Kaolin fought hard to remember the name of the place they were heading for…he knew the country’s name, Lyra…but the capital’s was…was…

He looked hopelessly at Solstice who had gotten them both tickets on a…what was it called again? A bus? Yes a bus…damned strange things, these buses. Kaolin planned on asking Solstice what they were later, and not to mention, how had Solstice gotten tickets to ride it?

Things had changed dramatically since Kaolin had last been outside of the palace, of course he hadn’t been out of the ‘Palace’ for a decade…Kaolin sighed softly and stared out the window, Solstice had pushed him into the window seat, it wouldn’t take no for an answer either.

Kaolin made a small noise of triumph as he found the name of the capital city. Eikare! That was its name; Kaolin wasn’t an idiot after all!

“Solstice…what’s happened since I was last…out?” Kaolin asked softly, Solstice opened an eye lazily and smiled slightly.

“Lots,” it mumbled softly from its position of curled up in the next seat, with its head in Kaolin’s lap.

“Like?” Kaolin queried, running his left hand through Solstice’s hair.

Solstice sighed softly, not in a tired way, but in a happy, relaxed way. “There buses like these… think called cars… smaller buses Solstice think…there these weird things where you pick-you pick up one piece and press numbers than you can talk to people!” Solstice said excitedly, though it didn’t move from its position, which it found very enjoyable.

“There still magic, lots of magic and castles and palaces…just magic been made to do other things too! It power this bus!” Solstice moved its head in what must have been a nod.

“It does?” Kaolin asked in sheer surprise. “But how?” He questioned, his mind trying to get around the fact that somehow magic could power vehicles…without the use of horses…

“Asked never,” was the reply from Solstice. “Think it…do something to make wheels go round-round-round!” Solstice giggled and than closed its eyes in a tired fashion, which it reinforced with a wide yawn. “Sleep now…talk sooner…” The little creature whispered, making itself comfortable.

Kaolin nodded, staring out the window as the world past by, though the thin black strip of the road stopped the world from interacting with Kaolin, he sighed softly, for the first time in years he was out of his prison and, oh, how the world had changed! Cars and busses, buildings with doors that hissed open, things that could write letters for you, this world was so different from the world Kaolin had grown up in.

As the countryside went by, gradually changing from rich tropical forest to a dry and arid desert Kaolin grew drowsy, until he had no choice in the matter of sleep.

Kaolin was jerked awake when the bus went over a particularly rough patch of road, or that’s what he thought it’d been, when he looked out of the window he almost screamed in fear, they weren’t on the ground anymore. No, they were in the air and going in a straight line. “So-so-solstice…we’re…Solstice…” Kaolin whispered, eyes wide and breathing harsh with fear. He could see clouds…below them…

Solstice yawned, opened one eye slightly and sat up when it realised how frightened Kaolin was. “It right-all no scared,” Solstice cooed softly. “We just flying…magic us make fly,” Solstice continued in the gentle coo. “It alright…see? We no fall from sky, if we did I protect us.”

This seemed to calm Kaolin down slightly, though he was still staring out the window in terror, he did try to take Solstice’s reassurance as fact, but the fact that they were no longer on solid ground, the fact that they weren’t on any ground was having a bad effect on Kaolin.

Solstice’s chewed its bottom lip for awhile, watching Kaolin’s fear; it wasn’t nice to see…Solstice gently persuaded his mind to rest with a swift push of dream energy. “You sleep now…you dweam, dweam of nice things…” Solstice whispered, curling back up. “We weach Port Gaol in another day…”

Perhaps Solstice would have shuddered if it’d known of the horrors happening in Port Gaol…but it didn’t and was content in the knowledge that it had power and that its power would protect Kaolin no matter what.

Kaolin dreamed…

“Princes’ welcome to the summer palace, we hope you can enjoy your stay,” a small, fat, man greeted the princes’ Kaolin, Toben and Dien, ignoring their consort as it played with the animals that had followed it into the palace.

