Chapter 2

25000 years ago...

The little girl's eyes fluttered open from her deep slumber. Something had stirred her awake --- a strange warmth resonating inside of her, summoning her.

The child of 2 years left her bed and in small tapping steps walked bare-footed in her long white robe across glistening marble-like floors to the large open terrace of her chamber where she could see the dark horizon waiting to burst into a dawn of light that would soon disperse the darkness around her. She stood in the middle of the terrace, overlooking as usual the dazzling splendor of the great city that welcomed her with a touch of the breeze fresh from the seas, her pure white hair swaying daintily with it. Reflected in her cyan blue eyes is a myriad of towering white marble fortresses that make up the city, blazing with inlays of gold, silver and other precious stones. Powerful winglies, which are large flying featherless pointy-snouted mammals with wings and magic, flew to and fro around the city, across and over towers. On their backs, their pilots sat in command of their movements.

She is in fact standing on one of the high balconies of the Royal Fortress; the lone structure that stood in the inner core of the perfect concentric circles of land that make up the whole of Atlantis, towering the picturesque garden beauty of Atlantis that appeared so minute from her sky-high perspective. The great bridges that linked the rings of lands across the circles of water were further enhanced by brilliant gardens, groves of flowering trees, and innumerable sparkling fountains. From where she stood, she can even trace with her fingers the flow of the great canal where ships could sail right up to the water-circles and pass from one to another by tunnels dug through the land-circles.

This is the proud great nation of Atlantis.

All these and the rising sun on the horizon is something she beholds everyday of her life.

But today, the usual ruminations barely enter her thoughts as omen hanged strangely in the air.

From where she stood, she saw catastrophe approaching from the heavens--- Atlantis' first look at the adversaries that came from nowhere but the skies. None of these things made sense to her young mind. For now, she only understood fear.

They assembled above the skies of Atlantis: battleships, perhaps, a thousand, mostly manned by men positioned visibly on its back in a transparent cocoon. Their heavy and ominuous presence against the sunlight casted a bleak shadow across the whole of Atlantis. She has never seen such things before. She couldn't make out what they are but they are certainly not like their Winglies.

They are the non-living versions of their winglies: flying machines made of metal and stone with wings that cannot flap. But the child could not know that. She has never known machine technology before. Physics does not sustain Atlantis. Magic does. Magic supplemented all over the city by the Royal White Crystal.

The unfamiliar battleships loomed above Earth, pending doom on Atlantis.

Atlantis is a known peaceful and powerful kingdom in the planet. The great walls of the land were impregnable. It is a nation victorious in its every conquest; beheld by other nations. But Atlantis is also an enigma - almost an otherworld to the inhabitants of the planet. Its gates are closed to the outside world and the outside world look upon it with fascination, reverence and fear.

But today on this early morn before the sun could rise, as Princess Eleejah of Atlantis stepped out of her balcony, that prestige and glory is about to end...

Every Atlantii is baffled and bewildered by the invaders. They seemed to possess power that can compete with Atlantis. Is it possible? Could another kingdom as powerful as Atlantis exists somewhere in this planet? But then maybe they are not of Earth but of the stars? How then could they defeat something that is not of Earth?

But despite the ambiguity, the army of Atlantis is prepared to do battle to the last breath. Despite the ambivalence, fear and shock that gripped its dwellers due to the enigma of the unknown invaders that could perhaps possess greater power than that of Atlantis, they were confident of their triumph - a complacency inspired in them by their king.

"They are nothing against us, against our magic technology. We shall be victorious," their King, Atlas, had adamantly assured his people.

King Atlas did not show uncertainty and never did. He went about announcing the imminent intrusion without the slightest hint of daunt and surrender; a resoluteness so typical of him. King Atlas, with all his power, never did fail his people. They believe he will never will.

They will win.

Princess Eleejah stood stunned as the army men of Atlantis positioned themselves against the enemies, carried by their winglies, passing her tower as they maneuvered by.

It was at this time that Milo, one of the three generals of Atlantis, saw the young princess. Quickly, he maneuvered his wingly towards the tower, calling out to her in a stern voice.

"Milo!" she called out in her meek little voice.

"What are you doing out here, young princess? Get inside at once! These are terrible times for sightseeing!" Milo admonished. He was a man with physical features of strength. He had long, light brown hair in low ponytail against his back. On his head circles a metal silver band with an insignia of a general --- a sword against a spark of light. Around his neck he wore a necklace with a crystal glowing with faint light.

He hovered above her on his wingly that was rhythmically flapping about to keep afloat on air.

The girl looked at him with alarmed eyes, swallowing what Milo just said. "Terrible...times?" she uttered in her smallish, meek voice.

"Yes...no," he said, softening his tone upon realizing that he was talking in his usual militaristic tone. "No need to fret now. Just get yourself safe inside. Will you do that, princess?"

The girl nodded briskly.

"Eleejah!" someone called out from inside Eleejah's chamber. The queen of Atlantis, Tisha, with a troubled expression joined the girl in the balcony. She held the child over. "What are you doing out here? You are supposed to be asleep--"

"Your highness," Milo spoke with reverence, bowing at the Queen before him. "I found her out here. The war is due. Please, you must get her inside. Like bait she stands there,"

"Are these terrible times, mother?" the girl enquired, her eyes glistening with trepidation.

"Just for a while, my sweet. Your father and his army will get this over with. Right, Milo?"

"Yes, your highness. Everything is under control," supplemented Milo.

