The PureLights of Ohm Totem (27 page)

Skint whispered his name again. Coda didn't respond. He kept one eye open, doing his best to push the heavy, sleep-deprived eyelids from shutting.

“He's asleep,” said Skint, as if talking to somebody else in the room, but like the last night, no one else was there.

Skint faced the door and quietly blew on it. Coda saw the door open, but fell asleep before he could see it close.

∞

Then, again, something startled him, waking him up. How long had he been asleep? He looked up. Standing over him was Skint. He was snarling, peering closely into Coda's eyes. His eyes revealed a hatred Coda hadn’t seen before.

Skint's red forehead crystal changed into gray and started to fade in and out. For an instant, Coda felt peculiar, as if a heavy weight was descending on him. Then Coda felt a stir in his heart, and almost instantly, Coda felt peaceful. It was as if Coda had somehow flipped a light switch, changing his fear into something else.

Skint's eyes widened in alarm. Coda lifted his head. He somehow knew what Skint was doing and words came out of his mouth that he'd never said before. “Your Dark Arts don't work on me and never have, Skint.”

Skint backed up slowly toward his nest. He trembled in fear, wondering why his trick didn't work. He kept his eyes fixed on Coda until he reached his bed. There he relaxed. His frown melted. “I-I'm sorry, Coda. I-I still h-have s-some D-d-dim left in me.”

Coda nodded with understanding, then closed his eyes, knowing he needn't worry about Skint the rest of the night. Sleepy thoughts drifted through his mind.
Dark Arts? What in the world was I saying? Was he the one who hurt my sister?
Coda fell fast asleep before he could think about it any more.

“Knock-knock,” said a voice, waking Zoey from a heavy sleep. Opening her eyes, she saw San sitting in her nest, smiling at her. “I've never seen someone sleep so long, and so deep. You've been asleep since I got back from training yesterday...” San lifted her wings in the air, “and the moon wasn't even up yet!”

Zoey rubbed her eyes with her wings and yawned. She was still drowsy. “What time is it?” She stretched her wings out and stood up.

“Time?” replied San. “What does that mean?”

Zoey cocked her head. “You don't know what time means?”

San shook her head. “No, I've never heard of it.” San hopped out of her nest, gently landing on the wood floor. “But, you should have seen me yesterday. I wish you had stayed.” Her red crystals glowed brightly as she exclaimed, “I was brilliant!”

San spread her wings and imitated flying. “I was coming this way,” she said as she quickly ran toward the window, then stopped, “and he—my opponent—was coming this way.” She turned around, acting as if she was 'him' flying toward her from the opposite direction. She turned around and twirled. “I spun in a circle and he whizzed right by me! He twisted around and I was ready for him.” Her eyes widened. “Then he tricked me.”

She turned, facing Zoey, who was watching intently. All of this looked exciting, or was it just that San was exciting? Either way, Zoey was rather enjoying the display before her, even though she was still waking up from her long night of sleep.

San put her wings out in front of her. She wiggled the left wing, “This is me.” She wiggled the right wing, “This is him.” Then she brought both wings slowly together and dipped the right wing and said, “He acted as if he was going to go down, so I fell for it.” She dipped the left wing, quickly bringing up the right wing. “He went really high after he faked me out and attempted to come down on me from above.” She shook her head, narrowing her eyes, “I knew what to do, though. I faked him out by making him think I wasn't too sure where he was, but when he was about a wing’s length from me I did a somersault and he missed me again!” She imitated her words with the movements of her wings. She was now above 'him' and her left wing came down on top of her right wing.

Her eyes lit up. “I ended it by landing on top of him and stunning him.” Laughing, she said, “He fell to the ground like a lump of dead leaves.”

“Was he okay?” Zoey asked, with concern.

“Oh yeah. I actually didn't stun him. We haven't learned that yet. He acted as if he was stunned, and he did fall, but landed on his feet just before he hit the ground.”

“Well,” responded Zoey. “Great job, San!” She clapped and San danced in a circle in the middle of the room.

