Knox:

I looked at Dakota's sleeping form beside me. She seemed quite peaceful when she was asleep, and a small smile rolled off her lips as she breathed through her mouth. I couldn't help but have a smile of my own as I gently stroked her hair.

I heard footsteps approach me and looked up to see Winter standing there with a tray of glasses. She set the thing down on the table beside my bed, and turned to me. I could swear this girl had a permanent smile. I hadn't once seen her without it.

"You care about your sister a lot, don't you?" She asked softly, sitting on the edge of my bed. I nodded, a faint blush rising to my cheeks. I wasn't exactly one of those people who could express their emotions very well. I obviously loved my sister a lot, but saying it to her very often? Yeah, that wasn't exactly my thing.

"It shows, really."

I looked at Winter. "It does?" I asked, slightly confused. Dakota and I were almost always arguing. Winter just nodded. "Yes, it does. You may argue a lot, but then there are the moments when you show your care. For example, when you woke up, the first thing you asked for was your sister. That's a giveaway, isn't it?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "You're more observant than I thought..." I stated. She shrugged. "One picks up talents after years here at Katafaeg."

She stood up. "Knox, are you feeling better?" She asked, her expression morphing into a concerned one. I took a moment, then nodded. She blinked.

"Since you are feeling better, I could give you the tour of Katafaeg now, if you want..." She proposed.

I thought about it for a moment. It was true that I hadn't stepped outside the infirmary ever since I had come to Katafaeg. I had no idea what it looked like, what kind of people stayed here, nothing. A tour sounded like a good idea. However, there was another thing which had been clawing at the back of my mind.

"I have to ask you something before that, Winter," I stood up, gently placing Dakota's head back onto her pillow, "What about our parents?"

Winter chuckled, and turned around, leading me out of our small compartment. The infirmary looked like the infirmary of any ordinary school. However, I knew from asking Grant that this was only for people with minor injuries, and resting. The main hospital was on the above floors of the building. The walls were a pale grey, and the entire scene was one of blank colors. Just like a normal infirmary.

"I thought you might ask that," Winter responded, getting back to my question. She stopped in front of a door and turned to look at me. "Your parents have been informed, Knox. They know where you are."

I gaped at her. "Excuse me? My parents have been informed where I am? So you told them I'm a sorcerer along with my sister living in a shelter made for a certain clan of sorcerers for protection from the other clan who want to kill us all and turn civilians into slaves?"

Winter, to my utter surprise, nodded. I almost laughed. "And what, they believed you?"

Winter's expression was serious. "Knox, you don't understand. You and your sister, we don't know for sure, but we think you come from a strong line of sorcerers. Along your family, many have carried sorcerer blood. Your parents already knew about this."

There it was again. Another bomb dropped. My mouth fell open.

"WHAT!?"

Winter nodded slowly. "Yes, they've always known about this world."

"But why did they never tell us?"

"Knox, it isn't that easy. Your parents had no way of knowing whether or not you're a sorcerer. Not every child is one. Take for example your younger brother, Jamie. He isn't a sorcerer. It's almost impossible to tell, especially by civilians whether or not their child is a magic user. They just assumed you weren't and didn't tell you anything for your own good. But when we informed them, they readily accepted it, and told us to try and keep you safe." She gave me a kind look. "I'm thankful for that, really. Not always are parents accepting of the fact that their child lives here." her tone made it clear it was a touchy subject, and I wasn't about to go asking about.

An awkward silence hung in the air before Winter cleared her throat. "Right then. How about this? The phones are all the way on the other side of Katafaeg. Why don't I give you the tour as I take you to the phones?" She asked. I smirked.

"Winter? I'm a seventeen year old guy. I have a cell phone." I stated. To my surprise, Winter smirked back at me.

"Which has been destroyed."

For a moment I did nothing but stare at her and blink. I couldn't even speak, all that came out was a splutter. I was about to contemplate whether or not she was joking, when she made that easier for me.

