The Tale of Sky Blue

[Tuinor]

(This is just an idea I'm coming up with, so I'll be posting each new piece as I write them. I hope whoever reads this will enjoy it .)

Not all tales of Faerie are of giddy princesses and happilly-ever-afters. One should not forget that with every light there is a shadow, and for good to exist there must be an evil. This story, the tale of Sky Blue, is one such shadow. You say you never heard of Sky Blue? It is no surprise. By far his sister is more famous, and it is possible that you've heard of her. Hers is the light of this shadow, and whilst it is celebrated as a tale of hope and happiness, his is one of toil and sorrow. It begins with death and new life; a fair enough exchange by some measures. His mother died giving birth to twins: a daughter and a son. The two were separated at birth; the maiden was sent to a kingdom in the fair south, but the boy was taken to the cruel northern lands. At that time the world beyond the borders of civilization was beset by many evils, and the very act of survival was a challenge only the hardiest overcame. Yet the boy was strong, and under the hidden watch of the powers that had brought him into the wild he grew quickly. It was at the age of seventeen years that he began to feel a tugging at his heart to go south and explore the lands unknown to him. At nineteen, he found the call to be irrisistible, and at last he heeded his heart though he knew not what awaited him. After many days of lonely wandering he came to the kingdom that lay at the world's center, to the place of his birth; though, he knew not that he came thence. It was there that this tale truly begins.

[Tuinor]

Sky stared in total amazement at the colossal city that stood before him. Many thoughts and memories passed through his mind as he watched the many strange peoples passing in and out of the city's gates. He recalled the words of the Master, the one who had taught him how to fight and surviv.
"Beware of cities, Sky," he had said, "for you cannot always trust those who dwell within them. If they smile at you, frown. If they frown at you, look them in the eye and let the fire of your soul tell them you are not afraid. But don't worry; most will ignore you, just as you shall them..."
Sky began to miss the Master, the man who had taught him everything he knew. He did not know where he had gone, only that one day the Master had told him he could no longer help him; that Sky needed to live by his own strength, but before he had vanished he promised the boy he would see him again.
"Maybe," thought Sky, "just maybe the Master is there." This he pondered as he debated whether or not to enter the bustling city before him. Then, as if in answer to his own thought, Sky saw the robed and hooded figure of a man who must have been the Master standing at the top of a large tower in the center of town. Sky almost laughed in joy at seeing the long lost Master, but before he could call out the figure leaped from its high perch down into the busy city streets.
"That's just like him!" Sky thought with a laugh as he sprinted off towards the gate.

[Tuinor]

Meanwhile, in a dark, unknown room somewhere in the city...

"You cannot know this for sure!" shouted Sa'if from under his drooping hood. Though his voice betrayed a sense of aggitation, his still figure under his dark, draping cloak revealed nothing more. Likewise were the other three in that room cloaked: in dark green garments they were that draped and hung about their figures, hiding as much of their characteristics as possible from undesired onlookers; though, none could possibly be found in that most secret of chambers. Still, none of the four there would risk the slightest chance of being spotted, thus cloaked they sat in counsil.
"I believe I would recognize this, my own handiwork," Aevor replied quietly.
"But it is far too soon," said Aisha as she adjusted her hood.
"I know it is ahead of schedule," Aevor said, "but it is prepared, I know it."
"I doubt it," said Sa'if. "It is hardly matured."
"Yet a test," interjected Jahud, suddenly speaking up from his dark corner at last, "is definitely in order. If it should be found by them , how would we know if it could survive the encounter? We must test it to see if it needs protecting. You know how important it is to our plans," Jahud warned.
"It is too young," Sa'if remarked, "the test would destroy it."
"That's not true!" shouted Aevor, suddenly losing his demeanor and revealing much of his emotions to his peers. He sat back sourly in his chair, "He has been trained."
"Yes," replied Jahud in his melodic voice, telling Aevor that he had indeed read much from what he had said, "we are aware of his training, Aevor. But let us not forget, it is still a child. Do we expect one so young to pass the test?"
"No," declared Sa'if, "it is not possible! No one so young has ever passed the test. And let us not forget that this one is..."
"You're forgetting," interrupted Aisha with a playful tone, "how special this one is." The other three glared at her from beneath their cloaks. She was, after all, the youngest of the group.
"Yes," Jahud mused, "the one of prophecy. What secret powers does the boy hold?"
"Nothing we are unaware of," Sa'if replied, "if you recall, it was one among us who fashioned the spell."
"But already an anomaly has occured," said Aisha, "there were never supposed to be two; we may need both if we are to harness the spell's full potential."
"Do you ever wonder what may happen if the boy learns to harness the power within him?" Jahud asked, his gaze fixed heavily upon Aevor.
"The boy is mortal," Sa'if retorted, "if he tried, which I daresay he shall not know how, the spell would destroy him."
"But you forget," warned Jahud, "he has had training in the deep ways."
Aevor sat very still as the room got quiet. At last he stirred after a long moment and said, "He is ready. He will pass your test."
Sa'if prepare to object, but Jahud quickly interjected, "Very well, Aevor. But I cannot trust you to deal with this matter thoroughly, though second-oldest you may be. I leave this task, rather, to the youngest of our ranks; our dear Aisha." The girl shifted uncomfortably. "... and thus I make this test a double-edged sword. Aisha, if you succeed you shall be fully accepted into our fold. This is your test as well as his: do not fail me."
Aisha stood and bowed low, as did the others in her company. Then, starting with Jahud, the four departed one by one. As each left the dimly illuminated chamber, Aisha felt herself becoming the last to leave. When she was finally alone, she took a deep breath and started towards the exit. As she left she, however, she failed to notice the shadowed form of Aevor tailing her from a distance.

[Acalewia]

*sits on edge of seat* I'm really liking this so far.

[Tuinor]

(Thanks! It's nice to have an audience!)

