The night of the festival ended silently and still, but the coming morning began in the dark. The dark which wasn't of the color of the sky, but the shying away of a flimsy shack hidden away in a forest.
There was but a single ray of light that struck through the ceiling, uncovering the mysteries that lied within. Three woman, and a cloaked man, all standing a fair distance apart from each other in the distilled silence of the room. A squirrel from outside wondered too close in search of nuts, and was frightened by the scuffling of feet. The woman were coming closer together, leaving the man secluded on one side of the room.
"Speak already, I don't got all day!" Yelled one of the woman, a noticeably more fat one. "I can- not believe...Owiya is making us work with you back water rats!"
One of the woman, a taller one out of the bunch stepped forward. "You'd better listen to her, our time is quite valuable y'see?" She said as she unsheathed a crooked wand.
The shortest of them croaked. "Ivan struck us a good deal, one we can't refuse, but keeping you alive isn't apart of it. Get what I'm saying?"
"Interesting." The man said, clearly unprovoked by their taunts. "You seem to be under the impression that you witches pose a threat to me. I'll ignore your childish provocations, and lay out the plan we agreed to."
The fat witch yelled. "Childish provocations?!"
"Now now, I understand you have no manners but now is not the time to fight amongst each other. For the time being we are working together to take down the kingdom of Arosa, and should get along...don't you agree?" He said.
"Alaka-" She started to shout as she twirled her wand, but was stopped by another.
"Yes you're right, just for the time being..." The tall witch said as she smiled tightly.
"Excellent, so now I'll begin to go over the plans. Do not interrupt me again." He said, causing the other two witches to jump at him, but they were stopped by the other. "Here's the plan."
And so he went on to tell them this top secret mission that only they would be aware of. What was it? No one would know until later, but one thing was for sure. It wasn't good.
Further through the woods was a caravan of knights, some riding horses, and others not. They carried flags of a white base, and gold linen, in the middle was a burgundy rose. This was one variation of the Arosian flag, specifically for the expeditioners. It was an hour after dawn break, and they were making their way back to the kingdom.
"Sir kensai, in one more mile we should be able to see Arosa from the hill top." Yelled the leading knight.
Amongst the knights was one shabby looking man in strangly normal clothing. He was the one to respond to the message of the knight. "Good, i'm sick and tired of seeing trees everywhere." He said as he shook his alcoholic bottle to see if it was empty. "Hey and someone get me some more booze!"
"Someone get the captain more booze!" Yelled the leading knight.
The man then layed back on his horse, and put his grey beanie like hat over his face. "Wake me when the booze arrives." He said before he began to snooze.
The sound of the horses walking by became more apparent to those in the shack. "Wait stop stalking!" The fat witch squealed. "You hear that?" She said as she tilted her head.
The other two witches stopped babbling, and listened for the sound. Upon hearing the clacking horse steps they quickly wobbled to the front wall, and peaked threw the cracks.
"Knights of Arosa!" The short one said. "Shall we kill them? Ooo ooo I love a good o blood bath!"
"You know what they say, the more noble the blood, the stronger the sacrifice, and they look - O so noble." Said the tall one before her long tongue dropped from her mouth like a dog.
"Well you've heard the plan, i'll take my leave. Do whatever you like in the mean time, but let me tell you one thing. That man sleeping right there could quite easily kill that woman you guys follow. So precede with care, I wouldn't want our plan to go to waste." Said the man, before leaving through the back door.
The witches snorted, and growled in anger as they sat their quitely watching the knights ride along. Whether or not the man was telling the truth, they were not about to find out.
It was a dead morning in the kingdom. While others were operating secret meetings, mostly everyone else was sleeping. The festival last night kept most awake later than usual, and thus this was the result. The only ones unaffected were the guards, knights, merchants, and all others that kept the kingdom running smoothly.
