by Brian Keller
Mister Skran then turned to face Cooper again and asked, “How old are you? Do you know?”. Cooper’s reply was, “I’ll be ten this Spring, I think, sir.”. Mister Skran was silent for a few seconds then shrugged slightly and moved slowly through a new combination for Cooper to practice which he did for nearly an hour. As students rotated through working with the dummies, Cooper found himself working with classmates again.
He was paired next with a boy named Neril, who had dark hair always parted down the middle, dark eyebrows, brown eyes, a slightly hawkish nose, thin lips and buck teeth. He was one of the boys that always seemed to be there to laugh at Boyd’s cruel jokes and jibes. Before Neril and he decided who would attack first Neril leaned forward and quietly asked, “How did you do that?”. Cooper asked, “How did I do what?”. “That combination with Mister Strawman.”, Neril replied. Cooper shrugged and continued, “It wasn’t anything special… I just did what Mister Skran told me to do. He had me work on increasing my speed almost the entire session yesterday.”. Neril gave Cooper a look that said he didn’t believe him but all he said was, “Fine. I’ll attack first.”.
Neril knew how Boyd felt about Cooper, everyone did. “Almost everyone in the class is afraid of Boyd, but for some reason Cooper isn’t”, Neril thought. He figured Boyd was watching him now since he’d been paired with Cooper. If he could hit, or even hurt, this boy then that’d elevate him in Boyd’s eyes. He dropped into a crouch, waited until Cooper had done the same, then he punched… hard. Cooper had been training just that way with Aden, though Aden often pulled his punches for some reason. Cooper blocked Neril’s attack just the same. It was speed they were trying to develop with these exercises, not power. Cooper blocked the attacks easily and countered the way they had been shown. It seemed that Neril and his previous partner hadn’t been working to push themselves. Cooper’s counterstrike could’ve hit Neril fully but he’d slowed himself at the last moment, “The moment I would otherwise have exerted more force in order to maximize the power in the strike.”, he thought to himself. Since he had slowed himself slightly Neril was able to partially block his counterstrike. Neril’s forehead wrinkled and his eyebrows pulled together. Neril seemed to try moving faster, by using more strength. Cooper was able to witness firsthand that by trying to exert more force, the boy had actually slowed himself a little bit and his movements were easier to anticipate. Neril’s body worked to generate the force which gave Cooper even more time to see what was coming. Cooper spoke in a hushed voice but certainly loud enough for Neril to hear, “Relax. Stop forcing it.”. This seemed to frustrate the boy even more. After about thirty minutes of this, Cooper was relieved when Mister Skran stopped them and sent Neril to work with Mister Strawman.
Mister Skran pointed at Cooper and then pointed at another boy that Cooper had seen in class but never spoken with. As the boy and Cooper approached each other the boy regarded him as if he were a poisonous snake. Cooper didn’t know this boy’s name. He knew that the boy sat on the other side of Boyd in the classroom, and that the boy usually laughed when Boyd made a comment but he didn’t seem to follow the bully around outside the classroom the way Neril did. The boy was about four or five inches taller than Cooper. One of the tallest boys in the class but not the biggest. He had short cropped dark brown hair that seemed to go in all directions but somehow didn’t look messy. It was short enough that it created a uniform appearance around his head. He had a low hairline and thick eyebrows. His nose was a little small for the rest of his face. His chin made Cooper think of a button, it didn’t stick out past his full, pale lips but it came to kind of a blunted point with a little dimple ‘like a button’. Cooper placed his hand on his chest and said, “Cooper.” The boy nodded, his not-quite-sneering expression revealed teeth that seemed to be fighting each other for space in the boy’s mouth as he said, “I know.”. Cooper waited, expecting the boy to offer his name but when he didn’t Cooper simply dropped into a crouch and told the boy, “You first.”. The boy crouched and released a low kick. Cooper wondered if the boy had just come from working with Mister Strawman because the kick was pretty good. Cooper raised a leg to absorb the impact and shifted forward to continue with his counterstrike, which the boy blocked and they continued. They practiced for another fifteen minutes or so.