Sky wondered at the amazing sights all around him as he walked through the city streets. It was getting late in the evening, but that was fine with him. After all, he had spent his life in the wilderness, and the night bothered him not. After many long minutes of wandering about, however, Sky had become totally lost within the great labrynth of stone. It wasn't long after his sudden revelation of his lost state that another relization struck him. He had noted the feeling not long after he had entered the city, but had dismissed it as a nervous thought... until now. He had suddenly cought sight of a slender figure darting through the shadows of the alley ways. Instinct had told him that he was being followed, sight had shown him what and where, no he had to decide whether to try and lose his tracker, or to confront it head-on. The answer seemed only too obvious; Sky had never been one to run from anything.
He waited until he came to the next openning into the alleys before darting suddenly towards his unkown follower. Surprisingly, just as he came into the alley he unexpectedly slammed into a young woman coming out from one of the dark pathways between the tall ston structures of the city. Down the both of them went and in a moment's time Sky found himself looking up at the girl he'd run into. He'd seen her fall, and for a moment he pondered as to how she'd been able to recover so quickly. Quickly he dismissed this, however, as he suddenly remembered his follower. Jumping to his feet, he glanced about him, quickly surveying the area to make sure he was in no danger. Seeing no one, he turned to look upon the girl he had collided with.
"Are you okay?" she asked when she saw his attention come upon her. Even as he focused on her his mind recalled the words of the Master from long ago.
"Don't always trust a pretty face, Sky," he had instructed. "Be cautious. There are some who may use looks to distract or weaken you. Do not let that happen. You must learn to weigh the intentions of everyone that you meet and learn to spend your trust accordingly."
"Yes, but sir," a much younger Sky had asked, "How shall I know who is 'pretty'?"
The Master had laughed at the boy's question and replied, "Trust me, in a few years you'll know."
As Sky gazed up at the girl's fair features, her dark brown hair, and her deep brown eyes, he realized what the Master had meant.
"Oh, uh...Hi?" Sky said, his face getting strangely hot.

[Tuinor]

As Aisha walked down the lonely back alley, she pondered on how she should perform the task given to her. She knew for certain that Jahud, the oldest and founding member of their order, would not accept anything less than complete success. After all, the order had not survived for so long by allowing room for failure. Making her task al the more difficult was that she was forced to create a test that followed the Three Standards set down by the ancient ones long ago. Those rules fumbled about in her head as she walked the empty street.
“The First Standard: a Trial, when given by one of the Order, must be original and must test those subject to it in areas of Strength, Wit, and Will. In this way are tested those who must put others through Trial.”
This, the First Standard, had been one of the reasons why the Order had never been discovered, for it required any who where to give a test to construct it without any tie to a previous test. This had kept any who would trace the group from finding any sort of lead to discover them by. However, that did not make designing a test any easier for Aisha, who had not had any experience in doing so before.
“The Second Standard: a Trial, when given by one of the Order, must always allow for the chance to pass or fail. In this way are given those who are tried a means of escape.”
This troubled Aisha, for she, being a warrior at heart, did not like the idea of letting anyone “escape” her; although she new this was the essence of the test. If no one was given the chance to escape, well…
“The Third Standard: a Trial, when given by one of the Order, must give death as the outcome of failure for those subject to it. In this way are our ways hidden from outsiders.”
She continued to ponder, not knowing how she should proceed, when all of a sudden she saw a young man, not much older than eighteen years of men, walking down the main street of the city. He wore blue colored garments over much of his lightly tanned skin. His face had sharp features with crystal blue eyes that were slightly covered by medium length hair darker than the blackest night. That was him! The boy she had been sent to test! She ducked around the corner; her sudden movements causing her dark hood to fall back revealing her long, silver hair, deep blue eyes, and long, pointed ears.

[Tuinor]

The brunette girl looked with a puzzled stare at Sky, but she could hardly help from smiling when she saw him blush and look away.
“Hi,” she said in reply, “my name is Liera. I haven’t seen you around here before. Tell me, what’s your name?”
“I, uh,” he said, thrown suddenly by the girl’s polite manner, “I’m, uh, Sky. Sky Blue.”
“Sky… Blue?” asked Liera skeptically as she glanced over his features.
“Yeah,” he assured her, “Why? What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s just, peculiar,” Liera stated. “I’ve never met anyone with a name like that.”
“Oh, well, I understand,” Sky replied, “see, I’m not from around her. I’ve just recently come from the lands in the north. That must be why you’ve never heard a name like mine.”
“Um, yeah,” she said timidly. “Uh… tell me, you’re not one of those barbarians, are you? I hear they have names like that.”
“Barbarians?” he asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a ‘barbarian’ before. I’ve never met any other people before in my life, except the Master.”
“Oh my gosh!” Liera cried, “You’re not an escaped slave, are you?”
“What!?” he cried in reply, “Me? A slave? No way! The Master told me he hated the idea of slavery. He thinks that every person has a right to freedom and happiness. He told me I should always stand against people who treat others poorly.”
“Wow,” Liera said, “your master sounds like an incredible person, judging by the way you talk about him.”
“He is incredible, but he’s not my master. He’s the Master. It’s his name! He had always told me to call him “the Master” because he knew everything. At least, I think that’s why… It’s been a long time since I asked him.”
“Why don’t you ask him next time you see him?” Liera suggested.
“You know what? I will!” Sky stated. “At least, I will when I find him. You see, he left a long time ago, but he told me I’d see him again. I was sure I saw him today, only he jumped into this city before I could talk to him. That’s why I’m here.”
“That’s… terrible!” Liera remarked, “He left you? And he’s the only person you’ve ever known? How old were you when he left?”
“I don’t know,” Sky said.
“What?” Liera cried. With a skeptic look she leaned towards him and whispered, “Are you sure you’re not a slave?”
“Sure I’m sure!” Sky said.
“Well, do you know how old you are now?” Liera asked.
“Do you know how old you are?” Sky asked in return.
“I’m eighteen years old,” she replied.
“Year?” Sky asked.
“Oh, forget it,” Liera sighed.
“I don’t see why it bothers you,” Sky replied, “I’ve been able to survive on my own for over ten winters now. That’s how long it’s been since I last saw him. Ten winters ago.”
“You’ve lived on your own for ten years?” she asked. “But you’re hardly any older than me!”
“So?”
“Well, what was it like living all those years on your own?”
“Boring.” Sky responded without a thought.
“What!?” Liera cried, “I would have been scared to death!”
“Yeah, I guess it was scary at first,” he admitted. “I hardly knew what to do when the Master left, but after some time I just started doing like he taught me and things seemed to turn back to normal.”
“Living on your own like that is not normal,” she said. Sky shrugged but didn’t reply. “Do you have someplace to stay tonight?” she asked after a moment.
“Well, I had picked out a good place under one of the large trees near the gate entrance, but, like I said, I’m lost.”
“Oh, you can’t sleep under a tree!” Liera sighed. “Do you have any money?”
Sky thought about her question, not because he didn’t know what money was, but because he had never seen any. He remembered the Master telling him about money, that is was used in trading for things that people need and want. Knowing he didn’t have anything of value, he shook his head.
“Hmm,” murmured Liera, “Well, you need to be off the streets before night. You can’t afford staying at an inn, so I guess you’d best come with me.”
“With you?” asked Sky, “Do you know a good place to stay?”
“Hopefully,” Liera replied. She started off back into the alley just as the sun was setting in the west. Sky followed her, completely unaware of the shadowed figure following them by way of the roof tops.

