TCO: Chapter Fourteen

"What is this place?" Gyan asked as Sorda led the warriors down narrow, stone steps beneath the rooms of the temple's east wing after training on the chinálei the next day.

"Sir Malik's classroom."

"Why is it so dark here?" Hoshi spoke from behind Gyan.

"Why is the classroom underground?" Danika asked.

"Ow! Brogan, wait 'til I go, then step down," said Valora.

"Sorry."

"Sir who?" asked Gyan. He couldn't believe there were still more teachers they hadn't met.

"Malik…he will answer all of your questions once you are inside," Sorda said as they reached the bottom of steps. He threw his shoulder against a large wooden door with a ring of metal for the handle. The door didn't budge. "It gets stuck," Sorda explained as he heaved his shoulder against the door again.

The door gave way with Sorda's third attempt, and the warriors filed into a large classroom with walls of gray stone. Torches along the wall and candles placed in different locations instantly lit and burned steadily as soon as the warriors entered.

"Sir Malik will arrive in a moment," Sorda announced before pulling the door shut.

Gyan walked directly to the back of the room where several large paintings of warriors encased in silver and black frames, hung across the wall. Aderes, who had stopped to browse through a dust-covered book entitled Legendary Magical Species, placed the book back on a shelf and walked up beside Gyan.

Except for the back wall, each wall in the classroom was aligned with shelves holding a seemingly endless number of books and multiple scrolls of parchment. Two large tables, hidden beneath stacks of books, were stationed opposite each other near the back of the room. A riser in the middle of one of the tables held a book twice the size of any others in the room. Two white taper candles stood on either side of the riser.

"It's a little cool in here," Danika said as she crossed and rubbed her arms.

"And a little dreary," Hoshi added.

"Looks like a wizard lives here," whispered Aderes as he gestured to the walls in the classroom.

"Indeed, he does, for the most part, San Aderes," a deep, accented voice stated from a dark corner at the front right side of the room.

The warriors turned as a tall, eccentric-looking elder stepped out from the shadows. The man's long white hair was partially hidden by the hood of a worn and tattered, dark blue robe. His skin, which was as white as snow, blended with the color of his hair, severely contrasting with his darker clothing.

The group immediately quieted as they stared in awe.

"I'm Sir Malik, and I am a star wizard. At least I was last time I checked." Malik smiled as he lowered the hood of his robe.

Gyan stared in astonishment at Malik's eyes, which were silver-blue chrome and bordered by royal blue tribal markings.

"I am the star wizard I should say, as there are no more of my kind alive. Therefore…" he walked to the middle front of the classroom, "…I would be the oldest and youngest of my generation, making my age irrelevant." He chuckled. "Good thing, yes, because I don't remember my age." He scratched his head and looked up at the ceiling, holding up each of his fingers one at a time and quietly counting to himself.

The light warriors continued to watch Malik in silent amazement for several moments.

"Sir?" said Gyan.

"Mmm?" Malik looked up at Gyan and then the others. "Oh yes, yes. Light warriors, warriors of light…whatever ye be, let's learn something, shall we?"

Aderes looked at Gyan and raised his eyebrows. Gyan shrugged.

"Excuse me, Sir," Jarek stated, "but what's a star wizard?"

"Sit, sit," commanded Malik as he moved to the front of the room and sat in a large chair.

The warriors each took a seat in the row of chairs that were aligned in a half circle before Malik.

"A star wizard is exactly what our name reveals…a wizard of the stars, whose intuitive power and other skills are derived from starlight. I have been here many years. Some years felt longer than others, but it all has been worth the journey." He looked around at the group, nodding. "Yes, over these years, I have been a teacher to many great warriors, including some of your parents. There have been many young warriors pass in and out of my doors since those of your kind first joined the ascetas here in Solara."

"Our kind?" Hoshi asked. "You mean when the light warriors first came to the temple?"

Malik nodded.

"But that was ages ago!" Hoshi exclaimed.

"Like I mentioned, I have been here so long that I do not remember my age." Malik chuckled.

"Are you saying that you are the star wizard who resided with the ascetas when the first light warrior met the asceta in the marketplace centuries ago, Sir Malik?" asked Gyan.

"Ah! Heard some of my tale, have you? Indeed…that would be me."

"Impossible," said Jarek quietly.

