The Heir Of Wind (Part 3)
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The group stood staring up at the forest, feeling uncomfortably small compared to the vast expanse of huge, towering trees. They shivered in the chilling breeze, moving closer to each other and huddling against the cold.
"Well," Lloyd started, placing his hands on his hips. "We're here. The Woods of the Whispering Giants."
Kai shuddered in response, massaging his arms. "Couldn't the Master of Wind have chosen a more easily accessible and less freezing place to be born?" he complained, blowing warm air into his numb fists.
A comparatively strong gust blew but the biting cold wasn't the reason the team stopped short. Ever so slightly, they could hear soft hisses of something being whispered. The wind made it hard to decipher the garbled sound. The whispers died away as quickly as they had started, leaving an eerie silence in their wake.
"Please tell me that was just the leaves rustling?" Jay whimpered, struggling to hold up Cliff in his shaking arms. They felt so numb and sore now, he was sure they were going to give way soon.
Nya took a few steps into the trees' shade, resting her hand on the trunk of a rather long one. She glanced up with interest as another gale swept through the growth, the mysterious sounds returning as if on cue.
"The trees," Nya muttered, intriguingly feeling the grooves of the bark. "The giants are the trees. Their rustling is what causes the whispering sounds."
"So what now? We just start calling out to Morro for guidance?" Lloyd asked, a hint of annoyance bobbing in his tone.
No one answered. Instead, Jay threw in a loud groan of frustration. "My arms are dying! How much does this kid weigh?"
Nya frowned disapprovingly as Cliff mumbled, "Bro bro, goo goo," before resuming his light snoring. Jay only turned his gaze away awkwardly, cheeks going red.
"Here, hand him over," Kai offered, holding out his arms invitingly.
Jay was more than grateful to lessen the burden. "Ah, yes! The guy who wanted to give family support," the ginger quipped as Kai extracted the boy from his aching arms.
The Master of Fire only rolled his eyes in return.
"Is it time to give him Vitali-tea yet or do we have to keep playing pass-the-kid for a few more hours?" Lloyd wondered, wincing internally when Kai tossed Cliff over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes instead of carrying him bridal style.
"Can I get a break?" Nya snapped at the three men, her forehead wrinkling immensely. "Seriously, the sarcasm from all of you is driving holes into my brain."
The journey (or rather aimless wandering) after that was wordless. They all took turns in bearing Cliff, the mode of carriage switching from sack pose to piggyback rides. Each turn would be accompanied by useless, sleepy mumbles from the boy that would trigger some traumatic, unsolved memory in Lloyd's head like the ketchup brownies incident.
After what seemed like hours of stumbling around like a flock of lost geese, Jay finally broke down. He tutted furiously and intercepted his wife who was advancing onwards with a confidence that was too out of place compared to the exhaustion the others were harboring.
"Stop, Nya! Just listen to me!" Jay yelled, catching the ravenette's wrist and twisting her around to face him. He looked ready to blast off with all the irritation bottling up inside him. "We've been doing nothing but walking for miles! Do you even know where we need to go?"
"No," Nya shook her head, seemingly not detecting the snappish tone of Jay's voice. "But I know we're getting close. I can feel it."
Lloyd, who had been lugging Cliff on his back, made a disgruntled noise and bristled. He returned to his straight posture without thinking and realized only too late. The boy slid off his back and met the ground unceremoniously. Lloyd immediately spun around and stared at the messy heap of limbs that was Cliff, still snoring peacefully.
"Lloyd!" Nya raged, rushing over to her son.
"Uh, whoops?" the blonde shrugged, grinning nervously.
Kai threw up his hands, directing a look at Cliff that dripped with pity. "This child is going to have PTSD for sure."
"At least there will be lots of funny childhood moments to tell his girlfriend about when he's older," Jay stated indifferently, helping Nya prop Cliff up against a tree trunk.
The wind couldn't make up its mind whether it wanted to blow faster or keep it light, so the gales were irregular in pace for a few minutes. Nya glanced around in disappointment, her dismay rising when she herself felt like they were on a goose chase.
"I think we need a little rest," Kai huffed, lowering himself to the leaf-strewn earth and hugging his knees close to his chest. "Besides, we haven't slept all night." He yawned loudly afterwards to prove his statement.
Lloyd and Jay gave earnest nods at that and with Cliff slumbering on with a never-ending determination, Nya's decision to keep going was outvoted four to one.
"Fine," she sighed, settling down next to her son. "We'll get some rest but then we'll have to move quickly later on."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Sure thing."
"No problem."
"Exploding lanterns."
Lloyd glanced at Cliff with a newborn resentment. "He and I are going to have a long talk after this."
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Cliff.
