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OH MY GOSH, OH MY gosh, OH MY GOSH!

Cyrus clutched the armrest and exhaled rapidly. The weight on his chest with the roar of the accelerating engine was overstimulating. Auli’i reached over and grabbed Cyrus’ left hand. She gave a small smile and nodded. Cyrus nodded back and then looked at Kimo.

Visible drops of sweat were beading down his face. He licked his lips nervously and stared straight ahead, blinking furiously. Cyrus had forgotten it was Kimo’s first time on a plane too. Cyrus released his death grip on the arm rest, reached over and patted Kimo on the shoulder. Kimo whipped his head towards Cyrus. Seeing the fear in Cyrus’ eyes made Kimo forget his own. He quickly composed himself and relaxed. Kimo then took Cyrus by the right hand and together they ascended.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have reached a cruising altitude of ten thousand feet. Blue skies and a nice tailwind today, our estimated arrival will be 4:10 PM in Atlanta. Sit back, relax and enjoy the flight, and as always, we would like to thank you for flying with …”

Cyrus tuned the rest out. They were ten thousand feet up in the air. Wow.

I wonder how high I will be able to fly?

Kimo was releasing his death grip on the arm rest.

“I was pretty nervous the first time, too,” said Auli’i. “The second time was a lot more fun. Take off is amazing!”

“I don’t know, Auli’i,” said Kimo. “Using modern technology has been great up until this moment. I prefer my feet on the ground or legs in the sea. I wasn’t built for this.”

“He’s scared of heights,” whispered Auli’i to Cyrus. “This way is faster though, Kimo. Just like mom and I coming from Hawai’i. Not everyone wants to sail across the ocean.”

Cyrus’ jaw dropped. “You sailed from Hawai’i to San Diego?!”

Kimo nodded.

“With your dad?”

Kimo nodded again.

“Just you two?”

One more nod.

Cyrus put his hands to his head and imitated an explosion. “How long did it take?”

“Twelve days.”

Auli’i nodded and then held up her two hands and imitated an explosion next to her temples. She then held them out flat in the air.

“Six hour flight with mom,” said Auli’i looking to her left hand. “Or twelve days at sea with dad?” she said looking to her right.

“Well it wasn’t like I had choice. You and mom left us, thinking there wouldn’t be consequences when there were. Did you even stop to think about Akela when you left?”

Auli’i’s expression went dark. Kimo forgot his fear of heights and quickly discovered a new one. Auli’i pointed her finger directly at Kimo.

“You know … YOU KNOW we tried to convince her to come,” hissed Auli’i. “She is daddy’s little girl and tutu’s favorite. We asked her to come and she said no. Unlike dad, we respected her choice and let her stay rather than FORCING her to come with! Being trapped on Ni’ihau, away from her family and in that environment, was NOT good for her. So don’t you DARE go throwing out accusations, and more importantly, don’t you ever bring this up to her. She already feels enough guilt for NOT coming. If you’re upset you didn’t get the invitation, why don’t you just come out and SAY IT!”

Cyrus stayed as still as he could as Auli’i’s finger retracted back into her personal space. Cyrus could see Kimo turn his body away out of the corner of his eye. The silence hung in the air like a dense perfume. Cyrus furiously thought of what to say. Martin’s words came to mind.

They can explain more about the Lumens.

Cyrus gulped. He was going to have to break the silence.

“So … uh …,” started Cyrus. “Martian said you guys could explain more about the Lumens to me …”

Kimo and Auli’i remained silent.

“I don’t know anything about myself or Lumens or you guys …”

Still silence.

“Guys … it’s going to be a long flight. I’m not telling you to kiss and make up, but I’d rather learn a couple things about who I am than sit in silence between you two.”

The siblings flashed a quick glance at each other and then back to Cyrus.

“Plus, if you do wind up fighting, I don’t think I would survive the encounter.”

Stonewall.

Cyrus looked down and went quiet. Grabbing his phone, he plugged in his headphones and hit shuffle on an 80’s playlist he’d downloaded before the flight. His attempts to distract the two siblings had been shot down and frankly, Cyrus felt embarrassed.

Auli’i touched his shoulder. Her eyes were full of emotion and she was chuckling softly. She wasn’t crying but those eyes were definitely dewy.

