Since the day they heard the rules, the eleven warriors did nothing other than explore the old fortress. They had discovered many halls and deserted storage chambers with lots of dusty antiques and swords, and they had found that very interesting, but after a while, their interest began to fade and was replaced by boredom, especially in the absence of their modern devices. The day of receiving the uniforms was exciting, but soon the uniforms lost their glamour and wearing the same clothes every day became one more reason for them to feel bored. However, every now and then, something extraordinary would happen that would change the dull atmosphere, like a fiery explosion during the training of the advanced warriors, or a heated argument between two warriors that would turn into a swordfight and end up in detention for both of them.

    As the days went on, the new warriors gradually came to know the fortress by heart and the environment surrounding it. In Zodia, many strange plants lived within its walls, like Olegum flowers and the Garnal trees that only grew on that mountain; they had round, transparent, red leaves and they never changed that colour all year long. The new warriors also got to see and taste the high-jumping-rabbits, which the advanced warriors were allowed to hunt for recreation when they went out into the forest for camping lessons or when one of those rabbits jumped over the fortress’s wall. The new warriors easily made friendships with the seventeen other students of the advanced years who gladly shared their knowledge with them. They were finally able to understand the technique of sending messages using pigeons. To send a letter to someone outside Zodia they needed a special whistle known as the caller, to call for someone’s extraordinary pet messenger pigeon that would fly to the fortress and carry back their letter to its owner. The pigeons of the fortress’s dwellers were divided into four separate towers for each element—for more order. Each tower was marked by a flag with one of the four symbolic colours of the elements. Miraculously, the pigeons seemed to know much about colours, as they always nested in their specific tower, and the complicated posting system seemed to work like a clock, with no mistakes.

    In the morning, after breakfast, the fortress indoors exploration, for the new warriors, would start. In the evening, only those with brave hearts would find it interesting to keep strolling in the dark, deserted corridors of the fortress. Evenings in Zodia were more pleasant outside the towers. Since it was the yard with the best lighting, the fountains yard was the favourite outdoor space for most warriors, but especially for Ursula and Claudia who spent hours there enjoying the sound of running fountains and the company of the scented Olegum flowers that were nourished by the fountains’ water.

    Watching the advanced warriors studying, the new eleven had a good idea of what their subjects would be like. Some subjects needed books, pens and papers, but mostly, they had little to study theoretically and much to practice. Zodia was the academy of fighting arts, where students trained in martial arts and perfected the use of weapons, rather than spend long hours in the pursuit of academic knowledge. The new warriors watched the other ones train on using many kinds of weapons. Besides the usual sword training, there was a different kind of weapon for each sign that warriors trained on using separately. There were crossbows for Arieses, axes for Tauruses, double-face axes for Geminies, darts for Cancers, knives for Leos, whips for Virgos, spears for Libras, daggers for Scorpios, bows and arrows for Sagittariuses, staffs for Capricorns, slingshot for Aquariuses, and blades for Pisces. They also had lessons, where they trained on how to better control their element and integrate that into their weapons training, which was interesting to watch. They have been doing nothing for so long, that they were surprised to find themselves eager to take part in that training.

    One morning in Zodia’s main yard, which was called The Orpheus after the sculpture standing in its centre, some warriors were sitting under the rare sun, studying. The second-year warriors had a History exam to prepare for, so there were some familiar features of a usual school, books lay open on the lawn as young people bent over them and took notes. Some warriors were sitting on the front stairs of the building’s main entrance with papers and parchments, and others were riding the huge Orpheus sculpture itself, which was a sculpture of a riding warrior holding a bow, with books in their hands trying hard to curb their urge to jump off the statue and go find some real horses to ride. The third-years, however, were about to have their swords training and were sitting around cleaning their blades and getting ready for it. As for the first-years, they were enjoying the sun and the warm breeze, as they had nothing better to do. Everything seemed calm and peaceful, everyone was quietly occupied with something, and even those who had nothing to do wished for no conversations. Nimbus, however, seemed to be intentionally disturbing the dominant tranquillity by jumping all over the yard, trying to catch his messenger pigeon, and stepping on the student books as he did.

    But then suddenly, the boy’s fussing didn’t seem so disturbing, as an ear-shattering scream coming from the building, followed by the sound of glass smashing, forced everyone to leave what they were doing. All the warriors stood alert wondering what might have happened, as a girl appeared at a high window of the Western Tower with clear concern on her face.

    ‘Ann!’ Nimbus called the girl. ‘Are you okay?’

    ‘We need help,’ said Ann. ‘We can’t study here. It’s a high-jumping rabbit.’ Everyone sighed in relief.

    ‘God! I thought it was serious,’ said Tina the Second-Year-Taurus frowned, and returned to studying.

    ‘I don’t know how it got here, but it’s trapped and it’s smashing everything. We fear it might get into the artefacts corridor,’ said Ann.

    ‘Okay, we’re coming,’ said Nimbus laughing in excitement. Some warriors left their books and ran to the entrance of the main building. ‘Do you mind me leading this noble quest Leader Sergey?’ Nimbus asked Matilda humorously.

    ‘Not at all.’ She laughed. ‘You’d be doing me a favour actually, I still have so much to do.’