Three abrupt taps at the door stopped the dance cold. They looked at each other as if someone suspicious was about to intrude.

“We don't have all day, children.” It was Taregan’s voice. Zoey realized that they were supposed to be going to training and jumped out of her nest and opened the door. No one was there.

She peered around the doorway, looking at the balcony, thinking that Taregan would be walking around the railing or knocking on someone else's door. He wasn't there. Was it really Taregan, or another spirit animal wanting to drop off another mysterious scroll? She looked to the floor and peered around.

“Remember, Zoey, I can fly. I swooped down here after I knocked. I don't have all day to wait all day and I don't want to be saying this every morning.”

She peeked over the railing. Taregan stood with both wings folded, tapping that foot again. “Let's get going, you two.” He touched his head with his wing. “Is your brain in there or do I have to flap your wings for you?” He gave a wink, but his tone was flat serious.

Huh?
thought Zoey.

San walked over to the railing. “Sorry Taregan, I was just telling her how I beat my opponent yesterday.”

Taregan put both wings on his hips. “You beat someone?”

“Yeah,” her eyes gleamed with pride, “I stunned him.”

“We'll have to define 'beat' when you get down here. Which, by the way, I’m still waiting for!”

Zoey and San looked at each other. San shrugged and hopped onto the railing, then glided down, landing next to Taregen. Zoey followed, landing beside the two. San and Taregan were already in a deep conversation.

“But I did,” said San.

Taregan shook his head, his indigo crystal brightened. “You aren't in the Art of Beating, San. You're in the Art of Defense.” He sighed. “I'm getting very impatient with you and I don't understand why.”

He said to Zoey, “When you get to know me, you'll know that I'm usually a pretty patient bird.” And just as he said this, his expression changed from perturbed to peaceful.

Zoey looked at San. Her expression did the opposite of Teragan's. She went from happy to sad. Her wings drooped. “But I did, though. I beat him.”

Taregan took a deep breath. “I'm sorry, San.” He patted her back. “I lost myself for a moment there.” She lifted up, resuming her usual happy manner. He continued, “The Art of Defense doesn't deal with beating anyone. Beating implies several things such as punishing, violence, forcing something or someone against their will. Now, the Art of Defense,” he leaned in, “which you're taught here in the PureLight Lands, deals with defending your space, your life, and your friends. You do so with the utmost compassion and understanding that you don't hurt, beat, or win anyone or anything.” He nodded to Zoey, and then at San. “You use your opponent's own force against them. Do you both understand?”

Nodding their heads, Zoey and San agreed with the white crane. The lesson over, he called out to everyone, “Okay! Get going!”

Dozens of students stood around. They were waiting to exit the tree. Zoey didn't know how she missed them or missed their chatter. She must have been too focused on Taregan and San.

As they flocked out, Taregan tapped on Zoey's wing. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Taregan mouth the words, “Be careful,” as he indicated to San with his eyes. San's back was to them, so she didn't see Taregan's warning.

Be careful with San? Does he want me to stay away from San? Be careful about what?

Shaking the thought away, Zoey spread her wings and jumped into the air. San was already many yards in front of her, so she flapped hard, doing her best to catch up. When she did, San had her attention on the Snow Tree way up ahead. She was ready for training, seemingly wanting to get to the Deer Meadow as soon as possible. She looked determined.

Zoey was about to say something, but noticed Chev and Coda walking to the meadow. She veered off course, leaving San without a word, gliding just over the top of a pine tree. Its glowing green needles tickled her toes as she eyed her brother and friend below. She smiled as a breeze swept against her feathers, bringing her back to the joy and freedom of flight. It felt so good to fly. For the first time that morning, she saw the blue sky and the sun shining its warmth upon the land. Glancing north, she saw the gray clouds beyond the Fog's borders.
You'll never catch me over there.

“Hey neighbor,” yelled Chev from below.

