on Manadir he caught sight of the copper dome of the Royal Museum of Natural History where his father, Simon, had been the assistant curator. He smiled remembering the many times he had accompanied his father to the museum when it was closed and the adventures they created together in the many exhibits. Those adventures still sparked his imagination.
Bracer flew him high above verdant Great Forest with its stately evergreens. Even at this height, their fragrant scent tickled Winston’s nostrils. At the forest’s edge, Winston caught a glimpse of the Ancient One’s castle overlooking the Shevac Sea.
Continuing to concentrate on the visions below he felt the tension in his body begin to leave. Fusions of color framed the gardens breaking up the vastness of the monochromatic lawns as the sunlight danced off the golden doors of the majestic white marble castle. North, at the far end of the castle grounds he spotted the Royal Aquarium with its unique and colorful underwater life forms. From above, he could make out the carvings of fish on the three bluish-green marble columns at the entrance to the white stone building housing the aquarium.
And then he saw it, the grassy field where the semi-finals and finals of the Ring of Splendor Races are held each year. This was the year he would be racing in that field. His heart seemed to skip a beat. It was located only two thousand yards west of the castle itself. Within the next two weeks that field would be transformed into a stadium.
In the past he had been only a spectator at the event. He had been awed by the young racers’ flying proficiencies and their abilities to memorize and execute the intricate sequences needed to accurately fly through mazes of brightly colored rings.
Winston smiled as he remembered the first time his father took him to see the Race when he was six. He sat next to Simon in the bleachers bewildered, and yet fascinated by the sight of these spectacular rings. They were like perfect circles of fireworks, bursting into the air as if by magic in an assortment of brilliant colors, sizes, and positions.
Winston delighted at the possibility of flying through those rings one day. Closing his eyes, he would imagine what it would be like guiding Bracer with great speed and precision through the actual rings as the crowd cheered. Now he was about to find out. His long hard hours of practice were hopefully going to pay off. The feeling of excitement sometimes felt overwhelming as he realized he was about to live his dream in what was an important annual event in Luminatia.
It has been said the children of Luminatia, to honor King Shadel and Queen Suri on their wedding day created the Ring of Splendor Race thousands of centuries ago as a tribute. The magnificent spectacle symbolized the magical rings of light worn by the king and queen.
It was working. As he concentrated on the wondrous sites of the city he loved, all the tension and stress of his practice session had disappeared.
Winston and Bracer glided over the city with its pristine white limestone structures and well-manicured parks then headed inland towards the Surruhe Mountains. That was probably his favorite place. The mountains were breathtaking and inviting. He dreamt of someday climbing them and exploring the hidden caves. Thinking about caves, Winston’s mind jumped back to the previous week when he, his best friend Godfrey, Willow and Pru, Godfrey’s younger sister, had gone down into the caves under Godfrey’s house pretending to be pirates. As pirates they spent the afternoon looking for buried treasure while fending off an assortment of imaginary creatures and black-hearted pirates. They always saw themselves as the good pirates, who would find treasures and help the less fortunate. Playing the part of a pirate was Godfrey’s favorite game.
As Winston guided Bracer towards home they flew over vast hillsides covered with wide blankets of brilliant colored wildflowers. In the distance he saw Lake Mornea and the edge of Great Forest at the far side of the lake. Winston thought of how his mother and sister would love this scene knowing their passion for painting.
He was proud of his mother, Anessa Lane. She was one of the most renowned artists in Luminatia and known for her use of vibrant colors. Her work hangs in some of the most prominent homes and galleries in Luminatia.
Winston knew his twin sister dreamt of following in their mother’s footsteps. Even at twelve, Willow was quite the budding artist. But what was his dream? He had no idea. What were his special talents? He thought about it but nothing came to mind. Although he occasionally wondered what his life might be like when he grew up, at twelve he did not seem to have a direction. His mind and body relaxed now and back down on the ground; he ran towards his house.
Winston burst onto the balcony where Willow and his mother were talking. Out of breath he blundered in as if he was in middle of their conversation, “So Godfrey and well…he and Pru want us to come over and go exploring in the caves. Whatta think Will, you up for it?”
“Sounds like fun,” his sister answered.
“Go ahead and enjoy yourselves, please be back in time for dinner,” Winston and Willow were already out the door and running down the stairs, when their mother shouted her last command. Anessa knew with Willow by his side, Winston would be safe. “He, the captain of reckless adventure; she, the level headed philosopher,” she thought smiling.
Their malgrids were waiting for the twins as they rushed out of their house.
A feeling of exhilaration always filled Winston as he observed the mountain vistas from up high. “Bracer, whenever I fly over these mountains ideas pop into my head for some awesome adventure stories. Everyone says I’ve got a great imagination. Hmm! I wonder…is that my talent making up adventure stories? But then what am I supposed to do with that? Become a writer?” He thought about it for a few seconds. “No, no, that can’t be it. That’s a really dumb idea,” he groaned attempting to contemplate his options for his future. First of all, I don’t like writing and besides I’m not very good at it anyway. Telling good stories is one thing writing them is another. There’s gotta be something else. I just don’t have a clue what that something else is,” Winston said aloud.
“Are you talking to Bracer again? Willow quipped.
“Yep! He’s a good listener,” he said joking with his sister. Then with a serious tone in his voice Winston turned to his twin as she flew next to him on her malgrid, “Will, you know what you’d like to do when you’re older.”
“Of course, be an artist like Mother,” she responded.
“Well that’s the thing, I’ve been thinking lately, our friends have all kinds of potential and they’re really good at stuff. For instance, Godfrey, he’s a great athlete. He’s good enough to be a sports star someday? Or maybe even a statesman, he’s smart, very diplomatic and he’s a born leader. Then there’s Pru, she’s smart, funny, and thoughtful. She likes discovering things. Maybe she’ll be an archeologist like her father. And of course, you’re going to be an artist like Mother. Then there’s me! It doesn’t look like I have any talents that could lead to anything,” he said perplexed.
“If you can’t find any talents now, maybe it’s just because they haven’t shown up yet,” she said encouragingly. “What do you think you’d like to do?” she asked.
“What I really want to do seems kinda unrealistic, like having adventures. I sometimes think about where I might find new places, what’s out there to be discovered? I like adventure, mystery, things that are unusual with maybe a little danger thrown in for fun,” he quipped.
“You like danger, Winston this is me you’re talking to,” Willow teased. “You’re the one who always likes to play it safe. The only risks you’re comfortable with are in pretend adventure games.”
“Well maybe the idea of