"Yes Knox, I was joking. Gee, lighten up, will you?" She patted my back. I continued staring at her until she laughed. "Your phones are... well, you'll see. They're perfectly safe. Now, follow me, will you? It's time for that tour."

*****

When I stepped out of the infirmary, my jaw literally dropped.

I might have even started drooling a little at the sight in front of me.

"This... is... Katafaeg?" I managed to form a sentence with great difficulty.

Winter stepped up from beside me and nodded. Well, I'm fairly sure that's what she did. I was slightly preoccupied with what my eyes were seeing. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she breathed.

Beautiful didn't even begin to encompass it. I couldn't even see the end of the place. Lush green grass covered the ground under my feet. All around me, the place was heavily guarded with large stone walls. The walls were giant enough to be taller than perhaps even the tallest monument I'd been to. The walls seemed to be made of some kind of stone, their color the most pleasant beige. But even under the beige, they held an air of firmness, and stood threateningly tall.

My eyes couldn't take it all in. In front of me stood the largest castles I had ever seen. Yes, I did just say castles. Medieval style structures, which loomed over us and seemed to almost peer down at us with all their intimidating glory. They were made of the same material as the walls that guarded Katafaeg. At least a full hundred yards in front of me, the castles had people piling in and out of them. Katafaeg stretched on for miles, as far as I could see, Everything was so spacious I could run around waving my arms like a lunatic and I still wouldn't hit anything. The castles in front of me blocked everything beyond that, but I had a feeling there was much to see there as well.

"Um, Knox? Are you okay?" Winter asked, sounding genuinely concerned for my mental well being. I turned to her, my mouth still open. She chuckled softly and reached out to close my jaw. "Earth to Knox, Earth to Knox, report for duty please." She waved her hand in front of my face.

I gathered my wits, even though it was fairly hard to do. "This is Katafaeg?" I asked again. Winter scrunched up her features. "Yes, I'm fairly sure I said that." She answered.

"Are you kidding me? This place looks like it came out of a freaking medieval movie!" I sputtered out. Winter shrugged. "Knox, this place had been built millennia ago, it'll obviously have a medieval structure. And it's huge because, well, it has to accommodate hundreds of Audaynes at one go." She explained. "Now, do you want to start the tour, or will we be standing here while you drool at the sight?"

"The drooling is something I could do, but the tour's fine too." I grinned. However, my mind went to another string of thoughts and my grin faded. "But what about Dakota?"

Winter shook her head. "There's no need to worry. I'm giving you your tour, Grant will give Dakota hers. She hasn't woken up yet, but when she does, he'll do it. Don't worry, Grant's been here for longer than you think; he'll be a good guide." She paused and gave me a knowing smile. "And I for one don't think Dakota will mind being given a tour by Grant all that much."

I figured the expression on my face was priceless because Winter fell into guffaws of laughter. I didn't really do much but stand there awkwardly trying to come up with something to say to her, when she steadied herself and patted my cheek. "I'm joking, for the sake of Gods, why don't you get that?" She asked rhetorically, shaking her head.

Winter managed to control her laughter and gestured towards me to follow her. I did so, my neck craning upwards to take in all that was around me.

"Katafaeg was built, like I said, thousands of years ago. When the rift between the Ischaryae and the Audaynes first started, the Audaynes knew they needed to built a sort of fortress to shield themselves from the rivals." Winter explained as we began our hike towards the castles, "It's been here ever since, an impenetrable area to the Ischaryae, and a shelter for all the Audaynes out there who're hunted every day."

"So, if it was built so long ago, wont the rooms be all old and crumbly and whatnot?" I asked stupidly. I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth, but Winter didn't seem to think much of it.

"No, of course not. It's held together by magic." She turned to face me, a clear sign telling me to catch up, "And the only thing that's stayed constant is the base structure. We've changed everything else inside to meet our modern needs."

I nodded at her to continue.

"But you must understand, Katafaeg isn't just a shelter; it's also a training ground. For us young sorcerers. You see, the Ischaryae have been hunting us for a very long time. One needs to know the proper skills to defend themselves against the enemy." She stated.

