Move Like a Cat

  "This tree is absolutely immense," said Rosso, his mouth agape as they stared up.

  No ladders, no ropes or rails greeted the pupils, just the massive trunk of the giant tree shooting imposingly upwards, revealing a symphony of greens and browns above. The master hopped gracefully from one branch to the next, climbing and swinging like a monkey, until he disappeared through the leaves. For the students, however, the task grew increasingly daunting after a few attempts, each one ending with unsettling falls from only a few meters above the ground.

  "We are going to get ourselves killed trying to get up there. I think the man's crazy, like the one-eyed lady from the bathhouse said. I want to learn some of this energy stuff, but not at the price of dying. I'm not even sure this is real training. I mean—are we preparing to fight, or make a living in agriculture?" Rosso complained.

  Roa considered leaving for a moment. Afterall, nothing they did made him feel any stronger or prepared for any enemy that could be ahead. However, when he reflected on everything they had already endured together, he resolved to trust the process.

  "Listen—perhaps it's just a matter of our approach. Think about how we got out of several sticky situations in the past. What did we do?"

  "Well—we used our heads. We figured it out—and sometimes, you just punched people."

  "Right. So, we can figure this one out too. Afterall, there is always a way—a solution. There must be a reason why we are here. Trust in the process of life," the Sunflower nodded with a smile.

  "Alright, but if it doesn't work out, then I'm the one who is going to be punching that crazy idiot."

  The two got to brainstorming. They rummaged through the shed and found some ropes and metal tools. They spent the evening testing their contraptions at low heights, refining their approach as the hours ticked by. Finally, the giant orb in the ceiling of the vast room dimmed, bathing the area in the soft glow of a crescent moon surrounded by scattered stars. The ceiling sparkled in a gentle rhythm, occasionally illuminated by the streaking light of what seemed to be a comet crossing the painted, celestial expanse.

  "You know, sometimes I forget that we are still inside this giant Palace. You get used to it after some time," said Rosso.

  When morning came, they began ascending the giant tree. Two cats climbed up with them, hopping from branch to branch with agile speed.

  "I bet they are going to the old man's house. They always climb around this time. Let's follow them!"

  The students clung to the bark. Rosso hammered a long stake into the wood with sharp, deliberate strokes, the echo carrying through the ever growing drop below. As they scaled, they were met by tiny spirits that carried nuts and fruit up and down the tree; occasionally gifting the sweaty climbers with their heavy bundles, they disappeared soon after, as if too shy to stick around to be thanked.

  "These must be the tiny Kami that live in this beautiful tree. Can you see them too?" said Roa as his friend nodded.

  "There's hundreds of them. They look like many little, glowing, transparent insects and people—"

  "Careful," Roa warned, his voice quivering as he lifted himself.

  His friend's makeshift harness creaked as he adjusted his grip, fingers trembling against the coarse surface. Without warning, Rosso’s line jerked, the stake above him popping loose with a metallic shriek. He slipped, his boots scraping against the bark as he dangled by his harness.

  “Help!” he bellowed, scrambling to find a foothold. The boy lunged, the muscles in his arms screaming as he grabbed his friend's rope, holding fast as the makeshift carabiner threatened to snap under the strain. For a heart-stopping moment, time froze, the only sounds their labored breaths. Then, with a final heave, Rosso found a ledge with his foot and steadied himself. The curious, yellow eyes of the two cats, watching perched atop a nearby branch, met theirs.

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  “He better not make us trim branches when we get to the top, or I am going to personally throw the old man down myself,” Rosso muttered, forcing a grin. Roa didn’t respond, his eyes already scanning for the next hold.

  After several hours, their fingers worn, and their skin covered with scratches—they finally made it. The makeshift equipment worked. The trainees reached the canopy where they noticed a small, white, mobile home sitting atop a wooden patio. The cats leaped inside, as the climbers collapsed outside the old man's humble abode.

  "Hey—you boys didn't die. You did much better than my last students. You'll be surprised at how nice of a tan you can get from a giant chandelier," laughed the old man as he sat on a rocking chair sunbathing, sipping on a cold drink. "Did you learn anything on your way up?"