"Is it, San Jarek? One thing you will learn throughout your journey is that nothing is impossible. I have taught your ancestors all I know and still we continue to learn. As we gain more knowledge and remember the past, we eventually scoff at what we once believed to be impossible. What we teach is all we know, but that does not mean that what we teach is all there is to know. Therefore, it would be wise to assume that all things remain in motion and continue to evolve. Even that which you believe does not move is always moving…no matter how slowly it appears to do so."

Malik waved his snow-white hand in the air before the warriors, which were laced with the same royal blue markings found around his eyes.

Gyan's eyes widened as Malik's hand lowered. He shook his head back and forth in attempts to clear his sight as he looked around the room. Every object in the room had become semi-transparent. Tiny balls of light appeared to be vibrating at the center of everything in the room. The air surrounding the warriors was instantly filled with the same spheres of light and other tiny floating particles.

Malik waved his hand again and the light disappeared, turning the room back to normal. "Everything is made of the vibrating light that I just showed you. This vibration is never stagnant, even if you cannot see the motion with your naked eye. The ability to manipulate this vibration at will is why you are able to perform many of your unique warrior skills." He sighed and leaned back into his chair. "It is exhausting for an old wizard to speak this long so there you have it. Class over."

The warriors looked at each other in confusion. Gyan stared at Malik, trying to guess if the wizard was serious. Malik burst out with hearty laughter, amused by the warriors' expressions.

"No? Oh, all right, you can stay for more if that is your wish."

None of the warriors laughed at the wizard's playfulness. Gyan was unsure if the wizard was trying to be funny or if living as long as he had made him senile.

"So serious you are—eager to learn. It is inspiring for an old wizard…very well, very well." He smiled at the warriors and continued. "The skills and knowledge I will provide for you during our time together serve as a basis for your power. I will teach you how this knowledge influences your behavior, both in and out of battle.

"The first thing to remember is that your power resides in this light vibration of which I was just speaking. It can never be diminished, only transformed. Although a light warrior possesses the ability to manipulate this light at will, all species emerge from this same light. Light warriors simply are equipped with the tools necessary to allow more light to flow through their physical being, possessing the ability to draw in and release more light than what is normally contained within the body. During a different phase of your training, you will learn how to transform this light instantly into physical manifestation."

An image of Jalena creating the head of the monarosia in her hand at the Tran Ceiabré flashed through Gyan's mind. Alchemy.

"It appears that those who do not possess light warrior skills are less advanced physically and mentally than a light warrior and even an old star wizard," Malik continued. "And yet, we cannot pretend that we understand every aspect of one's capability, just as we cannot entirely estimate the capability of a light warrior at the peak or his or her power. A warrior may not always understand the extent of their power until the moment that power is utilized. We are always evolving. Remember, just because something remains unseen or unknown does not mean that it does not exist. An ability does not always reveal itself until the time is right."

"Yes, San Valora?" Malik asked in response to Valora's raised hand.

"How can we use a power we do not understand? I mean, how is it possible to use a power someone doesn't even recognize they have?"

"Excellent question. Sometimes in the moment of battle, unexpected circumstances arise, causing a warrior to extend personal skill beyond understanding just as you recently experienced while in the Tritum."

Valora nodded in understanding.

"Is that the same thing that happened when Master Jalena saved Master Shamira as their Xita-7 exploded in battle?" asked Brogan.

"What are you talking about, Brogan?" Valora asked.

"Master Shamira told me the story of how she got burned. She said that she still doesn't know how Master Jalena saved them from the explosion and that she had never seen or heard of a warrior do anything like Jalena did that day."

"Explain the story in full, San Brogan, so we all can follow your thoughts," instructed Malik.

Brogan recounted the story as Shamira had told it the day he decided to take a solitary walk to visit the ship bunkers north of the Celestine Temple. The bunkers were cleverly hidden within the Ira Aug cliffs. Unable to contain his eagerness to see what he would be trained to fly, Brogan set off to explore them after convincing Sorda to reveal their location.

Brogan, as he emerged through the thick trees at the top of the cliffs, understood why the warriors would want the bunkers near the Ira Aug. The cliffs supported a range of wide waterfalls that stretched on for several miles and dropped steeply without warning.

As he looked over the edge of the cliffs, Brogan could not see the ground beneath him due to the rising mist of the falls. The falling water created an enormous roar that conveniently masked any ship arriving or departing along with any ongoing construction. Due to the height of the falls and sharp, rocky bottom, the river below in the canyon was considered too dangerous to swim in and was thus marked as a restricted area for added protection from visitors.