"So you're going to train us?" I asked. I couldn't help but have a bubble of excitement blow up in my chest. This was like all of the adventure novels I had read. Yes, I was a book worm. Make all the jokes you want.

Winter shrugged. "We wouldn't want a repeat of that day in school, do we? Last time you had Parker there to save you. That won't be the case every time." Again, I noticed how her voice broke when she mentioned Parker's name. I could feel my face fall.

"Parker... you knew him for quite a while?" I asked tentatively. Winter clasped her hands and I could see her neck veins tighten. She nodded stiffly. "He was one of my closest friends. He came to Katafaeg a year after I did." She let out a wry chuckle. "I gave him a tour just like I'm giving you one right now." I didn't feel all too comfortable with that equation, but I had a feeling saying anything right now wasn't in my best interest. Plus, Winter seemed on the verge of tears.

"He was one of the most talented sorcerers here." she said, her expression becoming wistful, "He specialized in multiple branches. And not just that, he was one of the most lively people around here. you couldn't be around him and not smile. He made all of us laugh..." her voice trailed off.

That's when it hit me. I looked at Winter, my eyes slightly wide.

"Parker... he wasn't just your friend, was he?"

Winter's face turned red, and a tear made its way down her cheek. Too late did I realize that now was obviously the worst time to bring this up. I cursed my big mouth in my mind, but now that the topic had come up, I couldn't let it drop.

"I-It's j-j-just... you talk about him differently. Like, different than Grant or even AJ. So, I just thought... he was more than just your friend, wasn't he?" I asked again. Winter wouldn't meet my eyes, but she managed a nod. "So... you guys were.... Um... together?" She nodded again.

"Not for long, though. It was only a few weeks since..." Her voice faltered.

"But you knew him longer than that."

She smiled sadly. "Four years."

I didn't know what to say, so I just cleared my throat and stood there beside her as she swallowed a sob. Then, catching herself, she straightened up and wiped at her eyes furiously. She turned back to me with a forced grin. "Anyways, let's carry on with this tour, shall we?"

I decided to not make things more awkward, and gestured for her to lead the way. She laughed, a nice warm laugh. Winter may have been hurt by Parker's death, but she wasn't letting it get to her. I respected that about her.

"Now, as I was saying. Katafaeg is also a training ground for us sorcerers. It's divided into two parts. The three castles over there," She pointed towards the said structures. "Those are the places we train and discuss strategy. That's the training bit of Katafaeg. Behind the castles, are the houses. You see, once a sorcerer grows to be an adult, he or she has a choice. They can stay in Katafaeg as a trainer, or simply live in the houses; or they can go out there in the mortal world, and live a relatively normal life."

"Wait, how can they live a normal life?" I asked.

"Well, if one doesn't practice their sorcery for long enough, their skills become..." Winter hunted for the right word. "...dormant." She finally said. "Obviously they're still there, but it takes effort to have them work again. In that state, they aren't a threat to the Ischaryae. Needless to say, it also has risk. Inside Katafaeg, you are a threat, but are protected. Outside, you aren't a threat, but unprotected, and the Ischaryae are notoriously unpredictable." She finished. I added a small sound to let her know I was following.

She was about to add something, when a call cut her off.

"Yoo hoo! Oh Winter!" A lady's voice called out. Winter froze, and her eyes widened. Then, shutting them, she put on another forced smile and turned to her left. I followed her gaze and saw the source of the voice walk up to us. My jaw just about touched the ground, again.

Standing in front of us was quite possibly the most beautiful lady I'd ever come across. She looked prettier than any other woman I had seen, and I wondered for a moment whether she was an actress or a model. She certainly had the looks.

She had short mahogany colored hair, much like Winter's, but while the latter's were pulled into a small hasty ponytail, this lady's hair was left open. It was messy, but it gave her a naturally stunning look. She had on a sleeveless red dress, which went down to her knees, and the tight material complimented her slim figure. Her features were sharp and well-defined. She had grey eyes which were so piercing, they made Grant's look downright dull; and they were heightened by the eye makeup she wore. She looked to be in her mid-thirties, but she made teenage supermodels look old.

