CHAPTER 2

"You mean to tell me that this boy is a half-breed?" Zoriana asked.

"Yes Zoriana. Though I'm not sure what his other half is." Yeleda said

"So you're saying that he could either be an elf or a..." Alvaro said with a hint of shock in his voice.

"A celestial. Yes." Yeleda said cutting Alvaro short.

I was still in shock but I mustered enough courage to say something.

"So you mean to tell me that I'm a half-breed. Either I'm an elf or a celestial right?" I asked.

"Yes Ezra. You are correct." Yeleda answered.

"But why an elf, or a celestial? I mean couldn't he be any other creature too." Bellora said.

"Oh no." Alvaro groaned. "Lecture time. You just had to ask mermaid girl.". Bellora then looked at him with a very confused face.

"Elves unlike fairies are able to perform any type of magic.' Yeleda said. "Whereas fairies magic is mainly based on nature or plants and beasts, elves can also have magic based on elements. Fire, water, air, lightning and the lot of them. But very few elves are born with that gift of harnessing magical abilities. Those that are born with those gifts are called mages and they are thought on how to master their abilities. Those that don't have that gift either train as warriors or they can live their lives as what they feel they want to be."

I was really taken back on that explanation but I knew that I wasn't fully satisfied since she didn't explain Bellora's question completely. I summoned some courage and decided to ask her about the other creature I might be.

"What about a celestial?" I asked. Yeleda looked at me with that kind smile of hers which calmed me down a bit.

"We celestials unlike other creatures are born with the ability of a particular type of magic. Elves magic has its limits. They mostly have the ability to perform elemental magic, illusionary magic and some others. Faries have nature magic while dragons have their draconic magic. But celestials are born with any of the magics except the draconic magic." Yeleda said.

"I still don't get it." I said since this explanation just got me a bit more confused.

"In simple terms Ezra," Zoriana said, "our celestial magic isn't a gift but rather a part of us. It is what differentiates us from each other."

"That is if you don't include the aura we possess which really differentiates us from all other creatures. Since you know, we possess powerful auras or something like that." Alvaro said.

I understood what they just explained to me making Bellora and I feel a little bit relieved.

"But for us to know what you're other side is actually the problem at hand now." Zoriana stated which kind of felt true since we didn't have any idea what I may truly be.

"Isn't there like any other way for Ezra's other do that to be known to us. Don't you have a spell or something that can do that?" Bellora asked.

Zoriana was about to answer Bellora but Yeleda beat her to it. "I have the solution to that, dear Bellora." Yeleda answered.

"You possess divination magic Yeleda. How will you be able to reveal what his other half is?" Zoriana asked.

"It is an ancient spell that I learnt a while back. Its purpose is to determine what type of creature you may be and may also give me an insight on just how powerful that creature may be." Yeleda replied.

"Then why doesn't the queen or anyone knows about it?" Alvaro asked

"We all know how the queen will react. And I feel like she wouldn't be to happy about that. Knowing Soriana well, the skill will be used in battles and all that violence which won't be unavoidable." Yeleda said.

"She's right Zoriana. Queen Soriana will lose her temper firstly for the seer hiding such ability from her." Alvaro said. "And two I feel that the power will be used for more than just battles."

At this point I was just about annoyed. I just want to know what my other half is and these guys are saying something about their queen. I've heard a lot about Queen Soriana. She is ranked the most powerful celestial that ever lived. And that she also isn't someone that you make angry. You'll be lucky to escape her wrath.

"I know that this may be rude considering how powerful you all are." I said getting their attention. "But can we let Yeleda do her magic to discover what my other half is so that we can all go home and rest because its almost dark and people are gathering around.". All this while that we were talking, the people of the town had gathered around us. Some murmured, while others praised the celestials for saving our town. If only they knew the real truth about that.

"My, my. He is quite right. It is getting late and I'm sure that we all are supposed to be having important work to be doing." Yeleda said with a smile.

"Just do what needs to be done Yeleda. And let's get this matter behind us as soon as possible as this will decide the fate of the boy." Zoriana said while looking at me with a look of concern on her face.

