The PureLights of Ohm Totem (30 page)

“What did I do?” asked Zoey.

“You sang, Zoey. You sang from your heart.”

“Yeah,” replied Coda. “I've never heard you sing so beautifully before. And,” he asked, now looking to Nova, “why was the sky all lit up in colors when she sang?”

“Because of who she is,” replied Nova.

Coda could feel a sudden pulse of anger shoot out from Zoey. “Why does everyone talk about me like that?” She crossed her wings defiantly. “I am Zoey. That's who I am.”

“You are Zoey, but you're here to remember who you truly are,” replied Nova.

Again, Coda felt another twinge of anger from Zoey. “That doesn't make sense! I remember who I am all the time. I'm Zoey.” She let out a loud sigh.

Coda was uncomfortable. He didn't like Zoey being all fired up in front of Nova. She barely knew Nova, yet she's talking to Nova like she's her best friend or something. Coda then felt an instant understanding come over him. He knew he could talk to Nova that way as well. She wouldn't care or judge him. Zoey probably knew it was the same for her.

Lowering her voice, Zoey asked, “Then why can't you just tell me who I am?”

Nova put her tail under Zoey's beak and lifted her head. “If a baby bird just hatched, would it be wise of the mother to push it out of the nest, asking it to fly?”

Zoey shook an emphatic no.

“That's why you'll learn at your own pace. Not at my pace. Not at Coda's pace. You'll learn in the way that's best suited for you. This will bring back your memory. The memory of who you really are.” Nova winked. “You can't expect me to push you into something you aren't ready for, can you?”

“I guess not.”

“If you were to learn everything there is to know about you this very moment, then your mind wouldn't be able to handle it. You wouldn't understand it. You'd fear and run from it,” Nova said wisely.

Zoey simply looked away. Coda wondered if she even understood any of that. He sort of did, but then he was a year older.

“I've asked you both to come here because of the rainbow display in the sky. Crepus will know for certain that you've both arrived. I've felt he's just been guessing about you two thus far,” she said to them both, but pointing her nose to Zoey. “And, there will be no holding back from now on. He'll do everything he can to stop you.”

“Stop me from doing what?” asked Zoey, recoiling at the thought of Crepus.

“You have the power to end the Dim's reign in Ohm Totem and he knows this. He'll do anything to halt your learning. He doesn't want you to find out who you really are.”

“So, then what do I do?”

“You listen to your heart. It will keep you safe. Remember, there's always safety no matter what happens, and no matter where you are. Always be aware of that.”

Nova took a deep breath, staring vacantly past Coda and Zoey. “I can't guide you your entire life and I can't always safeguard you, either. There will be times when I won't be around, but there will usually be someone to protect you. That’s the way of it. And, if by chance you find you're without protection, you have the skills seeded deep in your hearts to protect yourselves.”

Nova turned to Coda. “You are your sister's guardian. Again, you can't always be with her, but when you are, it's your duty to keep her safe.”

Coda's mind was spinning. He didn't like the idea of guarding his sister, but understood the danger she faced. The longer he was in Ohm Totem, the more he was having those types of feelings. If he could help it, no one would hurt a single feather on her body. He eyed his sister. She was gathering her thoughts. His sister was the secret to Crepus's defeat. He didn't really understand how, but he admired her for it. It wasn't a feeling Coda was used to having for his sister.

Nova asked if they had any questions. Feeling overwhelmed, Zoey slowly shook her head. Coda shook his head as well, then stopped. He did have a question, but it was way off topic.

“How come I'm never hungry?”

Zoey nodded vigorously. “Yeah, and I never see anyone eating.”

“Ah, yes. A good observation.” Nova explained, “That's the way of things in our world. You won't see anyone foraging for food, because it's not needed in our bodies. This is because of Prana. It's an energy that sustains all of life and is all around us at all times, even in your world. It's deeply connected to our breath. It's in the air, it's in the rays of the sun, it's in the glow of the moon, it's in everything. It provides the life force that we need to live.”

