"Again."

It was a hot day. I only noticed because I was sweating from my tits to where my tail would be, trying to dodge my uncle's swordcraft under the blisteringly bright sun. He was fast, but he was always fast, and he never made it easy. He felt that experience should come from struggle, and had told me before that the road to mastery is long and perilous, though he claims not to be a master of the art himself. I thought he was being modest, but he assured me he was telling the truth, and I had no argument for that.

I lifted my sword, letting my hind leg take all my weight. The blade I kept parallel to my head as I tried my hand at being a tactician, curious to see if my uncle had a flaw I could take advantage of; but when I tried to read his cold, hazel eyes, I could see none. I never could.

"Any time now."

He was attempting to make me lose my patience, but I knew better. He tilted his head to the side, then took a step forward, causing me to switch my stance and take a step back. This proved to be the wrong decision, and he was soon in front of me, his sword brought down bearing weight on mine as I moved. He was fast. He was always so fast; and it took him no effort to bring my hind leg to the dirt. I, admittedly, let go of the control on my temper, and the flames erupted from the pores of my hand and engulfed my blade, but my uncle did not move.

"Use it."

I didn't know what he meant by that, but it was not something I had been thinking about. I pushed a little harder, and I could feel my uncle start to give, but it took a moment to process what had happened after he let go, swirled around my body, and hit me in the back of the head with the flat side of his blade. The flames on my sword died as I hit the dirt face first. I then grovelled for a moment before my uncle offered me his arm; I took it, and he raised me from the ground with no effort at all.

"Needs work."

"Damn you," I growled at him," it's not as easy as archery."

"But you must learn it regardless."

"I am learning."

"Learning is adapting from your mistakes," he chided me softly," you have yet to do so." I rolled my eyes at that. He kicked my blade onto his toes and tossed it into the air for me to catch it. After I sheathed it he held out a fist, and I connected with mine.

"Next time, do better," he demanded.

"I will," I replied.

"For how long have you been able to create fire?" Ban came out of nowhere, surprising me.

"Do you have a habit of appearing out of thin air?" I asked him.

"He does," my uncle said.

"I must know," Ban said, smiling with an apparent curiosity.

"Well," I said, dusting off my trousers," It must have been... a week now."

"And no wings, yet?" he asked. I wasn't sure if he was toying with me, but I began to grow irate.

"No," I said simply.

"No tail either?"

"No!"

"Strange for a drake not to show signs when they've first cast their fire."

"I'm sure they'll come..." I said, somewhat upset now. Ban's eyes flickered to my uncle, who had growled at him, and then he apologized.

"It must be your mother's side," he said, trying to balance his candor," though it is surprising you can use fire at so young an age. It appears your uncle must have sensed something before he sent you into the woods."

My head turned quickly at that. I stared at him for a moment while he scratched his right cheek nervously, then I turned to look at my uncle, who's expression did not change.

"You knew?"

"Of course I knew," my uncle said," I could feel it. I only needed to find a way to bring it out."

"I knew you led me close to the den on purpose, but I never could have guessed it was for that," I said," I thought you were just trying to teach me how to defend myself."

"And it worked," my uncle said, matter-of-factly," you defended yourself."

I nodded in defeat at that. There was no argument to be had; my uncle always had my training in mind, and I thought, at this point, he must have been thinking years ahead. Now, my attention had turned to Ban, who was trying his best to look innocent.

"How did you know? And why all the questions?" He smiled in defeat.

"I am more wise than you think," he said simply, not really giving me an answer to my second question. Like my uncle, he seemed to be secretly devising a plan for something, and I had grown tired of it all.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, and Ban blinked in surprise. I was sure he did not see that coming; perhaps he wasn't as wise as he thought. Nevertheless, he admitted his guilt, opening his arms in an effort to convey his defeat.

"I want to try something," he said," you can't feel my energy, can you?" It was my turn to be surprised again, and he smiled, then continued," ah yes, see, I did know you were trying to sense me the other night. Ciluyue and Falkend knew as well. Your kind is well known to us, Vysedda, as well as your tracking abilities."

I blinked, and he vanished. Not being able to sense him, I was startled; I looked every direction I could, but he was gone. Then, as if he clung to my back the entire time, he leaned over my shoulder.

"I would like you, Vysedda, to track me," he said into my ear," if you can, I will tell you more about your family. If you can't, well, then that's that, isn't it?"

I turned to face him. I was intrigued, and it sounded like a fun challenge. My uncle continued to do nothing as Ban lifted his arm.

"Agreed?" Ban seemed to sing. I thought for a moment longer, then grabbed his hand.

"Agreed."

It had been hours. I found myself scratching my head in puzzlement and frustration as I walked through the woods, my uncle following close behind me. He insisted on coming.

