TCO: Chapter Fifteen

Before Malik continued further with the lesson, Syam interrupted the class to speak to him. Malik invited the warriors to look around the room on his way out of the classroom door. At the doorway, he turned and stared intently at the fireplace built into a wall on the south side of the room. Silver light flashed through his gaze and flames appeared instantly along the wood in the grate.

"You will have to forgive me if it gets too warm or too cool in here," he explained. "Star wizards have no response to the temperature of the surrounding environment, so remind me if you are cold. I'm too old to remember." He smiled before closing the door behind him.

The warriors began talking as soon as the door shut.

"A star wizard? Are you kidding? I've only vaguely read about them in stories, so I had to ask," said Jarek.

"A crazy star wizard," said Brogan, giving an involuntary shudder. "He scares me."

The others laughed.

"Look at this place," Lorcan added, his eyes scanning the entire room. "Seems someone could spend an entire year or more in here and still not learn everything."

The warriors chatted for several more moments before Malik re-entered the room and sat once more. "Let's continue," he said as the warriors took their seats. "You have now heard an account from San Brogan of when a light warrior used power beyond their own awareness of that power. However, we didn't elaborate on how this could happen. How could a warrior remain unaware of his power and still utilize it?"

His question was met with silence.

"Many of you are close to the answer I am sure. In fact," Malik scratched his beard, "I am positive some of you've already had this experience, for it is not uncommon for a light warrior to unexpectedly learn of a unique ability during childhood that they were previously unaware of."

Gyan racked his brain, thinking back to his childhood, but he could not remember any situation in which he had used a special ability he did not know about. He gave up trying to sort through his thoughts, finding it hard to focus on anything other than the fact that a star wizard was sitting before him.

Danika slowly put her hand in the air.

"Yes, San Danika?"

"I don't exactly know the answer to why we can perform powerful skills before we are aware of them, Sir Malik, but I have used an ability I wasn't aware of before…when I was a child."

"You have?" Hoshi asked.

"Yes, I just didn't believe it was unusual until now," Danika whispered to Hoshi, her voice barely audible. "It happened when I was eleven."

"Explain to everyone, San Danika," Sir Malik stated loudly, causing Danika and some of the others to jump.

The warriors laughed.

Danika cleared her throat as her face flushed. "Yes, of course. I was saying it happened when I was eleven. I was outside playing in some trees behind our home, and my dán called for me to come and help him cook the evening meal. I remember not wanting to go because I wanted to play. So…I willed the trees to hide me. I closed my eyes and wished with all my might that dán would not see me. When I opened them, he was walking straight to me, still calling my name, but he just kept going until he walked right past—"

"He never saw you?" interrupted Jarek, looking skeptical.

"No." Danika shook her head. "At first, I thought something was wrong with him because I was in his line of sight at the time. Then, I believed that I had only imagined that it happened until I tested the trick by hiding from my sister out in the dalia fields."

"You disappeared in front of her?" Gyan asked.

"Not directly because I didn't want to scare her. It didn't happen much, but I have sometimes willed myself to become invisible after we began a game. When I did, none of my siblings could find me even when I stood directly before them." Danika shrugged. "I just thought it was a natural ability all light warriors must develop at some point."

"I do believe, San Danika, that you found your charisma," stated Malik.

"My what?"

"Your charisma."

"Her charm?" Lorcan asked in confusion.

Some of the others chuckled.

Malik smiled. "Although this term is used to represent personality flare or charm in the common tongue, San Lorcan, it is a label that also represents a unique ability among the light warriors. Many warriors are born with a gift of power during their incarnation. Jalena's charisma, as Shamira and she discovered during the explosion on the Xita-7, is the ability to direct and utilize another's energy."

"So, the rest of us do not have the ability to become invisible?" asked Aderes.

"Not necessarily, San Aderes. Although it is possible for some warriors to have similar charismas, many of you will have a different one. Your differences promote balance between you, which is a necessity in order to reach your optimal power." He turned to the rest of the class. "Has anyone else experienced a moment in which a unique talent appeared?"

"Well, I don't know if this is natural for twin warriors or not, Sir Malik, but Valora and I run faster when we run together than we do apart. We used to time the difference when we were younger," said Brogan.

"I feel stronger when I am training next to Brogan than when we are separated also," Valora added.

