The ceiling of the room was covered in timber, sloping towards the outer walls of the room. A window sat just above the bed Tara was laying, the blue blackness of the sky taking over as the city slowly came to life, lighting up the streets in different colours and in bustling noises.
Tara pulled the covers of her bed towards her chest, snuggling unconsciously in the warm of the cosy bed. Aaliyah had suggested a small bottle of medicine to help her sleep. Before she left the room, she placed it on the rustic ornate desk near the door but Tara decided to not consume it.
She needed to think. And she stared at the wooden beamed ceiling as she replayed in her mind over and over her conversation with Aaliyah.
'It was around the time we lost your father.' Aaliyah had started again. 'You remember about your father, child?'
Tara had felt a small pain in her chest as she looked down to the wooden floors. Her mother had mentioned it to her vaguely that he had died in an accident. 'Ma said, he died in an accident and asked me to never ask again.'
She looked back up at Aaliyah, tears at the end of her eyes and she didn't know if it was for the father she had not known or if it was because she was ashamed she didn't know him. 'I don't remember him.' She paused. 'I can't even remember his face and thought it was because he died when I was too young.'
Aaliyah had looked at her with regret. She got up and stood next to Tara, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. 'I had sometime this notion that my sister had been too rash with her decision of wiping your memory off. And even though I understand her reasons for it, I will not be able to understand her decision.'
'I should know my father and brother right?' Tara had pointed out, angrily. Her mother thought she was so incapable that it seemed that she needed to wipe out every small memory she had.
'We had already lost your father in battle. She couldn't loose her children too.' Aaliyah had said. 'We have had many missions in our life, Tara. But the war cost us too many things.' Tara noticed how Aaliyah on an instinct placed her hand over her stomach. 'Your mother's decision was rash, but it was out of protecting her loved ones. Not out of fear.'
Tara didn't know what to say at that time. So she pursed her lips and kept quiet.
Aaliyah retracted back her hand and held it as she walked back to her couch and sat down. 'She had rushed back, but by then you vanished.'
The air became still in the room.
'I don't know the details of what she had done. One would never understand the length to which a mother will go to protect her child.' Aaliyah explained. 'But she decided to stop at nothing to find you. And as a result, she made enemies.'
'What about my brother?'
'Only your mom knew his location. She didn't even tell me. ' Aaliyah replied. 'He must be almost twenty five years of age now.' She spoke with a forced smile.
Tara felt the rush of anger and had looked away. 'I don't what to do anymore. I really don't.' She stifled the pain in her throat and spoke. 'A few days ago, I was some normal girl, thinking about universities and colleges. And now,' She paused as she looked at Aaliyah. 'What am I even now?'
They were silent for a few minutes after which Aaliyah sighed and finally spoke. 'I might be able to help you with that.'
Tara frowned at her, suspicious. 'And how will you be able to do that?'
'Right now, we need you to be able to learn to control element. At least, until I can find out about your mother.' Aaliyah had suggested. 'And the best place where someone your age can be undetected and still train to become a professional, will be the Academe de Elemental.'
'What's that? Is it a University?'
'In order to become a member of the IDC, every trainee has to pass through the Academe de Elemental, a school for training. You will be able to learn how to control your element.' Aaliyah explained as she stood up. 'And we can do that, until we find your mother.'
'What kind of training?'
'It will help you control and fight with your power of fire.' Aaliyah had replied. 'You will be able to defend yourself.'
'You want me to become a weapon?'
Aaliyah shook her head. 'I want you to better take care of yourself, Tara.' She answered. 'The world outside, it looks peaceful, but that is an illusion we have created. We are always at battle. But only a few of us partake in that battle, while the rest live in that illusion we have created.'
'Are you asking me to join this battle?'
'I am asking you to join the Academe so that you are not defenceless when and if the battle comes to your feet.' Aaliyah replied. 'Your mother made enemies, Tara. If you want to find her, you have to go through them.'
Tara watched the ceiling with eyes that were wandering in her head. Why? Why must she live with the mistakes of another?
Her mother left her with no memories of this life and asked her to run away when that came falling apart. And now her Aunt is making her accountable for her mother's mistake.