“Kimo, I’m sorry you had to get along without us and felt like we abandoned you. I missed my twin tremendously.”

Kimo was chuckling, too. The moment Auli’i uttered those words, his expression went soft.

Cyrus did a double take.

TWINS?!

Auli’i and Kimo reached over Cyrus and embraced. Cyrus, caught in the middle again, refused to spectate. Lifting his arms over the twins, he joined the embrace.

“Group hug,” said Cyrus. “So, when were you going to tell me you guys were twins?”

The three of them sat up with smiles.

“You mean, you couldn’t tell?” asked Kimo.

“No! Absolutely not. What happened? Did you eat your lunch and then hers growing up?”

Auli’i snorted. Covering her mouth she let out a muffled laugh. Kimo raised an eyebrow.

“Tough talk from a little guy, huh? Didn’t you learn anything from the beach yesterday?”

“Yeah, I did actually. Never expect a Hawaiian to catch you at the finish line.”

Kimo snorted and Auli’i’s muffled laugh became audibly louder. Cyrus smiled. He was glad they could laugh despite the situation they were in. Kimo noogied Cyrus on the head.

“Sorry we ignored you earlier. As you can see, we are not the perfect Virtus Latores. We will try our best though,” said Kimo.

“OK, stop … All these words. ‘Virtus Latores’, ‘Lumen’, ‘Caligo’ … What are all these things? What are you guys called that have no wings? I should have asked sooner, but I was still wrapping my head around the fact that I could walk and had wings.”

Auli’i gave a forced laugh. “Haha! Right?! That series was crazy?!”

Cyrus looked at her confused. Kimo joined in.

“It sure was, huh, sis?” laughed Kimo in agreement.

Cyrus whipped his head back and forth in confusion.

Auli’i grabbed Cyrus by the face, brought him in close and whispered, “There are people around us.”

Cyrus gulped.

Right …

“Cyrus, let me tell you a story,” began Kimo a little loud. “The story is called, ‘The Legend of the Lumen Caligo’ and remember, it’s PURELY fictional.”

Cyrus looked up the rows of the plane.

Should I be worried we’re being watched?

“Once upon a time,” he started with a smirk. “There was someone called the Lumen Caligo.”

“OK, OK … no need to milk it. If you’re going to tell the story, at least tell it correctly. Start over,” demanded Auli’i.

“Fine.” Kimo sat up straight, squared his shoulders towards Cyrus and leaned in. Auli’i followed suit so they were all inches away from each other. Kimo then inhaled and began.

“There are three types of people on this earth in which we reside. There are Lumens, white winged individuals that, like the light they are named after, pursue truth, knowledge and superiority of the skies. There are Caligos, masters of navigating and discerning the darkness in the world, whose wings are as black as night. Then there are the Terrams,” said Kimo motioning to Auli’i and himself. “Maintainers of virtue and a seafaring folk, their creativity knows no bounds. Yet, in the cracks of history, there were whispers of another … one who always led mankind into a time of prosperity, technological advances and extreme growth. His title, lost on the lips of history, was …”

“The Lumen Caligo,” interjected Auli’i. “Every 350 years there was one born whose beauty and uniqueness dwarfed all of the people of the earth. One who understood both black and white, earth and skies, light and darkness … and with that knowledge, united the peoples of the earth into unparalleled progression. After all, a united world with a common goal knows no limitations.”

“From the great pyramids in Egypt to the Meso-American civilizations that mysteriously vanished, at the center of all of these has been the influence and leadership of the Lumen Caligo,” Kimo continued. “Now, what makes this Lumen Caligo so special? The Lumen Caligo is the outward embodiment of all people. The battle between light and dark that resides within us all. With vibrant white on one side of the feathers and a deep black on the other, the Lumen Caligo acts as an intermediary between those of the skies and those of the earth. A balancer for those who dwell in darkness and those who are blinded by the light. The link from the past born again to lead us to a better future. Cyrus … you are all these things. You are the Lumen Caligo.”

Cyrus sat entranced by the story. Gulping nervously he asked, “I’m the only one?”

Auli’i and Kimo nodded.

“You guys are … um … Terrams?”

Both nodded.

“What about everyone else? On this plane for example … what do you call them?”

