AN: This chapter has been re-edited and, hopefully, better. I was contemplating updating this story, but upon reading the first chapter I had written months before realized, "This is crap." So I've added more background and description. Please review regarding the changes and I'll hopefully post a new chapter in a week or two!

War over Peace

Fifteen years ago, the Western Desert in the land of Pilaria was occupied by more than just sand and the occasional oasis. Deep within it lay a prosperous city that had reached its golden age. The city was a hub for summoners, gypsies, wizards, and others of magical ilk who had long since retired from traveling the world and settled down with others of their kind. By strange circumstances, their descendants had attained newly discovered powers which no magical user had ever seen before, such as the power to see the future and the ability to communicate with the spirits of the earth. As such, the city had gained a lot of traffic from neighboring villas where the rumors of these precious talents had spread.

Cephiro was peaceful, but the city had three major enemies: The Western city of machines, Autozam, the Eastern city of art, Fahren, and the Southeastern city of mysticism, Chizeta.

These countries had heard of Cephiro's success and were overcome with the desire to attain the magic discovered for their own needs. They attacked Cephiro time and time again but to no avail.

However, one day, the city was attacked and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

The magical earthquake that the weapons designers in Chizeta created shook the hull of the encased city and shattered through its protective magical barrier, which had been created by a few stellar magicians centuries before. Inside, the city's inhabitants screamed in panic and ran wherever their feet could take them. They knew this was no ordinary earthquake. Children cried for their mothers and dogs barked ferociously as the walls began to slowly crumble. Sorcerers began to hastily put up barriers to stop the destruction, but the earthquake shattered through them as though they were made of mere glass.

As the disturbance continued, the city's chief sorcerer, a prodigy who had managed to make himself look forever young, struggled to keep it intact inside Cephiro's central chamber. Usually this area was reserved for incantations of the highest magnitude, but today Guru Clef, as he was so known, was using it to save his home. If the city was destroyed, then all would be lost. Sweat poured down his childlike face as he muttered a spell under his breath. Suddenly, a new shield was erected around the area. To an outsider, it would look surrounded with green fire, although the city would never burn. Sand pounded against the magical walls as the earthquake continued.

A young woman with blonde hair tied up in a ponytail made her way slowly across the chamber as the floor continued to shake. The barrier had only prevented further damage: the earthquake was still having its effect on the city. Struggling to stay upright, she desperately yelled to the sorcerer, "Clef! Cephiro is crumbling as we speak! We must act now! If we do not leave, we will all die!"

Shaking with rage and the power he was emitting, Clef suddenly gasped. The children! he realized. Not a few days before, he had sent three newborn girls to be named. They had not yet returned and he could not think of abandoning them.

"We cannot do anything!" He managed to cry out. "Not until the children are christened! Their powers must be endowed, or we certainly will die!"

Tears streamed down the woman's face as she angrily berated the sorcerer. "What are you saying, Clef? The children cannot do anything! You can! We have to leave!"

Clef gritted his teeth as the world around him turned hazy and he slowly slumped to the floor, completely exhausted. He had used the limits of his strength. As the woman ran to aid him, he whispered, "Tell the pilot to take off..." and fell unconscious.

The woman who was known as Presea nodded eagerly, glad that Clef was finally listening to reason. "Maximum power! We are taking off! Tell the inhabitants to stay low to the ground!" she shouted, leaving the Guru on the floor of the chamber. She knew that no harm would befall him. Incapacitated or not, Clef was a powerful man.

The city had started to accumulate damage from the earthquake as the barrier faded away, but the pilot was quick to respond to Presea's orders. The city slowly lifted itself from the ground, revealing engines underneath it. This was the true identity of the city of Cephiro: a floating castle. The engines had been prepared for a day like this if it ever came. Chunks of the earth scattered everywhere as the city of Cephiro rose from the ground and sped off into the sky.

The earthquake onslaught ceased. Their attackers knew the city was no longer there.

Onboard the flying city, the pilot, a tall man covered in battle scars sat down and let his young protégé take over. The young green-haired boy eagerly grabbed the controls and started to fly the craft. Giggling slightly with excitement and fear, he held tightly onto the helm. "Am I doing it right, sir?" he asked, turning to look at the man who had taught him everything, Dal La Farga.

The man sighed tiredly, smiling gently at the child. Was it really only six years ago that the boy was given to his care as a baby? He was constantly afraid that harm would befall the boy he had adopted, but he knew that at six years of age, he was capable of taking care of himself...to an extent. "Yes, Ferio, you are doing wonderfully. Carry on," he said encouragingly.

A worn but happy Presea walked into the control room and sat down beside the pilot. "Well, La Farga, you saved all of our lives. Thank you." She turned to look at the boy. "Should he be steering? It could be dangerous," she pointed out, slightly worried. They had just avoided being destroyed by Chizeta. It would be a terrible stroke of luck if they had crashed against a mountaintop.

La Farga shrugged. "Why not? He knows the way to The Haven, and the controls are simple. Even a child his age can fly this city." His face turned somber as he remembered something. "The children, the three infant girls we sent to be named...did they come back in time?"

Presea shook her head sadly. "No, I'm afraid not...That is the reason Clef was reluctant to lower the shield..." Staring at the ground, she tried to ignore the tears that were starting to flood her eyes. "It's...It's my fault...I told him that we should leave them..."

La Farga held her gently and let her cry. "Do not worry, nobody blames you. But," he muttered, turning away, "I wonder what shall become of them?"

Two of the girls in question lay near where Cephiro was rooted only minutes before. If Clef had held out a bit longer, they would have been safely inside the city. However, as it was, they were stranded, abandoned by their caretakers. They would have died in that desert...

...If the enemies of their homeland had not come along.

Young Eagle Vision from the Western City of Autozam, a quiet boy no older than four with inquisitive eyes, stood over the red-haired babe, who was separated from her two birth sisters. While the other girls were not related to her, they were all born on the same day, which made the people of Cephiro suspect that they shared magical powers. They were sent to the city of Fahren to be christened and named, but Cephiro was attacked and prevented from receiving them.

Eagle's caretaker, Geo, stood beside his ward, his hand on his shoulder. "Who is she?" he asked curiously.

Eagle looked up at him with his childish eyes. "I dunno. I just found her lying here. But look," he added, pointing to her forehead.

Geo knelt down for closer examination to find a diamond shaped marking on her brow. It was glowing red, as if it had been doused in flame.

Geo's dark eyes widened. "Egad," he whispered in awe. "That's the mark of a summoner. She's special," he continued. Turning to Eagle, he said, "You realize that if we take her, it'll have to be removed."

The younger child's eyes shone happily. "You mean we can keep her?" he cried.

Geo nodded. "Of course. We can't just leave her out here. This place is a desert. She wouldn't survive a day." He motioned for Eagle to follow him back to their ship, the Armed Warrior, and the younger boy did, carrying, with difficulty, the sleeping baby of a lost city.

Hours later, Chizeta warriors came by the site to see if anything remained of the departed city. However, all they found was a baby girl with hair as blue and mysterious as the inner depths of the sea. They took her into their care, realizing that they could raise a powerful enemy.

The third child, with a head covered in curly golden locks, was kept by Fahren. The heads of the empire had expected Cephiro to come and demand the child back as soon as they discovered she was missing, but no messenger came. The girl was therefore kept, with the intentions of being raised as a merchant.

The three girls were stripped of their summoner's markings and had no knowledge of each other, or their heritage.

This is the story of how they came to fulfill a great prophecy that would turn the tide of the upcoming war.