Shining Future

The sensation of stepping off the master portal was something that he would probably never get used to. It always took a few heartbeats for his head to stop spinning and for his stomach to settle, but working in Skylands with the Skylanders was something that Taylor would never give up. The adventure and excitement provided a marvelous break from his 'normal,' everyday life and he loved it. On Earth he was just another teenager, just another person blending into the crowd, but here in Skylands he was a hero, he was making a difference and he was doing something that so few others would ever be able to experience. He'd be a fool to give all that up simply because the portal made him feel queasy.
A moment of hesitation later, Taylor began to carefully make his way down the carved stone stairs from the elevated platform that held the master portal. The Tech orientated portal master barely had to think about the path he had to take. He had traveled these naturally occurring tunnels countless times before and his feet just seemed to know which way to go. The familiar stone corridor honeycombed here and there as it crossed with other paths that stretched out below the Citadel. The final leg of the journey came as a relief, the wonderful sight of the roughly carved stone steps ascending from the dusty underground chamber and out into the welcoming daylight brought out that familiar swirl of excitement within his stomach. His lungs were also thankful for the fresh air. He inhaled deeply before setting out to log himself in for work.

Skylands was so beautiful this time of year. The Summer months were coming to an end and the cooler Autumn change was on its way. The skies were clear, bar the odd cloud here and there, and if you looked hard enough the next island over was just visible without the aid of the far-viewer. The heat was uncomfortable of course, but several trees around the rebuilt citadel offered ample shade to those who sought it. Those who wished could also visit the beach in between or after missions to cool down and relax. Eon's island was a paradise and Taylor considered himself lucky to be assigned here for his duties.
The Tech portal master ran a hand through the dark, curled mess of hair atop his head as he made his way towards the common area, a section of the ever growing island set aside for casual and part time Portal Masters to log themselves in to the server and receive their missions, to meet with friends and to relax in between missions. Housed here were several buildings, a cafeteria, a library for research and paperwork, a toilet and shower block and a building dedicated to housing the computers. This building was the first stop for every casual or part time portal master entering Skylands, as it was here that the terminals to sign in and receive missions were housed. Further back behind the cluster of structures sat the dorm building. Like most of the newer buildings, the dorm had been built from red brick and was several stories high, dotted with evenly spaced glass windows. It housed the assigned dorm rooms reserved for the more dedicated part timers, those willing and able to spend a little longer in Skylands. Each room contained two single beds, two desks and two sets of drawers. Each room was assigned to two portal masters by Hugo, Master Eon's chubby mabu assistant. Taylor had access to such a room but he hardly used it. He liked the thought of it being there should he need it though, and so he had decided to keep it, at least for now.

Adjusting his glasses as he entered the administration building, Taylor moved to a vacant terminal and punched in his login information. The teen was surprised when he opened his inbox and found no assignments waiting. Usually he had at least one, sometimes two or three if they were simple and not urgent. Surely Skylands was not so peaceful that there was nothing for him to do? Perhaps it was simply a glitch and logging out then back in would correct it. Before he could try however the terminal pinged to announce the arrival of a message. His eyes bugged slightly as the preview displayed the name of the sender, Seraph, one of Master Eon's senior portal masters that helped the spectral portal master in his day to day dealings. If she was contacting him then something big must have happened, or he was in trouble for something. He couldn't remember doing anything, but still, the instant anxiety over a possible slight overwhelmed him. Gingerly he touched the screen with a shaking finger to open the message.

To: TaylorMan2274
Subject: future
From: Seraph

Taylor,
Master Eon has requested your presence at the citadel to meet with either Hugo, Adam or myself to discuss a personal matter. While not urgent, we would like to see it resolved as quickly as possible. Please visit the Citadel at your earliest convenience and state your business to the receptionist. From there you will be directed to one of us and the matter can be resolved.
Thank you for your cooperation in advance,
-Senior Portal Master Seraph.

Taylor let out a breath that he hadn't realized that he'd been holding. The message hadn't said anything about being in trouble with the big shots, but it had stated that this was a personal matter. He was completely stumped as to what that could mean and there was only one way to find out, although the thought of actually holding a meeting with Master Eon or his assistants was terrifying it would have to be done so with a look of determination that he didn't quite feel, Taylor set off towards the Citadel.

