Origins (Book 4 of Alfireán age)

The Machines

Alf flipped through the thousands of pictures, sorely tempted to download another fire tutorial even though he had been told not to. Unlike Zaphaniea, he had found his lesson to be chock full of information... even if he'd failed at replicating it. Alf curled his newly healed finger and gazed at the names of the different tutorials in excitement.

Up to this point, Alf had used his spell programs by pushing all of his energy into different nodes until something happened. The guardian's memory, however, had not only shown him how to properly use the fireball spell, it also showed him how to open the program's coding and edit a few lines to make the code more efficient and controllable. Armed with this knowledge, Alf was certain he could cast fireballs at twice the power! "Well, if I can learn how to control my energy, that is," he thought to himself, shifting his feet on the watery mural beneath him as Olivia and Rex continued to work on their first lessons.

"I would rather they perform the guardians' duties first," King Delavarian said, shattering his concentration. "But you are right, time is of the essence," he said as Alf pulled himself out of the zikarôn. "Though, as I mentioned before, you must prove you can handle the cave's defenders first," the king added, addressing Drake who now stood next to the throne.

"I am certain that will not be a problem," the prince stated confidently while the sun gems highlighted his one, piercing blue eye.

Valarinnia folded her arms and huffed. "I wouldn't be so sure of that. Many have tried, and all of us have failed. The machines have always driven us out before we could get deeper than the first floor."

"It is as my daughter says," the king agreed, rising to his feet. "In my youth, I led several expeditions into the caves. One of which nearly ended in my death."

"I have trashed the war bots before many times in the arena," Zaphaniea laughed as she dismissed her seat and sauntered over. "I will crush these as well."

King Delavarian raised a bushy eyebrow at her statement, then marched around his granite throne and placed his hand on the back wall. "I hope that is the case. Though

these machines are far more formidable than modern war bots," he said as the wall, adorned with a mural of trees, slid open to reveal a long passageway down into the earth.

"Your majesty," Aster said, from where he still stood floating over Olivia's shoulder.

The king turned back and raised an eyebrow to Aster. "Now that the transfer of the zikarôns has been completed, we wish your leave to go and search for the rest of ourselves," Aster said, gesturing to his miniature watery form.

"Ah, yes," the King answered. Tapping the floor, a hole in the ceiling of the throne room opened to the outside. "Do you wish me to send an escort with you?"

"Thank you, but no," Ferrous replied as she flew over and pulled Aster into herself. "They would only slow us down."

King Delavarian nodded. "Then go with my blessing, and may the wind ever be at your back," he said with a wave of his strong hand.

"To you as well, your majesty," the wind sprite bowed deeply and took off, carrying Aster with her.

Derrick, the fire sprite, flew off Alf's shoulder and gazed down at him, his fiery form flickering in the light. "I leave this nation for you to protect. Do not let it fall in my absence!"

"I won't," Alf told him solemnly. "Not while I draw breath in my lungs."

The staunch warrior nodded, satisfied at his answer, and surveyed the group. His fiery gaze lingered on the prince in distrust for a moment. Then he bowed to the king and took off after Ferrous.