Seed Of Speed

After a few minutes, Diego pushed open the seafoam green gates and walked in. Once his foot stepped within the grounds, the desert behind him vanished. There was only a hedge fence and the same seafoam green gates that he had just passed behind him. Even the temperature and breeze changed as it was cool and refreshing while it carried the scent of wildflowers.

While Diego thought he was walking up the stone paved pathway to the cottage, three women watched from a covered, roof top patio as Diego actually wandered around aimlessly in the empty sand courtyard. Only one wore the apprentice tan robe while the other two wore fiery red robes representing the rank of adapts. All three were bewitching beauties, but few could tell how much was natural and how much was magical.

"I wonder what he is seeing to look so confused," the apprentice remarked.

"Master's illusion makes one relive their most treasured memory. It is likely that something happened to the person or place it involves which is why he did not fall to the first layer of the illusion or he would be lost in the memory," the adapt with long red hair said.

"Still, he needs a strong mind for that to work," the adapt with pale yellow hair retorted.

"Anyone studying illusions would have the basic ability to resist the memory overlay if there are any negative emotions tied to the memory," the red-haired adapted replied in a dismissive tone.

"True," the blonde adapt replied with a shrug.

"Moonfall, you should go make sure he doesn't need anything important since it doesn't look like he'll be breaking out of this soon," the red-haired adapt said to the apprentice.

Before the girl in tan could do more than nod, a voice rumbled through all six of their ears and said, "Leave him. I sense the glyph belonging to one of honorary disciples, so this will be a test of sorts."

"Yes, master," all three said in unison.

Back within the illusion, Diego was having a slightly different experience. He knew this place, but it was not a physical place. This was the cover of "Grandfather's House" that his grandfather had written for him and his sister. Each page ill.u.s.trated this world he found himself in. There were red tulips planted under the window with the two little chipmunks scurrying in between the stems. Down four large steps, behind the house, there was a small pond with lily pads and a frog. Following the pages of the book, he discovered each of the little gems of the world. He knew he was in an illusion and even felt like he could break out of it if he wanted to, but he wanted to reach the end.

At the end of the forest path, past the small pond, there was a small gazebo where an old man, a boy in his early teens, and a small baby crawled in the old man's arms. The old man was his grandfather, exactly the way he remembered him down to the crooked smile and the eyes that sparkled with love and kindness. The young boy was him, the same lanky frame that caused him a good deal of teasing throughout high school. The little baby was Emily, his sister, and she had the same crystal blue eyes that could look into your soul… maybe they really did considering what she was.

"I promise, Poppie, I'll be the man you wanted me to be and I'll protect Emily once I'm strong enough to," Diego said as he placed a hand on his grandfather's shoulder. "BREAK!" he growled as he flared both his mana and Solar Energy.

The beautiful forest dissolved back into the red desert he remembered. He was standing in the left side of the courtyard for a six-sided tower that had six floors. He could see a few people sitting on the roof of the tower, watching him, but he just sighed and walked towards the front door. He knew he was meeting a master of illusions, but he did not have a real idea of what that meant until now.

::Not bad, you were able to break through the illusion under your own power::

(You can see my memories, right?) Diego asked silently as he walked.

::Yes, if you allow it::

(Can you record that memory for me so that I can share it with Emily one day? I know it was just a trial or whatever for her, but it is something important to our family.)

::Of course, Diego… Aww, she was cute as a baby::

Diego chuckled as he reached the door and knocked. A man in a gray uniform opened the door and ushered him inside without a word. The whole place was deathly silent, and an invisible pressure seemed to weigh down on him. He looked to the servant who nodded to him and led him down the hall to the stairs at the end. There were only two, jet black doors they passed and a few black tapestries hanging on the walls.

The second floor felt nearly the opposite of the first with its vibrant, inviting aura. The whole floor seemed to be a garden with no walls, except the outer walls of the tower itself which were covered in a thick layer of ivy. The ground was a plush carpet of grass and there were bushes and flowers growing across the field. The third floor's concept was water as there were streams of water flowing down the far walls along a path of shelves and under the floor. There were a lot of rugs and pillows arranged throughout the room all in shades of blue. A breeze of cool air hit him as he stepped onto the fourth floor, obviously the 'wind' floor. There were a number of large openings in the walls and everything was decorated in shades of yellow and gray. The fifth floor was fire and had two walls of flames forming a corridor to the next floor. Despite the burning inferno, it was surprisingly no hotter than midday in the hallway.

