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  Around and around they went, the stairwell revolving at least twice per floor, the tall Ranger forced to walk somewhat stooped. Even though it wasn’t, the small enclosed darkness made the climb feel long.

  The narrow stairwell finally emptied out into the aviary, a room of incredible contrast proportionally to that of the passage. It was a single vaulted ceiling hallway, leading up to a yawning cavity into the sky that served as a drop-off or landing.

  Elmira immediately spotted Olexion and the other Rangers, already tending to their Volje individually. The aviary had a great many cabinets and accessories lined against the walls, but Elmira paid it little heed as she focused on the Volje.

  The sight of the beasts made Elmira lose composure for a moment, her body automatically walking slower. She liked and adored horses, having grown up with well trained steeds, yet the Volje was another animal entirely.

  The two-legged bodies were mostly furred, having only feathers on the furled wings, which it used very effectively as front legs. Even walking all fours the stature was still that of a large stallion and greater. Elmira was immediately struck by the giant head resembling a keen hound's, huge yellow eyes looking intelligently at her, seeing her for the stranger that she was. Their ears were upright, and their snouts ridged as though armoured. She could imagine the set of teeth they must have.

  ‘Cid was right. They do look like bats,’ said Elmira in distress.

  Olexion at first gave her stern look, but changed it into an amused smile soon enough. ‘You will come to like them my lady.’

  Along the centre fold the wing were a hand-like paw, armed with claws that looked like clouded glass, and the claw size could fold over a man’s head and crush it like a bird could a worm. Its tail Elmira noticed was long and thin, and twice again the length of the body. There was no doubt though that this creature was something that belonged in the sky, its other features being distinctly avian - and then there were its wings!

  An immense creature like this could do with nothing less than the most impressive wingspan a person could see in this part of the world.

  As they were, the Volje folded their wings neatly to their sides, yet one of the foremost, Olexion’s Volj in fact, responded to Elmira’s presence, encroaching, and then in a display of power, opened its wings wide and flapped once, the resulting gust of wind almost knocking Elmira from her feet.

  ‘I didn’t think they were that big,’ said Elmira in dismay in the shadow of the towering Volj.

  ‘Having second thoughts?’ asked Olexion.

  The Volje turned away, clearly satisfied with its message sent.

  Elmira shook her head. ‘No, this should be better than riding anyway right? Let’s get on with it.’

  ‘Fine, you pair up with Sedger-’

  ‘No, I’ll be flying with you,’ pressed Elmira quickly.

  ‘My lady I insist-’

  ‘No, I will not be fooled and then dropped off somewhere by one of your subordinates, I coming with you,’ said Elmira.

  Olexion sighed silently.

  ‘Very well, stand aside while we prepare them,’ said Olexion.

  ‘Remember, I still have this,’ said Elmira, holding up the stone.

  ‘I’m painfully aware of that my lady,’ said Olexion.

  ‘You know, you should really start calling me Elmira, all this milady stuff is painting me out as nobility, which I have no intention of being.’

  ‘As you wish,’ he said.

  Elmira sure he wasn’t going to adhere to the agreement.

  Standing near the stairwell doorway she watched quietly as the Rangers saddled their Volje, Olexion obviously saddling his beast to take two. The Volje were inspected and Elmira was impressed by the series of stretches the Volje did on their own at the command of the Rangers. They would bound into the air, flapping their wings once to almost reach the height of the hall’s vaulted ceiling, landing with another gush of wind. It was over all too soon.

  ‘Come now, let’s be off,’ said Olexion when they were done, motioning for Elmira to come closer.

  Trepidation caught Elmira now, her heart pounding hard as she neared the Volj.

  ‘Don’t be afraid.’

  Olexion cupped his hands, hoisting Elmira up as she stepped onto them.

  A bit higher up than usual, but not unlike a horse, thought Elmira, at least there would be no more side saddling for me.

  Olexion then ushered a command and his greyish Volje lifted its front left leg. Using it as a step Olexion agilely pounced, turning his body in mid-air perfectly into the saddle. Elmira instinctively held on to him. She looked around. The other Rangers were mounted as well.