"It appears as if your charismas are linked and expressed through your connection to each other," said Malik, nodding. "It is likely due to similarities in your vibration that are united when you use your abilities. We cannot be sure of how extensive your light warrior gifts as twins are, for although there are other warrior twins written about in history, you are the only ones who have incarnated as light warriors."

"Who were the others?" asked Brogan.

"I'll leave that up to you to learn of their story on your own, San Brogan. In fact, I would encourage all of you to research the story of the twin sisters in your own time, as their story was vital to creating a peaceful era in Yevani and is an important catalyst to the expansion of the Light Warrior Order.

"Concerning charismas, understand that many are simply expressed through having exceptional skill in one area of your training," continued Malik. "You will feel as if the knowledge and use of that skill is second nature to you. If I am not mistaken, San Lorcan, I believe yours is demonstrated through swiftness and agility. I think your ability will even improve further with extended training."

Lorcan gave Malik a slight nod.

Malik turned to Hoshi. "San Hoshi, based on my conversations with Master Jabari, I am certain your charisma is utilized through the use of weapons or objects."

Hoshi nodded in agreement. She was well known for using her weapons in ways the other warriors did not think of. Aderes and Jarek occasionally expressed their frustration at not being able to outmaneuver her when using weapons to spar, often claiming that she was cheating somehow after she won consecutive matches during training.

"As for the rest of you," Malik stated as he looked at the other warriors in turn, "you must simply have no charisma." He paused before his serious face broke into loud bouts of laughter.

The warriors exchanged worried expressions, some looking at Malik in horror as he continued to chuckle.

"Only kidding…mmm…I'm sure all of you are very charming, indeed," he said, smiling, "and that you also possess a charisma. If you have not learned of yours, it does not mean that you are without one. In fact, I don't recall a light warrior who hasn't had one. Do not be concerned if yours has yet to appear. Your charisma will reveal itself when the time is ready.

"For now, however, concentrate once more on our former question. How can we use an ability, charisma or otherwise, that we are unaware of?" Malik repeated.

"Wouldn't we have to be aware of it on some level for it to even exist?" Gyan asked.

"Ah! Right you are, San Gyan the philosopher!" Malik stated loudly, causing some of the warriors to jump again.

Hoshi giggled.

Gyan smiled. He supposed he would have to become comfortable with everyone thinking of him in that way. He was quickly understanding that there wasn't much information about the san warriors that the masters kept from each other. It seemed as if members of the Order knew much more about the sans than the sans knew about the Order.

"But if I mentally cannot perceive the ability, where does the awareness of the ability come from?" Malik probed further.

"I imagine from the unconscious, or…from someplace that holds understandings not thought about, but that we still have access to," said Gyan.

"Excellent. Your mental ability is not the only tool useful for understanding or interpreting information about your environment. All cells or components of your body are aware of your surroundings at all times," Malik pointed to his head, "even if you are not consciously aware. This is how Master Jalena was able to protect herself and Shamira when the Xita-7 exploded. Even though she was asleep when the explosion occurred, Jalena was still aware of her surroundings and reacted just in time. In the moment that her abilities were needed, she woke fully and directed Shamira's energy, as well as her own, to teleport them out of danger."

Malik stood and began pacing in front of the group.

"A life-threatening situation, or…" he nodded pointedly at Danika, "…an intense desire, can often spark the initial use of one's charisma or incredible use of power. These abilities form within a zone of energy that allows pure acknowledgment of power without the disruption of insecurity or doubt, or any other interference of the mind, for that matter. In a situation where your desire is stronger than your doubt, as what happens often in an emergency, warriors and even those who are not light warriors become capable of great feats.

"Because of this, as warriors, you must trust in your abilities; you must become familiar with knowingyour power rather than believing that its existence is only a possibility. When there is no doubt, there is no interference, and then, light sans, your solution, whether the form it is meant to take, will arrive the moment you desire it."

"He was brilliant," remarked Valora as she and Gyan walked to the temple dining hall after class. Gyan nodded in agreement, somewhat still in awe that they were being taught by a real star wizard.

"Are you kidding? That old wizard is a nutcase," said Hoshi from behind Valora and Gyan. "Shouting and then laughing at his own jokes like he is the only one in the room."

"Nutcase or genius…" replied Gyan with a grin, "…are the two ever really far apart?"