The wind suddenly became sharper on the edge of the rock.

"What do you mean by a box?" Ferry asked.

Raghnall's gaze remained fixed on the abyss in front of them where the starlight did not reach. It was as if he was looking for the answer there.

"It's a punishment," he said in a low, trembling voice. "They lock you in a stone box depending on how serious the deed you committed was ..."

Ferry couldn't believe it. "They lock you in a box? But that's barbaric. "

Ragnall did not answer. Ferry stepped closer to him. "What did you do so badly that they had to lock you in a box?"

"It was stupid. I was just a child. A stupid bet... It was Stöt, Leomh's right hand. I lost the bet and he told me to go to Lord Stephan's floor. He made me bring him something from there ... "

"What?"

"An object to prove I was there."

"What kind of object?"

"An object from the human world."

Ferry was getting more and more confused. "Why would Lord Stephan keep objects from the human world?"

Raghnall shrugged. "I don't know... I think he collects them. Or at least that is what they say in the fortress ..."

"And what did you take?" Ferry asked.

"That's exactly it. I didn't find anything. He probably keeps them hidden. But somehow, he found out I was there, even though he was gone on his wanderings. There was probably some special magic to know every time someone entered his rooms when he was away ... "

Ferry shuddered. "How long did you have to stay inside the box?"

Ragh didn't raise his eyes. He swallowed hard. "Not much. While the others rested. A few hours in the human world. But-- It was like I was buried alive," he said, shivering. "Without the light, we are dead in this world. We are made of light. We breathe light. Without it, it's like dying... It's like your whole life flows before your eyes, and you cling to every bit, thinking that maybe somehow, that will save you. But salvation does not come... You would stay there, consumed alive by the darkness, wanting everything to end... " 

Ferry slowly put his hand on his shoulder and Ragnall finally looked at him. "You don't have to be afraid, Ragh. As long as I'm here, no one will be locked in the darkroom. "

The young elf smiled at him. He stopped shivering. "Thank you, Prince Garrett," he said.

"Call me Ferry. My friends call me Ferry," he gently said.

Raghnall's frightened eyes glittered again. "We are friends now?" he asked.

Ferry smiled. "Yes, Ragh. We're friends now. "

***

The first lesson with Raghnall paid off the very next training session. Ferry was bolder, more self-controlled, and more focused on his movements. And, for the first time, he managed to defeat one of the Amalghams soldiers in the sword fight. One thing saddened him, though -- Matilda didn't show up for training. And neither did Sage.

After training, Ferry avoided lingering around the stables for fear of running into Oona. He would not know what to do or say after what had happened between them. It was hard for him to call what happened a kiss because, in his mind, a kiss, a real kiss meant two people had to take part in it. And he'd only been a tool she had practiced her kisses on. Her sweet, breathtaking kisses...

 Ferry quickly dismissed the thought because, every time he thought of her kisses, so passionate, but somehow calculated and daring, he felt a slight flutter in his stomach that he did not know, nor want to describe. So it was better to pretend nothing had happened.

And yet Ferry spent his time after training sneaking around the castle walls and exploring the darker, less walked sides of the place, where he suspected Oona's bright, exuberant presence would not be present.

Ferry went around the imposing Cloud Castle that occupied almost the entire top of the mountain. He discovered behind the northern walls, where the star's light barely crept in, a courtyard guarded by tall columns and elaborate arches that allowed the starlight and shadow to form a complicated pattern on the stone slabs. Ferry sat on a bench made of river stones that had taken on a dark tinge from the layers of lichens that had formed over time. It was quiet. And he thought he needed a place only for himself to breathe and clear his mind, as Ragh or Oona had found. A place where no one would bother him where he could be alone with his thoughts.

As he was contemplating the new, secluded place, a small figure passed him like an arrow released as if by a deft archer. Giggling followed the figure who flew to the tall bushes behind the arches. A child.

Ferry rose slowly and headed for the tall, still-shaking shrubs, disturbed by the little lure that had passed over them. He flew a few feet above the bushes of wild berries that surrounded a small yard lined with moss. Among the branches, small fruits shone bright, red and purple, scattered like beads between dark-green leaves. Rosehips, cranberries, and blackberries.