  Olexion gave the command and the Volje turned, forming a line to face the great exit some thirty yards from where they stood, the launching point laying ahead like a cliff edge.

  There was some enthused shouting and the Volje roared with a deep-bellied sound. Elmira winced as the Volje suddenly burst into a run, the dash of the five beasts playing an eerie sound of clicking claws on the stone floor. The initial rocking was far worse than that of riding a horse and Elmira was glad she had Olexion to hold on to. They reached the edge of the landing and the beasts jumped forth into empty air.

  Elmira was breathless as the sun hit her face.

  There were moments of free fall - and then Elmira felt the beat of the giant wings by her sides. They descended for a moment more and then gained rhythm, the flutter becoming quicker and more powerful, and then slowing again as they stabilized. It was alien to say the least and Elmira wasn’t exactly sure whether she was nauseous yet or not, her position powerless and at the mercy of the beating wings.

  But then it became wondrous. The Volje reached an ideal height, caught a draft, and spread out their wings rigidly to glide.

  ‘See my Lady? Its flight is more like an eagle than any creature staying in a cave.’

  She admitted it was very majestic, a smile creeping over her face.

  They banked, swerving right around the perimeter of the castle to set their course northwards. The tilting and the wind blowing her hair out behind her made Elmira giddy, only just suppressing the urge to whoop, reckoning Olexion would disapprove. She was unlikely to say it, but she was grateful to the Ranger for allowing her to come along and so she was keen on keeping the man content.

  Elmira looked down and saw a whole new face of Lanston; the city she had known all her life became an entity that she could marvel in its entirety from a single vantage point. Everything was in perspective; every building, square and garden, part of a great whole. See saw the stadiums, the towers and even the castle in a way now that the Dauflon himself would be jealous of.

  The city soon past out of sight though, the Volje gaining in speed. From Lanston a winding road carried on, cutting a line through the country. Elmira followed it with her eyes, knowing all too well that it ended with the town Ralna, from where only dirt trails existed to Taverka, the border, and the lands beyond. Even though the world had never seemed as vast Elmira could not understand how swift they were moving over landscapes, how quickly one horizon would be traded for another.

  Their speed altogether brought up another question. The wind in Elmira’s face and ears were but a gentle breeze and she knew Olexion’s body was not enough to block out this much wind. Their passage through the air was too light, too easy. She looked over Olexion’s shoulder and was not sure whether she was imagining it, but the daylight seemed to bend slightly around them, like it was hitting a water droplet. Immediately she wondered whether the stories were true.

  ‘Ranger?’ she asked, and upon hearing her own voice not being lost in the wind she thought she already knew the answer.

  ‘Is it true then that you and your men can use magic?’ she asked shamelessly.

  ‘Yes my lady, though we are not born magicians. Our Volje are creatures of a magical kind, they share their innate abilities with us as a pact of trust, and lend upon us the power needed to create spells. To be honest
our repertoire is rudimentary, but in the instance of both battle and travel our skills are crucial,’ said Olexion. ‘How did you notice?’

  Elmira looked up, seeing a faint rainbow of colours bouncing from Olexion’s magic.

  ‘I saw this… bubble of yours,’ said Elmira as she recognized the faint contour. Now that she knew it was there she was sure she could see its outline enclosing the entire Volj, fixed around their speeding mass.

  ‘Bubble?’ asked Olexion.

  ‘Yeah, you know, like when you’re taking a foam bath and pick up some foam in your hands, and if you blow it just right the bubbles spurt out flying. They have the same sheen of rainbow colours when the light hits them right,’ said Elmira.

  Olexion chuckled. ‘I’ve seen your bathtub phenomenon before. I guess it really is a better description than barrier or shield, although the Rangerhood are a prideful bunch, calling our most prevalent magic a… bubble, would simply not have gone down well with them,’ said Olexion.

  ‘Can’t call a man’s toys by its name, huh?’ laughed Elmira.

