* * *
The first day of school came and went, and Aly was already walking under Gooliun’s evening suns. She was in her workout attire, a brown top and shorts, ready to better her chances with some of the items she learned hours ago. That morning, she and Catty had skipped and laughed on the way to the tribe’s sparring grounds. And now that the regular hours had come and gone, every step was passive, required, embarrassing.
Rays of sunlight poked through the tall oak trees in the form of yellow streams of light. A furry six-legged mammal scuttled by the Little One’s feet as she pressed through the thick brushes. The sparring grounds had a path that led straight to it, but Aly didn’t want anybody to see her come back, even though the tribe’s new sparring priest encouraged anyone that wanted extra help during the afterhours to return later.
She came upon an open area, one of several designated for sparring grounds. Aly pushed the last set of branches out of her way and her feet landed on grass that was shorter than the grass she just walked through. She looked up, examining old trees surrounding the area and noting the carved marks in their trunks that designated how high people her age were allowed to climb.
A young Goolian male, roughly in his eighties, was packing brown bags with sparring equipment when Aly showed up. His ear twitched, but he didn’t bother looking at her since he heard her coming twenty seconds ago, as Goolians had heightened hearing. He had tied his turquoise tentacles back with the side tents protruding in front of his ears. His chin was growing tents as well, but they weren’t anywhere as long as Shanvi’s, since he wasn’t as old. Regardless, the master’s physique was lean and athletic, like Shanvi’s and every other Goolian.
“Ah, there you be, Little One.” The Goolian kept packing.
Aly didn’t say a word, but laid her blue robe and the pouch holding her school belongings against a tree.
“Truly, I was in hopes of your return, dearest,” the Goolian said. “And a high mark, indeed! For you have first arrived!”
Aly rubbed her green, sweaty palms into the old blue fabric of her shorts, still not saying anything. She stared at the sparring priest’s wrapped legs and feet as he squatted down to her eye level.
“You did enjoy the rest of your first day of school, yes?” he asked. “Truly, attending the learning boards with Master Slew was a great deal of fun, following today’s sparring sessions, yes?”
Aly nodded as she twirled one of her side tents around her finger. She wasn’t as good at talking to other people, especially grown-ups, unless they were as close to her as Catty was. On top of that, her embarrassment over having to come back to practice took away the thrill of school hours. Not performing as well as expected during the class’ exercises had a way of doing that. The priest took the mastra by the hand and led her to a large circle made of brownish red dirt.
“Then let us not tarry with wasted time. We shall perform what you and the rest of the class did this morning, very good?”
“Very good, Teacher.”
Before Teacher could get Aly ready, they both paused upon hearing people coming from behind. Aly glanced up at Teacher, and could tell he had switched to infrared vision to confirm the estimate. Four other little Goolians came running down the path seconds later. They panted as they stopped to catch their breaths once they made it in front of Teacher.
“Apologies for the delay, Teacher,” Joquin said, bent over as he wiped his forehead.
“Now, masters and mastras, let us not make such habits with tardiness, yes?” Teacher said, not too harshly since he was talking to four- to- six-year-olds. “Truly, such delays shall fault your advances. Now, off with you silly lot. Alytchai has already gained a head start due to her early arrival.”
Aly raised a brow, noting that she hadn’t even started anything yet. Teacher winked at her before helping the others find a place to put their clothes and school bags. Joquin and the others wore attire similar to Aly’s. Their robes looked hand woven, thick and heavy with the smell of leaves from the old trees surrounding Kutenbrya. The clothing was supposed to be blue, but some of the brilliance in the hue was lost because their parents couldn’t afford to buy the higher quality dye. When they took the robes off, they straightened their workout attire.
“Oh, greetings, Mastra,” Joquin said to Aly after he finished changing and stood beside her.
“Greetings, Master.” Aly tried to hide her smile, but she was too happy to see other people come back to the sparring grounds after school. Still, she hoped someone in particular was also going to show up, but Aly should’ve known better. Her hopeful companion didn’t need extra training, from the looks of how well she had done during sparring sessions that morning.
“Hello!” Another voice suddenly rung in everyone’s ears.
The Goolians spun around and saw Catty skipping through the bushes. Her robe was more saturated in blue and lighter-looking in wear, compared to the clothing the rest wore. The material wasn’t thick or wooly like the others either, but was smooth and reflective, as if the fabric could shimmer in the evening sunsets.
Catty hopped to Aly’s other side and stretched. Teacher scratched between his tents, but Aly smiled from ear to ear.
