For a full five minutes, the crew stared up at this new, mysterious sky in a reverent silence of awe. The dots appeared to form swirling formations in the sky above, millions upon millions of them. They were uncountable, yet wonderful. Infinite. They burned the heavens above, a challenge to the Dark itself. Sky breathed in deeply; it was truly something to behold.
Unfortunately, the storm rolled in after about five minutes and covered up the hole in the sky with thunder, by which time the crew had all sat down in the grass in amazement at what they’d seen, unmoving still as the rain fell lightly upon their faces. What they’d was, by every conceivable notion of the universe, impossible. Sky closed her eyes and sat in the grass for a minute, bright white lights burned into her eyelids. She didn’t want them to go away.
Sky finally took off the woven necklace, and it stopped glowing immediately. She saw the Dark squirming above where there storm had not reached yet, and although she couldn’t confirm it because of the black thunderheads above, she would have sworn the hole in the sky had covered itself up again.
Amazing.
It seemed as if this necklace had legitimately ripped a hole in the sky; in the Dark. Sky wandered over to the dark steel box, fingers grazing the material, and paused as she saw a piece of paper that she must have missed before; it must have been lying underneath the woven necklace. She picked it up and shook it out, reading it by lamplight as cool rain fell from on high.
Behold the Dreamcatcher – Talisman of courage, Gatekeeper of the spirit, Weapon of the light.
Sky tucked the “Dreamcatcher” and the note in her back pocket. She sighed, fatigued all of a sudden; she didn’t feel like she had the mental energy to analyze any of it right now. One word just kept rebounding through her head, filling her being, summing up her confused yet excited feelings. She turned to Max as he approached and worded it.
“Wow.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
There was nothing better than a sunset and a good view.
Lyght sat with his back against a broad oak in a clearing atop the tallest hill in Zone Zero, arms resting behind his head, feet kicked up on a small rock. Lyght couldn’t even count the times in his youth when he and his dad had set up camp somewhere for the night, and just laid back and watched the sunset. Even after all these years, the warm orange glow of the setting sun was permanently burned into the back of his eyelids. All he had to do was close his eyes, and it would take him back to those evenings when life had been harder, but easier at the same time. Simpler, anyway.
For Lyght, there was nothing better than to get some alone time and pay attention to his own thoughts. Things had been hectic lately; it felt good to slow down. He gazed out at the horizon, feeling calmed by the familiar view. For once, he didn’t have to do anything, just watch. It was really refreshing, actually. Lyght watched a flock of starlings flutter out of a tree and take wing into the burning orange western sky; he watched the green grass blow in the warm breeze, the clouds twisting in a sea of oranges and indigos. Looking down from the ball of fire descending on the horizon, Lyght glanced at the folded Legion cape on his stomach, and smiled. Yes, actually, there was one thing better than a good view of the sunset – the dark, flowing cape that symbolized that he had gotten to where he belonged. Finally.
It felt good to just kick back and relax. The last week or so had been crazy since he, Mikael, and the others were made leaders of their class. They’d had to return to Zone Zero every day – with no off days – to learn, train, and undergo difficult team tasks. It was the latter that Lyght and the others held primary responsibility for, and it was that responsibility that was draining Lyght’s energy faster than he had ever believed possible.
He had spent the beginning of his life running around from place to place in the Dreamscape, but Lyght had never undertaken something as strenuous as leading a large group of peers in difficult situations. It was something that Lyght felt he was naturally avoidant to. He liked to be the quiet one, the observant one. Now Mikael, he was a natural-born leader, plain and simple. Anybody could see that. Not only how vocal he was, the way he inspired his peers to really come together as a group was the special thing. Lyght wanted to be the same way, he really did, but he couldn’t help thinking that he just wasn’t cut out for it. Regardless, he still planned to continue in his position as a class leader and do his best at it. If nothing else, the sergeant had said that the class leaders were in prime position to be selected for the actual Legion. Lyght felt he couldn’t pass that chance up.