Mister Skran announced class was dismissed. “Take a few minutes to stretch and refresh yourselves before lunch.”, he added. Birt, Aden and Loryn hurried over to Cooper who was taking a few minutes to stretch, figuring the lunch bell would be ringing any minute now. Mister Skran gave him a long look and left the room. Boyd had hesitated at the door and watched Mister Skran leave, he then looked back at Cooper. His face was expressionless. Cooper thought, ‘Well, that’s a change from the usual snide comment and threatening gesture.’. Boyd turned and left the room.
Birt, Aden and Loryn formed a triangle around Cooper. All at once Cooper was hearing variations of, “How’d you do that?”. Cooper looked at them and asked, “How’d I do what? And did anyone see how Boyd reacted. Just now he gave me an odd look, instead of looking like he wanted to cut me up for fish bait.”. Loryn said, “You were fast!”. Before Cooper could reply, Aden blurted, “You were really, really fast! At least as fast as Mister Skran when he was fighting Master Loril!”. Cooper said, “Stop goofing around. Did anyone watch Boyd? Birt did you see anything?”. Birt told him, “They’re not kidding, Cooper. You’re first combination was a blur. That’s why Mr. Skran told you to do it again. The first time, it was hard to see. And Boyd’s face went pale, his eyes went wide, and he backed up a step and blinked a couple times.”. Cooper said, “A blur? Ok, you guys got together on this and you’re messing with me. I asked for a tiny favor, “Watch Boyd.” And instead, you’ve all -.”. The lunch bell rang.
After lunch, as they were entering the classroom Master Worthan called Cooper to his table, “And bring your copied pages, if you please.”. He did. Master Worthan said, “Let me take a look at what you have here… yes…. Ah, I see you have been taking notes from classes and adding that material to your pages. Most industrious. Yes, well done.” Then in hushed tones he said, “Once you’ve finished dinner this evening make some excuse to get away and then come meet me here. There is something of great importance to you that we must discuss.”. Then his voice returned to normal, “Mister Cooper, your handwriting on this page is not acceptable. I do not know what was happening at this time but you must have been rather distracted. I would suggest that you re-copy it. Return to your seat and do so.”. As he bundled up Cooper’s paper’s he said in a hushed tone, “Nevermind that last. Continue copying your book.”
During the next few hours a few messages came in but Cooper and Loryn were not called to make any trips into town. Cooper got a few more pages copied. He was well over halfway completed with copying the textbook. He wondered what he’d do once he had completed his copy.
Chapter 13
After dinner, Cooper told his friends that he’d read something in the textbook that he wanted to research a little further in the library. He should be back in the sleeping bay before the too long, but if he wasn’t back as soon as he expected he’d try to be quiet on his way to bed. He knew Birt and Aden wouldn’t want to go with him to the library and Loryn would stay with them since Aden had been working with her on her reading. The reason that Aden had been staying up late at night was that he was making a small booklet with each letter of the alphabet drawn large, in both lowercase and capital letters with small pictures of things that had names starting with that letter alongside.
Cooper entered the classroom to see Master Worthan referencing material from two dusty tomes and copying text from each along with scribbled notes following each entry he was writing. Master Worthan covered his parchment with another sheet and laid a book on it as if to blot it. Cooper wondered what it was the Master didn’t want him to see but had the sense to not ask. “You wanted to see me, Sir?”. Master Worthan stood, “Yes,”, he said, “thank you for coming.”. He closed
the books and Cooper then noticed that each book had a clasp and a lock on it, which he then closed and locked. ‘What kind of books need locks?’, Cooper wondered. ‘Ledgers?’, but again, he knew enough to not ask.
Master Worthan rolled up his parchment, bound it and slipped it into his sleeve and piled the tomes, picked them up and placed them on a shelf in the back and returned to his table, indicating that Cooper should sit. Which he did.