The child was squatting with his back to Ferry, eating the juicy fruit. There could be only one child in that place. Finn.

Ferry spoke his name. The boy winced and turned slightly to him. His mouth was stained with the sweet, sticky juice dripping from his fingers.

He smiled at him with purple fruit-stained teeth. "Ferry!"

"What are you doing here?" Ferry asked, examining him. Finn had changed. He hadn't seen him since they arrived at the Cloud Fortress. His shiny, chestnut-colored hair, like Matilda's, had grown over his shoulders. He had grown up and he no longer looked like a poor child that everyone laughed at in Goodharts.

"I found this place," he said seriously, "that everyone forgot about. It's full of delicious berries, "he added, and Ferry noticed that he spoke perfectly, not like in Goodharts when he could barely mutter a few words few could understand.

"Matt says to be careful where I walk," he continued, "that this place is full of dangers and people we don't know," he said, picking a few more fruits and throwing them into his mouth one by one. "But I like it here. I like it here more than at home, even though they don't have chocolate here ... "

Ferry listened to him talking about all and nothing and swallowing the fruits in large gulps. A thought crossed his mind -- Finn must have shared the same room with his sister. Under no circumstances would Matilda have let him sleep anywhere else. "Listen, Finn, could you tell me where you live in the castle. I could get you some berries. I know a few places in the area where they grow bigger and juicier than these here. "

Finn stopped chewing and turned to him, examining him with his dark eyes. "I wish I could tell you, Ferry. I really wish. But Sage said not to tell you even if you beg me. Because you are the master here. And a master should not visit a humble place like the one we live in now ... "

Ferry clenched his jaw and forced himself not to swear beneath his breath. Of course! He should have known Sage stuck his tail in this. That dog!

"I could get chocolate for you," Ferry said, forcing a smile. "I'm sure I brought a tablet from home with me."

Finn's eyes twinkled. "Chocolate and cookies?" he asked. "I would really like a cookie, thank you very much. They have no sugar here. And all the cookies here taste like sand. "

Ferry laughed. "Good. Chocolate and cookies if you tell me where you live. Deal?" he asked, stretching out his hand to him.

Finn squeezed it and Ferry marveled at the power in his small hand. "Deal," he said. "Now be careful! I'll draw you a map," he said, picking some fruits and coming out of the bushes. On the stone slabs he drew a map with the help of fruits. Ferry watched the tunnels and labyrinths grow under his little fingers. So that's where he lived. Where Matilda lived. In the depths of the mountain.

***

Ferry waited until all the sounds stopped in the castle. Only the birds shouted their song somewhere above, in the distance. He easily got up from the bed, wrapped himself in his blue cape, and looked in the mirror of water from the basin dug in the stone. His hair had grown faster than it grew in Goodharts.He tied it with a leather lace at the back of his neck and smoothed it with his palm so that it wouldn't look wild as it usually did. He then polished his boots, even if someone else had made it for him, and put on clean clothes. He wanted to look good for her.

He covered his forehead with the cloak's hood and wanted to go out the window. But just before he did, he saw his mother's patched blanket, carefully folded at the edge of his stone bed. He took it with him and flew out the window.

He was careful not to be seen. He flew over the heads of several guards and reached the entrance at the far back of the castle that led to the chambers below. He knew that many of those who worked for the good organization of the castle lived there. In order to complete its mission, the Cloud Fortress had to offer everything to its occupants: a place to eat and sleep. So, dug deep into the depths of the mountain, there were rooms and halls that housed not only soldiers but also cooks, gardeners, stable keepers, gunsmiths and so many others who made the Cloud Fortress function as an impressive settlement.

Ferry went inside the tunnel leading to the lower chambers. He could feel a thousand wings flutter in his stomach, turning ever more restless with every step he took. He was greeted by a faint smell of smoke that grew as he advanced. The smell reminded him of the Fires of the Hills, of the gray fogs rising to the air, wavy shadows finding their way to each other somewhere far away, away from the eyes of mortals. He knew that there was no human fire in Akna, but it was not entirely forbidden either.