Kaolin smiled in greeting, brushing brilliant sapphire locks out of sapphire eyes. “Chancellor, I do hope the palace has been kept up to standards.”

The chancellor nodded, eyes sparking at the almost praise from the prince.

Prince Toben knelt down beside his consort and petted one of the cats Solstice was snuggling. “Do you want to keep one?” He asked softly, short silver hair falling into his misty red eyes. He smiled brightly when Solstice nodded happily.

Prince Dien ignored the chancellor’s babbling and Toben as he picked Solstice up and carried him off, with the cat. “Let’s go see the butterflies hmm?” Dien asked, heading for a large dome in the middle of the palace, a butterfly breeding ground.

“Yah!” Solstice smiled brightly up at Dien and stroked one of Dien’s silvery grey wings. The wing shuddered and lifted up slightly, much to Solstice’s enjoyment. It looked into Dien’s grey eyes and smiled once more. “Dien…can-can you…refer…to me…as a-a-a a he now? I don’t like being called an it,” Solstice said, still smiling.

“Fine Solstice, I’ll refer to you as a he instead of an it, I’ll even stop thinking of you as an it, how about that?” Dien asked, setting Solstice down in the large dome, butterflies landed, almost immediately, on Solstice, and on Dien’s wings.

Solstice laughed merrily, his voice such a rich, comforting sound that not even the butterflies felt the need to flit away as they so often did when someone moved or spoke.

Toben jerked awake, and stared at the water beyond the window, so they were here… in the Lyrian air, sea and land port of Gaol. Toben stared as the bus ascended and water slid down the windows. “Solstice, wake up, I-I think we’re here…”

Air stared at the head maid, and smoothed out his uniform of red velvet, a red jacket over a white satin dress shirt and red velvet pants. “My name’s Sair ma’am, I’m sure I can do the job well,” he said with a charming smile, bowing his head slightly.

“Your name’s Sair, strange name… you’re not a flower pot are you?” The head maid smiled wryly before continuing, “You understand she’ll chew you up and throw you out like she has the other young men and woman, you understand you’ll be dressing her, accompanying her on social excursions and cleaning her rooms,” The head maid said vacantly, making small notes on ‘Sair’s’ résumé .

“That is perfectly fine; I understand she castrates her males?” Air inquired curiously.

“Yes, she does, but I understand that you’ve already been castrated?” The woman asked, putting the résumé down and placing a crystal paper weight over it. “Am I correct? You can tell me on the way to her majesty’s chambers.”

Air nodded, trying to keep his smile as he followed the head maid. “Yes, I was castrated when I was but a child, my father wanted a girl and in order to punish me had me…well you know,” Air made to sigh sadly but gasped, footsteps silencing as he stopped walking. “Oh my…” He whispered; staring at the door the woman was opening. His whole body froze up and fear suddenly pierced his complete soul, it swum to the other three elements.

Air’s eyes were wide as the door swung open to reveal the queen in a sweeping black dress, his voice quickened considerably. It had been Kaolin’s room…and she had… the queen had desiccated the room, which had been a place of happiness.

“Oh my… oh my dear universe…” Air whispered as the hatred, cruelty and fear swept over his mind. “My queen…” He uttered softly, falling into a sweeping bow.

The queen stood up and smiled thinly at Air. “You seem faint,” She said in a seductive purr as she walked over to Air.

“Not faint my queen, overwhelmed by your sudden beauty,” Air replied, lying through his teeth. Overwhelmed by your sudden stench! Air’s insides screamed, even as he bowed his head gently and kissed the queen’s hand. “Beauty such as yours is rarely taken in such great stride.”

“You flatter me…” The queen whispered; her eyes wandered to the maid, standing behind Air. “Leave now, I must introduce him to my rooms.”