Zoey saw Chev and her brother looking up at her. From her vantage point, they seemed like small toys. She circled them once, feeling gentle air flowing against her chest, then descended quickly. She untucked her legs and spread her toes, landing nicely on Chev's back.

“Well, I don't mind if you do,” said Chev with a laugh. His trunk lifted high, blaring a loud trumpet sound.

Zoey looked over Chev's large rump, eyeing Coda below. He smiled up at her, saying, “Hey Zo Zo. I'm glad you feel better.”

Feel better?
She frowned,
why is he being so nice to me?
“I'm fine.” She sniffed the air, breathing in the sweet fragrance coming from the meadow a short distance away. “Did Chev tell you what happened?”

Coda looked at Chev, giving a faint look of disgust. “He wouldn't tell me.”

Chev let out a snort. “Ooh, you should have seen your brother. He was ready to take on the whole Dim Lands after I told him that a spirit animal hurt you.”

Inside, Zoey felt a happy tingling sensation fill her small body. She'd never really thought that her brother cared for her, at least not that much. She loved her brother more than anything in the world and she glowed knowing that Coda might feel the exact same about her; even if it was just for a moment.

“Thanks Coda,” she called down.

Coda rolled his eyes. “Yeah.”

Zoey felt a jostle and a bump against her back. Startled, she looked over her shoulder, expecting Chev's long trunk. It was San, grinning, but her eyes weren't the normal, innocent eyes that usually stared into Zoey's. There was a bit of mischief in them. Zoey thought for a moment, wondering how she could see mischief in someone's eyes, but she knew for a fact she saw it there.

The pause between the two was long, until San broke the silence. Her eyes returned to normal as she nudged Zoey with her cheek. “I looked and you were gone.”

“Yeah,” replied Zoey. “I saw these two and wanted to say hi.” Her words were slightly mumbled.

San opened her beak to say something, but whatever it was, it would have to wait as Nova's greeting interrupted them.

“Welcome, you four.”

Zoey looked up to see Nova up ahead of them, standing on the tall green grass with her head held high. She reminded Zoey of a kind queen looking out for her children.

Chev stopped and bowed. “Greetings, Nova.”

“I see you've taken some passengers for a ride,” said Nova.

Zoey could see the meadow just beyond a small strip of trees. There she would see the Snow Tree. She got excited, but quickly became withdrawn.
The Snow Tree doesn't talk to me much, here in Ohm Totem
, she remembered sadly.

“San?” asked Nova, “can you lead Coda to the Snow Tree? I have some things to discuss with Chev and Zoey.”

San bowed as well. “Of course, Nova.” She looked very disappointed, but did her best to hide it. She probably wanted to be the one that Nova wanted to talk to.

San flew off Chev's back and above the trees, heading toward their destination. Coda took a giant leap over a large fern, slightly rustling the top of it with his hind leg, and landed in the meadow. Zoey was shocked to see him leap so far. Coda peered over his shoulder, wondering if the others saw what he just did. He seemed as astonished as Zoey.

“Zoey?” Nova's voice was soft and happy. “I was shown something about you while I was in my quietness last night.”

Quietness?
thought Zoey.

“It's a state of being where you spend several moments sitting in solitude. Well, last night I had a vision. A scene appeared before me.” She paused, making sure Zoey was following her. When Zoey nodded, Nova continued, “The vision showed you walking to the beach with Chev at this very moment of the day.” Nova glanced up at the round sky. “I asked the vision if you were to come back and train after the walk, but that's not what I saw.”

Zoey waited for Nova to keep talking, but there was only silence.

“What did you see?” Zoey finally asked.

“Nothing scary,” assured Nova. She turned and walked toward the meadow, then stopped just before she passed the last line of trees. “Nothing is set in stone, Zoey. Today, however, I ask you to go with Chev. Does that feel right in your heart?”

Zoey didn't feel any twinge of fear. She actually felt a tiny amount of eagerness. She didn't want to sit and listen to another lesson from Nova. It's not that she didn't like Nova, in fact, she felt a love for her. She just wasn't into this Art of Defense stuff.