Fang's mind was no longer within his body, he was in a sort of Limbo, where Winter Moon's words registered, but the only sound that would tell of it was a slight groan, and then Fang would start to repeat the words of Night Eyes, as if in a trance.
"Porta of mens, tribuo mihi obvius ut porta of animus...Porta of mens, tribuo mihi obvius ut porta of animus...Porta of mens, tribuo mihi obvius ut porta of animus..." The words just seemed to flow from the monk in training's mouth. The inflection wasn't there, but if one could see within Fang's mind, they could tell his focus and concentration was completely on keeping the spell under control, and any effects of it.
All his years of training, and it had all come down to a test of courage, preceding his ultimate challenge of focus. The irony was, Fang would have no time to enjoy either victory...The Focus test came right after the Courage, and if he passed his test of Focus, he would find himself almost instantly being ushered back to his room to rest, and then...what? He knew that most students were reassigned, given their life's work, if they passed to their Master's satisfaction. But Fang had two Masters, so he would have to impress both of them...And that would mean defeating Death himself, and pulling a soul back to the realm of the living....
Could he do it? Could he really fight and defeat Death?