The same thought ran through SoYa’s mind over and over again. His heart pounded with bounding exhilaration as he rounded the corner of the Apprentice’s quarters. Green eyes flickering with excitement, he lifted his fist and pounded on his brother’s door.

Just wait until TsuYa hears!

The Apprentice began to rock back and forth in front of the door, impatiently waiting for an answer. Then, in a flurry of eagerness, he banged on it again. “Tsu! Tsu, open up! I’m back! I’ve got a lot of crazy stuff to tell you!”

Once he filled TsuYa in on everything, SoYa planned to ask his brother to join him to find their father. The sparrow at the Host Gate said that Aunt SaRa would be able to help them.

It’ll be just like old times, when we used to journey to Arddun and back for Market Day.

A soft grin crossed SoYa’s face.

Tsu used to love sleeping under the stars and sitting around the fire for hours.

The Apprentice leaned his shoulder against the wall, craning his head back in thought.

It will be good to spend some time with him, and to see Father again. Surely, everything will be just like it used to be.

A slow scowl was working over SoYa’s face. TsuYa had still not answered his door.

I guess Tsu’s not home after all. I wonder if they’ve called a meeting. I’ve probably missed so many classes and meetings because of everything that’s happened… I really should be there.

With a slight bound to his step, SoYa made his way through the hall, down the stairs and outside into the warmth of the afternoon sun. As his green eyes squinted against the light, the small man extended his thoughts to seeking.

SoYa had discovered at an early age that he was an Athrylith. A mind mage. Manipulating thoughts and mind patterns was a rare ability to have, but it came so easily to him.

The unwieldy powers of the Athrylith were the most feared of all the magic spheres. Because so little was really known about mind powers, those who had such abilities were often unjustly scorned. It was an honest fear, though, since such power could be easily abused. The Council had chosen to shun the teaching of mind magics and to restrain anyone who could use them.

That was why SoYa had told no one that he was Athrylith. Not even his brother knew.

That was how Father wanted it. He said to me — “Promise me that you will keep it under your hat, just for now, SoYa. One day they will understand you better.”

SoYa had promised, and kept the promise at a high cost. He had endured many years of baleful stares by those who looked upon him in disappointment. After all, as the eldest son of the great ZenToYa, there were high expectations to meet. Though SoYa was best known for mediocre healing abilities, even those were very pale next to what some of the mid-ranking Apprentices could easily work. Only he knew that his healing was just a second-rate ability compared to his true talent.

For years he faced the disillusioned frowns of those around him. Even TsuYa had that light of pity in his eyes every now and then. It hurt most when it was coming from his brother. That was the time he wanted to speak out. After all, TsuYa was his most trusted companion, next to AsaHi.

AsaHi was the only one that never looked down on him. Maybe that was what drew him to her when they were younger. Over time, her companionship turned from trusted friend to his Promised. AsaHi’s own lack of magic often earned her similar treatment, since her brothers and sisters were attending the School and she was not.

AsaHi… I hope above hope that you are safe.

The passing thought rippled through SoYa’s mind as he located his brother’s consciousness in the distance. A flickering image pulsed in his mind’s eye. With a subtle nod, SoYa turned on his heel and made his way towards the Meeting Hall.

So the Council IS calling a meeting.

As he strode down the long corridor, he could see that the large double doors at the end of the hall were shut. This wasn’t unusual, given the activities of the Council lately. But in the days of his father, the doors to the Meeting Hall were always open and welcoming.

SoYa pressed one hand against the cold wood, hearing nothing but a stern silence from the other side. But he could feel them. And TsuYa was among them.

Fumbling under his robes, he drew out the small flat key that he always kept in his pocket. As quietly as he could, SoYa pressed the key into the lock and turned it. A quick door open, a side-step, a door shut. He was inside with none the wiser.

The members of the Council were standing in a semi-circle around the dais at the far end of the room, their eyes fixed on a central point. No one seemed to notice as SoYa shouldered his way forward, standing on his tip-toes to see over the shoulders of those who blocked his view.

Finally, with a quiet frown, he turned and whispered to the nearest Council member, “Hey, what’s going on?”

Just then, SoYa realized his mistake. The man that stood next to him was none other than KoGuRai himself.

It seemed like it was the hardest thing in the world for KoGuRai to pull his gaze away from the dais. When the man recognized him, he frowned deeply, “SoYa. Is that you?”

“It’s me,” he replied, not quite certain if he should even continue the conversation.

“Where have you been?” it was almost an accusatory tone.

“I was out on an errand,” SoYa answered lightly. “What’s going on here?”

KoGuRai pursed his lips.

“What’s wrong?” a sinking feeling began to churn inside of SoYa’s stomach.

“You’re too late,” the other man narrowed his eyes shrewdly.

“Too late? What do you mean?”

KoGuRai’s tone was low, “Did anyone see you come in?”

“No. I’ve only talked to you,” SoYa replied.

“Come with me,” was the curt command. Without stopping to look if SoYa was following, KoGuRai turned and made his way towards the balcony stairs.

That’s just like him. Always throwing orders around.