“So you don't eat?” asked Zoey.

Nova shook her head. “Our bodies are at such a high state of vibration that if we were to eat, our energy levels would plummet. Our thoughts, moods, and physical bodies would soon follow.” She paused and took a giant breath as if to demonstrate, and then exhaled. Her eyes lit up with vibrant, vital life force. “We live off the air we breath. It's something that all beings can do instead of ingesting physical food.”

“So,” replied Coda, “I still don't understand. I won't ever be hungry?”

“Not in Ohm Totem. The health of our world is untainted, and therefore it's easier for your body to access Prana. Your crystals also help. Once the air in our world touches the face of your crystals, it triggers your body to receive Prana immediately.”

“Oh! That's why it feels so different when you breathe. It's richer than the air we breathe at home,” said Zoey.

“Yes,” said Nova. “The air here has a quality that makes it seem richer. Make no mistake though, it's the same type of air you breathe at home. It's just like I said, it's untainted, plus, there’s more of it here than in your world because of the trees. Here, our forests and trees are sacred and numerous. In both our worlds, the forests are the lungs of the planet.”

Coda raised his brows in question. “Don't you miss eating?”

Nova shook her head knowingly. “Before we arrived in Ohm Totem, food was a necessity, but a nuisance. It was always on our minds, from sun up to sun down.” She thought for a moment. “To tell you the truth, this is the first time I've even thought of food for thousands and thousands of moons. It's just something we live without. We have more energy without it.”

An abrupt rap on the side of the entry way prompted Coda to spin around.

“Nova, Ke would like a word with you,” announced Isi.

Nova raised her paw. “Just a moment, Isi.” She looked at the children, “Anything else you'd like to ask?”

They both shook their heads and Nova bid them farewell with some final words of wisdom. “Empty your mind and proceed from your heart.”

∞

Nova's sweet scent hung over Coda and Zoey as they walked to the meadow. The day was getting a tad bit darker as the sun started to fall closer to the western beaches. Coda noticed dark clouds that clung to the borders of the Dim Lands, looking as if they were too frightened to wander into the land of the PureLights. How strange that was, he thought. The wind never seemed to beckon the dark clouds over to the Sihu tribe.

They followed a path that exited the meadow and wound into a clutch of small trees.

“Let's stop here,” said Zoey, as she pointed to a soft stretch of grass.

They sat down and Zoey spoke with a heavy heart. “Coda, you don't act like you miss Mom and Dad.”

The words hit his heart like a punch. It was true. He hadn't thought much about his mom and dad. He hadn’t had time. Everything was so haywire around here, but he nodded in agreement, “I know. I don't know why.” He felt like a bad son and sadness began to trickle over him.

“It's okay, Coda.” Zoey patted his front foot with her wing. “I miss mom and dad enough for the both of us and you've been so busy practicing, you're probably too tired to think.”

“Nah, I just like it here. It feels familiar to me, like I've been here before. I guess that's why I haven't thought of them much.” Coda rested his head against his forelegs. “It's like I've been here my whole life and everyone seems like family.”

Zoey's eyes widened like saucers. “You want to stay here?”

Coda shrugged, “I don't know.” He pondered for a moment, thinking of something to say to his sister that would settle her down. “I probably wouldn't want to stay. I'd miss our parents too much. I guess I could visit Ohm Totem every so often, after we go back home.”

“Yeah, I thought of that too. And,” she whispered, “it feels like I've been here forever as well. Even when I dream, it feels like I've known Lao forever!”

Lao?
Coda wondered. “Who's Lao?”

“He's the wolf that helps me in my dreams. We came here because he asked us to,” she said matter-of-factly, as if he should have known this already.

“What? I thought the Snow Tree asked us.”

Zoey shook her head. “I met the Snow Tree after I met Lao. He asked for our help and the Snow Tree just showed us how to get here.”