“Truly, I was not to expect you, Mistress Cattalice the Younger,” Teacher said. “Why did you not––”
When the Little One stopped smiling, the older Goolian covered his mouth.
“Ah, apologies. You still prefer ‘Catty,’ yes?”
The mastra nodded happily.
“It is better this way, yes?” Teacher said. “Beyond this, I fear I’d grow tired of calling you by your full name.”
“I would say so, indeed,” Catty said. “Why, would you not––”
“Now, Little Mastra. Surely your parents have taught you better than this.”
Aly elbowed Catty in the side and the Little One rolled her almond-shaped yellow eyes as she bowed.
“Apologies for speaking prior to your approval.”
“Accepted.” Teacher pointed behind her. “Now, be quick and change, very good?”
Catty pulled her robe over her head, since her workout attire was underneath it. She kicked off her sandals and was about to toss her clothing away before Teacher rushed over and made her hand it to him since he didn’t want to get any gripes from Cattalice the Elder.
“I was hoping you would come,” Aly said to Catty while Teacher put the robe away with the rest. “Yet there be no need for you to be here. Truly, you did great at sparring sessions today.”
“Indeed,” Joquin chimed in. “Why, I am to think you performed the best in class, Catty.”
Catty shrugged. “Perhaps. Yet were we not told to return if we sought extra training in our being?”
“Truly, yet I think Teacher meant the such for those who did not perform as well, yes?” Aly asked.
“Then perhaps I shall earn extra credit. Ooh! Or perhaps I can help you, Aly! This shall be fun, yes?”
“Well, I must say that practice shall be better now that you are here.”
“What?” Joquin acted hurt. “Yet I thought we were to be friends as well, Mastra.”
“Um, you are a lad, Master,” Aly said, as if that was all the explaining she needed to do. It apparently was, since Joquin nodded his head in a “fair enough” manner.
After everyone was in their workout attire, Teacher lined the Little Ones up single file.
“Now, before we begin, I think we best go over what we discussed this morning, yes? So, who shall tell me why we Goolians train in the art of combat?”
Every hand except Aly’s went up.
“Alytchai,” Teacher said. “Surely you must know this as well, yes?”
Aly made a mental note to raise her hand from now on even if she didn’t know the answer. People are apparently singled out if they don’t.
“Um, I...uh, is it not for the sake of defending our tribe?”
“Very good! Let us consider a greater depth of things while you lot are here, yes? And who is to
give an example of why another tribe may attack us?”
Every hand shot up again, Aly’s included.
“Joquin?” Teacher said.
“Famine, Teacher?”
“Ah! A very good answer! Truly, a tribe may suffer bad fate from ill crops...or from ill greed altogether. Thus, planetary law declares that we train our Little Ones just in case such a setting arises. Beyond tending to our fields or serving in some form of priesthood, this shall be the greatest quality to have. As Goolians, we are to do these three: to fight, to learn, and to work. Beyond these, there is no greater form of servitude. There be nothing beyond the tribe.”
“There be nothing beyond the tribe,” the six Little Ones chanted.
Teacher smiled and nodded. “Very good. The lot of you already remember to recite the Tribal Tenet after I do. And thus, this shall serve as a segue to my next point. Little Masters and Mastras, training and learning to control your inner being are not for mere fun. Due to your age, your being is very weak and small, yet as you grow older, it shall become a very dangerous thing that may cause harm to others. So, we shall act as if our being is already a dangerous weapon used to honor and defend the tribe, very good?”
“Very good, Teacher.”
“Now, inner being is our ability to make pure energy in the form of plasma. We shall not get into the science of this now, since Master Slew shall explain such things during your learning sessions. What we shall discuss, however, is how it is to be an expression of one’s self, such is why we refer to these capabilities as ‘being.’ Not only is it a natural form of defense and an example of one’s inner self, yet it may also be seen as an extension of you, as well.”
“If I may, Teacher, what does extension mean?” Catty asked, raising a hand.
“Ah, a good question. Hmm, why not think of it as another part of what already is? For being, though not a visual ligament such as a leg or arm, shows one’s own will of inner-control. For if one cannot control the inner soul, the inner soul shall not access the inner being.”
Some of the Little Ones scratched their heads at that last part. Aly didn’t follow the explanation that well either, but acted like she knew what Teacher meant since she didn’t want to look dumb. Besides, the Little Ones could care less about his lecture. They just wanted to learn how to shoot awesome fireballs out of their hands like the grown-ups.
Teacher made the Little Ones get into a basic forming stance: legs spaced out, fists chambered back a little above the hips, backs straight, feet pointing forward. Since he didn’t have to worry about the full-size class of thirty-two children, he took a little more time making sure everyone was in good form.