SoYa blew one stray curl out of his eyes and followed silently. They made their way up the single flight of wooden stairs, finally inching out into one of the balconies that overlooked the procession below. He was more than a little nervous to find himself alone, in a possibly precarious position with his greatest rival in the Council at his side.

But for once, KoGuRai’s attention was not fixed on him. Instead, the man pointed below.

The white robes dotted the Meeting Hall like quilt pattern, all facing inwards. In the center was something that SoYa did not recognize. It looked like a perfectly round pool, though rather than being filled with water, it was overflowing with white-hot pulsing energy. Even more unusual, it hovered a foot above the dais.

A low hiss escaped SoYa’s lips, “What is that thing?”

“I don’t know, but it creeps me out,” KoGuRai muttered. And when something could creep KoGuRai out, it had to be serious. “I only came because I was told it was mandatory.”

SoYa choked, “Who called this meeting?”

KoGuRai scowled as his hand rose to indicate the group of men standing on the upraised platform, next to the eerie white pool. SoYa followed the line of sight down, squinting.

“What?” SoYa’s teeth ground together as he stared.

A group of high-ranking Council members gathered on the dais, wearing their official scarves and sashes. But what caught his eye was the midnight-blue robes worn by the man in the center, standing with his back to the meeting.

“Those robes!” he heard himself exclaim.

They were Father’s! That is the robe of the High Guide of Nefol!

“Shouldn’t those belong to you, SoYa?” KoGuRai asked quietly.

“I… well…” he blinked, admitting, “Technically, yes, they belong to me.”

“Then why is TsuYa wearing them?”

The men held her pinned down under the weight their booted feet as they ripped away feathers in fistfuls and cast them into the pool of energy. TsuYa’s gruff voice rose and fell in a timed intonation, words foreign and guttural. His hands were upraised, orchestrating it all with a twisted, uncharacteristic smile.

SoYa felt sick. Face painted with absolute revulsion, he grasped the balcony rail, knuckles white from rage.

TsuYa! Why are you doing this?

Finally, all that remained of her wings were bloody flaps of flesh a limp sticks of cartilage rising from her shoulders. The child’s sobs were unbearable.

“Look at her! Look at the evil that has twisted this child’s body into this unnatural form!” TsuYa’s voice echoed across the hall, drowning out the soft weeping of the child. “She was just like you and I once, until the Baneful powers changed her into this!”

SoYa shook his head vehemently.

No! There is nothing evil about that girl!

The crowd continued to watch with hushed apprehension.

Why don’t any of you do something? Just because he’s wearing the High Guide’s robes doesn’t mean he’s right!

“We will completely purge this afflicted child,” TsuYa slowly lifted his hand. As he did, the girl rose from the wooden platform, floating in mid air.

Her white hair was cropped very short, sliced away as was the custom in handling prisoners from the old days. Only a loose-fitting, dingy white robe covered her slender frame. Blood ran freely from where the magnificent wings once grew, dripping into dark pools upon the dais.

“It is only in dividing spirit and body, that she may be purified,” TsuYa slowly stretched his hands away from his body.

The wilting child floated forward until she hovered directly above the swirling pool of white energy. A chilled hush fell over the room, all eyes stricken. No one was able to move.

“TsuYa, please… don’t do this…” the whisper shifted between SoYa’s lips.

TsuYa’s eyes were a dark, frigid green, his face set in a lifeless expression. He slowly opened his palm as if to drop an object from his hand. A frightened whimper rose from the child before she plummeted towards the gaping pool below.

SoYa found himself running back down the stairs, taking them in leaps and bounds. As he raced for the dais, his mouth opened in a tremendous bellow. However, his call was drowned out by the sudden rocking ground under his feet.

A dazzling flash of white blinded his vision as a churning nebulous of pure light erupted from the center of the hall. SoYa stumbled back, one hand held up to shade his eyes from the brilliance. A shimmer of star-fall rained down on upturned faces, the warm radiance reflecting from the Council’s emerald eyes. There, in the center of the light, a person appeared.

SoYa squinted, blinking away the water in his eyes. As the light diminished, he could make out not one, but two, people.

The pool of white energy was gone. Floating above the spot where it had once been was a woman. Her hair billowed gracefully in every direction. Her face glowed with an internal light, features softened and ageless. Robes of silver and sky blue fluttered around her, trailing in streams through the air. A pair of silver-tinged wings spread from her back, folded outward in a motionless elegance.

Within her arms she cradled the motionless body of the little girl.

Relief spread through SoYa’s chest as the winged woman landed on top of a table, far away from the platform from where the Council members stared. As her feet touched down and the warmth of the light faded from around her, a shocking familiarity appeared on her features.

What? Aunt SaRa!

SoYa felt his breath catch as he gawked, eyes tracing over the small motherly woman that had raised him from his younger years. Somehow she seemed different… different from the strong but caring face he had grown to love… different in a frightening sort of way. As the illusion shattered before him, SoYa could feel his whole world tipping and breaking away.