"I just wanted to see how it plays out, and to help defend you if something happens. The gods know you can't use a sword," he said, a trill arising from his throat in place of a chuckle. I wanted to hit him.

We moved off the trail since it was going to be of no help in our search for Ban. He could be anywhere, I thought, and if he was able to disappear in the blink of an eye, I could only imagine what else he could do to hide himself from me, but I thought back to something he said before the challenge started, and I felt he would not go back on his word.

"I will be clearly visible," he had said," but you will not know for certain it is me."

"You know what we're looking for?" I asked my uncle as we moved through a series of bushes. He nodded.

"I do."

"Any help?"

"No," he said flatly," this is a game between you two. I'm just an observer." I rolled my eyes. Of course he would be no help, he enjoyed watching me suffer; and suffer I did, because another hour had passed before I became overly-frustrated. I paced around in a clearing, trying to tune my ears to any sound that could be heard, my nose to any scent that could be smelled, and my eyes to brighten the darkness so I could see.

"Nothing!" I growled," nothing at all!" My uncle crossed his arms as he chuckled.

"It was never going to be easy, you knew this," he said.

I let out an irritated breath. My uncle unfolded his arms, and I, too, was surprised. The smoke lifted and danced through the air while I processed what just happened.

"You just—"

"I breathed fire!" I screamed. I put my hands over my mouth when I realized I was too loud, but released them again to try the breath once more; and it worked. I was able to breathe fire. My uncle chuckled, watching me play with the fire as if I was a toddler playing with a toy.

"Look!" I said excitedly.

"I know," he said," if only your father was here to see this."

"I must go show him," I said, but then stopped. I had completely forgotten I was in a game with Ban, and I wanted so much to know the rest of his story. I shook my head, then inhaled through my nose and exhaled out my mouth to try to calm down. No flames came out this time, a sign that I must have been calm, and so I returned to the task at hand.

"Uncle?" I said quietly.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering," I paused for a moment to think," if the Lady Ciluyue and the Lord Falkend were anthropomorphic, why wasn't Ban?"

His eyes seemed to light at that, which gave me my answer. Ban could transform into an animal, and I only needed to figure out which one. I looked around into the dark, trying to spot any creature that could be moving through the trees, to no avail. I put a curled finger to my chin to contemplate, and my uncle began to chuckle.

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"What is it?"

"Nothing," he said," it's just... your mother does that a lot."

He was a lot happier and more emotional than I'd ever seen him. I wondered if that meant I was close to finding Ban, and if my uncle felt his teachings were reaching some deep part of my mind, finally. Wisdom, I thought, I felt I was finally beginning to understand....

"Wise," I said under my breath, then my eyes widened, and I said it again, but louder.

"What do you mean?"

"Ban said he was more wise than I thought, yes?" I asked my uncle, and he nodded," and you said he could turn into an animal right? My mother would tell me of spirit animals, or... what animals would represent in a being's character. The owl is supposed to represent wisdom. I think... no, I know. Ban's transformation is that of an owl."

I looked up and, sure enough, an owl had been perched on a branch in one of the taller trees. It raised its wings, then jumped and spiraled downward, appearing as though it grew the further it descended. When it was close to our level, the bird had completely transformed into Ban, who stood in his cloak, staring into my eyes with his bright smile.

"Well done."

We returned home later to find Ciluyue and Falkend were pleased with their newest effort to convince my father to keep the black box. When I asked, Ciluyue told me that my father would indeed keep the box safe, and that there was another matter they talked of, but did not inform me then on what it was. I found it unimportant, but I was increasingly intrigued by the efforts to give my father something that was his, and that he did not want.

I asked him about it later in the night when I could catch him alone in his bed and he said it was none of my concern, and to not ask again. I did not press him, though it only strengthened my curiosity; I found my wispy childishness had bettered my sense of obedience, and I told myself I would investigate, but for now I had more questions, and so I prodded my father further.

"What more did you talk of with Ciluyue and Falkend?" I asked him, and he pondered the question for a moment before he breathed to ease an apparent tension.

"They asked of you and your brother," he said, exhausted," they want to do a couple more tests to see if you do, indeed, have magic. And, if so, they would like to teach you how to use it."

I rolled my thumbs in my hands as my curiosity and anxiety of the moment rose. My father, seeing I was troubled, raised his hand and, as if I was a small child, I grabbed it and bent down to put my head on his chest. I could hear his warm breath rise from his lungs and exhale through his nostrils and into my hair.

"When the time comes, you will be asked if you'd like to leave, or to stay," he said softly," and it will be your choice, no matter what I'd prefer." He doted down on me when I looked up at him. He looked sad, as if he believed I would leave, but I relieved him of his thoughts as I had no knowledge of the outside world, and my temperaments of late were kin only to my age.