Allan could not be included in that bunch. He especially was knocked out on his bed. Unmoving like a heavy rock stuck to the ground he was. Even with the sunlight overflowing his room he did not wake up. At this point he'd probably sleep through a disaster.
Nikolai and Asiya both sat against his bed room door, keeping each other occupied as they waited for him to wake up. "Throw it back already." Asiya said as she held out her pale white hands.
"No, you gotta guess what its gonna be first, that's the rule." Said Nikolai as he tossed a white metallic ball in his hand.
He turned his back to Asiya, and pushed his thumb down on a indented circle on the ball. A white light glowed from the inside of the ball's body, shining through square crevices enveloping it. Then the light slowly started to turn red, and the ball begun to shake uncontrollably like an eager teapot.
"Is it gonna to hurt? It's gonna hurt!" Asiya whined.
"Guess!" Nikolai shouted as he tried to cover the ball in between his hands, containing it.
"Ice ice ice!" She guessed randomly.
Nikolai quickly turned around and threw the ball to Asiya. It wasn't ice at all, in fact it was a blazing, charred, red ball of fire. She instantly receded her hands, and scurried back along the floor. All courage was lost once she noticed she had guessed wrong, and with no one to catch the ball of flames, it fell to the stone floor and exploded in a shockwave of fire. Around it's radius was now a scorched crater of about one meter.
"Oh my lord, you were suppose to catch it Idiot, you always do stuff like that." Nikolai said as he went to retrieve the ball. In a couple of seconds it reverted back to it's normal white, metallic self.
"And what would become of me? I dont wanna look like the floor." Asiya said.
"Then why did you agree to play, my god," Nikolai said before he tossed the ball to Asiya. "Here, it wouldn't have hurt you anyways."
Asiya unwillingly caught the ball.
"I guess darkness, now watch, click the ball." Nikolai said.
Asiya clicked the ball, and it started to glow again. The light started to become light blue this time, and frozen all over. Startled, Asiya randomly tossed the ball across the hall.
"Not again!" Nikolai said as he ran, and dove to catch it.
He guessed darkness, which the ball obviously wasn't. So when he caught the ball, the icy texture it had moved onto his hands, and traveled across his entire body. For a split second he looked like he had been frozen all over until the ice exited from his back, and bursted into glittering bits.
"See, harmless." He said as he got up. "As long as you actually guess something you won't feel any real pain."
"Oh...that looks fun... then let me try again." Asiya said cheerfully.
"Nah, we gotta get Allan up for the class." Nikolai said.
"Please...." Asiya whined again.
"Fine, but you're explaining to idiot why we're waking him up." Nikolai said before clicking the ball down.
"Sheesh fine, ummm fire?" Asiya guessed without much thought.
Nikolai laughed as he watched the ball glow a darker blue. Then it started to levitate in his palms, and surge with lightning. "Catch." He said as he threw it.
Asiya ran to catch the ball, and when she caught it she experienced the same effects that Nikolai had experienced a minute ago. Lightning traveled through her body, raising her hair into lightning spikes, and clapped while exiting through her back, then thunder shook. She stood there with her arms extended. "That was really cool, I felt the lightning but it didn't hurt." She said excitedly.
"Yea yea that's what i've been trying to tell ya, but come on." Nikolai said before walking to Allan's door.
"Oh right," Asiya said as she lifted her dress and ran over. "I guess I have to wake him up too?" She asked.
"Yup." Replied Nikolai as he opened the door for her.
She then walked over to Allan's bed with her posture overly correct, and took a deep breath. "Time to wake up!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.
The only reaction she got out of Allan was of him turning over, and snoring louder. She slowly looked at Nikolai who had his eyes closed and hands covering his ears.
"Sorry, haha." She said with a forced smile.
"Are you mentally ill?!" Nikolai said before walking to the bed. "Here let me do it."
"No wait, I got this, I got this." She said as she held him back with her elbow. Asiya then proceeded to steadily climb onto the bed. Once she stepped over Allan she turned to Nikolai, and gave him a devious smirk.