Not only that, but it had been made clear to him in the last couple days that just because the four of them were class leaders at the moment, didn’t mean they would always be. They could be surpassed and replaced if others in the group showed more promise or leadership. Lyght felt it was the sergeants’ way of incentivizing a competitive atmosphere. There were really very few rules regarding the leader’s group – some of them could get dropped to cut their number, or others from the group could join as a leader if necessary, without necessarily dropping anyone. If anything was certain in the program, it was uncertainty. Lyn had said exactly that near the beginning, and it was turning out to be too true.
For example, since the beginning of classes, two kids had been dropped from the program who the sergeants must have felt weren’t working hard enough or performing to standards. However, one of the two came back after a couple days, with no explanation given. Rumor had it that Lyn had real control of the Academy decisions, and that he mostly didn’t explain the rationale of his decisions to the sergeants who were primarily in charge of training. Lyght could definitely see that possibility; Lyn was so quiet and mysterious as it was. Lyght had a hard time discerning what the Legend was thinking a lot of the time. Of course, others said the King made personnel decisions, and likewise didn’t explain his motivations to Lyn. Also plausible. All Lyght knew was that he had to do a better job, lest he be dropped unexpectedly. He didn’t think it would come to that, but still…
He exhaled, releasing breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding in, and closed his eyes, taking in the rare warmth of the autumn evening. Breeze tugged at his hair softly as Lyght settled into a comfortable, relaxed posture against the oak. He just lay there for a few minutes, trying to calm his mind. He became so relaxed, he almost fell asleep. Lyght knew he needed to stay awake, so he opened his eyes a little, blinking and suppressing a yawn. Picking up the deep blue Legion cape off his stomach, he tied it around his collarbone the way it was supposed to go; tied in front and flowing down the back. Lyght always liked wearing it, even if he didn’t have to. Gathering the energy, he pushed himself off the oak and jumped to his feet.
With nowhere in particular to go, Lyght walked leisurely towards the precipice at the edge of the tall hill. Lyght stood on the edge and took in the pleasant autumn breeze, the Legion cape blowing around behind him. He turned a little bit for effect, flaring the cape dramatically as Mikael was wont to do with that white and gold cloak of his. Lyght eyed the Legion uniform and cape in the dying daylight, admiring the effect. The fiery orange reflected interestingly off the dark navy velvet, giving it a shine that was subtle, bold, and striking all at once. Lyght had never been too overly concerned with his appearance, but he had to smile to himself as he stood on the hilltop. He had to admit it.
I look pretty cool.
“Watching the sunset, huh?”
Lyght spun, cape flying behind him, only to see Lyn cresting the hill behind him. He looked very different to Lyght, casual for once in a plain, sleeveless white shirt and dark pants cut off at the knees. Lyght hadn’t really thought about it, but he realized he had never seen the Legend out of his uniform; the man even wore his armor on a frequent basis. However, it did not escape Lyght’s notice that he was still armed; massive sword sheathed and slung across his back. Lyght guessed he must have just changed, as they had just gotten out of his class and been sent home, done for the day. Lyght hadn’t gone home immediately, however.
When they weren’t in physical training or undergoing rigorous team tests devised and administered by the sergeants, they were learning from Lyn in class about the Legion, and were apparently going to be taking a Dreamcasting class from the Legend soon. Lyght couldn’t wait for that.
Turning back to the burning western sky as the sun touched the horizon, Lyght tiredly closed his eyes for a moment and nodded, “Needed awhile to relax and unwind. For me, I like to watch the sunset most every evening that I can to calm down. Seems like I have trouble finding the time anymore, though.” Lyght looked back over his shoulder as the Legend dropped down to sit on a large granite rock and looked out towards the horizon himself, apparently in no hurry to explain his visit. How had he known Lyght would be here, anyway? Or had he simply come up here to watch the sunset himself?
The hulking Legend turned to Lyght and raised his eyebrows, slapping the ground beside him, “Come on, have a seat. You look tired.” Lyght nodded and walked over, sitting down on Lyn’s right with his back against the same tree as before. He pulled his knees close to his chest and traced a pattern in the dirt with his finger, waiting for the Legend to speak. Even though Lyght had seen Lyn nearly every day for over a month now, the Legend was still intimidating.