  "Be resourceful—notice—your surroundings. Think—outside the box," Roa answered, panting.

  "Exactly. The path will often be unclear, especially when you go against the mainstream currents. So—figure out a way forward yourselves. Everything that is Human is made up, anyways," he explained.

  The master brought out some cold drinks made from lemon, sugar and Sambuco flowers. The beverage felt sweet and thirst-quenching as the boy drank several glasses of it. The mobile home, while quite shabby on the outside, was cozy and stylish within, furnishing a minimalist taste and a clean environment. The scent of incense lingered in the air, while delicate pink flowers adorned the tiny kitchen counter. The two chubby cats that had guided them there now sat opposite of each other, like Humans, at a small coffee table in the center of the room.

  "Let me introduce you to your second teachers. This is Orzo and Couscous," said the teacher.

  "Who was our first teacher? The plants? Do these talk?" Rosso said in a mocking tone as he scoffed.

  "We can speak your language, Human," said the cats together.

  "Wait—you're not part of a Cat Mafia, are you?" asked Roa.

  The animals exchanged perplexed looks and continued to sip their teas. Old man Vesper left, and the students and cats sat around the table, exchanging a few curious glances in silence—as if waiting for someone to make the first move.

  "I'm sorry, but what exactly could you teach us? We do not have any tails to chase," said Rosso letting out a chuckle.

  The two cats disappeared into thin air, forcing a gasp from their guests.

  "Speed—Human. We will teach you how to move," they reappeared, perched on their heads, their tails swishing as they grinned down at the travelers. "What we just used is called Haste, and it is one of the most useful Gifts any Jumper must know—if they are to survive out there," Orzo said with a flick of his whiskers. The travelers' mouths fell open as they looked up.

  Couscous continued the lesson: "as always, start with meditation to clear your minds. Then, when you are ready, focus your life force—your aura—in the parts of your body that you want to move. The idea is simple—you concentrate your aura in those places, giving them extra power, extra agility—extra speed."

  The cats vanished and reappeared in the blink of an eye, settling back into their original spots, their teacups clinking gently. The travelers, still reeling from their sudden bursts of speed, spent hours in quiet meditation, occasionally breaking the silence with a question or two. Days passed, and though their progress was slow, both students could feel a noticeable shift: they could move a bit faster than before, as if the world around them had started to blur ever so slightly with each correct movement.

  "You will need to continue to meditate and improve your focus. The training is simple, yet hard to master. Meditate, then try to catch us. If you cannot—meditate some more, then try again, and again—and again. You will have mastered Haste when you catch us both. Understood?"

  The students nodded and got to work. The cats remained largely indifferent, sipping their tea, occasionally getting fed by the old man, who would make his way up in the mornings. During the evenings, when the teacher would retire, the training would abruptly stop, and the students were swiftly ushered out, spending the last few moments of sunlight trying to climb down the giant tree. As the days stretched into weeks, their movements gradually grew more fluid, their speed increasing bit by bit—each small improvement earned through stubborn persistence. The cats, however, although confined, evaded each attempt with relative ease.

  "You are too fast! Are you even moving or are you teleporting?" complained Rosso.

  "We do not teleport. There is no such thing—as far as we know. We are just faster than your eyes are. You will need to become as fast as us, or you will not catch us. There is no other way."

  The pupils, determined to outwit the cats, tried countless tricks. They pretended to meditate, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. No luck—the felines saw it coming. Knowing how much cats loved naps, Roa and his friend waited for them to start snoring, hoping they might finally catch them off guard. This strategy did not bear fruit either, unfortunately. The cats were always one step ahead, outmaneuvering them with ease.

  “The mushrooms!” Rosso got an idea as they were sitting in the food forest below the tree one day.

  “What?”

  "I got it. It has been more than a month since we have been here, right? The mushrooms Vesper gave us. We can eat them, shrink, and sneak up without them seeing us."

  "That's genius!" answered the Earthling.

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  X1.4.4 - Shrink to the Size of a Mole