Lady Kristel scanned the horizon with her grey/blue eyes thinking.
I can feel your presence, even though you do not yet reveal yourself. But when you do, it may be too late...
She shook herself. Her job was to look after her students, and her guardians. Peoples dreams were made here, she mustn't forget that. Perhaps one day she would be able to leave this great building for longer than a few hours? She could scout for herself, and find this thing and destroy it? Yet she couldn't, and the evil power knew that...
"My lady? There is a boy climbing up the mountainside. Cornflower has gone to investigate, should I assist her?" Evangeline asked. Kristel shook her head.
"I thought she was told not to go without you? The whole House of Dreams is on high alert and Cornflower is by herself on the mountainside. Find her, but don't go alone, take Elia with you. Dismissed," Lady Kristel peered outside once more. I'm being too cautious, she thought. But then again what choice do I have?
Evangeline sighed. She hated working with Elia, she was so cold and heartless. Power always radiated off her. Sometimes it was unnerving to see people's auras and it definatly was to be able to see Elia's. It was a brilliant polar blue, that shone as brightly as a star.
Perhaps Elia was alright sometimes, she got the job done, that was for sure, but when it came to socialising, she was rock bottom of the list to anyone's party.
Evangeline sighed as she mounted her Pyrina, a form of transport within the House of Dreams. A Pyrina was part horse, part leopard and part eagle. They were many different colors but each had a dominant color. Evangeline had named her Pyrina after her dead horse Snowfire, who had died in a freak storm. Snowfire was a brilliant red, to match her mistress's red curls.
Elia didn't ride a Pyrina, she favoured a Surfer. It was a small board, circular in shape, that skimmed across the ground, floating on the surface. This form of transport was limited, as it ran out of fuel fast.
Evangeline and Elia set out, without even saying "Hello" to each other...
Cornflower rushed along the mountainside. They all think that I'm a bimbo, and that I can't do anything right. I'll show them! I'm not stupid, I know that I can get in trouble out here, She thought.
She looked down at her Pyrina. He was so tolerant. She had ordered him out, even though he had warned her not to go, he had come along anyway. She hoped she was a good master to him. His name was Stormwing and he was in his prime.
Cornflower felt a feline presence nearby. A cat? Or a snow leopard? They were common around here...?
"Do you sense any cats around her Stormwing?" She asked him.
"No," He replied. "There are no cats though, there is some kind of presence heading this way... It feels like an illusion, as it seems both cat and ghost-like..." The Pyrina stopped talking.
From behind them two figures appeared in the bushes.
"CORNFLOWER!" A red haired woman called. "What are you doing? You know we never go out alone anymore!" Evangeline, Cornflower thought. Lady Kristel just couldn't let you handle me alone.
"Enough of your shouting, warrior woman, let us just find this disturbance so we can go back." It was an order. Elia's cold gaze rested on Evangeline who was turning red with anger.
"HOW DARE YOU! AT LEAST I HAVE FEELINGS!" Evangeline shouted.
"Warrior woman, please. Your emotions and moods are all to obvious, it's probably just your warrior nature," Elia said. She still had no emotion in her voice. Evangeline would never win this arguement...
"Um, guys?" Cornflower said.
"MY WARRIOR NATURE? I'D SLIT YOUR THROAT IF I HAD A WARRIOR NATURE!" Evangeline shrieked.
"Guys?" Cornflower repeated.
"Warrior woman, even with my powers contained, you wouldn't be able to slit my throat!" Elia tucked her hair behind her ears.
"GUYS!" Cornflower shouted.
"WHAT!?" Evangeline shouted back.
"Thank you-" A boy crashed through the bushes. On top of him was a snow leopard. The boy was covered in blood, and so was the leopard. Cornflower immediatly began to move forward, Evangeline and Elia following behind. It was the boys blood on the leopard, not the other way round.
"Feminine Slash!" Shouted Cornflower. Her hands changed into paws and her nails became great long claws. She slashed at the leopards back, luring it off the boy.
Evangeline caught up and drew her sword, Truthsayer. The shine of the blue steal dazzled the leopard for a second, but the was enough for Elia to cast her spell.
"Ice Brand!" Ice shot from her hand, freezing the leopard and going dangerously near Evangeline, who only just jumped out of the way in time. Unfortunately she also froze the boy.
"Not good," said Cornflower, looking down at the boy. At least he wasn't bleeding...
"Lucky your ice doesn't kill people, otherwise the person we just saved would be dead. Nice one," Evangeline said, sacastically.
"We saved him, and Auburn or Soleil will thaw him out when we get back," Elia said.
"And how are we supposed to, without taking the leopard as well? They are attached by your ice..." Cornflower pointed out. Elia however seemed to think it wasn't her problem as she mounted her Surfer and headed back to the House of Dreams.
"Wasn't the whole point of you coming to get me, was that I wouldn't be alone?" Cornflower asked. Elia had a way of defying rules and listening to nobody. Only Lady Kristel, who Elia seemed comfortable with. The Lady often said that Elia wasn't what she seemed and there was a perfectly good reason why she was like this. What ever it was it wasn't going to trouble itself to explain.
"Elia has her own rules. Could you help me cut through this ice? Oh what the heck, take the leopard back as well," Evangeline started to push the block of ice up the mountain. The Pyrinas helped, and Cornflower asked other creatures to help too.
Lady Kristel heard what had happened on the mountainside from Elia, who had arrived three quarters of an hour before the other two. She said that it was indeed a boy and he was seriously injured. Also she told the Lady that she had frozen him to keep him alive.
