3 The Team

The darkened sky looming overhead paled in comparison to what lay on the horizon. I have been in many different hurricanes, but that had to be what it was. I do not believe we are near the ocean. The winds picked up a bit before falling short of the cliff side. Now that I am looking around, I can see the beauty. We walked along a trail leading down from the cliff side into the forest. The trees were about as large as the redwoods back home, yet the colors of spruce and maple mixed with the long whisps of a willow. Never seeing this sort of thing before, I just walk silently with my mouth agape.

The sound of small animals was quite surreal. I have not heard anything of their like. The buzzing of bugs in underbrush off the trail. This man leading the way, Savrin, held his staff in front of him and it looked like it was glowing somewhat. The trail held a straight path and we seemed to walk quite a while; I would have thought that my side would start hurting. I always had sports asthma growing up, I did get a little tired, but my breathing was not ragged. I guess this new body is better built… That is going to be weird to say..

Finally, we made it to a clearing and the first thing was the voice, it was beautiful, "Savrin, why are you late?" It was melodic and enchanting. A soothing tone as if nothing was wrong, but underlying the annoyance, " you should not make a lady like me wait." Not going to lie, I was expecting a , I did not expect a cat. Yes, you heard me a cat. A black cat with light orange stripes covering its face. Savrin walks right up to the little thing with it jumping up onto the low bough of a tree.

"Please Ceres, don't be too melodramatic, you just do not like to be kept waiting because you prefer to keep others waiting."

"That may hold some truth, but I still do not appreciate it."

"I was just giving our new student some insight in what is to come, I do enjoy some curiosity. Don't you?"

Her tail swished back and forth, "why yes I do enjoy some curiosity, it makes the taste ever sweeter." She bares what should have been her small canines, but instead came a large array of teeth like that of a shark. I backed up instantly just for her to start laughing. "I am jesting young one, you need to get a better sense of humor.

I don't think I'm the one who needs to rethink their humor.. I stand back straight and look around the small glade we stand in. A few small stumps lay about, all signs of life are not present by the sounds of it, and there off under one tree lays another boy. Copper skin and salt and pepper slicked back hair, he must stand around 6'2" give or take but getting closer his hair looked straight. Really straight, and the small sunspots that come through the leaves shine off them once in a while as if they were crystals. They were crystals. Shaking my head, I go and sit down on one of the stumps looking him over.

Ceres and Savrin were over speaking about who knows what and here I am with nothing to do but try and listen or see about waking this guy up. I mean he does not look hostile. He is wearing a brown trench coat with a black under shirt. A long necklace hangs over it with small metallic pieces placed in detail.

Seeing that he was not going to stir anytime soon I took a deep breath and went over to nudge his shoulder. Squatting down next to him to see if he is all right, I took his arm trying to move it. His skin is rough as rock. Feeling the slight movement his eyes open wide and he sits right up having me tumble back onto my behind. He looks around and seeing me at first, he gets up brushing himself off. His voice shows how young he is, maybe somewhere in his late teens.

"Where am I?"

I tilt my head and the teachers are looking over here. Ceres apparently jumped off the limb and onto Savrin's shoulders laying down and looking at us as they walked over. Her voice spoke up slowly at first. "Now now Garthe, you know that you are special, and that I do not have time to be answering every little thing." With a look from Savrin she rolled her eyes, "fine I do, but I do not like to. You are here in the plan that we created. One apart from the other worlds for nature to prosper and the young minds to enjoy. It took a lot of power for us to do such and to bring you over. Luckily, you already hold some ties to magic, so you at least kept your body, good job."

I get up as he stakes a few steps back. "Not you… No!"

"Oh, posh darling, don't fret too much, it isn't good for young hearts. You need them still. I am not going to harm you, nor am I going to hold your hand. Look next to you is one of your partners in this endeavor. Ask him if you have questions."

Savrin speaks up just before stepping back. "You can also see me, don't mind her. Ceres can be a bit over dramatic. It is true though, you both should get talking, not long until the last one pops up."