Master Worthan’s face looked very serious. “Cooper,”. He knew that when Master Worthan dropped the “Mister” that the conversation was personal in nature. “I believe I may have some answers that you’re seeking. You might not even be aware of the questions yet, but I regret that before I can provide you with answers I must ask several questions of my own.”. Master Worthan noticed Cooper’s expression and added, “You are not in trouble, and I wish to keep it that way. You must answer my questions completely and to the best of your ability.” Master Worthan paused for a second, as if he was deciding what to say next. “Mister Skran has told me that you are progressing well in his class. In fact, he has brought something of a concern of his to me. You are nine, and will be ten in the Spring is what you have told him,”, Cooper opened his mouth as if to speak and Master Worthan held up his hand, “I believe that is true. He has spoken to me and asked if I have ever heard of anyone Manifesting at your age. I have not, but I must ask you what you feel when you are practicing combat. Describe to me what you’re thinking and how it feels just before everything goes right, and when you’re finished you ‘know’ it was right.” Cooper didn’t have to think about it but he still paused… He always felt that his Flow was special to him, unique, so how did Master Worthan know? It felt like his teacher was asking him to tell his most private secret. Master Worthan could sense his indecision and said, “I remember as a boy, before I Manifested, many, many years ago, that I could do things other children, my friends, could not do. When I was doing these things I felt like I was being carried by the wind, or by a huge wave. I called it ‘Whipping’ because I felt like I had to only move a little in order to move a lot, like a whip.”. Cooper answered, “Flowing.”. Master Worthan smiled and nodded, “Ah yes, I can see that. Quite astute actually. Yes, I think we’re on the right track.”
“Cooper, I must ask you to tell me everything you can remember about your parents.”. Cooper was stunned. If he’d been asked to make a list of fifty things he thought Master Worthan wanted to ask him about, that wouldn’t have even made the list. His teacher continued, “I believe I can answer some questions that are somewhere in the back of your mind. But there are questions that cannot be researched without more information. I believe that what you remember may help guide that research”.
Cooper relayed what he could recall: his father’s shop in the Trade quarter, seeing his father at work carving and scraping pieces of wood, his father’s affinity for Nature, his mother telling him that his father was dead, bundling him up in the dark and moving them to live in Batter’s Field, his mother having an affinity for Water though Cooper never remembered seeing her using any Talent, his mother teaching him to read, write and add figures, his mother fixing fishing nets to make extra money, and finally his mother’s death.
Master Worthan hadn’t said a word but Cooper knew that the old man hadn’t missed anything he’d said. After a few long seconds Master Worthan asked, “Do you recall their names?”. Cooper replied, “I know my mama’s name was Lara. I remember that since the fishermen would call her name as they knocked when they wanted to see how far she’d gotten on repairing their nets. And I can’t remember clearly but I think my mama called my father “Eldon”.”.
On hearing those names, Master Worthan nodded, “I may have known your father, and I might have met your mother once or twice. I will need to look through some of my papers, which may take some time, but that’s how I will spend my evenings for awhile…. Looking.” Master Worthan seemed to be working through a complex problem in his mind, he took on a faraway look and then focused on Cooper again.
“I have things to tell you that you might find difficult to believe. I will ask you to not interrupt. If you have more questions when I am done, if I think the answers will help you in some way, I will answer them.”. Master Worthan looked meaningfully at Cooper, who nodded.
“You know that when children come to a certain age, slightly different for each, they will Manifest. You also know that everyone Manifests differently; different affinities, different abilities within affinities and so forth. Those that have sufficient affinity, a powerful affinity, are said to be Talented. The college is based entirely on developing the Talents. Our society is based on the management of Talent as much as it is on simple commerce, and even those two foci are linked. I say all this because there is something different about you. It is the same thing that is different about me. There are others here that share this difference and in time you will likely come to recognize them, but I will not reveal them as it is not for me to do so. There is another classification of Manifestation that is not widely known. In fact, I believe that there are some Masters of the college that know it full well but keep this classification as a tightly held secret. I suspect it is a secret they will kill to keep. A few of us in the Guild have become aware of it, but we do not understand it fully. We have escaped notice because we operate in the shadows; out of sight of the college all while our Guild is under their noses, both literally and figuratively. This classification is what we have come to call “Gifted”.