I tried to form a sentence, but it came out more like "Gahh Gluhh..."

Winter shot me a look, then turned back to the person in front of us. "My lady..." She said, bowing a little.

"Oh, Winter, there's no need for such formalities." She chuckled, even though something in her voice told me she liked being addressed like that. I realized I was standing there like a dork, and decided to follow Winter's example, even though I was still having trouble forming a sentence. I bowed slightly.

"Oh, who would this be?" She asked, turning to me.

"This is the new recruit we have. He's Knox Eringarde." Winter introduced me. The lady smiled at me. "Ah, Knox, are you? They've talked a lot about you. You're on your tour, I presume." She chuckled again, and I'm fairly sure my expression turned extra dorky. "Well, I won't stop you. I was just heading out of there. It gets dreadfully stuffy. I need some fresh air, don't I? Just decided to stop by and say hello." She patted my cheek. "Good day, then!" She said, and walked away with a small wave.

"Knox, can you please shut your mouth? It's freaking me out." Winter requested. I looked at her.

"Who was that?" I asked, finally talking like a normal person instead of a walrus diagnosed with a speech disorder.

"That's Lady Adalyn." Winter said, gesturing towards the retreating figure. "She's one of the most powerful Audaynes in history. She's known by everyone for her skills and her beauty. She's taken out more of the enemy than we can count, and she still manages to look flawless." She shook her head. "We should get moving."

And so we did. Winter kept talking as we walked, coming closer to the castles. She explained how the people's lifestyle in Katafaeg was, but I was distracted. I looked around us, watching the people carry on about their daily lives. The ages I saw were ranging from somewhere near a five-year old, to a group that looked like they were in college. Some were running around, others seemed to be buried in books, while others yet seemed to be simply lounging about. Nothing in this place suggested they were at war with another clan of sorcerers.

"Um, Knox, you're not listening to a word I'm saying, are you?" Winter pulled me out of my daze. I grinned sheepishly and shook my head. She sighed. "Whatever, you didn't miss anything too important. Now, pay attention."

I hadn't realized how far we'd come. We stood in front of the central castle. The structure stood tall enough so that even if I craned my neck all the way upwards, I couldn't see the whole thing. I stretched wide enough on both sides to accommodate the length of a dozen school buses put end-to-end. The stone walls gave off a cold feeling, but there was warmth laced into the aura of the whole system.

"This, is called Principium. It means origin, or foundation. They call it that because the Principium was the first part of Katafaeg to be built." She elaborated. "Some of us here, we like to call it Headquarters. That's because this is where most of the strategy is decided. This is also the principle training centre for all the sorcerers."

"So it is basically Headquarters. The name's fitting." I commented. "Yes, it is." Winter agreed. "Principium is also where the Elders stay."

"Who're the elders?" I asked, inquisitive about the new term.

"The Elders are the people who not only look over Katafaeg, but also plan out its protection against the Ischaryae. They're a group of sorcerers so powerful, that even the Ischaryae think twice before attacking them. They're... well, elder than us, obviously, and have been on more missions than you can imagine. Or have proved themselves in some way or another. They're pretty much the leaders of Katafaeg, and by extension, of the Audaynes."

"Woah..." I managed. Winter laughed. "Yes, 'woah' would cover it pretty well. Now, come. We need to have you meet the Elders. You've already met one of them." My mind flashed back to my last encounter.

"Adalyn?" I asked.

"Yes, she's one of them. Not surprising, since she's so powerful." She said, as she walked up to the door. Principium stood on a higher ground than the other two castles and even other than the rest of Katafaeg. We'd climbed up a path to get here, and now, I noticed how it was surrounded by trees.

Winter held her hand to the door, and it glowed. Her hand let out a light peach colored aura, and the door swung open. I was still getting used to the magic being used around me, but Winter walked ahead, leaving me with no choice but to walk along with her.

We hadn't gone a few feet when a voice greeted us.

"Oi!"

