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Dropbox link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/iy6sa4bk5.....t%201.pdf?dl=0

My first submission on FA. This is kind of a backstory for my fursona, but it's not set in stone. I do apologise for the rather serious tone, this is setting up for the rest of story. I do promise it gets better!

Please leave any and all criticism. It's all very much appreciated!

Note: For better formatting please click on the Dropbox link above.


Magic Dabbling - Part 1:
Brown eyes stared back at me, reflecting the anger and worry through the window of the looking glass. A cold shiver tingled its way down my spine, bristling fur along the way. Butterflies bounced their wings off my inner stomach, increasing the queasy feeling ten fold. It quite literally felt like I was going to throw up. The worst part of it all, I wasn't overreacting in the slightest.
"Get a grip," I said to myself. "Nerves aren't going to get you anywhere. You're going to need all of self control today." Even as I spoke the words, my heart heaved at the weight of them. It was strange that even after hundreds of years, the magical community still based their entire initiation process off a single exam. My entire life's work was built for my actions today and anything done wrong could have huge repercussions. Failure were not an option.
A shrill, irritated voice cut through the air, "Foran Wolfbain, get that sorry arse tail of yours down here, now!" I sighed, my ears folding to my skull. For close to eighteen years I'd listened to my mother and not once could I recall her speaking a kind word, at least, certainly not to me. My sister Katrina however, seemed to literally bask in my mother's praise, stealing the show despite all the work done back stage. Even with all I did to support us after dad's death, there was very little consolation. About the only thing that wasn't my duty was paying the mortgage. Mother's job as a university professor helped there, although even that had its downfalls. Guess who I got as an examiner?
I'd sought escape many times, but by whatever means, social services, police or hunger, it seemed I was destined to end up back in my mother's custody. This upcoming Initiation Exam was the first legitimate opportunity of freedom that was presented to me. I had no intention of wasting it. Despite this chance, I couldn't help continuing to wish that I had died in the car crash thirteen years ago, not dad. At least then I could claim that I'd had a life. Nowadays, all around me was a shit-hole.
Pulling my head from the clouds, I replied "I'm coming mum!" I turned from the mirror, the train of thought derailing. Yellow light streamed in through the window and the morning bird warbled the air with it's song to the world. Despite the beautiful scenery, my heart still lacked the will power to climb out of the hole. A sharp knocking disrupted my preparation. Without even waiting for a reply, the door met wall and in walked a white mountain of wolf, Katrina.
"What do you want?" I asked, venom in my voice.
"Oh, I just wanted to see my most favourite brother before his big, big test." Her sly smile and twinkling eyes told a different story. I felt a growl welling up in my throat. Today was not the day to mess with me.
"Leave, now." My voice was quiet and menacing. Either my sister was completely deaf or just didn't care about my irritation, as she only preceded to jump onto the bed, laying down and stretching out her legs. The slight devilish glitter in her eye gave a glimpse into her true intentions. They really were the windows to the soul.
"How's the studying coming? Better hope you don't stuff up, cause I'm sure mother won't be paying for college funds if you do." White fangs flashed in a malevolent smile, blending in with the angelic fur that covered the devil inside. My eyes narrowed to tiny slits and my throat rumbled again. Adrenaline coursed through my body and my paws started to twitch into fists. My shadow fell across Katrina, readying to strike on the body below. It was at that time the door slammed open again, revealing Susanna Wolfbain in a blaze of fury.
"Foran Wolfbain! How dare you hit your sister!!" Jack Frost ran his claws down my back. Trouble was on its way. Turning to Katrina, I saw her paws covering her face from an 'attack', a slight whimpering escaping her muzzle. The drama teacher had always said she was one of the best.
A yelp ensued when my ear was grabbed with a pinch, a paw pulling me out the door. It was as I leaving that I caught Katrina's smile returning. Perhaps attempting to get revenge was a stupid idea, but she had it coming. And now I faced mum's wrath again. For years I had thought myself immune to mother's will but resistance against her was still futile, especially with Katrina's words still ringing in my mind. This crime was of the highest level. Punishment was sure to be long and painful.
Down the stairs I was lead, loud thuds following each step. My vision was limited whilst facing down but a heavy grip kept my head in place, no movement allowed. The clip clop of claws on tiles resonated around the hall. We passed under the doorway and into the lounge room. The couches lined the walls, facing towards us. It didn't take a strong stroke of imagination to see the people lined along them, watching on gleefully. My face met the hard wood floor and I felt a muzzle push up to my ear as now a shadow fell across my face.
