After making sure her children had what they needed for the journey, Teresa left Leo and Ursula with their packing and joined Sebastian back downstairs where they both discussed the situation in secret.

    ‘Do you think they believed us?’ asked Teresa.

    ‘I don’t know, but it’s the truth and they’ll see for themselves. And yes, they will go meet Erick. They’re curious enough to do as we tell them,’ said Mr Govad.

    ‘I’m worried, Sebastian.’

    ‘It’s only the winter that they will spend away from you, they’ll be just fine.’

    ‘I won’t even be able to see them in the holidays,’ said Teresa miserably. Mr Govad sighed.

    ‘You’ll be fine too,’ he said, but Teresa still seemed worried and looked at him meaningfully. She was fearing something worse than her children being away from her for the winter. ‘I know what you’re thinking,’ Mr Govad spoke in a lower voice, ‘but we’re leaving them in good hands—I trust Erick.’

    ‘I think we should at least drive them to the Rest House. I don’t want them to go wandering the streets at this hour.’

    ‘Come on Teresa, let them grow up, this night will be the most remarkable night of their lives. Don’t you remember when you and I first went to the Rest House?’

    ‘Of course, I do. Father was just like you are now, wanting us to depend on our gifts, but I’m not like you or Father. I’m scared for the children. Things changed, we were not in danger like they are now.’ She went helplessly to sit down. 

    ‘Teresa, we never heard of warriors getting hurt in Curtlane town or the Rest House,’ Mr Govad almost whispered, ‘and once they’re in the Rest House they’ll be with Erick.’

    ‘Erick is only one person,’ said Teresa.

    ‘Erick is a fine warrior and a clever one too.’ Mr Govad went and sat beside her. ‘They’re not children anymore, they’re warriors, they’ll find it in them to defend themselves, and once in Zodia, no harm can reach them there. And there they will master the control over their element. Their gift will protect them.’ He patted her on the shoulder.

    ‘Ever since they were born, I wished for nothing more than for them to be like us,’ said Teresa, ‘but then, every time I remember—oh I just wish things were not this way.’ 

    ‘Well, we can only delay the inevitable,’ said Mr Govad.

  At that very moment, Ursula was standing on the staircase just above their heads, listening to their conversation in silence. Ursula rushed to Leo’s bedroom to tell him what she overheard, filled with more doubts than she had minutes earlier.

    ‘Mum is worried,’ said Ursula as she closed the door behind her.

    ‘Of course she is,’ said Leo, sitting thoughtfully on the bed next to his open bag.

    ‘I know, Mum always worries, but this time it sounds like something is truly wrong. I heard them talking downstairs, they were saying we’re in danger, just like what that man Erick said.’

    ‘There is something wrong with this whole thing,’ said Leo.

    ‘Do you not believe them?’

    ‘I don’t know. Sure there is some truth to the thing they called the gift, I mean we both experienced it, but what they said about that kingdom that I can’t even remember its name, is just crazy. It can’t be where we came from; Curtlane town has always been our home—I have an old photo of me here when I wasn’t even one year old.’

    ‘You know—now as I think about it, we don’t have many photos of us as children, I wonder if this has anything to do with that secret world they’re talking about. We also never knew our relatives, mum and uncle are the only family we have, and they told us very little about our grandparents—and father,’ said Ursula pacing in circles. ‘Look! They’re secretive, but they never lied to us. Besides, I just heard them speaking about this as a fact even when they thought no one was listening. Although, I am not sure why they’re willing to let us go through with this; Mum seemed to be speaking about a specific danger out there. Are we really going to go meet that man?’ Ursula was getting tenser every second, and not seeing her brother any less worried made her feel worse, but then Leo took a breath and a minute to think during which she calmed a little.

    ‘I guess we should go and see for ourselves,’ said Leo decisively. ‘This thing seems serious. Mum and uncle will never put us in harm’s way, and if we truly want to know more about that fire thing, I guess we must do as they say. Don’t worry, once we’re downstairs we’ll face them with our fears and see what they will say.’

