[Phew 4 am proof reading and chapter completion, my favorite! On with chapter 2 eh?]

Chapter 2: Naive Dreams

"Rise and shine sleepy head!"

That voice, I know that voice... "Cassandra?" With a grunt the boy slowly pulled himself into a sitting position in his bed. "Cassandra, don't crowd the poor boy he's got enough on his plate for today as it is!"

...Mother?...But... "Mom is that you?" The boy followed the new voice and was surprised to find a beautiful woman standing in the entrance of his room. Cassandra, with her silky black locks bouncing on her shoulder, skipped obediently over to her mother to stand beside her in the door way.

"Of course its me silly goose, why wouldn't I be here to support my son on such an important day?" This statement confused the boy even more, he didn't remember having anything important happening today. For that matter he couldn't even recall what today was or how he ended up in his own bed to begin with. The boy quickly slung his feet of the side of the bed and stood up stretching his arms over his head with stiff movements. "Mom, what's so special about today?" the boy questioned with a clue less frown. He couldn't remember for the life of him what his mother was talking about.

"Your so silly big brother, don't you remember that today is the day you finally graduate from Archton Academy?" Cassandra answered in response.

Archton, that name left a strange feeling in the boy. Odd considering he had been raised since he was an infant in this very town that bordered the great Gale Oasis. That's right, it was quickly coming back to him, this wonderful brunette woman standing in his door way was his step mother Anusha. His step sister bounced beside his mother with endless energy, making a funny face in his direction. "Well don't just stand there big bro! Get dressed so we can get to the academy for your ceremony!" With that statement Cassandra quickly skipped out of his room and headed towards where ever little girls with that much energy deemed suitable.

With a look in the direction Cassandra exited, Anusha looked back at her son and sighed. "We'll be down stairs in the kitchen waiting for you, please do hurry, you know how things tend to break the more impatient Cassandra gets." With that statement hanging in the air Anusha also left the boy's room, no doubt following Cassandra to make sure nothing accidentally fell from a seemingly secure surface.

I'm graduating? How could I forget something so important, but I thought...the boy shook his head and moved from his bed to the chest located just at the end of his bed. If he really did forget something so important, being late would really ruin this momentous day. With renewed vigor and speed never witnessed by anyone who knew the boy, he was dressed in record time. He exited his room and slid down the stair's banister with increased anticipation. His practiced landing shook the small house's flooring, eliciting a stern warning from the boy's mother in the adjourning kitchen.

Upon entering the designated meeting area, the boy received a reproachful look from his guardian. "If you keep doing that, one of these days the floor is going to decide your aren't worth your weight anymore." The boy quickly mouthed an apology and dropped his gaze from his mother, focusing his attention quickly on the freeze box near the sink. The boy quickly snapped his gaze back to his mother and pleaded with the best puppy dog face in his arsenal, "Mom, could I grab a snack before we leave? I can't remember eating the night before I went to bed." His mother's lips curled slightly but she shook her head, "sorry child but we don't want to miss your graduation just because of that extra dimension you call a stomach." With a sigh the boy followed his family out, taking in his surroundings as they made their way to the main street of the town.

Rows upon rows of dried clay houses lined each side of the street they currently traveled, some a dull natural tan while a rare few spotted vibrant colors and interesting feats of architectural design. Archton relied on many of the resources the great oasis provided, from the most important form of hydration to the huge deposits of clay that lined the oasis. The edges of the oasis allowed for some plants more acclimated to the desert's heat to flourish with out hindrance. Some of these plants be they trees or reeds were used along side clay and sand too create some of the houses currently in view.

The small family had reached the main street of the town and quickly passed by many of the businesses that made their home in this part of the city. Soon though the buildings began to slowly spread out as the family continued to near the end of street. At the end they quickly turned onto a small well kept path that was a stark contrast to most of the connections that made the town of Archton thrive. As this path continued, the scenery changed from sand and occasional houses to small fields of flowers planted in what was now sections of well fertilized dirt. If one solely focused on this magnificent display of nature, they would quickly forget that they were surrounded by a harsh and cruel desert. Those newly arrived to Archton would always comment on how unnatural this area of the town was after viewing everything else the town had to offer.