“Oh, okay.” Lao, the Snow Tree, Nova the VioletLight, Chev the friendly elephant? This new experience here in Ohm Totem had been thrown at him without him asking for it. It landed on him like a ton of bricks. Coda sighed, watching Zoey. She had drifted off into thought, staring at the western sky.

For a while they sat in silence. It was peaceful, even though spirit animals occasionally walked by them. For the first time in a long time Coda didn't want Zoey to go away and mind her own business. He actually felt fine around her. He didn't know why, or if that was such a good thing, but he wasn't annoyed by her presence. He frowned.
What's happening to me here?

The breeze was low, bringing with it the fragrance of beautiful flowers. The sun was almost gone, dipping much lower in the west, soon to awaken the moon from its slumber.

Coda took a deep breath and stood up. “How long have we been sitting here?”

“For a long while, I think,” replied Zoey, stretching her wings. “Let's go to bed.”

Coda nodded as Zoey lifted her wings and flew , in the air. They were only a short distance from the Spruce Hollow, but Coda raised his tail gesturing for Zoey to wait. “Get on my back and I'll walk you there.”

“It's only right there, Coda,” she protested, pointing with her beak. “I can make it just fine.”

“No!” Coda stamped his foot. “I'm your guardian from now on and I'm making sure you're safe. Yesterday I wasn't around to help you when a spirit animal almost hurt you, but now I'm with you. I'm not letting anything bad happen to you again!” His face was stern, much like his father’s when he'd discipline them.

Zoey smiled. She felt comforted by his words. She flew over to Coda, hovered above him, and gently landed on his back. “Okay, let's go then!” she shouted.

The journey was short, but Coda liked the feeling of his sister on his back. He didn't want to let her go, but when she jumped off and landed next to him, he softened. She was grinning with gratitude. She waved a goodbye, saying, “I love you, brother.”

Coda about fell down. That was the first time she had ever told him that. They always knew they loved each other, like brothers and sisters usually do, but they'd never voiced it. Coda looked down, a little embarrassed and muttering, “I love you, too.”

He watched her walk to the door and knock the secret knock that let her in. The door opened with the clang of the bells and the high-pitched voice of Taregan.

“Well, it's nice to see the lady of the day!”

As the door shut, Coda strolled to the Marble Burrow, hoping to catch an uninterrupted sleep, which he highly doubted would occur if Skint had anything to do with it.

The zytes were nearly drowned by the dark when the pitter-patter of small feet awakened Coda again. For an instant he was irritated with his sister. She had a habit of getting up at night, waking him while on her tiptoes, thinking that she was silent on the carpet. He was about to tell her to go back to bed when he realized he wasn't at home. He was at the Marble Burrow.

He heard the door roll open. Glancing toward it, he saw Skint scampering out into the hallway. Curiosity poked at Coda. He'd had enough of Skint's sneaking around. He wanted to find out where the squirrel was going.

He sat up, shaking himself awake. His heavy eyelids responded well, but his body felt stiff. He jumped up and down a couple times to loosen everything up, but that didn't seem to do the trick. He walked to the door anyway. It was closed.

He blew on it and, just as it should, it opened, revealing a bluish-white glowing hallway. The zytes were in full glory as he headed down the hallway, hoping to catch a glimpse of Skint.

Past the hallway and entering the large hall of Marble Burrow, he noticed Skint's bushy tail slinking passed the main door. It shut silently behind him. Coda gazed at the massive crystal that stood to his right. He took in the magic of it for a moment, then headed toward the main door.

“Hey,” came a voice behind him.

The tiger, the one who said a friendly hello to him on the first night he had entered the Marble Burrow hall, walked toward him.

Coda smiled and bowed. “Hi.”

“What are you doing?” the tiger snarled.

Coda stepped back, a little stunned at the tiger's disposition. “I-I'm going outside.”

The tiger eyed him suspiciously. “And, why?”