The PureLights of Ohm Totem (34 page)

As Zoey fell back, she continued to look at the Zolt and then back at Crepus. He was walking at an arrogantly slow pace. Finally, checking where she was again, she saw that she was mere steps from the Zolt.

She intended to enter the Zolt, ready to roll away, but the Zolt's door was closed. She gasped and looked over her shoulder. She saw that Crepus was still taking his time walking toward them. With each step he pounded his tail against the dirt.

Zoey turned and blew on the Zolt. Nothing happened. She blew again. Nothing moved. “Coda!” she screamed, “I can't get it open.”

Coda stood like a sentinel, about ten yards from her. He was ready to block any attempt that Crepus might make at getting her, though Crepus was still a distance away from them.

San? Where is she?
Zoey spun around, but couldn’t spot her. Then she realized that San was in front of Coda, pushing him with all her might. Coda wasn't budging.

San ordered, “Help me get him to the Zolt.”

Zoey flew over to her brother. Coda's eyes were narrowed at the oncoming dragon. He had Crepus locked in his sights. Coda was clearly ready for action.

Crepus's tongue zig-zagged out of his mouth like a snake, hissing, “Welcome, children.”

Zoey twisted back around, eyeing her brother. Yes, he was in another realm or something, and she had to snap him out of it. She pushed and pushed with everything that she had, but he wouldn't move. He didn't even take a single step backward. She finally let up.

“San!” screamed Zoey. “He isn't moving. Maybe if you get the Zolt open, we—”

Too late.

San screamed. Her wings flailed backwards as Crepus grabbed her, then threw her hard against the tunnel wall. Zoey jumped back as Coda lashed forward, jumping on Crepus. For a moment, Coda had Crepus pinned on the ground until an invisible force pushed Coda upward, slamming him against the ceiling. He bounced off the wall, landing back on his feet, seemingly not fazed. He looked at Zoey, making sure she was okay.

“I wasn't expecting you so soon, San,” said Crepus as he stood on all fours, staring at the spot where she laid. She was limp.

Is she dead?

“Oh, poor, poor San,” said Crepus without any emotion, as he nudged San’s limp body a couple of times with his claws. “I guess it's over for that one.” He glanced at Coda, who stood between Crepus and Zoey. “Are you next?”

Coda responded with a defensive crouch, but was suddenly lifted off his feet again by another invisible force. He smacked against the wall a second time. This time, however, he wasn't so sure-footed on the fall. He hit the dirt floor at an awkward angle, making a loud grunting sound behind clenched teeth. He lay there motionless, just like San.

“Coda!” came a petrified screech from Zoey. He was the one person in Ohm Totem she loved the most. He can't be dead! She went to fly over to him, but her feet felt like they weighed a hundred pounds. She flapped, but didn't lift. She tried harder, but her feet remained planted on the ground.

Then she saw Skint. He stood next to Crepus. They both were glaring at her. Were they holding her down?

Zoey checked for her brother again. Her heart jumped for joy when she saw that he had started to get up. He was dazed and Zoey could tell he didn't know where he was. She was about to yell his name, but her mouth was pinned shut by the invisible force. Suddenly, she felt an even heavier weight pressing on her, and looked back at the squirrel and dragon. Their eyes were malevolent slits as they approached menacingly in her direction.

Her heart pounded as she frantically looked around. She desperately wanted to move, but her feet were suctioned to the cold earth. Her eyes widened when three apes suddenly walked around the corner. They stood behind Crepus and Skint. Two of them looked amused, but one of them, standing slightly a ways off from the others, silently mouthed,
proceed from your heart
.

The instant she read his lips, her body started to tingle and her eyes abruptly closed against her wishes. She saw a large violet ray of light shine in the darkness behind her eyelids. It calmed her, filling her with color. She felt as if she were expanding, floating. She felt wonderful.

She opened her eyes.

Directly in front of her, not more than two paces away, stood the two apes. They were both leaning over, swiping their large arms toward her in an attempt to grab her, but just before they did, she commanded, “Get out of my space!”

