Evaluations of the Tribe Read online

  Aly’s ball flew off into the net behind her when a beam struck it, and Catty and the mastras laughed as they pointed at the startled mastra.

  “You are a vile one, Catty.” Glani giggled. “Why not leave her be for the day? There always be the morrow.”

  Catty looked over at Requai, who seemed too confident for her liking. She could see the other one’s scheme clearly – challenging her authority in front of her friends, of all the nerve. Catty pushed Requai out of the way as she flung her tents to the side.

  “I see one of us thinks I fear the odd one in our village.” Catty headed over to Aly. “Why not watch this?”

  Requai didn’t say anything as the rest of the group followed the mastra.

  Aly stopped looking for the ball when she heard the others approach her. She tried slouching a little so she could match their height as she spun around, but that didn’t help. If anything, she only looked more vulnerable and fragile.

  Catty was still nice to her when no one else was looking, but she could be the worst of the harassers when her clique was with her. She couldn’t even tell when Catty was acting or being real anymore. Her performance had gotten a lot better over the past few months. Then again, Aly didn’t realize Catty found herself being one of the weak ones in class without warning, like her; found out with ease and butchered without remorse. Aly had no idea, even when Catty looked her in the eyes so helplessly, that both of them were disgusted with themselves.

  “Hello.” Aly rubbed her arm, barely having enough courage to look Catty in the face. “How are you lot?”

  “Aly, should you not be whacking the ball with your broom and sticks today?” Catty said.

  As the girls giggled, Aly stepped back and shook her head, eyeing the ground.

  “Um... nay,” she said. “I-I fear not. It be a s-s-silly thing to do... yes? I shall prepare for the Evaluations s-s-some other time.”

  Catty popped herself in the forehead and laughed loudly. “You speak as if you shall take part in them. And by Truth’s Grace, Mastra. This one should best stick to the native tongue prior to attempting Universal. You have grown a st-st-stuttering habit, yes?”

  “Apologies.”

  Aly glanced out of the corner of her eye to see if Teacher was nearby. He wasn’t anywhere in sight.

  “Be that as it may, I have conjured a grand idea,” Requai said as she approached Aly with the others. “Why not spar with us right now, Mastra? You have wasted your time being lazy and doing chores, so you best be careful. How are you to take part in the Evaluations when you barely take part in sparring sessions now? Perhaps you shall gain a belly as your pappai has, since he is less active.”

  As the others chuckled, Aly glanced at Catty. She didn’t look amused, probably because her pappai was like a second father to her. She did giggle, eventually, but it was forced.

  “I beg...d-do not speak ill of my pappai,” Aly said, twirling a tent with a finger.

  “What was that?” Requai hopped forward and pushed her. “Speak up, will you not?”

  Aly’s ears shot up and her face was flushed blue.

  “Is this one to make me watch my tongue?” Requai shoved Aly again. “Come now, Aly the Weird. I beg, make me!”

  “Requai,” Catty said, pulling the mastra back by the forearm. “Perhaps this one has made her point.”

  “I am not done with her.” Requai jerked her arm from Catty’s grip.

  The rest of the girls surrounded Aly and took turns shoving her. Catty stepped away, baffled. Her friends had never become so riled up like this before.

  Pain

  Aly staggered back and held her hands out, but Requai slapped them away as she hissed. One of the other mastras shivered when a cold breeze slid over the tip of her ears, and Catty wondered why she couldn’t hear the bugs or other animals anymore. Not only was the silence unusual, it was eerie.

  Pain

  One of the girls kicked the mastra into the net, but Aly still didn’t retaliate as she fell to the ground. Other Little Ones heard the commotion and came to the area so they could see what was going on. And even though she couldn’t see them, Aly knew every eye was on her. How humiliating. How embarrassing. How degrading.

  “Catty, why do you just stand there?” Requai asked as she ran over and dragged the mastra over.

  Catty didn’t say a word as she looked at Aly, too confused at the sudden turn of things to react. When she saw Glani make a quick glance at her to see if she was going to join in, she thought she was going to be sick. And then, she knew she’d never forgive herself as she stepped on Aly’s foot.

