The Magitrix: A Flame Awakens

Chapter 6: Chris Meets the Light Council

"What?" Chris shook his head. He couldn't quite believe it. "A... war? Why?"

Ace sighed and turned back to the stars. "I'll explain it later. Or I'll get the Light Council to explain it to you."

"What's that?" Chris asked.

"You ask too many questions," they muttered. "It's the body of Luxamagi who governs the Light Kingdom alongside the King. You're going to meet them today and, hopefully, we'll start our training."

"Alright," Chris agreed. Then, not wanting to upset Ace anymore but being overwhelmed by curiosity, he asked tentatively, "Where is the Light Kingdom?

Ace sighed. "That... is actually a good question." He pointed up in the sky. "It's up there. Part of Magiria is floating islands." Chris looked up, not seeing anything. "The reason you can't see them is because of some clever cloaking magic. I'll take you there, and once you're past the wards, you'll see it. I recommend you close your eyes and don't look down."

Chris found out what they meant when, suddenly, they both were shot up in the air. He squeezed his eyes shut with a yelp, feeling his feet leave the ground and wind tear at him. This time, he didn't make the mistake of opening his eyes.

When he found that his feet were anchored on solid ground and he wasn't spinning anymore, Chris opened his eyes. "I'm dizzy," he gasped, and his knees buckled and he fell backward off the island. The only reason he did not plummet to his doom was that Ace grabbed him before he got too far, pulling him back up. "By the light of the dawn, please try not to kill yourself within seconds of arriving," Ace muttered. "I should have said that before you nearly killed yourself within seconds of arriving."

"Well, I'm sorry I'm not used to air travel yet," he shot back, annoyed. Ace let go of him and he stumbled forward. "Jeez."

"Don't you have airplanes?" Ace asked.

"That's different." He wobbled on his feet, and after a moment of scrunching his eyes shut, the dizziness passed and he managed to not fall over again. "It's safer. And less scary. And less fast. And-"

"Okay, you've proved your point," Ace cut in, taking a step forward. "Let's go deal with the guards."

Chris, now that he was semi-stable, took the chance to look around. He was standing on the edge of a giant floating island, obviously. Stone rimmed the island, and grass was under his feet. He looked up. About ten feet away was a small stone wall, and an ornate looking gold gate. From the distance from which he was standing, he could barely see that the metal was wrought with the shape of a dragon head in the middle. Cool.

On both sides of the gate were two guards. They both wore whitish gold armor and helms, and held a wooden spear with heads of painted gold. Chris also noted that they both had a circular patch on the left side of their chests. The one on the right wore a green and blue one with a unicorn horn on it, and the one on the left wore a red and yellow one with a design of- again- a dragon head. He wondered what they meant, but the thought was cut off by the next observation. Magi have wings? He thought, surprised. The guards both had medium sized, feathery white angel wings. Woah.

The guards both stood rigid and alert, scanning for intruders as Ace and Chris approached. They somehow became even more rigid upon seeing the two of them. "Halt!" Cried the one on the left, crossing spears with the other one. "State your purpose!" Chris noted a feminine lilt to their voice. Female?

Ace crossed their eyes. This time, Chris didn't flinch, but felt a flicker of unsettlement in his gut. That is just so creepy, he thought as they also nodded at the pair. Then, they said in an amused tone of voice, "You seriously don't recognize me, Sunrise?"