Sorry about the long wait - I've been busy doing some other writing thing called NaNoWriMo. It's where you have to write a whole story in one month (November). But I had already written half of this chapter and so decided to complete and publish it. In December and the months following the chapters will be published more often. I promise!
Orbs - Chapter 6
"So," said Moat, focusing on her blue orb. "The next thing to do is to imagine a burst of light coming out from your orb and morph it into a ball. Imagine this light turning into water, then throw it at any nearby grumpy pandas."
I watched as the waterball splashed into Tree. He spun around with an enraged look in his eyes, enough to make me wonder whether or not he would throw one back.
"Bad aim," said Octave nonchalantly, glancing up from her book of potion recipes. "You went a bit off to the side."
Gloom, who was sitting on the parlor sofa, rolled her eyes. "Water is harmless. Why not teach them how to create fireballs? Or spy on enemies?"
"Creating spy spheres is way too hard. We would need multiple people for that," said Octave.
I tensed up, remembering the strange sphere of light that had hovered beside the window in my treehouse a few days before.
"What are spy spheres?" I asked them.
"Oh, they're like balls of light, really. They hover around and collect information from your enemies," said Moat. "We haven't done one since Cerulean and Centaur were kidnapped. Keeping a spy sphere up and working takes many sorcerers, and we just don't have the numbers. Now we do, because you two have joined."
She smiled, but I didn't reply. My mind was too busy swirling about with this information. The wizards were spying on us. They even saw us! Before then, I had thought of the wizards as some sort of faraway enemy, only coming over for the occasional battle. But this brought it all to home. We could be being watched at that moment and not know it.
"You look pale," said Octave, suddenly suspicious. "Have you seen one of these before?"
I shook my head, the lie falling easily off my tongue. "No. They just seem interesting."
"Yeah, maybe we could make one of those to go and see where Centaur and Cerulean are being kept!" said Amethyst, stepping up to help me.
"Good idea," said Gloom, peering at a nearby cobweb in deep thought. "We should try that sometime."
I was shocked at her emotion, and stared after her as she walked away. This wasn't the dark, mysterious Gloom I thought I knew. This one seemed more fragile.
"Cerulean was her best friend. They were like sisters," Moat said, leaning over to whisper in my ear. "Gloom wasn't so sad before Cerulean was kidnapped. I think it's given her hope to see more sorcerers joining."
I nodded, but before I could speak, Amethyst said, "What's next?"
Three hours later and I was beyond exhausted. All of this magic and all of this learning drained my energy and left me feeling unable to even think straight. I was glad when Moat told us to go and relax and have an ice-cream at the Big Scoop, and Amethyst and I headed over there as quickly as we could.
"Phew," said Amethyst as she finished giving McWiggles her order. "That was tough."
"Tell me about it," I sighed, leaning up against the counter.
McWiggles gave us our ice-creams and we thanked him. Amethyst made her way over to a table and I followed.
As I sat down, Amethyst started speaking.
"Gosh, Emerald, we'll have to do that every Tuesday!"
I grinned, but it wasn't a happy grin. It was more of a frown. "We will cope."
"Yeah, I guess," she said, pausing for a moment. "And what about those spy spheres! The wizards must've been watching us."
"It creeps me out," I said.
"That's an understatement."
We didn't speak whilst we ate our ice-creams, and just cooled off. It had been a hard day, full of anxiety, excitement and exhaustion, and it was great to be able to wind down.
"Hey, how are you today?"
I looked up and saw a panda walk into the room. He seemed graceful and at ease, oozing calmness.
"Do I know you?" I asked him.
"I'm Kite's brother, Breeze. She told me about you two," he said, smiling warmly. Breeze reminded me of his sister.
"So are you... a sorcerer too?" said Amethyst, whispering the last part.
He shook his head, sitting down at our table. "Nah. That stuff is way too stressful for me. I'd be bound to get gray hairs!" he laughed. "But I admire what you guys do. It's really great that you work so hard trying to protect Pandanda."
Breeze seemed sincere, so I knew he wasn't a threat.
"So does Kite know you're here?" I said. "She's down at HQ, and could probably come and see you and have ice-creams with us."
"No, she doesn't know I'm here," Breeze said. "But Kite must be busy being leader, so I'll talk to her some other time."
Amethyst glanced at her watch. "Hey, sorry Breeze, but Emerald and I really need to go. But I have one question. How did you recognise us?"
My heart started beating faster as I realised what she was getting at. Somehow Breeze had recognised us, even though he had never seen us before. What if he were a wizard and had seen that spy sphere...
Breeze laughed, and pointed to the orbs on the table. We had left them carelessly in view! Any normal panda could've seen them.
"Kite told me about you, too. From her description, I realised who you must be," he said.
I smiled and stood up. "See you, then."
"Bye, Breeze," said Amethyst.