The walk to the castle was as uneventful as ever. A few of the Skylanders and Portal Masters called out to him as he passed and he offered each one the same smile and wave as he had given the others. It was a polite way to let them know that he couldn't stop and chat, but as the minutes ticked by and the castle grew bigger with each step, he found himself desperately wishing that something would prevent him from having to meet with anyone important. However nothing came up and no one stopped him from following the stone path that lead to the stairs. Each step up left his body feeling heavier, his legs were starting to shake and he felt like throwing up. The thought of being banished from Skylands was nauseating. Where had he gone wrong? What had he done? Was this his final day in the world he loved so much?

"Are you okay?" Taylor visibly jumped as the soft little voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked to his right to find the source and was surprised to see a pale furred mabu woman looking up at him with soulful, chocolate eyes. She wore a colourful, flower patterned sundress with a bright pink blossom tucked behind her left ear. Her tiny feet were bare, as most mabu preferred, and she seemed perfectly at ease on the front stairs of the Citadel. Perhaps she worked here? If she did then she would be able to point him to reception.
"Uh, yeah. I'm fine. Do you by chance work here?"

"Sure do! My name's Stella. I'm the receptionist here at the Citadel. If there's anything I can help you with I'd be more than happy to!"
Taylor stared at her stupidly for a moment before he chuckled awkwardly. "That's weirdly perfect actually. I was going to ask which way to reception. I have a meeting with one of the tops but I have no idea where I'm going."

"Easy fix! Follow me and I'll see who's available and send you on your way." The tiny mabu giggled to herself as she hopped up the remaining stairs and lead the young human through the grand entrance hallway to a curved, wooden desk at the end. Two massive, ascending stone staircases framed the desk on either side. Both started near the ends of the desk and curved out before curving back in and connecting to the landing of the second floor. It reminded Taylor very much of a fairytale castle. He suddenly felt very small standing at the desk and looking up. Was that where he'd have to go? The mabu seemed to read his mind and chuckled again as she hopped behind the desk and tapped a key to wake her computer.
"That's Master Eon's Auditorium up there. Only Hugo, Seraph and Adam go up there, and sometimes the odd Skylander, but you won't have to unless you're in real trouble. You're not, are you?"

"What? No! Of course not. I got a message from Seraph asking me to come here as soon as possible to resolve some issue. I have no idea why I'm here."
There was suddenly a dangerous light to Stella's eyes as the mabu watched from from behind her screen. "Just checking. You can never be too careful you know. Alrighty sir, what's your name?"

Taylor hesitated, the change in Stella had been immediate, but it had only lasted a brief moment before she was back to what he assumed to be her normal self. It was almost creepy.
"Uh, Taylor. Portal Master TaylorMan2274."

"Alrighty then. Give me a moment." The mabu clicked her tongue softly as she typed away furiously. "Looks like Seraph is currently free. So what you're gonna do is walk down the hallway to your right ignoring all the doors along the way. The room you want is directly at the end of the hallway. It'll have a few cubicles in it but the desk you want will be at the back of the room on the left side of the big ol' wooden door. If you get confused just look for a name plaque but I think you'll manage. I'll shoot her a message to let her know you're coming. Good luck Taylor!"

"Right. Thank you Stella." Taylor nodded his head to the mabu as he turned to follow the hallway beyond the foot of the staircase. Large windows allowed glorious amounts of light to splash into the corridor and prevented the suffocating feeling most stone buildings gave off. Rich red carpet with gold edging ran down the centre of the corridor and gave everything a soft glow as the light bounced off it. Stone arched doorways with mahogany doors decorated the inner wall with an ancient looking iron sconce between each door. Briefly Taylor wondered if these had been salvaged from the ruins of the previous were beautiful, although they held nothing to burn to provide light during the night. Perhaps they were enchanted and once the hallway was dark enough magic flames would rekindle to provide light. He didn't get long to think about it as the end of the hallway drew nearer. At the end a large stone arch without a door welcomed him into a large, well lit room with a fair few cubicles, exactly as Stella had said. So this was where the top (A) ranked portal masters worked when not on missions. Each cubicle had three walls with the fourth side left completely open, a large desk with a computer, a very comfortable looking office chair and a filing cabinet as standard. Everything else was completely personal. Each Portal Master had decorated their own space with colour and trinkets dear to them. There was a comfortable vibe to the room despite the office like appearance. It set his mind at ease as he walked past the cubicles.

