Chapter 1: Adoption

The wooden walls of the headmistress's office were adorned with small glowing orb like crystals that produced enough light to encompass the entire room. The papers were in two different stacks labeled 'IN', and 'OUT', and the only paper on her desk was the application of the man sitting before her. Mistress Mallory herself was wrinkled and gray haired and she was wearing a simple brown robe that had the bronze emblem of her position on it. Her eyes were brown, but they appeared to be faded because of use and age. However, it didn't stop her from having a gaze like a hawk.

The man that was being interviewed by the headmistress was sitting on the other side of the desk, and he found her to be a bit of a control freak. She had probably developed the need for order because she spent so much time around children and maintaining them, but he didn't think that gave her the right to try to control him as well.

"So Mr...Enigma, if you were to adopt a child today, what do you think he or she would do for you?" Mistress Mallory asked as she stared at him in judgment.

"Well...could I meet the children first by any chance?" The gentlemen asked after a moment, trying to buy time.

The headmistress looked at him for a long moment, and then nodded her head. "Yes, I think that will help you realize what you're getting yourself into. Let me get the keys." She said as she opened the bottom right drawer. After a moment she pulled out a key ring that held about 14 different keys and picked one and held it at the ready. "Follow me."

Mr. Enigma was a man who looked as if he was in his late thirties and was best described as a man that enjoyed his food. He was not in very good shape, but his clothes were of good make and gave people the correct impression that he was financially sound. His wife was gone now and she had never given him an heir, and he was alone with his fortune. He had the feeling that Mistress Mallory thought that this was not a sufficient reason to want to adopt a child...and he was beginning to think she may be right.

The two adults soon left her office and followed the glowing orbs of light to a back room. "You wanted the children old enough to look after themselves correct?"

The gentlemen grimaced at the thought of having to take care of a newborn child. "I have two maids, but I'm sure that they would prefer if I didn't make them handle diaper duty." He said without thinking, and then immediately wished that he hadn't.

The headmistress cocked an eyebrow at him, but said nothing. She led him to a passage and then opened the door to an indoor gymnasium. There were six kids between the ages of eight and thirteen in the room and quite a few of them were taking advantage of the toys, games, and activities available to them. One was tuning a violin, while two of the girls sat next to each other and giggled while one of the older looking boys was using a pocket knife to whittle. The youngest child was climbing a rope ladder as an older girl was watching him to make sure he wouldn't fall.

Each child was introduced one after the other. Kyle was twelve years old, born around the time their island was plunged into darkness, which was certainly an unfortunate time to be born. He was wearing a simple white shirt and brown pants. Apparently he was a young musician that could play the violin beautifully and artistically, but Mr. Enigma told the headmistress he was kind of tone-deaf and he felt someone else would adopt Kyle one day who had more of an appreciation for music than the gentlemen himself did.

Jeff had the rugged look and manner of a kid who had been used to the outdoors, which wasn't surprising because he had lived for a time in the town of Gyshal. He was twelve years old and wearing a dirty green vest with no shirt and brown pants. Apparently, before his father drowned, Jeff had been taught how to hunt, fish, and trap. He also had an accent that the gentlemen had the funny feeling that Jeff made worse on purpose. But the truth was the gentleman wasn't looking for a kid that was already raised to be something else. He informed the headmistress he was kind of more in the market for someone he could raise as his own .

The next candidate was Jaeger, a twelve year old girl who carried an air about her that made it feel as if she was judging Mr. Enigma and sizing him up as well. Her red hair was cut short and she was wearing bright brown pants and a simple pink shirt that both had a few grass stains. Studying the way the other kids looked at her and Jeff he had the feeling they looked at these two as the leaders. After a little consideration, Enigma came to the conclusion he did not want to raise a leader. He certainly didn't need a power struggle in his own home and would prefer to guide a young mind that was more open. When he told this to the headmistress she became rather upset with him. Apparently she did not think he would find an independent child anywhere in the world that would not question what they were told.

Elizabeth and Rachel were two adorable little girls that seemed to be twins and they were both wearing simple red skirts and pink shirts. They were actually more than a year apart, but after a little thought he came to the conclusion he would do a poor job of raising a girl. The headmistress just put began to rub her head with her fingers.

Jimmy was the smallest boy he had ever met and looked as if he shouldn't be in the same room as this age group, but apparently he had just turned 8. He was wearing simple brown pants and a simple white shirt that was covered in stains ranging from grass to tomato sauce. Jimmy wore a bright smile and the gentlemen recalled Jimmy had been climbing the ladder when he first came in. Jimmy probably loved to climb trees and run around all day laughing and having fun. He would probably break everything in the house and draw on the walls and destroy all of Mr. Enigma's furniture. That would make the maids have less time to complain and tell him he needed to get another wife, and the constant hints that they were available. As he daydreamed all of this in his head, he could picture Jimmy already playing with the neighbors' dog and driving the crazy old couple next door even more insane. Enigma didn't realize it, but he was smiling as he concluded that Jimmy must be a healthy, energetic, and loud little boy that would certainly break up the monotony his life had entered after losing his wife.

In the end, Mr. Enigma discovered that he could easily answer all of Mistress Mallory's questions satisfactorily and that within a week he would probably have a new son, which seemed like a huge surprise to the headmistress that she found herself agreeing to this. As Mr. Enigma left the orphanage and stepped out into the light cast by the Tower of Owen, he replaced his hat and unconsciously skipped happily on his way to his airship.

Mr. Enigma was never even aware that he had not been given the chance of meeting one of the children in that age group, another twelve year old boy, but even if he had his decision would have been the same.

Stark's hair had become slightly less green in the time since the continent had submerged, but other than that the years had been kind to him. He was making his way through the forest in between him and Canaan when a sharp cracking noise caused him to jump. Stark's gaze immediately went towards the watery sky. Could it have already begun?

As Stark sweated and searched the horizon he waited for the cracking sound to begin again, but he was met with silence. It took him a few moments, but he slowly looked around to get his bearings and to discover the source of the noise. He couldn't see anything that would have caused the disturbance, but it slowly occured to him that it could not have been what he had feared. That would have been louder and he would have already seen the red cracks that he had been told would appear.

Stark resumed his journey towards the orphanage at a brisk run, the folliage of the forest crushed beneath every giant step he took. He had lost too much time climbing through the mountains instead of going through the blocked path. He couldn't let down the Crystal, the world, or those children who he had been with for that very short time eleven years ago.