[Acalewia]

May I ask who Eva is? I didn't see her mentioned before unless Sky ran into two girls

[Tuinor]

(. . . I thought I fixed that! Oh, well. It's fixed now. See, Eva actually used to be Eiva, but I decided that the name Liera fit the character better. I guess I missed that one while changing the names.)

[Tuinor]

It was dark by the time the two of them made it to their destination. Liera had led the way, of course, and at the end of their long walk across the city there stood a building no different from the rest save that from its windows there came no light unlike all the other buildings around the city. The reason they had taken so long was that Liera (whom Sky had found to be extremely inquisitive) had asked very many questions as they walked, and thus their going had been slow. By the time they had arrived at Liera’s house, for it was indeed her own, Sky found himself rather perplexed at all she had asked him.
“Well, here we are!” she said proudly.
“Where’s here?” Sky asked.
“My home,” Liera replied with a laugh, “and it’s the coziest around. At least, it should be to you, if half of what you’ve told me is true.”
“What I’ve said is true!” Sky protested.
“Don’t worry!” Liera laughed, “I’m just kidding with you.”
“Well, don’t,” Sky snapped, “I don’t like being called a liar.”
“Oh,” Liera said more seriously, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it offended you.”
With that, she turned around and by some mechanism Sky had never seen before that day she opened the door into her house. Sky began to feel bad when after several moments she didn’t talk to him, and he wished that he could get her to speak again.
“I- uh,” he said, trying to find the right words, “I’m sorry if I offended you when I rebuked you. I didn’t mean to.”
“That’s fine,” Liera said, but instead of going into her house she turned and looked him in the eye. “But you shouldn’t yell at people just for that.”
“Sorry,” he said again, looking shamefaced at the ground.
“That’s okay,” she said with a soft smile, “I forgive you.”
He looked up, but as he did he caught a strange look in her eye. She no longer looked at him: her eyes stared heavily upon the rooftops across the street. Sky turned to look, and he feigned that he saw the slightest shifting of a shadow on the roof, but as he continued to focus the dark night permitted him to see nothing more.
“What’s wrong?” he whispered.
“Nothing,” she said, but a strange tone had filled her voice, “Nothing’s wrong, it’s just cold. Come, let’s go in and light a fire.”
She pulled him by his arm, and he reluctantly followed her out of the night and into the even darker room.
As they entered, Sky heard Liera whispering to herself. He began to worry about what she may or may not have seen, but unfortunately it was too dark for him to see where she was.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Oh," she replied, "I'm fine! No, it's just," and with these words light sparked out from behind her crouching figure, "I'm lighting a fire." She stood, turned around and smiled at Sky. With the room lit, Sky was quick to take in his surroundings. There wasn't much to say about it, just a simple room with a few chairs around a fire place. He noted that there was a doorway directly across from the front door they'd just entered through. Beside the fireplace was a small table with a few candles on it.
"Do you always whisper to yourself when you start fires?" he asked doubtfully.
"I do sometimes," she said, "when I'm frustrated or something. I couldn't see what I was doing."
"Oh," he replied, yet still he didn't absolutely believe her.
"You mean to tell me," she said after a moment, "that you've never spoken to yourself even after all those years living alone?"
"I- uh," Sky muttered, trying to find what to say.
"Ah-ha!" Liera cried with a gloating tone.
"Alright, fine," Sky admitted, "you win."
"Good," she replied, "Now, you wait down here. We'll find you a place to sleep as soon as I take care of somethings upstairs." With that, she grabbed and lit a candle.
"Couldn't I go with you?" Sky asked, "I'd like to see more of this place."
"No," she replied, "upstairs is private. It's my bedroom. Maybe tomorrow you could see it, but not now."
She headed through the other doorway, and took and immediate right. Sky followed her through the doorway and watched as she headed up a stairway that had previously been out of view.
"What do you want me to do while you're up there," Sky asked.
"Watch the fire," she replied, "it may go out. There should be some wood in the corner. Don't worry, though, I'll be back soon." Then she waved and walked through another doorway at the top of the stairs.
Sky turned and found that the fire indeed had begun to run down. He ran over to it, but as he did something felt strangely odd about it. It took him a moment to guess, but when he did the discovery sent through his mind many difficult questions. He stared down at the strange fire: the fire that gave no warmth.

