Chapter 5

"Ah here's our transport" Ray said.

A black car stopped in the box numbered 320. Ray, Elle, Penthesila, Margaret and Marry were at the Academy's transport hub. Ray had chosen a private car as their mode of transport because of the privacy and security.

White coloured cars with blue stripes stopped in some of the other boxes. These are automated public cars that were one of the private modes of transport commonly used in Atlantis. Personally owned cars are a rarity rather than a norm in Atlantis. When one spoke of travelling by car, one usually meant using the uniformly coloured white with blue stripe cars that was provided by the state. One simply had to summon a car using the terminals that could be found easily throughout the country or with any form of personal electronic gadget that supported such a function. The waiting time was never more than five minutes, such was the efficacy of this form of transportation. This was one of the reasons that personal cars had run out of fashion in Atlantis since more than two decades ago. Other than the efficacy of the service, it eliminated the need for a driving licence. Anyone can use an automated car, though one would still need to have what is called 'Clearance Level' to be allowed to access the manual driving function. Obtaining a Clearance Level was not as difficult as getting a driving licence, but only required that a person be of a certain age (in this case more than sixteen) and passing a set of simulation tests.

Of course, Sky Tubes which had with it the added benefit of a nice scenery (and the sceneries in Atlantis were breath taking) was the favourite mode of transport.   

The automated black car that Ray summoned was a private car belonging to the Academy. As it was a private car, its use was restricted to the few people who have access to it. This meant that there was an infinitely lower probability of the car having been tampered with by a user thus a greater level of security. Although there has been only one incident of an automatic car being tampered with during the earlier days of its use when its security system was not yet close-to-impossible-to-hack, Ray was not taking any chances. Nowadays the system controlling Atlantis' automatic cars was considered practically impervious to hacking and tampering by outside forces. Those cars owned by the Academy had on top of this state-of-the-art technology an extra level of security that made it even more impenetrable. Security was Ray's main concern and he was taking every possible level of security that he could, even if the public cars were actually considered more than safe enough.

Ray evidently had a Clearance Level as he turned off the automatic driving function and opted to drive manually.

"I didn't know Atlantians knew how to drive" Margaret chided as Ray put the car into gear and began to drive. The car was a comfortable five-seater. Elle sat in front with Ray and Penthesila, Margaret and Marry sat in the back seats.

"That perception is not very far off" Ray said. "It makes little sense for us to learn to drive so almost no Atlantians know how to. For us Heroes though, the Academy makes it compulsory for us to get up to a level 3 clearance"

"Well that has certainly piqued my interest" Margaret said. She leaned forward to look at the cars control panels. "What's level 1, 2 and 3 clearance?"

Ray humoured her. "Level 1 clearance unlocks the manual driving function. This allows the driver to control the pedal and the steering wheel but the gear is managed by the system. The maximum speed is also limited by the vehicle and the location where we can drive is also limited"

"Level 2 clearance is the same thing but with the area and speed limits removed. Although the speed limit is removed, the system will still cut us off if we exceed the maximum speed limit, meaning that we can never go above the speed limit which in some ways is a good thing. The area limit too, while lifted, does not extend beyond the limits of the country's borders. We can also access the automatic gear. The few civilians that decide to go for a clearance level usually only go to level 2"

"Level 3 clearance is the same as level 2 but allows us to access the manual gear, drive outside the country and go beyond the speed limit – although the system will give us a warning if we do so and we'll get a heavy penalty unless it was for a valid emergency" Ray explained.

Margaret made a mock impressed look. "So you'll be a level 3 then?"

Ray snickered. "Really?" he said in a tone that said 'are you kidding?'

"I'm a level 5"

"Right show off. I'm not going to ask what a level 5 is supposed to be" Margaret said rolling her eyes.

Ray ignored her and told them anyway. "Level 4 and level 5 clearance are military clearance. Only Heroes and the military can access these levels. Civilians can't access them. Level 4 has the same clearance as level 3 without the penalty, because it is understood that anything to do with the military is considered an emergency. Of course, this clearance can only be accessed with permission from the relevant authorities and cannot be used by the individual holder for any personal purposes. Other than this, it also allows us access to Class B military vehicles and below. A level 5 clearance is the same as level 4 with the added clearance to use Class A and Class S vehicles. And to a certain extent, we also have some autonomy in our use of vehicles"

"Wow… really impressive" Penthesila said. She tried to make it sound unfriendly but her tone was noticeably not as unfriendly as she usually was towards people who she thought of as being a possible threat to her princess's happiness.