"He's gonna kill you." Nikolai said.
Asiya held out her hand. "Give me the element ball." She said.
Nikolai shook his head and sighed. "Well don't say I didn't tell you so." He said before he threw it over.
"Heh heh heh," She fake laughed as she clicked down on the ball. "Guess."
The ball slowly became squishy, and began to drip with water. As soon as it got too wet she dropped it on Allan's chest. He instantly woke up to the cold embrace of watery death as the ball gushed out with an unexpected amount of water. Quickly, he pushed it off him and rolled out the bed in nothing but underwear. "What the heck, what's wrong with you?!" He yelled as he tried to get a sheet to cover him.
"Its payback for sleeping too long." Asiya said as she jumped off the bed.
When she landed she splashed in water.
"Oh...this really isn't good." Nikolai said as he raised his foot out of the rising water.
Outside of the room, the water began to leak through the door. It started as a puddle, but quickly became larger until it had moved under the feet of a certain guard. Tark and Derk just switched shifts with the last two guards that were just keeping watch. It was amazing they even had this job, because nothing they did was right.
The last two guards made it very clear to keep an eye on the children. They said. "Keep an eye on them." In a stern voice before leaving. But they weren't specific enough. The word "them" could mean any two pair of anything in the minds of these guys.
And that's exactly why they were both standing by the giant arched windows of the hall, aggressively keeping an eye on the two birds chasing each other in the sky. "Oh no he almost caught her!" Said Derk, swinging his arm and stomping his feet.
The water splashed up, and got on Tark. "Oh no Derk...you peed yourself!" He said, jumping back.
"Did not." Said Derk.
"Did too." Said Tark.
Derk then looked at Tark with a face of concern. "Why are you making up lies?" He asked.
Tark pointed at the water. "Look beneath you, i'm not lying."
Derk then started patting his pants down for wet spots, and when he couldn't find any, his eyes began to follow the trail of water to the door. "Oh see it's not me Tark, its the room, it's leaking." He said.
"Oh no... a leaking room could only mean one thing." Said Tark as he stepped up to the door. "There's probably ocean wraith on the other side, and we gotta hold it shut or else the whole kingdom could be flooded..."
"Oh no..." Said Derk.
"Oh yes buddy," Tark said as he began to push against the door. "What do you say pal, shall we save the kingdom from the depths of dangers as always."
Derk slowly placed his large sweaty hands upon the door, and began to push as he looked up a Tark. "Of course, this is the destiny of us two, and always will be..." He said, and Tark grunted in agreement before they both began to push to their limits.
On the opposite side of the door, everyone started to panic. "My room is being flooded!" Allan yelled as he climbed onto his table.
"How is that much water coming out of that thing?!" Asiya asked.
"The effects of that thing are dangerous when someone doesn't guess, like really dangerous. So...now that you see what you've done it'll probably be a good idea to get out of here before we drown to death." Nikolai said before going to open the door.
Allan hopped off the table, and picked up the ball. "where is all that water even coming from...Asiya you're incredible!" He said, dropping it back into the knee deep water.
"I had no idea this thing contained a freaking river!" She said, before her and Allan both noticed Nikolai struggling to open the door.
"Um...Nikolai...open the door..." Allan said questionably.
"It...won't open..." Nikolai said before attempting again.
"This can't be happening." Allan said as he jumped through the rising water to get to the door. Him, and Nikolai both began to push as hard as they could, but sadly saw no change in it's position what so ever.
"Are you guys even trying?" Asiya asked from atop the bed.
"'Are you guys even trying?", of course we're trying!" Allan mocked her. "The water is almost at my shoulders!" He yelled.
"I don't understand why it won't open, it's almost as if someone is pushing against the door!" Nikolai said.