[Tuinor]

Aisha sat in silent thought on the roof of a common house as she stared at the building across the street, the home of Liera. She felt herself tensing with suspense, awaiting the moment she had been waiting for so long. The air was clear and cold, yet still he had managed to hide from her, but she knew he was there. She wondered what she would do when finally confronting him, how she should test his loyalty. She came to no conclusion, however, before the time arrived. At last, the shadowed figure she had been anticipating stepped out from beyond the darkness of the night.
"You've been following me," Aisha said, not having time to think of anything else.
"You tell me what I already know," Aevor remarked smugly.
"Don't play games with me, Aevor," Aisha replied, finally turning to gaze upon his cloaked figure, "I don't have the patience right now."
"Patience is to be practiced," Aevor said, more seriously than before, "especially in situations such as these."
"This is more than an ordinary "situation"," she hissed, "you aren't supposed to be here. What if Jahud learns you have followed me?"
"He will be patient," he replied.
"He will kill us both!" she said. "Curse your arrogance, Aevor! How could you bring yourself to defy him again?"
"It isn't the first time," Aevor stated, "and it shall not be the last."
"Oh," Aisha moaned as she turned to gaze upon Leira's house yet again.
"How do you plan on doing it?" Aevor asked as he walked over to her left (and safer) side.
"I thought I might try testing him in his sleep," she admitted.
"What?" Aevor replied playfully, "You plan on simply assassinating him? Girl, he has been trained; you'll have to think of something better than that."
"I'm no fool!" she snapped, "I know what he's capable of. I thought I'd try to infiltrate his dreams."
"Oh," he replied, "clever. And if he ends up believing the nightmare you create for him..."
"Then he dies," she said coldly, interrupting Aevor.
"Very good," he admitted, "yes, very good, indeed. If he survives you, he should be up to anything the future throws at him."
"Even you?" Aisha asked cleverly.
Aevor lowered his hood, revealing a smile on his long, sharp face. His white hair hung down to his waist in the cold windless night, swinging gently only as he lifted his chin at the thought of her words.
"If he isn't, then it is best for us," he said, choosing his words carefully.
Aisha turned and looked up at the man who stood a head taller than she. The moonlight fell directly on his face from her angle, and she could easily make out his features. White hair, pale skin, deep blue eyes, and long pointed ears were the most notable. Yes, he was indeed an elf, just like the rest of their order; only, this had been the first time she had seen his face.
He glanced at her, grinned, and nodded towards the house across the street.
"Your moment of opportunity is fading fast," he said in his arrogant manner before turning and walking away.
Aisha glanced towards the house to find the light in the lower room becoming dim, and berated herself for not noticing. She shot an angry glance back at Aevor, but the mysterious elf was nowhere to be seen. A small chill went up her back as she lightly lept from her perch to the roof of Liera's house, nearly twenty feet away.

[Tuinor]

Sky stared full of pride at his work. A new fire where once stood Liera’s fire was now burning brightly (warmly, too). Sky laughed to himself at her poor fire. It had exhausted itself too quickly, and it hadn’t heated him in the least. Now, here was a fire! Yeah, it may have taken a bit more time to make (he had to find where she kept her kindling), but it was most definitely better than hers had been. He stood up and turned away from his masterpiece only to find her standing right behind him. This hardly startled him (not much could) but it did make him wonder at how she could sneak up behind him without his hearing her. However, as he gazed upon her the answer became clear: she had changed clothes, and no longer wore any footwear. In fact, all she was wearing was a long nightgown of blue color. She carried in front of her a large blanket and a few pillows.
Sky smiled and remarked, “That’s a nice color.”
Liera laughed in reply, “It’s not to flatter you, Sky, it’s the only gown I own. The fact that it’s blue is just coincidence.”
“Coincidence, eh?” Sky asked.
“Yep,” Liera affirmed, “purely coincidence.” Yet in her mind she found herself questioning, “Is it really just that?” She shook her head, clearing away he thoughts as she started to walk around the room.
“Here,” she said, dropping the articles she carried by the wall, “these are for you. Oh, I see you made a new fire,” she said.
“How did you know?” Sky asked, thinking that surely she wouldn’t have noticed any difference.
“I saw you make it,” she said quickly.
“Oh,” he replied, “Well, uh, how long were you standing there?”
“Long enough to see you start it,” she replied.
“Hmm, well, you could’ve come sooner to help me find your kindling.”
“I was changing,” she replied with a grin.
Sky shrugged, “You could’ve helped me first. After all, your fire wasn’t all that great. It went out as soon as you left.”
“Really?” she asked, her grin disappearing from her face.
“Uh, well,” Sky replied, “not exactly the very moment you left, but I know it didn’t last five minutes.”
“You’re probably right,” she said with a relaxing smile, “it usually takes me two or three tries to start a fire.”
“Plus,” Sky continued, “it wasn’t even warm.”
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"It gave no heat at all!" he exclaimed.
“What? That’s… weird.”
“I know!” Sky replied enthusiastically, but Liera, who seemed a bit disturbed at the mentioning of the heatless fire, quickly changed the subject.
“It’s getting pretty late, Sky,” she said before he could continue on the fire subject, “Why don’t we get some sleep?”
Sky glanced around and shrugged, “Sounds good. Where’re we sleeping?”
“I,” Liera said with emphasis on herself, “sleep upstairs. You sleep down here.”
“Alright!” Sky moaned, “Alright! I’m not stupid, you know.”
“I’m beginning to wonder,” she replied teasingly.
“Stop it,” he insisted.
“Alright,” she sighed with a toss of her hair, “I’m sorry, it was just a joke.”
“I know,” he replied, “but, still, it’s just not right.”
“Okay,” she relented, “I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”
“Thank you.”
The two stood for a moment without a word, each of them trying to think of something to say. Finally, with a smile Liera asked, “Will you be alright tonight?”
“I’ve survived worse,” Sky replied. Liera nodded and turned to head back to her room. Just before she began to climb the stairs, however, she couldn’t help but look back once more upon Sky. She noted that his eyes were fixed unchangingly on her, and for the first time in a long time she felt her face get hot. Turning away so that he wouldn’t see her blush, she said “Good night, Sky.”
“Good night, Liera,” she heard him reply as she made her way up the stairs, “and… thanks.”
Sky turned away from the door to the upper story, and went back to working on his fire. Not long afterwards he found he could resist sleep no longer and, gathering the blanket that she had left for him about his figure, he slowly fell into sleep.

