by Katie Pottle
Cadin lay sprawled in-between two mats that were far enough away from the big blue pad that he didn’t get trampled by on-lookers. He found an inconspicuous and comfortable spot in-between the mats to rest. His ribs throbbed every time he took a breath, but he did not want to appear weak to the other students.
While sinking down further into his hiding spot to avoid being spotted and challenged to another Ladder Master game, Cadin heard someone talking from close behind him.
“I’m glad that your group entered the gym in time to see the first battle of the season,” Instructor Kade said.
A woman’s laugh followed, and though he couldn’t see her, Cadin decided that it must have been from Instructor Zephran.
“Yes.” She answered with a smile behind her voice. “You have some competitors in your class this year. I must work especially hard if my students are going to win challenges.”
Cadin was beginning to feel cramped between the mats. If he got up now, he would miss out on the rest of the conversation between the two instructors and they would probably see him and know that he had overheard them. He didn’t care too much, it was not like he had heard anything that he shouldn’t have.
“Even with all your focus, Zephran, I don’t think that your group has a chance against mine this year. I mean, you saw Cadin launch himself through the air to grab the flag—and the boy that he beat was fantastic at getting up those ladders. Cadin did what he had to do to win. He is a lot like his father was in the Core.”
Those last words froze Cadin in his attempt to sit up. His dad had never talked about his time in the Core, always brushing off Cadin’s questions and saying that they would talk about it when he got older. People always talked about his dad regarding his amazing armor, or the fact that he had developed a green Aura while living on a blue cloud-land, but nobody talked about his father in the Core. Cadin had just assumed that not much worth talking about had happened.
“You worked with his father in the Core?”
“I had heard of him upon entering,” Instructor Kade said softly. Cadin strained to listen. “There are not many who get in and have not heard of Talvarian of Ansford. I was even able to work under him a bit before he learned that his wife was expecting a child. Many were sad that Talvarian retired; but of course, no one could blame him for leaving at a time that was as peaceful as we have seen in many years. Especially after he played such a large role in establishing that peace.
“I was shocked when I arrived here to find that Talvarian had moved his family to Glade. I must admit that I am curious to see what his son is capable of. That’s the reason I requested his transfer into my class. You will never guess what he did in the Cloud Gym.”
“Well, if he is anything like you,” Instructor Zephran said in an even quieter voice, “he decided to test out the drop.”
“How did you know about that?” Instructor Kade asked.
“I had only just entered Glade Commons when you were in your final year in Galen. When we were on our school tour, Instructor Beghan who had just transferred from Galen told us the story about you swan diving off the balcony in the middle of your first year. He also told us that no one would be crazy enough to try that again. I agreed with him, looking down at the drop. Most students with wings don’t even go near that edge until they have some control over their flying.
“So, was Cadin even crazier than you to attempt that on his very first day?”
“Crazy enough to try it—yes. Stupid enough to turn it into a swan dive so that everybody would know that he did it on purpose—no. He pretended to trip.”
“How do you know that he didn’t actually trip?”
“As the only other non-winged angel to have ever attempted the fall, it was easy to recognize the curiosity and thrill in his eyes as he dropped. There was no surprise or worry in his expression.”
“I see,” Instructor Zephran said. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“I don’t see why you shouldn’t.”
“Why did you leave the Core?”
“Ah, an interesting answer to that one.”
“I’m all ears.”
“I didn’t.”
“What?” Instructor Zephran exclaimed. Cadin had also taken a shocked breath but managed to keep quiet. He couldn’t believe that he had thought of getting up and missing the conversation.
“Yes, they stationed me here at the school.”
“Explain, please.”
"For another time, I think. We should get these kids to the Cafeteria before it closes.” Then loud enough for the whole class to hear Instructor Kade called out, “Everyone, time to eat lunch. You need to exit through the blue door.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Path Choice
Lunch and the remainder of the tour went by without anything nearly as exciting as the gym experience. Cadin did not get a chance to talk to Lep about what he overheard in the gym. When they got back to the Dragon’s Den, Lep and Cadin sat next to each other; however, now they were also joined by Vincent, Xeno, and Treven.
“Everyone, quiet down,” Instructor Kade said. “We don’t have time left for a full lesson today, so for the rest of the afternoon, we will talk a little about why we are here and what is expected of a Glade Commons’ student.
“First, I have an addition to your school attire that you must wear every day to symbolize your achievements within the school.” Instructor Kade pulled out a box that smelled of new leather. Cadin tried to crane his head over the girl in front of him to see what was inside.
“These are your school arm-guards and they should be worn with pride.” Instructor Kade reached in pulled out a leather version of the arm-guards that Talvarian crafted. Instructor Kade started handing them out to the people in the front of each row and having them pass the rest back. Cadin felt the new and very stiff leather between his fingers and tried it on his right arm. It felt boxy and foreign.