A couple more seconds passed just like this, and before they knew it -- the entire room was filled to the brim. The last breathe of air they were able to take was at the ceiling, and now they were all but submerged in a room of water. Despite Allan's messy room, the water was exceptionally clear with all the sunlight shining through the cracking window. Him, and Nikolai both noticed that small detail instantly, and swam over to smack it as hard as possible.
Of course, with just their bare hands the window wouldn't budge much, but with something harder, like the metal lamp Asiya found floating around, it may just crack. She waved it around, and yelled bubbles through her mouth as she swam to the window, moving them out the way. With all her strength, she began to bang on the glass like there was no tomorrow. Which there wasn't for them, if they couldn't escape that is.
Just around the hall, in another room sat the originals guards that put Tark and Derk in charge for a bit. Usually this is what the guards would do when it was time for their break, or they had to use the bathroom. In their case, it was time for their one hour break.
Guard one chewed on a juicy piece of meat with a side of bread and cheese, and the other with a bowl of lamb stew, and dipping bread. They didn't really say much to each other while eating. They had all the time in the world to talk during work, so they cherished this time alone in their own thoughts and pleasures.
For some reason while looking into his stew, guard two began to remember Derk's greasy brown hair, and lumpy face. Then he looked at his bread, and was reminded of Tark's dirty blonde hair. He gasped, and began to pound on his chest insanely hard. The sudden thought of something scary made him choke.
"Aye are you okay?!" Asked guard one.
Guard two caught his breath, and slammed his hands on the table." Those guards we let take our place are not the retarded brothers are they?!" He asked.
"No no why, I don't know, why ya asking like that?" Asked Guard one.
"This isn't good, if it's them we could get in big trouble." He said.
"Yea? How? we just taking a wi lil break." Said guard one.
"You don't understand... remember the two guys that wouldn't leave the Tavern until someone would bring them a chair, but there were chairs everywhere. They just didn't know what they looked like, so they stayed there for days and almost starved to death?" Asked guard two.
"Oh ye, the idiot bafoons?" Said guard one
"I'm asking if you are certain that wasn't em?" Asked guard two.
guard one took a bite of his bread, and thought for awhile. As he thought he looked at the other guy's stew, and then his bread. It hit him -- He then raised his finger as he talked nonchalantly. "Oh yea, we're doom, that was definitely them."
It was only couple minutes into their breaks when they realized this, and ran for the halls. The first thing they saw made them run even faster. Gushing water from the prince's room, and two grown man holding the door shut with all their might. "Move, Move out of the way you imbeciles!" Yelled guard one before pushing them out to the side.
"No you'll let the demon out!" Yelled Derk.
"Silence you fools!" Yelled the guard as he placed his hand on the drenched wooden door. It seemed like the door was talking, as much as it creeked. The guard looked at the door in astonishment as he placed his hand on the handle. He pulled it just slightly and instantly disappeared in the explosion of water that gushed out. The room emptied as fast as a popped balloon. The remaining water streamed out along with three children riding it out.
"My god..." Said guard one.
"Why were you guys in there with the ocean wraiths?" Asked Tark in surpise.
The guard knocked Tark upset his head. "That's not what happened." He said as he went to the kids. "Are you guys hurt in anyway?"
None of them were hurt at all actually. Just disappointed, angry, and regretful that they had to experience something like that so early. Guard one and two quickly took the children to another room to dry off, while they got other workers to dry out the room. They also knew Tark and Derk could not be allowed free, just roaming around doing god knows what. So they asked a higher up to take them under his wing.
The room they were drying off in was very white inside, filled with countless fluffy towels on strings. Unlike the other two, Allan wore his towels as he had nothing else to wear. All they could see was little bits of his hair coming out of the wrapped towel, and his daggering golden eyes.
After a couple minutes, a few maid ladies came inside with dry clothing for each of them. They all went to seperate closets, and put them on.
"This is much better." Said Asiya walking out the closet.
Both the boys had already dressed up, and were waiting for her outside the closet. They both just stared blankly.