  Aly felt her hands tingle. Everywhere she looked, eyes stared at her with pity. She just wanted to hide so no one could look at her. It was the entire world, staring at her and seeing her for the flaw that she was. It wasn’t fair.

  Pain

  Requai grabbed her by her top, pulled her in close, and spat right in her face. Aly didn’t know where the other one came from, but someone else spat in her tents. They kicked, they scratched, they threw dirt on her. The longer it went, the more barbaric it became.

  Aly tried covering her face so no one else would spit in it, but Glani grabbed one of her arms, holding it steady. Hated them. She hated them all, and Aly hated herself even more for being so weak. The more she thought about it, the more she knew she deserved what she was getting. She was useless. She might as well have been one of the dummies made out of trash. That was all she was – just a waste of space. She wished she had never been born. She wished she was dead.

  And when she just screamed as loud as she could, she heard Teacher holler, “Stop!” The six mastras got as stiff as green oak wood as Aly curled into a tinier ball and cried.

  Pain

  She heard “suspended” being screamed as several of the girls’ eyes went wide with shock and fear. Teacher grabbed Catty by the arm and dragged her away, with the other girls following. Aly caught her breath and watched the mastras walk off. Then she noticed all the on-lookers again, staring at her, whispering how pathetic she was, pointing at her as if someone had just placed undergarments over her head without her knowing it.

  Pain

  She detested every single one of them, and not only them, but the very essence that made them. As Aly got up on her hands and knees, the tips of her tentacles flared out as her senses went into overload. She heard a sila flapping its wings meters away and smelt the saliva running down her tents. The bitterness of the gravel kicked in her mouth was on the tip of her tongue. And then, she looked ahead, and her eyes zeroed in on the source to her agony. Her mind went numb as her ears shot back, her heartbeat speeding up, her stomped-on hands turning into fists.

  Her body temperature was so hot she felt cold, and that whisper she kept hearing directed her agony to several particular targets. As she locked on, darkness exploded over the brilliance in her bright gray irises. No more sorrow, no more shame, there was only pain. And the only fixation her body begged her to give was the satisfaction in unleashing...

  “Leave Requai out of this,” Teacher said to Catty as he kept walking the mastras off. “All of you are in for a horrid lesson.”

  A green blur slammed Catty to the ground before her alarm mechanisms could go off. The blow knocked the wind out of her and the side of her pelvis felt like it just got hit by one of the blacksmith’s hammers. Out of instinct, she flipped whatever hit her off and rolled away as she held her side. As she coughed, her yellow eyes went wide with shock, looking up and seeing Aly as the one who tackled her. Requai, Glani, and the rest of the class froze.

  “Alytchai!” Teacher marched up to the mastra. “Do not think for an instant that I shall not have a need to include you in––”

  Before he could finish, Aly lunged at Glani, picked her up just enough so her feet weren’t touching the ground, and lowered the back of her head into the dirt. Glani screamed and cried as Aly punched her in the face from left to right.

  Requai tried to pull the fuming mastra off, but she got butted
in the nose by the back of Aly’s head, causing her to stagger back. The very last thing she saw was Aly’s spinning heel flying toward her face before the connected blow knocked her out.

  Aly looked down at Glani, and the mastra scrambled away on her hands and feet; the terror in her eyes was beautiful.

  “Aly- I beg––” Glani quickly said. “Apologies, I––”

  Teacher grabbed Aly before she could finish. “Settle down! I know you be upset, yet you have better character than they.”

  Character was apparently overrated to Aly as Catty watched. Aly dug her heel into Teacher’s big toe, making him yelp. As he let her go, the mastra locked eyes on her for a second time. She dove for Catty again, but the mastra hopped right over her, causing Aly to eat more dirt as she slid into it. Catty stepped back.

  “Aly? I beg, let us not do this!”

  “Indeed, you shall not.” Teacher hobbled over to the enraged mastra and put a hand on her shoulder. “Calm yourself, Alytchai.”

