Cyrus returned to the present abruptly, feeling as though someone had physically struck him. He had ended up on the floor, and both Ignatius and Micael were standing over him, looking at him with worried faces. Struggling to a sitting position, he could do nothing more than wait for his breath to return to him.

As soon as he had regained his composure somewhat, he described what he had seen to the others. Ignatius looked grave and Micael was simply wide-eyed with astonishment.

"I cannot guess what it is that this vision means. But you must try to resist the temptation to let your awareness run wild. You can see the result of such folly for yourself."

Cyrus nodded mutely, barely able to focus on the present world. He remained shaken to the core by the strange and incomprehensible barrage of awareness he had just experienced, and calmness was not about to return soon.

"At any rate, your vision gives me courage. Arturo remains well, and must be somewhere nearby. But I have never seen any circular rooms... it is curious. But I forget myself. For now, it might be best if you found someplace to conceal yourselves, as the remainder of the servants will be returning any minute now. I suggest you return to your storage room, while I go and talk with the others."

The boys returned to their abode of the previous night, feeling distinctly unnerved by the thought that others might be around to discover their presence. However, no one came to roust them from their hiding place, and they eventually settled down to rest for the evening.

In Cyrus' dreams that night, a deep, sonorous voice seemed to speak to him.

"Where the lotus meets the sky, there it is that I now lie."

"But where is that! Can you not give me a plain answer?" Yet the voice stayed silent.

On the following day, he told Micael of his dream, and the boy merely looked at him with a wisdom beyond his years but said nothing. Soon afterward, Ignatius came down and told them of the goings-on upstairs.

"They won't find you here for some time. Kamril has the whole of them occupied with cleaning all of the Accademia, the vain fool that he is. They shan't be down here to bother you for a long time yet."

The older youth in turn told him of his new dream.

"Hmm... a riddle, eh? I was never very skilled at such things. Between the two of you, though, I've no doubt that you will find the answer yourselves. In the meantime, I think it may be safe to show you around upstairs. If anyone asks, you're a pair of traveling students touring the grounds, understand? Rest easy, the staff of the Accademia are not known for their inquisitiveness. Come with me."

The butler escorted them up one of the winding stairwells, and all at once they were back into the imposing and stately main halls of the Accademia di Fiori. The grandeur which they had observed briefly just a few days ago was doubly impressive now that they were no longer under duress. Lavish velvet curtains covered the high, ornate windows trimmed with gold leaf. All the furniture was of oak and mahogany, with many chairs and tables set up around the extensive perimeter of the first hall they entered, apparently some type common area. In the center of the room, a thin, very high spiral staircase ascended into the tower above, and the passage behind them led to the myriad smaller chambers in the western wing of the institution. They walked slowly, savoring the luxury which surrounded them, eventually traveling through the enormous opening which led to the main hall.

Cyrus shivered in remembrance of the chilling first encounter they had undergone with Kamril. He was glad that the brooding mage did not see fit to patrol his premises on a regular basis. This area too was unoccupied; the servants must have started on the eastern side and started working their way westward. The boys grew a bit more cautious with the knowledge that they would soon be among many people, not all of whom might be trusted as much as Ignatius.

On the other side of the great hall, a great commotion could be observed. As they drew closer, the cause of the bustle was evident. All of the servants were cleaning at top speed, apparently wanting to be done as soon as possible. It seemed that no one would notice any additions to this chaotic of a scene, and they proceeded ahead with more boldness than before.

Indeed, not a single person paid them the slightest bit of attention. The hall was the mirror image of the one they had just seen, save that its furniture was largely in disarray and it was considerably more occupied. Occasionally, one of the workers would glance towards the trio and nod in Ignatius' direction, but there was no other acknowledgment of their presence. The aged butler led the way to the center of the room.

"Let us go upstairs, there's something I wish to show you."

They began to climb the stairs, winding round and round the intricately woven design of the central pillar as they rose. Their ascent made the scurrying folk below seem tiny by comparison, and Cyrus had a fleeting image of floating high above them in midair before coming back to reality.

