I think that I can finish Wild Born by the start of this summer and get most of Hunted when school starts. Like, follow, and leave a review! :)
On her way to the training room, almost every single person Meilin passed stared at her.
"Welcome to the club" Rollan said
Some covertly, some unashamedly gawking. Conversations stopped in mid-sentence when she came into view, and once she passed, whispers followed her. The few who didn't stare sent her careful glances or self conscious waves and nods, which were almost more telling. Rollan was right. The Greencloaks had heavy expectations of her.
"You hear that!" Rollan shouted "I was right!" "Sure" Meilin said "now settle down."
Meilin entered the wide and airy room and found Conor waiting with his wolf. The training area looked almost too large — much bigger than the practice space she had used with the masters back home. She guessed the vaulted ceiling was meant for Greencloaks with winged beasts. "Glad to see you," Conor said, rubbing his arm self consciously. "I was starting to worry I'd come to the wrong place." "I got a message with my breakfast," Meilin said. "They asked me to report here with Jhi as soon as I finished." Conor nodded. "Me too. I could hardly eat after the note. I can't, um, I don't know my letters very well, so I had to get help to read it."
"But now you know how" Abeke said smiling
Conor reddened. "Did it sound like a test to you?" "Some kind of assessment." Conor glanced at Briggan, then back at Meilin. "I guess Jhi is on your hand?"She seems to prefer it much of the time." Conor nodded, then seemed very aware that he had run out of things to say. Crouching, he stroked Briggan. Meilin watched him avoid her gaze. He was a simple boy, baseborn, uneducated, yet in one important way he was her peer — he had summoned one of the Four Fallen. Why him? Could it be random chance? If so, why her? Would random chance select someone as prepared for leadership as herself? Rollan entered the room, the falcon on his shoulder. "Am I late?" Conor looked up, relief stamped on his face. "Glad you're here." Some quiet understanding passed between them. What had she missed? Had they discussed her in private? With Zhong under attack, she didn't want to spend any time worrying about such trivial things — but she couldn't help it, and that annoyed her. "Nobody else has shown up yet?" Rollan asked. "Not yet," Conor said. Rollan scanned the weapons held in racks against the walls: swords, scimitars, knives, spears, polearms, axes, staves, and clubs. "Are we going to fight to the death?"
"Really?" Abeke said "Fight to the death? Like the Hunger Games?"
"Nothing that exciting," Tarik said, entering the room with two other men and a woman. All three wore green cloaks and were new to Meilin. They paid rapt attention to Essix and Briggan. "We evaluate all new recruits to gauge their abilities." Rollan looked at the other Greencloaks. "Who are your friends?" "Observers," Tarik answered calmly. "They'll assist you as needed. Pay them little mind. I just want to put each of you through a few exercises." "Finally," Rollan grumbled, "somebody to stare at us." The two men crossed to Conor and Rollan. The woman approached Meilin. She was thick but not flabby, and had a no-nonsense look about her. "Meilin, could you produce Jhi?" Tarik asked. Meilin focused her attention on the simple tattoo on the back of her hand. When her interest was elsewhere, she hardly noticed the mark. But now she could perceive warmth beneath the image, a vague presence. She mentally called to Jhi, imagined a door opening, and then with a flash the tattoo vanished and Jhi appeared. "Well done," Tarik complimented. "Some who have newly learned to use the passive state struggle to release their animals. You did that swiftly, which is important.
"Because of the Bile" Rollan reminded everyone
While passive, your spirit animal cannot aid you." Meilin gave a nod and a modest smile. Although accustomed to praise, she was not entirely immune to its effects. She noticed the boys, particularly Rollan, watching her enviously. Keeping her eyes on Tarik, she pretended not to care. "Please allow your escorts to blindfold you," Tarik instructed. "We're going to test your awareness of your spirit animals without the aid of sight." Meilin held still as the woman placed a blindfold over her eyes. "Do you guys fight a lot with your eyes closed?" Rollan asked.
