Erika Dolce returned with the elementalists a minute later, to mixed reactions. The two groups were roughly even, numbers wise, but a tension in the air showed that both sides seemed to expect conflict to break out at any moment. Solis pictured Gobross banding the winged elites together to subdue the others and force them to follow him, which would have been in character—but of course, far from prudent. He'd already mentioned the idea, and Erika was not the only one to object.

The misshapen, sprawling castle was host to a whirlwind of heated voices and eventual blows as the more unruly prompted those stronger and more assertive to step in and correct them. As much as Erika had the authority and bearing to put people in their place, that only went so far in an annoyed cast of largely male contestants—particularly with Daryn working against her and outweighing her by half.

Looking above, Solis noted the medics flying to and fro, clearly waiting to duck in and save people in the case of accidents or excessive violence, but they looked suspiciously like vultures waiting for their carrion to drop. To the far sides spread the airborne crowds of onlookers.

A blow to the head knocked Solis sideways, just hard enough to dizzy him momentarily and prompt him to catch himself, turning with an angry grunt. It was Malcolm, one of Daryn's close friends who had accompanied him into the test. "Hey, Daryn's talking to you, Whitey."

"Excuse me?" Solis demanded, balling his fists and getting in the taller boy's face.

Malcolm hesitated just long enough to look to his bigger buddy Daryn, who interrupted, "I said, you can make yourself useful and go man the fort over there." He pointed toward the west corner of their territory, where one of the two side fortresses stood.

"I'll go, too," said Lane, raising his hand.

Solis thought about telling the boy to shut up again, but it was getting tiresome already. Instead, he glared from Daryn to his lackey and flared his wings, brushing a couple contestants with his white pinions. "I'm already sick of this. You think you can just boss everybody around? I'm not—hey, get off me!" He lashed out with a wing as someone grabbed him from the side, and only belatedly looked to see that it was another Gobross supporter, catching himself on the stone floor of the castle's third story.

Briefly, Solis wondered what the audience was thinking while watching them. But only very briefly, as he quickly noted the number of men both young and older who had taken issue with him. Facing him, some approached ominously while glancing at Gobross. Others looked to Erika, who had been conversing with the elementalists and was now pushing her way through the crowd again.

"Stop it, you fools!" she barked. "We can't be fighting like this. Gobross, did you even hear what's on the paper or not?"

Paper? Solis had the feeling he'd missed something.

Erika held up a sheet of parchment, raising her voice. "Everyone be quiet! This was found on the way up the castle. Listen closely, as it is a message to us from the Magnates." She began to rattle off an unsettling note about hidden rules and the treasures hidden within their two wall-facing outposts. So that was what Daryn had picked up on . . . he thought. Following the letter, she announced a plan to seize the victory for their team, a plan that would require cooperation.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

First one youth, then more, came and stood by Erika, declaring their support for her. It started with the elementalists, but eventually more took her side, until the numbers of those who had sided one way or the other were roughly equal—with Solis being one of the few left out. Gobross, naturally, challenged the Dolce woman's play for leadership, boasting about his own strength and prompting her to fight him if she wanted to prove herself.

"I don't have to," was all the reply she gave him.

"Well, uh, look guys," Solis said, raising his hands and backing toward Erika's side of the court. "I've gotta say she's making a little more sense."

"Not so fast, Lightwing," Erika said with a smirk. "Gobross had a point. You and that kid ought to go see to the west fort. We'll need at least one or two other volunteers, plus more to inspect the south fort. At least two each that have wings."

The eleven-year-old Lane was attempting to hide behind the other wingless elementalists, and now looked apologetically Solis' way.

"See, kid?" Solis asked him as he approached the boy. "That's what happens when you volunteer yourself."

"Hey, at least I was following along." The boy stuck out his tongue at him.

Solis resisted the urge to do the same.

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CHARACTERS

* Solis Lightwing (SOLE-iss)—The main character, a white-winged boy of unceasing curiosity who longs to see inside the forbidden Earth.

* Telsan (TELL-suhn)—Solis’ best friend, a young man of the Bird Tribe.

* Phoenix Dolce (DOLE-chay)—Friend of Solis and Telsan, a Flameborn girl of sixteen years. Daughter of Falla Dolce.

* Pim Lightwing—Daughter of Fey of Longfell and mother of Solis and Floris.

* Arthur Lightwing—An exterior miner, husband of Pim, head of the Lightwing household.

* Faridi (fuh-RID-ee)—A Tapiq man who frequently volunteers for lookout duty.

* Colla—A female Tapiq; often works with Faridi.

* Melka—One of the three living Tapiq Magnates.

* Donnor—Said to be the eldest of the three living Magnates.

* Spore—One of the three living Magnates. Doesn’t say much.

* Fey—Solis’ deceased grandmother, a former Magnate.

* Floris—Solis' younger sister. 11 years old; aspires to be a physician.

* Caris—Eldest of the three Lightwing children, now married and residing in the neighboring Tapiq village of Dram.

* Falla Dolce—Phoenix's mother, a Dustborn from a powerful elementalist family of Fenaback. Kept her family name due to unfortunate events she'd rather leave buried.

TERMS

* Earth, The—An immeasurable continent that looms over the entire sky. Forbidden to all save those whom the Magnates choose each year.

* Tapiq (tuh-PEEK)—The tribe of winged men who dwell in Ameros and the surrounding islands. As with most tribes, they have adopted some from other tribes and races as their own, while others are visitors.

* Ornis—Also called the Bird Tribe, though this isn’t entirely accurate, as there are multiple; most simply live farther north.

* Hiding, The—The six hours in the middle of the day when the Sun’s low-angled course takes it behind the infinite cloud layer that looms beneath the sky world.

* Magnate—One of the three living souls of the Tapiq tribe who have ascended to the Earth and returned, bearing supposedly infinite knowledge that they choose to keep hidden.

* Ameros (AM-uh-ros)—Largest island in the southeastern quadrant of the sky, where the Tapiq village of Megeth lies.

* Megeth (Meh-GETH)—Capital city of the Tapiq people.

* Grimstaf VI (GRIM-stahf six)—An artificial island created west of Ameros by the Harbinger.

* Elementalist—One born with a Kinship to an elemental force. They usually lack wings.

KINSHIPS

* Kinless—Possessing no element.

* Flameborn—Kin of flame. They form their own wings as needed from tongues of fire that sprout from their backs.

* Dustborn—Artists of soil and dust. They fly with wings created from nearby dust particles.

* Windborn—Wind kin. Unlike other elementalists, these often grow wings just like any other, though some possess heightened abilities allowing them to fly without wings—and thus lacking them.

* Waveborn (aka Watchers)—Keepers of the invisible wards that protect the sky islands from falling hazards. Also, those with the rare ability of sound manipulation.

* Dewborn—These control moisture and redirect water.

* Stormborn—Creators of small storms and electrical currents.

* Snowborn—Bringers of frost and snow on a small scale.

* Sunborn—Manipulators of light.

* Beastborn—These rare kind, seen largely in the northwestern isles, come in different orders according to a certain class of living creature.

* Cragborn—Manipulators of stone.