  Aly flipped over Teacher and pushed him into the ground with her feet. She dove for a broom, tore off the leaves, and twirled the staff before running back at Catty. Back on his feet, Teacher got up and got between the two, ready to threaten the new one currently throwing the punches if she even thought of... And then Aly hopped over Teacher again and shoved his face back into the dirt.

  Catty backflipped when Aly swung the stick from her right and ducked underneath a swing to the left. Her side was still sore from the first blow, but the adrenaline rushing through her body made the ache manageable.

  “Alytchai, I beg, stop!” Aly shut Catty up with a head-butt in the nose. She then got side-kicked into the chest, making her fall on her back.

  Catty gasped for air, wondering if Aly just broke her sternums. That was an actual possibility, given Goolian legs were dangerously powerful, even at that age. When she got up on a knee, Catty rolled over when her lungs didn’t get the air they needed. She looked up, and Aly was grinning as her pupils grew. The mastra raised her staff over her head, ready to swing.

  Catty quickly positioned her arms like she was holding a bow and shot a beam of being. Aly only had enough time to roll away, but not before the shot swiped her left arm. With the momentary pause, Catty jumped into a tree, leaning against the trunk as she grabbed her side. Her hands trembled when she saw Aly get ready to jump after her, but got a sense of relief when Teacher tackled her predator before she could make the leap.

  “Alytchai, I beg,” Teacher said, feeling the mastra squirming underneath his weight. “End this foolish ruckus. Truly, you only worsen matters for yourself.”

  Aly managed to crawl up front with just enough room to knock the master in the chin with the back of her head. When he rolled over, the Little One hopped up and chased after Catty.

  Teacher didn’t bother getting up again. Instead, he decided to admire the sunlight coming through the leaves for a moment so he could catch his breath. The rest of the class huddled around him to see if he was okay.

  He got up slowly. The hit to the nose was still jarring, but he shook off the sting and sniffed.

  “Class, report to Master Slew this instant. If he ask what the trouble may be, tell him that Aly may have finally revealed herself.”

  “Truly, what do you mean by this, Teacher?” one of the students asked.

  “Question me not! Off with you, now!” With that, the master took off after the two Little Ones.

  Catty turned around and saw Aly gaining on her with every leap she made on a tree limb. She landed on a larger branch and it launched her back toward Aly. Alarmed, the other mastra dropped to her knees and skidded across an extension of the tree, gritting her teeth as the old wood ripped against her shins and knees.

  Catty flipped her body around as she soared over Aly, and then rolled down the side of the tree like a ball. The other mastra took three steps back and ran up the trunk. She had enough momentum for three solid strides against the bark before she kicked Catty’s rolled up form right off it.

  Catty fell through twigs and leaves before she caught herself on a different branch, saving herself from hitting the ground almost five stories below. The Little One didn’t have much time to think things over. Her alarm mechanisms shot warnings down her spine. When she looked up, her pursuer was free-falling toward her at full speed. Catty rolled off the branch, only to have Aly’s left leg crash the wood into toothpicks when she swung her foot down with all her might.

  Catty landed on both legs and hands when she hit the ground. What was left of the branch crashed beside her along with Aly. When she got back up, Aly grabbed a stick that broke off the branch.

  “By Truth’s Grace, what does this one intend to do with that?” Catty asked, backing away.

  Aly tossed the stick in the air and Catty watched it soar. She looked back at the mastra, figuring she was using it as some sort of distraction. However, Aly didn’t take the opening. The mastras stood still for a moment before Aly jumped. When she tucked her arms into her chest, she started spinning, and just when she was about to land, she saw the stick descend right in front of her. She swung her left leg out as hard as she could and sent the stick flying at Catty like a rocket.

  Even though her nervous system gave the warning, Catty still didn’t have enough time to evade. She shrieked when the stick jabbed itself into her forearm. Since the tip was blunt, the stick didn’t even make it in an inch, so it fell out on its own.

  “Aly!” Catty’s eyes filled with tears. “Why?”

  To her surprise, Aly didn’t look the least bit sorry. She was smiling. Catty looked down at her wound.

  “Your point is made.” She winced when a bolt of pain went up her nerves. “Truly, I shall harass you no more. I beg, just calm yourself.”

