Shadow Walker (Neteru Academy Books) (60 page)

“She did good, Rivera,” Professor Raziel said firmly, lifting his chin and squaring his broad shoulders.

To Sarah’s surprise, her father nodded and released a resigned sigh. “I heard… and I saw from the door. I was wrong.” Her father extended a warrior’s handshake, and Professor Raziel grudgingly accepted it.

Sarah looked up at her dad, and suddenly everything she’d stored up to argue with him about, to blame him for and to brandish before him, faded with his sad smile. Her mother stood behind him, looking as if she were holding her breath.

He turned away from her mentor and put both hands on her shoulders. “My baby girl is all grown up,” he said quietly. “I’m really proud of you, Sarah.”

Despite the din and confusion of the crowd, at that moment her dad was the only other person in the Great Hall.

Her father held her at arm’s length and shook his head. “Look at her, Razor… she’s beautiful. My princess…went into the forbidden zone and came out without a scratch—and my boy flew in there and got busted up, broke a wing. I’m just a dinosaur. Old school.” He took her award away from her and read it, allowing his fingers to trace the engraving, then he looked at her and swallowed hard. “I’m proud of you, baby,” he repeated, as though seeing her with brand-new eyes. “I hope you can forgive your old man for just not being ready.”

She barreled into his arms and held him tight. “Papi, I love you.”

Her father just hung his head and let out a huge sigh of relief. “What can I say to that? I love you, too. You’ve had me wrapped around your little finger since the day you took your first breath in this big, bad world and came out crying and fighting.”

“I’m gonna push her hard, Rivera,” Professor Raziel said. “Because she can do it, and because to keep her safe, I have to. There are still traitor cells out there, and we need her to put them down, even though her talents are still evolving.”

Her father nodded and finally released her. “I know,” he said, not looking at her professor. But then he cocked his head to the side as her uncle Yonnie and aunt Valkyrie came up to hug Val, who was hanging nearby. He glanced at Val and gave him a curt nod. “You did all right. You get a pass for escorting Sarah to safety and flying Al out under combat conditions…that was good work.”

“Thanks, Uncle Carlos.”

“Uncle Carlos, hell. Be clear, son, if you’re taking my daughter to a dance, I’m Mr. Rivera from this point forward.”

“Yes, sir,” Val said, as the adults around them swallowed broad smiles. Then Val stepped away from his parents and shook her father’s hand, his head high and his shoulders back. “I would never have let anything happen to her out there, sir.”

“I ain’t half as worried about the walkers in the woods as I am about what goes on up in the dorms.” Carlos looked at Yonnie. “Man…me and you been boys a long time, vamps that go way back, and Val’s got the fangs like me and you, so…so you better talk to your son.”

Sarah just hugged her father as everybody else laughed.

“Y’all think it’s funny, but I’m dead serious.”

“Dad!”

“Carlos!” her mother said, pulling her father away as the rest of her big crazy family laughed even harder. Even Professor Raziel cracked a rare smile.

“For goodness’ sake!” her mother fussed, then leaned over to kiss Sarah. “Leave those kids alone and just let ‘em dance!”

Neteru
—Divine qualities present in all things (Kemetian, also known as Egyptian); The Vampire Huntress Legends, a Neteru was born every 1,000 years to fight the dark side—but at the dawn of the Armageddon the Light sent two (Damali Richards and Carlos Rivera).

Neteru Guardians
—Special Forces Guardians of the Light that stand by the Neterus in battle against the dark side.

The Morrigan
—Guardians of the Light that have turned to the dark side.

Valkyrie
—A warrior angel being who lifts fallen soldiers of righteousness to Valhalla; also Sarah aunt’s name.

Daywalker
—A Vampire made impervious to sunlight. (For example, Sarah’s Uncle Yonnie.)

The Land of Nod
—A place between dimensions (in the fourth realm) created at the dawn of time, where all mystical creatures and species were cloaked from human interaction. This banishment zone was to protect humans from the supernatural, but every now and then the veil between worlds would rip. There were good members and bad members of this community, just as is found in human society. During the Armageddon the veil was permanently damaged, and some good refugees fled persecution and sought safety with the Neterus at the Temt Tchaas Academy.

NOTE:
All of the Neteru Compound siblings, seven in all, were born during the same season and the same year after the first major clash of the Armageddon, except Ayana, who was four years old at the time.