And like the sun itself, Zoey beamed a flash of energy at them. It seemed to come from every atom of her body. The apes flew upward and against the ceiling. An instant later, Skint tumbled head over tail across the tunnel as if a ferocious, heavy wind blew him. Crepus, though, remained stationary.

“Good,” Crepus looked around at his fallen comrades. “I like your spirit, child.” He tipped his head to the side. “Guards!”

The two apes rose to their feet and lunged at her. Zoey leaped backwards as their outstretched fingers barely missed her. A terrifying growl filled the air. It was Coda.

He leaped in front of Zoey, clamping hard on an ape's arm. He ducked his head, somersaulting, flipping the ape head over heels. Letting go of his arm, Coda twisted around to see the other ape take a heavy swipe at him. The ape was too slow, allowing Coda to easily dodge the blow. Coda rolled to his right. The ape jumped at him with both hands clenched in a fist. However, Coda jumped higher. He was a step ahead.

He placed both paws on top of the ape’s head, pressing down. The ape plunged to the ground and Coda landed on top of him. With a hasty counterclockwise swirl against the ape’s forehead crystal, the ape went limp. Coda had stunned him. That ape was going to be out for a while.

Zoey watched from a safe distance. She had unknowingly backed up against the side of one of the Zolts. She saw that Coda was just as surprised by his actions as she was.
Did he learn how to stun in the Art of Defense classes?

Zoey gasped and yelled, “Watch out!”

Coda leaped to the side as an ape pounded a double-handed punch against the ground a whisker length away, just missing Coda. Coda was suddenly lifted off the ground by that same unknown force. It hurled him to another wall. Zoey could see that Coda was flying through the air at a speed that would surely kill him.

Coda closed his eyes tight, expecting the worst. Zoey screamed. She was about to lift off when Coda suddenly stopped two head lengths away from the wall. Then he floated gently to the ground.

“Enough!”

Zoey, startled by the familiar voice, turned around.

Nova stood a few bird lengths from Zoey. Next to her were Numee, Taregan, and that badger fellow that sat at the entrance of Marble Burrow.

Nova bowed formally to Zoey, and then walked toward Crepus. He let out a disgusted snort, and then gave a mocking bow. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

Coda eased over to Zoey, rubbing his cheek against her feathers. “Are you okay?”

Zoey simply nodded, not taking her eyes from Nova, who was followed by her three companions. Zoey suddenly felt safe, but then remembered her fallen friend, San. Safe wasn't the right word. A deep sadness plucked at her. She hadn't known San for very long, but she was a good friend and tried to keep them out of harm's way. A tear welled up in her eye. Her gut felt empty.

“Crepus,” replied Nova curtly.

Skint scurried next to Crepus, his head hanging low. He'd been caught red-handed. He was working for Crepus.

Nova merely glanced at him, dipping her head in greeting as well.

“You're too kind,” said Crepus.

“That's how I live. With kindness,” responded Nova.

Numee, Taregan, and the badger remained calm and quiet, but kept their eyes locked on Crepus.

Crepus's expression contorted. “That's a lie.” His mighty tail swished back and forth in anger. “You give a good act, that's for sure, Nova,” Crepus hissed. “Kindness you say? It was you VioletLights who shunned me, ignored my genius, and tried to destroy any semblance of the wonderful life that I had. You still do!” His eyes were like flames sparking with anger. To Zoey, it seemed like Crepus’s feelings had been hurt, somewhere, somehow. A pain from long ago, perhaps?

Nova sat serenely on her hind legs, wrapping her long tail around her forepaws. “When you blame others, there's no limit to your blame. You're in a pattern, Crepus, blaming everyone and everything for the mistakes you've made. Remember, you create your own reality.” She paused. “Learn from your past, Crepus. Remember what it was like to be a VioletLight.”

She touched her tail to his shoulder. “VioletLights are accountable to no one else but themselves, and because so, they correct their own mistakes in life, and don't expect others to do it for them. VioletLights do what they need to do and require nothing from others. Remember this and all your anger will disappear.”