He followed the map Finn had shown him and snuck through tunnels and caves that, in the light of the blue torches tucked into the cold walls, made the winding road ahead looked like a maze. Without the white light he had become accustomed to, he felt he was short of air.

He finally reached a wooden door from under a warm light shone. He could breath easily, but the wings in his stomach fluttered some more and he felt his feet disobeying him. He gathered the courage to knock on the door.

"Come in," said her voice he'd be missing so.

When Matilda caught sight of him, Ferry saw the astonishment, but also the joy in her eyes.

"Ferry, what are you doing here?" she whispered, frowning. She wore a long, thin linen blouse over thick trousers that formed a strange contrast to her thin, delicate body. Rebel strands of her chestnut-colored hair, caught in a braided tail, came loose and fell on her forehead and neck.

"I came to see you," he said and smiled at her with all his heart and soul so that he felt his jaw ache from such a wide smile. " I didn't see you at the last training. Finn told me where you were staying."

"I'm training during the rest of the day. Sage said it is best not to interfere with Leomh and his followers. They could be a bit... too zelous. But I would so love to teach them a lesson. To show them humans can fight, too..."

Ferry hated to agree, but Sage was right this time. He didn't say it, though. He studied the room they were in. Although it was somewhere in the belly of the mountain, the room was comfortable and warm. A jolly fire danced in the fireplace. A bright red fire that spread the smell of resin -- humans' fire. The furniture, although small, was made of carved wood. A bed, from which snorted a small figure, crouched under a thick blanket. An armchair on which rested a voluminous pillow, woven in bright colors. And a large, thick woolen rug that covered almost the entire floor, softening the cold, damp hardness of the stone.

Matilda's frown disappeared and, no matter how hard she tried to look serious, a smile appeared in the corner of her mouth and her eyes let him know she was glad to see him, too.

"What's with the cloak," she asked. "Doesn't that stop you from flying?"

Ferry laughed. "It does. But I'm making quite an entrance, aren't I? " he said, slowly rising in flight above the floor and then descending in front of her so that the satin folds of his enourmous cape fluttered.

Matilda burst out laughing. Then she covered her mouth with her hands, for fear that her laughter might expose his presence there. They were so close now, Ferry could see the freckles on her face glittering in the soft light of the candles burning in the corners of the room.

"You've changed," she said, looking at him intently as he flustered under her gaze.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You look different, somehow... You look taller, and your hair is longer... It seems to suit you here."

"I have little choice. Doesn't it suit you here? "

She looked away. "I'm trying to like it... I mean, I don't have many friends, and sometimes I look invisible to the people here... But that's not why I came here. It's just tha-- Sometimes it's hard for me. And then, there's this cold, "she said, wrapping her hands around her body. "I mean, Sage tried to make the room as comfortable as possible for us. To look like home. He even made a real fire, which really burns and warms. But somehow... It's always so cold here... I'm always so cold, "she said, trembling.

Ferry wanted to ask how often Sage visited her  and if they were ever alone in her room. But he refrained from fear of disturbing that complicit and intimate silence which settled between them as if something important were about to happen. Instead, he took his mother's blanket from the sack he had brought with him and put it on her shoulders. "There... That will make you feel warmer."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "Ferry, you don't have to do this! I shouldn't accept it. It's from your mother. "

"I want you to have it," he said softly. "You need it more than I do."

She smiled at him, wrapping herself better in the blanket. She stretched out her hand to his cheek as if she wanted to touch him, but then stopped. Ferry slowly took her hand and pressed it against his cheek, pulling her closer. She looked up at him. She seemed to him the most beautiful in the world in that pale light, her hair caught in a braided tail and her eyes slightly crossed because their faces were so close to each other. 

A sigh came from the bed n the corner, and the space between them grew a bit, but large enough to keep them away from each other. Finn turned to the other side, a wide smile on his face.

"Even Finn seems to like it here," Matilda said. "He speaks better, he's friendlier and he doesn't look so clumsy anymore," she added, looking fondly at the little boy between the sheets. Although she always complained about Finn's annoyance, Ferry knew Matilda loved her brother with all her heart.

