by Lara Yokoshima

Chapter 10. Youthful Hope

“Time to train!” a low male voice shouted to the teenage cubs that were integrated in a small group. They chatted joyfully near a big rock that provided them with an adequate amount of shade. The sweltering midday sun fell over the entire desert plain, warming the sand and forcing the Sekmit to scramble for shelter just like the other desert creatures, which were well accustomed to the extreme heat.

“Coming!!” a young male voice answered. He ran to the training area alongside his peers at the beckoning of his also young but strong trainer. The group of youngsters, formed of 3 boys and 5 girls, trotted to Caleb, who waited patiently with his arms crossed by his chest. His black and sleeveless t-shirt, discoloured by the sun’s rays, hid none of his amazing musculature on such a warm day.

Under the shade of a huge, leafy tree, the young cubs closed in on Caleb, forming a small half circle around the older Sekmit. Caleb counted heads, and he immediately noticed that one of them was not present. Looking around, he found the one who was missing. The thin Sekmit, the youngest of them all, was leaning down the surface of the rock where the group was resting before. Caleb frowned a little, wondering if the little one didn’t hear his calling, or if he didn’t care at all.

“Gai! Come here!” Caleb shouted at him in a somewhat abrupt manner, but at least this got the young Sekmit’s attention, who started walking towards the group under the tree. Gai didn’t give any indication of enthusiasm for the training at all.

The other youngsters began to murmur between themselves, remembering that Gai was the child who had lost his father because of a rather strange disease, which had caused a lot of commotion inside the Pakhet clan. Caleb angrily stared at them clearing his throat, and the young Sekmit all quieted themselves while returning to their posts.

Finally, the boy with dark hair and triangular black ears joined them, first staring at his young partners and then to his new trainer, who was looking at him with seriousness. Gai’s attitude had been surprisingly rude and insulting since his father Yuma’s unfortunate demise; Caleb couldn’t recall the last time he saw Gai as smiling and joyful as he used to be. Stopping his ruminations in mid thought, the older feline walked towards his new students. Most of them who stood there watched him anxiously, and couldn’t wait to learn the fighting techniques of the famous Caleb (AKA: Hunkenmeister, as many young girls liked to call him behind his back), one of the strongest Sekmit of the entire clan.

“Ok… now we are finally ready,” Caleb began speaking, directing his sight to a low-headed Gai. The big feline then continued his speech:

“I know some of you are still too young to start a stricter training regimen, more than what you’re already doing for several generations, but the truth is that time is becoming short for our race” Caleb said while staring at each one of the youngster in front of him. “That’s why our leader has decided to begin your training at this moment, and let me remind you: it won’t be easy.”

The teenagers paid careful attention to each one of Caleb’s words as he spoke to them. After finishing his brief speech, he took a long and thick wooden stick that was resting over the trunk of the tree behind him. “We will begin warming up with this simple but incredibly useful weapon.” He continued showing the stick between his clawed fingers, afterwards letting it sink into the sandy earth.

“Take one from over there and then return to me,” he said pointing the other sticks that were placed at the same tree. As instructed, the young cubs went and each one took a stick. Gai imitated the other boys and girls, grabbing a stick with his soft and tender hands, observing it with his bright yellowy-green eyes. The young cubs joined Caleb once again, all silent, waiting for the instructions of their trainer.

“Now try to take me down,” the robust Sekmit commanded, adopting a defensive position with his wooden stick.

The young Sekmit were left truly confused, staring at each other. “He can’t be serious?” Some of them questioned silently, since they have never been asked to attack the trainer in the first lesson. Caleb was beginning to become impatient, and he repeated the order once again. But none of them had the bravery to confront such a large, skilled opponent, who was undoubtedly stronger than them all.

“I can’t believe it… many of you have already surpassed the age of 16 and still you don’t have the guts to fight with a possible enemy?” Caleb reproached them, looking truly disappointed at the still impressed faces of his students.

“But…” one of the young cubs wanted to answer, immediately becoming silent again and diverting his eyes in fear.

“But what?” the upset instructor replied. “Why is that you can’t fight me? Look… just think of this as a simple test to be admitted in my group,” Caleb finally said, trying to cheer the youngsters. Gai just stared impassively at the whole charade, obviously not caring.

“Gai.” the strong voice called him again. The maroon eyed trainer stared at him patiently, but the boy just stood there with his wooden stick in his hands, perhaps a little afraid. Caleb motioned him to come closer, and the teen Sekmit nodded, getting closer with is hands clasping tightly around the stick.