Tara sat up straight from her bed and looked outside. The city lights flickered in the townscape like carnival during spring.
What if Aaliyah was wrong about everything? Tara didn't know her enough to trust her and she had only information from the past two days. And what if this is all not true? What if Aaliyah was lying?
The thought an unfamiliar training university had racked up her heart into anxiety of unknown. Her eyes drifted off to the mountains to the North when it dawned upon her. She can go back, and ask someone, her friends or their parents for support. And maybe she can wait upon earth, until she hears back from her mother. And maybe Aaliyah won't mind it if she didn't have to take up her responsibility. And if there was a way to get back home it was how she had come in.
***
As the sun set slowly down the horizon, the city lit up, its main streets with people continuously walking about and the swishing sounds of portals opening across the city echoed. They starting off to their occupation, holding onto their boxes of late night meals and their files, with spells to work on and work with for their daily tasks.
But further nearer the suburbs, it was quieter. This was where the Silver Cadins were settled, who just like their Golden counter parts knew how to cast a spell but was more proficient in spells of illusion. While the rest of the town woke up at dusk and moved into their busy schedules, Arion slept soundly in a bedroom in his maternal grandparents house, tired from his perilous activities of the day.
That was until he was woken up by the loud knockings at the front door. His grandparents were awake of course, they were more Cadin then Kaze, even though Silver Cadins were much more at home in the imposing and steep peaks of the Great UpperWest than the much greener and softer hills of Golden Hills.
He had heard the loud whispers downstairs and begrudgingly pulled his night shirt around him, as he shambled down the stairs.
'She left for Baek Dosi, already?' It was Aaliyah.
Arion sighed. She seemed to be everywhere nowadays.
'Is there any way to contact her?' She sounded frantic.
He heard his grandparents reply in negative, pointing out the fact that it is already late and too far away for a portal travel.
'Aunt Aaliyah?'
Aaliyah turned around and spotted him. Suddenly it felt as if relief flooded into her face and soon enough, Arion realised why.
Within a few moments, he was ready at the door of his grandparent's house, fully dressed in the clothes and his wings.
'I am sorry, I am making you do this.' Aaliyah replied after she had explained the major parts of a very long story. 'I know it is not your responsibility. But you are doing me a great favour.'
Arion let out a sigh of exhaustion. 'Alright. I will keep that in mind.'
'Thank you, Arion. I wouldn't have made you do this if I hadn't had the rest of the sessions with the Assembly.' She said. 'And if I had someone else I could trust.'
Arion nodded as he whirled his arms around to increase the air pressure under neath him, preparing himself for the take off.
The girl, or as she was named, Tara, had run off. And Arion speculated that this was after Aaliyah told her she was going to be shipped off to the Academe for training.
He didn't blame her, he thought as he took off into the skies and towards the town. The Academe was intimidating even to the natives, those who lived and understood the constant strain of being in Rahas, the constant montoring of the the borderlines of each city and constant maintenance of them.
Cities were the smallest unit of settlement in Rahas. The borders of each city are lined with invisible barriers, a creative effort between the Golden, Silver and Black Cadins. These structures built from underground prevented the crossing of the sentient and non-sentient beings when the dimensions crossed into each other. The borders of Barrier Hills too, where lined with these barriers, especially since it had a high resonance. And it was just outside them that Arion had found Tara.
That was when he realised where he would find her.
She was running home. Somewhere familiar, somewhere there more knowns than unknowns and where she would be able to predict her trajectory than here.
Arion shifted his wings and tilted it inwards, turning towards to Aaliyah's office and gliding forward to the hills.
And just as he predicted, he spotted the girl a few miles away, wearily trudging along the narrow path towards the barrier in the hills.
Arion streamlined his wings, speeding up to her and slowly descended, softly landed a few paces behind her.
'Hey!' he called out.
She continued on slowly, completely ignoring him whatsoever.
'Hey!!' he shouted, even more loudly.
When she didn't stop even then, he bellowed with whatever sound he could muster. 'HEY!!!'
Tara halted and turned around. He could feel her eyes widening with surprise upon seeing him. She immediately turned around and bolted.
Arion rolled his eyes. He immediately took off and crossed her, slowly landing a few paces in front of her, within a few seconds.