I looked to see AJ walk up to us, her hair matted to her forehead in sweat. She was panting. "Been practicing, have we?" Winter laughed. AJ turned to me. "Are we giving Knox a tour? How come I wasn't invited?" She clutched her chest, pretending to be hurt.

"Perhaps because you were stuffing your face with food when we talked about it." Winter suggested. AJ shrugged, already having been distracted. "So, Knox, whaddya think of Katafaeg so far, huh?" She asked.

"It's... sorcery-esque." I fumbled. AJ stared at me blankly for a moment before laughing. "Either that's the effect of seeing Katafaeg, or this guy just met Adalyn Hendricks. Or, judging by the way he mastered the words, probably both."

"What were you doing here?" I asked, anxious to change the topic. She shrugged. "Eating, and well, practicing. But mostly eating." She answered.

"Practicing what?" I asked. Winter cut in. "Knox, that's a discussion for later on. We'll give you your first lesson tomorrow, and that's when we'll tell you about this. Now's the time to meet the elders. It's customary that the Newbies meet the Elders first." She said.

"Gods, please stop calling me Newbie." I cringed at the name.

"What would you prefer? Greenie?" She asked. I gaped at her at the obvious reference. She shrugged. "I read books too, you know." She answered.

"Well, since we're going to meet the Elders, I'll come with you. I'm getting bored as it is, and the Elders' hall has some fine food." She remarked.

"AJ, do you ever stop thinking about food?" Winter asked. AJ tapped her chin, pretending to think about it, before shaking her head in all seriousness. I couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped my lips.

Winter led us forward, down a long corridor. The hallway was tall enough to be easily four times my height, and was lit with modern day lighting and chandeliers. I'd expected torches, but this must've been what Winter had mean when she'd said they had changed everything to fit their needs.

I didn't know what to expect of the Elders, as we stopped in front of a large door. Winter did her thing again, holding her hand against the door. I was about to ask her if that was safe, when the door slid open sideways. Wow, okay, so everything save the basic structure here was modern and up-to-date. Seemed convenient.

The room we found ourselves in seemed... homely. That was the only word I could use to describe it. I'd figured we'd be standing in something like the Olympian's hall from the Percy Jackson books, but this place seemed nothing too extravagant. There were couches all around the floor. The room had enough space to hold an entire skating rink, but the ceiling wasn't as high as the hallway. The lighting here seemed like the normal lighting we had in our apartment, and the wallpaper and furniture reminded me of the way I imagined my grandparents' house to be. The fireplace cackled.

I found myself in... an apartment?

Well, it looked like one. We seemed to be in one room, while there were doorways leading to other rooms, separated from ours with curtains. Why struck me was the normalcy of the place. It seemed like the homely apartment of an elderly person. I had expected nothing less than grand hall, but this reminded my of my grandma's place, even to he smell of freshly baked cookies. The place wasn't extravagant, but had an undeniable warmth and feeling of home to it. It was large though, floor space wise. This room alone was the area of the top floor of our house, but the ceiling was of a Normal height.

Before I could do anything, AJ rushed forward. A person stood at the wall to my right, probably pouring himself a glass of water judging by the pitcher and the glasses. AJ didn't hesitate for a moment before launching herself onto the back of the said person, and wrapping her arms around his (I assumed it was a 'he') neck.

Laughter erupted from the two of them as the guy swung her around, then dropped her to the floor. AJ ran back to us, grinning, tailed by the guy.

At first, I didn't really know what to say. I mean, this guy... he couldn't have been more than nineteen or twenty. He had dark hair, brushed into messy but fashionable spikes, along with grey eyes, a lot like AJ's. His eyes, similar to hers, held a mischievous sparkle. He had pale skin and pale pink lips, but was built tall and athletic, like a dancer. He had childish but good looking features, and stood almost an inch taller than me.

"Is this the new guy?" The boy asked. I smiled and nodded, holding out a hand. "Knox. Knox Eringarde." I introduced myself. The guy chuckled. "Oh we know about you, Knox. You're quite the topic of discussion here." He said, shaking my hand.