"Father, I do not wish to leave," I said," if Ban would be okay with it, I could ask him to teach me here. I was surprised at how well I can retain knowledge from him, as if he'd been training me my whole life." My father brightened at these words.

"I will ask him!" he said, rather excitedly, then cleared his throat as if he did not mean to reveal his feelings," I mean, he is one of my closest friends. Perhaps Ciluyue and Falkend would allow it."

When the next day came my father summoned council, but only of the immediate family and of our guests, the Eldengar. My uncle had told me the name, and if it had come up before I was not paying attention, but the name had little meaning to me. To those others in attendance, aside from my brother, the respect of the name was shown and administered with an air of authority, and even my mother hid her her grudge when it was deemed important enough.

My father had the servants bring a large circular table from one of our unused rooms into the hall, and my brother and I helped move the long tables to the walls of the room. Many chairs were placed in the center of the hall around the table, and I thought that was curious. When I counted the heads of those in attendance there was nine, but we were instructed to place twelve.

"Why twelve?" I asked my uncle, when I was sure my knowledge was correct. He shrugged his head.

"You'll see."

The kitchen service had brought out silverware and placed them neatly in front of nine of the twelve seats. I assumed that meant Ciluyue, Ban, and Falkend did not need to eat, as they were such mysterious figures I just didn't know anything about them. When I asked my uncle he did confirm that I was correct and that I had a good sense of awareness, but that was before the drinking horns were placed at the table and those, I counted, were twelve. My uncle smiled at me.

"They still like the flavors of ale," he said, shaking his head," not mead, this time. We will be drinking ale. And, I reckon, lots of it." He eyed my mother and I looked over; she seemed nervous enough to explode, so I walked over to her to get some answers and she responded the exact way my uncle did.

"You will see."

I was tired of that answer.

The time lapsed after we situated ourselves and I felt we were sitting at the table discussing with our neighbors for the longest time. I tuned my ears to listen to each conversation. Ciluyue and Falkend had been talking with my father and mother about the current events from the lower world, and Ban and my uncle were drinking in silence as my aunt and brother were conversing on his actions as of late. Nothing important to me, I thought, but I was being selfish, and I had no reason to.

It was then, when I was increasingly impatient, that the doors of the hall creaked open. The discussions continued, but Ban and my uncle gave a glance towards the door, as well as my mother. Her bottom lip twitched as three figures took off their robes and gave them to waiting servants. When they reached the table, my mother stood, and she stared at the one in the middle for what felt like the longest time before the man on the right circled the table and greeted my father with a bow. He smiled, reached his hand out, and the man grasped his arm with a good amount of force to be heard across the room.

"Stalize," my father laughed," welcome home."

"It is good to be home, I agree," Stalize said joyfully," though it was nice to see Teles once again." He raised an arm, and the third of his company approached my father." This elf here, this is General Arlanon of the North Star. He is Lord Taerentym's right hand, and most trusted."

Arlanon bowed. His long yellow hair fell over his shoulders and I noticed his ears were pointed. So these were my mother's kin; my kin. I looked across the table and the first of the three had been seated already, his fingers twisted together with his elbows rested on the table. His hair was also yellow, but braided neatly down his back. His eyes were closed, and I thought he was just disinterested, or rude for that matter, but I soon found that it was not true, and that it was my mother who did not want him here.

I left my seat and, cautiously, approached him. He did not waiver, so when the silence between us grew to be too much, I cleared my throat, and he finally looked up at me with his green eyes. My mother's eyes.

"Greetings," I said nervously," I am..."

"I know who you are, dear child," he said a deep, tired voice. He lifted himself from his seat, then turned to look at me. His eyes were piercing, just like my uncle's, and I felt overwhelmed, but then he lifted his left arm and put his hand on my shoulder.

"My granddaughter," he said, blinking once, but his eyes did not change," I have longed to see you."

I didn't know what to do in his presence, though I knew of his title, and I began to bow. He started to chuckle warmly before his left hand curled around the back of my head and brought me close to his chest. I blushed.

"My daughter could not keep you from me for too long, it seems," he said, no hint of a grudge in his voice.

"Father said we would visit Teles soon," I said," I wanted to meet you, and I wanted to see Teles. All I hear are stories."

"One day, I hope," he said, then took me off his chest," but for now, this will have to do."

I smiled, then looked over at my brother. Taerentym took notice of this, then did the same, and asked me if that was, indeed, my brother, and I nodded. He raised his hand to beckon Tallam to come, but my brother stayed where he was. I told my grandfather that Tallam had an introverted perspective and did not like to leave his comfort, and Taerentym only nodded.

"Some other time perhaps," he smiled softly, and when I asked about my mother, he seemed to hesitate, and said again," ...some other time, perhaps."

He raised his arm to dismiss me; it wasn't to get rid of me, but the council was starting, and everyone was beginning to situate themselves. I told him I would like to talk later, and he agreed, and so I went back to sit next to my uncle, who was still drinking with Ban.