"What about you?" she asked. "How do you feel? I heard you're making progress in training."

Ferry shrugged. "I can't quite tell. Ragh helps me with that. "

"Ragh is a good boy," said Matilda. "A little shy, but good."

"Yes, he is. But don't tell anyone about my training with Ragh. It's a secret. And I don't think Lord Stephan would agree."

Matilda shook her head. "I don't understand why so many rules. You are not allowed to fly because you can get hurt. You are not allowed to go through the walls because they are so old and so populated that you could become one with them. You are not allowed to become invisible because you are considered a spy ... "

"I know," said Ferry, "I could use my magical powers more in the human world than I use them here. That's not how I imagined my life would be here ... "

"How did you imagine it would be?" she asked softly.

"I don't know... I thought I would become a true warrior... Or that I could spend more time with my friends ..."

"You mean Oona?" Matilda asked so quickly that Ferry thought she might have found out. He shuddered at her question.

"What is it, Ferry?" she asked. "You look a little pale. Paleer than usual, I mean. "

"Nothing ..." he stammered. "I don't really know what Oona has been doing lately. I haven't seen her in a long time ... " he lied.

"Hmmm, I would have expected her to be around you more," Matilda said, looking at him suspiciously.

Ferry took a step back to escape her gaze. It was a shame to ruin such a beautiful evening.

"I should go," he said, "I'll meet Lord Stephan tomorrow. He doesn't like me to be late. "

He wasn't lying. Raghnall told him before the rest that Lord Stephan had asked to see him. 

Yet Ferry would have stayed a bit longer if she hadn't studied him so much with such suspicious . She was a smart girl. And she knew him too well.

"Of course," Matilda replied without moving.

Ferry got lost in her deep eyes for a few moments. Then he smiled and wanted to leave.

"Can I see you again? Soon?" he asked before the door closed.

She couldn't help but smile, and in the dim candlelight, Ferry thought she was blushing. "I'll be waiting for you..."

***

Ferry set off for Lord Stephan's cloudy rooms as soon as he woke up. He felt like he was flying without even having to fly. He was no longer bothered by the long road, the strong wind from up there, or the gray clouds that surrounded the top of the castle.

He arrived faster than he would have expected in front of the long corridor leading to Lord Stephan's imposing rooms. The wind hissed through the columns and cracks, bringing whispers to his ears as they hit the old rock and melted into it. He knocked hard on the oak door of the Lord's main chamber, but received no answer. He then pushed open the door and went in.

He was greeted by a drift of cold air, sharper than the vortexes on the spiral stairs that had taken him there. There was no one in the room. Ferry wondered whether to sit on one of the stone chairs at the center table. 

Instead, he stepped closer to the huge fireplace where blue tongues danced. He stared at the wild dance of the flames waving and weaving in front of him.

"There's something hypnotic about the fairy fire, don't you think?" Pan's thundering voice made him shudder. Lord Stephan had appeared beside him without him even realizing it.

He nodded quickly, intimidated by his presence.

"Follow me!" he told him, leading the way with rhythmic steps, leaning on his crane. The echoes of the hooves resounded on the long corridor, like a steady rhythm accompaning the wind.

They crossed winding corridors which eventually led them to a gigantic room that lacked an entire wall. It was the highest hall of the castle. Somehow, the bg room looked like a scene whose only spectator was the wild nature that had infiltrated inside through the missing wall. Beneath them stretched the abyss, masked by the thick fog like a flock that could only form at such heights.

The vegetation had penetrated inside and along the walls lined with moss and lichens, the trees stretched out their long arms and clung to the rock as if in a hug.

"In today's lesson, we'll see how strong the magic lies in you," Pan's voice roared, making the raging wind around sound more like a whisper. "I told you you have to train your mind so that your body does what the mind commands."

And with his hands folded, he began to make something invisible, as if he was shaping the air. Soon, black, dense smoke began to ooze from his fingers. The ball of smoke grew until it was the size of a chariot's wheel, pulsing in the middle of the room.

"Now," said the Lord, "scatter the smoke with the magic within you!"

