"I'll be back for him before dinner time. I expect you will be able to control him," Joas said, and walked out of the room. Christopher's gaze followed him until the yellow door closed behind him.

The old man was combing his bushy, grey beard with his long fingers. Christopher smirked, as he took in Maisters' appearance once more; he had a hunched back - as if the necklace was weighing him down, his hands and face wrinkled, and bony - he was clearly younger and stronger. Christopher tried to take a step toward the man but found that he couldn't move his legs. He tried once more, nothing.

He stared at the seemingly harmless old man. "You are doing this?"

"Yes. Would you like to learn how?"

"Can you teach me how to visit my family in their dreams?"

"I most certainly can." Maister replied, and walked slowly to take his seat back at the desk. Christopher took in a deep breath, and then another, each inhale bringing himself closer to calming his nerves. Life had taught him that he was at his best when he didn't let passion overrule his mind. 

He watched as Maister was now fixing his burgundy rope, then he took to rearranging his necklace. This man was irritating him. Christopher focused on the forest green curtain that framed the window behind the old man in his effort to remain in control. He waited for five minutes before he addressed Maister once again.

"Will you teach me?"

"In time. Now you must learn to manipulate your bond to the elements. Fetch me the black book at the top of the shelf please."

Christopher looked around the shelves where there was at least one black book at the top of each shelf. "Which shelf?" he asked.

Maister took his eyes off of whatever he was reading, and glanced at the shelves. "Not sure which one, you might as well bring me all of them."

Christopher looked around for a ladder but found none. He scratched his head, perhaps he could fly up there. He closed his eyes and thought of himself flying.

"Don't even think about it," Maister warned him.

"And how do you propose I get up there?"

"You don't get up there; the books need to get down here. Now, for that to happen you must control the air element. You must focus and feel. Create in your mind an imaginary ladder for the book to descent, like so."

Christopher watched as a gold, leather bound book from the top left hand shelf  levitated into the air; it's pages gently opened as it descended, the dust particles detached from the inside of the book and floated about in the air, like dandelion seed blown away in a light breeze. Steadily the book landed in Christophers' hands. 

Looks easy enough he thought, and tried to copy Maister's example. He wasn't successful the first time, or the second time for that matter.

"Close your eyes and feel the air element," Maister advised.

He nodded and did as he was told. Christopher was in awe that even though his eyes were closed, he could sense the shadows, the edges, the shapes. Bit by bit, a black and white picture of all that surrounded him was forming in his mind. The book crowded walls, Maister's writing desk, the olive tree in the corner. Breathing deeply he searched closer with his eyes closed. The images were now becoming clearer, sharper. Another deep breath, and he begun to manipulate the air element to his will.

He was intrigued how Maister's mind could move a book around, and now he realized how it was done. He focused for a final time, and with a gesture of his hand tried to get the book down. A loud noise echoed in the room. Slowly and hesitantly he opened his eyes, Christopher saw what he had accomplished; all the books from the left wall were a big messy pile on the floor.

Maister chuckled. "At least now you can practice how to put everything back on the shelf using the air element."

It would surely take him more than a day to place all the books back on the shelves. Christopher practiced for what seemed like an eternity to him, but the closest he got was lifting a book about one meter off the ground. He was not a quitter; if this man believed in him then he would try over and over again until he succeeded. Finally, after two hours of trying he managed to put one book back on the shelf.

Maister rose from behind his desk and gestured to him towards the two sofas located in the right hand corner. Christopher got up and sat across the wise man.

"You are now part of the Cloud Kingdom. We are the souls of our earthly lives. Some of us got to live many years on earth and others not even a second before they ascended. For centuries, we lived in peace and managed to collect all souls that ascended. The powers we have are in full force during the summer solstice and at their weakest during the winter solstice." He looked Christopher in the eyes and continued. "There are people on earth that don't make it to Silyn."

"Why?" Christopher's heart skipped a beat.