"However, Milo is right," said the Queen to the child. "With you standing here like bait is a caused for us to be troubled,"

"But it called me, mother...in my sleep," the child meekly disclosed.

The queen was startled. "What called you?"

The child's little finger pointed towards the sky. "That,"

She was pointing towards the enormous main enemy ship perched far up in the sky behind vanguards of smaller flying machines. It looked like a massive floating basalt rock in the distinct shape of a bull's head with curve horns, silhouetted by the sun. A blinding blue light flared from the center of its facade.

"It called me," the child said again when the mother didn't say anything.

Queen Tisha turned to look at Milo's reaction. But like her, there was only slight bewilderment in his face. Yet she couldn't at all dismiss the child's observation. She wondered about it and intended to make it known to the king.

"Alright, don't worry about it. For now, you go inside,"

The young girl nodded and went, leaving behind Milo and her mother in contemplation.

"What do you make out of these, guardian Milo? "Of what, your highness?"

"Of...today..." the queen looked thoughtful.

"What does the king say?"

"As I am, I think he also is kept in the dark,"

Milo looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean, your highness?"

Her eyes shimmered looking at a distance. "Though he doesn't say it, I doubt he himself knew who the enemies are or where they come from,"

"Yes. I believe you, your highness. He told us that the enemies are called the Zhinras. But I doubt if he knew that. Only one person could know the many things Atlantis do not understand..."

"Travan," she said it for both of them. She turned her head to him, "The guardians---are they all ready?"

"We are prepared as always," Milo replied.

She nodded and then held a thoughtful expression. "Travan had warned that the fourth guardian---the bearer of the lightning sword--- is with them,"

"The 'stray one'," Milo nodded. "Yes, we were made aware of that by the king,"

A trumpet sound was then heard, signaling the start of the war and Milo bid goodbye to the queen to rejoin his battalion.

A few minutes later, the enemies would converge in for an assault. The Atlantii army will retaliate. By then, the battle has begun.

The swarm of Atlantiis and invaders violated the skies of Atlantis in a chaotic throng.

As predicted by the King, Atlantis, sustained by the powers of magic technology easily overwhelmed the invading forces. Winglies and master glided in the skies, almost invincible, as brought about by their bubble-like magic barriers, hauling fire and lightning against the metal warpods of the Zhinras.

Atlantis showed promising victory...

The little girl in her mother's arms, her face still smudge with anxiousness and frightened by the thundering noises heard outside of the thick fortress walls, asked to see her father.

The queen held her close. "Well...it is not a good time, my daughter-"

"Please, mother-" pleaded the child.

Tisha understood her daughter's insistence. To her, her father is the epitome of strength, protection and will. Her husband, she knew would be quite preoccupied right now amidst the invasion, but his daughter has always been his utmost concern.

"Alright then," she took the child into her arms and headed to the throne room, followed by her male and female servants.

The guardians---Milo, Castro and Sumir---were the three greatest Magi forces of Atlantis. They are the bearer of Travan's elemental swords, considered to be among the most powerful hand weapons in the universe, rendering any other being and weaponries in any war futile against them. But still, the Atlantiis never had to fight such worthwhile adversaries.

"Milo," called Sumir who caught up behind him. "These enemies, I have to admit, they are a force to be reckoned with,"

"I agree," Milo shouted back. "They are powerful and mysterious. Even so, it is safe to say that they are no match against us,"

"I can see that too. Have you seen Zivlander?"

"No,"

"But Travan told us that he is here,"

"Then he must be,"

"If you see him, tell me. I want to fight him myself," said Sumir.

"Nope, I shall duel with the traitor myself."

Sumir grinned. "Finder's keeper then," he said, before speeding away.

Victory was almost at hand...

Milo was enjoying the one-sided war when he felt something quite not right in the scene. He was slashing fire at an enemy warpod with his sword and it exploded infront of him, when out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the winglies magic barriers flickering out around him. He watched as his own wingly's barrier also flickered out. An enemy warpod came aiming at him; shooting passed the perimeter around his wingly. He quickly countered the torrent with his sword and with one quick movement, sent a fireball towards that enemy, annihilating it.

He stopped short after. 'What is happening..." he looked around in uncertainty and his face became pale.

Other wingly pilots don't have swords like the guardians! Without the barrier, they can only rely on the wingly's powers! However it seems that the flying creatures are now rendered powerless, causing them to retreat regardless of their masters' commands.

Alarmed hooked on Milo as he looked around at the chaos around him. He saw winglies shot and fell to the ground. He saw others got blasted. Quickly, he felt for the crystal necklace inside his chest and held it above his eyes. He saw that the light from it had disappeared. Then his eyes darted towards the top of the Royal Fortress, watching in horror as the light of the White Crystal that used to emanate from there is dimming.

A terrible realization dawned upon him. Atlantis, without the power of the crystal, will lose the battle...

Milo's wingly, realizing the lost of her power, was suddenly in frenzy too.

"Gaylia, steady girl!" he commanded helplessly.

As soon as an enemy warpod came chasing after them, Gaylia darted away fast with all its might. She was out of control and Milo had to hang on like a ragged doll. Gaylia is reputed to be one of the fastest flying wingly in all of Atlantis so Milo surmise that at the speed she's engaged in flying scared, they would go beyond the island's sky boundaries in no time, which they certainly did.

Suddenly Gaylia halted mid-air to Milo's utter surprise and she went spiraling down, gravity claiming them voraciously. Milo didn't see it; didn't get the chance to witness all the other winglies around him simultaneously dropping down like hale.