The camp

One week has passed and time for the kids to leave for the camp had arrived.

Alex and Asher where waiting for their transport that was supposed to take them to the camp. The place was rowdy as the kids who hasn't seen their selves for a week now, were shouting and rambling about their personal experience at home.

"Wow, I never imagined we would be this numerous", Alex spoke to asher surprised.

"According to my dad's analysis we would be about six thousand", Asher said with a nod.

"That much, I think we should forget about searching for the rest, we would meet at the camp", Alex said as his eyes widened at the number of kids Asher mentioned.

After awhile, there was an uproar amongst the kids as some of them pointed to the sky shouting, Alex and Asher raised their heads, they were also shocked, a small object in the sky enlarged rapidly as it approached. As it came into view the kids were shocked and amazed to see a black airship in its humongous glory, it had a large silver flag and complicated runes on its body, it was a beauty to behold as it landed.

"What is that!", a kid from the crowd shouted, the kids moved in droves towards the huge airship they were very curious about this strange ride that appeared in front of them. As the kids approached the ship a loud voice sounded,"walk in an orderly form or you will be dealt with". That silenced the kids, they all walked towards the wide stairs that came down from the ship.

"Alex did you know that we had an airship?", Asher questioned.

"No!, I have never heard or seen it before", Alex answered seriously, he stared at the ship curiously.

"Oh!, I thought you knew everything, especially cases like this where people hide things", Asher scowled at Alex.

"How is that possible, I can't just know everything, I am still a kid", Alex patiently explained with a straight face.

"Oh!, Thank you for reminding me, i forgot I'm an adult and you're a kid, smart ass", Asher said with sarcasm evident in his voice. Alex glanced at him with raised eyebrow.

"What are you so pissed off about, don't worry you will get smart in time".

"What!", Asher couldn't think straight, he had finally had a chance to push down this Mr smart guy, always knowledgeable in everything only to be hit in the face at the end. 'Is it a bad thing to be kid, hump!, I will show you Alex', Asher thought.

Entering the airship they where shocked at its elegance in simplicity, a woman stood at the door and said,"get a seat we will arrive at the camp in two hours". The airship was big enough to accommodate all the kids comfortably, the numerous seats in the ship were filled in a moment. After awhile the airship left for the camp.

After two hours, the airship landed at the camp, as its doors opened the kids came out in orderly fashion, they still had a deep impression of that loud voice. Alex looked around what came into his sight was ten large airships like the one he rode and many other smaller ones. A man in casual clothing came in front of the kids and hollered "follow me", he turned and began walking.

While they followed the man the kids were shocked by the camp environment, thousands of archers fully equipped were shooting at objects a hundred and fifty meters away with swift speed, after a while the man stopped at a camp filled with thousands of heavy armored infantry and dropped off about four thousand kids, he left with the remaining two thousand, they were the awakened. As they approached the elite camp, they heard the thunderous sounds of hooves colliding with the ground, getting closer they were greeted with the view of thousands of white horses with warriors mounted upon them as they sped in an orderly fashion, a gorgeous woman wearing sky blue clothing was watching the cavalry from a high platform with a peaceful Aura which was totally out of place in this hot blooded environment.

Wow!, The kids were shocked at her beauty and Aura as they started chatting and whispering.

"That's the water queen, she is very beautiful", a kid said with adoration in his eyes.

"I heard she's a spear master like Elder James", another kid uttered.

"Guys I have a big one, I heard she is the cheiftian's fiancee", a lean kid whispered to three others while staring at Alex. Suddenly most of the kids stared at Alex, 'you call that whispering', Alex thought, his eyes twitched, he was totally speechless. He couldn't take out his anger on the others, he just glared at Morgana from the distance, concluding that it was her fault.

Morgana sensed someone's intense gaze, she looked and saw Alex glaring at her with a grudge evident on his face.

"Huh", she uttered unconsciously while confusion covered her face.

"Those for the white cavalry go right, the rest follow me", the man said as eight hundred kids came out of the crowd and went right, some other warriors led them towards their camp.

"Let's go",the casual man said while waving his hands.

