A Test

"What?" James whispered.

'For now your name is Pilot! Please do not mention your real name at all lest you endanger us both!' A voice explained.

"Why Pilot? That is so lame!" James argued.

'It was the first thing that my book opened to! You gotta do it' The voice insisted.

"Fine.."

He snapped back to reality to notice the woman standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. She wore a simple white dress that covered most of her body except her face and neck. Her long blonde hair was tied in a bun that reached her mid back and her facial features seemed

beautiful as she stared at him intently. Her icy blue eyes pierced into his soul as though reading his thoughts.

"Uhh…my name is Pilot and what is yours?" James asked.

He couldn't believe that he had spoken that name out loud, that he had acknowledged that stupid name, but was curious what would happen if he muttered it. His mind was reeling.

"My name is Rose," She said with a smile and offered James her hand.

"Thank you Miss Rose,"

James said politely as he shook her hand then took a glance up at the people who stood around him as they all crowded closer as to observe him and his situation. They were all watching carefully with interested eyes. Some of the men even seemed to want to touch him.

Coming back to his senses he quickly realized how everyone was gawking at him He was speechless. For a moment everything was quiet except for the sounds of hooves stomping against the dirt ground.

"Everyone give way for the divine Fawn Black!"

One of the men cried out and James felt a sudden surge of dread fill his whole body as the crowd parted slightly to reveal a woman in a long black cloak riding what he thought was a ten point deer.

Her eyes flashed dangerously in an almost frightening manner as she gazed upon Pilot, her cold blue eyes glaring deeply into his.She dismounted her animal and walked over to him slowly while taking one last glance at Pilot before walking towards the group of people and addressing everyone with her sharp commanding tone.

"I demand everyone backs away from the boy." She ordered "He is not mine to keep. And if you continue to stand here gaping like foolish fools, you will regret it."

She bent down to embrace Pilot's face with both of her hands rubbing it gently with her thumbs.

It made his face turn red and the skin around Pilot's eye swollen from the force she used to rub his cheek.

"I will allow my mother to decide what should happen to Pilot. You will leave immediately. Now!" She commanded as she got up.

All of the people left immediately leaving a shocked Pilot alone with his Mother. Pilot bowed lowly as Rose glared at him intensely.

She started to chant while interloping her fingers together. As she did so, a bright ball of fire erupted from her fingertips forming the shape of a star, which floated in the sky and soon vanished. Then all that was left were stars that drifted through the sky, turning brighter as they neared Pilot.

Right in front of his face a burst of light revealed a elderly woman. She was old and frail with white hair that fell freely. She smiled and bowed to Pilot as she extended her hand. Pilot grasped it with both of his hands, feeling her warmth radiate throughout his whole body.

He smiled with joy as he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

'Oh Pilot...' The woman said 'I have waited so long for this day to come.'

'I can't move…why am I the fuck moving?' Pilot thought.

She chuckled at Pilot before releasing him from her spell. She gestured for him to follow her. Where they walked till they came to a large tree with a large trunk and branches that reached high up.

They entered through a small opening that led to the inside of the tree as Pilot followed the declared mother inside, looking around curiously. His mother sat down on a bench as Pilot followed suit.

"Are we in your house?" He asked.

'You are correct, but I am going to leave now and you must stay for now,' She announced.

He was confused as he sat in the hollow inside of the tree where he could see the sunlight shining through the gaps in the leaves, illuminating the cracks. The mother rose up from the floor. She walked toward him and kneeled beside the bench where he suddenly she cupped Pilot's chin with her left hand.

"My little dove..." She sighed as she caressed his face lovingly.

She quickly left as soon as she came leaving Pilot by himself in the dark. A chill ran up his spine as he shivered as he curled up in a ball and tried desperately to make himself smaller. The room grew darker and darker until Pilot felt himself growing drowsy he shut his eyes tightly and allowed sleep to take over.

"What…am…I…doing…" Pilot said.

He could feel the leaves and branches crawl all over his body as they pressed themselves closely to him and held him tightly.

"What…am…I…doing…" He mumbled.

His breathing became more shallow as he found himself unable to catch a breath. The cold air was causing his muscles to contract painfully as he tried to breathe. The inside cavity of the tree started to become smaller and smaller until his entire body was cramped up inside of it.

Everything was spinning around him.

'Will you become the tree, Pilot?'

He felt dizzy and exhausted. The only sound echoing throughout the tree was his ragged breath and the sound of blood pounding in his ears.

"What…am I doing…?" He repeated.

As he tried to sit himself up He could feel the bark attaching itself to his skin , scratching against his flesh like tiny insects biting into it. He screamed in agony. The pain caused him to roll over as he attempted to escape from the clutches of death. The bark dug into his skin and cut into his flesh like razor blades.

'Show me you aren't a worthless investment of my mana!'

Pilot became angry as he shouted angrily in the darkness.

"Show me! I know you're out there! Show me you're not a piece of shit! Let me fucking see you!" Pilot said as tears streamed down his face "Stop fucking hiding from me! Fuck show me!! Show me yourself!!!!"

The walls closed in inch by inch as Pilot continued screaming.

"Show me your true appearance or I swear by everything you hold dear, that I will tear every one of your precious creatures apart until you have no choice but submit!"

flying everywhere. They swarmed the small cave and attacked Pilot relentlessly. Their wings beating against Pilot's head.

The darkness closed in around him as he struggled to fight off the swarm of creatures. Desperate and alone, Pilot could feel his resolve beginning to crumble. But he knew he couldn't give up - not yet. Forcing himself to take a deep breath, he steeled his nerves and readied himself for the next wave of attacks.

He could feel something inside of his chest beginning to stir - a determination to not let these creatures defeat him. As he fought off wave after wave of attacks, he began to notice something strange happening. The air around him was getting lighter, as if the darkness was slowly starting to lift. And then, almost out of nowhere, Pilot saw it - a glimmer of light in the distance.

"Minds Arrow!"

Pilot screamed as he held out his hand and summoned his most powerful spell. A bright blue arrow materialized and shot towards the swarm of creatures, knocking them out of the air and onto the ground. The creatures screeched in pain and began to retreat, leaving Pilot standing victorious inside of his tree prison. Pilot stood there, breathing heavily, and looking at the creatures' retreat.

It didn't matter how many times these creatures attacked him, each time they fled they left him feeling stronger than ever, and it had never happened before.

He turned around and saw the mother sitting on a seat across from him. Her hands intertwined together and a soft smile on her lips as she looked up at him proudly.

"If you failed you would have become one with the tree my dear Pilot,"

She told him with pride, "Now get some rest. We shall meet tomorrow morning. Do not fear - I do not wish to hurt you anymore."

With that she rose up, waved her hand, and vanished into nothingness. As Pilot collapsed onto the floor of the hollow tree he heard his heart pound harder. That night, Pilot stayed awake, trying to grasp every moment of the last hours that he lived, and the future which was bound to greet him.