TsuYa was also staring, a blank darkness deep within his eyes. Aunt SaRa met his gaze with unwavering challenge. SoYa shivered. He had never seen his aunt look truly angry before. And he certainly didn’t like to see it now.

A snarl broke over TsuYa’s face. Then he thrust one finger straight at Aunt SaRa, his voice shaking the entire meeting from their dazed trance, “Take them! Both of them!”

SoYa didn’t realize he was running until he was dodging around toppled chairs and long wooden tables. No plan. No thought. Nothing in his mind except for the reeling impossibility of it all.

The group of Council members at TsuYa’s back did not hesitate. It seemed to mean nothing to them that the woman was a beloved mother to the School community. That her works of kindness had reached out to every child that had ever passed through the gates.

But is she still the same?

SoYa faltered, catching his breath. He glanced up just in time to see the group of men approaching with raised hands. A cold light trickled from their fingers in a threatening, pulsing glow.

The winged woman stood motionless. Her green eyes fixed, unblinking upon the men — especially upon the one robed in midnight blue. Her arms held fast to the cradled form of the girl.

As flame erupted from the Apprentices’ palms, she did not even flinch.

SoYa felt a scream bubble up in his throat. He flung himself forward, bounding on the table next to Aunt SaRa. Teeth bared, eyes narrowed, his own power leapt from him.

The flame died instantly as the men reeled back under the tremendous force of his mind-will. Their eyes fell devoid of thought, mouths growing slack-jawed as they wavered, barely retaining their footing. He could feel it, the desperate flutter of their minds as his own closed in around them. Their bodies lurched backwards as if under a tremendous weight. SoYa knew he held them within his absolute control.

TsuYa’s face grew ashen as his eyes lifted to meet his brother’s. His voice traveled the distance between them, sounding like it was right next to him, “SoYa… have you done this? How?”

SoYa’s hands trembled as he fought to retain his concentration. Never before had he released his power over anyone else, much less let even a trickle be shown. Something about it felt terribly dirty… terribly wrong…

Am I just as evil as those who would burn someone with flame?

The Apprentice staggered back under the condemning stare of his brother and the gaping, fearful eyes that fell upon him. The men on the platform collapsed as he released them. They remained lying, puddled and will-less on the wooden floor.

“Athrylith,” TsuYa’s hissed accusation shattered his heart.

A soft hand dropped on his shoulder. At the touch, his world shifted, focused, and cleared. SoYa lifted his eyes to meet the gaze of the winged woman.

“Do you plan on staying here?” Aunt SaRa asked.

It was a simple question. Yet, in the answer, he knew, his life would be completely changed. Hesitation froze him. He realized she was asking the same question that the sparrow at the Host Gate had.

~Young SoYa… do you think you are ready to know the Truth?~

He lifted his hand to her. And she took it.

“I have no choice now,” his voice cracked.

“Then let’s not linger.”

SoYa nodded and helped her down from the top of the table. His eyes turned towards the silent watching Council members. Those nearest to him flinched back as if he might hurt them by sight alone. No one dared to move. Not even TsuYa stirred from beneath his father’s robes.

Taking the weight of the broken child from Aunt SaRa’s arms, SoYa lead the three of them at a dead run out of the Meeting Hall.

The young Apprentice turned to look at the wilted form of the girl slumping in the saddle in front of Aunt SaRa. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth and her breath came in rasping gasps, as if she was fighting for air.

His own concern rose in his reply, “They could be following us. Who knows how close. All they had to do is saddle up a few rhawns and they’d be on our trail in no time.”

“I know,” in a long graceful motion, the winged woman swung down from her mount’s back. Her expression was one of mystery. “But we have been traveling faster than your eye lets you believe.”

SoYa pursed his lips nervously.

“Besides, the rhawn need a break,” Aunt SaRa added lightly. “I know that your father taught you to treat your mount better than this.”

That’s true. I won’t see Thorne exhausted by my careless riding.

Weaving the reigns between his fingers, the Apprentice dismounted and ran one hand along the neck of his steed. Thorneblade had been a gift from his father.

If there was one love that the two shared, it was for the rhawn stallions. At an early age, SoYa learned how to ride and train the creatures. He knew their wild minds as well as their magnificent physical power and beauty. Next to the dragon-kin, the rhawn were by far the most noble creatures of the Inner Realms.

Aunt SaRa laid the girl out on her cloak. Other than a random soft-throated cry, the child made no sound the whole ride. Her face was flushed and feverish and SoYa could see that she had slipped into delirium.

The woman’s hands worked deftly, hovering inches above the broken remains of the girl’s bloody wings. A soft shimmer of white traced the outline of her palms. Her mouth moved with words of healing power, a rising and falling cadence of breath and light.

SoYa watched, keeping his distance. He knew about healing arts, however, the magic that the winged woman was casting was far beyond his scope. It made his eyes water to watch her, so he decided to stick to his own business and give the rhawn a good rubdown.

As the Apprentice’s hands ran along the flank of his steed, he fought against his wandering mind. Up until now, he had been so intent on simply getting the three of them away from the School that he didn’t have a chance to reflect on the dire consequences of their situation.