Rays destination was for the Air Ships dock at the edge of the island of Aethers that made up Atlantis Academy. The girls gasped in awe when they drove on one of the bridges that connected the main Aether with an adjacent Aether.

"You people can drive on this thing?" Penthesila commented, a tinge of fear and awe in her voice.

The reason she said this was because the bridge was semi-transparent, giving little sense of security. Worse still, they were suspended thousands of feet above a ground that they can hardly see. This though was not the worst of it. The bridge also shifted every few minutes, sometimes forcing Ray to make a sharp turn, and at others going down a steep slope that wasn't there before.

"Very few people actually choose to take the Links" Ray replied with a snicker.

20 DEGREES UP IN 10 SECONDS. 9… 8… 7. A warning appeared on the front screen. A slope began forming about five hundred meters in front of them, completing just as the counter reached 0 and the car reached the beginning of the slope.

"But you have to admit –" Ray said as they reached the top of the slope and once again faced a relatively straight road. "- the view is nice" And indeed the view from the Link was breath taking, even if the seemingly non-existent road below them was quite terrifying.

It was like they were flying from the main Aether to the Aether next to it. They could see rolling mountains all around them. Aethers towered above them with waterfalls falling from some. Below them mountain peaks cut through clouds that stretched in endless white fields.

"It's really pretty" Elle said in a hushed voice. Everyone noticed that she had been quiet until then. The reason for her silence became evident after she said this. She was transfixed on the view outside.

Margaret found the view interesting just like the rest of them, though like Penthesila, she tried very hard to avoid looking down. After a while, something else caught her attention more than the scenery. In fact, throughout the trip up till then, Margaret had been a bit restless as if there was a pressing matter on her mind. Now she was going to get the burning question off of her mind.

"Say, what actually happened back there at the end?" Margaret asked no one in particular. Her eyes though moved to Ray.

Penthesila hadn't been very interested in the view, and in fact she had been looking troubled since after the match between her and Ray. When Margaret asked her question, Penthesila unconsciously lowered her head and look away.

"She almost burned the whole room and everyone outside" Ray replied in a matter of fact voice. He was not snide and there was no accusation in his tone, but it made Penthesila go red. What Ray said next however lifted the growing shame that had been weighing on Penthesila after the near accident that could have caused.

"It's a common mistake that everyone makes" Ray said with a shrug. "Plus the piece of Aura Technique that Penthesila tried to use then was extremely complicated and very volatile. Trying to control the Heavenly Flames using your sword was ingenious by the way" Ray complimented Penthesila. "I don't think there has been a Hero who was able to achieve that level of control after only a few days"

Penthesila positively blushed as the compliment, but she was not going to let such a big near-mistake go with just a few kind words.

"I still shouldn't have tried to use it though. I knew that it was risky. It wasn't a risk that I should have taken"

"No. You thought that you had it totally under control" Ray said. "You totally believed that you were controlling the flames and that it wouldn't go out of control. Right? And everyone who was watching also saw, and believed that you had everything under control. Right?"

"I… yes" Penthesila admitted.

The Link had decided to stay calm after this so the road seemed to go straight for a long way.  

"You mean Penthesila didn't actually have all that power under control?" Marry who was sitting on the left back seat asked.

"Not even the slightest bit" Ray said not too unkindly.

"Nor was the destructive power that she formed then of the amount that she thought she had produced. This delusion was also implanted in the minds of the onlookers"

"So what you're saying is…" Marry asked for clarification.

Penthesila had the pride to admit to and to answer for her mistake herself.

"I thought that the amount of flame that I summoned was just strong enough to burn down his tree and I believed that I could control the flames from going out of control. The truth was that I had summoned a flame with a destructive power far beyond anything that I can control and if Ray hadn't stopped it, I could have killed and hurt a lot of people including you guys"

"Wow… that's quite the sin oh great captain" Margaret chided playfully. Penthesila however took the joke seriously and began to look depressed again.