The remaining kids left the white camp and followed the man, they walked for a before reaching a place with tall trees lined together like a wall as they stretched to the distance,"we have arrived, go through the trees", the man said as he walked back.

Coming out of the trees they saw thousands of dark silver armored warriors with thick round shields and long Spears with crest helmets of blue hair.

With shields and Spears they formed a V shaped phalanx with their Spears emitting murderous light. The sound of their feet hitting the ground Thundered as they marched as one. Their murderous Aura froze the kids, the cold eyes of those blood thirsty warriors caused fear to creep into their hearts at the same time they felt awe.

"How does your father control these beasts?", Asher whispered into Alex's ears.

"I don't know and by the way we are going to become those beasts in few years", Alex said and retorted to Asher calling them beasts, which made Asher close his mouth.

A Spartan warrior without his armor came to them and said"follow me to your camp, and prepare your training begins tomorrow". Their camp was a long building of wood and stones with bunk beds in each room and a large canteen nothing else, there was no room for comfort. After showing them their camp the warrior left.

"Alex!", screamed a loud voice as a small figure Rushed to his embrace"I've missed you, its been a long time", Ariana said with a happy smile.

"Its been just a week", Asher said as he destroyed whatever moment happened just now.

"That's cold ", John who was very close to Ariana reprimanded Asher, Asher just looked away.

"I missed all of you, including you Asher", Ariana said softly, Asher's face reddened in embarrassment.

"How have you been?", Alex asked.

"Awful, my mom refused me for the first time, I had to train all day", Ariana complained about her experience.

"Derek you've gotten thinner, what happened?", Alex asked after separating with Ariana.

"Just training, I will train until I beat Asher", Derek replied with resolution. He had to clear his name from being completely beaten without any chance to fight back from Asher.

"Bring it on Fatboy", Asher mocked.

"I am not fat, just chubby", Derek shouted with anger.

"I don't care", Asher responded nonchalantly. Derek and Asher were about to erupt before John came in to meditate. William just stared at the rowdy bunch with a happy face.

"You do know that Arthur is staring at you right", Ariana said to Alex.

"I know, he's been silent since the ceremony which is unusual", Alex replied while he stared at Arthur, who was staring back at him with a predative gaze. Alex smiled and mouthed "I AM NOT A PREY", without any sound, within those words held deeper meaning. Arthur read his lips and smiled as he turned and left for his room.

"What is his problem", Derek asked no one in particular.

" There is always competition among the top, you may understand that someday".

The others were surprised at Willam because it's not everyday Willam speaks and even something like this, but one person only saw insult.

"What did you say!", Derek screamed, he was beginning to get mad at being told he's weak.

"Derek let's go, see you guys later", Alex said as Derek was acting very unusual today, he used to be carefree and didn't take anything including insults seriously.

"What's the problem", Alex said with a serious face.

"I don't know", Derek said with guilt as he had caused a lot of fights within the group.

"From what I've figured, you get riled up when you are called weak directly or indirectly, which is unlike you. I mean you love food more than anything, what changed", Alex said concerned.

"What changed!, Reality showed me that food will never get me anything, I will never be as strong as my ancestor nor will I be able to be your best friend, I mean when you are strong, how could I a chubby guy of low to non-existent strength be of the same place. Alex you don't understand yet as your dad protects you from these things but you! Are the future cheiftian, even your friends will have to be of acceptable power. I can't continue to embarrass you or my family, no matter how I demean crystabel she is way better than me, she's just four years older than me but she will soon become a mid level runesmith at that age! And I will still be grovelling at the pride of being a rare phantom user. Look my dad told me about our history and our ancestor, how great we were, we once took the first Elder seat but now we are the fourth. Why, it's because we got weaker, I saw hope in my father's eyes and I won't disappoint him", Derek regained clarity after his outburst.

"I am sorry I didn't mean to shout, I need to clear my head", Derek apologized as he excused himself.

Alex couldn't register what just happened as he blinked his eyes in confusion, 'something definitely happened after we entered the ellcrys river, it's like we aged without our body Changing', Alex thought and sighed"I need to rest"he muttered and went towards his room.

***

"It seems some kids has began to notice that they are not the same",a short man said to a woman with black hair.

"Why would they not, they are no longer eight". She smiled.