"My name's Kayden Blackford."

"Blackford, like..." I looked at AJ, who seemed to have lost interest in the conversation again, and was picking at the tablecloth of the lampstand beside us, with what seemed to be a pocket knife. "Yeah, like AJ. She's my baby sister." He grinned. That caught AJ's attention. She looked up, offended.

"Don't call me your baby sister Kayden. I'm sixteen and you're nineteen. That's a three year difference." She huffed. Kayden shrugged. "That may be, but you act like a two-year old." He stated. AJ paused for a moment before smirking.

"A two-year old who put the shaving cream in your toothpaste tube."

Kayden cringed. "Fine, whatever." He smiled and turned back to us, as AJ went back to... whatever it was she was doing. The girl probably had an extreme case of ADHD.

"Well, since you are here, why don't you meet the others? Sorry, they probably haven't paid us any attention yet. They're uh..." he trailed off. "let's just say they're preoccupied. Shall we?" He started walking ahead of us, as we followed behind.

"I thought you said they were elder than us? I actually imagined elder people, not teenagers." I whispered to Winter.

"No no, most of them are elder. Kayden's the youngest of them all. He was recently made one, since he proved himself worthy. He's more powerful than you think, Knox, despite his age." She explained. I nodded, and kept following Kayden. I looked back to see AJ behind us, seeming fascinated with twirling a pipecleaner around one equiptment in her pocket knife. I decided to let her be. We walked through one of the doorways, to find ourselves in probably the most homely room of all.

It struck me as something that would be the perfect setting for the living room of an old couple. The firm but comfy-looking sofas. The fireplace burning, and the mantelpiece above, along with the carpet and the wallpaper, which seeme to be out of the books. But my attention was drawn to the people sitting on the couches.

There seemed to be ten or eleven of them, all elder than us. They had on normal clothes, unlike what I had expected. They were from a young man who seemed in his late twenties, to an old woman who could've been a million years old. I didn't know what I had expected, but it wasn't this. They looked so... normal. I had been expecting to see regal-looking people who looked like medieval kings, wearing robes and tons of jewellery. But these people could've passed off as a normal family simply having a get together.

One of the ladies got up and hugged AJ, who seemed smothered in the embrace and taken by surprise. "Ribs..." she squeaked out. The lady pulled away from her and chuckled. "Sorry, it's not every day now that I see my daughter." She said, ruffling AJ's hair.

I could see the resemblance. She had AJ's blonde hair, and Kayden's sharp features. She was beautiful now, and was probably stunning as a teenager. She seemed to be in her early forties, and wore a simply flowery dress. Her hair had been tied into a messy bun, but she still seemed in control and firm. She turned towards Winter and I.

"Ah, Winter, welcome. And this must be Knox, eh?" She ruffled my hair. Her resemblance to my own mother was striking, and I felt a pang of hurt at remembering home. I decided to shove it down, and nodded. "I'm Danielle. Call me Danny." She said.

Someone ahead of us cleared their throat and Danny rolled her eyes. "Yes, alright, Alex." She leaned into my ear. "Forgive my husband and the rest of them. Always big on business." She whispered playfully. I smiled at the sheer warmth that radiated off of her.

Was the entire Blackford family a part of the elders? It wasn't a wonder Kayden had joined so young; there was no doubt he was powerful if both his parents were Elders. Danielle backed away from us, and I faced the Elders. Winter bowed, while AJ simply gave them a grin and a two-fingered salute. Winter glanced at her with a glare, but she didn't seem to think much of it. Not knowing what to do, I just smiled.

One of them sat up straight in his couch and looked at the others. They got up from their places, save one other guy, and left after giving me small smiles of their own. The old lady even pinched my cheek, at which Winter let out a small giggle. I glanced at the guy who had given the order. He was probably the leader, and with good cause. He radiated an aura of pure power. He seemed to be middle aged, with grey hair and a clean shaven face, but that didn't stop him from looking in-charge. He had the stance of a leader, with broad shoulders and a fit frame, even at his age. He had dark brown eyes which held more wisdom than I could see, and coffee-bean brown skin. He wore a grey jacket over a light blue shirt, with beige trousers, but he managed to make that look leaderlike and intimidating. Until he smiled, that is. Then he looked like a regular warm natured guy.