More than anything, his thoughts shied away from what he had done. He could still see the slack-jawed faces of the Council members, people that he knew since childhood, as he forced his will upon them. He could still hear the accusation in his brother’s voice as he uttered the single word that SoYa feared more than anything else.

Athrylith…

SoYa only ever used his power for small, harmless things. To trace the thought patterns of someone to find them over a distance. To sense the emotions of someone in grief to gain knowledge and lessen their pain. To help ease his brother off to sleep after a nightmare when he was a child.

Never had he taken control of another’s mind. This was not just one man, but over twenty all at once, and some were the most advanced magic users in Nefol. All immobilized. Just like that.

And what was worse…

After years of enduring the jeering and disappointed looks, after years of feeling last in his class, after years of failing in the eyes of Nefol, he had shown them all. Blown them all away. Left them standing in wide-eyed and open-mouthed awe.

And it felt so good.

How can you think like that?

SoYa removed his cap and ran his fingers through his hair.

How can you be proud of such a shameful display of power?

One part of him was elated that finally, after so many years, he was given the chance to show everyone that he was indeed the son of ZenToYa, a power to be reckoned with. Another part of him shunned the arrogance of such thinking. Yet another part was scared. By his own hand, he destroyed what little was left to his familiar life and became a hunted man.

AsaHi is gone. Aunt SaRa is some sort of who-knows-what. Father, whom I thought to be dead all these years, is somewhere still alive. And now TsuYa has gone absolutely mad… taking Father’s robes and control of the School to do some weird ritual.

He dropped his head forward.

And me, I’m not much better. Controlling the minds of other people with a power that shouldn’t even exist. And liking it!

A soft touch dropped on his shoulder. SoYa’s head jerked up, facing the figure of the winged woman. At first he wanted to pull away from her, a hissing whisper of loathing choking in his throat. Loathing for himself. Loathing for the now-changed form of his aunt, who was no longer what he always knew her to be.

Her hand tightened upon his shoulder. SoYa could feel it, once again, a parting of confusion replaced by clarity of mind.

The Apprentice blinked, shaking himself out, “What… what was that feeling?”

“He’s trying to take you, too.”

“Huh?” SoYa gave a questioning look. “Take me? Who?”

“The one that has taken Tsu’s mind,” Aunt SaRa gave a pained look. “I didn’t see it until it was too late. I’m so sorry.”

He waved his hands back and forth in confusion, “What are you talking about?”

The woman pursed her lips, a deep weariness wrinkling her brow. In that moment, she felt like the Aunt SaRa he had always known. “Do you think that Tsu would act this way of his own free will? Do you really think he would claim the position of High Guide like this?”

“I… don’t know,” SoYa admitted. “It always bugged him that I was the eldest and that I inherited the School. He never saw me fit for the position.”

“SoYa…”

“You can’t say it wasn’t true!” he protested, spilling out what had been unspoken all this time. “No one said it outright, but the feeling was there. Everyone thought I was weak and a disgrace to Father’s memory.”

“SoYa,” she said again, this time more firmly.

He looked away, finally answering her question, “No. It’s not like Tsu to do something like this.”

“Something has embedded itself in his mind,” Aunt SaRa spoke quietly. “I felt it for the first time when I confronted him today. I don’t know what it is, but I can tell you that TsuYa isn’t acting of his own will.”

The Apprentice jerked back from her touch, “He’s not that weak! Something can’t just come along and take control of him!”

“No, he’s not weak,” Aunt SaRa answered somberly. “But the darkness is just that powerful.”

“Isn’t there something, anything, we can do to help him?” SoYa swallowed.

“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “But I do know that the darkness wants you, too. And you can’t help Tsu if you allow yourself to be controlled. You must fight the thoughts and fear that rise in your heart. They are not of your own making.”

SoYa blinked up questioningly.

“I don’t even think that it was your impulse that led you to cast magic on those men,” Aunt SaRa gave him a long, quiet look. “It was not like you…”

“No,” he shook his head somberly. “That is my power, Aunt SaRa. I really am…”

“Athrylith?” she finished for him.

He nodded.

The woman sat stone-still, continuing to watch him.

“Do you… hate me?” SoYa finally asked, the silence growing too much for him.

“Of course not, SoYa,” she answered quietly, without a second of hesitation. Then she added, “I could ask you the same thing about my wings.”

The Apprentice took in a quick breath, studying her form. Her voice, her mannerisms, her gentleness… it was all the same as he remembered. Even with the wings.

“Do you think that I am the cursed creature your brother is forced to proclaim me to be?” she asked.

Their eyes met for a long moment. SoYa didn’t trust himself to answer.

“Everyone embraces their own secrets, SoYa. Some secrets are heavier to bear than others,” her voice came softly to his ears. “There will always be the frightened people who will shun what is different. But you have to go on loving those people, just the same.”

SoYa felt his chest tighten as Aunt SaRa uttered the words that his father used to speak.

“In the end, we are all nothing more than wanderers in the shadow of this world.”

Of course! I’m in the city of Ceiswyr!