'You really think you can outrun a Kaze?' He asked her.
'I can think whatever I want.' She immediately replied back.
Arion blinked, confused. He didn't know how to reply to that. 'That was not really the point of my rhetoric question.'
She pursed her lips, trying to stop the trembling. He realised how tired and scared she looked, with her hair dishevelled and heavy bags under her eyes. There was the red glow in her eyes, but glowed dull, like a slow dying ember.
'Tara,…..may I call you Tara?' Arion asked softly, changing his stance to one of understanding civility rather than that of assertiveness that he had planned to be in.
Tara responded with an expression of suspicion but nodded reluctantly. 'You were the one who attacked me?'
Arion nodded, knowing that this was not the time for any kind of justifications. 'I am sorry. I didn't realise the state you were in.'
'And which state is that?' she asked back, trying to retort.
Arion closed his eyes and trying to hide a smile. It felt like a puppy trying to be intimidating. 'Listen, this is not how you get back to wherever your home is.'
'You don't know that. The portal might still be there.'
Arion shook his head. 'No, it's not. And also, you are going the wrong way, plus you won't be able to get inside because there is a barrier surrounding it.'
For a few moments, the Tara stood there just staring at him and then she collapsed on to the ground, vehemently shaking. 'I don't want to do this.' She sobbed. 'I just want to go back home. I don't want to join some fighting institution. I don't want to become a weapon.'
Arion walked towards her and placed his arm on her trembling shoulder. 'Tara?'
She looked up, her eyes brimmed with tears and her nose red. She looked cute.
'The Academe is not as scary as you think it is.' He said. 'I don't think, Aaliyah communicated that well to you.'
She shook her head and wiped the snot off below her nose.
'Almost everyone there will be around your age.' He continued and sat down beside her. 'And a majority of them, do not know how to fight. They will all be untrained like you.'
'How do you know all of this?' she asked, her voice shaking.
'Well, I will be joining the Academe as well.' He answered then paused, realising he cannot sell himself low. 'But mind you, I have had training.'
'She told me, that if I have to find my mother, I will have to become a weapon myself.' Tara said.
'You know how adults are.' He answered with a sigh.
Tara looked at him confused. 'Aren't we both adults?'
'I meant that they have been adults for far longer than we have.' He replied. 'They tend to see things more seriously.'
'But isn't this a serious situation?' Tara asked doubtfully. 'I was attacked by some people, my mother saved me and sacrificed herself so that I escaped whatever they were. I don't know who they were, what they wanted and somehow I ended up where my aunt could easily find me.'
'Your mother must have mapped a portal here so that Aaliyah could find you easily.' Arion replied.
'Even then, why I am so sure that she could have my best interests at heart?' Tara asked. 'I mean she could betray me, easily.'
Arion frowned. 'Well, from your perspective all of that seems likely.' He said and then pursed his lips, trying to be careful on what he was about to say to a young woman trembling with fear. 'But, honestly, what other choice do you have?'
Tara whipped her head at him. 'I could go back to friend's house and lay low until my mother finds me.'
'How will she find you there, when she had sent you here?'
Tara looked dumbfounded and her shoulders slopped.
'And remember, there are people who are still after your mom. Don't you think, they will try to look for you on Earth again?'
Tara bit her lip, her face furrowed into worry. 'Are you suggesting that I go to this Academe?'
Arion pressed his lips together. 'Listen, I cannot decide for you. But what I am saying is that, it may not be as scary as it may seem to you, nor it may be as serious as Aaliyah puts it across to you. Besides, it will help you harness your fire.' He paused and then added. 'They are out of control.'
Tara shrugged. 'I didn't even know I could harness it.'
'Fire is easy to harness, it's controlling it that takes strength.' Arion replied.
'What is your element then?'
'Wind.' He answered. 'I thought you would have come to that conclusion that by now. You know, with the flying.'
'I had a feeling.' She replied with a small smile.
Arion stood up and put out his hand to help her up. She looked at it for a second and slowly placed her hand on it and pulled herself up. 'I think we should start back home.' He suggested.
Tara nodded back at him.
Arion looked across the horizon and saw that the Sun was slowly rising. He let out a breath and started walking with Tara in the direction of the town.