Past the level of the main hall, the tower rose up until it terminated in a graceful spire far above their heads. The reasonably sized room into which the three of them had come was nearly claustrophobic in comparison with the expansive area downstairs. The climb did not end there, however. A ladder led upwards into a curious room which the two boys surveyed in puzzlement as the butler slowly clambered up the rungs. It was completely empty except for a conspicuous lever in the center of the room.

Noting their bewilderment, Ignatius smiled and gestured towards it. "I think pulling that lever will clear up your confusion."

The older boy pulled the lever and immediately discovered that the room was indeed more than he had suspected. Triangular sections of the walls began to separate outward and spin via an elaborate system of gears which could be heard plainly but remained well concealed from view. In place of the stone, glass so pure it was almost invisible clicked into position with only the most insubstantial wisp of a frame holding it in place. There could be no doubt that the engineers of this place had been exceedingly skilled.

After the rotation was completed, the new-formed portals revealed four different views: one of the brightly shining dome of the Garden, one of the opposite tower in front of the distant bay with an infinity of glittering stars flecked upon its surface, one of the shabby buildings of Rallia's vast urban landscape, and one of the endless forests which stretched out far to the east. Cyrus fancied he could spot the path leading back to his home of Norven, while Micael wondered which of the many buildings he could see from this height was the one where his mother waited patiently for his return.

Ignatius peered distractedly at the immensity of the crystal dome to the south. His countenance grew grave as he looked into its depths.

"The Gardener has been missing for so long, now... but the flowers are safe, surely, for it is nearly impossible to enter the Gardens without permission, and no one has ever been able to before."

"Do you think that someone might?"

The butler shook his head. "I did not mean to worry you with such talk. Sometimes I speak aloud what I do not intend. No, I believe that the flowers are safe for now."

It was a long time ago indeed when the crystal domes were put into place, long before any of them had been born. Yet they had not always been there. The tale was well known to all: long ago, Ilesians fighting a war against Rallia and her neighboring states had begun to attack the enemy's flowers instead of the actual people. The tactic was overwhelmingly effective, rendering the most potent of the enemy's magicians harmless in one stroke. But the result of this was that war became more gruesome and deadly than ever; no longer could battling mages have gentlemanly duels in the stead of direct combat. The horrors of purely physical war afflicted both sides equally, and leaders on both sides met to end the violence in a permanent way.

The Floral Pact was established as a result of their meeting, to ensure that no one would ever have to fear for the safety of their flowers again. Appeals were made to the Flower Maidens, and the goddesses decided to grant the perfect crystalline domes to protect each Garden from invasion, as well as appointing the eternal Gardeners to make sure that no one violated the terms of the agreement. After these safeguards was in place, the two sides became friends, and initiated a profitable trading relationship that had continued to the present day. Indeed, the whole world had benefitted from this realization that the flowers should be considered sacrosanct, and aside from minor territorial quarrels everything had been relatively peaceful since.

In and of themselves, the domes were mostly sufficient to protect the flowers from tampering. The Gardeners served therefore mainly to maintain order within and had considerable power to prevent anyone from interference. Yet what indeed if the Gardener went missing, as this one had? Cyrus was sure that the goddesses knew of his absence, from what he heard pass between his old master Saltrio and the Earth Maiden, Verbena, but it seemed they were equally in the dark about his location.

At this point, Ignatius interrupted his pondering. "We had better get back downstairs before the servants start to thin out and leave us visible."

Micael was resistant to being torn away from the fascinating views afforded by the tower. He tugged on the butler's sleeve.

"Can't we stay just a bit longer?"

The elderly mage merely chuckled and patted his head. He pouted and refused to leave, but once the others started to climb down, he grudgingly acquiesced and started down the ladder after them.

It was fortunate that they had ventured down at that moment, for the cleaning had started to move into the central hall and their presence might have been considerably more noticeable had they waited much longer. They walked down the winding staircase and arrived on the ground floor once again.

"Has our little expedition made you hungry?"

Cyrus and Micael's stomachs growled in response.

