The west tower was as boring as Solis predicted: less impressive than the main one and more dull. He had gone over it with Lane—after the boy arrived by foot, out of breath— and their other companion, Liam, who sported a blond ponytail and was the quietest of the three. They'd found the treasure within a couple of minutes, and were now discussing where to hide it.

"Does it actually have to be in the fortress?" Lane asked.

"Of course not!" Solis returned. "But we get full say in where it goes. No point bringing it all the way back to Dolce and Gobross."

Even as he said it, he knew a teammate would be over shortly to check in and discover where they hid it. There were probably also others watching the wall to make sure none of the three tried to sneak over it to the enemy territory, although the two fortress gates had almost sufficient cover to achieve that without their team's knowledge. The thought had definitely crossed his mind.

The "treasure" itself was a gold chain affixed to a red-jeweled pendant. Liam took one look at it and declared it to be only painted gold. As if that matters, Solis thought with amusement. They ended up hiding it on the first floor of the stone fortress behind a loose block that had pulled out easily enough. One that could be remembered in a pinch and didn't look too obvious. They figured the opposing team would automatically want to search the top floor first once they got there.

The trio had found one more note addressing additional rules for the game. Solis, of course, was inclined to keep the rules to themselves, for reasons he hadn't explained to the two boys. Lane was surprisingly willing to oblige, promising not to tell anyone. The boy seemed to think he had some grand scheme in mind, and that encouraging it and following it were equally good ideas. Liam seemed less convinced, but didn't mind having some sort of edge on their other team members for the time being. Though older and thicker built than Solis, Liam did not have the same competitive spirit as certain others, and right now, they each seemed to view their team as three strong.

The note, which was now nestled in Solis' robe pocket, told of two potentially game-changing rules: one stated that a player could not remain on enemy territory for more than ten minutes at a time, and that such a violation would result in disqualification. The offenders would go into a loser's match after the first game was over. The second rule stated that players could find a very rare third relic per side, which would count as one of the two if brought back to their own side.

As they stood about the uppermost floor discussing the new rules, Lane cupped one hand over an ear and said, "Shush, guys. Hear 'em over there?" He pointed at the tall diagonal wall, which was some two hundred feet from their location.

Solis paused for a moment, listening to the sound of raised voices. "Well, yeah. I'm sure their corner fortress is right on the other side."

"I think they're talking about some kind of rules they just found . . ." Lane muttered, leaning over the parapet. "Can't quite hear, but something about when there are ten members left on a team?"

Solis frowned. Ten members left . . . Can a team lose if a certain number drop out? His ears had only caught a few words, so the kid's ears must be sharp. Suddenly a pair of wings, and then a head, poking up over the wall as a scout scanned their territory.

"That's not quite straight across," said Lane, pointing at the young man, who hovered, getting a view across the wall. "Either their fortress isn't in the same spot or he's not there."

Solis looked at the kid, trying to puzzle out why he thought that information was important. It had no bearing on the game at all. The scout dropped below their sight, and Solis considered mirroring his actions to get a higher vantage, but decided against it. First . . . "Why don't we explore this area a bit more, before they get over here? Speaking of . . ." he turned back to the main northeast castle, seeing small shapes roaming it, mostly wingless. A few of his teammates could be seen browsing the stone fields and colonnades that made up the arena, probably in search of more rules. It sparked a small twitch of jealousy in him, and a burning desire to go collect as many as he could. But . . .

He looked back at Lane, muttering, "Where are they?" Receiving only a blank look, he elaborated, "Whoever's coming to check in on us. We've been unsupervised for a little while now." Erika was going to send reinforcements to help hold the fortress. The stone structure ran all the way up to the wall and served as one of three main entry points between the sides, with the third gate being in the exact center of the huge dividing wall.

"Well . . . um, where is our gate again?" Lane asked. "Down there, right?" he pointed. "Shouldn't we be, y'know, defending it?"

"I'll go check on it," Liam offered.

Solis nodded and began scanning the surroundings once more. He made a split decision and called to Liam, "Hey, we'll be right back!" Pulling Lane with him, he said, "Come on. We're going rule hunting. And third relic hunting."

