bobbed its head for me to stand.
We stood there for several moments staring at each other. When nothing else happened, I broke the silence.
“H-Hi. I’m Kya.”
“I know who you are,” a low deep voice sounded, coming from no particular direction. I glanced around, searching for the source.
“What are you looking for?”
I slowly returned my gaze back to the Spirit.
“Kya, I am Odarum. A Spirit of this realm. A Spirit now bound to you, and you to me.” His mouth didn’t move. My eyebrows rose and my mouth fell open.
He can talk!
“You can…speak?”
“I can communicate with you, and you me, through our bond.”
“You can understand what I’m saying and speak back to me in my mind?”
“You may speak to me through the bond as well. Feel for it within you.”
I could already feel it. That pang in my chest was like a tether to him. I closed my eyes and reached for it in my mind but was met with a thick haze. It was like soft mist, soothing yet unbound. I tried to grapple for it, to push it back together but to no avail. There, through the haze I saw it, the thread. It was like a beam of light.
I held on to it and attempted to send a thought, “Hello, Odarum.”
“Hello, again.”
I opened my eyes. “I don’t understand.” I spoke out loud. Speaking through the bond would take some getting used to. “Why are we bonded? What does that mean?” I knew that the third task was getting a Spirit animal, but I had never heard of them beingbondedto the Worthy.
“Those that are deemed Worthy by the Gods are gifted by them. But the Trial is not just for the Gods. It is also for the Spirits. The Worthy are gifted with a bond of one of the Spirits from this realm. The third task of the Trial is being judged by your fate, and a Spirit choosing you. They bind themselves to you for the remainder of your life.”
“Why have I never heard of this? It isn’t written anywhere.” I ran my hands over my hair and blew out a sharp breath.
“It is forbidden to speak of the Spirit bond. Only the Worthy know of it. Not even your Sages.” His tail swished behind him.
“Why? What does it matter if anyone knows?”
Odarum snorted. “We do not wish it to be known. We have our reasons.”