The voice of death spoke into my soul, "You think you're the boss, all important and merciless. Clearly you're forgetting that one such person already lives in this household and I tend not to take very kindly towards those who challenge my authority." That voice was so full of hatred. Like a syringe, it drew every drop of resistance from my body. The thought of its physical embodiment sent quivers of fear throughout.
"You very well know that I don't let things go unpunished and even at eighteen, you are no exception to these rules." Muscles froze and cold, hard realisation followed suit. It had been nearly eight years since this last happened, but the memory was still clear and crisp as the day it was done, just like every deed before. There were the scars to prove it.
The first blow fell on my stomach. Air rushed out of my lungs leaving me breathless and panting, but it had only just begun. Even more fists followed, pounding into every part of my body. The shoulders and neck. Legs, feet and arms. No mercy was spared, pain taking its place. I curled up in a ball and began to whimper and sob, but this only seemed to increase my mother's storm. There was no escape.
A final stinging slap on my face brought forth the metallic taste of blood into my mouth. A heart throb entered my ears and flooded in with a painful heat. It took me a moment to realise that the beating muscle was my own. The aftershock wore off quickly, a low and dull ache ruling over. Softly a moan escaped my lips and then the voice returned.
"I hope you've learnt your lesson. You'd better prepare for your exam now. For your sake, I hope you do well, because as your examiner, I decide your fate." With that, she stood up and left the room, her paw pads beating the drum every step of the way. It was at the point she was no longer heard, that the sobbing really began.

* * *
A slow, rhythmic beat resounded around the room and hands wove strange patterns, forming symbols in the air. Whispers liberated themselves from my lips, giving an ever crisper shape to the runes. Feet pounded on the floor, keeping beat for the orchestrator above. More and more words breathed life to the motifs as they cast their golden light around the room.
Sudden tremors passed through the letters and they disappeared into mist. I collapsed onto the bed. Body bending was one of, if not the, hardest and exhausting forms of magic. I'd only recently mastered it, despite working rigorously on it since my awakening at age ten. Hopefully what skill I did have was enough to suffice. I wasn't overly confident but I certainly wasn't doubting that I'd pass.
The ceiling slowed its spinning before swerving back into focus. My heaving chest dropped to an easier pace as my heart did the same and my eyes fluttered close. A warm rush of emotions flooded my mind with images painted in a radiant light. Laughing and giggling filled the gaps providing sugar to the chocolate cake. A comforting touch breezed past my shoulders and shivers went down my spine.
Slowly my eyes opened back to the world and reality filled the void. I had wondered many times whether these bouts of dreaming were memories or merely wild imagination. They brought me much joy, even though I didn't really understand them. A lie? Probably, but at least it provided joy.
A giant made its way up the stairs, shaking the walls of the house with each step. It wouldn't even have taken a wolf's ears to here this arrival. They clearly wanted their presence announced. The dent in the plaster wall smashed deeper as the door flung open again. Raising myself off the bed, I was met by the princess of the house. Her proud smile seemed to literally stretch from ear to ear. Wherever Katrina went, trouble wasn't far behind.
"Hey Foran, guess what?!" she exclaimed. "Exam time!!" I frowned. Something wasn't quite right about her behaviour.
"What's it to you?" I tried to restrain the cynical tone but nonetheless I think it still got through to her, as all Katrina did was laugh and turn away. An exasperated sigh escaped my lips. I felt sorry for anyone else who had to put up with such a teenager. Even mother, who thought the sun shone out of her arse, sometimes couldn't stand her. The spoilt brat treatment got to her head early on and she soon adapted to that environment. Another sigh. One day she'd face the real world.
Slowly and deliberately I raised my body off the bed. Breath entered my lungs and my heart beat steadied. My legs lead towards the door as I emptied my thoughts. My entire life so far had been building up to this moment, and whatever happened in the next hour would set me on a irreversible path. I almost laughed at the dramatics. It felt like I was walking to a death sentence.
A heavy scent of fear reached my nose, it took a moment for me to realise who it was. A few more deep breaths and the throbbing muscle in my chest slowed down. The treads of trimmed claws on carpet stairs soon changed back to the clack of wooden floor. Little over two hours ago it had been my face on that.
The lounge room opened out to me. Mounted on the wall a large plasma screen reflected ominously the room. A semi ellipse of cream leather dominated the lounge. With an atmosphere of spite and anger permeating the air, Katrina and Mother sat on the couches. I cringed. No wonder Katrina was so pumped about my exam. Knowing her, she probably thought it was the prime opportunity to humiliate her brother, right when his life was about to take a turn for the best. I was not going to settle for this.
