Stormcraft Academy: The Apocalypse

Chapter Fifteen: Zoku

    Other students soon went to the front to demonstrate their powers to the class. Me being the "powerless" student was excused. I found out that Christopher could create light energy and light up a room while a girl named Stormy Thomas was able to change the weather. Professor Stormcraft had only gone through half of the class list before the bell rang, ending charms. I had 5 minutes to get to spirit. I walked into spirit, and immediately lit up when I saw an excited Blaine waving at me from the front of the class. I smiled and hopped into the seat next to her.

    "Hey Sam!" Blaine exclaimed, "Where were you?!"

    "I can explain," I started, "I was in the library with a boy from my class who wanted to show me around."

    "Ooh. Sam! You vixen!" Blaine exclaimed.

    It took me a moment to realize what she said. "Blaine?!" I exclaimed, slapping her on the arm. Suddenly, a flash of blinding light lit the room. I woman, who I recognized as Headmistress Birmingham appeared, her violet cloak flying around her. She smiled at the students in the class before her and cleared her throat. Everyone quieted down.

    "Good afternoon, first-years. Welcome to Spirit. My name is Headmistress Louisa Bir-" She started before a loud bang interrupted her. Standing at the door was none other than Xavier. Again. He gave Headmistress Birmingham a smirk before strutting to a group of boys who were silently laughing. Headmistress Birmingham gave a quiet sigh before continuing, "As I was saying, my name is Headmistress Louisa Birmingham but you can call me Mrs. Louisa. Today, we will be finding our spirit animal. A spirit animal is simply, a spirit, often in an animalistic form that will help guide you through your life. We all have a spirit animal and if our bond with your spirit animal is strong enough, you animal might be able to take physical form and give you strength to control your powers. For example, Terra here," She stroked the white owl on her shoulder and it hooted in response, "Terra is my spirit animal. Note that only you can understand your spirit animal. To find one's spirit animal, simply focus and delve into your subconscious mind. You must find the aura that you spirit animal radiates and focus on it. Once you have found it and focused on it, its shape should start to appear. Keep focusing and soon, you will be able to generate a clear image of your spirit animal. Do so now."

    Everyone in the room closed their eyes and so did I. Delve into your subconscious mind. What does that mean? I started to think about dreams. Those are subconscious right? Or is that unconscious. Keep focusing Sam! Subconscious. Subconscious. Where is my subconscious mind? Half awake half asleep. That's what it means right? What do I do half awake and half asleep at the same time? Daydreaming? That's it. Daydream. I started daydreaming until I heard a squeal and someone yelling that they found their spirit animal. I heard Mrs. Louisa shushing them yet it simply passes my mind. Daydream. Daydream. Daydream. I suddenly felt something. A strange pulling sensation so I let it pull me away. I soon found myself daydreaming about a cold, icy mountain. And then, a figure appeared. I couldn't tell what it was. It was getting bigger, and closer but it was still blurry. Something pulled me towards it so I let myself get closer and closer. Soon, the figure started to become quite recognizable. Piercing purple eyes. Snowy white fur. A long, elegant figure. Black stripes along a long, slender tail. Then it hit me. A borgaldrian tiger! Suddenly, it pounced on me, it's deadly fangs shining. I shrieked as I was pushed to the ground by the massive tiger in front of me. It bent it's large head down and I closed my eyes, waiting for the bite to come. Then, the bite never came. It leaned it's head down and gave me and gave me a long lick.

    "Hooman! What is thy doing in the great and glorious grandmaster Zoku's territory of doom?" It bellowed. Wait a second. Animals can talk?

    "Uh. Something pulled me here?" I tried, testing the sound. It felt weird, like I wasn't actually speaking.

    "Gasp! We are bonded. The day has come. Praise the great Valur. Look Ma! I did it! I told you I could!" It screamed, jumping up and down. It looked more like an excited puppy than a vicious Borgaldrian Tiger.

    "A little space would be nice," I said, pushing the giant tiger off of me.

    "Hooman!" The tiger exclaimed running little circles around me.

    "Sam," I corrected.

    "Sam-hooman! I am the great and glorious grandmaster Zoku. Or, if you wish, you can simply call me Zoku. A descendant of the great and powerful line of great and glorious Borgaldrian tigers, born to guide silly hoomans through the treacherous waters of life. I shall be your light! You savior! Your-" Zoku cried.

    "I get it." I replied, cutting him off. Getting slightly excited as I started to realise what just happened.

    "Let us brag to other hoomans about the great gift that has been bestowed upon you!"

    "What?" I asked before I was whisked away from the snowy mountains and before I could stop anything, I was back in the classroom. Blaine was next to me with a wolf prancing around her head.

    Blaine smiles at me and asked, "Hey, Sam. Found your-" Before she could finish, a great roar shook the room. Blaine gasped, eyes staring at my head. I turned around, wondering where the sound came from, and why was Blaine looking at me funny? Was it something with my hair? I looked up to see Zoku, his mouth wide open and roaring at the top of his lungs, appearing from my head. He jumped up, shrunk in size, perched on my head, and licked one of his paws.

    "A little much?" I thought.

    Zoku laughed, "There is no such thing as an entrance too grand. Sam-hooman have much to learn."

    I looked around. Nobody seemed to have heard the giant tiger talk. I looked over my shoulder to see Xavier, with a snake coiled around his neck, looking absolutely amazed. That put him in his place. Mrs. Louisa looked at me and smiled, wonder in her eyes. It made me want to smile back, so I did. And apparently, so did Zoku because Mrs. Louisa stumbled back, her usual calm and collected posture replaced by one of pure shock. I heard Zoku laugh, "Other taller by still little hooman is scared. How funny. Are my teeth that scary?"

    The bell rang only a moment later and Mrs. Louisa regained her calm composure. She smiled to the class and said, "It was lovely meeting you all. Homework for today is to bond with your spirit animal. To do so, simply talk to the animal. An interesting fact is that only you can hear your spirit animal and to talk back, you just need to project your thoughts to the animal. Have a good rest of the day!" Everyone shuffled out of class, talking about their animals.