Lyn himself just raised his arms, stretched and yawning. He leaned back against another tree, which literally groaned against his weight, and exhaled. “Yeah, I know. I get it. I’m tired too.” He was silent for a couple moments, then looked at Lyght ponderingly for a moment. Lyght looked back, wondering if he had the nerve to ask. Apparently he did, “Sorry, but what’s so stressful about what you have to do? I mean, you just teach the classes, right?” Lyght realized what he was saying, but he’d said it anyway. Why? The last thing he should be doing was insulting the Legend responsible for his fate. Lyn didn’t seem to upset however. He grunted and continued speaking.
“I’ve been running this program for over a decade now, but every year the sergeants get more and more aggressive with their training regimen for you guys. And as a result, every year, fewer and fewer of you actually make the Legion. It seems like kinda a shame, but the King doesn’t really seem to care how many people make the Legion, or even if their properly equipped for it. It makes my job that much harder that I have to battle these damn sergeants day and night. Any little detail I don’t specifically give orders on, they set out to control themselves, solely to spite me with as much as possible.” Lyn made a fist, punching the ground. “And I can’t kick them out, they’re the only ones authorized by the King to do the job. I just…” Lyn stopped suddenly, blinking, as if he suddenly remembered himself.
Lyght wasn’t sure what surprised him more; a Legend criticizing the actual King of the Dreamscape, or Lyn speaking unprompted at length. Lyght cocked his head and looked at his teacher curiously. He wasn’t sure what to say, and he didn’t want to offend the Legend, lest he jeopardize his status as a class leader. He really wanted to know, however…
Lyn spoke again, interrupting his thoughts, “Look, you should probably know something about me. I don’t tell you this lightly; it’s a sign that I think very highly of you and what you’ve done so far here. I guess what I mean is… you know how I seemed very distant and withdrawn on the journey here, and maybe to a lesser degree in lessons? Well, you probably thought it odd that a teacher, especially at a place as special as the Legend Academy, would be so withdrawn.” Lyght nodded slowly, partly amazed at the sudden openness, partly burning to hear what the Legend was going to say next.
Lyn shook his head, looking at the darkening sky. The sun had set below the horizon by now, although splays of orange still illuminated the glowing western horizon, fading out slowly. “I apologize if I’ve seemed distant. It’s just not me. It never has been. I’ve just been going through some struggles lately, but that’s not an excuse. I’ll try to do better.” Lyght just nodded, looking into the Legend’s deep blue eyes curiously. He still had a hard time believing what he was hearing. Lyght was silent for so long that Lyn turned at looked at him.
“So, this is the first real conversation I’ve had with you, Lyght. I don’t have long, but I’m sure you have some questions for a real Legend.” Lyn smiled, “I can see it in your eyes. Alright, fire away, then.”
Lyght was going to remain silent, he really was. That, or evade the question. However, before he could stop himself, the words came pouring out of him that had been simmering away below, locked behind bars somewhere in Lyght’s consciousness.
“Okay, look, I’m really confused about this class leader thing. Why do they give us the Legion uniform and cape? If I’m being completely honest, it makes me feel like I’ve been accepted into the Legion already. But I haven’t been. And the sergeants could drop me out any time. I feel like I can’t predict whether I’ll be successful or fail, or when I’ll fail, because look… I just don’t feel like I’m doing that well. I’m not a natural-born leader. This isn’t one of my talents. It’s making me look...” Lyght paused, gulping, and looked down, “It’s making me look weak. And I’m not, I swear. I can prove it to you.”
Lyn was listening to Lyght seriously as he spilled out his worries, and thankfully didn’t laugh as Lyght spoke. He stood up, however, and held a hand out to help Lyght up. After a second, Lyght grabbed it and shot up as the massive man pulled him to his feet. To his complete surprise, the Legend reached down to put a hand on Lyght’s head and messed his hair back and forth as Lyght took a half-step back. “Hey!”, Lyght exclaimed, but Lyn just put his hands on Lyght’s shoulders and pulled him around to look him in the eye.