"Bye you two! Tell Kite I said hi!"
We waved goodbye and left the Big Scoop. Amethyst and I walked to my house, where we had decided to eat pizzas and have a sleepover.
It was going to be a much needed break. Next week, I could only hope that things would be easier.
I watched as the waterball splashed into Tree. He spun around with an enraged look in his eyes, enough to make me wonder whether or not he would throw one back.
"Bad aim," said Octave nonchalantly, glancing up from her book of potion recipes. "You went a bit off to the side."
Gloom, who was sitting on the parlor sofa, rolled her eyes. "Water is harmless. Why not teach them how to create fireballs? Or spy on enemies?"
"Creating spy spheres is way too hard. We would need multiple people for that," said Octave.
I tensed up, remembering the strange sphere of light that had hovered beside the window in my treehouse a few days before.
"What are spy spheres?" I asked them.
"Oh, they're like balls of light, really. They hover around and collect information from your enemies," said Moat. "We haven't done one since Cerulean and Centaur were kidnapped. Keeping a spy sphere up and working takes many sorcerers, and we just don't have the numbers. Now we do, because you two have joined."
She smiled, but I didn't reply. My mind was too busy swirling about with this information. The wizards were spying on us. They even saw us! Before then, I had thought of the wizards as some sort of faraway enemy, only coming over for the occasional battle. But this brought it all to home. We could be being watched at that moment and not know it.
"You look pale," said Octave, suddenly suspicious. "Have you seen one of these before?"
I shook my head, the lie falling easily off my tongue. "No. They just seem interesting."
"Yeah, maybe we could make one of those to go and see where Centaur and Cerulean are being kept!" said Amethyst, stepping up to help me.
"Good idea," said Gloom, peering at a nearby cobweb in deep thought. "We should try that sometime."
I was shocked at her emotion, and stared after her as she walked away. This wasn't the dark, mysterious Gloom I thought I knew. This one seemed more fragile.
"Cerulean was her best friend. They were like sisters," Moat said, leaning over to whisper in my ear. "Gloom wasn't so sad before Cerulean was kidnapped. I think it's given her hope to see more sorcerers joining."
I nodded, but before I could speak, Amethyst said, "What's next?"
Three hours later and I was beyond exhausted. All of this magic and all of this learning drained my energy and left me feeling unable to even think straight. I was glad when Moat told us to go and relax and have an ice-cream at the Big Scoop, and Amethyst and I headed over there as quickly as we could.
"Phew," said Amethyst as she finished giving McWiggles her order. "That was tough."
"Tell me about it," I sighed, leaning up against the counter.
McWiggles gave us our ice-creams and we thanked him. Amethyst made her way over to a table and I followed.
As I sat down, Amethyst started speaking.
"Gosh, Emerald, we'll have to do that every Tuesday!"
I grinned, but it wasn't a happy grin. It was more of a frown. "We will cope."
"Yeah, I guess," she said, pausing for a moment. "And what about those spy spheres! The wizards must've been watching us."
"It creeps me out," I said.
"That's an understatement."
We didn't speak whilst we ate our ice-creams, and just cooled off. It had been a hard day, full of anxiety, excitement and exhaustion, and it was great to be able to wind down.
"Hey, how are you today?"
I looked up and saw a panda walk into the room. He seemed graceful and at ease, oozing calmness.
"Do I know you?" I asked him.
"I'm Kite's brother, Breeze. She told me about you two," he said, smiling warmly. Breeze reminded me of his sister.
"So are you... a sorcerer too?" said Amethyst, whispering the last part.
He shook his head, sitting down at our table. "Nah. That stuff is way too stressful for me. I'd be bound to get gray hairs!" he laughed. "But I admire what you guys do. It's really great that you work so hard trying to protect Pandanda."
Breeze seemed sincere, so I knew he wasn't a threat.
"So does Kite know you're here?" I said. "She's down at HQ, and could probably come and see you and have ice-creams with us."
"No, she doesn't know I'm here," Breeze said. "But Kite must be busy being leader, so I'll talk to her some other time."
Amethyst glanced at her watch. "Hey, sorry Breeze, but Emerald and I really need to go. But I have one question. How did you recognise us?"
My heart started beating faster as I realised what she was getting at. Somehow Breeze had recognised us, even though he had never seen us before. What if he were a wizard and had seen that spy sphere...
Breeze laughed, and pointed to the orbs on the table. We had left them carelessly in view! Any normal panda could've seen them.
"Kite told me about you, too. From her description, I realised who you must be," he said.
I smiled and stood up. "See you, then."
"Bye, Breeze," said Amethyst.
"Bye you two! Tell Kite I said hi!"
We waved goodbye and left the Big Scoop. Amethyst and I walked to my house, where we had decided to eat pizzas and have a sleepover.
It was going to be a much needed break. Next week, I could only hope that things would be easier.