PARENTS:

Carlos Rivera + Damali Richards-Rivera [Both are the Neteru Compound Leaders]
= (parents of twins) Sarah Rivera and Alejandro Rivera. Their father was once a Daywalker and was brought into the Light as a Neteru. He married their mother, who was both a Powers Angel—a fearless warrior angel—and Neteru. Both siblings have a combination of their parents’ seven supernatural gifts and physical makeup.

Tara Rider (ex-Vampire) + Jack Rider (Olfactory Sensor Guardian, a tracker with a supernatural ability to smell demon residue and sense danger before it manifests)
= Tami Rider (Sarah’s BFF, with a lot of Vampire traits)

Jasmine Berkfield (Dragon Painter) + Bobby Berkfield (White Light Wizard)
= Hyacinth Berkfield (one of Sarah’s non-blood–related compound sisters who is psychic)

Heather Weinstein (Stoneworker/White Lighter) + Dan Weinstein (Tactical Guardian)
= Allie Weinstein (one of Sarah’s non-blood–related compound sisters who is electromagnetic)

Valkyrie Johnson (a Warrior Valkyrie) + Yolando Johnson (Daywalker)
= Valencio Johnson (one of Sarah’s non-blood–related compound brothers who is a handsome combo of Valkyrie and Vampire)

Juanita Ciponte (psychic) + Jose Ciponte (Olfactory Guardian)
= Miguel Ciponte (one of Sarah’s non-blood–related compound brothers who is a strong tracker)

Krissy Berkfield-Leung (White lighter) + J.L. Leung (Tactical Guardian)
= Donnie Leung (one of Sarah’s non-blood–related compound brothers who is a burgeoning White Lighter computer geek)

Inez Porter-Roberts (Psychic) + “Big” Mike Roberts (stepfather)
= parents of Ayana Porter (one of Sarah’s non-blood–related compound sister who is older by four years and is destined to become the mother seer of a Guardian compound)

Grandparents:

Marlene Stone
= Mother seer to the Neteru Compound and called Nana by all. She is also the headmistress of the Temt Tchaas Academy.

Baba Shabazz
= House security for the Temt Tchaas academy, called grandfather by all in the Neteru compound, married to Marlene Stone, and a martial arts master. Baba Shabazz is also a Tactical Guardian and panther shape-shifter.

Ms. Delores Filgueiras and Mr. Monty Sinclair (neither possesses any special supernatural gift, but “Mom Delores’s daughter, Inez, was born with a very strong third eye psychic supernatural ability)
= Aunt Inez’s mother and new stepfather; grandparents to Ayana. Ms. Delores runs the school cafeteria, and Mr. Monty is in charge of building maintenance.

Stella and Frank Weinstein (neither possesses any special supernatural talent, but their son has the Tactical gift)
= Uncle Dan’s parents; Allie’s grandparents. They are dorm resident advisors at the school.

Marjorie (a White Lighter by birth) and Richard Berkfield (a healer by gift)
= Aunt Krissy’s and Uncle Bobby’s parents; also Hyacinth’s grandparents. The whole family fought evil in the compound together. They are also dorm resident advisors at the school and don’t go out on campaigns against the dark side anymore.

Guardian Talents/Gifts:

Olfactors (taste/smell superiority—destiny: trackers.)

Audios (superior hearing—destiny: point walkers for a team.)

Clair-Vs (superior second sight—destiny: team seers/psychics.)

Tacticals (touch sensitivity—destiny: team security barriers, emit strong electromagnetic energy, can levitate items and power zap predators.)

Stoneworkers—Can feel where someone has passed by a natural stone object or touch that object to supercharge it to gather information from it.

Dragon Painters—Can use organic material to paint with and bring that image to life.

White Lighters and White Wizards—Can use the natural energy found in organic material to ward off predators with white light zaps.

Neterus—Have all the above abilities, plus the gifts of healing and walking between dimensions in energy whirls.

Shadow Walker

By: L. A. Banks

The information, activities and discussion questions that follow are intended to enhance your reading of
Shadow Walker.
Please feel free to adapt these materials to suit your needs and interests.

STRANGE PHENOMENA

 

1. There are many metaphysical principles discussed in the first section of the book—everything from auras to clairvoyance. See if you can come up with a list of extrasensory phenomena. Go to the library or online to find a definition of these different items. What does aura mean? What is a chakra system? What is clairsentient, clairvoyant, etc.?
   
 

 

2. Look up the word
   cryptozoological
   . With friends or classmates, make a list of creatures that might be subjects of cryptozoological examination, such as the unicorn, the mermaid, werewolves or Mojo the dragon. Individually or in small groups, research, prepare and present an oral report on one creature or one of the various skill types that the kids in Sarah’s school are grouped into.
   