The council started a moment later. Stalize and Arlanon sat on either side of my grandfather—Stalize to his left and Arlanon to his right, with Ciluyue and Falkend sitting between them and my parents. My brother sat next to my mother; I was nestled between my aunt and my uncle, and Ban was sat closest to our newest arrivals, completing the circle. When all was silent, my father stood.

"I thank you all for being here," he said, then was quiet a moment, and it appeared he had nothing else to say. He looked around the table once, but then chuckled." It has been so long since I've seen all your faces together."

Some smiled, others nodded. I felt a bit outcasted, and I was sure Tallam did as well.

"I will let the Lady Ciluyue speak from here," my father said," as it his her wish to do so. Lady?" Ciluyue nodded, then stood from her seat as my father lowered himself.

"I'm sure most of you are aware of the stories," she said in a loud, clear voice," of the Sky Mages, those who once sistered the land of Dractalemh in a time long past. And for those of you who don't know, I will retell the tale now, with permission of course." She looked at my father, who nodded his consent. I was sure she meant Tallam and I, but I said nothing, and continued to listen.

"Long ago, there was a people known as Hemengald. They were a sister branch of the drakenfolk, but held no dragon properties that the drakenfolk inherited from the dragons of old. However, they were well-versed in magic and, to a lesser extent, advanced alchemy, something that does not exist today, though the mortals in the Lower Realm have tried to replicate what they believe to be legend, or myth. The Hemengald were hailed as Sky Mages, those who visited the Lower Realm from the sky, or from here, to be exact. Unlike the Eldengar, who are beings chosen by the goddess Dúleardi to keep nature, in all essence, balanced, the Sky Mages used their abilities to help the people of the Lower Realm in many ways. They cured illness. They constructed buildings. They created limbs from rocks and soil. Their magic was also used, in lesser extent, to fight in battles and wars, but it was a different time. In all aspects, sky magic was a useful skill, and could just as easily be tainted, to the concern of the drakenfolk. The Red Sky, a disloyal branch of the drakenfolk, sought to dispose of the Hemengald in their efforts to usurp the royal family, and hunted them down into extinction. No such magic has existed since."

My uncle cleared his throat uncomfortably, but nobody seemed to notice, aside from myself and my aunt, who rested her hand on his arm. Ciluyue did not look at him, but my uncle's actions had confirmed to me that he was a part of the Red Sky at one point, and I began to understand the coldness in his eyes. It was regret, sorrow, and pain that discomforted him, and it all made sense when I realized that my grandfather, Taerentym, shared the same expression.

My thoughts were cut off when Ciluyue found the right words to continue, and instead of interest I found myself surprised and anxious.

"My guild and I believe that sky magic has resurfaced, and I wish now to make sure," she said, then waved an arm for me to stand. I obeyed, and I looked to my brother when she did the same towards him, and he stood as well, though he looked much less anxious than I. In fact, he seemed wholly disinterested in the entire thing.

"Come onto the table," she said, doing the same. I looked down at my uncle and he smiled softly, reassuring me that everything was fine. I, nervously, attempted to bypass the dining ware, but did not do so gracefully. When I found my balance I saw my brother had been standing already, causing me to feel embarrassed, but he offered his hand and I grabbed it. If anyone knew the hail of anxiety I was going through, it was him. We were twins, after all.

Ciluyue reached out her hands, asking us to take hold, and we did. She closed her eyes, then began to chant as though she was praying to the gods. Nothing happened at first, but when her chanting grew louder, I noticed the fires in every corner of the room dimmed, and the veins in my arms started to glow bright and blue. I could see the flow of blood go from my sleeves to the tips of my fingers and back, and my brother, too, looked at himself in surprise as he appeared the same as I.

"Hold out your other hands," said Falkend from behind Ciluyue as she continued to chant. We raised our arms slowly, and Falkend continued to instruct us, and his voice and the rumble in his throat were soothing to my ears. He told us to close our eyes and focus on the image of our blood running through our veins, and I did, then I began to feel tingling in my free hand, and I opened my eyes to see the blue and yellow and orange and red of the flames Falkend had shown Tallam days before dance on the tips of my fingers, and my brother's as well.

"I don't believe it!" I heard my father say, but I was fixated on the feeling of this kind of fire. it was much different than the fire I threw at the bear, or the fire that came from my throat yesterday in the woods. This one felt alive, as if it had a mind of its own.

The fire dissipated slowly; the torches around the room grew back to their original state, and the glow in my veins slowly ceased. Ciluyue stopped chanting, and I could feel the whole room's eyes staring at me, but I did not care. I continued to stare at my hand until Ciluyue opened her eyes and smiled at me.

"It is apparent now," she said softly," you two have magic."