"Why would you say that outloud?" Meilin asked
Meilin had been thinking the same thing, but she never would have said it. "This will simulate a situation where your spirit animal is out of view," Tarik explained patiently, as if the question had not been meant to rattle him. "Relax and follow instructions." A hand took Meilin by the elbow and led her several paces. With great care, she retained a sense of where she stood in the room. She waited for perhaps a minute. "The animals have all changed position," Tarik announced. "I now challenge each of you to point out the location of your animal. I respectfully ask the animals to keep silent." Meilin strained her senses but could neither hear nor smell anything. She thought about the vague presence she could feel beneath the tattoo when Jhi was in her dormant state, and tried to sense a similar presence around her. Nothing.
"With the Bile you don't really have a connection with your animal" Lenori said "It's more of master and slave"
"Good, Conor. Very close," Tarik said. Meilin kept her face composed but felt disappointed. Could Conor have a stronger connection to his spirit animal than she had to hers?
"Yes" Conor said
He couldn't even use the passive state! Maybe he had made a lucky guess. "I'm sorry, Rollan, you're way off," Tarik said. "But good job, Conor. Briggan is moving and you're tracking him well." Meilin silently ordered Jhi to make herself known. From the start, Jhi had obeyed her requests, but Meilin still felt nothing.
"Obeyed?" Lenori said "No, It's about partnership"
"Meilin," Tarik said, "if you're unsure, rely on your instincts." She didn't want to point randomly, but maybe Tarik was giving her a hint. Maybe her awareness of her creature was something felt only at an instinctive level. That might explain why Conor was good at it — she doubted his problem would be too much thought. Following a whim, Meilin extended a finger to the right. "Not even close, Meilin," Tarik said, with a touch of humor in his tone. Meilin pointed to the left. "Better, but still far off," Tarik reported. Meilin had to work to keep her expression neutral. What sort of absurd contest was this? She silently demanded for Jhi to reveal herself. Once again, she sensed nothing. "Not bad, Rollan," Tarik said. "Not good, but you're doing too well for it to only be chance. Conor, you're a natural at this." Meilin tried not to feel flustered. She had never attempted to sense Jhi like this. Had the boys practiced? Probably. "Care to try one more time, Meilin?" Tarik asked. She pulled off her blindfold. "I feel nothing." She looked to where Jhi strolled near one wall of the training area, led by an escort. "It's not unusual," Tarik told her. Meilin watched Conor's finger follow Briggan, staying on the animal even when the wolf reversed direction. Essix flew around overhead. Rollan seemed to be able to identify which half of the room the bird was in, but not much else.
Everyone chuckled
"How can I improve?" Meilin asked. "You can already call Jhi to her passive state," Tarik acknowledged, "so earning the trust of your beast does not seem to be the problem. I imagine it will just take time to strengthen your connection. Part of that includes your receptiveness to her." Meilin nodded. Jhi always obeyed her orders, so what had gone wrong? Perhaps Tarik was right. Perhaps the panda was trying. Meilin frowned. Maybe she was the one unable to receive the cues. Aside from Jhi's obedience, they weren't very close. What would it take? Deep affection? Mutual understanding? It was hard to respect such a docile, slow animal. But Jhi was her spirit animal. There would be no other. Meilin knew she had to make it work. "You may remove your blindfolds," Tarik invited. Meilin glanced at the weapons on the walls. The wooden swords were obviously practice gear. Many of the arms looked real, though some of them could be blunted. With or without help from Jhi, Meilin expected she could dominate either of the boys in just about any form of combat.
"You've got that right" Rollan said
Such a demonstration would be satisfying, but would it be wise? Her father had always told her to keep her abilities private so she could surprise adversaries in times of need. "Next we'll try a physical exercise," Tarik announced. "All three of you will go to the far wall." He indicated the wall he meant. "You'll run across the room and touch this other wall as high as you can, then run back and strike the suspended bag with all your might. Ask your animals to enhance your efforts in any way they can. Meilin surveyed the canvas bag hanging from a beam near the far wall. Suspended by a chain, the bulging sack was taller than her and looked heavy.