 

 

3. From the viewpoint of Sarah or another character, write a new chapter for the novel in which you describe your first encounter with any of the mysterious creatures. Where are you when the encounter begins? What do you see, hear, smell and experience when you meet the creature? How does the encounter end?
   
 

 

4. Brightly colored walls and murals in the hallways of the Temt Tchaas Academy create wonderful atmosphere for the events that take place within
   Shadow Walker
   . Images of flooding water are also in the text. Use pencils, watercolor paints or pens to draw your own scene inspired by a scene from the book.
   
 

 

5. Learn more about the Egyptian symbols and ancient Ghanaian symbols. Learn what they mean and then see if you can match up their meaning with different personality types in your class.
   
 

 

6. What is the strangest symbol or creature you have ever seen or the most unusual experience you have ever had? Write a short essay or story describing this, beginning with the phrase “I would never have imagined…”
   
 

 

7. Imagine the book as a movie—draw a movie poster for it to promote the best part of the story. (What was your favorite scene?)
   
 

LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS

 

1. What hints do we have that Sarah is becoming a group leader? What things does Sarah do that would make her a leader among her friends? What character traits do you feel make a good leader?
   
 

 

2. In what ways was Sarah a stronger leader than her brother? In what ways was she weaker?
   
 

 

3. Make a list of all the characters in the novel engaged in learning lessons. Beside each character name, note what they learned, what they needed to change about themselves and who, if anyone, helped them.
   
 

 

4. What role does Valencio play in the group? How is his personality important? What role does Wil play in the group? How is his personality important?
   
 

 

5. In the character of Tami Rider, write a monologue in which you talk to yourself about your best friend’s request that you stop taking dares. Perform your monologue for friends and classmates.
   
 

 

6. Consider what we learn by the end of the book—that things are not always as they seem. Discuss stereotypes and how we sometimes inaccurately think things about others because of their clothes, people they hang around, maybe because of their religion or ethnic background. How was Stefan misjudged? Describe a time when you or a friend misjudged someone without getting to know them.
   
 

ARCHITECTURE

 

1. Name the pyramids located on the Giza plateau. Look them up online or in the library.
   
 

 

2. There was actually a bunker created beneath the Greenbriar Hotel in West Virginia by President Dwight Eisenhower. Look up information on the cold war and on President Eisenhower, and see if you can find out any information about fall-out shelters.
   
 

 

3. The teens briefly escape into a small Amish town. Learn about the Amish culture online or at your library. What do they believe about farming, about technology and self-sufficiency (define that word)?
   
 

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

 

1. The opening chapters of the novel describe Sarah’s encounters with nightmares and with her family/friends. How do these chapters help readers better understand Sarah? How do the dark and other natural elements (like the landscape) described in these chapters become important motifs throughout the novel—especially the forest?
   
 

 

2. What do Sarah, Tami and the boys discover in the dark outside the family compound? How does their discovery relate to Sarah’s ongoing fear?
   
 

 

3. Explain Sarah’s long-held view of the compound as a safe and peaceful place. Is Sarah’s sense of calm created by the family or her relationship to the place, if so how? Does everyone feel this way about their home—discuss the different perspectives amongst the students? Do you think the presence of something scary at the compound changes Sarah’s perspective, if so how? Who or what can truly disrupt this serenity?
   
 

 

4. Once Sarah and her compound siblings get to school, things change. List all the new things they have to encounter and why this adjustment is so hard. What about fitting in is so difficult for them?
   
 

 

5. What major rule do the older students break, and is it dangerous to do that in any way? Why is Sarah so nervous about following the crowd?
   
 

 

6. Do you think Sarah was right to confess what she knew to her grandmother?
   
 

 

7. Who is Professor Raziel and what is he to Sarah? Look up the words
   mentor
   and
   protégée
   and write out the definitions. Do you think Sarah’s dad was right or wrong to do what he did? (Even if you think he is wrong, can you make a case for why he might have acted the way he did?) How would you have felt if you were in Sarah’s situation?
   
 

 

8. What do you think about Sarah’s little shadows?
   
 

 

9. Do you think being a Shadow Walker is basically a good or bad thing? What other formal and informal groups or societies operate within the novel? Can
   Shadow Walker
   be read as a study of the dynamics and loyalties at play between individuals and groups? Why or why not?
   
 

 

10. What is your reaction to Tami’s jealousy of her best friend? In the end, do you feel that each person who did something unfair should be forgiven? Why or why not? List who you can forgive and why, as well as who you could not trust in the future and why. Which teachers, too, would you forgive or trust, or not?