“We refer to them as the Civilized. Terrams know and actively participate with The Lumen Caligo. We are part of the jurandum, or the oath to follow the Lumen Caligo. We know the history and follow the rules and protocols. At least most of us,” said Kimo, flashing a smirk in Auli’i’s direction.

Auli’i made face at Kimo.

“The Civilized are everyone on this plane. They are completely ignorant of your existence. They are outside the jurandum. Due to that, they can use modern technology.”

“OK, why can’t you use modern technology? You just said the Lumen Caligos of the past led you to ‘unparalleled advancements’. What changed? Why do you act like the Amish now?”

“That’s the last Lumen Caligo’s doing,” said Auli’i. “Before the last Lumen Caligo vanished, the three nations were at the brink of war. Lumens, Caligos and Terrams were all up in arms against each other. To prevent war, the last Lumen Caligo gave the three nations strict orders to return and stay in their own domains until a solution was reached. This order is known as the Isolation Order.”

“Only,” Kimo continued. “The Lumen Caligo vanished … so, it was decided that in order to prevent all out war, the three nations would remain separate from one another and await the return of the Lumen Caligo. The Hawaiian islands are our home but the most sacred island is the island of Ni’ihau. That is where the temple is located. Our ancestors saw wisdom in the Isolation Order and returned. Our family has inhabited the islands ever since.”

“Ni’ihau is the Hawaiian name of the island though. To those within the jurandum, we call it Akhet,” said Auli’i.

“Akhet? Like a sneeze?”

“That’s not funny.”

“Sorry.”

“Aside from returning and staying in our domains,” said Kimo. “The three nations were also instructed to abstain from ALL technology dating after 1700 AD … under penalty of death.”

“Death? So, you guys in this plane with me right now. Anyone finds out and you get the axe?”

“No,” said Auli’i. “The Isolation Order specifies that only the Lumen Caligo can lift the ban. It just never said how. Remember the discussion we had with my mom?”

“I do. So, Akela … is she taking the fall because you interacted with modern technology to leave or because you abandoned ship?”

“It’s because I left. The Lumen Caligo, along with the three nations, have always been at the forefront of advancement in society. However, secrecy has been the tool of choice. One of the last details of the Isolation Order was also the most strict. The three nations are not allowed to venture outside of their domains. Any deserter is immediately sentenced to death.”

“So, the only reason Akela is still alive is because your father is one of the chiefs?”

“Yes … the only reason,” said Kimo. “If it wasn’t for that fact, she probably would have been executed immediately. My father is many things … persuasive is one of them. You should have seen him in front of everyone back home. It was something to behold.”

“He really is … ” Auli’i confirmed with a slight smile.

“Could have fooled me with that dramatic entrance of his back in IB,” said Cyrus with a chuckle. “Your dad is one of the chiefs … is it just three?”

“Yes,” answered Auli’i. “The Terram nation is governed by three high chiefs. Our father is a descendant of one of the oldest Terram families responsible for the financial wellbeing of all Terrams. None of them ascended to the title of chief. Our ancestors fulfilled their role and made ends meet but there was never a surplus … Until my father tried a different approach and did incredibly well.”

“He found a way to capitalize on the booming tourist scene,” Kimo added. “He wrote scripts, taught many traditional Polynesian dances and made them funny on top of that. Among the Civilized and the Terrams, our father is a legend. Most of the luaus he made still thrive across the islands. He met our mother at one of the luaus and married her, even though she was a Civilized.”

“Mom was a hula girl,” said Auli’i with a nudge.

“Ohhhh …Was she now … Haha! Are you guys allowed to marry people outside of the jurandum?”

“Well … that’s one of the reasons why our family was shunned. Sure, they speak highly of us and enjoy the money, but there are many gunning for my father and his position. Marrying our mother, a Civilized, is a bit of a grey area. Some still view it as a direct violation of the Isolation Order. Even after she became a part of the jurandum, they doubted our family. I don’t even want to get into the stories of how much they complained about him breaking the Isolation Order because of the luaus. They even put him on trial for use of modern technology,” said Kimo, shaking his head.

“Why?”

“Microphones,” responded Auli’i. “Regardless of dad’s restrictions, he was wildly successful and actually created a reserve for the Terrams. The truth is, the other chiefs complaining and accusing him of breaking the Isolation Order turned out to be the best thing for him and our nation. He swore not to use any modern technology (including microphones) and outsourced the part of MC. This gave him more time to focus on creating more luau’s. The more luau’s he created, the more successful he became. The more successful he became, the more he made for the Terram Nation.”