"That sounds fun" Abeke said
"Will we do it at the same time?" Meilin asked. "Yes," Tarik said. "The first to reach the bag will strike it first, and so forth. We'll evaluate your speed, the height of your leap, and the force with which you hit the bag. Go ahead and take a moment with your animals." Meilin approached Jhi. The panda sat on her hind legs and watched her serenely. Jhi licked one of her paws. The relaxed attitude did little to boost Meilin's confidence. "Can you help me with this?" Meilin asked. "Can you give me extra speed? Extra energy? I've never felt that from you. This might be a good time to start." The panda cocked her head as if mildly perplexed. Look," Meilin whispered harshly. "Every minute we are stuck here in training is another minute that my father and his army have to struggle without us. I know you have power — you're a Great Beast. So I need you to help me, because every delay helps our enemy. Do you understand? We're not playing a game here. We are at war."
"You don't have to yell at Jhi" Lenori said "I didn't I whispered yelled" Meilin said "Same thing" Lenori said
Did Meilin sense a degree of understanding in that unblinking silver gaze? Or was it imagined? The boys were heading to the wall, so Meilin trotted to join them. Her body was in good condition. Even though it had been a few weeks since a formal training session with the masters, she had engaged in regular routines while traveling to maintain her reflexes and endurance. The boys were taller, but she wasn't slow, and she knew how to deliver vicious blows. Briggan paced along one of the side walls, watching the three with a predator's intensity. Essix flew up to roost on the beam above the suspended bag. Jhi sat where Meilin had left her, looking on silently. Rollan smirked at her. "Did you have to run much in your palace?"
"Palace?" Abeke said "I thought you didn't live in a palace."
"I didn't live in a palace," Meilin replied. It was true, although she realized her home would probably look like a palace to Rollan or Conor. Assuming it still stood. "T run fine," Conor volunteered. "I haven't done it much lately. How about you, Rollan?" "Orphans have to run well," he replied. "A slow orphan ends up in jail." "Weren't you just in jail?"
"Ooh," Conor said "Burn"
Meilin asked innocently. "Are you ready?" Tarik called. One Greencloak observer stood by them against the starting wall. Another was positioned by the wall where they would jump. And the third waited near the hanging sack. All three kids touched the wall behind them. "Get ready," Tarik said. "And... go!" Meilin pushed off and ran as fast as she could. In her mind, she asked Jhi for greater speed, feeling somewhat ridiculous. It was hard to imagine extra speed coming from the sluggish panda. With swift spirit animals, Conor and Rollan had more cause for faith. Meilin ran well, but as she approached the wall for the jump, Rollan was a few paces ahead, and Conor was about even with her. The dash felt like nothing beyond a regular sprint. Meilin considered the jump. If the boys tried to leap high, it might slow their turn. If she focused instead on turning around quickly, she might gain ground and perhaps make it first to the hanging bag. Then again, if the jump counted for a third of her score, a weak jump might guarantee last place even if she hit the bag hard. Ahead of her, Rollan slowed a little and jumped, slapping the wall as high as he could. It was a respectable jump, but nothing extraordinary.
"Hey" Rollan said "Nothing extraordinary?" "It wasn't that impressive" Meilin said
Meilin decided to go for it. As she leaped, Meilin felt a strange surge of energy, and kicked off the wall to increase the height of her jump. Conor sprang beside her, and although he was taller, she slapped the wall higher. After landing she turned and ran hard. Conor was behind her now. Rollan was a good four paces ahead and going strong. A piercing howl cut through the room. Briggan. Though Meilin tried to ignore the noise, goosebumps rose on her arm. Conor streaked past Meilin and passed Rollan as well. He reached the bag several steps ahead of Rollan, jumped, and slammed into it with his shoulder. He rebounded roughly, spinning to the floor, and the bag only jounced a little.
"Umm," Abeke said "Ouch"
Meilin realized she needed to take care how she hit the bag. It was clearly heavy. She would treat it like she was striking a wall. Rollan threw a punch at the bag as he ran by. The bag absorbed the impact as if it were nothing. At least Conor had moved it. Begging for energy from Jhi, Meilin left the ground and kicked with both legs. The massive bag swayed with the impact, but not a lot. She broke her fall with her hands and rose to her feet, panting. "Are you all right, Conor?" Tarik asked. He rose gingerly, rubbing his shoulder. "I'm okay." "You might have warned us it was full of rocks," Rollan complained, massaging his wrist."Sand," Tarik clarified. "Thoughts?" Not much beyond their natural talents," the female Greencloak said. "Except toward the end of Conor's run," one of the other Greencloaks pointed out. "How did that feel?" Tarik asked. "When Briggan howled?" Conor asked. "I don't know — it was like I had the wind at my back. I felt more aggressive. I wasn't planning to ram the sack, but it felt right." He grimaced. "Until I hit it."