The girl peered around slowly. The outside walls of the room shifted in color, from the soft white floor to a transparent domed top, allowing her a wondrous view of the sky-world outside her building. The walls that arched up and connected to the rest of the compound were a solid, warm grey.

Dangling her feet over the side of the thing-that-was-a-bed, AsaHi gently ran her fingers through the downy blankets. The bed wasn’t like anything she was used to, either. It was some springy glob of white puff – that was the only way she knew how to describe it. It looked and felt somewhat like a cloud. Except, she now knew from walking through the clouds on the bridge-ways that they were a lot like fog.

AsaHi slipped out of the covers and pattered across the floor on bare feet.  The wall shivered when she came near, then shimmered away as she reached out her hand to touch it. AsaHi blinked at it for a moment before gingerly stepping forward. The floor followed her feet, spreading out before her in a strange makeshift balcony. The girl paused, watching it with an uncomfortable, accusatory face.

“Now if you drop me… or do anything funny…” she muttered down to it.

It did not drop her. Nor did it do anything funny. In fact, it did nothing at all.

She proceeded to stand there, her eyes gazing out over the slumbering sunrise that took place far below the cloudbank. The colors flushed through the sky, light blushing up from below in a pastel sea of rippling cloud.

AsaHi couldn’t stop staring.

“Awesome, isn’t it?”

“Awesome isn’t the word I would have chosen, but it works,” the girl was so entranced by the view, she didn’t realize someone had joined her. Turning around, she saw nothing behind her. “Um, hello?”

The large crimson form of Kaze dropped down from out of nowhere, landing without a sound. Crouching nearly brought the two of them to eye level. “Hello! Did you have pleasant dreams?”

“Dreams?” Feeling rather daring, she replied, “How do you know about dreaming when you don’t even sleep?”

“Mmm?” Kaze’s grin faded as he gave a rather despondent sound of acknowledgement.

“Or… do you really sleep, and I just never see?” AsaHi asked, trying to get to the root of his reaction.

“No. I have no need to sleep as your kind does,” his eyes were very deep as they turned towards the girl.

She felt herself shiver, “My… kind? What do you mean by that?”

Kaze gave a casual shrug as if talking about the weather. Then he draped his legs over the edge of the balcony and sat down in an offhand manner.

“Kaze?” She could feel her heart pounding in the silence. “You aren’t like… my people, then?”

“Isn’t that obvious, Sunshine?”

AsaHi sucked on her lower lip, her skin prickling.

“Does that scare you?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she admitted slowly.

“I see,” the big man then fell back in a full-body sprawl, arms flung wide to either side, eyes searching the heavens. “I don’t understand why it should matter.”

“Why what should matter?” the girl heard herself echo.

“What someone is or is not,” Kaze turned his gaze back to her. It was warm and gentle. “Why should it matter what someone is as long as you like to be with that other person?”

“I don’t know,” the girl repeated, taken off guard by the shift in the conversation. “To some people, it does matter. To a lot of people, actually.”

“Does it matter to you?”

“It depends,” she answered. Then she asked with a bit more conviction, “If you’re not like me, are you like the people of this city?”

“No.”

AsaHi felt her breath draw in sharply. The question on her lips choked and lingered.

Then what are you?

She could see it in his eyes that he knew exactly what she was thinking. Something told her that she should be afraid. After all, he had just admitted he was not like her own people or the people of the floating city. But his words haunted her.

If he is not of my people… and not of the people of this city… he is alone, just like me. There is no one here that is like him, either.

“I am not alone,” he told her. “You are here. I am here. How can I be alone when there is someone sitting right next to me?”

“You can be. You can feel lonely even when standing in a crowd of people,” she answered.

“Lonely?” He turned his head, a shock of wild white hair falling into his eyes, “Do you ever feel that way?”

“Sometimes.”

“Do you feel like that now?”

“I don’t know.”

“I see,” Kaze sat up suddenly.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make it sound like I don’t like your company,” she told him, quickly retracing her steps.

“No, that’s not it.” There was a strange expression in his eyes. They seemed to be looking beyond her, into her. And she didn’t know what it meant.

“Then what’s wrong?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” he wrinkled his nose playfully. “I just… feel.”

“You feel what?” the girl gave him a puzzled look.

He shook his head, squinting slightly, “I simply feel.”

AsaHi blinked at him with a furrowed brow of confusion.

A slow, warm smile slipped over his face, the familiar, fangy grin. Leaning forward on his knees, Kaze touched his forehead to hers until they were almost nose to nose. A shiver of excitement rushed through her body as AsaHi found herself drawn into the depths of his eyes.

“And I like it!” his voice purred to her in its rugged, golden tone.

Then with a quick wink, Kaze was on his feet and gone. There was no mistake, she had seen a hint of embarrassment in his expression. AsaHi found her own face flushed with an unexpected feeling of delight.

The man turned his head in a playful, half-upside-down manner and peered at AsaHi where she peeked shyly at him from behind a tree branch. The girl just happened to find him as she explored the wonders of the strange floating islands.