The boy's eyes twitched at the corners before blinking open. He groaned internally when he realized the light throbbing in his head. Through his half-lidded eyes, he could see nothing but blurry shadows of huge beings looming over him. Cold air bit at him and he felt as though he was lying on rocks.
Cliff.
The wind calls you.
Claim your power over it.
Cliff sat up quickly, startled by an uncanny feeling that he was being watched. Like a predator stalking its prey. He looked around and did a double take. He was not in his bedroom. There were no walls, no roof, no doors. He was in a forest. Tall trees towered above, their canopies obscuring the gray skies. A thick mist crept along the floor and hovered around the trunks and needle leaves.
Whispers and wails, all mixed into one harmony, came from every direction. Cliff shivered, the action causing his body to brush against something. Or someone. He jumped back and turned to look at it. He couldn't believe it. It was his mother. She was leaning on the same tree trunk as him and looked to be fast asleep. Panic rising in his chest, he reached out and shook her shoulder.
"Mom?" Cliff murmured, fog tumbling from his mouth with every breath. He tried harder. "Mom, wake up. Where are we? Mom?"
He glanced about in a frantic state and discovered his uncle on his other side. He would recognize the distinct spikey hairstyle anywhere. Cliff shifted to face him instead but he too was not awake.
"Uncle Kai," he whispered, suddenly feeling afraid that he might entice something else, something far more sinister. "Can you hear me?" he asked the Master of Fire, squeezing his arm.
Cliff was determined not to panic. His training had taught him to stay calm and think with a clear mind when stuck in unusual situations. So he gingerly let go of his uncle and climbed to his feet. Something slipped off him and it was then realized the comforter that had been draped around him.
Deciding it was there to keep him safe from the chilling atmosphere, he stepped over it and scrutinized the forest around him. His mother had not stirred and his uncle was out cold. Try as he might, he could not help but feel alone and exposed. The mist was thickening and he could hardly see anything.
He made to move forward but stumbled over something. He yelped in surprise and looked down. His eyes widened.
"Dad!" he cried out, falling to his knees beside the unconscious adult. His heart was thumping like a drum in his chest, each beat rattling his being. He desperately shook his father but, apart from his deep breathing, he lay there unmoving.
"He can't hear you," a voice hissed somewhere behind him, sending him shooting to his feet. He turned his head this way and that but no one suspicious was in sight.
"None of them can," came the voice again, floating closer.
"Who-who's there?" Cliff called out, his teeth chattering in the cold. He raised his fists and tried to remember the basic attacks and defence moves he had learned.
A shadow moved in the white fog before him and he froze. He took a few steps back as a dark figure loomed closer. It didn't seem to be walking. Rather it hovered noiselessly towards him. Instincts screamed at Cliff to run but he stood his ground, nails digging into his palms and jaw set. The apparition appeared and he gasped softly.
It was a teenage boy who looked to be seventeen or eighteen or maybe even younger. He had an oval face cut and his figure was lanky. He was a canvas of green and black shades. He had dark pools for eyes set deep into his ghostly green skin. Black hair hung like a curtain over his face with a single green strand standing out on the right. He was dressed in a torn gi of a dull green color with a black cloak trailing behind. His bare feet were floating a few inches from the ground and his arms hung limply at his sides.
Ghost was the first conclusion that came to Cliff's mind. It was unmistakable. The boy was giving off a phantasmal green glow and an unearthly aura accompanied him. His pale skin was flickering between transparent and tactile forms giving all the more reason that he was a phantom.
Cliff did not feel scared. He felt angry. He had found himself in an ominous terrain of trees and wind and mist with his family lying unconscious around him. This ghost was behind all of this without a doubt.
"What did you do to them?" Cliff hissed, grateful at how his urge to know the truth was overshadowing the fear he felt.
The ghost stopped and shook his head. "I did nothing," he replied in an echoing voice. "They fell asleep on their own. I have nothing to do with it."
"Your lying," Cliff stated, surprised to find himself so calm. "They're not waking up."
The mysterious boy touched the ground, his feet barely making a sound. A faint smirk rested on his lips as he observed Cliff. He seemed to be studying him with interest, dark eyes roaming over every inch of his body.
"Whatever you say or do to them, they will be unaffected," the ghost finally said, appearing as if this fact was an obvious guess.
Cliff loosened his stance a little, cautiously lowering his fists. "Why is that?"
"Because this is an illusion," the ghost replied after a pause. "We are in your head. You are not awake."
Cliff was caught off guard. The stranger's words made no sense. How could he not be awake? This was real. He could hear and feel everything. Something was wrong and the ghost was definitely pulling his leg.
"Try once more if you don't believe me," the boy cited, stepping aside. He waved a hand though the mist and it cleared away instantly. It did not swirl on the spot but disappeared altogether. At his naked feet lay yet another person whom Cliff identified immediately.