Crepus closed his eyes, and for a moment Zoey could tell that he enjoyed Nova's touch. The calm moment changed in a flash, however. As Crepus suddenly lashed out, driving his fangs into Nova’s tail. He wrenched his head back, taking a giant chunk out of her tail. Zoey gasped, recoiling in horror as Nova's blood splattered all over Crepus's face. Zoey flew toward Nova. She didn't know what she was going to do when she got there, but Nova needed help anyway.

But something wasn't right. Nova and her companions remained calm.
How could they possibly be peaceful at a moment like this?
Zoey reached Nova and saw that the end of Nova's tail was fine. Mystified, she began to wonder if she was just imagining it all. Crepus’s face told her she wasn’t imagining—blood stained his face and he had a tuft of fur caught in his teeth.

Crepus spat it out, eyeing Zoey. There was emptiness in his eyes.
Was that sadness, too?

“Nova,” Crepus hissed, “one day very soon my power will exceed the skylark's power.” He glowered at Zoey and she shrank away from him.

Zoey suddenly jumped.
What in the world is that?
Above Crepus hovered two shadows. They looked like dark smoke rising behind him, but they were too thick to be smoke. A moment later they disappeared.

Crepus glanced at San and then turned back to Nova. “I must be getting on my merry way.” As he passed the limp cardinal—Zoey's good friend—he grabbed her in his jaws and walked around the corner, disappearing from view. His entourage, including Skint, followed. The last ape, however, looked intently into Zoey's eyes. She could feel his compassion and warmth.

“Who...?” asked Zoey.

“That's Maldwyn of Gwenfree,” replied Nova, before Zoey finished her question. “He was, and apparently, still is a good friend.”

Numee poked her nose into Nova's side, looking over at Coda. Everyone turned to see an exhausted panther lying on the floor struggling to get up. His eyes were half-closed and he looked as if he was trying hard not to fall asleep.

Zoey hurriedly flew over to him. He was breathing rapidly, and his head was jostling back and forth. “Coda?” His eyes locked on her when she said his name, but then drifted away.

The badger reached him next, placing his paws on Coda's stomach. “He's been drained. It's a trick the more advanced Dims do to the PureLights. They drain your energy, taking it for their own. It's a Dark Art.” The badger closed his eyes and his indigo crystals started to brightly glow. In a matter of a few breaths, Coda was standing up, revitalized.

Looking around, he eyed everyone like they were crazy. “Why are you all staring at me like that?”

Numee wrapped her tail around his shoulders. “You've been drained by Crepus. Let's get you back to the tribe.”

Coda shook his head. “Not without San.”

Zoey then remembered. Her friend and roommate. Gone. She wasn't coming back, no matter how hard she wanted her to.

Zoey started to cry. All of her emotions, missing her mom, her dad, almost losing Coda, and now losing her friend flooded in as she wept. She eyed Coda. “She's dead.”

“She can't be. She's right there,” Coda said, pointing behind him with his tail. His tail dropped when he saw that San was gone. “Where is she?”

“Didn't you see?” asked Zoey.

“But, I thought I saw her breathing over there.”

Numee still had her tail wrapped around Coda's shoulder. They started to walk toward the Zolts.

Nova spoke, “Crepus took her life, Coda. We'll honor San when we get back to the Sihu Tribe. Don't worry, you two. This isn't the end for her. In life, there is no end. All she did was change form from the energy of a cardinal, to the energy of her spirit.”

The next day came and went like a blur. Coda had spent most of the day on the beach, and by now the sun was falling to the west, beckoning the night.

Coda heaved a heavy sigh as he sat on the sand, watching the waves crash on the shore. He still felt drained, and couldn't figure out why. He'd been like this all day, no matter how many times Numee placed her paws on him to bring in Prana. He'd get filled up with healthy energy, then quickly fade into the doldrums with low energy.

Crepus had done something to him that he couldn't quite escape.

He leaned on his side, sighing again, feeling the fresh air against his fur. It was the one thing that felt good. He looked around. All of the spirit animals, except for some Wing Watchers, were enjoying the day at the beach.