To their dismay, Teacher made the Little Ones spend more time on some breathing exercises he had taught them that morning. Half of them faked their breathing due to boredom, but Teacher thumped the fakers on the tips of their ears. When seven minutes passed, he finally gave the go-ahead for everyone to take ease and lined them back up in the basic emission stance, with arms extended and palms facing out.
“Let us see how we do, yes? Now, deep breaths. Good. Mind your forms. Very good.”
As the Little Ones breathed, bright markings on all of their faces and arms protruded out of their skin, like veins. The colors to the markings matched their eyes, having a subtle glow about them. The marks didn’t hurt. If anything, it made the Goolians feel lighter than air, natural – even invincible. And as their skin glowed, some of them felt their palms grow cold to the touch and the tips of their fingers tingle. They were ready.
“Now, push!”
The six did as told and the last thing Teacher wanted to see happened. A shockwave left Catty’s palms and dust sprayed as it trailed off five meters. She smiled, but felt awkward when the other five glared at her because they didn’t have the same outcome. Teacher laughed.
“Do not give her such nasty looks, Little Ones. Did I not say that some may be able to use their inner being prior to others this morning? Beyond this, you all did very well, indeed! For all forms are truly precise. Yet, mind your footings as you release, yes? Now, push!”
The Little Ones pushed and there was still no reaction beyond Catty’s second shockwave. Aly felt like this was a complete waste of time and wanted to go home more than ever. Still, another part of her enjoyed the more exclusive learning process, and she already figured she might as well come back tomorrow. Being a baker was definitely the better path for her, but there was something to this silly combat routine Teacher was showing. She couldn’t describe it, but it was definitely something positive.
The six only stayed for another hour and Teacher sent them home when the first sun started to set behind the mountains in the distance.
“Was that not a thrill?” Catty asked as she skipped down the red dirt road leading back to Kutenbrya’s residential area. “Did you learn anything new?”
“I think I did.” Aly examined her hands. “Teacher seemed quite pleased, yes?”
“Yet of course he did! Why, I would bet that you and I are to be the best combatants during the Evaluations once we are of the proper age. Would that not be grand?”
Aly looked up at the evening sky. She breathed in and the clean air rushed down her nostrils like cold water. She smiled, already noting the change of the seasons.
“I suppose that would be nice,” she said. “Even so, I am more excited about what we are to learn at the learning boards with Master Slew. Why, everyone shall manage combat with little issue, and what good shall it be even when we come of age? It is not as if we have to defend ourselves. Knowing the martial arts is nothing more than tradition. Thus I desire to learn something useful.”
Catty shrugged. It wasn’t like the grown-ups had much use for sparring beyond the exercises they did before going off to work. Sure, they were in great shape because of it, but what Goolian wasn’t?
“Be that as it may, I suppose we should still perform well at the sparring grounds, since it shall better our chances of performing well during the Evaluations, yes?” Catty said. “I have heard they are quite a dangerous event.”
“Why not worry about making good marks on our report card for the moment being?” Aly insisted. “I have greater issues at the moment. Why should I worry over the Evaluations, which are years ahead of us, when I cannot control my being? Truly, I hope I am not the last to learn how to perform the deed. Returning back to the sparring grounds this evening was already a crush to my pride.”
“Did this one not just say that being-control was of no concern?”
“I did. Even so, that does not mean that I desire to stand out for too long.”
Catty waved a hand passively. “No worries. I am sure you shall be able to control your being soon enough, and when you do, we shall be called the best combatants in the tribe. Then again, perhaps I shall keep the title and glory to myself. After all, nobles are to be better.”
“Oh, really?” Aly slapped Catty in the back of the head and took off down the road so she could avoid the repercussions.
The Little Ones laughed as the chase turned into a race. The wind blew the mastras’ ears back and made their eyes water the harder they ran.
“You best speed up, Mastra,” Catty said. “I am gaining.”
Aly looked over her shoulder and saw Catty on her heels. She then dashed ahead on all fours, leaving a trail of dust in Catty’s face.
“No fair, Aly!” Catty switched her form as well. “You never said we were to go on quads!”
“And you never said we were playing mahu last night!”
The two reached their village before the second sun set behind the mountains. Both were out of breath and Catty fell over on Aly, knocking her down.
“Get off, you crazed thing!” Aly laughed and shoved.
Catty rolled off and held her belly as she chuckled. She sat up, but Aly stopped laughing as she stayed on her back.
“Does something trouble you?” Catty asked.