"There are many reasons why. Some our scouts cannot find in time and are caught by the firerains. Some hide and do not know how to feed their souls and wither. Some are taken by the Gold army." Christopher was puzzled by what he was hearing but decided to keep quiet until Maister was finished. "As you know we can communicate with earthly people. They can reach us in their dreams. Some people are able to reach out to us and walk the grounds of the Cloud Kingdom several times during their earthly life. We call them Cloud dreamers, mostly children. There have been incidents were Cloud dreamers are used to convey messages to our loved ones on earth. As you practice and learn to control the elements you will be able to reach out to earth, but it is a very exhausting task that will drain you of your powers for a week."

"I don't care."

"Christopher, you must understand that you are very special to us. You are the One. According to the scriptures a soul that possesses both the qualities of a mage and a soldier comes about once in ten thousand years." The Maister stopped talking to give him time to take in what he just revealed to him.

Christopher was contemplating the information he had heard. He had ascended to this Cloud Kingdom, but not everything was as peaceful as it seemed within the Castle walls. "What is the Gold Army?"

"You shouldn't concern yourself with the Gold Army for now."

"Then why am I so important to you if it is not the Gold Army you wish to have me fight against?" Christopher pressed on, "is this not the reason that I am special to you?"

"No, not the most important one."

Why is everyone giving me half-answers, half-truths to the questions I ask!

He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes trying to control the surge of anger that threatened to drown him. He needed to get out of here, he needed to breathe some fresh air, he needed to think, he needed to find tranquillity. He opened his eyes and found himself in the midst of Castle Silyn sitting on a rock in the middle of a creek embraced by leafy bushes in its path.

"How did this happen," he muttered to himself. Christopher held his head in both of his hands. He sat there in silence.

◇◇◇◇

Iris was about to finish her training for the day. She took a last dive from the Castle walls, her wings were closed as she went through her routine of kicks, punches and sudden change of direction. As she approached the ground, it was time for her signature move. She gathered her legs took a spin, slightly opened her wings, her stoppers as she called them, and landed safely.

Iris always took the time to stretch out all her muscles including her wings at the end of her training. From the corner of her eye, she saw her brother coming towards her.

"Hi," he greeted her.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Fine, the magister healed me, but my ego is still bruised from the beating I took from the new guy. Add to this the fact that my baby sister had to carry me back to the castle," he said with a bitter smirk on his face.

Nestor was a very proud soul; Iris knew this since they were children. "You'll be fine," she teased.

"Yeah. You know the new guy managed to transfer himself on a rock in the middle of Silyn!"

Iris closed her eyes with a sigh. His powers were too strong for him to handle. "Maister?" She enquired.

"Took him about ten minutes to find him," he said, with amusement plastered all over his face.

"Guess you are not the only one with a bruised ego," she told him, as she took him by the arm and started walking towards the briefing room. He beamed at her.

Her Chief Commanders along with the Commanders of each legion had already seated themselves around the limestone, square table. Two seats remained to be filled. Hers at the top of the table, and her brothers next to Joas.

She had two Chief Commanders, one for the cloudsoldiers, Joas, and one for the magisters, Zanti or as he was known Maister. They each had three commanders under them that dealt with the training and readiness of the legions.

"Evening." Iris greeted them, as she took her place. She glanced around the room, satisfied that everyone was ready and waived at Nestor to begin.

"The matters to be discussed today are; the scouting missions, next week's mock battles for Cloudsoldiers and Magisters and lastly the new arrival," he informed them, as his eyes swept across the table. "The magisters have been able, during the last two days, to see more clearly and deeply into the shadows. I believe this is a side effect of the new arrival."

"That is not the case. The magisters are simply becoming better at their craft," Madelin rudely interrupted.

"With the winter solstice just around the corner?" Nestor countered, with a smirk on his face.

"...So?" she insisted.

She was the most stubborn magister he had ever come across the last century. Nestor paused; he would not fall into her trap and start a screaming match. They all knew what was happening here even if they didn't accept it. "The scout missions have been more effective the last two days," he said, ignoring Madelin on purpose.

"Is everyone in agreement that the mock battles will begin in three days?"

"Aye," everyone said in unison.

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