Master Nvago

The team of five had just made their way past the Alhora field when suddenly, the sky turned dark as quick as a flash and rain poured down heavily. Bobby took out five umbrellas he had packed before their journey. But Master Kitty simply rejected it and cast a spell that covered them from the rain.

'You could have told me that we won't be requiring umbrellas' Bobby said.

'You know I am a SHAW, for many years now and you're still not used to it' Kitty replied. Bobby grinned.

'There's something you all should know' Lillain said suddenly. The others turned to look at her like she was about to confess a big crime.

'I don't think this is natural rain' Lillain said.

'I know' Kitty replied.

'And that's not important for us to know?' Prince Jake said.

'It's because we're closer to The Outlands, encountering avengers with their dark magic now is not a surprise' Kitty explained. 'However, I must say, the magic in the rain is not dark. It has greater power. Far greater than light magic'

'Yes, that's what I wanted to say' Lillain said. 'You don't think this has got something to do with Flyra is it?'

The others looked at her curiously.

'I mean, think about it, she's a child of the seed of Gratultyn'

There was a pause as they absorbed what Lillain had just mentioned. A highly amazed expression formed on Kitty's face.

'She must be an hour further than us' Kitty said.

'How do you know?' Jake asked.

'Have you forgotten my apprentice? I am a wielder of the wind and the atmosphere. I can feel the distance. Flyra has a strong magic and knowing her specialty, she's more of an Ice person than water. So if she were to exert such strong power, it would be ice. We are facing rain and not snow. So in conclusion, we are not close to her as we might think. She's about an hour away' Kitty said.

'You got all that from the air?' Jake said.

'Yes my prince. Let's continue. Flyra's not going to wait for us' Kitty said. 'Oh and before that, beyond this field, starting from the woods ahead, just keep in mind that you are on foreign grounds. Lots of creatures lurk around, literally waiting for a prey'

He stepped first making his way into the woods. That was when they saw the frozen beast. Still frozen in its place.

'The ice is so strong that even the warm temperature cannot melt it' Kitty said.

'Flyra?' Jake guessed.

'Most probably' Kitty said. He concluded based on the direction the beast was facing.

'Be alert at all times' Kitty warned and made his way forward as the rest followed.

Meanwhile, the team of four had just proceeded down a small hill that was part of a huge mountain at the other end of the valley. Princess Flyra had managed to cast a shield on all of them, strong enough to block the bite of the cold air. The view of the snowy woods not far ahead was a relief. Flyra remained positive but the three friends had started to doubt they were getting out of there alive.

'What forest is that?' Captain asked. Flyra unrolled the map and searched.

'There isn't a name for it. But we're on the right path. Further up is Cappidop Bay. What we're looking for should be very close' Flyra said. Captain shuddered partly from the cold but mostly because he was very nervous. He doesn't know what to expect from meeting with the avengers, meeting Prince Edward for the first time in twenty years. Edward should be twenty-eight years old now.

'Wait, who's that?' Oliver exclaimed staring at something or someone peeking from behind the trees. It was a person, face hidden underneath a long wizard cloak. The man turned around as if on cue and started walking briskly away.

'Wait!' Flyra called, running after him. It was difficult for her to run properly with her dress lagging behind. The man did not even turn, he continued with his quick pace.

'Flyangel wait! We don't know who he is' Captain said, concerned. Flyra did not reply. She was catching up with the man who was also unable to run with his cloak dragging along the grass and roots heavily.

'Sir, please wait!' Flyra called again. The man did not stop a single second. He also neither decreased or increased his speed.

Suddenly, the man disappeared with ripples of forcefield, camouflaged to its surroundings, spreading vertically around the area he was before. Flyra stopped in her tracks. The others did too.