  ‘No, I guess not,’ answered Olexion in amusement.

  ‘Are you then blocking out the wind with your bubble?’ asked Elmira.

  ‘Yes, I’m redirecting air to suit our needs and comfort. I’m also filtering daylight; the sun is merciless up here in the open. In battle we use the physicality of the barriers as weapons or as a way of protecting ourselves.

  ‘I see. What is your Volj's name?’ asked Elmira, seeing if she couldn’t keep the conversation going a little longer.

  ‘The conclave received him from the breeder as Oel Dannel. It means “grey one” in the old tongue. I’ve been partnered with him for all the years of my service. Our bond is strong, and our magic better off because of it,’ said Olexion.

  There was silence and Elmira conceded that getting Olexion to talk was going to be hard. She rather craned her head again to watch the landscape pass by. The land was now puckered with verdant hillocks and she saw a lone antelope bounding in fright to the threat of this unusual aerial predator. Only hours ago Elmira would have envied the buck’s freedom.

  Yet it was here, flying, that she felt her freedom, a feeling that released her from all the troubles that the corners of a city had cultivated in her mind. Best of all it gave her hope and renewed her strength. It was all the more better knowing she was off to see Cid, slipping the shackles of her life to chase the man she loved.

  Chapter 35

  A Memory of Years Past

  Olexion felt Elmira behind him resting her head on his back. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep, her slight weight settling against Olexion’s. It was strange for the Ranger, so at first it unnerved him a bit, but then, well…

  Olexion had never married. The Rangerhood usually required sacrificing marital bliss. Against the odds many of his younger counterparts were indeed wedded, but then again they would never make the highest positions.

  It has always been a question of the kind of woman Olexion encountered; most of them did not appreciate his way of life, or his demeanour for that matter. Yet here behind him now was a woman with a will of steel, accompanied by many other characteristics he thought could not co-exist.

  He had not expected her to show up that day, and had not expected her to keep resolve, holding on to the stone and braving the skies. On the other front she was committed to a soldier, so she understood the sacrifices and the effects war had on a man. It was a rare experience for Olexion to admire a girl like he did Elmira.

  This Cid is one lucky man…

  Olexion reconsidered the thought, taking in account that which he had read in the reports and considered the woman behind him.

  No, there is nothing lucky about Cid; the kind of loyalty like Elmira was showing toward the soldier was a loyalty earned.

  Thinking about this Olexion knew that somehow he needed to get the Alder stone from Elmira and get her somewhere safe. He would not have her come in to a war, not to be endangered or revealed to it; Olexion himself cast off his innocence long ago to spare others theirs’. She wouldn’t like it, but it was for her own good.

  Yet Olexion could not make this decision. He made excuses to himself, like thinking how much she would appreciate seeing Cid alive and how tedious and time consuming it would be trying to get the stone from her.

  She is a shrewd girl, he commended in his mind. But I have to leave her somewhere behind, it’s for her own protection.

  Still he could not make this decision. Puzzled, Olexion contemplated.

  He was not a man to show much excitement, but flying was one of his most prized experiences in life. Flying now, with this warm steel-willed girl behind him was unexpectedly comforting, nurturing contentment and triggering a deep seated urge to protect and reluctance to be distanced from her.

  Olexion realized he wasn’t going to leave her behind because he didn’t want to. Suddenly he felt a conflict of emotions.

  She has enough suitors as it is, he joked by himself in order to shake the uncomfortable affection. He rather focused on the task at hand, on what would wait them in Alparack and how best to get the answers they needed. His mind drifted to the Alder stone. How familiar…

  It was a memory so burned into Olexion’s mind he was sure no one will ever be able to make him forget it. It was roughly ten years ago by now, but the images remained vivid:

  Asheva was a glorious city, standing as the capital of the east and one of the most powerful nations on Angaria. No one could ever be sure, but it was widely believed to be the biggest city in the world. It was Olexion’s hometown and he grew up in constant admiration and wonder of it, his penchant for history and grandeur even as child ensuring that there was always something more to discover. Despite the coming of adulthood he could, like so many others, almost still not believe that men could build such gargantuan structures like the Grand Citadel.