"Why is she here?" I said, turning to mum. It seemed a snake had taken over my voice. "Katrina is only going to mess with me during this." Susanna seemed to almost just ignore me, taking a long time with her answer. Her face eventually rose from the papers as she glanced over her glasses at me.
"I invited Katrina as I thought it a chance for her to experience first hand what she herself was working towards. Perhaps she could learn from the mistakes her brother made?" I sensed the spite in her tone. Clearly it was for a little more then just Katrina's fun. It wasn't above my mother to humiliate me in such ways, at least, she had done it before.
"Oh Foran, I'm only here to help. Maybe you could learn from me?" My tail stiffened and all my muscles tightened. My paws clenched into fists again. Katrina's sarcasm was digging deep today. Every little comment was bringing me a little closer to the edge again. It wouldn't take much more for me to make her the broken and bruised mess on the ground. A sharp clap turned my attention away.
"I do believe we have an exam to get on with, hmm?" Mum was always ready to safe Katrina's hide. I breathed a slight huff. Another argument I couldn't win. I took one last glare at Katrina before turning tail and focusing back on the examiner.
"What exactly am I doing here?" Mother seemed to perk up at the opportunity to speak her authority. She shuffled herself farther back into the seat and sat up straight. Pulling a piece of paper off the pile, she duly began to read. "As you well know, this is your Initiation Exam. Today your skills as a Mage shall be tested to determine the role and opportunities you have in society. I, the examiner, shall pass you on a number of exercises upon which your grade shall be marked. All following exercises shall be based on your chosen magical subject. If I read correctly, that is Body Bending." I nodded my head. Continuing she said, "These exercises are chosen by the examiner and all must be completed to the examiner's standard or failure is a given. Any questions?"
"What utensils am I allowed?"
"Only your brain, skills and the occasional reference to the 'Encyclopaedia of Magic.' These notes shall be read to you, by the examiner. You may only ask thrice for assistance or advice." Again I nodded. Susanna took a deep breath, "Let us begin.
"The first trial you shall go through is the Art of Restoration. You must fix this broken pot," She waved her hand and a mess of dismantled pottery appeared. "By taking your life force, you must use it as a bond between the cracks to heal the pot. You have two minutes." My eyes took in the details of what lay before me. Taking hold of my runaway mind, I once again slowed my breath. My heart followed in tow, giving my ribcage a break from its onslaught.
The senselessness state of magic wrapped around me as my gaze went fuzzy. Only the pot remained in focus, the sole thing to occupy my thoughts. A slight sensation of moving limbs reached my mind but was ignored along with everything else. My dance began again as yet more arcane symbols appeared. Hardened clay began its whirlwind into the air, a storm of dust following in its wake.
Ever so slowly the pot began to reassemble, golden light glowing at the points of contact. Flowing into the gaps came runes and letters of many different kinds. The lights burned brighter as the clay was reworked, bonds of molecules reforming where they had once existed. After an eternity the last piece flew in, completing the reuniting. The pot bounced slightly as it settled back onto the solid surface, just as I too found my way to the ground.
A sudden rush of air flew into my open mouth giving my lungs relief. I realised then that I'd been holding my breath the entire time. A slow clapping persisted to my ears and my hazy glance stole up to the couch. Mother looked on with an apathetic face while Katrina continued to clap, always with a smirk. I brushed myself and stood to attention. A quick glance assured me the pot was whole, before my gaze returned to mum.
Turning to mum, I asked, "Did I pass?" She seemed to contemplate my question, giving me the suspicion that she was not paying attention. She to glanced at the pot, taking in the craftsmanship.
"Yes, but there was a large flaw." A slight frown crossed my brow. What did she mean? "You used far to much energy, it was highly inefficient. Only about half of what you used was required to achieve the same result." I nodded, it was a fair point. Rarely did I feel this drained.
"You're next test is to be the 'Art of Reconfiguration.' Taking this same pot I wish you to change it from an ovoid shape to that of a cube. Also, if you want some advice, most fail this by over working it. It's not quite as hard as it makes out to be." I felt like mum was hinting towards some past experiences here. What had her area of magic been?
Katrina seemed to have finally stopped smirking and was actually sitting up straight, a rare look of concentration on her face. The lack of a smile on her brought a smile to me. Now that I had something to teach, Katrina was ready to listen. Turning back around I thought about how best to do this. Transforming the pot could be rather difficult, especially since magic was only recently used on it. If I tried something too powerful, the spell may just go awry.