"You shouldn't be too hard on yourself" Ray said. "That's a common effect of using the Heavenly Flames. Summoning it is quite simple as I am sure you have noticed. However the flames have a life of their own. Once you manage to summon it, it will confound you into allowing it to run freely. That's the reason that you misjudged its true power and unwittingly made it more powerful than you actually intended to. Then once you use it, it will get free reign and burn down everything in its path. This is the nature of the Heavenly Flames. Because of this, it is not taught except to the most skilled Heroes"

A sudden though came to Ray. "Don't tell me that Weise forgot to mention this fact about the Heavenly Flames when he taught it to you?"

Penthesila shook her head. "No. He did warn us" She wanted to add 'But I wanted to defeat you so badly that I didn't care about the warnings' but decided that there was no need for her to go that far. No one asked her about her reason.

The Sky Ship Docks came into eyesight and grew closer. "We're here" Ray said.

The Link sloped down onto the Aether that housed the Sky Ship Docks, just a few hundred meters away from the doorway into a town.

"Tebrau City" Elle read the sign on the archway.

"City of the Sky Ships" Ray said.

They followed the main road that led them through the city and into the docks. Hundreds of Sky Ships were parked on multi-storeyed docking pads. No two Sky Ships were alike.

Ray drove the car to a Sky Ship that seemed to be made of wood, with one white mast that was topped by a blue flag with a single horizontal white line.

Sky Ships were a common mode of transport throughout Avalon so the girls were not surprised when the inside of the Sky Ship turned out to be much wider than it looked from the outside. Two dozen cars were parked on the 2nd level of the Sky Ship where they were and all kinds of races were leaning on the rails, looking out and waiting for the Sky Ship to take off. A gruff male voice announced "Five minutes to sail"

"It's quite a big port, does the Academy run it?" Elle asked Ray.

"Partly" Ray answered as they got out of the car to join the other passengers at the rail. Ray activated Panoptes and surveyed his surrounding for threats. He detected none but kept his guard up nonetheless. "Tebrau City started off as a small town that was associated with the Academy. However because of its location, it grew into a successful port. There is a big marketplace on one of the other Aethers next to this one on the other side of the city" Ray said pointing to the south. Ray didn't think that it was the safest place to take Elle so he didn't promise to take her next time.

"Initially the Academy more or less ran it as a private property. Most of the early settlers in the city were Academy staff. After it went international around two hundred years ago, the government decided that they can't allow a private organization to possess such economic and political strength on its own so they gradually took over. During that era, maintaining good relations with the government was apparently on top of the Academies' priorities so we gave in. Now the government more or less runs the city, but the Academy still maintains majority ownership of the businesses"

Elle frowned thoughtfully, a look that made her look somewhat playful in contrast to the usual 'shy beauty' look that describes her. "So the Academy isn't on very friendly terms with the local government then?" she concluded. "We don't have an Academy and this is really the first time that I am dealing with your organization so I don't quite understand how you work. I heard that in some countries, the Academy is considered part of the government. But then in others, it seems that the Academy and the government are basically in a cold war"

"You are not wrong" Ray confirmed Elle's understanding.

He then went on to explain about the politics of the Academy.

"I believe you know that there are five Academies in all. One in each of the nations that were believed to have been the locations of the cities that were first built by the Ancients. Atlantis, Alfheim, Escanor, Camelot and Nysia. Internally the Academies are run like a single nation despite the geographical division. There is a Grand Council that governs all the Academies as one so our leadership at the highest level is one and the same. Our rules and laws and our guiding principles are similar and all the Academies strive towards one goal: to guard the realm of Avalon from the Demons of Tartarus. It's like how a nation made of multiple provinces or principalities move in tandem for the bigger cause. However, just as multiple provinces have their different set of rules, so do the Academies. Each Academy is run differently and interact differently with the local government and the people in the nations where they are located in"

Marry who was listening in nodded in understanding and confirmed her comprehension of the information that Ray had shared: "So that's why the Camelot Academy is essentially part of the nation's army, and the Nysian government is always at the Academy's throat?"

"Exactly" Ray confirmed. "Atlantis Academy is somewhere in the middle of those extremes"

This is your captain again. The ship's captain said through the intercom. We will be taking off now, please step out of your vehicles and enjoy the beauty of Atlantis, The Nation of Dreams. This ship is equipped with the latest safety measures so there is almost no risk of falling from the side. However I really do not encourage our passengers to try jumping off"

"He's not serious is he?" Margaret asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ray shrugged. "I heard that there have been tourists who tried it"

No one asked what happened to them.