As he came to the end of the room his heart rate increased. He saw the large wooden door with a desk on either side of it. Unlike the other work spaces in the room, these two desks had no walls to hide them, however, just like the others they had a computer and were decorated with personal items. Behind one desk sat a petite blonde woman with her long hair pulled neatly back and behind the other sat a slender man with short, dark hair that had been frosted grey at the ends. It wasn't hard to guess who they were. Senior Portal Masters Seraph of Enigma and XandyPants, more commonly known as Seraph and Adam. He had heard of them but he had never met them. They were the portal masters chosen by Eon to lead the other portal masters and to act in his stead. Seraph was known for her dedication and organizational skills. She loved a challenge and could breeze through her work like it was nothing. The Light element portal master was also known for her kindness and understanding. Her willingness to help made her the more approachable of the two seniors. Taylor was relieved that she was the one he was going to see.
Adam, while not unpleasant, was noticeably less reliable than his colleague. The Life Portal Master was friendly enough, and always willing to help where he could, but he was a known procrastinator and certainly not a morning person. Those unfortunate enough to have worked with him before midday had witnessed a man vastly different to the senior the public knew. A known flirt to both men and women, Taylor was unsure of how he would have handled speaking to Adam about whatever this was about.
Perched on the end of Adam's desk facing Seraph, Stealth Elf eyed the new arrival silently as she twirled one of her daggers lazily with her fingers. The mask usually worn to cover her mouth hung loosely around her neck while her long, blue braided hair had been draped over her left shoulder. Taylor had never seen the famous Skylander so relaxed and casual. Was this the kind of relationship the (A) ranked portal masters shared with their Skylander colleges? As if to further illustrate the point a long, drawn out yawn sounded from behind him. Turning around slowly, Taylor came face to face with one of the most recognisable skylanders there was. Iconic purple scales and a smug looking face, Spyro bowed to the portal master and casually walked passed to reach a large cushion that had been left on the floor between the two desks.
Seraph had noticed him by then and was smiling politely at him while she waited patiently for him to approach. Taylor felt his cheeks warm up as he smiled awkwardly and shuffled towards the chair on the other side of her desk. "Sorry," he mumbled as he pulled the chair out and took a seat.
"All good," the woman reassured him with the same polite smile. "First time seeing the 'perma' office? It's different to what everyone expects, not all business and serious faces. I don't think we'd end up doing half our work if we were constantly stressed out."
"Probably not," Adam chimed in from behind his own desk as he turned away to focus on his computer screen. Stealth too politely turned her attention elsewhere to give Seraph and Taylor some privacy. She eased off the desk and instead walked around to stand behind Adam to watch the screen over his shoulder.
Between the desks and in front of the massive door, Spyro gave another jaw cracking yawn and stretched his front legs out much like a scaly cat, his claws flexing as far as he could stretch them before tucking his legs in close to his body and curling up on the cushion. He looked so peaceful and quite unlike the image Taylor was sure everyone had of the heroic leader of the Skylanders. Seraph seemed to notice his stare and chuckled softly from behind her own computer screen as she typed away. "It's the only place he can find any peace and quiet lately. He's constantly hounded by Portal Masters when he's out and about the island and his fellow Skylanders always seem to need his help with menial tasks when he's at the Skylander barracks. He won't be disturbed here, Adam and I make sure of it. Oh! But don't worry, once he dozes off he's a very heavy sleeper, our meeting won't disturb him."