"Master Lloyd," he mumbled in desperation, absentmindedly taking a step forward. His teacher was unaware of the phantom hovering close by. He steadily slept on.
The ghost looked mildly impressed. He directed a cynical smirk towards the somnolent blonde. "You're brave, kid. You seem ready to take me on," he murmured amusedly to Cliff, eyes still on his master. "You had a good teacher. I guess Lloyd really isn't that much of a hopeless dweeb after all."
"Hey, watch it!" Cliff shot indignantly, forgetting to be careful. "Lloyd is a great teacher. Sure he can be a bit bossy at times and he's quite possibly deranged, considering all those cryptic things he says but he makes things way easier than what his master made him do-"
Cliff cut himself off, quickly deciding that he had said too much.
The ghost nodded knowingly, a reminiscent look in his eyes. "Yes, Master Wu always made things more complicated than they already were."
Before Cliff could ask the boy how he knew about Master Wu (or even knew that Lloyd was a "hopeless dweeb"), the ghost's tentative smirk became more relaxed and he spread his hands as if revealing himself for the first time.
"My name is Morro, the Master of Wind," he announced without the impression of arrogance or vanity. "Or so I will be for the next few minutes," he added wittingly.
"Who and what now?" Cliff asked, narrowing his eyes as if he was having difficulty seeing the ghost.
"I think you heard me," Morro said offhandedly, drifting closer.
"Woah, woah!" Cliff cried, stumbling away from the boy's advancing figure. "Stay back! Don't make me fight you!"
"The Wind calls to you, Cliff," Morro said regardless, his smile fading and an all too serious facade taking its place. "It yearns for a new master. A better master."
Cliff couldn't tell when his back came up against a tree and when the ghost came so close to him. His mind was spinning and he felt dizzy. Words were stuck in his throat but he was unable to cry for help. All he could see were those misty eyes that seemed to go deep like a never-ending void.
"Say thank you to your mother for me," Morro whispered, his voice becoming lost in the wind which had begun once again. "The Wind trusts you, Cliff. Don't fail it. Good luck."
"Wait, what are you-" was all the child could manage to yell.
Morro pushed his hand onto his forehead and all the winds began rushing towards him. The painfully loud noise filled his ears and his vision blurred. He caught a feeble glimpse of the ghost's grateful smile before everything went black.
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Nya clamped a hand over her mouth in disbelief, her eyes wide open. Jay slowly rose from the ground and came to stand next to her, equally horrified. Kai stood with his hands in his hair, not daring to go nearer.
"You've got to be kidding me," Lloyd broke the silence, his voice ringing loudly through the quiet forest.
"Did you notice how the winds suddenly stopped?" Nya asked in astonishment, getting a vague nod from her husband.
All four of them had gathered around the tree, their unblinking eyes trained on the sleeping child. Cliff's little snores continued, unperturbed by anything. Nya slowly bent down and extended a hesitant hand towards her son. She couldn't help but smile slightly as she fingered the new streak of green that decorated the right side of Cliff's jet black locks.
. . .
Government Announces Reopening Of Schools As Weekly Forecasts Are Reported Clear Of Turbulent Storms.
Jay smiled at the headline on the news, taking a long sip from his coffee. He drained the warm drink and placed the mug on the kitchen counter. Turning off the television, he happily made his way out to the front lawn where his children and their friends were gathered.
It was the first clear, sunny day in a long while and Jay thought it to be a perfect time to call the others for a little get together at his house. He helped the guys set the lawn chairs while the women ran in and out of the house, carrying trays of snacks and drinks.
"Good to have the schools opened again," Kai mentioned, dropping down into one of the chairs and stretching his legs. "I don't think I can spend another day teaching Irene the basics of Algebra."
"Honestly, that things flies straight over my head," Cole commented pulling up another chair for himself.
The kids all stampeded towards the table as soon as Nya had put down the cookie tin. Majority of them were still glancing at Cliff admiringly, pointing and chattering about the new feature his hair sported. The boy did not remember a single thing about what had happened. Only that he had a very strange dream. Jay and Nya decided to keep it that way, stalling the kids' numerous questions with excuses and promises that they will know of the secret soon enough.
The adults all sat down as well, launching into various discussions of topics which the younger generation found extremely dull and boring. Lloyd, however, settled right besides Cliff and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. He regarded Cliff with a critical look, keeping his expression dangerously friendly. The boy only smiled, sensing he was in trouble.
"Now," Lloyd said loudly, catching everyone's attention. "About those exploding lanterns."
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I hope I've pacified all those gasping faces and "WHHHAAAAATTTT" themed comments that I got when I said that Cliff was a Master of Wind 😂
Thank you for reading!
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