"You haven't told us where we're going yet" Marry commented as the Sky Ship took off.

"The headmaster has asked me to take you for a tour of the jewel of our nation – The Floating Gardens of Atlantis" Ray answered proudly.

He then added "I am sorry if going on a short detour feels inappropriate to you, however we are trying our best to help Lyonesse. Headmaster Edward feels that a short rest would benefit your training and whatever journeys awaits you in the near future"

"Hey… are there many other Heroes who can do what you did?" Penthesila suddenly asked. For quite some time now after it was revealed that she had almost killed them all, Penthesila had been rather quiet. Now it was clear what she had been thinking about.

Ray didn't take his eyes off from the view but glanced at Penthesila to indicate that he heard her and was pondering the answer.

"If you mean whether there are others who can use Wood Aura Techniques then there are quite a number, though not as many and as good as we would like. Before the war, Wood Aura was almost exclusively used by the Wood Elves. During the war with the Demons we found that with a little tweak, Wood Aura Techniques are exceptionally effective against Demons. Of course, there are other Aura Techniques that have particular efficacy against Demons but Wood Aura was one of those that really caught our attention. So myself along with some other Heroes learnt the basics from the Wood Elf Masters of Alfheim Academy and taught it to other Heroes from our own Academies. Unfortunately, not everyone who isn't a Wood Elf can use it and even among the Wood Elves who are born with Wood Aura, few can apply it in the manner that was useful against the Demons. Now days Wood Aura is a compulsory area of study for our students so they at least know about it. Using it though is something else. I'd say only around thirty or so can actually use it in real combat. Among those thirty, there are five who can use it exceptionally well"

"And you would be among those five?" Margaret said with a hint of a challenge in her tone.

Ray made a thoughtful face and scratched his chin, a mannerism of his when he is thinking.

There was a general exclamation as the Sky Ship came within inches of one of the Aethers and they saw diamonds embedded in the ground.

"During the war, I only had time to learn the basics you see. I didn't actually learn any Wood Aura Techniques from the Wood Elves so I made up my own Techniques. The ones that you saw were some of them. Later on the Wood Elves taught the original Wood Aura Techniques that is being practiced by the Academies now. I have only taught my Techniques to three other people during the war and no one else. In a manner I guess you could say that my Techniques are rather flashy compared to the original Techniques"

"So you're saying yours is stronger then?" Margaret challenged.

"Covers a wider area is more appropriate" Ray said with humility which Margaret scoffed at.

In answer to Penthesila's question Ray said "If you mean how many can use the Techniques that I used. There are three others besides me. Weise is one of them"

Penthesila didn't say anything so it could be assumed that Ray had answered her question but there was still a lingering dissatisfied look on her face.

What she had really wanted to know was whether there are others who could stop her most powerful technique gone out of control in an instant like he did.

The journey from Tebrau City to Atlantis City took fifteen minutes. Although they were technically within the boundaries of the Legendary City of Atlantis, Air Dock 30 was only at the peripheries so they didn't get to see the city itself.

Margaret who was looking forward to seeing the famed city of legends complained about this to Ray but he explained that going to the centre of the city was too risky.

"As magnificent as the city is, and as much as I would like to show you girls around, it is a beehive of murderers and assassins and with the limitations that we have, it is impossible for me to ensure your safety there" Ray said apologetically.

Penthesila seemed to understand something from what Ray had said that the others did not catch. "Does your government not know at all that Princess Elle is here?" She didn't sound confrontational although one might mistake this from the severe look that she wore when she spoke to Ray. The truth is, Penthesila always wore a serious look when dealing with a person of the opposite sex.

Ray didn't seem troubled by this question and its implications if his answer was yes, which it is, however he did not answer Penthesila immediately. He waited until they were in their next transport before giving Penthesila – and the other girls – his answer.