“Note a couple of things about your arm-guard. First, they are adjustable and should fit you throughout your time here. Most students prefer to wear them on their non-dominant arm. It is up to you which you prefer. Secondly, there are three rows of parallel holes running the length of it. These are for your badges that will be melded to your arm-guard once you have earned them.”
Cadin quickly switched the arm-guard from his left to his right and then ran his fingers over the holes, imagining metal badges covering the empty spaces.
“Yes, Lexi?”
“I have seen some of the older students with different colored badges on their arm-guards. What do the colors signify?”
“Good question. This leads into our next topic—Path choice. In Court Middle School, you only learned the basics. Here in Commons High School you will see a divergence in topics and by the end of your first year you will have chosen a Path to specialize in. Do not worry, this is not a firm choice and can be changed throughout your years here.
“There are five Paths for you to choose from. The Path with the narrowest focus is the Guardian Path which features green badges. This is for those of you wanting to become Guardian Angels and travel to Earth and maintain Human to Angel relations. This Path is not often selected because it limits your future education and career options. If you want to know more about the Guardian Path, there is an information seminar at the beginning of each semester. The first is this Friday in the Library.
"The next is the Academic Path, which has blue-colored metal badges. This Path choice will move you towards a career in teaching, researching, healing, politics, etcetera. If you graduate through the Academic Path, you will have an opportunity to continue your training at an appropriate University on the Central Cloud.
“The Trade Path is a good one if you like to do things with your hands, like build cloud-structures or make armor. If you have your mind set on any business venture, such as opening your own shop, this is the Path choice to consider. There are many different trades, and there are small Trade Schools throughout the cloud-lands for each subje
ct. Many people earn a living through the trades. Trade Path badges are yellow in color.
“The next, which was my Path of choice, is the Warrior Path. You will learn about weapons, strategy, and finding your true strength. This one is not for the faint of heart. You will be tested, challenged, and one day put in a position to fight for your friends, family and our way of life.”
Instructor Kade’s eyes danced with passion, and Cadin finally released the breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding.
“The Warrior Path badges are red. This Path will lead you into the Academies on Central Cloud. There are many career choices through the Core for all Path choices, though by far the most are offered through the Warrior Path.
"The last choice is the General Path. This is a bit of a catch-all and the default for those of you who don't choose your own Path by the end of your first year. It is the broadest and allows you to graduate with your classes spread out between all of the other Paths."
Sounds great. He did find all the Paths interesting. Why not spread it all out?
As if in answer to his thought, Instructor Kade continued. "I would like to add a warning about the General Path choice. Sometimes it is more difficult to be accepted into a secondary educational establishment. You are usually only considered after having completed the specialized Paths which feed into the Universities, or Academies."
Maybe not.
“There are minimum requirements for you to graduate. Some badges are required for everyone—these are silver bordered and spread throughout skills from the different Paths. In general, you will want to choose at least one class from each Path per quarter, and attempt to earn the appropriate badges. Each Path has their own requirements that you must meet.
“There are System-wide Games associated with each Path that you can enter the Qualifiers for in your third and fourth year. These Games alternate which years they are held —this year we are holding the Qualifiers for Academic and Trade Path Games. They are excellent challenges for you that can lead to acceptance and even scholarships after you graduate."
"But we have to wait until our third year?" One of the boys from behind Cadin asked.
"Yes. First you must earn a certain number of badges to establish eligibility before you can register for the intra-school Qualifiers the following year. If you or your team qualifies, you earn the right to compete in the Calvarian Games held each summer for alternating Paths. It is a trying process, and you must be properly prepared before entering. The Games are not easy; and although safety is a top priority, the Qualifiers are no place for someone who lacks the requisite skills. That is why you should all look at the offered classes and choose your schedules wisely."
Instructor Kade stood up to flex his wings. "I would also like you to keep in mind that you will have a personal advantage if you schedule your most difficult classes sometime after Winter Break. Does anyone know what I am referring to?"
“Because of Auras,” a large, dark headed boy answered after Instructor Kade nodded to him.
“Yes, exactly,” Instructor Kade said, his green Aura flaring. “As angels, we each have our own individual strengths and weaknesses. The cloud-land you grow up on has a large influence over which strengths you develop the most. When your inner power reaches a point, your physical body can no longer contain it, that power expands beyond the surface and manifests as your Aura.
“The color of your Aura reflects your inner power. Does anyone know the common Aura colors and strengths and which Quads within the Calvarian Cloud System they are most often associated with? Cadin,” Instructor Kade said with a wry smile.
Cadin was relieved that he got chosen to answer this question, since Instructor Nightan had covered this lesson first. “White, red, yellow, blue and green. White Auras are common and develop in every Quad. They kinda have well-rounded strengths. Red Aura angels come from the Contra Quad and are really strong and have awesome endurance,” Cadin said as he looked to Instructor Kade for approval. He gave a positive nod, and Cadin gained confidence. He saw that he had the whole class’ attention, and turned to face everyone before he continued.
