All the yards were full of movement; warriors everywhere were busy doing something. The yards were lit by fire in every corner and there were threads of humming, glass balls stretched around the building and between trees. Leo and his group except for Andy and Terri, who didn’t want to wait for the rest and went down first, found themselves lost in the wide grounds of the fortress and didn’t know which way they should take to go to the theatre.

    ‘Excuse me,’ Leo stopped a fast, handsome boy who rushed past them. He was wearing a red headband and an untidy, medieval costume. Leo could swear he had seen that boy before in Curtlane town but in very different clothes.

    ‘Could you please tell us, how to go to the theatre? We’re new here,’ said Leo.

    ‘You’re the rest of the first-year students,’ the boy cheered up, ‘pleased to meet you,’ the boy enthusiastically shook hands with Leo and the others. ‘My name is Kaleustace Nimbus.’

    ‘That is the strangest name I’ve ever heard,’ said Patrick in innocent outspokenness.

    ‘Everyone thinks so too. Our parents certainly don’t choose the easy names, do they?’ said the boy good-humouredly. ‘You can just call me Kal. I’m the Libra of the Second Year. The theatre is that way. Right around the building, behind the maid’s sculptures. See you there.’ And with that, the young warrior took off. 

    ‘He looks very familiar,’ said Leo, after the boy was gone. ‘I’m sure I’ve seen him in Curtlane town.’

    ‘He’s the paperboy,’ said Neil quickly.

    ‘OH! That’s right,’ Leo remembered.

    ‘There are a lot of familiar faces around here,’ said Neil. ‘Apparently, most of our town is in on the secret about Hozafia. It took me a while to remember, but that warrior we met at the entrance named Gemmy—that one who saved our lives—is a distant cousin from my mother’s side.’

    They went around the building as instructed, but there, they could see no sculptures, and no one to ask for directions either. It was dark there; they had walked away from all the lights. There they stopped walking, feeling lost again.

    ‘We should have taken the map they gave us,’ said Oliver in frustration. ‘I can’t believe how big this place is.’

    ‘What map?’ asked Leo.

    ‘A map of the fortress,’ Neil explained, ‘the warrior that came to the dormitory brought it and said that it’s shared property and that it will stay with us until we’re able to navigate the fortress without a map.’

    ‘Unfortunately, Field and his friend took it with them,’ said Patrick.

    ‘Why didn’t they give one to each of us?’ asked Leo.

    ‘It’s a security measure, I guess. They don’t want to give away documents with details about the fortress. That’s why that warrior that came urged us to memorise all the corners of the fortress before they take back the map,’ said Oliver. ‘I think he was a bit smug about it though. He was probably thinking stupid freshmen.’

    ‘That warrior was my cousin,’ said Patrick indignantly, ‘and I’m sure that was not what he was thinking. He’s a guard.’

    ‘So what are we going to do now?’ asked Neil.

    ‘I think we should go back,’ said Patrick

    ‘What good will that do? We don’t know where to go from there, let’s keep walking,’ said Leo.

    ‘Great preparations back there. Did you see all those lights?’ said Neil as they resumed walking. ‘Judging by how we’ve been received today, it looks like we’ll be much respected in this world.’

    ‘Captain Erick said that warriors are respected in Hozafia,’ said Oliver, ‘look at how much he’s respected around here.’

    ‘Captain Erick is respected because of his rank,’ said a boy they didn’t see at first; he was leaning against the building, concealed by its shadow. ‘You may only feel respected when you’re around regulars and that doesn’t happen very often while you’re still a student. Among the warrior’s community, respect goes by rank.’

    ‘What do you mean?’ asked Patrick.

    The boy pointed at something far ahead. There was a warrior in a green uniform holding Nimbus by the shirt, apparently scolding him.

    ‘If you wish to become a pirate or a gang member let us know and you’ll be expelled at once. This is not a proper outfit for a warrior,’ said the warrior in green, ‘go change these rags at once!’

    ‘Who is that?’ asked Neil.

    ‘You probably mean the one screaming,’ said the boy, ‘his name is Vigour Reed, but he goes by the name Light, he is the leader of all leaders here.’

    ‘Leaders?’ asked Leo.

    ‘They’ll tell you all about that in the marking celebration,’ said the tall dark boy as he came out of the shadow. ‘I’m Troy by the way.’

    ‘Is he a student too?’ asked Patrick.

    ‘Reed? Oh no, he graduated two years ago and he has worked here ever since,’ said Troy.

    ‘Graduated already, but he looks young. I mean younger than most people here,’ said Neil.

    ‘He was only eleven when he first came to the academy as a student,’ said Troy. ‘It’s never about your age here, it’s always about your talent. Surely Erick told you that.’ 

    ‘Can you tell us where can we find the sculptures of the—?’

    ‘The maids,’ Patrick reminded Neil. ‘He said the maids.’

    ‘Yes, we were told that the theatre is right behind them. We’re a bit lost,’ said Leo.