Once alone the fear that had filled Air constantly suddenly rushed back, causing him to stagger backward—Solstice hurry honey…

Fear pierced Solstice’s heart as the pain and terrible dread of one of the elements transferred itself into its own heart. Solstice’s eyes snapped opened and its slender fingers tightened in Toben’s clothing, it wanted Kaolin…Kaolin was…secure, well so were Toben and Dien but Kaolin would always be there, there wasn’t the slight uncertainty that he’d vanish when the healing was over. “Kao…Kao…Kaorin…” Solstice whispered, looking up imploring into Toben’s eyes, which flickered for a moment.

“What is it Solstice?” Kaolin asked softly, wrapping his arms around the frail beauty that mewed happily at the contact, even as paralysing fear ran through its body.

“I…I…Solstice no know Kaorin, Solstice no know…” Solstice shook its head sadly, tears shining in brilliant blue eyes; it bit its lower lip and whimpered when it bit just a little too hard, hard enough to draw blood.

Kaolin smiled slightly and licked the blood from Solstice’s pale pink lips. “There, there brat, relax, nothing’s going to happen, we’ll be fine alright? Alright?” Kaolin asked, holding Solstice close as he rose from his seat and grabbed their one only piece of luggage, the duffle bag Solstice had stuffed clothes into.

Solstice stared in awe at the shop fronts, parlours and stalls; it stared until its eyes watered. “There so many of them! Must clothes… buy…” It murmured, awe still running rampart through his body.

Kaolin had adopted much the same expression. “They’re so big,” he whispered, staring around in fascination. There were clothing stores, food stores, stores that styled ones hair, stores that sold exotic perfumes… Kaolin felt overwhelmed by the magnificence of the port.

“Let’s look in there Kaolin!” Solstice cried, tugging Kaolin towards a lavish clothing store, filled with frilly garments and slender, form fitting apparel.

While Solstice looked through the clothing and tried it on, Kaolin sat down on a lounge chair suitably supplied by the manager of the store.

“I’ll give you 1000 gold pieces for her,” Someone murmured in Kaolin’s ear, he looked at the person slowly, a plump man, slightly familiar in the way he carried himself. “She’s obviously too much trouble for you,” the man continued.

Kaolin eyed him, he was plump, he was unfit, and this of course stood against everything Kaolin, Dien and Toben stood for. And Kaolin realised what was so familiar about him. He was a slave trader, not an official Palace trader but a trader non-the-less.

Kaolin’s eyes darkened, allowing the way for Toben to sneak control of the body. “Who, pray tell, are you talking of?” Toben asked in a soft voice.

“The little miss over there, she walked in with you did she not? The one trying out the dresses and suits. A nightingale such as herself should never be allowed to be seen in anything other then spiders silk,” the man said with a smile as he pointed out Solstice.

Toben was enraged, Solstice was not a woman! And if it was, Toben would certainly know of it! “Are you offering to buy from me my consort?” He asked coldly.

The trader merely nodded, unaware of the fury he had caused.

Toben stood up, pulling himself to his full height and glared at the trader, he pulled, from deep within, the memories of royalty, the lessons in how to hold himself. He held himself like a malevolent prince, ready to cut the trader’s head off with anything suitable.

“Listen to me, you clumsy oaf, Solstice is my consort, not some mere slave to bought and traded! You will show the correct respect for a Lyrian prince!”

The slaver blinked, than a memory seemed to click and his eyes widened, huge and watery. “Wh-who are you? There are no princes in these parts,” he whispered, fear quaking through his voice.

“There may very well have been none before! But I am standing before you, and I demand the correct respect! Bow!” Toben snarled, and though not very tall the sudden ferocious aura of regality radiating off of him was enough to make any man, woman or child quake with fear.

He blinked when Solstice poked him in the ribs and giggled softly.

“Found what want! Found what want!” Solstice sing-songed, hugging Toben. “See!” It stepped back, dressed in a fine, black silk, form-fitting suit.

Toben smiled brightly at Solstice. “You look gorgeous!” He whispered softly, wrapping his arms around Solstice and swung it in a brief circle. “Absolutely delectable!”