    ‘Sure, like they will tell us if there is anything we should be fearing,’ said Ursula.

    The siblings went ahead with their packing as instructed. They didn’t take much as Teresa had told them, only the necessities, after all, it was going to be a long trip and they needed to be light. They were told they were going to be provided with the needed clothes at the academy. As for electric devices, they were neglected, as there was no room for them up the mountain at Zodia or at any part of Hozafia where electricity was non-existent.

    ‘Nothing is wrong,’ said Teresa reassuringly when Leo and Ursula had joined them downstairs and faced them with their questions, but it didn’t sound convincing.

    ‘But I heard you, even Erick said so,’ said Ursula.

    ‘He was probably just referring to your gift, which you are yet to learn how to control. You will work with the fire element, it could be truly dangerous to you and to the people you know if you don’t start your training right away, and until you do I just want you to be on your guard,’ said Mr Govad.

    ‘Don’t be scared, Ursula. Just be careful,’ said Teresa.

    ‘When exactly do we have to leave?’ asked Leo.

    ‘Whenever you’re ready,’ said Mr Govad.

    ‘Can’t we go in the morning?’ asked Ursula. She was trying so hard not to sound scared, but she knew that her mother could tell that she was. She knew that her mother's heart ached for parting from them, but as usual, Teresa perfectly managed to hide how she truly felt.

    ‘It’s always better for warriors to go at night when the town is asleep so that those who are not supposed to know about Hozafia won’t notice anything strange,’ said Mr Govad, then the somewhat firm expression he had on his face ever since Erick had left softened a little. ‘I wish you the best of luck. Can’t express how much I’m proud of you two.’

    ‘Thank you.’ Leo smiled so did Ursula who felt they had done no accomplishment to be proud of.

    ‘Everything will be okay. You’ll be okay,’ said Teresa rather to herself. ‘Your uncle will be in Hozafia, not very far from you. If you need him, you’ll know how to reach him, right Sebastian?’

    ‘Of course,’ said Mr Govad.

    ‘All right,’ said Leo who seemed to be fighting some nerves as well. ‘Goodbye then, mum, uncle.’

    ‘Goodbye,’ said Teresa, and, even though it was not known of Teresa to show affection, she fiercely hugged both her children as if she would never let go.

~ 

Leo and Ursula walked out of their home in the darkness, despite their fears, to go meet the stranger named Erick in a place they never knew existed in Curtlane town. Leo still thought it was madness the way their mother and uncle wanted them to do this so much. He didn’t know if he should feel worried about their sanity or angry at their secrecy in case the madness turned out to be true. Two questions had suddenly become the prime focus of his life: who were they truly? And what strangeness were they heading towards? He had been curious all his life about his father, but now as he seemed closer to knowing more about him than he had ever been before, he was nervous. He was consciously trying to ignore the more worrying question prowling at the back of his head: would there be a turning back from the land of all the answers? Would life ever be the same again? Life was simpler a moment ago—even when fire danced on the tip of his finger—suddenly nothing at all seemed certain.

    It was midnight and, by then, the streets were perfectly silent. The rain had stopped, but the wet trees and rooftops were still dripping. It was cold and even though the streets were familiar, the dim stillness of the night made everything look eerie. Leo was consulting his map the whole time, especially after they had walked out of their neighbourhood. Ursula was walking closely behind him glancing at the empty streets around them from time to time.

    ‘Why didn’t we take the car again?’ asked Ursula, rubbing her hands against each other. It was the first thing that was said between them since they had left the house. Ursula’s sudden voice broke through the silence and Leo’s intense concentration.

    ‘Uncle said it’s not good to park it outside the Rest House, no one should know we’re there. Anyway, according to this map, the Rest House is not far from here,’ said Leo quietly, and they returned to walk in silence.

    ‘Leo,’ Ursula whispered. ‘Are you scared?’ Leo was a little scared, but he knew that Ursula needed only to hear that he wasn’t.