Still, Katie knew that Tyson was the one for her. She had known that for some time, even before he kissed her, but that was when she knew that she would always want him by her side. Katie thought about their future and what it might be and how short it may be.
It was ages ago, that moment in her mother’s bedroom when she held her mother’s necklace in her hand. And it seems ages ahead when they would be happy together.
If they even made it that far.
Katie decided that they would resolve it when they reached Oasi. She also decided that he should return to Earth if there was even a way back.
As they went on, so did the day. Soon, in the late afternoon, the tall grass thinned out, and it became easier for them to walk. The three of them were all starving, but no one mentioned it. Not that they needed to; they could hear each other’s stomachs.
“Looks like we’ve almost made it,” Koran said. “When we’re out of here, I’ll hunt for our next meal.”
“That would be nice,” Katie replied. Tyson was quiet.
The ground quivered slightly. Katie stopped dead as well did Koran. Tyson slowed down and turned his head.
“What was that?” Katie asked.
“I think it would be best if we don’t find out,” said Koran. “Keep moving.”
Tyson already started walking when he said it. Koran and Katie sped up to catch him. They were thankful that they didn’t feel the rumbling ground again and were happy to believe that they had gotten away.
At long last, they stepped out of the tall grass and onto softer, greener grass. Katie wasn’t sure what the cause was of the drastic change in scenery nor understood how it was. Ahead of them was a clear path surrounded by scattered trees that seemed to glow green in the dusk sky.
Katie looked behind her. She couldn’t see over the tall grass as it blew in the wind and was unable to tell how far they had traveled.
“We’ll just settle down up ahead,” said Koran, leading them further than the Equire Plains to a place he felt more comfortable in. “We can rest for a bit. I’ll get us something to eat and we can continue our way towards the Fountain of Chance.”
Katie nodded and sat down on the grass. Tyson sat down too but said nothing and didn’t make eye contact.
Koran either ignored Tyson or didn’t care.
“We’re going to be in Oasi in no time.”
16
The Fountain of Chance
After a dinner of squirrel and fruit that Koran had gathered, Katie and Tyson sat somewhat distantly in silence under a tall oak tree that shaded them from the minimal, yet strong, setting sun. Katie wanted to talk to Tyson but couldn’t find words to say that wouldn’t start another argument or fight between them. Tyson couldn’t handle the tension and resorted to picking out various fruits from the trees and plants that were nearby.
“It would be a good idea to get moving before it gets too dark,” Koran said, walking up to Katie. Tyson was listening nearby. “I would like to reach the fountain tonight. Then we would have just a few hours before we reach Oasi.”
“Sounds good,” said Katie. “In the city maybe we could get some proper rest.”
“Can your night vision lead us in the dark?”
Katie and Koran ignored Tyson’s comment.
Koran led the way, with Katie following closely behind and Tyson not far behind her. They walked for only a few more minutes before the last of the sun had set, leaving behind deep dusk.
“Why is the fountain named the Fountain of Chance?” Katie asked Koran.
“The fountain is supposedly an old magical artifact, and, though it is a fountain, it contains no water,” Koran answered.
“Oh,” said Katie, almost crestfallen. She had expected more to the answer, something that would explain that another force that only belonged to Narque was at work in the fountain.
“Some people believe that when they reach the fountain and water springs from it, they will be given a chance,” Koran said.
“A chance for what?” Katie asked.
“They say that one might have a chance to correct a wrong they committed, or a chance to change some past circumstance,” Koran explained. “Others believe that it might even mean the difference between good and bad fortune, poverty and wealth, and even life and death.”
“What would life and death mean? Like if someone was dying?” Katie asked.
“I suppose so,” said Koran. “Or it might just be a sign of danger. Either way, I’d rather play it safe and let it stay dry forever. At least while we are there.”
Before Katie could ask Koran something, Tyson spoke behind her, making her jump slightly. “Has anyone drank the water?”
Koran turned his head just slightly to show he was answering Tyson’s question. “That is unclear per historical records. Some say they have but have no proof and the last provable record of the fountain spouting water dates back nearly a thousand years. Because of that, many think the fountain has no more water to offer.”