Lyn looked into his student’s eyes and made a stunning proclamation, “Listen, you’re going to make the Legion. No question about it.” Lyght stared at him disbelievingly, and Lyn just laughed and messed up his hair again. Stepping back, Lyn put a fist over his heart and bowed his head slightly.
“You can count on it.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lyght awoke to a sharp tapping on his window.
Groaning and turning over, he ignored the sound. Couldn’t they just let him sleep? It wasn’t that early yet. He needed to sleep. Just a little longer…
The tapping rang out again, louder this time.
This brought Lyght fully awake, and he rolled over with a slight groan. Sitting up and putting a hand over his right eye to block out the sudden stream of light from the window, he blinked rapidly and tried to see what was causing the disturbance. He found out soon enough as he saw the answer waving at him through the window – Mikael.
Lyght closed his eyes in annoyance for a second before jumping up. Why was Mikael here so early? They could easily talk on the way to classes for the day. He didn’t need to wake Lyght up so early. Nevertheless, Lyght crossed over to the double window and pulled it open, feeling a rush of cool air from outside. Mikael leaned his head in and looked at the clock, “How come you’re not up? We’re going to be late.”
Frowning, Lyght spun and looked at his clock, 7:45 AM. Somehow, he had slept in, past the 6 hours tops that a Dreamcaster could sleep. That didn’t make any sense. He didn’t have time to think about it, however – they really were going to be late. He ran into his closet and hurriedly dressed, emerging a minute later and grabbing the Legion cape hung by his bed, tying it on and checking himself in the mirror quickly. He turned to Mikael apologetically, “Sorry, I don’t know how I slept that late. Shouldn’t be possible, should it? I went to bed at 1 last night.”
Mikael shrugged, so Lyght crossed to the already open window and hopped out, Mikael behind him. Lyght shut it as they exited and they took off, leaping onto and around buildings with Dreamcasting power. It definitely wasn’t good to use it this early in the day, but it would mean big trouble if they were too late. The pair of them along with Iri and Seth were supposed to be leading in a practical test today; their first Dreamcasting class with Lyn. Apparently, the Legend wanted to analyze their Dreamcasting abilities before he set the curriculum.
In about ten minutes or so, the
y had fought through the crowds of people and traffic in and around the city and emerged out into the open space along the banks of the slowly winding channel. They sped along under the overcast morning sky, not talking, trying to conserve their breath for running. They were running almost full tilt now, feet shredding the dry grass below. Although they both knew Lyn, it definitely wasn’t good that they were going to be late on their first day of Dreamcasting class. Lyght just hoped they wouldn’t be too late.
As it turned out, they were able to get through the tricky landscape of Zone Zero in less time than usual. Lyght assumed it was because they had been coming in here every morning for training. He was impressed with their progress in understanding the terrain and relative distances, despite the oddities in its construction. Still, Lyght was annoyed to find his spirit level almost a quarter spent by the time they reached base. And they were still late.
They ran around the side of the large, dark steel building and burst around the other side, panting. Lyght was pleasantly surprised to at least find the class still there; they hadn’t gone off yet. Lyn, however, did give them somewhat of a cold look as the pair approached, out of breath and a little red in the face from cold and embarrassment. Lyght came to a stop and looked down, angry with himself.
The Legend spoke to the class, “So kind of two of your leaders to join us. I’ll give you two a pass this time, but you would do best not to be late again. Clear?” Lyght looked up and he and Mikael nodded, relieved nothing worse had happened. They had, though, used up much more spirit than Lyght would’ve liked. They would be at a disadvantage in the exercise.
Lyn turned away from them and spoke up to the class at large, “So, now that everyone’s here, I would like to lay out the ground rules for this exercise. You will be split up into four teams, with one of each of your four leaders leading each team. The object is simple.” The Legend reached into his pocket, and pulled out a piece of paper. On it was a drawing of a small box with the lid open, an orb-shaped object nestled inside.
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