Only now did the servant speak as he stopped and motioned towards the flames, "The Grand Master will see you now."

Before Diego could ask what he meant, the wall of fire divided to reveal a small sitting room where a figure could be seen sitting with their back to him. Diego thanked the servant then walked through the opening which shut behind him.

"Sit, I sense Fanflame's glyph on your letter. You didn't take too long to break through the illusion and that seemed more by choice than need," the person said.

Diego walked around the figure and got his first look at Grand Master Shadowbolt. She was a slender woman with cold eyes and blood-red skin. Her orange hair was bone flat and had an angular cut so that the length was to her chin in the front and to the height of the tip of her ears. She wore black robes and was holding a pristine white teacup and saucer in her hands.

For whatever reason, Diego had already convinced himself that Grand Master Shadowbolt was a man, so seeing the truth surprised him a bit, but it made sense considering the three women on the roof who were undoubted her disciples. He sat down on across from her on a pillow and pulled out the letter Fanflame had given him, but Shadowbolt made to sign of taking it from him.

"Are you Fanflame's son? I truly never guessed she would have children," Shadowbolt asked, placing her teacup and saucer down.

Diego resisted the urge to laugh as he shook his head and replied, "No, Grand Master, Shaman Fanflame is a member of the Quko Clan who are allied with my Telryn Clan. I only met her once, a few months ago, and she gave me this letter to meet you."

It was the Grand Master's turn to have a look of mild surprise as she finally reached out for the letter. Diego passed it over to her and she read through it quickly since there were only a few lines of text. When she looked up at him again, her cold eyes now contained a playful light as she truly examined the boy in front of her now.

"Show me this spell of yours that attracted her attention," Shadowbolt said as she placed the letter by her teacup.

Diego nodded as he pulled out his token and injected some of his energy inside so that he could retrieve the ki'ta. Shadowbolt's eyebrows raised in surprise, seeing the instrument, but said nothing to stop him. He strummed the first few chords as he activated his {Commiserating Hymn} and sang Green Day's, "Wake Me Up When September Ends".

"Summer has come and passed,

The innocent can never last,

Wake me up when September.

Like my fathers come to pass

Seven years have gone so fast

Wake me up when September ends.

Here comes the rain again,

Falling from the stars,

Drenched in my pain again

Becoming who we are…"

Diego let the notes die away naturally before he opened his eyes. Grand Master Shadowbolt's was staring at him with a kind smile that turned the cold beauty into gentle ray of sunshine that warmed the soul.

"You really are a Soul Singer… What luck the sect has for you to be born in the desert. Let me see your token," Shadowbolt said, stretching out her hand.

Diego placed his jade token in her hand. It lit up with a black glow for a moment then returned to normal and she handed it back.

"You are now my disciple. I don't ask much more than what the sect itself asks of you, but you must never fight with any of your fellow disciples and never question my orders, understand?" Shadowbolt asked.

Diego place a hand to his heart then touched his forehead and bowed his head, as sign of respect to those in the desert. "Your disciple understands," Diego said before lifting his head back up.

"Mmm… Good. Now, let us go and test your affinities. A few of your senior-disciple sisters will meet us down in the workshop, so that I can introduce them to you," Shadowbolt said, standing up.

Diego also stood up and followed her through, yet another wall of fire that parted for them cross. She did not lead him to the stairs like he had guessed, but over to a small room with a wooden floor. The moment the floor started lowering, he instantly guessed this was some sort of magical elevator.

Unknown to him, Grand Master Shadowbolt was still evaluating every one of Diego's reactions. She had noticed the hint of wonder in his eyes when the flames bent to her will and even the mild shock then understanding when the lift started moving. Being a Soul Singer alone was enough to draw in hers, as well as the sect's, attention, but her instincts told her that this was just the tip of the iceberg of her new disciple's ability. Only time could tell if her hunch was right or not, and, for the first time in a long time, she was curious to see what this new recruit could do.