"What?" She said with a smirk as she walked pass them.
"Care to explain why you almost killed us, why you flooded my room, why you woke me up?!" Allan said, getting louder with each why.
"The class!" Asiya yelled as she remembered why they went through the trouble of waking him up in the first place.
"We're late!" Nikolai said as he started to run for it.
Allan had no other choice but to chase after them and accept that as her answer, although he had no idea what it meant.He chased them through the halls, down the flight of steps, and past the etherfish gardens, into the second half of the castle until they finally arrived at an ominous black door.
Nikolai caught his breath, and tightened his collar as he stood up straight. "Ahem, we want to be let in." He said.
A mouth, and closed eyes protruded from the door. "You're late." It Said
"Why are we here?" Allan asked.
"Just let us in." Said Asiya.
"Very well." Said the door as it opened up.
"For the very last time, why are we here?!" Allan asked loudly.
"Why do you think we are here, Allan." Nikolai replied. "Asiya you're so annoying, you were suppose tell him. Anyways, we are here because of the same reason we have come here every other time before. Dad randomly decided to set up a morning class for us."
"Well that doesn't make sense since we only have classes during the winter." Allan said as he plopped down at a large old desk.
"I think we're just gonna be reminded about the Tournament of honor, even though we take a class for that every year." Said Nikolai.
"Isn't this strange?" Asiya said while taking a seat. "We're late, but the teacher still isnt here..."
"Oh you're right..." Said Nikolai, looking around the book filled room.
The desk in front of the class started to move a little, and some of the old vanity items fell off. "No no, i'm here." Said a particularly tall man as he rose up from behind the desk. He stood up just enough to slouch back in his chair. His dark green eyes were barely visible behind his long eyelashes, and tired eyelids.
"You gotta be kidding me..." Allan said as he looked at the man's attire.
He was wearing a commoners outfit, or what people would call anything clothing. A simple white shirt underneath a vest, accompanied by leather leggings. Covering the top of his familiarly black hair was a greenish black beanie-like hat. His only redeeming feature was his natural appearance, and the red cape on his shoulders.
The man pushed his his hat further up his head, and took a deep breath, before sitting upright. "Sleep has to be the best thing next to woman and booze." He said before stretching his arms out.
"You there? Are you the teacher?" Asiya asked.
The man yawned, and wiped his eyes before beginning to count with his finger. "Ok, one two three, good you're all here. Usually I don't teach, how do you say, children, but um today i'll make an exception." He said as he stood up.
"He probably didn't hear you." Nikolai said to Asiya who was getting angry.
"Well he better get his ears checked or the next time he ignores me i'll have to have a word with dad." She said loud enough for him to hear, piercing her gaze directly at him.
He then glanced right past her, and began to walk to her direction. As he got closer she prepared herself to confront him, but he just walked right past, until he stopped at a random desk behind her.
"Oh, hmm, that's strange, I could have sworn I saw something of importance around here." He said with his hand on his chin. "Well I guess not... Ok listen up kiddos! Today we're gonna learn about The old lands."
The man walked back to the front of the class while Allan and Nikolai chuckled at Asiya's angry pink face.
"erhum, excuse me, who- are- you." Asiya asked.
"Oh hello there, I am the head expedition commander, Kensai, and you are?" He asked but continued to talk. "Don't asnwer, I know who you are, all of you. You're Sulaiman's brats, but oh dear, it would seem one of you is missing."
"Hey!" Nikolai yelled as he got out his chair.
"Ah ta ta ta, i'm sorry i'm sorry, it's been so long I hardly remember this place clearly." Kensai said as he twirled around and slumped in his chair. "Well what are your names?"
"You just said you already know who we are." Allan said as he got out his chair. "This is insane, i'm out of here."
"Yes but not the names boy, sit down." Kensai said.
Allan ignored him and proceeded to move from his chair.