I had already gotten up at that point when he looks me over with a skeptical eye. He shook his head before putting his hand out. "Hello, my name is Garthe, I come from a family of crafters."

I reached out to shake his hand in kind. "My name is Atakean," I blink wondering why I chose to use my gamertag of all things.. "But you can call me Taki for short."

He takes a seat and I sit beside him before we begin to discuss how we both got here.

"Yeah, I got a letter a few weeks ago, but did not think much of it at the time. When the cat came around, I was already in the middle of a project. My family are crafters you see. I wanted to be more like them. Learning that I had the aptitude for earth magic I wanted to learn to enchant the items we make.

"It made me happy to hear that I was accepted in this place. My family spoke for a short time with Ceres before all I can remember I saw her eyes and blacked out. Next thing I knew I was laying there silly."

I took a long sigh. "I understand the part of being dragged here, but for my case… Let's just say that we have a bit in common. I like to create as well, but more for entertainment." Wanting to leave out the part of my soul being the only thing that I got to keep from my past and that he got his own body at least. Not going to lie, I am a little jealous, maybe because I still do not know what I look like. I reminded myself to find a pond or some water to check it out later.

 Bringing out the paper to look it over again I mind myself. "So, Garthe since we are going to have to work together, you said that your family are crafters? what sort?"

"Mostly we work with metals. blacksmithing, creation of many different things from jewelry and workplace tools to weapons of war. we were called on by many nobles in the province where we lived." His voice is soft and kind as he speaks. "My father is one of the best, but when the local mages began experimenting on the weapons and tools, we made the buyers just left. That is why I wanted to come." When he runs his hand through his hair turning towards me with a silly smile, his hands scratch against that crystalline hair making some jingling sounds.  

"Man, this entire ordeal is something else though. We are really going to be taught by some who were so powerful that they built this entire realm." He leans back to look up at the sky now. 

"To think, we will have one more before we head off on this new course." Shrugging I take my time thinking of what all we can do, "right now we have a craftsman and honestly I am not really good for much. I'm just an ordinary human." Chuckling I look up at the darkening sky. 

Garthe was going to interject with something when another odd noise broke low and sounded like a herd of Buffalo stampeding through the forest. Hops up and turns towards the oncoming sound.

Garthe does the same except that he holds on of his hands up towards his necklace. 

There was a flash and a crack resounded, deafening the area. The streak of lightning came horizontal instead til it got to the center of the glade. We all had to cover our ears. 

Standing in a blackened hole were two figures. One being a young woman with the other a small person. A gnome maybe. The gnome is wearing a small purple robe. Long muttonchops line his face with large blue eyes. 

The woman has light green skin and her hair standing on end. She must take a moment after she is able to move. Crackles of light race over the two of them before dispersing into the ground. 

"Here we are Halla. I told you that we would get here in time." The gnome spoke in a high pitch voice happily. 

"Oh. Yay. Voltas is here." Ceres said as she and Savrin walked over. "Let's get started after they all get acquainted."

Voltas walks over to the others, and they go back towards the edge of the trees. 

I hold myself back a bit longer before walking up to our third person. "Hello, my name is Taki, you also got accepted into Tolga then? I guess we are going to be a team."

I looked her over again and saw her hair returning to its light brown long wavy hair while her hazel eyes brought the change immediately. She began to look at us both. "'Ello. I am Halla" It was hard to understand her. She spoke with a wild accent.

Garthe comes up and nods his head towards her, "I am Garthe, I feel that I have a bit of an earth affinity. How about yourselves?"

Halla speaks up slowly. "I am kind with fire and wind."

When they both look at me, my cheeks redden in embarrassment. 

"Just as you said Garthe. You 'feel' you have an earth affinity. I've always felt close to the wind, but I don't know yet." Trying to play it off as best I can. "I have other knowledge at least." I state as I freak out inwardly a bit.