Chapter 7 - The Kate`.

When I woke the next morning, I could feel a lump at the foot of my bed.
“What…?” The events of last night came back to me. “Oh, Apiia.”
I looked over. “Apiia!” Apiia had doubled in size overnight. I pulled my feet out from underneath her, waking her in the process.
“Come on. It’s a big day today. I have my WiKate`, then we have to get going.” I dressed in the ceremonial WiKate` robes that Sensa had left for me. I also put a wreath of flowers in my hair at Sensa’s instruction.
“Do everything that they tell you too, and avoid speaking. A Students WiKate` is usually performed in silence.” Sensa commanded me. When I was perfect to her inspection, Sensa led me to where the WiKate` was to be performed. It was a little circle of trees, just outside of the village. I entered the circle and saw three Witches standing there. They all wore dark cloaks with their hoods pulled up. I sighed inwardly. I knew this would be hard.
“Amile Rosna of the Humans, student of Sensa of the Anthro. The day of your Kate` is here. Are you ready?” The witch in the middle spoke. I nodded my assent.
The witch on the left stepped forward. “Firstly, you will be tested on your healing skills.”
I nodded again.
“Come forth.” The witch called out. I started forward, but she put her hand out to stop me. I stopped, puzzling as to why she had called me forward, and then told me to stop. But then the answer walked in. ‘The answer’ was five Anthro with sickness or injury.
“You must heal all five of my fellow Anthro. Perfectly.”
I swallowed, and then motioned for the first to come forward. I could se that she had broken one of the bones in her lower arm – badly. I touched her arm, and she visibly winced. I smiled what I hoed to be a reassuring smile. Then I concentrated. I saw in my mind the bones setting straight, and the muscle tissue repairing. When I opened my eyes there was not even a hint that anything had happened. The next three patients were, for want of a better word, easy. I came to the last one and the witch stated that he had the eye-disease. He was blind. I put three fingers on each side of his head, near his eyes. It took me much longer to fix his eyes than it had for me to heal all of the four others. When at last his eyes flickered open and he looked me in the eye, did I stop.
“Well done.” The first witch stepped back into line, and the middle witch, the one who had spoken to me earlier, stepped forward.
“Amile of the Humans. You have passed your first test. Now, it is time for your battle magic conductor.”
The second witch indicated to a small table over to my left.
“On this table are: a simple wooden wand, a small dagger, a Sikaan, and a knife. You will put your hand on each in turn. Whichever responds most effectively will be the conductor that has chosen you.”
I nodded, and stepped over to the table. I picked up the wand, and waved it. Nothing happened. I put the wand down and picked up the dagger. I waved it and a slight breeze picked up the leaves from the ground and twirled them around us. I put the dagger down and picked up the knife, which responded little more than the wand did. I put it down, feeling sure that the dagger would be my conductor. Then I picked up the Sikaan. For a moment it seemed like time stopped. I held the Sikaan out in of m. I swiped it through the air, fighting someone invisible, watching in awe as bursts of flame escaped from my Sikaan.
“The Sikaan is your power channel.” The middle witch intoned, making the rest of the instruments disappear. He stepped back, and the third witch stepped forward.
“Time to test your battle skills.” She said shortly. Her voice was familiar. Unlike the other witches, this one threw back her hood and revealed her face. It took me a second to register the familiar features. It was Sensa. My mouth fell open in surprise. She drew out her dagger, and shot a bolt of lightning towards me. I deflected it, and then shot a billow of blue fire towards her. She dissipated it. The back – and – forth of my test went on for about an hour. By then, I was exhausted. I stopped to take a breath. As I did, Sensa sent a surge of water at me, knocking me off my feet. Sensa stood over me.
“You pass.” She walked over to the other witches. “You have passed both tests, and chosen your power conductor. You may go now.”
I got up, dusting myself off. Once the first two witches had left, Sensa came over.
“Are you okay?” she exclaimed.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I wondered where you’d gone.”
“I wasn’t allowed to tell, I swear.”
“I know, don’t worry.”
“Lets go see how Brach’s BaKate` went.”
“Why not?” I looked down at my now muddy robes. “But I’m going to get changed first.”
“When we arrived back at Sensa’s hut, we found Brach already there.
“Hey. How’d your WiKate` go?”
“I passed.” I grinned at Sensa. “And your BaKate`?”
“I beat Chief Cifilo.” A proud smile beamed from Brach’s face.
“Wow! Brach, that’s great!” I smiled, but I was slightly unhappy inside. I glanced around the familiar room, knowing that we had to leave it soon.

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