Tyson asked no further questions. The three of them continued their walk along the path of dirt that weaved around the trees and bushes. Though it was dark and their sole light was the moon, they didn’t encounter any hostile creatures of the night. In fact, the night was almost too quiet.
Katie’s mind led her to think of the fountain and what she could do if she was given another chance. She thought about saving Cyrus, but as soon as she did, she thought of saving her mom. But maybe she could save her dad as well, and he could put an end to all of it.
After a little over an hour of mindless, and endless opportunities, Katie noticed small blue figures to her sides, floating above the bushes. They emitted a faint glow.
“Koran,” said Katie. “What are those?”
“Fireflies,” he answered. “Like the ones on Earth, though ours are a bit bigger.”
“Maybe more than just a bit,” said Katie, watching the ball-like bugs float up and down. They reminded her of Christmas ornaments. “Ours are also yellow.”
Koran looked at her for a second. “Well, ours are also yellow, sometimes,” he said, noticing Katie’s puzzled look. “They change color with the temperature, weather, and time of year.”
“Would the time of year and temperature match most of the time?” Katie asked. “It’s hot in summer, cold in winter.”
“True, but I mean mating season,” said Koran. “During that time, the males will glow white while any females ready to mate will glow blue. Not all females are chosen to mate each year.”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s just how their life cycle works,” Koran said.
“Huh,” said Katie. “So are these all females here, ready to mate?”
Koran shook his head. “I don’t think so. All of the fireflies here are blue. I don’t think mating season is for another few months.”
“I see what you mean,” said Katie, nodding her head slowly.
They went along their dirt and mulch path, looking back and forth at the glowing orbs that were fireflies. Though they had been walking all day, Katie didn’t feel remotely tired.
Katie then thought of Tyson. She looked back at him and their eyes met momentarily, his stare unmoving and void of emotion. Katie let out a breath and looked away. Katie hoped that jealousy was the only thing wrong with him. If it was, she would know how to fix that. But it seemed like there was more, and the tension between them was new to Katie. Losing him wouldn’t just be a breakup that she would get over at some point. They had known each other for long enough that losing him meant losing half of herself.
The sound of a low humming broke her thoughts apart. Katie looked around. The humming was eerie yet pleasant. She wasn’t sure where it came from. For all Katie knew, she could just be hearing the wind.
Katie put her attention off it as much as she could, but the farther they walked, the louder it got.
“Where is that noise coming from?” Tyson asked.
“I’ve been hearing it too,” Katie said.
“What is it?”
Koran didn’t answer right away. He walked silently, barely breathing, listening. “I’m not sure what it is. It sounds like some sort of song. I feel like I’ve heard it before, but I can’t remember from where.”
“Maybe it’s coming from the fireflies,” Katie said, pointing out to the bushes.
“I think you’re right,” said Koran. “I just don’t understand why it is getting louder. The fireflies have been here for some time.”
As he said it, the fireflies faded into a light gray color.
“Did you see that?” Katie asked.
Koran nodded. “I did. I’ve never seen them do that. I’ve also never heard of the fireflies turning gray. Maybe orange or green, just not gray.”
Katie looked back and forth at the fireflies in case they did something different. After a few minutes, the music stopped, and the fireflies vanished, leaving behind a brief moment of a blinding fog until it slowly cleared away.
About twenty-five feet ahead of them stood quite an unremarkable fountain. It was made of a cement-like material and was just a wide basin placed on a gray pillar ten feet off the ground.
As they got closer, Katie noticed a cylinder spout stood in the middle of the basin. It had a design to it, unlike the rest of the fountain. When they stopped in front of it, Katie could see that the spout was shaped like a bird, an eagle, with its wings tucked in and its head facing them. Though she knew it was only a sculpture carved out of cement, she almost felt its eyes pierce hers with its gaze.
Katie and Tyson exchanged a curious glance with each other before looking up at the eagle sculpture again.
A soft, subtle screeching cry came from the bird. The eagle spread its wings and raised its head so that its beak faced up towards the night sky. Then a crystal blue water spouted from it.
The basin filled quickly. When the water reached its rim, the eagle stopped spouting water and lowered its head to face them again. The bird gave another soft cry and its wings fluttered, almost as if it were a shadow.