The other man sitting beside the leader guy was obviously Alex, AJ's father. He had their eyes and the same crinkles beside his eyes when he smiled at me. He didn't radiate power like the other man, but he put a twist of strength to the normal Dad look.

The elder man got up from his seat and walked over to me. His smile showed his pearl white teeth as he grasped my hand and shook it firmly. "Ah, Knox Eringarde. You look younger than I expected." He greeted me. Fantastic, I just needed to be reminded of my baby-face. He laughed at my expression heartily. "No worries, Kayden here looked like a five year old for most of his life." He amended. I looked over at Kayden, who grinned and shrugged.

"The name's Dimitri. Dimitri Lockhart." He said, patting my shoulder. I nodded at him. "You seem like the leader of this place." I blurted out without thinking. Lockhart just laughed.

"I wouldn't call myself the leader, boy. I'm just the most senior, after old lady Marcella there. But she wasn't eager to take the position of Head Elder, so it fell on me." He explained.

"Lockhart, Lady Adalyn said you were talking about Knox. Kayden said the same thing. Can we... know the reason?" Winter asked tentatively, as though unsure whether or not she should be speaking in front of these people. Lockhart just looked at her, with a more serious expression crossing his face. It disappeared uder the playful twinkle in his eye though.

"Ah, you met Adalyn, did you?" He asked me. I nodded wistfully, remembering the stunning lady I had met earlier. "Yes, you young boys always get that expression when we talk about her. Oh, who'm I kidding, even the older boys get the same expression." He smirked at me and I could feel. My cheeks turn red.

"But yes, she was right. And so was Kayden. We were indeed talking about you." He said, peaking my interest. "You see, Knox, as I'm sure Winter here must've told You, the Ischaryae are hunting us. However, you and your sister couldn't have been identified by our boy Parker, which troubles us, because the Ischaryae boy, Bryan knew exactly who you were." He continued, "Also, there's no reason for Bryan to come after you. And none at all to want to take one of you alive. You hadn't done any magic, and capturing Audaynes is not the way Ischaryae do things."

The memory from earlier tugged at the back of my mind, but I stayed annoyingly out of reach. I focused on Lockhart's words. "So... did I do something wrong?" I asked, dreading the answer. Lockhart smiled.

"No, my boy. We just need to fight out how and what to do now. The Ischaryae have increased their attacks, and we've lost a valuable sorcerer." He said, referring to Parker. I resisted the urge of looking at Winter.

"But that's none of your concern. Leave that to us Elders. Now, all you have to do is train. Train here well, Knox. Katafaeg for many, is more than shelter and training. It's home." He concluded.

I could feel all eyes on me. Usually I didn't like being the centre of attention, but these people didn't make me feel uncomfortable. I opened my mouth to say something, but froze.

Because just then an ear-splitting scream rang from outside.

A scream which sounded a lot like Dakota's.
~. ~. ~. ~. ~
A/N: Hee hee. I really love them cliffies.

So, here was the intro!!! What did you think of it? I tried revealing as much as possible here, but more will be revealed as the story goes on. After all, even our protagonists need to process the info yes?

The first picture is a vague idea of Katafaeg. Obviously Katafaeg is MUCH bigger than that, and the central castles are larger, and there are houses behind the castles. But this is to give you guys a vague idea. The second picture is of Principium. It's a lot like that, how I pictured it, and hopefully it helped you picture it too. :)

What did you think of the intro? What of Katafaeg and the elders? Any suggestions?

I know I'm not an amazing author,, so any and every suggestion is welcome. I would love to hear from you, really. Do let me know what you thought!

Vote, comment and all that nice stuff if you feel my story deserves it! Even by just reading you make me happy, really. :")

Oh and I do NOT own the pictures. They belong to their rightful owners. I only own the story.

Until next time then,
Wizard.