Chapter 37

If you want to read ahead or read other novels on the work go and check https://www.patreón.com/cornbringer

My flu is getting better, aka disappearing.

Love ya!

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•Your name is…. @&$!$• The Truth said... and one thought clouded my mind, what the fuck does that means….

"I don't understand that," I smiled awkwardly at the mighty spirit.

•You don't have to understand it… a soul's name is sometimes only known to me….• The Truth stated, •Now… it's time for you to go… Gaia the Mother of Life is growing impatient… well... they are growing impatient.... good luck with their test… for life is not always easy,•

"Fuck…" I muttered as I once again lost consciousness.

•Go to the other side of the forest if you want to pass… that's all it takes•

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As my body slowly woke up. I immediately noticed something wrong… very wrong… super wrong. Though I still didn't know what exactly was out of place.

Taking a deep breath, I rolled around trying to move my arm. Finding what was wrong… …. my arm didn't listen to me… it felt weird.

Come on, just move I encouraged my arm. It still wouldn't move. I groaned as I opened my eyes to see what was keeping my arm from moving. What I saw surprised me greatly.

Taking another deep breath, I whipped my head around left and right, trying to find out where I was and what was wrong. It was when my head continued past the point it was supposed for the fourth time that I noticed.

Huh… since when I have owl powers?....

Deciding to test that again, I carefully turned my head as far as it would go in both directions. And yes… I had an owl neck apparently, going all the way back to my OMG.

Breath Akira…. Breath….

Let's check the facts… one…. I have a weird neck… and my back...

My back was made out of water…. Well to be precise…feathers made out of water. Great….

Haha! What's next? A beak…. God please no...

Crossing my eyes to check that taunt to the Murphy Law I had just invoked… I discovered I did in fact have a peak. A pitch black hawk beak. On my face….

What type of fucking test was this shit! Who the fucks makes someone a bird… to learn about life… god… these spirits make no sense.

My water wings ruffled in annoyance. As I… skipped through the forest… maybe this was a quest to appreciate my human body...

As I walked, I felt something spying me through the bushes… I narrowed my eyes at the spot. Suddenly two dots appeared in front of me. Just floating there… menacingly.

A… the fuck is that… is a predator isn't it...

As if answering my question, teeth filled my vision as the creature leapt from the bushes. "Shit!!!" I shouted in surprise, avoiding the attack with ease.

In front of me stood what could only be described as a shadow wolf wearing a mask, literally that a fucking wolf made out of shadows.

I kinda feel like a Pokémon now….

The wolf lunged once more and I dodged once again, the wolf seemed to take pleasure in the fact I was fighting back. Trying to end this charade I tried to attack him with water bending… and surprise… I had no water bending.

No bending… no human body to fight… and a massive size difference… awesome, gotta love Gaia.

Well… if I can't fight it… I can certainly… avoid death… perhaps.

Now that I knew I was vulnerable, all I could focus was… on the needle sharp, saliva dripping maw that wanted to consume to consume me.

I continued to avoid the big shadow wolf for a while… but in the end… the shadow wolf proved to be the superior predator… and sank his sharp teeths into my body. Killing me…

It's weird to feel how life fades away… it's impossible to describe the pain… and relief that one feels during this.

But instead of actually dying, I woke up once again… where I had woken up as a big water hawk.

-D-Didn't I just die?! Yes… yes I did… how can I be… focus… this is another mind trick… there has to be a way out.

With that in mind, I decided to… try another approach… maybe flying would do the trick… I was a bird now… and for the duration of this test, I had to think like one.

Birds don't walk through infested predator forests… no, they fly.

Easier said than done… while getting off the ground was easy… controlling my wings was… harder.

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Two hours later… and one hundred cranial contusions, I was ready to fly… and I couldn't help but smirk when I passed the spot the wolf was supposed to be.

Inwardly praising myself, for the genius idea.

I am a —— pain struck me like a lightning… and all of the sudden, I was falling down like a dead goose… a glowing arrow protruding from my watery chest…

Someone had shot me… fuck me sideways…

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Once again, I woke up in the same —-FUCKING —- spot.

So flying and walking doesn't work… maybe swimming? If I recall correctly there isn't anything big enough in a forest river to eat a hawk.

And just my luck… as I was flying before the arrow struck me down, I had noticed a river nearby…

Walking to the river was easy… and swimming was also easy… perks of having my wings and body being out of water.

Now… all I have to do… is get to the other side… and end this lovecraftian nightmare.

•Run and die!• A deep voice accompanied by a growl, shouted…. the wolf.

"Fuck!"

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The endless cycle of me trying to avoid the mysterious marksman and the wolf repeated itself hundreds of times.

Everything I tried… would be countered by those two one way or another… in the end, the result was the same… me dying… over and over again.

"I am done…" I chuckled bitterly, "Fuck the test! I don't want the gift! Is like trying to eat healthy in McDonalds… impossible!"

•Do you choose the teeth…?• A soothing voice asked, stalking me like a prey from behind a tree.

I didn't even notice the weird entity getting there…

•Or the arrow?• A voice deep and hungry whispered in my ear, it was the wolf… standing behind me.

"Does that even matter," I laughed, "Isn't the result going to be the same? Me dying?"

•You are right… in the end… it doesn't matter… the end result is the same…. for death is unavoidable...• The calm and soothing voice said, from behind the tree.

•You have learned the truth of death… you have passed...• The wolf growled, annoyed.

•Fret not dear wolf… we will hunt him… when his time comes...• The other entity stated.

A wolf… arrows… death? "You are Kindred…." I stated.

•Yes… we are…• the wolf growled his answer, •Never one….•

•Without the other...• The still physically unknown entity completed the sentence.

•That's right dear Lamb… that's right….• The wolf laughed.

"So… can I go now?" I asked them.

•You passed the test of life… and death… Gaia decided to leave us to test you… for we are two sides of the same coin… now… you must meet he who created the spiritual power… and your body will be complete,• Both wolf and lamb said at the same time.

As I nodded, just wanting to escape the hell I had been forced to live… to learn a lesson I didn't even need… ok… maybe I did… but not like this…. not like this.

•We give you the blessings of life and death… until next time… @&$!$•