As expected of my dad he was up even earlier than me, but he didn’t seem bothered in waking me. I rolled over realising that I was alone in the tent, beams of light gently coming from the open tent door.
Steadily I got up, heading outside, my nose twitching to the smell of breakfast. To be honest dads wild cooking was just as good as mum’s. I would have almost said dad preferred it out here than at home in the bakery.
“Did you used to do this a lot when you were little?” I asked.
“Certainly did,” he nodded. “Nothing like being outside, often I find the city too noisy.” Too noisy, strange didn’t he grow up in the city. “Never been a fan, but your mother always persuaded me to stay.” He gazed up at the sky. “Anyway, eat up, we have to get going, before the storm hits.”
“What storm?” I took the fish he’d had placed around the fire.
“Can’t you smell it, the slight water droplets in the air, the wind direction changing,” he said. “Oh, right not many brought up in the city can sense the changing weather.”
“Weren’t you brought up in the city?” I questioned, getting very curious to why we had really come out here.
We ate up in silence, then dad went to finish preparing what looked like gliders, wooden frame with blue and red cloth.
“We’ll be using these to glide where we are going,” he began. “You can use Larana but only enough to keep the glider at the same height as me.”
“No flying,” I said.
“Nope,” he shook his head. “At first you’ll need some speed to get away from the jagged points of the mountain, then following the gentle breeze I lay out to our destination over there, in those woods.” He pointed in the direction we were going. “It was about time I visited that place again.” Dad seemed to gaze in that direction fondly, was something special over there. “Ready.”
“Yeah.” I nodded.
It wasn’t long before we were readying for take-off. Dad went first running with the glider above his head, then jumped from Jagged Mountain, with some speed using the wind from Zekon he pushed himself away from the points of the mountain.
Alright, my turn. I did the same running off with the glider, holding it like him, a bit nervous as I had never used a glider before, no one in the city even used them. I propelled myself using Larana safely away from Jagged Mountain, coming to glide beside dad.
“Nice control,” he encouraged.
“Thanks,” I smiled as his praise.
“Now, stay the same height as me,” he instructed again. Dad seemed to appear he was just floating in the air, staying the same height, looked easy.
I controlled Larana’s wind to sustain the height of the glider, but used to much and flew higher above dad. “Whoa!” I cried in surprise.
“Gliders are sensitive to the wind, less power more control,” responded dad.
“Just a gentle breeze will do master,” said Larana.
I adjusted the amount of energy I was and soon had it under control, gliding side by side with dad. Looking down at the sight of Cathopia as we flew over it. The wind carrying the sound of the activities of those during the morning hours. Visitors to the city were only just arriving, crossing over one of the four bridges.
Fishing boats docking, unloading their catch, some were even heading out. The calming waters around Cathopia reflecting the light from the rising sun, but it was not the sights of home which grabbed my attention, but the darkness.
I could see the darkness within the city, spread throughout the streets like a morning mist, all of it spreading out from the castle, where Dumah and what remained of his unit still resided in, mind I had seen less of Hashana, Valli and Seth, most probably causing trouble elsewhere.
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“Dad is there anything else we can do about the darkness within the city?” I asked.
“Our presence is what keeps the darkness as a mist, only when the cause is destroyed will it disappear altogether, but even then the path darkness sides always repeats itself, time and time again they have tried to claim the first city of light, but not even they know the true secrets of the city,” replied dad. “There are more of us within the city than they think, even the weakest of purification abilities is enough to leave a small dent in the darkness, ready for the Warrior of Fangs to wipe the rest away.”
“More of us,” I said. “But I’ve only seen you, mum and Kiba’s parents.”
“You’ll see soon,” he smiled. “When Lin gives birth, all must be present, a new life, a new Fang is always a special occasion.”
“Lin, how is she doing?” I asked.
“She has been fine, growing stronger again after what happened, has even kept up her training for when her captain calls for her,” he mentioned. She still believed in me.
Leaving Cathopia behind us, dad guided us to the forest as grey clouds began to hide away the blue skies, like a thick blanket. Dad had been correct; how could you tell the weather just from the scent?
“Best land soon, don’t want the rain to weigh down the gliders,” said dad. “You’ve proven control, now follow me quickly.” The wind circled around dad for a moment before he began moving away at an incredible speed.
“Can’t let him lose us Larana,” I said.
“Certainly not master,” responded Larana. Her wind circled around me, cool and calm, before boosting me forward after dad.
He went lower, his feet a meter from the treetops. I came in close to him, it felt like he was looking for something, an opening perhaps. He found it and went in through a small opening in the trees. I was barely able to follow him in.
Gliding in and out of the trees at the same speed, surprised me. Larana guided me as if she knew this place, where each tree grew.
Zekon’s wings appeared on dad’s back, opening enough to act as a brake. Dad came to a stop, landing. I followed his lead, coming to land beside him.
“Welcome to my childhood home,” he smiled, sniffing at the air. “Come on.” He went over to one of the trees and climbed upwards.
“Dad?” I was puzzled.
“Just follow,” said Larana.
I followed up after him to find a tree house, a bit run down, no one had been here in years. Dad was blowing wind through it, blowing away all the cobwebs.
“Who built this?” I wondered.
“I did,” said dad. “Just in time.” I looked out of the window to see the rain start to come down heavy.
“Why did you even bring me out here?” I asked.
“So, you can learn how to trust your instincts more and being in the city will not help with that,” replied dad. “And I wanted to share my old home with you.”
“You lived here.” I looked around. “Alone.”
“At the age of two my parents were killed by clones, out here was a defence team, an early warning against clones that would attack the city, some years into that war, there was peace. The part of the Fang clan placed here become one with a wilds tribe, teaching each other,” explained dad. “My father a wilds, defended while my mother escaped, but she too was killed, I had just called Larana’s name before it all took place, I was the only survivor, alone.”
“Dad.” I felt sad.
“I grew up amongst these trees for four years when your mother guided by visions of me came, constantly on about me being a Warrior of Fang.” Dad smirked. “Chief rarely used my name, always calling me Feral.”
“Why Feral?” I asked curious.
“You have one on your team,” began dad. “A Feral is an Animalia who originally came from civilization but has somehow ended up in the wilds. Dash was abandoned, left in the forests around Cathopia, so grew up more like a wild animal.”
“Isn’t that a wilds?” I spoke.
“No, wilds already live like their wild cousins, in communities, a Feral comes from places such as cities, villages, then live alone in forests, with no one but themselves, surviving against all the dangers out there,” explained dad. “They’re often frowned upon, not fitting in anywhere and struggle to fit within a city community again, too much noise.”
“And you were a Feral,” I said.
“Still am a Feral, cannot change how I grew up within the forests, my instincts are much more refined than those in the city and that is why we have come out here, so you can connect with our wild cousin’s wild instinct, allowing even your clairvoyance to grow.”
“How long for?” I asked.
“That all depends on you,” responded dad. “Things begin when the rain stops, you will hunt for our dinner, if you fail, we go hungry, rely on those senses of yours, hearing, smell, sight, no Larana, Mila, Raziel or Arata.”
“Why no talismans?” I questioned.
“I heard everything that happened from Fang, how sloppy you fought against Cutter and Scorlax, you need to be much stronger to face the others. To sense all that surrounds you and then you’ll see how deep the darkness truly spreads,” dad gazed upon me with a wild look. “I would ask if you are ready, but I am not giving you a choice.”