Caleb once again adopted a fighting position, waiting for the youngest feline to attack. Gai on the other hand just remained frozen, but one single look from Caleb made him stand in a defensive position. In that moment, Gai tried to remember all the basic moves that his father had taught him in the Sekmit art of fighting. An inner fury began to control his turbulent heart, and with a decisive move of his lithe body, he thrust himself against his teacher, arms ready to form a strike with the stick.

“ Kyaaaaa !!”

The bigger feline rapidly and easily evaded the move, which didn’t even look that threatening. Due to the uncontrolled nature of the attack, Gai lost his center of balance and fell directly onto the ground on his hands and knees.

“Is that the best you can do?” Caleb smiled wickedly while the young cub was trying to stand. The other students stared on with surprised looks at the whole spectacle, and Gai was preparing himself to strike once again. The wooden weapon was now in a transversal position to his body, and he threw it skillfully trying to stab Caleb’s body. The older Sekmit only hopped back, arching his abdomen to avoid being hit by the stick in the stomach.

Landing only a few feet away from Gai, Caleb continued evading the young cub’s poorly aimed attempts to hit him. Multiple yells and frantic moves came from Gai’s tense body, and his behavior seemed to get more and more desperate with each failure. He then stopped. The tired young black-haired feline showed his exhaustion, and what looked like a tiny drop of sweat, ran down his cheek.

“C’mon, c’mon! I know you can do better than this Gai… what happened with that immense courage you inherited from Yuma?!”

With only the utterance of his father’s name, a newborn strength took hold of Gai’s small frame. With a decisive yell, Gai used that new energy to leap into the air and perform an aerial attack against his opponent. It was a moment that seemed to slow down in time for Gai; he could even listen to his own heart’s slow beating. A dry sound of wood clashing against wood could be heard even from a distance, and in the span of a few seconds, Gai found himself once again kissing the ground.

“!!!”

The other teenage Sekmit got closer, in order to better watch the scene that just transpired moments ago. Gai was in a desperate situation. The roughest feline had stopped him so professionally with a skillful movement of his body, cornering Gai. Feeling the stick brushing up against his neck, he noticed with alarm that he was being choked. Being in such a very vulnerable position, Gai could only struggle in vain while trying to get free of the big Sekmit’s grip. Caleb continued to cruelly apply all his body weight, barely letting the young boy breathe.

His round, yellowy-green eyes stared incredulously at Caleb, who had a stoic expression on his face, as if he hadn’t exerted any great effort to knock him down. Gai’s soft cheeks began to burn red with intensity. The courage and pride of his ancestry swelling inside him was affronted by the embarrassment of such a situation; the conflict of emotions inside him might’ve exploded any instant. How is it possible that I’m so weak? I, the son of Yuma, who was one of the most praised and strong Sekmit of the clan, am not even half of what his father was?

Gai shut his eyes tightly, wanting to remove those thoughts from his mind. But his struggle was futile. He was already carrying with the responsibility to demonstrate that he was worthy of being the son of Yuma, a unique strategist, and a brave warrior. But the path lain out before him was just too much for his inexperienced heart.

In that moment, subtle sobs could be heard in that barren plain. The other teenagers had become quiet, only watching how that young Sekmit leaked tears of anguish, crying softly. The tears flowed from his beautiful eyes, tears that he had been swallowing since his father died that hateful afternoon, tears that had been held inside, until now. Caleb found himself a little surprised. He lifted his body immediately from the poor boy below him. The tall Sekmit kneeled by his side, helping him to sit over the sandy ground.

Gai couldn’t stop crying, tears kept falling down on his cheeks, moistening the hot desert sand in small drops. Suddenly he felt how a thumb drying his tears, and the warm hand it belonged to being placed over his face. Looking up, he noticed how Caleb’s expression had softened to a much more indulgent one. A soft smile curved his teacher’s lips, and it looked almost as if he felt satisfied. Gai stopped his sobs, staring thoroughly at Caleb’s warm maroon eyes, trying to understand his reaction.

“Please let us have a moment alone.” Caleb murmured to his other students, who were quite shocked. They nodded and then retired themselves, walking under the shade of the tree. Just after, Caleb directed his sight once again to the youngest feline.

“That is what I exactly wanted from the very beginning, Gai. I think I did it, but I never imagined it would be this soon.” The older Sekmit softly replied to Gai.

“What?” the teen boy asked truly intrigued, still sniffling a little.

“That you could free those repressed feelings”

Gai stayed quiet for a moment. “But you…”

“Say no more. I have another mission apart from training my students” Caleb interrupted. “And that other mission is to make that my students feel confident enough and content with themselves. I will not tolerate any Sekmit that feels insecure of what he or she is. Low self-esteem is something that will only hinder your fighting skills,” the muscular teacher joked a little, patting Gai’s head softly with his rough hands. “Besides, I made a promise to your father”.

