90
JUAN FRANCISCO BLANCO
Zotz waved his hands above his head in a mystical gesture.
Tital, Bardala, and Ah Tabai stood there as a foggy mist came off
of Zotz’s hands, and all signs of the camp and people vanished.
When the mist cleared, the three were standing in a different
location in what appeared to be the jungle of Vivia.
“Where are we now, Ah Tabai?” asked Bardala.
“We are thirty kilometers from where the camp will be, and
about twenty tuns in the past. We will commence with your
training, and no matter how long we stay here, no time will have
passed back at the camp. As long as Jonathan and Viviana are
sleeping, time there is in suspension,” said Ah Tabai.
“If that is the case, we really need to get started with our
training, as it may take us a while to master these new skills,”
said Tital.
“It may take less time than you might think, as you have the
skills already within you. What I must do is help you to bring
them out, and then see that you master them.” Ah Tabai said,
handing Bardala his long bow and quiver of arrows. “Do you see
that dark spot on that Aarat tree, about thirty meters in front of
you?”
“Yes,” Bardala answered.
“Notch an arrow, and in one fluid motion, draw back the
string. Focus on that mark, and release your arrow. This is called
Instinct shooting, and when mastered, it is the fastest and most
accurate method of delivering an arrow in a hunting situation,”
Ah Tabai instructed her, as he touched her shoulder. “I will help
you to access your powers to hit whatever you aim for.”
Bardala notched an arrow, and smoothly pulled back on the
bow. It felt to her as if she had been doing this all her life. Some
deep formerly hidden instinct guided her as she released her