Ferry's heart began to beat faster. The strong winds from above enveloped his cloak and brought long strands of hair into his eyes, preventing him from seeing. He reached out and focused on the huge black ball that was shivering but not moving.

He looked at Lord Stephan and saw the clouds gather in his beastly eyes. He closed his eyes and thought about the smoke spread around him. Then, out of nowhere, a memory entered his mind. He had done this before. A long time ago, in the human world, when he had to save himself and save Billy Pride and his father from the fire. The memory seemed so old that Ferry couldn't tell if it really had happened or if he had just imagined it. The human world was moving further and further away from him, and his memories were fading. He opened his eyes, raised his hand, and the ball of smoke scattered in front of them like soot shaken from a burned cauldron.

Lord Stephan frowned. He walked to one of the walls of the room and rolled a log with difficulty in front of Ferry. "Let's see," he said through gasps, "can you lift this log only with the power of your mind?"

Ferry closed his eyes again. Now, he was somewhere else -- Matilda's garden. He was juggling some apples under her eyes as Finn laughed. When the memory faded again, the log was already suspended in the air under Pan's astonished eyes.

"Now put it down!" he ordered.

Ferry fixed his gaze on the log, and the log rested on the stone slabs covered with moss, as if it had a will of its own.

Ferry controlled his breathing and his heartbeats. He didn't think he would succeed so easily. A ray of light pierced the clouds, pouring like an arrow on the branches of the trees inside. Along with it, a colorful bird, no bigger than his fist, penetrated inside, filling the room with the echo of his cheerful chirp.

"Very well," the Pan's voice echoed. "Now let's try something new," he said, looking around. "That bird!" he said, pointing to the little creature flying around. "You see it?"

Ferry nodded slowly.

"I want you to catch it. Then take its breath away. Only with the magic in you, "he said calmly.

Ferry thought he didn't hear well. "You-- you want me to kill the bird, my lord?"

"Exactly," he said dryly.

Ferry shook his head. "No... I can't. I could never ..."

"What do you mean you can't?" Pan asked, but Ferry was already reading the irritation in his voice.

Ferry stared at him. "I could never hurt an innocent being," he said loud and clear.

The Pan darted at him without haste. Ferry was trying to keep his head up, but he felt a lump in his throat when he saw him so close.

"What if it was the enemy instead?" What if your mother's killer was in front of you? " he said through clenched teeth.

Ferry shook his head. "I won't do it! It's just a poor innocent bird! " he shouted, praying that the bird would leave that place sooner.

The Pan rushed at him and with a sudden move, he grabbed his shirt and slammed him against the cold wall. "I knew it," his hoarse voice hissed in Ferry's ear. "You're a poor, weak creature! A coward! Just like the humans you grew up with! "

Then he let go of him in disgust and with a quick gesture, smashed the little bird. A few shiny feathers gleamed in the light of the beam, floating in the air for a while. Then they were taken by a gust of wind away.

Ferry could barely breathe. He felt sick. He got up from the wall where Lord Stephan had slammed him and ran out of that cold room where every second was torture.

"You can run as fast as you want, Prince Garett!" he heard the Pan's voice roaring behind him. "This way, you will never become the leader of Akna. You hear me? Never!"

But Ferry kept on running. He ran up the winding stairs, hitting the angular walls that scratched his flesh and fell down the steep stairs. But he did not stop from running. He could still feel Pan's presence, overwhelming and suffocating him, and the wind itself became his enemy, pushing and injuring him. But he was running, running all the time, even if he felt the frozen air penetrate his lungs, cutting his breath.

He stopped only when he collided with someone, somewhere far from the castle. He fell to the ground, barely breathing. He felt a heavy but gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Garrett, were are you running to? What happened?"

Ferry recognized the voice and looked up. The Amalgham in front of him had charcoal-like eyes and raven-black hair. He was wrapped in a black cloak as black as a starless night. But Ferry  could only feel the light and warmth coming from him.

Hey there, Ferrals, new and old! It's so nice to have you here! What do you think about this chapter? What do you think it's Lord Stephan's end game? Can't wait to hear your amazing theories. As always, love lots!