"It's just weird seeing him like this. He always looks so full of energy and ready for anything." Taylor took a moment more to eye the snoozing dragon before he turned his attention back to Seraph. His shoulders tensed when he realized she was about to start.
"You can relax. You're not in any trouble. Master Eon simply wished for us to discuss your future. For some time now we have been observing your work. We keep an eye on everyone but there are a select few that really stand out from the crowd. You are one such person and we are really impressed with your efforts. Master Eon would like to extend an invitation to you to become a permanent portal master, or at the very least to join the top five percent of the part-timers. This would include more duties and work, and your name will become known to those below you. You have the potential certainly, but we feel you currently lack the drive. If you were to remain at your current level of effort, although impressive, then I'm afraid that could mean surrendering your dorm space to someone willing to put the extra effort we need. I know this is a lot to take in so we don't expect an answer from you immediately, but an answer within the next month would be appreciated. If obligations on Earth are holding you back then let us know and I'm sure something can be arranged. Now that that's all out of the way, do you have any questions?"

"Ah, no, I don't think so." Taylor scratched at the back of his head as he reclined back. It was a lot to take in and he wasn't sure what he wanted to do. On the one hand it would be a lot of work and he would need to be in Skylands a lot more than he currently was. He would get the chance to bond with the elite Skylanders and become a known figure among the portal master ranks. On the other hand he would lose his dorm if he didn't. He would still be able to travel to and walk Skylands but he wouldn't have the option to spend the night and rest between assignments. He wouldn't lose his (B) ranking but he would be treated more like a casual than he cared for. There was a certain charm to having your own space in a different world.
"Take your time Taylor and carefully consider just what you want. You have a shining future among our ranks but we do understand that this career line is not for everyone. If, at any time, you find yourself wanting advice, Adam and I are always willing to offer guidance."

"Thank you. Yeah, I think I'll take a little time to think things over, if that's alright."

The blonde woman nodded and typed something quickly before wiggling her mouse and clicking. She had probably just updated the case. "Perfectly so. In the meantime I have a couple of missions if you're interested."

"Oh, sure. I've got the time to spare."
"Alright, well, to give you a taste of the kind of work we do you've got two choices. You can either go with Adam, Stealth and Trigger Happy to a mabu kite flying festival as a representative of Master Eon and to ensure that the event runs smoothly, or you can follow a lead we have on a gang of rogue spell punks terrorizing the Shining Shores. You would be heading a small team of Skylanders, Spyro when he wakes up, Cynder and Jet Vac. Not too difficult but you will be the only portal master assigned and you would have final say on all decisions your team makes."

The Tech inclined portal master eyed Adam and Stealth as they whispered to each other and pointed to different parts of the screen. They were probably working out the finer points of their mission. They already shared what seemed to be a pretty relaxed relationship and going with them to the festival would probably be rather awkward. "I'll take the spell punks."
"I'll pretend not to be offended," Adam snorted. Stealth shoved his shoulder lightly before sending Taylor an apologetic look, or perhaps it was embarrassment. He couldn't rightly tell. Either way it didn't matter. He gave her a small smile in return to let her know all was well before accepting a sheet of paper from Seraph with his mission details printed for him to study.

"Departure time is in an hour and a half. That should give you enough time to prepare yourself and for Spyro to rest up. We'll wake him up and send him to you fifteen minutes before departure. Your other charges will meet you at the docks when Spyro does, and thank you for meeting with us so promptly. It is appreciated"

"Alright, thank you Seraph." Standing from his chair, the teen gave the office one last glance before heading towards the door. If he became a 'perma' then he too would have his very own desk in here. There was no telling the crazy shenanigans that went on in here when no one else was looking.

"Watch it," a sharp voice snapped as he walked out the door and narrowly avoided hitting someone walking in. She was a tall woman with a sharp yet beautiful face. Her expression was severe and her posture rigid. Her short cropped black hair and an ice cold stare were enough clues for him to recognize her as Undead Prowess. She was one of the least approachable permanent portal masters and a constant source of fear for the lower ranks. Her temper was legendary and absolutely no one wanted to be on her bad side. Simply breathing around her was enough to upset her, or so the rumors told.
"S-sorry," he stuttered as he quickly moved to the side to let her pass. She said nothing else as she walked by with her head held high and Taylor found he was grateful for it. With no reason to linger he picked up the pace and made for the end of the hallway. It seemed his life was about to take an interesting turn, for better or for worse.

A little something written for TaylorMan2274. You've got the patience of a saint dude. Thank you so much for showing interest in my project. I really hope you enjoy this.