Yeleda nodded her head as she still had that her warm smile on her face. She gestured for me to stand up while she stretched forth her hands towards me. Bellora helped me to stand up since I was feeling exhausted by the amount of power that I accidentaly released during the attack. She then began to recite some incantation under her breath which I couldn't hear them properly.

"I call upon the powers of our ancestors. Give us all the ability to see what this boy truly is and the power he possesses. GILBATHRA!" she said. Some sort of white magic circle with writings I couldn't understand appeared under me and the circle began to glow. After a few seconds, the magic circle dissappeared while me, I felt the same.

"Did it work?" Zoriana asked.

"I'm afraid not Zoriana." Yeleda answered. That answer caused all of us to look at her with confused faces. "Don't look at me that way my children." she said as she walked close to me and rubbed my left cheek with her right hand. "It appears as though your mother has put a seal upon you which has completely nullified your powers and your other nature. Which explains why this is your first time releasing that power."

"But how can that be Yeleda?" Zoriana asked.

"It seems so. Which means that your mother must have been a very powerful person to have done that to hide your presence from every one of us. And I am among the rare few who can do that but putting this particular type of seal that hides your nature and magic will take a heavy toll on the caster." Yeleda said as she backed away from me.

"Will you be able to release the seal?" Bellora asked.

"Yes I can. Just wait a bit longer Ezra." Yeleda answered as she stretched forth her hands towards me and a white magic circle appeared under me. After a few seconds, the circle began to glow blue and then I felt a huge surge of power flow through my body. Lightning had begun to surround me and it had a blue color. I screamed in pain as the power that flowed through me was too strong. The winds that blew around us started to push everyone back but Yeleda stood her ground. Even Zoriana and Alvaro were being pushed back but they used their wings to stay still. After about thirty seconds of whatever just happened, everything wwent back to normal. The magic circle had disappeared while I has on the floor on one knee breathing heavily. Bellora came to my side to support me while Yeleda used her staff which I didn't notice earlier, to support herself from falling. The other two celestials present helped her to stay on her feet and by my guess, breaking my seal really took a lot out of her.

"What...just...happened?" I asked as I was panting heavily. As I said that, I noticed that the top of my right hand had a low blue glow and something was forming on it. This caught the attention of everyone around as what formed afterwards was a drawing or like a tattoo of six wings with a sword in the middle.

"What is that?" I asked as I felt surprised.

"My, my." Yeleda said.

"No way." Alvaro said with shock in his voice.

"It can't be." Zoriana said as I could her a hint of shock in her voice.

"Ummm, what's that supposed to mean?" Bellora sked.

"Well my child, that is quite simple." Yeleda said as she walked towards the both of us. "That mark truly signifies one thing to us now. Ezra is not only half human but also, half celestial. And by the aura that you give off, your mother must have been very powerful meaning that you have the exact amount of power that she had if not more."

"You mean that I might be a very powerful celestial?" I asked as I was still trying to process everything that just happened.

"At the moment no."Yeleda replied which got her confused looks from both Bellora and me. "You see Ezra, just like us pure breeds, you have an ability and yours is that of lightning or you can say lightning magic. And since you have just discovered about that part of yourself, your magic is very low. The spell I performed just allowed all of us to see just how powerful you can become if not more. But at the moment that won't be shown to us. Though a very powerful aura emits from you, your magic is low."

"So you're trying to say that Ezra is powerful but right now, he's just weak." Bellora said.

"Yes Bellora. And just like Ezra, I sense a powerful aura from you though yours is much higher than his own but is still considered weak." Yeleda said.

"Oh. That's good to know." Bellora said.

"But is there a way for us to become powerful? I mean for us to master our powers?" I asked

"Yes there is my child." Yeleda answered. At that answer, the two other celestials had a concerned look on their faces most especially Zoriana. It's as if this way wasn't something good.

"Don't even think about it Yeleda. Soriana will not agree with you this time." Zoriana said

"The way for you to master your powers to become powerful is through training." she said as she ignored Zoriana's comment. "But not just any normal training. You will have to receive real training from experts who will be able to bring out your full potential."