Neurons fired off in quick succession, creating new and intricate connections. I marvelled at the idea they presented me. It was so simple and yet ingenious. Why use an entirely new incantation when I could simply manipulate the previous? All it'd require was to reshape the bonds, as they were points of weakness, so that their were vertices rather then a curved surface. This would not only mean that I'd save energy, but also, if I were to use the same spell, there would be less chance of it failing.
My muscles stretched as I rose off the ground. A slight pop emanated from cramped joints while my shoulders made little circles in the air. My head cleared as blood carried oxygen home on the beat of my heart. I reached out to the pot, running my hand along it. My senses tingled as my hand glazed over the smooth surface. I felt sense of calm wash over me, something quite unlike what'd experienced before. For the first time in a long while, I was confident with my own two paws. There was no way I was failing this.
Taking my stance, I returned to the magic mindset. Glowing lines of energy made themselves apparent to me as the pot began to glow again. Limbs moved slowly this time, a much more fluid like dance. Ripples spread across the ceramic as the surface stretched and morphed, corners forming from the circular surface as the fatter middle pushed itself in. This time a sense of power washed over me, a deep knowing that everything was going right. As the magic finished the transformation, a slight thump on my sides told me of my lowered arms. No clapping greeted me this time, only a shocked surprise. It seemed Katrina was impressed. That was one for the board, but mum was the one who really counted.
Same as before, only neutrality met my work. Mother simply nodded and scribbled down a few more notes. "Right," she said. "For your final…"
"What, that's it?" My interruption seemed to only peeve her off. "I thought you'd have some criticism, or at least some encouragement?"
"Who said I was required to make comment?" A frown creased her brow. "You want an answer? Fine. Honestly, I've seen better. I'm not going to tell you how or why. That's for you to figure out." My pot was at a boil. She was deliberately stirring me now. Now was my chance to prove my worth.
Returning to her lacklustre expression, she started again. "For your final assessment, you shall perform the 'Art of Regression.' Together with your other two practices, this shall cover all you're able to do with body bending." True fear pressed down upon me, my heart rate spasming. This was by far the hardest test, not for the fact that it required a lot of power, nigh, it was the exact opposite. It was the large influx of energy that one received as the caster reversed everything that had happened to the object, especially with something like ceramics that had been fired in a kiln. My determination recovered quickly though. I threw away a doubts and cleared my head. It was now or never.
My movements became almost instinctual as adrenaline dictated the movements. Red haze descended onto my eyes and all senses were shut out. I wasn't even truly aware of what I was doing, I just let my muscles work how they felt was best. In fact, I was so out of tune as to what was going on that I failed to realise until too late that I was completely exhausted. It didn't occur to me at the time, but this clearly wasn't right considering the energy that went into making the pot. Everything became a blur after that.
Weightlessness shrouded my body until a solid thump jolted me back. Luckily my head fell onto my arm. Looking skyward I saw the runes burning brighter, casting their blinding lemony gold light dazzling everything. Katrina and Mum turned their heads, unable to look while I was the exact opposite, unable to look away.
The light became brighter and brighter as it began to dominate my vision. A strange tingling went up my body as the blanket of magic descended upon me. Warmth flooded my entirety and the familiar squealing and joyous giggling filled my thoughts. Slowly the light dimmed and the warmth was swept aside. Just as my mind was settling back to a sensible state, a wave of indescribable tingling encompassed everything. The strange weightlessness returned to join my buzzing as the magic hovered my over the floor.
Spinning in the air, every single bone in my body started cracking and creaking. Internal organs seemed to deflate and shrink, my skin joining in to fit my now smaller muscles. If I'd being in any form of control it might have surprised me how painless this was. After what seemed an eternity, my body gently touched back on the ground this time with a gentle crinkling sound. With my read raised just off the ground I looked around. Everything appeared so huge!
"Holy shit!" The voice that spoke felt vaguely familiar but I failed to properly recognise who before an all consuming sadness overcame me. Tears rolled down my cheeks and a howling rocked my being. Huge hands wrapped themselves carefully around me and the weightless feeling returned yet again. Large piles of cloth warmed me as I settled down into the giants arms. A deafening heart beat filled my sensitive ears and I pressed myself closer, hoping to loose all worry in its rhythmics. A slight shuddering rocked me in turn. Swinging softly, almost pendulum like a hand began to caress my head. From above came a gentle, "Shhhh." My crying slowly subsided and tiredness overruled any lingering despair. Clinging to the loud heartbeat, I slowly closed my eyes. Before sleep finally won out I heard a person mutter, "Whatever shall we do with you?"

To be continued…