High above the peaks of the phoenix mountains, up in the clouds lived a clan of people called the cloudrunners. They were called the cloudrunners because of their wings, and whenever they flew, it looked like they were running on the clouds, henceforth the name. The cloudrunners were a very secretive race, only a handful of people knew of their existence. But there was one person who was outside of that handful that knew about them, The Illusionist.
"The cloudrunner palace is the perfect place to begin." The Illusionist said to Meliara.
"The perfect place to begin what?" Meliara asked.
"To begin my take over of the world. Many have tried before me, namely Talpa and Seriyu, but I have studied their mistakes, and I won't make the same ones. Talpa's mistake was his overconfidence in his daughter's loyalty. If he had never sent her on that spy mission, he probably would have succeeded. Seriyu's mistake was that he underestimated the strength of Sakura's love for Ryo and vice versa and was overconfident in his ability to control what was under Talpa's throne. Well I have learned from their mistakes and will be the one to be victorious." The Illusionist said as he stared at the steadily growing closer peaks of the Phoenix Mountains, his sister at his side.
They were watching them from Seriyu's floating castle. That was, in fact, where The Illusionist first got the idea to attack the cloudrunners. If he wanted to beat the Ronins and warlords, he would have to have an impressive army. Then once the Ronin warriors were dead, there would be no one to stop him. So he figured that if he attacked a race, nobody knew existed, he would have enough time to build an army that even Ryo's armor of Inferno couldn't beat. All he had to do was wait for the appropriate time to attack and that was that night. The Illusionist had spent the last few years learning everything he could about the so called mythical cloudrunners. Everyone thought he was crazy, 'They don't really exist.' People had told him. 'They are just make believe characters told to little children at bedtime.' But The Illusionist knew they were wrong; he had seen one. It had been a long time ago, back before when he had been called by his real name, Broadway. He had been hiking in the Phoenix Mountains. He had finally reached the peak of the highest tip. He stood there, standing at the top, surveying the few craggy peaks that jutted through the clouds. Then he saw it, a man with wings protruding from his back. The man soared gracefully above in the sky, weaving in and out of the clouds. It had been an amazing sight. After that, the Illusionist dedicated himself to learning everything about the cloudrunners, although no one believed his story except his little sister, Meliara. But that didn't matter now, once he had his cloudrunner army, no one would doubt what he had seen. Then they would be sorry, they all would be. Moving away from the window he reached into his pocket to once again look at the gem that he had taken from the shadowrunner. Meliara noticed this out of the corner of her eye.
"Are you staring at that jewel again?" she asked as the Illusionist fondly held it in his fist. "I'm surprised you haven't married it." She said sarcastically.
"This little jewel, is going to be the one thing that tips the scales in our favor." The Illusionist replied, not amused by his sister's joke.
"I don't see how that little gem is going to help us any." She said as she went and perched herself atop the table, staring at her brother.
"That is because you don't know how to use it." The Illusionist said as he sat himself in a chair, and placed the jewel back in his pocket.
"And you do?" Meliara pressed.
"Do you really think that I would go through the trouble of stealing it, if I didn't?" The Illusionist asked her logically. "Come on, Mel, you know me better than that." Meliara nodded. He was right, when Broadway wanted to steal something; he made sure that he knew what he was doing first. In a way it bugged her, because he would plan months even years ahead making sure he knew as much about it as he could just to steal a little red jewel like that. And yet, she also admired him for it as well. Her brother was very smart, and thought out each plan of attack thoroughly, down to the last man. He left no stone unturned, and that was why his plans always worked. Meliara smiled, he had gotten that from their father.
'Father would be proud of him.' Meliara thought as she turned to stare out the window of the looming mountains. Just then the two heard a knock on the door.
"Enter." Meliara said as The Illusionist stood up. A winged man entered the room. The man was handsome and tall with black hair and green eyes, and black leathery wings sprouting from his back that reminded Meliara of a bat.
"We are nearing our destination, my lady." The man said. Meliara smiled.
"Thank you Joren, you may leave." The winged man bowed and left the room as Meliara turned to her brother.
"Well brother, I have done my part, now the rest is up to you."