"Don't you dare ignore me Yeleda." Zoriana said as she walked to Yeleda's side and looked at her. "Do you think that these two will be accepted?"

"This choice isn't yours to make Zoriana. And don't worry about them. I've had an insight on their futures and these two will be of great help to us. They have very bright futures. " Yeleda said to Zoriana.

"So you're saying that we need to be trained by experts to bring out our full powers?" I asked bringing those two back to reality.

"Yes Ezra. And I know just the right place for you. There is a training camp that helps youngsters like you train their abilities and become of great use to the entire realm. And that is just the right place for you." Yeleda replied.

"Yeleda." Zoriana said. "Times have changed. They might not even be allowed there again. And even if they are they will be ridiculed by those there. I know that you've done this before but I doubt that this time you will be granted permission for them to be at that camp.". What she just said now got both Bellora and I worried. What does she mean by that? Oh yeah, that's because I'm a half-breed and half-breeds are like abominations here. Only known for causing trouble.

"Zoriana I know that you are concerned about this boy. Though I'm not sure why, but Ezra here is a special case just like his friend. They are both special and I can feel it. They must be trained whether we like it or not. Their futures is somehow inter-twined with that of us all. Though the path that they will take to make their futures possible is dark, I know that they will succeed. So Zoriana," Yeleda said, "will you agree to allow these two be trained?"

Zoriana had a concerned look on her face as she loooked at Bellora and I and that made me confused because we just met today and she's worried about me. But somehow I actually feel drawn to her like there's something that connects the oth of us. She let out a loud sigh and composed herself.

"If it is what you have suggested then it must be good." she said which earned her a smile from the old celestial.

"I don't have a problem with that since most of what you decide on is okay and is of great benefit to us. These two should be given the opportunity to train their abilities and master it." Alvaro said.

"Now all that is left is to bring this up with Soriana. This will not be an easy task but it is worth a try." Yeleda said. She then turned to face Bellora and me and she still had that her warm smile on her face.

"The two of you should get home and relax yourselves. Leave everything to us. You are both destined for greatness, most especially you Ezra but the path that lies ahead of you is very dangerous yet, I feel that you two will overcome whatever comes your way." she said. She used her two hands to rub our cheeks in a very reassuring manner which brought an ease to my whole body. She then walked back to the other two that were waiting for her.

"I believe that it is time for us to take our leave." she said as she spread her wings.

"We shall meet again soon Ezra. Don't go ahead and do something foolish." Zoriana said. And just as soon as they came, they were gone. Soaring through the air like really large birds. The crowd that had gathered around cheered for them while some murmured about everything that just took place.

"Come on Ezra." Bellora said. "Let's get ourselves home. I think that you would like to find out your dad's side of the story first."

We both left town square and walked back to my home. Millions of questions zoomed around in my head. Who is my mother? What happened to her? Why did my dad keep this away from me? All these are questions that my dad had to answer to me tonight. We finally got to my doorstep and we said our goodbyes which she then left for her own home. I gathered enough strength and walked into the house to see my dad sitting on a chair by the fireplace. He looked at me and he had a shocked expression on his face. Well, I would have had that kind of look if my son comes home looking like a complete mess.

"My lord!" dad said. He stood up and walked to me, and he led me to the chair and got water for me to drink. "What happened son?"

"Got attacked by some trolls at the town square but don't worry, it was taken care of." I replied.

"Thank the heavens that you're okay. Did you get hurt?" he asked checking my body for any injuries.

"I'm fine dad. Zoriana and Alvaro helped us and saved Bellora and I." I said as I removed his hands from my body.

"You mean the celestial army commander and her second-in-command saved you two?" he asked.

"Yes dad. Honestly, today was just full of surprises." I said as I relaxed myself into the chair.

"Really, and what do you mean by today was full of surprises?" he asked as he took a sip of water from another cup and sat on the other chair.

"Well for starters I just found out that I'm a half-breed and that I'm part celestial." I said which caused my dad to spit out the water he was drinking.