“Nay. I merely admire the moon. Yet the stars are
not as bright because of it, I fear.”
Catty stood and pulled Aly up on her feet.
“Thus there be no reason to waste your time on looking. They are not to go anywhere, nay? If they are not in sight in the morrow, then they shall be so next week and the week beyond.”
“True. My pappai said the same thing the prior night. I shall see you in the morrow then?”
“In the morrow.”
Aly headed home on her own. With a population of only three thousand, neighbors were as close as family. So it came as no surprise that some of the older Goolians made sure Aly made it home safely as she walked by their huts.
The mastra pushed against the door to her tiny home, sighing out loud so her arrival could be made public. She didn’t expect to see the island counter and the shelves when she walked in. The place that was her tiny kitchen that morning was starting to look like an extended dining area.
Shanvi was in the middle of discussing floor plans with five of the village’s architects and designers when he paused.
“Mind your rudeness, Alytchai,” he said, turning around.
“Apologies. If I may, Pappai, I was not expecting company.”
“Do not pay any mind to them. Truly, this one has her own concerns with me. Why are you late? What is more, why did you not travel with Little Cattalice as I instructed?”
Aly’s ears shot up a little, indicating she felt like she was in trouble. “I-I did return with her, indeed. Yet we both remained beyond the learning sessions and returned to the sparring grounds in order to learn more––”
“Ah.” Shanvi turned back around, returning to the floor plans. “It was my error in forgetting there were such things after school hours, especially since I just retired from being the sparring priest, myself. Silly me. Be that as it may, I still did not hear any other Little Ones approaching with you.”
Aly always forgot about Mature Aged Goolians’ spectacular hearing until Shanvi said things like that.
“Truly, I am pleased in your desire for bettering your skills beyond the basic hours that the class provides. Yet, I beg, do not have your pappai concern himself with his child walking alone, very good?”
“Very good, Pappai. My truest apologies.”
Shanvi turned and knelt down, giving Aly a kiss on the cheek.
“No harm caused, dearest.” He patted her on the rear, slightly nudging her out of the taller people’s way. “Off to the resting board with you. Beyond this, was the day well?”
Aly didn’t want to whine about her problems to her pappai, so she acted as if she hadn’t heard him as she kicked off her shoes and plumped into her bed.
“You heard me, Little One, yes?” she heard her pappai call out. “Was the day well?”
“Well enough, I suppose,” she said, hoping that’d be enough to please him. Aly heard the grown-ups in the kitchen stop what they were doing. Stupid. She should’ve just lied and said the day was fine.
“My pardons,” she heard Shanvi tell the masters and mastras in the kitchen. “Pappai is apparently on duty.”
Aly heard Shanvi shove away the curtain separating her room from the kitchen, but still didn’t turn around. She rested her head in her palms as she stretched and stared at an old painting of her late mother.
When Shanvi tickled the soles of one of her feet, she tried not to laugh since she was supposed to be in a pouty mood. She lightly nudged Shanvi’s hand away. Her pappai grabbed her ankle and tickled her even more, making the Little One yelp and laugh as she frantically kicked.
“Now, that be a better look for my Aly,” Shanvi said as he kept tickling her.
“Enough!” Aly shouted through her laughter. “I beg! This one wins!”
Shanvi stopped tickling and gave Aly her leg back. She sat up, knowing Shanvi was about to have a talk with her.
“A trying first day of schooling, nay?” he asked as he sat on the edge of her bed.
“I thought I was to learn how to control my being.”
“I see. Even so, I am sure there were many who have yet to perform as well, yes?”
“Truly, such things refrain me from feeling better.”
Shanvi straightened up and cleared his throat. “Refrain? Since when did this one know how to say such a word?”
“Master Slew used it in a sentence while we were at the learning board, thus I supposed I knew the meaning. Oh. I used it wrongly, yes?”
Shanvi laughed and gave Aly a hug. “You learn a grave deal of things sooner than you think, and thus you shall with your being. And why the concern? I thought this one did not see much importance in being-control or combat.”
“Nay, I still do not, if truth be told. Yet not being able to do something as soon as others is odd.”
“Fret not, dearest. You shall learn to control your being when the time is meant to do so.” He chuckled. “By Truth’s Grace, it be only natural, unless you are...a sickened one.”
“Nay! I am sick?”
“Does this one feel a fever?”
Aly placed a hand on her forehead, mimicking what Shanvi always did when she was under the weather. “Nay. I feel well.”
“Then rejoice. You are not a sickened one.” Shanvi kissed Aly on the forehead and she leaned against him. “Truly, dearest. It shall happen in due time.”
* * *