[Tuinor]

“Remember most of all, Sky, that in this world people wear masks. Some wear material masks, some wear spiritual masks. They wear them to deceive others, to make sure that no one can hurt them. I wear such a mask. It is this cloak I wrap about my person. You have never seen my face, and so you really have no clue who I am. I could be anyone. That is why you must learn to never trust just what you see. Sight can fail. Learn to trust your feelings, trust your senses, and trust your heart. These will lead you to truth. Remember, when you believe what you see, it can hurt you. So don’t believe this mask, and you shall never be harmed by it.”

Darkness receded as those words of the Master echoed in Sky’s ears. He couldn’t remember hearing them before, but he was certain that they were his. He blinked once or twice, for now the darkness was far from him. Why was it so bright? Suddenly, Sky became very conscious of were he was. He was in Liera’s house, but it wasn’t the same as before. Flames roared all about him. The fire! His fire! It must have gotten out of control! Sky stood and frantically looked back and forth, surveying his surroundings and wondering what to do. A sudden cry left him sure of his course. He turned to head up the stairs to Liera’s room.
“Please, please,” Sky thought as he climbed the stairs, “don’t be hurt.”
As he burst into the room, he stood astounded at what he saw. It was not Liera who faced him now, but a hooded figure with two long daggers.
“Sir?” Sky asked, wondering for a moment if it was the master.
“No,” came a woman’s voice in reply.
“Liera, then?” Sky asked, his frustration mounting at the situation.
In reply, the woman swept back her hood to reveal an astoundingly beautiful face with deep blue eyes, pointed ears, and silver hair, “Liera isn’t here, Sky.”
“You!” he cried, “what have you done with her? Who are you?”
“My name,” said the woman with a strange, twisting bow, “is Aisha. I have come to kill you, Sky.”
Sky gaped at the stranger, “K-kill me? What? Why?”
“Details are not important,” the woman named Aisha replied as she darted towards him, her blades cutting through the air. Sky jumped back, barely avoiding the daggers; however, he found himself tumbling down the stairs behind him in payment for his life. Aisha pursued with unearthly skill and speed, and before he could even stand she was upon him, bearing down with both blades. A quick roll was just barely enough to save his life, but one of the daggers caught him across his back, and he cried out in pain at the newly opened wound. He rose to his feet just as soon as he was away from her, but he wasn’t fast enough, and in a moment he found himself looking into the blue eyes of his beautiful assailant only inches away. He didn’t need to see, however, to know what had just happened. Reaching out his hands, he wrapped them around the wrists of Aisha. He did not grip them, though. Instead he followed her wrists to her hands, her hands to her daggers, and her daggers to his bleeding flesh. All this time he did not look away from her eyes, for there was something strange within them. Like a dimming flame, a fire ready to die, there was sadness in her eyes, and Sky recognized it.
“L-Liera?” he asked as he coughed on his own blood.
“I’m so sorry, Sky,” she replied, a tear running down her cheek. Leira, who was now Aisha, began to weep for Sky, knowing that she had brought an end to her new friend's life.
“No, no this isn’t right,” Sky cried as he fell to his knees. Blood ran down his body and trickled from his mouth.
“I know, but, you must understand, I had to,” she said as she knelt down in front of him.
“What?” Sky asked, his world growing black.
“I was chosen,” she said, not making any sense to him, “I didn’t want to be, but I was. Even then, I would have gladly killed you, but then, I met you. And then I found I couldn’t kill you; at least, not really. But, you see, you have to die. Otherwise, Jahud would have…”
Tears flowed freely from her eyes, and as Sky’s world continued to darken, they were all that he could see.
“Why?” he wondered. He knew his time was short, but he just couldn’t believe it. “This isn’t right. None of this is right.”

[Tuinor]

Sky found now that his whole world was dark. “Where- where am I? I can’t be dead, not yet… I’m still here. This doesn’t make any sense. Did I die or what? No! I don’t want to! I don’t believe it!” Nothing changed, the darkness grew darker, and Sky felt it penetrating into his very existence.
“This can’t be right. I… didn’t even… feel it.” The realization of this sparked something in Sky. Like the fire, he couldn’t feel that death-blow that had left him in the darkness. “Why?” The only things he could think of were the tears of Aisha as she had watched him die. “What had she meant when she said she couldn’t kill me? Didn’t she kill me?” Thought’s swirled in his ever-darkening mind, and out of this came the memory of the Master’s words. “So don’t believe this mask, and you shall never be harmed by it.” Suddenly, feeling came to him, and it was a light to his mind. His hands felt his stomach where the blades had penetrated him, but he couldn’t feel the pain. Even his back had stopped hurting. Sound of the fire around him broke the darkness further, and he heard a gasp from beyond death.
“Can feelings betray as well?” Sky wondered.
“If you believe them,” said the Master’s voice.