The old butler laughed. "Come on, I've just the thing."

He led them down to the kitchen where they had been spending their time, and they dined on the remainder of the freshly cooked fish that had been served for lunch. After the delicious meal, they sat around contented for a time.

"I want to go exploring again," said Micael plaintively.

Ignatius looked weary, and Cyrus interceded on his behalf. "Maybe tomorrow, alright?"

The child nodded eagerly. He could wait, after all.

"I still don't know what that riddle means."

"'Where the lotus meets the sky, there it is that I now lie.' It sounds so simple, but I cannot fathom it."

Something jogged in Cyrus' memory. "There's a metal lotus on the top of the central spire. But that would mean -- Arturo is in the Garden?!"

"Impossible! How would he have been put inside? The Gardener went missing before he disappeared."

"Do you have any other ideas?"

The mage shook his head. "But still... it seems unlikely."

"I remember my vision now; the circular room where I saw him was entirely made of crystal, except for the stone slab in the middle... I don't know why I didn't think of it before!"

"Let us not be too hasty. Even if he were in the Garden, there is no way for ones such as us to enter it."

"But how did the Gardener go in and out? There must be some way to get inside."

"He had great power at his disposal, whereas we do not have nearly enough. Besides, getting inside without permission would be a severe offense indeed."

"Would you rather wait for him to come back and give you leave to enter? We don't mean to even touch the flowers, and we'd leave as soon as we'd retrieved him."

"Therein lies another problem. How do we undo the enchantment upon him?"

"You're the Accademian, not I."

"Too many different spells could be the cause of his affliction. I would have to go there in person to find out how to deal with it."

"Well then, why don't we try it?"

"Preposterous! Searching the dome for an entrance could take years, and even if we found one, how to open it would be another matter."

"Have a little faith. I'm sure we'll be able to find a way in."

The butler shook his head, but he was softening as time went on. After all, what was there to lose? And he would love to see Master Arturo in his rightful place again...

"Very well, we shall attempt it. But for today, let us wait while I seek any learning surrounding the precise nature of the domes." His careworn face creased with worry. "Be careful that the others don't see you; Cyrus, I advise you to try and use your earth awareness, but avoid letting it run free at all costs! Keep it restrained to just the immediate area and you should be alright."

The boys bid him farewell, and Cyrus played with young Micael as the pair impatiently awaited his return. He reflected on how young and fragile the child seemed; what he had been like at that age. Indeed, despite his childlike face, Micael's eyes had curiosity and liveliness in them, eager to learn of what the world had to offer. He hoped that he would only learn of the good in life, for anything so innocent should remain unspoiled if it might be so. Thinking of the boy's mother, Elena, he wondered how she was. She had been ailing when they saw her last, but perhaps she had gained strength in knowing that her son would be taken in. Though they had not yet succeeded completely, it seemed certain that it was only a matter of time before Arturo was back in the headmaster's quarters and Elena could live with the boy just as they had before.

Almost before he realized it, evening had come and Ignatius returned carrying several weighty tomes.

"I have found a way in," he said triumphantly.

Cyrus and Micael grinned.

"But it may be a bit complicated."

"Well?"

"As you may know, the domes are actually made of individual 6-sided crystals, each of which forms a facet of the overall shape. There is a set of crystals which can be passed through as if they were insubstantial as air."

"Then what's the problem?"

The butler frowned. "They are nearly halfway up the side of the dome."

Cyrus was stricken. Would it ever be possible to enter if they had to scale the side of the Garden's enormous dome?

"How did the Gardener do it?"

"The ancient texts are silent on that topic."

"So we've gained nothing."

"On the contrary. We now know where it is that an entry must be made, and it merely remains to find a way of reaching it."

"What do we know of the Gardener's powers?"

Ignatius shrugged. "Nothing, I'm afraid. No one was ever able to find out his capabilities."

"Perhaps there is some mechanism in place to raise him to the level of the penetrable crystals.

"But how would we find such a mechanism without searching the whole perimeter?"