The young boy still didn’t seem to understand what this Sekmit had promised to his father, but Caleb didn’t need to give more explanations. He slowly stood up, rising his own muscular frame while helping Gai to stand up too. He took the nearest wooden stick and handed it to Gai with a swift and precise move. The young cub took it with both hands and a renewed confidence. Caleb smiled to him one last time before adopting his serious, instructor’s demeanor again. He walked towards the tree where the other kids where resting and looked them over appraisingly.

“Ok, who should be next?” Caleb asked the other youngsters, who were now a little more confident after having watched the youngest among their group in a confrontation with their trainer. Caleb rapidly pointed at a female cub, who just nodded, a little frightened. She nonetheless positioned herself in front of her teacher to start a new battle.

Gai could just stare in admiration at that great Sekmit that was now his teacher. With the stick grabbed tightly in his hands, a subtle smile formed in his lips. He rejoined the group with a newly found courage. Gai had no more doubts now that Caleb would prepare him to be, just like his father, a proud warrior of his magnificent race.

“Evania! Evania!”

The pure Bastit couldn’t open his eyelids even though he had tried. He felt an inexplicable coldness run through the entirety of his body, sending chills along his spine. This made the feline shiver even more violently over his bed. Fiore shook him softly by his shoulder, pronouncing his name once again.

“What is wrong, Evania…?” the young redheaded Bastit muttered, truly worried. The image of the young white feline lying over the bed without being able to move, terrified her.

“Don’t… worry… Fiore” he answered with a husky voice. “I’m fine... please leave me be...”

“Are you insane? Just look at how you are shaking!” the young female responded, even more worried than before.

Evania could only breathe deeply, grasping the bed sheets with his claws. He felt how Fiore placed a hand over his forehead, and he heard her frightened gasp. “You are burning up… Wait. I will bring some fresh water,” she said and ran out of the room with haste.

What the hell is wrong with me? Evania questioned himself. Two days ago he was in perfect condition, and today he could scarcely move a single finger. The day before he felt a little bit weak and with his nose somewhat stuffy, but he never imagined that this could get so bad that he couldn’t even be capable of standing up from bed that morning.

“I’m back!” Fiore exclaimed bringing a silver tray with a bowl filled with water and a cotton cloth; she also brought a glass of water and some fresh grapes. She sat down immediately besides Evania, and helped him to lean his body over the pillows, handing him the glass filled with crystalline water. The weakened pure feline took a few sips of the water, leaving the glass over the nightstand. He laid his sickened body down once again, and Fiore took advantage of this to wet the cotton cloth and place it over Evania’s forehead, adding a cool moistness to his burning face.

“You didn’t have to, Fiore…”

“Stop saying nonsense! That’s why I am here,” the young Bastit answered with a full smile on her face. “You are aware that you are a very stubborn cat, right?”

Evania just chuckled, while he closed his weary eyes. He then felt a solid object brush his left leg. With his hand, he carefully took the yo-yo that Isha gave him that time, observing it closely as if he just received it.

“So… have you learned how to use that, Evania?” the young female questioned him, with interested ears.

“No…” the pure Bastit answered, while a soft smile was beginning to form in his lips.

Fiore had already noticed that every time he stared at that yo-yo, Evania’s eyes seemed to become brighter. “Now you are going to tell me just who your secret admirer is?” the young female Bastit asked him wryly.

“Huh?”

“Aw, c’mon! Tell me…” Fiore insisted whimsically. Evania hid the yo-yo once again under the sheets, and then looked at her.

“Nobody,” he replied very serious.

“Hmph! Seems that I will never know,” the girl said somewhat disappointed, while she wet the cotton cloth one more time, drying Evania’s forehead. “I’ll take my leave then. I think you look better now, but still a little pallid. Eat some fruit, ok? I don’t want you to dehydrate.”

Evania nodded like a good boy, and then Fiore stood up, taking with her the silver tray. She was leaving by the door when she turned around her head. “You should think about going to the doctor, Evania. I will let our master know about your condition”.

“I am not sick!” the stubborn Bastit replied, starting to cough before yelling like that.

“Really??” Fiore answered really amused. An infuriated Evania just rolled his body, showing his back to the young woman. He became calm when he heard the door to his room close silently. Finally, he was alone.

Taking the yo-yo in his hands again, he held it closer to his body. He felt really weak, but he couldn’t stop staring at the wooden object in his fingers. Little by little the weariness forced his eyes closed. Without letting his toy go, he began to drift in a profound sleep. “Isha… when will you come back?” The young pure Bastit always repeated that phrase before going to sleep, like if he were attempting to summon the Sekmit with brown skin and long hair that impressed him so much. But he didn’t know they would meet again soon. He hoped it would be very soon.