“OK … everybody loves money and success. Why are you guys ‘outcasts’ when you’ve contributed so much?”

“Envy. The Fualautoalasi family has only ever been in charge of the financial wellbeing of the Terrams. During my father’s success, one of the three high chiefs named Manoa summoned my father to Ni’ihau. Manoa and my father were very close since Manoa had been my grandfather’s best friend. He was on his deathbed and did something that hasn’t happened in 300 years … Our father was given the mantle of chief. Manoa … gave our father and the Fualautoalasi family … his position … over ALL of his own sons, nephews and grandchildren.”

“Oh man … That must have stirred the hornets nest.”

“You have no idea. Manoa died a week later, and we moved to Ni’ihau a week after that.”

“When did this happen?”

“Right before the pandemic,” said Kimo.

“You guys probably weren’t the most popular kids in town, were you?”

Kimo and Auli’i shook their heads.

“That’s why it was so hard on mom,” said Auli’i. “She had friends, family and access to technology. When she married our father, she had to give it all up and be around people who scorned her. That’s why our situation is so messed up. When they find out we are bound to you as the Virtus Latores, they’re going to flip.”

“You guys keep saying ‘Virtus Lator’. Explain.”

“Every Lumen Caligo usually selects one person from each nation to teach him what that nation specializes in along with the inner workings so they can navigate the cultural and political intricacies,” explained Kimo.

“Oh. So, I get two Terrams for the price of one?”

“Lucky you,” said Auli’i returning the sarcasm.

“What is it you guys ‘specialize’ in? What am I to learn from you?”

“That all depends on you,” said Kimo. “What we have to teach you is control over your body, both on land and in the water.”

“Yeah, and I’ll teach you how to make some humble pie if this ‘I’m the Lumen Caligo,’ starts to go to your head,” said Auli’i punching Cyrus in the arm.

“Don’t forget the sugar in that pie of yours,” said Cyrus, rubbing his arm.

Auli’i laughed and then wrapped her arms around Cyrus. Cyrus blushed.

“Virtus Lator means bearer of strength and virtue,” said Kimo. “Our job is to train and protect both of these. Being sworn to the Lumen Caligo is the highest honor you can receive in this life. Over the course of history, the Latores have had more influence over their nations than the proper rulers. In fact, when the Lumen Caligo passes away, it is usually the families of the Latores that become the governing bodies of each nation.”

“So, what am I supposed to learn from the other two nations? The white wings and the black wings?”

“First,” said Auli’i. “You should call them what they are. Refer to the white wings as Lumens and the black wings as Caligos.”

“Man, political correctness, too?” said Cyrus.

“No,” said Auli’i. “What people want to be called is political correctness. What people are is just a fact.”

“Then why do you call it Ni’ihau instead of Akhet?”

“Because Ni’ihau is the Hawaiian name of the island and that’s what I grew up calling it. They are interchangeable for us Terrams. The Lumens and Caligos will call it Akhet, no doubt, but Ni’ihau is how I knew it before learning about the jurandum.”

“Fair point.”

“You should announce us as Terrams, too. Specifically, Terram Virtus Latores. That will provide us with some protection under the Lumen Caligo title,” added Kimo.

“Protection?”

“It’s been 300 hundred years … if the other two nations are anything like what we saw on Ni’ihau, then they won’t be friendly,” said Auli’i.

“OK, so back to my question. What am supposed to learn from the Lumens and the Caligos?”

“We don’t know … ” started Kimo. “Mother taught us about our connection with the earth and the sea. Father focused on physical strength and our mana within. If I had to guess, it has to be something involved with flying.”

“Great deductive skills, Kimo. I would have never guessed the people with wings would be the ones to teach Cyrus how to fly. I thought that was our job,” said Auli’i, touting her head and gawking.

“Oh shut up,” said Kimo.

“Do I have to go to them or can I just have them come to me like you guys did? Not gonna lie, much easier that way.”

Kimo cracked a smile.

“From what we were taught while we were on Ni’ihau,” said Auli’i. “You have to go to each location and abolish the Isolation Order the previous Lumen Caligo set in place. That goes for our islands.”

“I’m all for going to Hawai’i. That’s a bucket list location for me.”