Brogan, following the directions Sorda gave, easily found the entrance to one of the bunkers. He was partially soaked from the mist of the falls by the time he reached his destination.

As he entered the first bunker, he stopped short as he caught sight of a silhouette ahead of him. Shamira stood still, staring at a silver ship resting before her with her back to Brogan.

"I see you have found my place of solitude, San Brogan," Shamira stated without turning around.

Brogan smiled. "We share the same thought, Master Shamira." He stared up in awe at the ship before them. "When do you fly it next?"

"I do not know."

"No tasks assigned for the week then?"

"No," said Shamira quietly, "there are plenty of those. I just don't know when I fly next."

Brogan glanced at her in confusion. It had always been rumored that Shamira's first love was flying. "What do you mean?"

She turned her gaze from the ship to meet Brogan's eye. "I—I can't do it…anymore."

"You mean you can't fly? Did something happen?"

Shamira took a deep breath. "Several years ago, I traveled with Jalena to visit the Divakae people in Feyla Forest. On our way to the forest, we were ambushed by Mordán's men. You know who Mordán is, yes?"

Brogan nodded. "The ruler of Kraundor."

"Mordán has a special type of ship called a Magna. The ship is smaller than the Xita-7 that you see here. It is part of a three-unit system. The outer compartments release from the main part and are directed to fly up on the sides of an enemy ship once in range. The two Magna components form a magnetic field that traps your ship once the energy connects and builds between them.

"The main part of the Magna is nearby, usually behind your ship waiting to strike. The only way to escape the trap after they have you in position—as far as we have discovered anyway—is to avoid the trap by flying straight up or building momentum and then dropping low the moment the magnetic field is ignited…at least for our ships until we can upgrade the design to prevent the field from forming."

Brogan nodded in understanding.

"My right engine failed the moment I detected the Magna behind us. Out of exhaustion from taking on multiple missions, Jalena had fallen asleep during our trip. I could not emit enough light without her to balance the energy of our own ship and break free from the magnetic field that had ignited around us.

"I screamed Jalena's name right before we were struck. She woke, grabbed my arms, and yanked me to her. I remember seeing her face in an aura of white light as the flames engulfed us. After that, I can't remember what happened. She teleported both of us out of the ship as the explosion occurred. When I woke, we were in a village being cared for by a woman and her daughter near the borders of Uthar."

Shamira sighed and walked closer to the Xita-7 resting before her. "These scars remain on my face, neck, and back as a result." She gestured to the scars across the left side of her face and neck.

"Why hasn't your accelerated healing ability healed your scarring?"

"I thought at first it was because I was too weak at the time to heal fast enough, but the elder masters say that this wasn't necessarily the reason. They claim that some scars still remain even if you heal physically as a representation of…" her voice dropped, "…mental or emotional scarring."

Brogan raised his eyebrows and let out a soft whistle. "So…did Jalena say how she transported both of you from the ship in time?"

Shamira shook her head. "No. We each have the ability to teleport, but I was so focused on the problem that it was too late."

"We all have the ability to teleport?" Brogan asked.

"You will learn about it now that classes have started," Shamira answered. "Anyway, Jalena says that what she did while in the ship was instinctive, but I've never seen her do that before. I understand why she was able to do so now in a way due to it being one of her skills, but at the time she was just as surprised at her ability to get us out of there as I was."

"The event has affected your ability to pilot," Brogan stated gently.

"Yes…Since the accident, no matter how much I enjoy flying, I become overwhelmed with anxiety anytime I sit behind the controls. I panic, and then I can't focus at all. I am unsure if I will ever be able to fly again."

"You will," responded Brogan. "I don't think flying is a skill or longing that ever goes away, do you? I mean, that is…if you're born for it as you are. Why else would you love it so much? Your love of flying should surpass your conditioned fear at some point. Until then, you can fly with me whenever you want." He smiled. "As soon as I learn, that is."

They both laughed.

"You will be a master at flying, Brogan. I am sure." Shamira walked further into the bunker. "Come, I will show you what you came here to see."

As Brogan repeated the story for the warriors in Malik's class, he left out the part concerning Shamira's scars and her fear of flying out of respect for her privacy.

"There have been other accounts when a warrior has used instinctive acts that they were unaware of as well," Malik said, adding to Brogan's story. "Elder Master Syam and other warriors have used their power in ways that no other warriors have…but more of that later. First, I will teach you about the uniqueness of your power and what we know for sure it can be used for."