“Angels with yellow Auras come from the Lavine Quad and have good accuracy and preclusion,” Cadin said quickly, and only paused when Instructor Kade corrected him by whispering “precision.” “Yes, precision.” Now all the students were hanging on his every word.
Cadin took a deep breath and continued. “Blue Aura angels are amazing and come from the Arkta Quad. They are wickedly fast and agile. They are also really good with strategies, like figuring out how things will work best in a battle. And last, but not least,” Cadin said with a smile, receiving a cheer from his fellow students, “the green Aura angels from the Guard Quad!” A loud cheer erupted from his classmates while Cadin paused dramatically. “Green Aura angels are incredibly strong,” another cheer, “and have amazing resistance.”
The class broke out into general discussions about Auras and colors for a few minutes until Instructor Kade took control again.
“Those were all descriptive fighting qualities, however, keep in mind that Aura enhancements span across all skills and Paths. For instance, blue Aura angels are good in strategy games like cloud-chess. However, just because someone has a certain color Aura that may give them an innate edge in something, it doesn’t mean you can’t train hard to be better than that person. An example is the highest ranked cloud-chess player in the entire System is currently Reina of Carta who has a white Aura, though the second, third and fourth ranked players all have blue Auras.
“I use the term ‘Aura’ as if you all already have one, which is only partially true. Your Aura has been developing your entire life and is already a part of you that is simply not visible yet. This is the year that all of you should get your Auras because of your age and the added studying and training you will do here at the Glade Commons School. Once your Auras shine through, your overall strength in all areas will increase, and nearly double in the Aura color specific areas.
Cadin was lost in thought. Is it true my Aura is already there inside of me, waiting to get out? He thought that it probably was, and it made a lot more sense than one day a certain color just springing up out of nowhere that stuck with you the rest of your life. He mentally went over his natural strengths and weaknesses.
“Wow, that was a cool first day,” Lep said excitedly as he and Cadin walked home. “I can’t believe you fell off the balcony; it looked like it really hurt.”
“I didn’t fall; I just pretended so that I could see what it felt like.” Cadin saw the stunned look and Lep’s face and added, “It was actually fun. Though it did hurt.”
Cadin could tell that Lep was horrified at the idea that Cadin would so deliberately break the rules just to see what it felt like to fall twenty feet into an unknown pit. Lep had stopped walking and Cadin stopped with him and was slightly amused by his friend’s consternation.
“But what if you had gotten caught and kicked out of school?” Lep asked, his brow furrowing. Before he could answer, Lep continued, “and I thought it was so lucky that you got switched into the same class that I was in—but it will all be for nothing if you have to leave because you do something stupid!”
“Look, it is not that big of a deal,” Cadin said to Lep who was facing him with a red face under his blond hair. His eyes reflected the clouds and Cadin found it difficult to look at him face to face. Casting his glance down, he continued trying to defend himself, “and Instructor Kade knew that I did it on purpose and I didn’t even get in trouble.”
Lep looked a little taken aback, but didn’t say anything. Cadin thought about telling him everything he had overheard in the gym to try and placate him. However, the mention of his dad left Cadin with an urge to figure some things out on his own before he talked to Lep.
Cadin shook off his thoughts as they approached a common detour trailhead on their walk home. Cadin smiled as he looked at Lep who cringed.
“Cloud-worms,” Cadin said before runni
ng up the small path. Lep took a deep breath and followed his friend.
CHAPTER FIVE
Glade Palace
Cadin reached his hand into a crevice in the rocks above Mist Lake, searching for cloud-worms that quickly scuttled away when he and Lep managed to lift the large rock. Lep’s face drained of color after seeing the slimy, white worms but held the rock in place when Cadin started plopping them in his lunch cup. He was having a great time, and didn’t understand why Lep didn’t like the worms.
They don’t bite that hard.
He reached into a crevice felt the sticky side of a worm. He grabbed and pulled, but it did not come. He was sure that it was one of the cloud-worms that had escaped through the large crack and pulled even harder, imagining the worm wedging itself between two rocks just to avoid being captured.
The worm seemed to be losing the battle as Cadin was slowly able to pull it back to the opening where he could throw it in his cup with the others if it would fit.
“I’ve got a big one.”
“That doesn’t seem like it will be a worm.” Lep stepped back.
“Oh, it definitely is a cloud-worm—grab the cup,” Cadin said as he braced his feet against the rock, his medallion shifting on his chest. He pulled hard, freeing the fat worm of the crevice. Attached to the other end of the worm and pulling fiercely was a huge, blue rock dragon the size of Cadin’s arm. Cadin was stunned and didn’t move, still holding onto the cloud-worm. Lep yelled and dropped the cup—worms flew. The dragon startled and gave a quick jerk, tearing the cloud-worm in two. In one smooth move, it gulped down its half and ran back into its home.
“Wow,” Cadin said, still sitting in front of the crevice and holding the other half of the cloud-worm that oozed clear stuff all over his hand.
“That was the biggest rock dragon that I have ever seen. He could have eaten your arm off.” Lep sounded terrified.