"Why did you do that Elia?" Lady Kristel asked.
"He is important, my lady, I can sense something about him. As can the others, whether they chose to say so or not..." At this Elia left Lady Kristel's Chamber, leaving her to think.
A boy, with a strange aura has come to the House of Dreams, and at the same time evil is brewing...Perhaps it is time to look into the Gates of Time once more. Open the door for the Guardian of Five?
The boy stirred. Above him he saw two figures. One was a girl with long auburn hair, she had wings and a halo. Had he died? Beside her was another girl, she had strawberry-blonde hair and carried a staff. Seeing that he was awake the Angel spoke.
"Hello, my name is Siren Angel, I am the Guardian of Children at the House of Dreams. This here is my friend Auburn, she's the Guardian of Fire and Autumn. She melted you down when Elia, another Guardian, accidently froze you," Salem realised he hadn't died. He knew now because when he breathed it hurt.
"Er," He coughed. "Can I have some water?" Siren laughed and poured a glass for him, bringing his head up to drink it.
"Sorry, Auburn's magic is a little strong, I suppose she de-hydrated you as well. Don't worry I'll call Psyche and Ethan, they'll look after you for awhile," Seeing the confused look on the boys face she added. "The Guardians of Love, they look after the students. Well mostly..." Siren finished.
"Well, now I must be going. There are so many children in the world," She sighed. "It's hard to love them all..." She winked at the boy and left. Weird...
"Ahem..." The other girl, Auburn, that was it, cleared her throat. "The leopard that attacked you, it has been, well, restless. It keeps on trying to get in here. Cornflower says that it is, er, attached to you... Should we let it in?" Auburn looked uneasy. The boy guessed that animals weren't her strong point.
"Will there be anyway of stopping it if it attacks me again?" The boy asked.
A cool voice, sweet like a melody and clear as crystal, cut through Auburn's answer.
"Guardian Auburn, I have the snow leopard, now let me talk with the boy."
"Yes, my lady," Auburn curtseyed and left the room.
The snow leopard bounded into the room like a puppy. It was bigger than he remembered it being, it was now large enough for him to ride, like a horse...
"Forgive me, He slipped my grasp. He has been anxious for your awakening," The boy still couldn't see where the voice was coming from. There appeared to be no one in the room.
"H-he?" The boy stuttered. "Where, no, who are you?"
"Oh, my apologies. I forgot that I have my Invisi-shield up. I am Lady Kristel, Mistress of the House of Dreams and Founder of the Dreamer's Academy. I am afraid that I do not know who you are?" She still didn't appear so the boy spoke to a place near the leopard.
"S-Salem, my lady. I'm sixteen. Um..." Salem looked stupidly around the room. "Would you take off your shield please, my lady?" He asked. He heard a chuckle.
"Of course," By his bedside appeared a thirteen year old girl. Huh? He thought. She was beautiful though. Her long red hair went past her waist, she wore a chain round her head with two circles meeting in the center of her forehead. She had thoughtful eyes, the kind that told people that they had seen many things. Her eyes were the only thing that showed her age. And her voice. Both made you wonder how old she really was...
"Sorry for staring, my lady, I just expected you to be older..." Salem felt the color rise in his cheeks.
"I am old enough, yet I have not been born yet. The House of Dreams is outside of normal time. Time flows here but it doesn't. We get the seasons, we watch as students grow, yet they do not age. Sorry I am being very cryptic. There is a hall here called the Gateway of Time, there you can get from the House of Dreams to any time period, as it exists in all eras, yet it has not been made yet. Oh, I'm sure that most of the Guardians don't understand this, I'm not sure I do myself. I shall now leave you to become aquainted with your new steed. I hope you will join the Dreamer's Academy, Salem. Goodbye," She disappeared. Salem was left feeling extremely puzzled. Who was Lady Kristel?
"Goodbye," Salem wasn't sure if he was talking to her or not but the leopard rested it's front paws on the bed and started nudging Salem's hand.
"Alright, alright!" Salem laughed and started to stroke the leopard fondly. Perhaps it wasn't so bad that he had been caught by Guardians at the House of Dreams after all...
And with that thought he fell asleep...
Lady Kristel walked swiftly down the corridor. There was a certain thing about him, she was not quite sure what. Now however, she was certain that it wasn't just the feelings of Elia that had got him here. In all her time, no time wasn't something that happened here, life, she had learned that if you see for yourself, then you cannot make any mistakes. While she was thinking she didn't hear her name being called, until the person who was calling it was right next to her.
"My lady? Any one would think that you were spying on the students!" Evangeline said. Kristel turned to look at her. Evangeline's skills were improving. She could see through the weak Invisi-shield that Lady Kristel had put up.
"Ah yes, you can see through my illusions. Well, what is it?" Lady Kristel wasn't in the mood for small talk. She was expecting a message from one of the missions, she didn't want to have to concern herself with problems of little importance.
"Oh, right then... How is the boy?" Evangeline said it casually, but Lady Kristel knew that all who had been there had felt the same feeling of, well perhaps just a feeling.
"As well as to be expected. His cuts have healed and he thawed out nicely. He is bonding with the leopard as we speak. I believe he shall join the Academy, I think he is curious enough about it now," Lady Kristel replied.
"What have you done to him?" Evangeline asked. She knew that she could get away with dis-respectfulness when Lady Kristel was in her long speeches mode.
"I just talked to him and told him the Riddle of Time, that flows around the House of Dreams," The Lady's eyes were mischievous.
"I bet he is sitting in there thinking, what mad house have I got to?" Evangeline laughed.