  Aly dove and tackled the startled Catty again, and they both ended up rolling downhill before Catty was able to shove the other Goolian off with her legs. Aly recovered by flipping and landing on her hands and feet, charging after Catty instantly.

  “I beg, end this!” Catty hollered as she fled back into the trees. She looked over her shoulder and somersaulted over Aly’s dive, before ascending to the canopy and seeing Kutenbrya about a quarter of a milo away. It’d only take her two minutes to get there if she ran hard enough, so she slid down the side of the tree and took off.

  “You best end this prior to me calling my Pappai.” Catty didn’t bother turning around again to see if Aly was listening to logic. Besides, she heard her breaking twigs as she ran after her.

  * * *

  Most of the grown-ups were in the fields, tending to the crops, as usual. Shanvi, on the other hand, was getting ready for the brunch rush hour. When he got the tables in order, he sat down to take a breather. Since he spent most of his time indoors now, he had put on a little weight and his body wasn’t used to the extra load.

  He patted his belly and felt softness where his well-defined abs used to be. Disgusting. He went outside so he could jog before the crowds showed up. A few of the people who had the day off greeted him as he trotted along. The master smiled as he felt the suns’ gentle heat warm his face, already knowing that today was going to be a good one.

  Shanvi made it to the end of the village two minutes later. He was surprised at how out of breath he was. It was embarrassing. Since no one was in sight, the master sat against a tree, given that the end of the village led to the plains and forest. He pulled a cloth out of his robe’s pocket and patted his forehead.

  He listened to the outside noise and noted how livelier than usual the animals in the forest were. He smiled at the tune the silas chirped and closed his eyes so he could focus on that particular sound. And just as he got comfortable, the silas’ singing turned into squawking. The master sat up and tuned his ears in to see if there was some sort of beast in the area.

  Shanvi swore when he heard two Little Ones fighting and getting closer. He got up, stretched, and leapt two stories into the air, bouncing off one branch and launching himself even farther.
>
  “Enough!” he hollered, switching his eyes to infrared and seeing Catty and Aly’s forms in the distance as they approached.

  “Master Shanvi, help!” Catty cried as she fled.

  Before he could react, the two Little Ones zipped right by him. Shanvi swore again as he spun around and chased after them, trying to match every leap and dive. The mastras’ speed was astonishing. Shanvi felt like he was trying to catch up to Young Ones, or maybe even Mature Ages. If he was on the sparring ground, he would’ve watched the two perform their acrobatics in the trees with admiration, but the master’s paternal instincts were going into overload at the given moment instead.

  “Aly! Do my words not beckon? I shall not repeat myself.”

  Aly kept on Catty’s track in spite of her father’s hollers. She reached out and caught one of Catty’s tents, making the mastra yelp and shift over to the right.

  “Oh, nay,” Shanvi said, knowing what was going to happen next.

  Catty had a clear view of the village and the nearest hut. Without thinking, she jumped out of the trees and aimed for one of the many roofs made of clay and hay. She crashed through the top like a boulder, breaking a table and knocking over bowls as she fell and tumbled onto the floor. Aly landed right on top of her, booted Catty right off the wooden surface, and spun-kicked her out of the hut’s back door.

  “Alytchai!” Shanvi landed inside.

  Aly ran after the downed Catty. The mastra coughed and grabbed her side again, running into the streets. She tried to jump onto another roof, but the pain in her ribs held her down. She climbed up instead, with Aly trying to pull her back down upon grabbing her ankles.

  Shanvi yanked the mastra’s arms, and before he knew it, Aly used his own weight against him, flipping him over her own body. He hit the back of his head on the hard gravel and groaned. His Little One finally stopped as she covered her mouth.

  “Pappai?” Aly knelt beside him.

  Shanvi was still holding his head as he rolled from side to side.

  “This be all your fault!” Aly shouted at Catty as she leapt after her.

  The mastra got a ball of energy to the chest the second her foot touched the top of a hut. The shot from Catty wasn’t lethal, but it still knocked the Little One on her back. Not caring about the pain in her sternums and blinded by anger, Aly sat back up and charged. Catty swept-kicked her right off the roof.