“Cyrus,” said Auli’i. “I’m as excited to show you my home as you are to see it ... but please don’t make the same mistake I did and not take this seriously. This world that my family and I were introduced to ... I thought it was a made up cult with an elaborate back story. Seeing you and Martian with my own two eyes has changed things considerably. What I once took as ‘story time’ has now turned into ‘story of my life’. Don’t underestimate your importance.”

Cyrus looked down. Things really were changing beyond what he could have ever expected. To think that almost two months ago he was in a wheelchair meeting Auli’i for the first time.

“One more thing I want to tell you,” said Kimo. “When we were being taught the tales of the Lumen Caligo and how they intertwined with mankind’s achievements, the elders always referred to you to as the ‘hummingbird of history’.”

Auli’i did a double take.

“And ... ” said Cyrus.

“And it never made sense to me. I figured I should tell you since you’ve been learning all of the titles and whatnot.”

“Hummingbird of history? … I’ll take it flying backwards is going to be my signature move.” Cyrus threw out some energetic punches.

Auli’i and Kimo looked at Cyrus with an expression of, ‘What the …’

“What? You don’t like my Bruce Lee punches?”

“Those were punches?” said Kimo.

“Those punches could use some work,” said Auli’i with a smile.

Cyrus smiled back.

“So, I have to figure this Lumen Caligo stuff out on my own?”

“You have us, don’t you?” said Auli’i.

“Exactly! Plus, I would imagine each nation has their own written record of the Lumen Caligo just like we have ours,” said Kimo looking at Auli’i.

“I checked out when I got to Ni’ihau, so I only remember bits and pieces,” said Auli’i.

“I enjoyed learning about it. Even if Auli’i made fun of me for it,” said Kimo.

“Yeah … I was not the nicest person. I thought it was all a sham and I was annoyed for leaving our friends and family. You studied the Lumen Caligo, I left home and found him. Call it even?”

“Fair enough. There is so much to learn. I’ll have to dive into the written history when we get back,” said Kimo.

“Do you guys think it is safe to go back to Ni’ihau?” asked Cyrus.

Kimo and Auli’i looked at each other. Auli’i held up her hand and gave the fifty-fifty gesture.

“We’ll see when we talk with Martian again,” said Kimo. “Each nation has its own record of the world. Our history is an oral one, traditionally passed down through chants. However, when it came to teaching us, the elders did have scroll looking things they read off of.”

There’s that word again.

Cyrus thought of Martin and Ms. Palermo at his graduation.

“Well ... it’s a start,” said Cyrus. “Keep an eye out for ‘scroll looking things’ when we make our way to Ni’ihau.”

“You know what I wonder ... ” said Auli’i.

“What’s that?” asked Cyrus.

“Is everyone going to be white skinned and white winged like Martian ... or are there different colors of skin with white wings?”

Cyrus and Kimo thought for a moment. It would be interesting to see people contrasting their wings like Cyrus did.

“You know what I wonder ... ” said Cyrus. “What does my mother look like?”

Cyrus turned his phone to selfie mode. Light brown skin with freckles all across his face. Curly dark brown hair with copper highlights, and his eyes. Those two different colored eyes. He desperately wanted to know which eye came from where.

“I didn’t ask yesterday, but what did the letter say?” asked Auli’i.

Cyrus reached into his pocket, opened it and read it out loud to the twins.

“Short and sweet, huh?” said Auli’i.

“Yeah ... ” said Kimo. “But incredibly vague at the same time.”

“You gonna ask her about it?” asked Auli’i.

“I’m going to ask her a lot of things ... ” replied Cyrus.

“Like what?”

“Why? When? Who’s my father? When was this ‘right time’ she mentioned? Didn’t she want me?” Cyrus’ voice cracked.

Auli’i wrapped her arms around him. Kimo did the same. Cyrus hated it when he cried. It was embarrassing, and he didn’t like making a scene.

Why though? Why had she left him with Martian?

The emotions swirled inside Cyrus like a brewing storm. Between being told he could walk and his mother was alive, he didn’t know which one shocked him more.

The embrace from the twins comforted him. The constant hugs, noogies and playful punches to the arm had really added an extra layer of comfort he didn’t know he needed.

“Cyrus,” whispered Kimo. “Forgive your mother.”