Light blazed through the darkness as Sky’s eyes opened once again. There staring at him was Aisha just inches away. She had let herself fall as he had, and there she lied in front of him. Stranger still was that now instead of fire there was rain, and were they had been in a house they were now lying in a grove of trees.
“Where are we?” Sky asked, unsure whether or not he should trust her answer.
“How did you…?” she asked with a sob.
“It’s not real, is it?” Sky asked as he stood, ignoring her question.
“No, it isn’t,” Aisha replied, watching him as he turned away.
“Then where am I?” he demanded. The anger in his voice cut at Aisha with more pain than her blades had brought him.
“You- you’re dreaming,” she said as she rose behind him.
“I am, aren’t I?” Sky asked, more to himself than to her. His consciousness told him this was true, and his heart agreed. Turning around he looked Aisha in the eye. “Why are you here?”
“I was told to…” she began when suddenly another figure appeared through the boughs of the trees. It was cloaked as she had been, but unlike her it held casually in one hand a long, two-handed sword.
“Aisha,” it said mockingly, “why haven’t you done what you set out to do? Is there some mistake? Do you have the wrong boy? I don’t think so. So, kill him already!”
“Sa'if!” she gasped, “Why are you here?”
“I came on behalf of Jahud,” the man stated, “he wants to know if you’ve succeeded or not.”
“I succeeded!” she shouted desperately.
“It doesn’t look like it;” he replied coldly, “the boy is still breathing.”
“He survived the test!” she cried.
“Bah,” Sa’if spat, “you didn’t try hard enough.”
“I gave it everything!” she argued.
“You could have killed him while he slept,” Sa’if replied, “but you didn’t. You tried to kill him in his dreams.”
“Where he would be given a chance to live,” she returned. Sa’if, however, did not get the chance to reply.
“Sky, you must wake up!” cried the Masters voice suddenly as two arms materialized behind Sa’if and grabbed him. “You’re vulnerable to them here, boy, wake up!”
Sky, knowing the Master well enough to not ask the question “How?”, glanced around, trying to think of a way to bring himself back to consciousness. But this dream had become his consciousness. How then to leave it? Suddenly, as he looked back and forth, he noticed the rain. He noticed how it fell all around, and yet, he saw that it left nothing wet. He was dry in a rainstorm.
“It isn’t real,” Sky realized. With realization came acceptance, and with acceptance, belief, and he believed the dream no more.

[Tuinor]

Aisha’s eyes opened as if she had blinked, but she found herself no longer in the world of Sky’s dreams. A rush of panic overtook her as she realized what this meant. Quickly she glanced around the room. No one there. She jumped to her feet and ran across the room to the doorway. Swinging it open, she began to race down the stairs. Fear coursed through her as she anticipated the worst. If Sa’if had awoken next to Sky… She reached the foot of the stairs and turned to see Sky standing just by the fire with his gaze intently upon it.
She approached him cautiously, not wanting to arouse any anger he might have towards her.
“Sky?” she asked softly.
“You killed me,” he replied, ice in his voice. She stopped just five feet away from him as he turned to face her.
“I- I’m sorry,” she replied. She found herself unable to look him in the eye. She turned her gaze upon the fire, which still burned brightly. Just as she did, however, a sudden force seized her by the throat and pushed her against the wall faster than even she could react. Her eyes were wide with fright as she realized it was Sky who held her thus aloft.
“You think I’d trust you again!?” he screamed.
“N- no,” she managed to groan.
“Then why are you here?” he demanded as he let her drop to the ground.
“How did he move that fast?” she wondered, but her reply was, “I told you I didn’t want to. I was forced.”
“Everyone has the power to make their own choices,” Sky yelled, quoting the Master.
“But they might have killed me,” she pleaded, “or worse!”
Suddenly, a voice came out from behind them, “That’s enough, Sky.”
The boy turned to see the cloaked figure of the Master; however, what excitement such a meeting would normally have brought was destroyed by the severity the Master’s voice.
After a long look at his childhood mentor, Sky finally asked, “Sir, what is going on?”
“Please,” Aisha interrupted, “please, find Jahud and tell him that…”
“It’s too late, Aisha,” the Master said, “Sa’if has already gone to find Jahud. We are now both traitors.”
“Sir!” Sky demanded, “What is happening?”
“Calm yourself, Sky,” he said softly, “This isn’t the time nor the place to let emotions control you. Certain forces are after your life, let us leave it at that for now.”
“And are you one of them?” Sky asked. The Master gave no reply. “Answer me!”
“No,” he said at last, “I am not. It’s complicated, Sky, and we do not have time. You, and we, are in very great danger here.” Then, turning to Aisha he said, “You can do as you please, girl. You have served Sa’if’s purpose for you. He may not seek to kill you, but one cannot be certain of his motives. I’d suggest you come with us, just to be safe.”
Aisha found herself too astonished to reply, but Sky argued adamantly, “We can’t keep company with her! She’s one of them!”
“As am I!” the Master replied, “At least, I was.”
“What?” Sky wondered, “I thought you said that you weren’t one of the ones trying to kill me.”
“I am no longer,” he affirmed, “I have not been loyal to them since before you were born, Sky, and they know this.”
Aisha frowned at his words while Sky turned away and shook his head as he tried to clear his thoughts.
“But how can I trust you?” He asked.
“You must find the strength to make that choice on your own, Sky,” the Master replied, “if I wanted you dead, I could have killed you years ago.”
Aisha’s stare grew more suspicious at him, but at last Sky consented.
“Alright, Sir,” he said, “I’ll go with you, for now.”
“Good,” the Master said, “but you no longer need to refer to me as ‘Sir’ or ‘the Master’, for those titles are to be between pupil and teacher. Now we are friends, and at last I can trust you with my name…” as he spoke these words he threw back his hood to reveal his white hair and elfin features to Sky, and with a smile he said, “… my name, Sky, is Aevor.”

[Tuinor]

