A breathless hush lay over the world, like that moment of silence just before a thunderstorm. Jax couldn’t sleep. He rose from his bed and padded softly down the corridor and out onto the verandah. The monks will soon be up, he thought. Might as well do some qing gong before breakfast.
At the back of the monastery, past the Abbot’s chambers, was a place on the cliff where he and Yu Yu would often go and practise the walking on air technique. They could use the narrow ledges and different size footholds to leap from one place to another.
Jax trod the narrow flagstone path through the tall bamboo. As he passed, they seemed to be whispering to him, Mingzi… Mingzi… it is time… it is time… And they bowed their long black stems as if he was a prince returning home.
At the bottom of the cliff, Jax prepared his mind and body for the first leap – to a ledge about three metres off the ground. He breathed in slowly through his nostrils, let the breath sink to his navel, centred himself, then sprang like a cat.
Landing on the ledge with ease, he looked up again. The next ledge was narrower, higher. He would need to use his lizard walking technique for this one.
Prepare, breathe in, centre…
But Jax’s concentration was suddenly broken as the sun spilled over the horizon, flooding the cliff face with a muted yellow glow. Instantly he felt an explosion of pain start in his palm and run up his arm to his head. He cried out. His whole arm felt as if it was on fire!
Desperately he blew on the creature mark. The burning sensation stopped at once, but he noticed something strange happening. As his breath touched the tiny creature, its scales ruffled like a wheat field when the wind blows through it. Then the creature began to lift away from his skin!
Jax stared in disbelief as it raised its little head, then its tail, and stood on his palm looking up at him. The lacy silver mane down its back began to flutter and Jax felt his own legs fluttering, becoming lighter and lighter and his feet lifting off the ledge. He tried to grab onto something with his other hand, but he was too late. He began rising higher and higher. It was like being in a lift, so effortless and weightless.
As he rose up, he felt a wonderful sense of freedom. He could see the whole stretch of parkland with the lake and the giant banyan tree, the rainforest and the river beyond, even to where it joined the sea. And he could see bulging grey clouds of another big storm piled up on the horizon.
A beautiful bell-like cry came to his ears. It was like a whisper from the edge of the world, calling him to come.
Slowly he began drifting towards the lake. But as he floated over the Courtyard of Imaginings, he felt an even stronger pull from down in the temple grounds. It was as if he was a kite on a long string and someone was reeling him in.
Below, Jax saw the Abbot madly beckoning him to come down. ‘Close your hand,’ he shouted to Jax.
Reluctantly, Jax curled his fingers over the tiny creature in his palm and magically, he started to sink back down towards the Abbot in the courtyard.