“No bother,” he assured her, a fatherly smile creasing his face. “But what did I tell you about calling me Master? Seriously, just Zento is fine.”

“But everyone else here called you Master,” she answered. “At least, they did when they came out to greet us.”

He took in a sharp breath and held it for a long moment. Then he shook his head, “They weren’t greeting me like that. There is only one Master of Ceiswyr.”

“But, I heard them say it over and over again.”

“I’m sure you did. But, they weren’t addressing me,” ZenToYa repeated patiently.

AsaHi’s mind reeled, “I’m not sure I understand. There’s a lot of things I don’t.”

The man nodded gently, patting the grassy spot next to him in invitation. His wings fluttered once, stretching to relieve kinks, not unlike a person stretching their arms after a long sleep. Sucking on her lower lip, the girl made her way to stand shyly next to the man of Nefolian legend. In a simple, cross-legged manner, she sat.

“Where do you want to start?” his tone was suddenly very serious.

AsaHi realized that ZenToYa was finally allowing her what she had been yearning for — the chance to ask the millions of questions that clouded her mind. Just as suddenly as she gained this right, she found herself facing the dilemma of what to ask first.

Finally, she took in a deep breath and began, “How did you get here? Everyone thinks you’re…”

“Dead?” he supplied.

The girl nodded.

“I don’t know that the question should be ‘how did I get here,’ but rather ‘why am I here.’”

She gave him a puzzled look.

“I assure you, I haven’t been snuffed out just yet. It was not my choice to allow anyone to think I was dead… that was all the work of the Council in Nefol,” he explained.

AsaHi blinked, “The Council? But why would they do something like that?”

“Their authority was founded on my good name,” ZenToYa leaned back, squinting into the sky, as if he, too, was looking for an answer from above. “I suppose they would rather see me go out in a blaze of glory than to fall into shame. At least then, the legend that founded Nefol would be remembered with pride through the ages.”

“Fall into shame? I don’t understand. Why would the Council see you as shameful?”

“Because of these,” the man thumbed back over his shoulders, stretching his wings once again.

Her eyes widened. “They know about…”

“Yes. Some of them,” ZenToYa looked away. “The Council turned on me, and claimed that I was becoming some sort of monster. Whether that was just an easy excuse to supplant me, I don’t know.”

AsaHi reached out, placing her hands over one of his. Something within felt so terribly sad for him, “And you just left?”

“At the time, I was running for my life. No one had experienced an Awakening before. I was the first,” he returned the motion by placing his palm on top of her hands. “I didn’t want to shame the School. And most of all, I didn’t want to reflect badly on my sons, who still have a lot to learn and prove in their own right.”

“But, they think you’re dead! Couldn’t you have at least told them?” she spread her hands in protest.

“Nowadays I wouldn’t be so afraid to show them what I have become. But back then, for all I knew, I was becoming the monster the Council claimed. I had never heard of an Awakening before. I knew nothing of it,” ZenToYa’s eyes grew distant. “In this city, Awakening is viewed as something wonderful and beautiful. It is something to be celebrated. But my own Awakening was very frightening.”

“But why didn’t you come back… or send word… or something? Why let them think…”

“You’re right. That would have been the most rational thing to have done. I will admit, despite what all the stories tell you, I’m not always the most sensible person,” a grim look spread over his face. “I was also worried that if they knew the truth, my family may have been in danger from the Council. They were both so young… too young to fight that fight.”

“Don’t you miss them?”

“With all my heart,” he nodded. “But I believe that one day they will both find their way here. I know I will see them again.”

AsaHi looked down, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have–”

“No. Don’t be sorry,” ZenToYa’s smile was reassuring. “That was then — it’s over and gone. I look forward to the day when I will meet my sons again. And I’m not unhappy here. So please, no sadness on my account. Besides, I hate seeing a sweet little girl in tears.”

She wrinkled her brow at him.

ZenToYa winked with a teasing grin.

The girl cleared her throat, trying to hide her own smile.

“Now what else is there you’d like to know?” the man asked.

“The wings… the Awakening, you called it? What is this all about?” AsaHi asked, eyeing his wings.

“That’s difficult to explain. I knew you’d ask about it. Let me see, where to start?” ZenToYa leaned back, staring up into the shifting light between the branches above. “Zemi once told me that everything began with a terrible accident.”

She gave a hissing breath, “You mean Lord Zemi?”

He arched an eyebrow at her, “Funny you call him that now.”

“Uh..?” AsaHi shot him a strange look.

“But yes, anyhow, there was a Mistake,” ZenToYa glossed over it quickly.

“What sort of mistake?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t even think that Zemi knows. But whatever happened, it messed a lot of things up. Apparently before we ever existed, there were other civilizations, lifetimes, beings… it is referred to as the Time Before,” he spread his hands as if to illustrate the magnitude of it all.

AsaHi tilted her head, leaning back on her palms. Her green eyes were wide with imagination.

“Who they were and what they were like, I don’t know that we will ever find out. All I do know is when this Mistake happened, it took almost everything with it.”

“What caused the Mistake?” she asked.