Sa’if stood restlessly before the Master, Jahud, as the elder elf evaluated the news he had been brought. Once again the two of them stood in the secrecy of their chamber. Apparently, Jahud’s suspicions had been realized in Aevor, but it was indeed some news to find that Aisha’s loyalty had also faltered.
“What shall we do with this younger generation, Sa’if?” Jahud asked as his thoughts fell on that failed young lady. He had hoped that one day she should prove to be a servant as useful as his faithful Sa’if, but, oh, how those hopes had been dashed this night.
“She can be easily replaced,” Sa’if said after some time. Jahud chuckled at his words.
“No, my friend,” said he, “no, it will take some time to undue the damage done tonight to our counsel. Both a Lord and a Lady commit treachery in the same night! We will feel the shockwaves of this act for many years to come. Why, already the youthful begin to question the stability of the Order. With this sudden fracturing I fear that fewer and fewer shall heed our calls for aid.”
After a long moment of silence passed, Sa’if ventured to ask, “My lord, if this is as bad as you say, how are you not troubled?”
“My young friend,” Jahud replied, “I am not as hasty as you. Emotion should never be allowed to cloud our reasoning, even if there is little reasoning to be had. This is why I am the Master and you are not. All we can do now is wait. Remember that when he first betrayed us, Aevor was untraceable in all his actions. He turned himself in, hence his pardon. Now I fear that we shall not see him until once again he chooses to show himself.”
“Why do you tolerate his treachery, lord?” Sa’if asked. Once again the ever-calm Jahud chuckled.
“Aevor is to us as the wind is to the mill, Sa’if,” said he. “One moment he comes and gives us life and strength, the next, he brings destruction. That is the way of nature, and, of all of us, Aevor is most in tune to that way.”
“But why not just capture him, or kill him?” Sa’if persisted.
“Would you bind the wind if you could my friend?” Jahud asked.
“My lord,” said he, “no one can bind the wind.”
“I can,” Jahud said, and not even a hint of disagreement could be sensed from Sa’if, “Now, ask yourself: If you had my power and could bind Aevor, then would you?”
“Yes!” Sa’if said without thinking. Jahud chuckled again, and he trembled at the sound.
“Foolish of you,” he said calmly, “If you bind the wind then what will turn the mill?”
“You could make him turn it!” Sa’if insisted.
“And one might as well spin the blades himself rather than wait for a breeze,” Jahud said, “and that, my friend, defeats the purpose of a mill. Do you understand?”
“I believe so, my lord,” Sa’if replied, “you mean that if we kill him we kill the Order.”
“Yes,” Jahud said, “but we should be patient. We cannot yet tell if his actions shall bring progress or destruction. For now, let us focus on other matters. Remember, there is still the sister.”
“Of course,” said Sa’if, “the princess.”
“Perhaps it may be time to acquire her in case the wind blows violently, eh?”
“My lord, I shall go at once,” Sa’if said with a bow.
“Alive, Sa’if,” Jahud reminded as he turned to walk away, “she must be captured alive! And I want you to be silent and efficient about this. I do not want a repeat of what happened tonight.”
“Yes, my lord,” Sa’if muttered as the Master vanished from the chamber.

[Tuinor]

Perhaps five minutes had passed since Sky had learned the true name of his childhood mentor, and still he found it difficult to put the name and the person together; however, without his hood, the Master just didn’t seem like the Master anymore, either. It was like his old mentor had died and in exchange Sky had met this new person, and because of this he found it hard to trust this Aevor.
Aisha, however, had guessed some time ago while under the guise of Liera that Aevor had been Sky’s teacher, the Master. Despite this, Aevor’s face was just as new to her as it was to Sky, and it seemed to her that Aevor had died and in his place stood the Master, risen out of Sky’s mysterious past to aid them now in their present peril.
Such was the confusion wrought by Aevor, and as he led them down dark alleyways between the towering stone buildings that comprised the city a pondering silence gripped the company. Each, it seemed, sought answers within themselves to the questions lingering in their hearts as they ran down the cramped streets.
After nearly twenty minutes or so had passed, Sky gathered the courage to break the ominous quiet.
“Sir- I mean, Aevor,” asked he, “where are we going?”
Aevor did not answer, and simply continued to lead the way through the maze of alleyways. Aisha glanced at Sky, who looked as though he had been berated by the heavy silence.
“Aevor,” she tried, “I am curious as well. Could you perhaps enlighten us as to where we are headed?”
Sky shot a bitter glance at her as she spoke.
Aevor stopped his running and turned to face the two of them. They stopped as well and watched him eagerly with anticipation.
Aevor sighed and said, “Think, Aisha, what would you do now if you stood in Jahud’s position?”
“Jahud?” she asked, not quite understanding.
Aevor shook his head with frustration and said, “Sky has been snatched out of his reach. He knows better than to hunt for us. What does that leave him with?”
“Nothing,” she replied.
“No,” he said abruptly, “not ‘nothing’. Knowledge. He knows that there is still one more child. He knows about her.”
“The princess!” Aisha gasped as realization struck her.
“Yes,” Aevor affirmed, “the princess. I can guess that even now Jahud has ordered for her capture. He needs one or the other.”
“Hold on a second!” Sky cried. “What are you talking about, ‘the princess’? Exactly what is going on?”
“Sky,” Aevor replied, “it is hard for me explain. Let me just say for now that you have a sister, and she is in terrible danger.”
“A- a sister?” Sky sputtered.
“Yes,” Aisha said, “and she is a princess of the southern kingdom by marriage to the prince and heir to its throne.”
“I have a sister?” Sky asked again.
“Yes, Sky,” Aevor said with a stern nod, “you’ve a sister, a relative. Her name is Snow. Snow White. Now come! We must hasten our way to her, for she, like you, is in great peril.”

[Tuinor]

