The Chronicles of Time - Book 2: The Book of Flames

Chapter VIII: Returning to the Cloud

Chapter VIII: Returning to the Cloud

The moment the whole team saw Alfrey, Erica wouldn't stop bowing after every sentence, Haylee kept quiet and Kurt Carson started chewing his thumb.

"Sir Alfrey!" Erica bowed. "You have escaped, sir?"

"I believe that's obvious," Alfrey said as he sat on a chair he produced from thin air. He crossed his legs and leaned on a spatial arm rest. Seeing two temporal wielders do this trick just confirmed one of Felix's suspicions: There were no chairs in the Temporanian Academy.

"My apologies, sir Alfrey!" Erica said, bowing.

Alfrey waved her off. "It's fine. I understand that my presence can make you nervous. No worries. Haylee?"

Haylee's ears perked up and her eyes lit up. "Yes, sir Alfrey?"

"You two should drop the formalities. Remember, I have relinquished my Pri-Guardianship so there is no reason to act so political. You can look at me now."

Haylee, the strong scholarly woman that I knew, looked so low when in front my dad. I guess that's just how much they respect Alfrey.

"Very well then," Haylee said, relaxing. "What brings you here, Sir Alfrey?"

"You can drop the 'sir' as well. I am now nothing more than a Wielder. As for your question, I came here because this is the only place where I was able to go. The rings served as light beacons in that dark place where I was imprisoned."

"You mean Tempest trapped you there in the Valley ?" Erica asked. "That's where they are?"

Alfrey nodded. "It's the only plane of space where darkness mingles and multiplies. I can understand why he'd pick to set up base there." He caught my confused stare. "For those who don't know, the Valley of Darkness is within a universe where three mountains the size of our universe exists. In between those three mountains is the Valley of Darkness. It is said that darkness live there and multiply there like a colony. One of those mountains is our universe, the other is the realm of the Architect and the other is the realm of demons—Tempest's realm. It is impossible to leave that valley without a sort of beacon from one of the three worlds."

"It's the ideal place for Tempest's camp-out," Haylee added. "He can wage war with our world or with the Arc realm."

Alfrey nodded. "Which makes us wonder if his taking over 3/4ths of Althea is a distraction or not." Alfrey went silent, putting a hand to his chin as if thinking it over.

"Um...I don't know where I fit in all this, but...can I go home now?" Alicia asked. She hadn't been speaking for a while. I almost forgot her presence in the room.

"Your home is now in Althea," Haylee said. "And you fit in all of this because you will be a Pri-Guardian."

"What?"

"A Pri-Guardian. It's the person ."

Alicia replied, "Yes, I know. The woman who told me about Althea was very fond of her Pri-Guardian, telling me all about them. But why am I to be one? I'm not powerful. I don't have any abilities."

"Not yet, yes," Alfrey said. "But soon, you'll be able to."

"You mean she'll go through the academy first?" Skye asked. "But the academy was taken along with 3rd Cloud."

Alfrey sighed. "Oh yes, I forgot about that. I suppose we'll just have to go back to 1st Cloud and figure it out there. You." He pointed at Kurt. "What is your name and how's the Lexicon Guardian doing?"

Kurt looked over his shoulder where Froste was lying on. His coat was torn and slashed at some places, his face was bruised and his lips were caked with blood. His Lexicon, glowing in a dim blue light, hovered at the bedside. Kurt stammered as if someone had just pointed a gun to his face, "H-he's doing well, sir Alfrey. And my name is Kurt C-Carson of the Novanian/Soranian Family."