    ‘I can take you there if you want. We’re not far anyway, it’s right around the keep,’ said Troy. He was right, they were not far. In just a few turns, after passing the dark, standalone building that seemed to be without an entrance, which Leo assumed was the keep, they were there. ‘There they are.’ Troy called their attention to four, tall, detailed statues of beautiful women. ‘Has anyone told you about the maids yet?’

    ‘No, who are they?’ asked Leo.

    ‘They are not precisely who,’ said Troy squinting. ‘The maids are the most important figures in the cosmic world. These four women are the most popular characters in the Hozafian culture. Hozafian artists make them the subject of their works. They are the embodiment of the four elements. No one can see air or hold fire and we can never grasp water or contain the earth, but certainly, we can see the elements in the shapes of those women.’ 

    ‘Assuming that, if the elements were human, they would be women, right?’ said Leo.

    ‘It is not assumptions as much as records of actual eyewitnesses. The maids are real, they may manifest themselves occasionally, or it takes an immense amount of power and a long time to summon them,’ said Troy without a hint of humour or sarcasm, and as strange as that sounded to the new warriors, they didn’t comment, apparently, there was nothing impossible in the cosmic world. ‘There! That’s the theatre.’ Troy pointed ahead. The amphitheatre was on a lower ground area from where they were standing. It was an open, round place with seating steps surrounding its middle. The entire place was illuminated by bamboo fire torches and a big fire pit in the centre. They thanked Troy and went down to the theatre, where they found the rest of their group.

    The place was almost full of people; many warriors were sitting and waiting along with a few other neatly dressed men, but Leo’s seat and those of his group, were already reserved for them in the first row. Just after the new warriors were shown their seats, there was a movement of excitement as many warriors came to take their places around the theatre, for it was announced that the general had arrived.

    Indeed, they could see the general coming along with a train of old men and women, among whom Leo could see General Sebastian Govad, his uncle, in a light-blue generals’ uniform, as well as Erick and Light. General Harvey’s procession sat down on the first row next to the new warriors as the general went straight to the middle of the theatre. The Academy General let some moments pass, in which everyone settled down before he spoke.

    ‘Good evening warriors,’ started the general with a big smile. ‘The marking celebration is, in fact, my favourite time of the year because it marks the beginning of a new academic year, where we are joined by yet another batch of young people that will enrich our lines of gifted warriors.’ The general stopped for a second to smile at the new eleven as General Govad winked at his nephews. ‘But, before we start, I’d like to thank our guests; the palace’s representatives, General Henry Fleming of Just and Prisons and General Sebastian Govad of the Entrances, for honouring us by coming here this evening to attend this yearly event.’ The theatre cheered. The academy general looked at the new warriors then he said, ‘I’m also thrilled to announce that you are the first group in five years to reach Zodia complete and without any missing warriors, thanks to Captain Erick Cooper, the head of the academy guards, and also thanks to the bravery of the new Leo warrior—Leonardo Donner.’ The theatre cheered once again, and General Fleming, who was unmistakably there only because he had to be, as he could not seem less interested, suddenly became more attentive.

    ‘What’s he talking about?’ said Andy to Terri privately but Leo could still hear him. ‘We’re only eleven.’

    ‘I believe that you still don’t know what this celebration is about,’ continued the general talking to the new warriors. There were nods of agreement, so he explained. ‘You all have talents, you all have powers, each one of you has the ability that allows him or her to have a—shall we say—mastery over a certain element in nature, but you can’t really say that you have any control over them—yet. Now, you must know how to use these gifts, only and exactly, when you want to.’ The general looked meaningfully at Ursula as he slowly spoke the last few words. Apparently, he was told about the fire incident during their trip. ‘That is exactly what you’re going to be given here this evening. This celebration is called the marking celebration because the new warriors at the beginning of their training are marked with the symbol of their signs. The marks that you’re going to receive this evening will be your only way to control the coarse nature of your gifts and this is certainly a cause for celebration because, only then, you will be true warriors. These marks are the scars that stay with the warriors for the rest of their lives. You will come to realise that these symbols that differ from one warrior to the other, will give you a true sense of team and unity. There is no meaning in having power and no authority to use it. You also must know that without this mark, studying at Zodia will be impossible.’

    The General stopped and waited as Light approached him with a rolled parchment. ‘Before we proceed with the marking, I’d like to introduce, without order, this year’s warriors to the rest of the academy.’ The general unrolled the parchment as everyone started cheering. ‘I General Alfonso Harvey and in the name of Zodia Academy welcome warriors, Neil Wood, Terri Russell, Andy Field, Linda Arlie, Mellissa Grey, Virginia Green, Patrick Adams, Oliver Caprus, Leonardo Donner, Ursula Donner, Claudia Sailor, and H—’ the general stopped suddenly and looked at Light, obviously disturbed. Light, startled, rushed back to the general as the cheering stilled and was replaced by loud whispering. The general spoke to Light in private, looking over at the new warriors as he spoke. The general seemed to be considering all the eyes watching them. He tried to free his face from any expression, but the warriors could see that he was angry.