"Think. It would be somewhere easily accessible, since he did have to come and go occasionally."

The man considered a moment. "Yes, but how does that help us? He could have gone through any side.

"We could try using our awareness. If we just allowed it to encompass one small section of the wall, and tested only along one side, we could complete the survey in a very short time."

"It is dangerous. You saw yourself what happens if the awareness expands unchecked."

"What other choice have we?"

Ignatius grumbled, but had no rebuttal for the proposal.

"It's settled, then. When shall we leave?"

"Tomorrow. We can get away for one day. The snow will complicate matters, but I'll bring you warm clothing and boots."

Cyrus thanked him, and they retired yet again to the concealment of their storage room in preparation for the next day's journey.

As the trio peered up at the towering dome, they gained a sense of the true immensity with which they were presented. To either side, the sweeping curve of its sides actually prevented them from seeing the bay to the west and the forest to the east. All that remained was the innumerable crystals of its walls, which glittered like stars in the morning sun and stretched up, up, impossibly high, arching well out of sight and at last coming together at the zenith somewhere far above. It was difficult for them to even comprehend its size in any normal terms, though they knew rationally that it had been measured at about one league square. Yet this size required an entirely different frame of reference than that normally used for structures; even the grandest manmade palaces could only claim a paltry fraction of its area.

"Try using your earth awareness. Make sure to not let it spread out too far!"

Pausing a moment to collect himself, Cyrus breathed deeply and let his thoughts slip into the heightened state. At once, he was bombarded by the profusion of energy circulating tumultuously inside the Garden. All the flowers within were like tiny luminous beacons, and the dazzling show they put on made it nearly impossible to focus on anything else. Nevertheless, he turned his attention away from their bright clouds, and quested with his will for a way to ascend to the dome's entrance.

He noticed a curious outpouring of energy close by, emanating from what seemed to be a mass of roots. But there was seemingly no plant on top of them. Breaking off the trance, he told the others and they went over to investigate.

The patch of ground which he had indicated seemed just like all the region surrounding the dome; but when they stood upon it, a slight rumbling could be felt underneath their feet. They barely had time to look around in alarm before the ground began to burst upwards underneath them.

Soon, the cause of their sudden movement was apparent; they were atop a giant leafy stem, which could be seen rapidly rising out of the ground far below. The ride was swift, if a little unsettling. So the Gardener had used an enchanted plant. Mystery solved.

Within a few short moments, the ersatz transport reached the appropriate level of crystals and halted its growth as abruptly as it had begun. This line of panels looked the same as all the others, but Cyrus cautiously extended his arm and found that it met with no resistance. Heartened, all three stepped off the plant, and it began its speedy retraction into the ground.

Entering through the false crystals made them feel particularly disconcerted, but the sight within caused all three to breathe a sigh of wonder.

The Garden was just as they had imagined it, and more. Crystal walkways entwined with vines looped around and through the vast, shimmering space. Everywhere was a scintillating kaleidoscope of light, an almost blinding brilliance which made it difficult to see. And the flowers.

Every kind of flower imaginable was growing on one of the countless tiers of the Garden, held up by sheets of hexagonal tiles. Cyrus could identify roses, wisteria, violets, daisies, tulips... the diverse varieties were too many, and he soon abandoned trying to pick out individuals in the unending sea of colors. Far, far underneath them, a giant and unfathomably deep pool held the water flowers, while the desert flowers and those needing full sunlight were on levels closer to the top.

They stood still for a time upon the sizable hexagonal dais onto which they had entered, stupefied by the incomprehensible vastness which was before them. After drinking in the beautiful and astounding sights for a few minutes, they shook themselves and began seeking out their objective.

Unbelievably high up, at the apex of the dome, their goal was barely visible. A tiny, circular outpost, from which the Gardener must have surveyed his charges when he still resided within. It was there that Arturo lay, trapped in the snare of some devious enchantment. One of the pathways led directly to it, but it was far too long for them to even consider walking it. They approached it slowly, cautious of falling off the steep ledges on all sides.