    ‘Well then, everyone, follow me. Let’s have some fun,’ said Nimbus and most of the warriors in the yard went with him to the building in excitement. Even though the first-years knew they wouldn’t be of much help, they knew nothing about how to catch those quick rabbits, the new warriors, including Leo, eagerly went to watch the chase nonetheless. Virginia, on the other hand, felt for the poor creature that was probably frightened by the many chasers.

    ‘Excuse me, what are they going to do to that little rabbit after they catch it?’ Virginia asked Matilda fearfully. ‘Don’t tell me they’re going to cook it.’

    ‘Most warriors seem to have no compassion for forest animals once they get used to using their weapons.  It’s refreshing to see a new warrior who still does,’ said Matilda.

    ‘Well, I believe hunting wild animals is inhumane and I don’t think this would change after I learn how to use a sword,’ said Virginia.

    ‘There are warriors who would like to prohibit hunting, but there are reasons that make this matter hard to accomplish,’ said Matilda. ‘I agree we shouldn’t go after those creatures where they live, for sport or otherwise, but in this case, right now, I hope they catch it sooner than later. Don’t be fooled by the cool reactions of some of us here, a high-jumping rabbit inside a building is a disaster. First of all, I’m not sure if you’ve ever seen one, but they are not little. A medium-sized rabbit can weigh up to five kilos, they can jump up to fifty feet. Once they start jumping inside a closed space, there is no controlling them. They could smash windows, trophies’—While she was talking the whole place was shadowed as if by a fast-moving cloud. When they looked up, they realised that a grand piano had been thrown out a window and was flying to the ground. The few warriors in the yard screamed as the piano crashed into pieces, just in front of the stairs—‘and pianofortes,’ continued Matilda with eyes fixed on the devastated piano. ‘See? That thing must be caught now. I’m going in to help them. But hey, I’ll make sure they don’t cook it.’ Matilda winked at Virginia reassuringly and went into the building.

    ‘What was that?’ asked Matilda once she was upstairs. ‘That could’ve killed someone out there.’

    ‘Was anyone hurt?’ asked Leo.

    ‘Luckily no,’ said Matilda.

    ‘Nimbus thought he should squash it with something heavy,’ said Leo.

    ‘Sorry, leader, that was my fault,’ said Nimbus. ‘I got too excited I guess.’

    ‘Be careful with your gifts everyone,’ Matilda called out seriously, ‘and don’t kill it. Try to catch it alive.’

    ‘What?’ Everyone was surprised.

    ‘Is this a challenge?’ asked Nimbus.

    ‘Consider it a challenge,’ said Matilda.

    ‘But a high-jumping rabbit is always the perfect opportunity for us to practice our talents in a real-life situation,’ a warrior in a red uniform protested.

    ‘It doesn’t feel right to kill it, okay?’ said Matilda

    ‘Alright warriors, you heard the leader,’ said Nimbus, ‘catch it, don’t kill it.’

    With Matilda’s new orders, the chase went longer than they had expected and every minute that passed with the rabbit inside the building made the place look more like a warzone. The skylight hall was almost devastated; the hall’s signature skylight dome was cracked, shatters of glass were everywhere, and all had happened way before the rabbit had gone upstairs. Despite their best efforts to prevent it, the rabbit went into the artefacts corridor. A lot of paintings and sculptures were in pieces. Everyone ran in strategies to catch the rabbit, but for a short, quiet moment, there seemed to be no rabbit. They could not see it anywhere, but then they spotted the furry creature jumping down a high shelf at the chasers, looking almost vengeful. The rabbit ran through the corridor towards the stairs, where Leo and Neil were standing, but then it changed direction. Just when they thought it was going to hit them, it jumped over their heads, hit the solid wall behind them and shot back into the corridor like a cannonball. The rabbit was then jumping from wall to wall hitting what was left on them and seemed to be flying with no control.

    ‘Wow, that was fast,’ said Neil. 

    By then, the girl named Ann came to join the chase carrying a handful of big jars she had found in the kitchen. ‘Hey look! maybe we can trap it in one of these,’ Ann called, but no one seemed to be listening

    All the warriors in the corridor, except those who were only watching, were moving in trains to avoid smashing more valuables. Other warriors stood on tables and waited for the right moment to jump, just when the rabbit would pass below their high spot. The rabbit seemed to be moving near the ground, and the train of chasing warriors was after it, some with empty jars, some with empty boxes and one with a butterfly net. Finally, the warriors on the tables spotted their awaited moment, they jumped on the rabbit and collapsed over each other just in time to be hit by the train of chasers, making a hill of fallen warriors. Ann, who was standing at the end of the staircase, was crushed in the accident too, and her jars smashed into the ground. It was a big catastrophe, but the rabbit escaped somehow and went further upstairs.

    ‘You idiots!’ said Nimbus to the chasers after he managed to stand. ‘We were this close. You helped it run away.’

    On the third floor, the rabbit continued its uncontrollable bouncing, but at least it was far from the precious corridor and away from the library. It went into the empty classrooms and the warriors went after it hoping to corner it somewhere there and be done. Under the lead of warrior Nimbus, the same unorganised chase resumed as the artful, fast prey managed to slip away. It was time for the slow chasers to be more creative if they hoped to catch the rabbit alive before classes would start.

    It was widely known in that extraordinary part of the world that the people who were born in some specific months of the year and who, according to their signs, were gifted with the powers of the air, could have the bodily ability to simulate the qualities of their element, like being invisible.