It was nearing dawn when the dwarf, Dhonder, emerged from a trap door onto the castle’s eastern battlement to begin his morning duties as watchman. He had always chosen to be wakened just before dawn, for he cherished the beauty of the sunrise. Closing the trap door, he turned around to face the horizon with deep anticipation. The morning sky was dimly lit, as the sun had not yet come into view, but against the grey background of the pre-dawn sky Dhonder could still make out the short silhouette of one of his younger brothers whom he had come to replace.
“Dhandon?” he guessed aloud. The figure stirred and turned around.
“No, you dolt!” came a coarse yet cheerful voice. From it, Dhonder easily distinguished which of his seven brothers he spoke to.
“Easy, Donder,” said Dhonder, “I can’t see to tell the difference!”
“Surely you could see that redhead’s beard light up, even in the dead of night, and know that it were him and not I!” laughed Donder.
“One day you’ll push him too far with comments as such,” Dhonder warned.
“Bah, if he wants a fight, he knows where to get one,” retorted Donder. “Why, the maniac is probably fighting something even now!”
“It’s too early for him to be awake if he isn’t on patrol,” Dhonder replied.
“Being asleep won’t do a thing to stop him!” Donder laughed. Dhonder merely nodded in agreement. Dhandon was definitely the most aggressive of the brothers, and he always seemed to be brewing for a fistfight.
“Either way,” Dhonder said, “I’m your replacement this morning, brother, so you are free to go.”
“Hold a sec, brother,” said Donder, “perhaps I would like to watch the sunrise today, hmm?”
“You too?” Dhonder asked.
“Oh, don’t be telling me that’s why you’re up so early!” Donder said.
“Perhaps,” Dhonder replied.
“Well, I can’t see how you do it,” Donder said, “Me, I just watch them when I’m already awake. I couldn’t bring myself to…”
“Hush,” Dhonder interrupted, “the sun’s coming up.”
As the red glow of the sun slowly spread across the eastern horizon Dhonder let out a soft sigh as he allowed the morning’s first lights cleanse his troubled mind. This Donder did not miss, and he turned and stared curiously at his brother.
“What’s the problem, brother?” he asked sincerely.
“Nothing,” Dhonder said truthfully, “Everything will be fine.”
“You think too much, you know that?” Donder told him.
Dhonder thought about his brother’s words, and nodded in agreement.
“Tch, I’m heading down,” Donder said as he turned towards the trap door. Just before descending, he looked back up and said, “You worry too much, too.”
“’Tis best to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best,” Dhonder replied. The words only stopped Donder for a second, and with another “Bah!” he descended back into the castle walls.

[Tuinor]

Snow White, the princess of the fair southern kingdom of Archalace, sat on her favorite couch that lay facing a large window open to the eastern sky. In her eyes was a look of both dread and relief as the red rays of the sun fell onto her pale features and coal black hair.
“You’ve been dreaming again, haven’t you?” asked her husband tenderly. She turned to see the prince Analdon staring at her as he sat upon their bed.
“I’m sorry, love,” she said, “did I wake you?”
“Nay,” said he, “rather, it was your absence that woke me.”
“I’m sorry,” she repeated.
“There’s no need for that,” he said, “I do, however, wonder at what could keep my beloved from the warmth of her bed this morning. Is it the dream?”
“Yes,” she replied softly as she gazed into the sunrise, “the dream.”
Her mind recalled that nightmare of nightmares; she recalled a world were the sun no longer rose, a world drowned in endless night. Endless Darkness. And within the darkness she knew lurked a terror indescribable. A terror she knew only by a name; the Feints.
“Surely, my love, the sun rises, the sun sets, and rises yet again,” Analdon said, “and with each rising the night retreats in terror. Night cannot be eternal, surely.”
His voice seemed strong, certain, and she was glad for it. Still, the dream made her very uneasy. Analdon gazed compassionately at her, remembering the first time she had dreamt the dream. In the middle of night it had awoken her, and she would not sleep afterwards until she saw for certain that the sun would rise again. Such was the fear of the dream within her. Each time she had it, she could not sleep until she felt the warmth of the sun’s first light. He stood, drew up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She welcomed his embrace, and even looked up to greet him as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.
“There was something new this time,” she said as he kissed her.
“What? In the dream?” he asked as he walked around the couch and sat beside her.
“Yes,” she replied. “This time there was a boy. I don’t recognize him, of that I’m certain, but I feel strangely that I know him. His hair is of the darkest black, but his eyes are blue like the sky. He comes and the darkness can’t touch him, as though he were a candle in the night. And, then…”
“What?” asked Analdon after she had paused for several moments.
“Oh, I don’t know!” she cried, “It’s like a puzzle that I can’t solve! I keep thinking the next piece is the right part, but it just doesn’t seem to fit.”
“Don’t let it trouble you, love,” said he, “it is just a dream.”
As he rose from the couch, though, he could hear her whisper faintly, “Let us hope so…”

[Tuinor]

The dwarf Daker wandered silently through the forest as the sun’s first rays began to shine down on the lands surrounding the castle. With his bow at the ready he listened for any hint of his quarry. He had tracked a large buck (he was sure of it!) into the narrow valley between the hills and the sheer castle walls, and was slowly but surely closing the distance between them. His breaths were slow, deep, and as quiet as possible as he slowly approached his prey…

Sa’if stared through the leaves of a small bush at the strange sight before him. He watched as a dwarf slowly made his way through the forest with an arrow nocked and ready. He laughed to himself at how much noise the cumbersome creature made, but he had to applaud the dwarf’s determination. After all, no other creature would have been able to her him save an elf, and to accomplish this was quite a feat for a dwarf.
Sa’if wondered how he should deal with this small inconvenience. Jahud had told him that he should keep this mission as quiet as possible; however, Sa’if knew that nothing could be quiet about the abduction of royalty. Finally, he decided he would have some fun before completing his mission. He stepped out from his hiding place with all the grace and guile his heritage had blessed him with and walked right up behind the dwarf who was completely oblivious to Sa’if’s presence. Or so he thought…

Miniscule sounds of leaves being trampled ever so lightly under foot alerted Daker to the presence of something behind him. Not one to be alarmed by something like this, he continued onward, hoping that the creature would be arrogant enough to think he hadn’t noticed. He began drawing his bow slowly. The strange tension of the unusually long process caused his arms to ache in defiance, but he wouldn’t let it show. The creature must be caught off guard. He had never known anything to be able to sneak up on him like thus, and this knowledge made him uneasy. Just a bit more now. His bow was almost fully drawn when suddenly he heard the feint whispers of metal against metal. A blade! Whatever it was behind him was slowly drawing a knife for his back! The thought of such a cowardly act outraged Daker.
“Not today, pal,” he cried, suddenly leaping forward and twisting back around while simultaneously releasing the arrow from his bow. He landed on his back, and the impact caused him to wince and loose track of his target. Had his shot been true?
“Not likely,” he thought to himself as he barely managed to glimpse a great shadowed figure launch itself up into the tree limbs above. Whatever this thing was, it was no human. He had to warn the castle guard. Rushing off, he wasted no time in looking for the arrow he had lost, nor did he stop long enough to notice the small red drops of blood falling from forest canopy.