One of the many circular flying cars that was hovering around Air Dock 30 came to land in front of the group. This mode of transport was also a rarity in Lyonesse and the girls looked marvelled by it. To be more precise, Elle and Margaret were marvelled by it. Marry wore a look like that of an older sister being amused by the antics of her younger sisters while Penthesila wore a look of regal disdain and did not let out even a trickle of interest. It was not very different from any of the other public transportations in Atlantis. It was white, clean and simple. Practical and comfortable; this is the description of Atlantis' public transportations.

However what was different was that this car did not have a steering wheel like other public cars. "The Floating Islands please" Ray said and the door slid close with a silent hiss and the car took off. It rose from the ground without making a sound and the motion dampeners were so efficient that the people inside would not have noticed that they were moving if most of the wall and the floor of the car did not suddenly disappear. There was a collective gasp as Elle, Penthesila, Marry and Margaret suddenly found themselves about twenty meters above the ground and getting higher.

"If anyone is uncomfortable with heights, you can turn the viewer off" Ray informed them. "Just order the car, it's fully voice controlled. The wall and floor are not actually gone. The whole inside of the car is a big screen showing the view. So people outside can't actually see us of course" Ray explained.  

When he was certain that nobody was uncomfortable, Ray answered the question that Penthesila had asked him.

"We have not informed the government regarding your presence here" Ray did not avoid eye contact with the girls when he explained the situation to them, showing them that he was being honest and also conveying to them the seriousness of their position.

He paused to allow comments or questions rather than hurry on with his explanation which he felt might make it feel like he was not being honest. When none of the girls said anything, he continued.

"The headmaster believes that the Demons may have infiltrated our government" Ray's expression became dark when he added "In fact, we suspect that they may have even infiltrated the Academies"

"Even if they haven't, their influence has no doubt spread. Many in the Academies are hesitant to even accept that the Demons are back let alone that they are powerful enough to conquer a whole sovereign nation"

"A whole country is being oppressed by them, our people are being murdered every day, what more proof does the world need. It's staring them in the eye" Margaret exclaimed disbelievingly.

"Fear and idiotic ignorance" Penthesila spat.

Ray tried to explain to them the mentality of the general populace in a more understanding way. "What is happening in Lyonesse is not happening to them. To them, it is someone else's problem, not theirs. They have comfortable enough lives, the memory of the war three years ago is already like a dream of a distant past to many. And every day they are distracted by their own problems that they are unable to worry about something that is happening far away in 'someone else's country. Problems that are relatively insignificant to the real big issue of course, but they can't see that. It's not happening to them. Some may even willingly refuse to see reality for what it really is. This is just how people's minds work"

"So what about the help? Are the Academies not going to do anything? What about the governments?" Marry asked. Her tone was not hard and accusatory like Penthesila and Margaret but the question stabbed at Ray quite deeply.

Ray still faced the girls honestly when he answered. "Headmaster Ed is doing his best to get the Academies to mobilise, but so far they have been quite resistant to the idea that the Demons could be so powerful"

"What so you aren't going to do anything!?" Penthesila interjected before Ray could finish his explanation. She did however manage to refrain herself from shouting but her voice was noticeably raised and she half stood but stopped there and sat down again.

Ray met Penthesila's eyes and accepted her indignation calmly. "Headmaster Ed was clear to me that one way or another, we will help you. Since you arrived, he has been trying to get the Academies to prepare for a full out war while at the same time treading carefully so as to not reveal your existence here" he replied without sounding accusatory.

Ray crossed his legs and rested his cheek on his palm, a habit of his when he is distracted with a thought which he was at this moment.

"Master Ed would never back down from something like this and he has already promised to help. The Academies aren't being very supportive though so it would be difficult for him to take any action. But… he seemed confident that he would be able to figure something out. In fact… I believe he was quite sure of himself" Ray frowned and asked more to himself than the girls "I wonder what he's going to do".

Margaret interrupted Ray's contemplation by dropping a bomb on him. "Of course your headmaster is going to do everything he can to help. Penthesila here is his niece and he has family in Lyonesse"

Ray's mouth literally dropped. "Y… You're the headmaster's niece?" Ray took a more formal posture and slightly bowed to Penthesila. "I have to thank you then. Master Ed was my Master before he took the post of headmaster. I learned a lot from him" Ray said earnestly. This sudden formality seemed to surprise Penthesila who looked awkward and didn't know how to reply to Ray's refined manner.