Everyone laughed
The Greencloak near the jumping wall spoke up. "Meilin may have had a little boost when she jumped." "Did you feel it, Meilin?" Tarik asked. "Maybe a little," she replied. "To be honest, I mostly felt on my own." "If the panda had helped, she would have gone slower," Rollan joked. "You certainly punched like a bird," Meilin shot back. "It was hard as a feather."
Everyone laughed again
"Whoa," Rollan said, raising both hands. "Better not pick on the panda." "No squabbling," Tarik ordered. "Your relationships with your animals are individual in nature. This isn't a contest. I mainly wanted to make each of you more aware of your spirit animal and how you might learn to help one another." Meilin fought a stab of anger. The training exercises had only emphasized the worthlessness of her relationship with Jhi. If this was all the panda had to offer, she had made a huge mistake leaving Zhong. How could she have abandoned her father and her homeland for this? "Are we done?" Conor asked. Tarik exchanged nods with the other Greencloaks. "We've seen enough for now." "What does it look like when you hit the bag?" Rollan challenged. Tarik glanced at the other Greencloaks, then at the kids. "You'd like a demonstration?" Meilin sighed softly. The last thing she wanted after her lackluster showing was to watch an expert in action. But the boys encouraged him. With a flash, a sleek otter appeared. Rollan choked back a laugh. "Your spirit animal is an otter?"
"You had to make fun of Lumeo?" Abeke said
"Lumeo is more clown than beast," Tarik explained. The otter rolled into a series of acrobatics, its long body twisting and twirling like the tail of a kite. Conor clapped. "All right," Tarik told his beast indulgently. "We all know you're the biggest showoff here. Do you mind lending me some help for a moment?" The otter jolted upright to attention and then watched as Tarik walked to the wall where the others had started their race. Meilin gasped when he started running. Nobody could accelerate so quickly! When he reached the wall, he kicked against it three times, gaining altitude with each step, before slapping a spot more than twice as high as anyone else had reached. As he fell, Tarik pushed off from the wall, did a backflip, and landed running. When he reached the hanging bag, his punch made it leap and quake. Then he turned away from the swinging bag. "Amazing!" Conor said.
"You are always easy to impress, Conor" Meilin said
Rollan clapped as well, and gave a whistle. Meilin decided she had better offer some applause or she would look like a poor sport. The display really had been quite impressive. She would never have guessed that the tall warrior could move with such speed and agility. Tarik extended a hand to his otter. "Lumeo deserves the accolades. Without him, I could not have done any of that. We're a team, just as you are with your animals. Explore that connection, and you will be rewarded."
"Impressive," Meilin conceded. "But I feel like we're getting distracted. Zhong is under attack. People are dying. Who knows how many cities have fallen by now? I've come a long way in good faith, but I'm starting to wonder how my presence in Amaya is helping the war in Zhong. When will we learn what you Greencloaks want from us? I didn't cross Erdas to run races and kick sacks of sand." "Soon," Tarik promised. "Olvan is finalizing his plans. You three have no idea how vital you are. We have to use you correctly. And you must try your best to be ready." Tarik and the other Greencloaks departed. Meilin avoided further conversation with Conor and Rollan by heading directly to Jhi, who had rolled over onto her back, legs splayed out ridiculously. "Let's go back to our room," she told the panda. Jhi looked up expectantly. Meilin raised her hand. "You want a lift? Guess what? As a reward for all your help, you get to walk today."
"Why do you have to be so mean to Jhi?" Abeke said "I was mad" Meilin said
Meilin started toward her room, not caring whether the panda followed or not.
"Ok, who's next?" Abeke asked
"I'll go" Olvan said as Abeke passed him the book
Chapter eight. The Island
Abeke groaned "Great this one"