That was of course was an accurate observation for anyone to make, for in the middle of a seemingly deadly desert lay not only a source of thriving life, but also an establishment that pushed the boundaries of what truly belonged in the unforgiving desert that was the Tacano. With a deep breath the boy closed his eyes and inhaled the smell of not sand or clay but rather that of crisp flowers that defied even the sun's harsh assault from the heavens above.

"Hurry up bubby! We're almost there!" With a cheer Cassandra quickened her steps and all but sprinted towards the building that she would soon be studying in herself. Anusha followed her child's path, if only more slowly and with dignity that years of teaching at this very institute had bestowed upon her. The boy found himself about to follow when something new caught the corner of his eye.

With curious steps the boy made a quick detour to study the new addition to the every changing academy. In front of him stood a tall and simple carving of a crystal. It stood out since the only thing that surrounded it was fields upon fields of magically cultivated flowers. What was even more odd was that nothing else seemed to be a partner for this lonely statue. On the base rested a phrase of some sort. That's odd, I can't seem to read this even though I've studied plenty of the academy's required archaic language...

Before the boy could focus on this statue any longer a shrill scream pounded his ears with no mercy, "brother! Do you plan to stand around all day and miss the most important day of your life?!" With a sudden burst of excitement the boy turn towards the academy and continued his pursuit, this time doubling his pace to catch up to his family who waited for him impatiently at the doors of the academy's entrance. Quickly the boy hopped two steps at a time to scale the ever rising stairs that lead to the entrance of the academy.

He soon caught up to his family and paused in front of the doors to catch his breath. "Sis, you gotta slow down, us mortals aren't built like you." With a peal of giggles the small lively child skipped to one side of the boy while his mother positioned herself on the other. With a raised eyebrow she looked in her son's direction, "are you ready?" she asked with a hint of concern. The boy gulped and looked down at his feet. "I never imagined this day would finally arrive, but now that I'm here with you guys at my side, I think I can do this!" With a nod the woman looked back at the doors as if a signal for the boy to do the honors.

The boy took a deep breath and braced each hand on one of the doors leading too the next stage of his life. With a quick push the doors opened and he released his breath at once. "Well?" the voice behind this question asked with amusement. The boy didn't know how too answer for the doors had opened up too...a plateau overlooking an empty desert. The boy quickly spun on the spot looking for answers from his two companions. "What? Not what you were expecting?" The tone was harsh and very unlike the person it had originated from.

"Cassandra?" The boy couldn't understand what was going on, or why his mother and sister were both grinning at him as if they had just heard the funniest joke in the world. This time his mother spoke up, "honestly, did you really think that a failure such as yourself was worthy of graduating? How pathetic!" The thing that was the boys mother began to chuckle as she slowly approached the boy. The boy's attention was dragged back to his sister. "She's right you know, I'm surprised that someone who can't even freeze a cup of water could forget how weak and useless they are!" The comment made the girl giggle as she also began closing in on the boy. With tears in his eyes and fear in his heart the boy began to back away from the monsters that moments ago were his small and loving family.

He was making good speed, until the back of his retreating heel met the edge of the plateau. His heart rate sped up but he could no longer move his body for the fear and confusion that gripped it like a vice. It was too late, his family had reached him, "when do you think he'll wake up?" his mother asked his sister. His sister shrugged, "I doubt it will be anytime soon." And with that, they both grabbed the boy and with a joint effort, pushed the boy the rest of the way over the cliff. The last thing the boy felt before his eyes closed was the sense of his stomach pushing up towards his heart as gravity took affect and his body prepared for impact.

[Sorry if this seems like I just want to torture my character, but trust me, he'll have better luck later on, I just need to set up the events that make him who he'll be later on in the story. Comments welcome still and I'll see about getting chapter 3 done as soon as possible!]