What if, at 14, you and every teen your age, are called to enter the Warden Academy to learn the basics of warriorhood, wizardry, and watchery? Would you go for it?
Tierra, who finally decides to enroll, soon finds out it won't be a walk in the p...
Hair raised from the back of Tierra's spine as their group inched forward outside the walls.
Ferns on the sides swayed as if to welcome their entrance. Far above, it was almost impossible to detect the sky. The sun appeared here and there, like a tiny lamp, as spaces from leaves crisscrossed their heads.
Tierra trodded forward in the rough path. It was moments like this that she felt she was most alive. Especially in the realm her mother once walked upon. She inhaled deeply. The smell of disrupted forest grass filled the air.
Like the glade, there was a clearing to the far end of the path. Only that, its entrance didn't seem as clear. The class knew at once what the familiar sight was.
"I believe Miss Deci has introduced you to The Preserve's lumen," Miss Mem cut the silence, her paper dress flapping in the air as she turned around. "Yes, your eyes aren't fooling you. The Watcher's Field is surrounded by a force field as well. We are still particular with sterility but the most essential is secrecy. And of course there's your safety. So let us all pass one by one!"
Questions swirled the minds of the young aspirants, but none seemed to break the silence. Far from the entrance, sentinels stood.
Karys looked back, relief escaping her breath, "I feel like a clog has been pulled out, now that we're separated from those frightening castle knights."
Serin piped in as a trickle of sweat crossed the side of her cheeks, "My heart is bursting in anticipation."
Monnet, who was always in front, didn't look back as she entered the lumen. Tierra could still remember the first time lumen particles touched her skin. It was like a soft slippery blanket enveloping her body.
Inside the Watcher's Field, the academics gleamed with their lumen. Apparently, the other guys were doing fake punches with each other and laughed as each hit were only painlessly bounced back.
Finally the last academic arrived, followed by Miss Mem, who ordered them to form a circle and sit on the ground.
The forty eight aspirants were sprawled in the center of a clearing. Here, the forest light shone a bit more brightly on the young academics faces.
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Miss Mem stood at the edge of the circle,
"This is called the Sierra."
Tierra looked up. She has heard of it before, a long long time ago, first from her mother, and then from Lucie, her handmaiden's stories.
"Yes, it was the mother of our princess academic here who named this place, the late Queen Thaliya."
The class turned to look at Tierra who immediately reddened.
"Now, it is time for our meditation. I'd like you all to put your hands on your lap and close your eyes," Miss Mem ordered as she walked around the circle in slow strides.
"Take 3 deep breaths."
The academics followed...1...2...3.
"Now think of an animal. Think of your spirit animal."
Tierra's brows crumpled. An animal? No thoughts came.
"Imagine them moving," Miss Mem paused in the area where the boys were to make sure they were participating. Surprisingly, each of them were, "Imagine your spirit animal in its home. Imagine it happy."
There were some smiles on the faces of the academics.
On the other hand, Tierra was sweating. Up to now, she could not think of an image, she was tempted to peek but she remained still.
"Now think of it moving again. It's heart is now racing. Something has happened," Miss Mem paused, her tone getting serious. "It is in danger. It is wounded now. It's making a sound. What is that sound?"
Come on, Tierra. You don't want to fail this class. Think. Think! Animal...hmm...moving...in danger...a fox! What's the sound of a fox again? No, no. They say it sounds like a woman being murdered. You don't want that. Hmm wait, I'm starting to see something. But it's not on the ground.
"Listen to the sound of your spirit animal."
Tierra heard a distant roar. She panicked. Was that real?
"Close your eyes! Do not sever the connection!" Miss Mem bellowed, "Listen!"
Tierra took a deep breath. The sound came from far above. Her animal was flying!
"Now make the sound of your spirit animal!"
There were soft whispers from the class.
"Louder!"
Tierra shifted in her seat. She could not see her animal, even less identify it. But its sound, yes, its sound was almost audible.
Maizy, who was to her left, was making some sort of rodent noise.
Memphis on their opposite was oinking loudly. The group of girls to her left were giggling at this.
"Focus, aspirants. Focus!"
Tierra winced. What animal are you? She could hear the wind beneath its massive wings. Another echo of its cry reverberated the sky.
"Your spirit animal is slowing down. Its breathing is getting shallow. Its call for help, weakening."
The class lowered their animal cries.
"It is now dying."
"Now, silence!"
A gush of wind passed by, making a few leaves fall from the trees. Above, a cloud threatened to hover the sun, dimming the forest in its drama.
"It is gone now. Lifeless," Miss Mem breathed in. "Your spirit animal is dead."
Several of their heads shook. Some bowed theirs. Most of them grimaced.
"Its life is disintegrating. And you feel yours slowly fading away," Miss Mem sat beside a sephyrian academic and looked up in the sky, the sun was now covered, "But you are not."
"...because your life energy is being absorbed back to the earth, from whence it came," their preceptor touched the ground and watched as the cloud passed by, hinting rays of the afternoon sun, "This energy is spreading, spreading into the grass, the roots, the trees, the streams, and up until the air around it."
There was a serious silence among the academics as the sun was now fully showing.
"You may open your eyes now."
Their preceptor looked at them, her braids falling at the sides of her face, "This is you, my dear academics. This is the essence of watcher studies. We are all connected to nature. We take from it to survive, we give back our life, for it to continue existing. We are one."
--
I'm tempted to spoil explanations of the role of watchers but I. Must. Wait.
I'm surprised myself that the academics were serious with their meditation. Miss Deci's words must have gotten to them finally.