“Zemi never really said,” ZenToYa shook his head. “All I can be sure of is that many of the living creatures were destroyed, including the Arweinydd themselves. Almost all of them, except for a group of young Arweinydd that were somehow protected. They managed to make it through it… again, we don’t really know how.”

“But how did we get here? How did the creatures on this world come back? Did the new Arweinydd make us?”

“No… no…” he folded his hands together again. “The Arweinydd can be Creators, just like Zemi is. But they did not give life to creatures. That’s something way beyond their power.”

“Then what happened?” AsaHi asked.

“It seems that when an Arweinydd comes in contact with a potential living planet, sometimes they make a connection,” ZenToYa chose his words carefully as he spoke. “The Arweinydd taps into the flow of the world’s energies, a sort of symbiosis that helps the life on the planet flourish and develop. Through this connection, the Arweinydd also grows stronger and becomes a Patron.”

“Ohh…” she pursed her lips as she tried to take it all in.

“And that is what is happening now, before your eyes,” he concluded.

“I’m not sure I understand,” AsaHi breathed softly.

ZenToYa paused for a moment, recollecting his train of thought. When he spoke again, his voice was level and sure, “Zemi once told me that in the Time Before, some Arweinydd and the Earthians sought harmony. When they came together, both the people of the planet and the Arweinydd began to grow together and become as they were meant to be.”

“And what is that?”

“Ultimately, we become Awake,” he explained, wings stretching once again. “And when we Awaken, that is when the wings appear.”

“Awakening…” AsaHi echoed.

“The people of this city, the Cyngan, are people that once lived on the ground. They are not so different from you,” he told her. “But through the natural blending of knowledge with the power of Zemi Dreigiau, they have changed. The wings are just an outer visible mark of this change.”

“Then this city…?”

“It is a refuge for the Cyngan,” his voice grew quiet. “Do you think the people on the ground would understand this so easily? Just like the Council, they would be afraid, and rightly so. We have become different from them in ways they cannot yet comprehend.”

The girl shifted her weight back and forth nervously.

Sensing her discomfort, ZenToYa gave her hand a gentle squeeze, “I’m not talking about you, AsaHi. You’ve got higher connections in this world than most do.”

AsaHi frowned at him, “What do you mean?”

“I’m… sorry,” the man pursed his lips. “Some things are beyond me to talk about.”

“Then who will talk to me about it?” AsaHi pressed, frustration marring her brow.

He simply gave a soft, sad laugh and dropped a hand on her head, “You do have some fire in you, I see.”

AsaHi furrowed her brow up into his grinning face.

“If you want to know where to find the answers, I’ll give you a hint.”

“Okay?” the girl straightened slowly, a question mark forming on her face.

“It’s nothing you don’t already know, mind you,” ZenToYa rose to his feet, looking down at her. “You have more resources than you realize.”

AsaHi stood up too, sucking on her bottom lip.

“His real name is not Kaze. Find out what it is, and you will have the answer to all of your questions,” the winged man told her with a nod.

She opened her mouth, eyes widening. Somehow she did know that. But it never occurred to her to start there — with a name.

“That’s all I can tell you. If you want to know more, you better start asking him,” ZenToYa raised a hand causally before he turned to walk away, leaving the girl lost to her thoughts.

Cyngan.

That’s what ZenToYa had called them. She wondered if the word meant something or if it was just a name they had chosen. Still, as nervous as AsaHi sometimes felt, the Cyngan had never treated her differently.

When AsaHi was curious or puzzled, they patiently explained the answer to each question. They appeared to enjoyed setting aside their task, no matter what it might be, to tend to her concerns. Over a short time, the girl found herself growing warm towards the winged people, just as they were warm towards her. Not sure how she was certain, AsaHi knew that the Cyngan were deserving of her trust.

Maybe Kaze left me alone so that I could learn about them.

AsaHi didn’t know why Kaze vanished, but after their last talk out on the balcony, he did not return. At first she wondered if he knew what ZenToYa had told her and was avoiding her prying questions.

Or maybe it had something to do with the way he left her the last time they talked. A tingling sensation rose within her chest as she remembered — Kaze leaning down and touching his forehead to hers as the light of the submerged sunrise cast everything in a gentle golden glow.

I wonder what he meant by “I feel?”

Something about the way he said those two words left her with shivers. But what was even more troubling was the way her own pulse quickened when he drew close to her. She had never felt that way before, a giddy nervousness that left her grinning afterward.

AsaHi trailed her fingers along the stream of mist-moss, watching as it evaporated and shimmered back in place elsewhere on the tree branches. As beautiful as the world was. As kind as the people were to her. As astounding as everything had begun to work out…

She couldn’t help but miss Kaze.

She found her thoughts straying back to the strange, fanged-smile. Even when she didn’t mean to think about him, he was in her thoughts. She wondered where he was. She wondered if he was okay. She wondered when she’d see him next. Sometimes she even imagined the coarse barking voice coming from above, and turn to see that there was no one there.

With great shame she realized she thought more about Kaze than she did about being back home. Or even about SoYa.