Penthesila was saved from having to reply by Ray himself when he suddenly seemed to figure something out. "Oh… is that how you were able to send that gene specific inscriber to the headmaster then? You would need a sample of his genes to be able to inscribe it like that… but… a niece isn't that close though. Did you have a sample of his genetic material?"

"My father and Uncle Edward are identical twins" Penthesila answered Ray's question. Ray's eyes widened with understanding. "So that would essentially put you on the level of a daughter to the headmaster as far as genetics is concerned. I see" Ray said thoughtfully.

"This means you as good as have our help. There is no way that Master Edward would let Demons commit atrocities in Avalon, especially not towards his family" Ray committed confidently about his former Master. "The only thing that remains is for us to wait for his plan to come to fruition. And in the meantime I think we would be doing a disservice to ourselves and to those who are suffering if we do not accept whatever joys that come our way"

As Ray said this, they came out from the clouds that had been surrounding them for a while. Ray stood up and did a courteous bow to the girls, all of whom were gasping open mouthed at the sight that met them beyond the clouds.

"Welcome to the Floating Gardens of Atlantis" Ray said.   

The Floating Gardens of Atlantis is a ring of seven Aethers, each with their own unique environment, all of them breath-taking beauties that captivate anyone who set their eyes on them. In order to give visitors the best view of the gardens, the Atlantian tourism ministry had the open-view cars built for visiting the gardens. This was the reason that Elle, Penthesila, Margaret and Marry were animatedly going around the car looking at the scenery surrounding them.

The garden that they approached first was Aurora, the Crystal Garden; an Aether that was made of crystals of every colour imaginable.

"Take us through those caves" Ray instructed the car. He pointed to an elongated opening two third of the way up one of the crystal mountains.

If the outside of the garden was beautiful, the cavern they entered added a mysterious layer to it. Dark coloured crystals of every colour formed the walls and lightly glittering stalactite and stalagmite-like structures that the car zigzagged through.

Around a turn and the girls exclaimed in awe as they were met by a dream-like scene. They entered a new part of the cave system, this one much wider than the one they had just past. The structure of the cave was the same, made of dark coloured crystals that formed the background. However this new cave was filled with a constellation of small, bright coloured lights. As the car moved through this cave, they felt as if they were in space, swimming through the stars except that they could actually touch the stars.

The stars, Ray told the girls are floating crystals. When the car touched one of the crystals, they made a melodic 'ting' sound before bursting into a cloud of multi-coloured crystal dust.          

Elle and the other girls were almost disappointed when their cave exploring until they came to the edge of Aurora and they saw the next garden.

Even Ray held his breath and couldn't say a word as they passed through the open meadows, the rolling hills and the open plains of Asphodel.

"Aren't we going to land here?" Margaret said in a small voice that begged for them to land.

"I guess we can" Ray said as he shook himself out of his reverie. The car landed on one of the open plains as Ray instructed.

The freshest wind welcomed them to Asphodel; a calming zephyr that was just right in every aspect.

As they revelled in the wonders of Asphodel, the endless plain, the tranquil wind; Elle, Penthesila, Margaret and Marry forgot their pains and sadness. They simply existed there, as if floating in a pool of serenity.

"I wish I can stay here forever" Margaret said, breathing in deep and then slowly exhaling.

"Ray is right" Elle said, looking at Ray and giving him a smile that said 'thank you'. "We owe ourselves this temporary reprieve. For now, we should allow our bodies and minds to rest and heal"

The girls almost didn't want to get back in the car when Ray told them that it was time they went. He himself found it difficult to pull himself away from the garden but there was another place that he wanted to take the girls.

"This next garden is just as nice as Asphodel" Ray tried to convince Margaret who was the most resistant to the idea of going.

"There are seven gardens in total" Ray explained to the girls as the car zoomed through the plains of Asphodel. "The first one that we went through was Aurora, the Crystal Garden. It's actually most beautiful at night and during the winter. This one as I've told you is Asphodel, the Tranquil Meadows. Then there are Phantasm, Osiris, Azurite, Naedas, and my favourite, Serenity"

They came to the edge of Asphodel and the car stopped its forward movement for a brief second before shooting upwards into the clouds.

When the clouds were under them, they found themselves at the edge of an Aether that was lined by massive trees.