"So it's true." I said. "I'm a half-breed which means that my mom was a celestial since you're human." . My dad was shifting nervously on his seat and I could tell that this was something that he never expected to happen for a long time. "For how long were you going to hide that from me dad? That I'm an abomination and that I I'm not supposed to be born?"

"How did you know about that?" he asked, looking concerned.

"During the troll attack Bellora was held captive by one of the trolls." I said as I shifted a little forward on my seat. "And that got me angry and caused a huge power burst from me which made me kill the trolls."

"Your ability is lightning isn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" I asked. It caused him to smile a little followed by a low chuckle as he relaxed in his chair.

"Just like your mother." he replied with an unenthusiastic smile.

"Will you tell me about her? I want to know everything dad." I said with a serious tone. He nodded his head, cleared his throat and began his tale.

"I remember that day just like yesterday." he began. "I was walking home from the fields after a long day of work. I heard a cry and looked to find a young lady who had fallen on the ground and had her luggage scattered around. I ran to her and helped her with her belongings. By the time I was done, it was then that I saw her face. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Her dark purple eyes made me lose myself. Just looking at them made me feel like I was in a whole new world. And her long white hair made her look breath-taking. She was new to the town and had asked me to help her around which I accepted. We got to town and then I realized that she had nowhere to go so I offered her a place to stay at my home. And then that bean a friendship that was never seen before. As days passed by we got closer and closer to each other. And then, that friendship blossomed into love. We got enough money from the fields that we worked since she decided to help me out each day and we used our earnings to open up the bakery. And pretty soon, we got married and that was a few months after the bakery's opening. And then, some months later, she gave me the news that she was pregnant. I was happy about the news but she didn't seem happy about it. Then, that night, that fateful night, she revealed herself to me. She was a celestial and she was different from the rest. She was unique. She thought that I was going to hate her and was going to leave me but I refused. I told her that no matter what, I would love her always despite what she was and despite knowing that she had broken one of the most upheld rule of her people, the conception of a half-breed. Time went by and she gave birth to you. She had cast a spell that helped seal away all your powers and your other nature. It really did take a heavy toll on her but she said that it would be the only way for you to live a normal life and not one full of hatred from others. A year later, she had said that she had to return to her duties but promised that she would return back someday to be with us. Then, the war against darkness had begun and afterwards, I learnt that she was part of those that had died defending the entire land. I knew that she was brave and she did it to protect all of us. Me, you and the whole Elmanda. I never regretted meeting her. And everyday, when I see you, I see her. She was just as troublesome as you are. She was the best thing that ever happened to me."

I listened to my dad's story and I had mixed feelings. I was happy that my mom was brave enough to die defending the whole Elmanda but sad that she had left me. She had left us. But it was for a good cause.

"Wow." I said. "So mom was that brave."

"Yes. Ezra. She was the bravest of them all." he replied. "I remember something she had told me. She said that you were going to be the bridge between half-breeds and all pure breeds. That you have a very bright future, but it was going to be a difficult task for you. But she knew that you were going to overcame all the obstacles in your life. You are destined for greatness Ezra, and when the time is right, you will begin your journey for greatness. And Ezra, I believe that this is the beginning of your journey for greatness.". He had a concerned look on his face which got me to fill a bit guilty. I stood up and walked over to my dad and held his hands.

"For your sake and for the loving memory of mom, I would do my best to make you both proud." I said. He smiled at me and rubbed my head.

"How did you know about your other half? How did you get to know that you were actually a celestial and how did you get the mark of a celestial half-breed?" he asked.

"Well, Yeleda came and did a spell which broke all the seals that held back my powers and my other nature." I answered.

"That old seer. Just as your mother suspected. She had learnt that sealing spell from her and had guessed that she would come for you someday. I never guessed that that day would be so soon." he said

"Let's just be calm dad. Today was hectic and so we need to rest. I'm seriously tired after all that ha happened today." I said as I stretched myself to release a little bit of stress from me.

"Yeah, let's get some rest but not after dinner." he said and led the way to the kitchen for us to get our dinner. I went to my room and lay on my bed thinking about today's revelations.

Things are about to change for me and I mean literally. I said in my mind as I dozed off to sleep.