'Where did he go?' Captain said, surprised. Flyra made her way towards the ripple, now gone. She reached her right palm into the air in front, at her shoulder level. The same, but only a single ripple appeared as her hand rested on something that should be the camouflaged forcefield. She dragged her hand across the air. Ripples appeared like she had just dragged her hand across a calm water. Flyra gasped as she realised what she was seeing. It was no wonder why no one could find the avengers' base. They are hidden by magical barriers. Flyra walked forward and disappeared the same way as the man before. The three friends shouted her name in panic as they watched her entering the unknown.

The surroundings were the same. Except there was no snow. The trees are its natural colour, green and very pleasant to the eyes. But there was a small town now right in front of Flyra. It was like some giant had just sucked all the snow out and smacked buildings randomly among the trees. It was a quiet peaceful town. Few villagers, living in small houses walked about the dirt paths, making businesses at the small market in the centre. No fancy buildings. Just houses, huts, few small town buildings like a stable, and the market. A sign fixed to the ground at the outskirts of town. It says 'Trading Village'. The man from before was nowhere to be seen. A few seconds later Captain, Bale and Oliver came through the barrier.

'Whoa!' they said together.

'We're making progress' Flyra told them. 'I'm sure gather has not discovered this place yet'

'If we can enter, what makes you think he has not discovered it yet?' Oliver said.

'I just feel it. Like this is a new discovery. Come'

Flyra went past the sign. She approached a lady in a maiden dress and a white scarf only covering part of her head with a basket filled with fresh bread, probably she had just returned from a bakery.

'Excuse me miss?' Flyra called.

'Yes can I help you? Oh you're such a beautiful lady!' the lady said quickly.

'Uh, thank you miss' Flyra smiled shyly. 'Have you seen a man in a cloak passing by?'

'No I haven't but I know of the man you're speaking of'

'Who is he?'

'Master Nvago. He is the keeper of this town'

'Where can I find him?'

'Oh he'll come to you' the lady smiled very kindly to the extent that some might see it as a little bit creepy. 'Have a nice day!'

And she walked away, leaving Flyra very confused.

'Something's strange about her' Flyra said.

'That's because she's not a real person' a voice of an old wise man came from behind. All of them turned around to see the man from before. He had pulled the hood of his brown cloak back. He is an old man with fewer wrinkles than other people his age. His hair is grey. He has a long beard of the same colour. He has a very kind smile, the one that will calm anyone who sees him.

'Everyone in this town is just a trick of the mind. Everyone except me. I am Master Nvago, protector of trading villages and portals, keeper of travellers, portals, and businesses'

'Nice to meet you sir. why were you hiding from us?' Flyra said.

'I wasn't hiding, I led you here'

'I don't understand, why?'

'To help you with what you're looking for of course!' Master Nvago laughed.

'Just now you mentioned your name and your titles. Portals? You control portals?'

'Not control my child. I just maintain the peace. If you ever heard of Gratultyn, the core for all magic, Responsibilities were given to the sages and high masters of the realm. I am only a master and I am in charge of the least difficult tasks among all The Fifteen. But we're not here to talk about me or any of The Fifteen. I can show you the way to what you seek. Follow me'

The old master turned and walked peacefully ahead. He led them to a small house made of wood. From the outside it seemed like there was only one room. But as they stepped inside, the house seemed like a cottage where people go to, for their vacation. There were at least three bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and a living room where the fireplace is, although there was no chimney from the outside.

'Make yourselves comfortable, I'll come back with tea' Nvago said and proceeded to the kitchen.

The four were still amazed by the magic. They admired the decorations around as they went into the living room. There were mostly potted plants. Master Nvago must have a green thumb. A moment later, which was quite fast to prepare tea for four or five if including the person himself, Nvago came into the living room carrying a tray with five cups and a teapot.

'I'm sorry this is going to sound impolite but do you have milk?' Oliver asked.

'Yes, very impolite of you Oliver' Nvago replied, placing the tray carefully on the coffee table. No one was sure whether the master was really hurt or he was just joking because he spoke monotonously.

'Wait, how do you know my name?'