"Take us to Avalon 1" Ray ordered the car.

"What's Avalon 1?" Elle asked Ray who replied with a mysterious smile and answered "Wait and see"

The car cruised through the trees that seemed to have a life of their own. Once Marry thought she saw an eye open on one of the trees and asked Ray about it but Ray placed his forefinger on his lips and signalled for her to look forward and not say anything.

Marry's suspicion that the trees were alive was confirmed when two giant trees whose branches were intertwined parted to make way for them. "Welcome to Avalon 1" an otherworldly voice said. Four cracks appeared on the surface of the tree to their right. Inside three of the roughly circular cracks, there were purple flames that made the cracks appear like eyes. The crack at the bottom which was the biggest one twisted into the shape of what must be the tree's imitation of a smile.

"That's… cute" Margaret said with a forced smile.

The trees smile widened and it made a melodious humming sound.

"Aw… I think it likes you" Ray said with a snicker.

The tree's eyes continued to follow Margaret as they stepped out of the car that had landed on the surface formed by the trees intertwining branches.

"H… Hi" Margaret said, waving at the gigantic tree. In response, the tree made another melodious sound and shook its branches, raining leaves down on them.

"I'm guessing that's its way of welcoming us?" Penthesila said

"No. That's a special welcome for Margaret" Ray said jokingly.

"The Parandei are very sensitive to praise and kind words" Elle said as she turned to each of the two giant trees and curtsied to each of them in turn. "We are in your generous care" Elle said respectfully.

The reply that Elle received was a tree-song that filled the world. It was as if the whole jungle was singing to her and the song filled them with joy.

Elle's eyes widened with surprise. "How many Parandei are there here?" she asked, looking at Ray.

"This Aether is about ten times the size of the Academy's main Aether and it is surrounded by a layer of forest. Of all those trees, about a third are Parandei" Ray replied.

"So many?" Elle exclaimed. "I met a few of the Parandei of Rhodopia when we were there" Elle said. "There was only about a dozen of them in the whole of the northern forests and they said that there was not even a hundred of them in the whole country".

Ray gave Elle's information a thoughtful look. "Rhodopia has a lot of jungles and the government takes great care to maintain nature so there should be a lot more Parandei. Far more. The Parandei are one of the creatures known as Nature Guardians" Ray explained to Penthesila, Margaret and Marry who didn't seem to know about the giant trees.

Elle added to Ray's explanation "So they are naturally found in places with large swathes of nature, especially ancient forests and woods like in Rhodopia" Turning her attention to Ray, Elle asked "I read about them because I heard that they could be found in the northern forests and at the time, I had hoped to gain their help with the war against the Satanists. That was the first time I met them though, so I don't really know too much about them but I think that such numbers is small is it not?"

Ray nodded. "It is. Much too small. This field isn't my specialty but I know that their population should be in the thousands for a forest as large as the northern forests of Rhodopia. Another factor is the attitude of the people towards nature and the activities of the other population of the country. If the government and the general populace are friendly to nature, the Parandei would be attracted to such a place and they would also breed in greater numbers. Rhodopia is a country that should be conducive for them. Large swathes of nature and the people are mostly farmers who care for the land. If their numbers were as dwindled as you say then the Satanists must have had a good grip of the country. Magic and Demons drive them away from a place. They are very sensitive creatures"

"The Satanists destroyed a lot of forests to feed their Demonic magic and technology" Penthesila said darkly.

"That would definitely drive them away" Ray confirmed. "That would explain why there are so few of them in Rhodopia. Once we defeat the Satanists and the Demons, they should return" Ray said to console Elle who began to look sad.

"Today though, let's experience some of the good work that the Parandei have done here" Ray said as he opened the door to the wooden hut that lay at the end of the landing.

The hut was rectangular with a sliding door at each of the long sides. One was the one they entered through and there was another sliding door at the other end which was closed. The floor of the hut was made of straw and there was a low wooden table at one end of the hut. Several clay vases with a variety of flowers and bonsai trees were arranged around the hut giving the calming feeling of being among nature. This though was just the introduction to the garden.

Ray opened the door at the other end of the hut.

"Welcome to Serenity Garden" Ray said, as a fragrant smell entered the hut.

"I hate to admit it but you really know how to make a girls heart flutter" Marry said to Ray as she stepped onto the cobbled stone path.