"Wait, wait!" the boy protested, but he stumbled after the older boy after being dragged a few steps. "We're just gonna leave Liam here?"

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"Liam and whoever comes to check our hiding spot," he answered. "Then maybe they'll feel pressured to watch the gate with him."

"OK. And do you have an idea of where one of these rules might be hiding?"

"Sort of." Solis had spotted a clustered intersection of walls behind them, toward the northern bleachers. It seemed like a decent hiding spot, but he didn't really expect to find anything there. Sure enough, they scoured the area upon arrival and found nothing.

"We'll keep looking," Solis said quickly. "By the way, kid . . . I wanted to tell you a couple things. My friends Telsan and Phoenix, we promised each other we'd all try to win so we could go up to the Earth. So to be honest, I'm not really rooting for our team. I'm looking for any way that I can get the three of us to make it through the rounds."

Lane nodded his head as he ran after Solis. "The three of you, you mean. You know, I could kind of tell that. Do you think that's even possible? And what if one or two of you don't make it, couldn't one of ya just pick the other two?"

Solis glanced over at the boy. "Don't know for sure how it's going to end up, but yeah, I'd think so. This way, though, we have the best chances."

A few moments later, as they stopped to inspect another potential hiding spot, Lane said, "So you want to fail as many of us as possible instead of playing as a team?"

"Sssss . . . ort of," Solis admitted. "I'm not really decided on that yet."

"Then why are you sticking with me?"

"That's . . . well, I wouldn't want to see you get hurt." Solis looked away briefly. The kid still annoyed him, and he'd much rather have him out of the game, but . . . he was developing a hunch that this game would not end safely for all contestants. Daryn Gobross was not the only one with questionable morals, and the crippling of the elementalists seemed almost a deliberate attempt to encourage discrimination, bullying and unnecessary violence. Perhaps that was the real test at play here.

As if to confirm this thought, a scream rang out from their main castle, echoing off the stone walls and causing both boys' heads to whip around. Solis couldn't be sure that it was a cry of pain—it could have been shock or anger—and neither could he tell if it was masculine or feminine, but it didn't sound good. A commotion of shouting and fluttering wings followed the scream, and Solis saw the airborne medics heading over to investigate.

"That didn't . . . sound good," Lane said shakily.

"You don't say." Solis continued to watch, squinting uncertainly at the ungainly castle, until a voice called from above:

"Hey! Lightwing! Kid!"

"Huh?" Solis turned to see a boy his own age—though familiar, he couldn't remember his name—perched on the parapet that surrounded the balcony of the northern keep. It was the messenger they'd sent to verify the hiding spot for the treasure.

"Yeah, where is it? And where's your partner?"

"He's watching the gate. Here, come on, Lane." Solis picked him up, grunting at his weight, and shoved off with his feet, pearly wings lifting the two of them through the air. He set the boy down on the balcony and greeted the newcomer with a nod, breathing heavily. Shorter than most of the contestants, the boy bore a recently-shaven head and a nasty scar that showed through the fuzz. Solis gestured for him to follow and headed downstairs.

"Any idea what all that hubbub was about?" Solis asked over his shoulder, trying to sound unconcerned.

The boy gave a nervous laugh. "Oh, that. Kind of. Just some rivalry, I think. I'm Kev, by the way."

Solis eyed him, nodding absently. He noted discomfort in Kev's voice and mannerisms, and thought he looked like he almost wanted to say more. "OK. Just hope everything's all right." He looked pointedly at Lane. With a long inhale, cognizant of his own heart's rapid beating, he knelt and showed Kev where they'd hidden the amulet behind the cornerstone.

They all turned as Liam's voice called from the gate.

"Somebody trying to get in?" Solis called back, already starting for the doorway.

"Well, yeah . . ." came the reply. "But from the middle gate."

Solis came out into the arched corridor that ran right up to the heavy gateway arch that looked onto the opponents' territory. Grasping the first windowsill that looked out to the southeast, Solis beheld the long field of the open middle area—specifically, the two enemy team members who were sauntering through the gate. "Stupid question, but . . . why don't we have anyone guarding that?"

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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.