'I'm the keeper of travellers. You are a traveller. You all are. That gives me advantage on you'

Nvago smiled like that was not creepy at all.

'Princess Flyra, Captain, Bale, and Oliver'

'You said you could help us find…'

'Prince Edward and Princess Erieka? Yes I still can, not I could' Nvago said, cutting Flyra's sentence.

'However, I must warn you. The persons you're looking for are not who they were before' he said.

'What do you mean?'

'That I can't tell you. Every power has its limits. I can only tell you when I see it with my own eyes. But for now, all I can say is, don't expect to find Prince Edward and Princess Erieka as the cute innocent children you know they were'

'I have never met them'

'Yes but you heard of them from these three' Nvago said, referring to the animals. 'Marcala abducted them. Thinking logically, how do you think Marcala would raise them assuming she did not kill them'

'She did not. Because if she wanted to kill them, she would have done it back at the castle. Why go through the trouble of bringing them back to the avengers' base if she wanted to kill them all along'

'Smart girl' Nvago said, smiling calmly.

'Now as you see earlier, the forcefield barrier?'

Flyra nodded.

'That's a dimensional spell. Sofya first used it for… for something. That's not important now'

Flyra frowned for a short while. She dislikes it when someone increases her curiosity but ends up crushing her hopes.

'It blocks whatever the caster wants to be hidden from the view of others outside of it. In this case, I casted it so that random mischief won't find its way into the town'

'The town looks so real, even after you said it wasn't, it still does!' Flyra said, partly amazed.

'It's all fake. I made it as such, so that people who came in, mostly people who lost their way tend to find the gateway of the dimensional wall, I made it so that people who come in will see it as a normal town. I'm protecting a portal here from any mischief that is possible to occur'

'There's a portal? To where?' Captain asked excitedly.

'That's classified information. You are not in need of it at the moment'

The clock on the wall by the fireplace chimed.

'Oh it's time for me to move!' Nvago said all of a sudden.

'Move where?' Flyra asked.

'The portal is shifting to another place. I must clean the town up and make a new one wherever the portal is going to'

'The portal moves?' Oliver exclaimed.

'All of you are asking me questions that are not of your concern at the moment. Back to your objective! What else do you need to know?'

'How can we find them? You haven't told us anything' Flyra said.

'Oh I did tell you princess. I explained about the dimensional spell. Why do you think your uncle could not find the base?'

'My uncle?'

'King Henry. Thought you knew?'

There was an awkward pause.

'I guessed… but I didn't expect it to be true'

'That means Prince Edward and Princess Erieka are not my siblings'

'There you go princess' Nvago said, nodding like a teacher proud of his student.

'And I'm not a real princess'

'There's no such thing as a real princess. By blood you are still royalty. Princess is just a small title'

'Alright' Flyra said, accepting the information she had just absorbed. 'My uncle could not find the base because it's hidden behind a dimensional barrier'

'There you go again' Nvago smiled.

'And how am I supposed to find the barrier. I found this one with your help'

'No it wasn't. I was simply a hint'

Nvago acted out Flyra's action when she swiped her hand across the barrier earlier. Flyra shook her head slowly, trying her best to understand but she couldn't.

'Your own self Flyra. You have the power in you' Nvago said. 'Trust yourself. Let your power within you guide you. And don't stress too much. Magic needs a calm host to shine. That is also why your uncle could not find the base. A calm host would. If it makes you feel better, you are a Winterain, commands not only water but ice as well, that's more than common for a typical Winterain. And you're a child of the seed of Gratultyn. You may not realise it now but I assure you. No one messes with a child of the seed. Not even a high master'

'Thank you Master Nvago' Flyra said. She felt humbled to be praised with all those titles.

'Now run along, I've got tasks to do' Nvago said and he disappeared. No magic sparks or anything just completely vanish.

'Where did he go?' Captain asked.

'Come on! He's shown us the way, let's go' Flyra said and she walked quickly out of the house.