  Most of Asheva's was a façade of polished marble; priceless statues and great parks intersected with elaborate waterworks of waterways, fountains and pools. In cost-effective resemblance to the rest of the marble frame the massive city highways were built with a white stone, whereupon some of the first intra-city railway systems in the world were laid, the stream driven carriages of public transport becoming the answer to a city that had the potential to grow too great for its own good. Nowhere was it more grand or beautiful than around the Citadel itself, recognized as the prime beacon of human achievement and prosperity.

  With the duties of a Ranger though, Olexion quickly became accustomed with all the dark nooks and crannies of the world that most people were ignorant off. As a boy he would not have been able to dream that so many secrets rested within Asheva itself.

  It was a fateful day. Olexion was rising through the ranks with unprecedented speed given his dedication to his calling. Tabacher, the Grandmaster of the Summoner conclaves and schools, invited Olexion into the very hallows of the Conclave in the Citadel.

  The Rangers were protectors of the realms in the public eye, but the foremost of their duties saw them trained to fight rogue Summoners and direct or protect Kingdom Summoners should the need arise.

  To the outside world Summoners were the unknown quantity and therefore a menace, better left unmentioned in public circles, leaving the Rangerhood plight a sensitive affair. To these ends they reported to both King Reneus and Grandmaster Tabacher; the two most powerful authorities in the Kingdom.

  The censored reality was that the Kingdom used an array of Summoners to protect its bounty and people. Working in tandem with these Summoners were the highest ranking of the Rangers.

  The Summoners incidentally taught the Rangers the magic they used with their Volje, and like the Summoners the Rangers had access to information like very few others in the Kingdom.

  Even up here in the Citadel premises matters were kept secretive and vague, and till this day Olexion had yet to come to understand the true relationship of Summoner and Ranger. Grandmaster Tabacher was about to cast a r
evelation onto Olexion.

  Tabacher led the thirty-year old Olexion into a great hall. Like all Summoners Tabacher had a certain grace and power about him. His presence was helped on by the fact that he was older than any would care to fathom, though like all of his kind he didn’t show true signs of degeneration.

  He was taller than most Summoners and unlike the others his face was the only one who did show some age, the emerging lines giving his face some human character. Olexion knew Summoners could live for hundreds of years and Tabacher was undoubtedly some centuries old, and would in all probability outlive Olexion still. His dark hair and beard fitted his face like a mane, his pale blue eyes speaking of intelligence and experience of many ages.

  The hall was long, its smooth marble wall running up to become a high ceiling. With the double doors closed behind them the place was eerily illuminated with torches of blue light, magical light no doubt. Olexion should have known by then he wouldn’t like what he was going to see.

  Apprehensively he treaded behind the Summoner, casting his glance all around.

  Along the wall, demanding Olexion’s attention, were giant spheres, floating next to and above each other, the luminance of the room suggesting they were liquid.

  ‘Go on, take a look,’ urged the Grandmaster.

  Curiously Olexion approached. A closer glance revealed the sphere to be nothing more than a man sized bubble of water. An odd piece of magic, but…

  Olexion took a startled step back, shaking his head.

  He had seen a face inside the sphere. It wasn’t just a sphere, it was a cocoon!

  Tabacher appeared at his shoulder as Olexion suppressed a shudder.

  ‘These are our Summoners, Captain. Thirty-seven of them, some of the most powerful beings on the planet, all contained in one room,’ said Tabacher, his voice vibrant by the insinuation of his own statement.

  ‘They are… alive!?’ asked Olexion, making the outline of naked bodies in each of the spheres before him.

  ‘Yes, this is how we keep them in suspension, rendered in a complete comatose state. They are perfectly protected and preserved, even nurtured by the waters around them. Before we enclose our Summoners we make them forget, so that they are fresh and controllable when they are waken again.’