It was late into the night but I could feel the dawn of a new day arriving soon. I opened my eyes to the sight of Aaron moving in a strange dance on the deck of the ship. He was silent and I could barely hear his foot steps and spinning turns on the deck. A sword was in his left hand and a piece of moving rock spun around his body that he was attacking.

“The dirty mud boy is awake.” A soft voice said from my right.

I turned to see Adora floating an inch off the deck staring past me to Aaron who was still dancing around the rock he was cutting to pieces. I looked down at Aaron’s feet to see dirt and dust had gathered around him. He had been at his dance for a while yet.

“I’m not dancing.” Aaron said again hearing words in my head I had not yet spoken. He turned to me dropping from his dance to stare at me. “I’m practicing using ground magic and what fighting skills I have learned from my time training in the western Kingdom. We are arriving soon into the borders of our pack lands. Do you feel it?”

“He is nothing Aaron. Nothing but a slave. You are counting to much on father’s instincts. He won’t be able to take what plans you and father have for him. I have a better-“

“Silence.” Aaron commanded her. “Muddy. Come to me.” He said softly. There was something strange in his voice.

I got to my feet and walked over to Aaron. I froze and turned toward a patch of land that was glowing. I felt it. I felt energy from that small patch of land. I heard foot steps behind me and I knew Elmo was behind me. I walked over to stand beside Aaron. He pointed at the land that seemed to vibrate with energy that I felt.

“That is the Sharo. The land of the Sharo pack. The pack your are now apart of now. As long as Elmo of the Sharo exist the Sharo exist.” Aaron said.

“You would be wrong on one point. The Sharo is the land. It’s the people but more importantly. It’s the pack.” Elmo interjected. “As long as there is a Sharo pack and a male Dan, we will always exist. The power of the Sharo however is only for the Dan of Sharo. The Sharo follows the Dan. The power. It is the unexpected thing in a room filled with endless treasures. The one thing that signifies the Dan, set apart from everything else. It is not given to a man. It is taken. Only the true male master can see it, control it and dominant.”

I held out my hand and started to feel it. The energy of ground and land called out to me. “The land is calling to me?” I said.

“Then go to it.” Elmo said. “Aaron. Give Muddy his first lesson.”

Aaron took my hand. “Let’s go. Muddy.” He said and then started running for the edge of the boat. I felt a spark of fear and at the same a feeling of thrill of the pulling from the Sharo to bring me inside. Inside what?

Aaron led me forward and off the edge of the boat. We fell dropping from the sky and then I still felt that pulling grow tighter around my body and jerking me down. Aaron still held my hand tightly in his grip.

“Do you feel it, Muddy?” Aaron asked me.

I nodded. “I do what-“

“Reach for it. Do it NOW!”

I did. I reached for whatever it was that was pulling. I caught it with whatever spark was in me. “I’ve got it. I’ve got it.” I said in excitement.

“Good. Let’s test out your theory.” Aaron said before he let go of my hand.

I felt something drop from my hand as I started falling like a rock toward the Sharo. I raced and raced down to the ground to the back of large house and then I landed in thick mud. I wasn’t hurt but my body shook as I heard laughter above my head.

I looked up in time to see Adora descending down slowly to the ground with her father beside her shaking his head at me. “Look at the little Mud boy. He’s probably broken every bone in his mortal body.”

Aaron was the first to touch down on solid ground. He wasn’t smiling. He just looked at me with his arms crossed in front of his chest. “Are you hurt? Any broken bones? How’s your head?” He asked me calmly.

I sighed but shook my head. “I’m fine. Strangely I don’t feel hurt at all. I feel good.” I said. I frowned and started rising out of the mud easily to stand in front of my new master and his children. The mud around me became more solid under my feet. I was dirty again but I felt good.

Elmo stared at me and then he nodded his head. “You will learn from Aaron now on all that I have taught him and you will become stronger and master all my tools. You have five years to become something worth living or by the end of that time you will die. Do you understand me?”

Some of the good feeling faded away as it was replaced with fear but I stared up at Elmo and nodded my head. “As you wish master.”

Elmo nodded his head. “Good. Good. I like your acting. You’ll do well until realize what you are. Until then always remember. Power is not given. It is taken. Always remember. Now sense you failed your first test. You will make the attempt again until have successfully come down to the Sharo in the proper manner of a Sharo. Let’s try this again.” He said and held out his hand toward me. His hand glowed red and then I felt a gust of wind knock into my chest.

I was lifted up and up into the sky and high above the large red house then I stopped when Elmo held me up staring at me with his glowing magical eyes.

“Remember. Reach for it. Take a breath and descend. There will be no stopping of this test until you get it right Muddy.”

Elmo dropped his hand and I started to fall again. I screamed as I fell down to the Sharo.