Another spell of thick fog clouded their vision. The fog was a light gray, but so intense that Katie couldn’t even see her own hands. The fog lasted a while. A loud crunching and rumble filled the air, followed by a thunderclap but with no lightning that could be seen. Katie thought that the sound was large boulders, or even mountains, moving. The ground shook violently with the noise, but the three of them were able to hold themselves up. An intense, ear-splitting screech filled the air next as if a large rusty door that hadn’t been touched in half a century was being pried open.
After what seemed like ages, the ground stood still and the noises ceased leaving only a slight sound of wind which could be heard only by Koran. Then the fog faded.
Nothing had changed about the fountain and the eagle that stood on it was still, resuming its inanimate figure. Katie looked past the fountain and her eyes widened.
Where there was nothing but a narrow path previously, a large city now toward over her. They walked beyond the fountain to get a better look, the three of them with their heads up, taking in the sheer size of it. Stone walls surrounded the city, covered in ivy. They were over seventy feet high. A large iron-wrought gate was shut tight in the center. It was the only way in.
Some of the stone was cracked, but Katie knew that the walls held strong and were impossible to break.
Koran inspected the city, looking up and down and to either side.
“Hey,” Tyson said. “Look at this.”
Katie and Koran walked over to Tyson to see what he was pointing at. There was a sign by the gate with small, cursive-like words that read:
Our city was built before your time
To protect us from the outside forces
But soon we perished in our own crime
And nothing was left for us to hide
Enter now and look
At what we took so long to build
To hide what we took
Before it was too late
Read carefully as we warn you
You must leave before dawn
Otherwise you too
Will perish here forever
And become another pawn
Katie let the words pass over her lips silently as she read. When they all had finished, the doors opened inward, screeching as they did so and loudly hitting the walls before stopping.
“Should we enter?” Katie asked, her voice considerably steady despite current circumstances.
Koran looked once again down both sides along the walls. “I can’t see how far they go. This might be our only option.”
“What if we aren’t back by dawn?” Tyson asked. “Do we become ghosts destined to haunt this place forever?”
Koran thought about it. “We’ll leave a trail of our path so we can easily return if we start to run out of time.”
Tyson turned to Katie. “Are we really doing this?”
Katie didn’t answer.
“Katie!”
She jumped slightly and glanced at Tyson but maintained her composure. Katie shrugged and said, “I don’t see any other way.”
Tyson didn’t look convinced but said nothing. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to get them to not walk through the gates. He didn’t want to but preferred it than being left alone.
Koran walked to the wall, tugged on some ivy until he had collected enough to leave a trail.
“This should be enough,” he said, handing the thick ivy to Katie and Tyson. “They are long and not too heavy. We can carry enough.”
No one responded, but each held an equal amount of the ivy. Koran led the way through the gates. It was considerably darker in the city than just outside it. When they had walked well into the city limits, the gates silently closed behind them and locked with a heart-stopping click, leaving them trapped inside.
17
The Jade
Koran swore loudly as he threw the now useless vine to the ground and kicked the stone wall in front of him. The wall was large and looked just like the ones that surrounded the city. Their only choices were to go left or right, each path leading to only more darkness.
He looked back at Tyson and Katie. Tyson’s face remained unchanged as ever in recent times. Katie looked horrified.
“We’ve got to get out of here, Koran,” she said, her voice shaking.
“No better time than to start now,” Koran replied. “Which way?”
It was Tyson who answered. “Let’s just go left.”
Katie and Koran looked at each other. They didn’t really have a better option, so they went on their way, Koran still taking the lead.
The city soon proved to be a vast maze, with large walls blocking their path often. It didn’t take abnormally long before they were able to go around the large wall. Still, the old buildings and abandoned houses were more than sufficient to act as barriers, and the three of them attempted to navigate around them.
There was a building with five pillars, seemingly standing in the heart of the city, though it wasn’t quite in the middle. It was distinctive enough that it was the first building that they saw.
At a slow jog, they continued making their way through the city, turning sharply, randomly or otherwise doubling back due to dead ends. None of them spoke, only the sound of their breathing and footsteps could be heard.
Every now and then the scenery would change from small and city-like to just thick stone wall tall. It was enough to make them feel like mice doomed to inevitable death.
Palatinii Cycle Page 21