The girl took off her silver-strapped sandals as she wandered upon a passing brook. Laying them aside in the grass, she lifted her robes and began to walk over the rocks along the water’s surface.

SoYa would like this place. It’s so peaceful. So contemplative. It would be the kind of place that I think he’d love. Though…

She wrinkled her nose as the image of the small man came to mind. It took a lot of effort to superimpose the image of great snowy wings on his back. They just didn’t seem to fit.

I dunno… He’s so simple. Wings just seem too weird to stick on him.

A school of dancing fish began to follow her, all the hues of the rainbow under the dappled sunlight. AsaHi laughed as a few of the bolder ones began to wiggle their fins up through the water’s surface for recognition.

How odd!

The girl bent down and reached her hand towards them. Instantly they scattered, swinging around in a wide arc to swim back towards her, a spray of silver water shooting into the air. AsaHi gave a squeal as she was squirted.

A low-throated chuckle rose from behind her, “I think they like you!”

The girl stood up, turning instantly at the voice she recognized, “Kaze!”

He grinned in return.

AsaHi could only stutter broken sounds, stricken by his appearance. In the short time he had been away, he had totally changed. His common half-cloak was replaced by a highly ornate flow of red, black and gold robes. Runes traced up and down the hem and in the very center was an intricately woven image of a great rearing dragon. The man’s long white hair was pulled back into a highly decorative full wrap — a sign of great rank and power. Something that was fit for a High Guide, if not the Arweinydd themselves. It was a mark that demanded great respect.

AsaHi tried not to stare, but found herself woefully unsuccessful, “Kaze… where have you been? Why… do you look like this?”

He pursed his lips with a strangely subdued light in his eyes.  She crossed the remainder of the stream over the stones to stand on the bank, keeping some distance between them. Something about his demeanor set her on edge.

Kaze rubbed the back of his head with one hand, “So many questions. I suppose I don’t blame you.”

“I just want the truth. Is that too much to ask?” she demanded, growing suddenly bold with his show of insecurity.

He gave a forlorn frown.

“I suppose it must be, seeing that I don’t even know your real name,” AsaHi added.

“It’s not my fault that you jumped to conclusions. I tried to tell you my name from the start,” he spread his hands with an innocent plea. “But you persisted on calling me what pleased you. I didn’t correct you since you seemed quite happy with the name you picked out for me.”

“Don’t give me that, Kaze!” she found herself frowning sharply. “Why did you leave me here alone? I don’t know anyone at all!”

“You know Zento.”

“Not very well! After everything that’s just happened, you vanished without even a word!”

“You were worried about me?” he gave a wide grin.

“If you want to know, yes. I was,” she shot him a flustered look.

“Sunshine,” he gave a pitiful look. “I’m sorry. I suppose I should have told you I was being called away.”

“Called away? To do what? What was so important that you just vanish like that?”

“My people wanted to meet with me,” he answered simply.

Something about the way he said it sent a chill through her body. Instantly, her bold tone grew more somber, “I… don’t understand.”

“I know. It’s my fault that you don’t,” Kaze looked honestly apologetic. “But seeing how so much has happened already, I wanted to give you more time to rest and find your footing.”

“Your people?” For some reason, she was stuck on those two words.

“Yes, my people. Those who live in this city. It would be poor of me not to spend some time among them, as much as they have given up in my name,” Kaze nodded slowly. “I didn’t want to disappoint them. They’ve waited so patiently.”

AsaHi’s eyes studied his robes, then his hair. Her words came slowly, “So you are a very important person here?”

“You could say that, I suppose,” he offered a fangy grin.

A growing meekness flushed over her face, “I didn’t know.”

“Hey,” he reached a hand out, dropping it on her head in his familiar manner. “Don’t get all shy on me now.”

She found it very difficult to look at him, “So you were the one that they were welcoming when they said Master?”

Kaze gave a little frown, taking her shoulders between his hands and gently pulling AsaHi around to face him. “What did I just say? You wanted the truth, yes? And I’m telling you the truth. I am no different than the day we met in the forest.”

“Can’t you just give me a straight answer?” she felt a flush rising.

“I…” his face blanched.

She fell silent, her hands shook as they touched the rearing dragon insignia on the front of his robe.

“This isn’t going over half as well as I hoped it would,” he admitted. “Maybe it was too soon for me to return. I just couldn’t stand to see you fret.”

Dragon…?

The girl’s mind staggered with the impossibility of imagination. As if he was aware of her thoughts, Kaze took a slow step backwards.

“I…” he stammered, “I need to go.”

The complications of his words did not dawn on her until she looked up to find herself alone. Her whole body quivered as her mind reached back, striving to remember…

His name… when I asked him that first day… what did he say?

A rising cadence filled her mind with one word.

Kaze… Kaze… Kaze…

She shook her head.

No… that wasn’t all there was to it. It was more like… Ka… ze… mi…

Her eyes squinted, running the sounds through her mind.

Kazemi. KaZemi…KazeMi? KaZe Mi? Ka… Zemi…

The world around her faded away as realization rushed over her.

Zemi…