Once they had neared the pathway, it became apparent that it was not in fact directly connected to the platform on which they stood. It was slightly underneath, and the vine wrapped around it seemed to be the only thing holding it in place. Ignatius realized that there was a single, conspicuously positioned leaf that was quite different from the others. He reached out and touched it, and suddenly the vine began to snake inward, pulling the extensive walkway backwards with it. After a brief time, the entire structure had been pulled downward to rest level with the platform. The trio stepped onto the path, and Cyrus flicked an identical leaf on the vine's opposite tip. They were moving.

As they drew closer to the circular observation post in the center, the boys held their breath in anticipation, while Ignatius watched the approaching structure with apprehension. They clambered onto the narrow path ringing around the room, and carefully began to walk around to the entrance.

Inside, just as Cyrus had seen, the prostrate body of an impressively regal man rested on a stone slab in the center of the room. Arturo's tall, imposing figure seemed stilled; not dead, but as if he merely slept.

"What now?" Cyrus asked.

Ignatius replied quietly, "We wake him up, of course."

"But how?"

"I will try, though my ability may not be enough for the task."

The butler moved to the side of the stone slab and raised his hands over the man. Concentrating on the man, he tried to fathom the enchantment upon him.

"He has been dazed. It's a skill of the wind mages; they can send a person's spirit wandering, and the victim is unable to come back to himself without help. But I do not possess the power necessary to undo it. Still, we will succeed, somehow. Let us try to pool our strength together."

Cyrus joined hands with the old man, and they concentrated on redirecting the flows of earth energy. There was already an abundance of it due to the flowers, so it was a simple matter to collect it. The pair tried to send this energy to Arturo, in order to ground him in the here and now. Yet it was to no avail.

"I want to help," said Micael. He reached up and grabbed their hands, and both of them suddenly felt much more powerful than before. Almost as soon as he had done this, Arturo's eyes snapped open suddenly.

The pair of them stared back and forth between the boy and the awakened master. Neither was quite certain of what had just occurred, for it seemed to be unbelievable. Just what did this young boy have within him? But Arturo's deep voice called their attention.

"Ignatius? But who -- where?"

The noble headmaster sat up and peered about him. His grave countenance took on a look of puzzlement. "Surely this is not -"

Ignatius took on a reverent tone. "The Garden, Master Arturo. And let me say, it's a pleasure to have you back with us."

"Back? What do you mean?"

"You were dazed, sir."

"I see... now things begin to become clear." His eyes narrowed to slits. "Kamril! I should have known he was not to be trusted. Tell me, what has he done while I was so ensorcelled?"

"He made himself headmaster, begging your pardon, sir. He told us you were dead, but I didn't believe a word of it. Still, I wasn't strong enough to face him myself, and so I bade my time and searched for you as best I could. But these two lads are the ones you should thank for finding you."

The headmaster smiled warmly at the boys. "Then I thank you, my young rescuers. And what are your names?"

They told him, and he nodded. "My cousin Elena had a little boy named Micael, too. A darling little child he was indeed, just like you."

"That is my mother, sir."

"Then you are he?! But you must be at least ten years... I have been trapped here for ten years!"

The butler nodded gravely.

" Please, Ignatius, tell me of Kamril's other doings. Ah, I was a fool to have allowed him anywhere near the Accademia! He was a wind mage, and few of them are known for loyalty."

"No fault of your own, sir, we were all taken in by him then. He was so capable and eager. But of course, after he had ensnared you, he stopped doing anything at all and showed his true colors. He turned this poor child and his mother out! And I didn't have the courage to stop him," he said with downcast eyes.

"Poor Elena! Where is she now?"

"Living in a house in the city."

"We'll right all of this at once. What a fool I was! How do we get out of this place?"

Ignatius showed the way out, and they were soon back on the dais on which they had started. Cyrus tugged on a tiny green shoot of the fast-growing plant on which they had entered, and it soon conveyed them to the ground, after which they marched towards the Accademia with purpose in their steps. It seemed that the wicked Kamril would not rest easy this evening.