The path was flanked on each side by rows of Sakura tree whose branches – bursting with fully blossoming flower – arced over the path and rained purple, blue and white flower down on the path.

"…Of course I don't mean that as something special like the princess would mean if she said it to you" Marry added to her possibly misconstrued statement and chuckled at Elle's blushing face.

The Sakura path ended at the edge of a small hill and they could see the next part of the garden. The cobbled path wound down the hill where it ended and was replaced by a wooden path that crossed a small river and then circled a lake whose water was crystal clear.

Beyond the lake, there were plains of well maintain flatland that were dotted by colourful flora of every kind. Most of the visitors to Serenity Garden set up picnic tables in these areas.

"What are they doing?" Elle asked, as a group of children crossed the path in front of them, chasing what appeared to be a golden flying rabbit with wings.

Ray chuckled at the children's antic. "Fairy Dust" Ray said and explained: "One of the Aura Techniques of the Parandei. "Well…" he said thoughtfully. "I say Technique but the Parandei don't consciously use it. It's actually a side effect of their Aura Technique. The Aura Techniques that they use to nourish and maintain the garden and the forest around it. The trees and flowers around here are at full splendour all year round. The fauna are well fed, healthy and free of disease. The waters are fresh and clean; even the atmosphere is as pristine as a virgin jungle that has not been touched by man. All of this is maintained by the Aura of the Parandei"

Ray deftly caught a Fairy Dust that passed by. His eyes glazed for a moment when he touched it and his face noticeably became more cheerful, even though he was already cheerful looking.

"Here" Ray handed the Fairy Dust to Elle.

When Elle touched the Fairy Dust, her eyes also glazed for a moment and then like Ray, her face noticeably brightened.

"That was amazing" Elle breathed. "You should try it as well" Elle said excitedly to the other girls and she jumped to catch a Fairy Dust which she gave to Margaret.

For the next hour, the four girls chased after Fairy Dust, acting quite like children. Happy children who did not have a worry in the world. This was how everyone in Serenity Garden were. It was the effect of the pure Aura of the Parandei and the marvellous garden that they maintained.

"I've never felt anything like that!" Margaret exclaimed excitedly as she threw herself on the bed of flowers beside Ray. The flowers though were not crushed by her weight but acted like a layer of sponge that cushioned her fall. She curled up like a baby and began rolling on the flowers. "I've never seen anything like this place" she added, sitting up with a wide grin on her face.

Princess Elle, Penthesila, and Marry also came to sit with them, all looking happier than before, none of the traces of the Labyrinth of Daedalus left on their faces or in their hearts.

Ray opened a bamboo basket and began handing out sandwiches to the girls.

"Where did you get those?" Penthesila asked. She was quite sure that Ray had not been carrying a bamboo basket with him, and she couldn't have missed something so big. The basket even had multiple compartments. Ray took the top compartment off and took out five flasks of water from the lower compartment which he gave to each of the girls before taking the last one for himself.

"Gnomes" Ray answered. "You have them in Lyonesse don't you?"

"Oh… so there are gnomes tending to the garden as well?" Elle said as she looked around for the creatures. It wasn't easy as gnomes were shy creatures but as Elle knew what to look for, she managed to catch a few of them as they came out from bushes or suddenly appeared from tree trunks to surreptitiously place bamboo baskets in places where visitors would find them.

"Say Ray, how do those Fairy Dust work anyway? They're not some kind of drug are they?" Margaret asked.

Ray chuckled. "I can understand the reason you'd think that. It's almost like taking a stimulant isn't it. I can assure you that it is not. In essence they are a refined form of Aura that has the effect of giving people the sensation of bliss"

"Bliss, euphoria, elation; they describe what the Fairy Dust makes us feel but every Fairy Dust feels different" Marry observed.

"That is a mystery that no one has been able to solve to this day" Ray answered with a shrug. "It just is and a lot of people come to Serenity to find Fairy Dust"

"It's a very nice place" Elle said, a faraway look in her eyes. "I love it. Thank you for bringing us here Ray". As if to help Elle convey her feeling, hundreds of golden Fairy Dust the shape of dandelions burst up from the ground around them, filling them with a sense of peace and happiness.  

THE END OF BOOK 3