I am not a scholar but I have been researching for years to try to understand more, and I will tell you some of what I know. Talented persons draw energies from within themselves depending on their affinities to perform whatever feats they are capable of. There is more to it than that, but for the purpose of today’s discussion it is enough. Gifted persons can use their affinities to draw energies from external sources, an ability that is called Channeling. Gifted persons still have Talent and can draw energy from within themselves as well. Because of this, Gifted persons can usually perform greater feats and maintain feats for longer periods. I have come to believe that Gifted persons are born with the ability to Channel, but still Manifest Talent normally. I expect you know why I am telling all this. Mister Skran tells me that you displayed speed today that could only come from a Manifested Talent, but we all know that you’re too young to Manifest. I have always wondered if you might be Gifted. It can be difficult to detect but often times it is possible for Gifted persons to recognize one another. I have given you this background to help you understand, but I must tell you a few more things that are perhaps even more important. You must strive to conceal that you have a Gift, at least until you have Manifested. Once you Manifest, you can Channel and anyone seeing the display will simply assume you are displaying Talent. Persons that are Gifted can become hunted, if the wrong people or organizations were to discover them. Gifted persons are a threat to the college, to the leaders, to the ruler, and to the overall status quo. The reason that I asked about your parents is that some of the obscure research materials I have managed to acquire suggests that being Gifted may have hereditary factors. I’ll also say this, a Water affinity is extremely rare. Not unheard of, but still extremely rare. Most historical references that I have found that describe someone with a Water affinity, their displays are consistent with what we know about Gifted persons. While it is possible for someone to have a Water affinity and not be Gifted, in all cases I have heard of or witnessed, the opposite is not true. All Gifted persons, as far as I can tell, have a powerful affinity for Water.
I asked your parents’ names and your history so I may begin subtle, very subtle, inquiries to discover some information important to the Guild. From what you have said I believe that, upon your father’s death, your mother’s decision to move to Batter’s Field had nothing to do with finances. I suspect that she moved in order to conceal you both. That is why she seldom, if ever, used her Talent. If she was teaching you to read, write and do math, then you h
ad books, paper, quill and ink. How many homes in Batter’s Field has those items? None, I would guess, because books are very expensive by Batter’s Field standards, and parchment, quill and ink are luxuries that have no place in that part of the city either. I also suspect your mother repaired fishing nets, not because you needed the money, but because people had to see her working or they’d wonder how she even paid for food.
These are all merely suspicions but I believe that by researching your history, I may be able to discover more about who it is that hunts Gifted persons… for the purpose of killing us.
Chapter 14
On his way to the sleeping bay, he certainly had plenty to think about. Apparently, he had Channeled many times without even knowing what he’d been doing. He wondered how he’d avoided being observed but maybe it was because he’d done it so irregularly, and when he usually did it he was already trying to avoid being noticed. He’d also learned what happened when he accessed his Flow, and that he could do it when he wanted. Master Worthan had sounded very serious when he’d told him that he needed to conceal his Gift. He was sure he could do that, however now that he knew what it was he wanted to experiment with it. Cooper wondered when he would Manifest. This made him wonder if he hadn’t Manifested by the time he turned twelve, could he start Channeling and let everyone just assume he’d Manifested. It would be difficult to wait that long, but it would help to know in his mind when his waiting would end. He’d need to ask Master Worthan.
When he returned to the bay, Aden and Loryn were still awake. She knew her alphabet and was sounding out small words. Master Worthan had been spending quite a bit of time each day with her. That, combined with Aden’s tutoring, was helping her learn very quickly. Cooper looked over at Birt and saw he was already asleep. Tomorrow he needed to remember to talk with Birt and let him know what Master Loril had said about not discussing lower levels of the Guild.