"I said... sit down." He said and suddenly Allan was forced back down.
Allan looked at his siblings with a stupefaction face, and they looked back with the same expression. "What did you do just now..." Allan asked. "You do realize I am a prince?"
"And what of it? I am also a prince." Kensai said.
"What?" Asiya and Nikolai asked.
"Yes it's true, I am Sulyaman's little brother, your uncle." Kensai said casually. "
They all looked at him cluelessly.
"Awhhh dear this is heartbreaking, don't tell me your father never spoken about his sweet little brother. Ah...what distress I feel." He exagerated with his hand on his heart.
"Not saying I believe you, but you do resemble him uh little.." Nikolai said.
"He is just trying to get away with being disrespectful, of course we would have known if he was our uncle." Asiya said.
"Well I could honestly care less whether you guys believe me or not, the fact still remains that you guys must learn, and I must teach. Since the tournament is coming up in six month, no wait eight I mean, your father thought it'd be a good idea to take you guys with me somewhere a little dangerous to prepare." He explained.
Nobody noticed, but a fairly large locus like praying mantis bug crawled out of his cap while he was talking, and flew out into the room and onto the back of Asiya's hair.
"I don't exactly like you very much," Asiya began to talk as the bug crawled down her head. "And you'll probably be taken off the job once our father knows how you trea-trea-treated oh my god get it off-get it off!" She wailed, as she flipped out her seat.
Apparently they were all afraid of bugs because they all jumped out their seats and ended up about five seats away from where they were sitting. The bug flew around the room, and right in front of Asiya's face. Her eyes went in back her head, and she fainted onto the floor.
Kensai held out his hand. "Come now Fae." He said.
The bug then flew around the room, and past the boys before landing in Kensai's hand. It twitched a few time's before it's extra legs began to fold into each other, and its skin color changed into a lighter, softer complextion. Slowly it morphed into a small humanoid being with sharp wings.
"Good.....morning!" It said to kensai before yawing and falling over.
"Did that bug just turn into a pixie?!" Nikolai asked in astonishment.
Kensai spoke quickly. "Ah don't call him a pix-"
"I'm not a pixie, i'm a fairy!" The fairy said as it flew around in a tantrum, stopping in Nikolai's face. "A fairy a fairy a fairy, you got that?!"
"Well what's the difference?" Allan asked.
The fairy then bolted in Allan' face stopping only a inch away. "Look at my skin, do I look like i'm glowing to you. Only pixie's glow." It said as it pinched it's skin.
"No not really..." Allan said.
"Exactly!" Said the Fairy.
"Wouldn't you like to glow?" Nikolai asked.
"Yea glowing is cooler, makes you look more powerful." Allan said.
"Yea, right now you just look like a little girl with blue dye in her hair." Nikolai said.
Hearing their taunts from both sides, the fairy's face became red like a tomato. It then started to twitch, and turn back into the bug from before. Allan, and Nikolai quickly turned around and ran for the door. "Fae that's enough." Said kensai as he held out his hand again. "And you boys, help your sister up."
Peaking from the side of the door, they both watched Fae turn back into a Fairy before running to Asiya, and shaking her awake. "What...happened?" Asiya said after waking up.
"You fainted." Nikolai said blankly.
"Yea, you fainted." Allan followed.
Asiya emphasasized on the I when she spoke. "What, why did I faint."
"Because, you, are, a, weakling, now listen up so I can go back to sleep." Kensai said as Fae flew on top of his hat, and layed there. "Tomorrow night when the moon is highest in the sky, I'm leaving on a short expedition. It should last no longer than a week, and you two," He looked at Asiya. "Yea not you, I've no idea why you're even here. Will be coming with me on your father's behalf." He then began to walk to the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I got a bed to attend to."
As they walked out the door, the little fairy on his head looked towards them and pulled down it's eyelid and stuck out it's tongue.
"Incredible." Nikolai said sarcastically.