The light from his key glowed so brightly that it was all he could see. He felt weightless for a moment then his feet collided with uneven ground and he fell backwards onto it. May toppled over and Oliver groaned as she landed on his legs. She scrambled to stand up and he followed suit, rubbing his knees.
Ely hurried towards them and clapped his hands together, looking pleased.
Oliver gazed around at his surroundings. He was standing at the foot of a tree that resembled the one back at Oakway Manor, minus the house.
A large, circular hole in its trunk marked the Gateway on this side of the portal and the leaves on its branches were a bright, lush-looking green. There was a crisp chill in the air and Oliver's breath came out as a puff of vapour.
They were standing on a ledge that jutted out over a steep valley, high up on the side of a mountain. For miles around rolling hills and towering mountains disappeared up into wispy, white clouds. Oliver crept towards the edge.
A city was nestled between the mountain they were stood upon and one that rose up opposite. The buildings looked like a model from this height; lights twinkled in the windows and Oliver realised that daylight was already fading in this world.
A train emerged from a tunnel in the mountain opposite, running along tracks that ran outside the city in a large circle, making its way through smaller tunnels in the hills.
A sudden gust of wind made Oliver draw back from the ledge.
"Beautiful, isn't it? I'll never forget the first time I saw this view. The city you can see is called Alevale," Ely said.
"Are we going down there?" May asked, peeping over the edge with a look of fascination.
"Yes, we'll take the- " Ely was distracted by a loud horn that sounded from the other mountain.
Oliver located the source of the noise where a bright fire was burning on an outcrop. A booming horn responded to it somewhere further down the valley. The sound carried on the wind and echoed off the rocks, the two notes calling out together in a mournful cry.
"Ahh, that's a sound I've missed," Ely said with a smile.
"What is it?" May asked.
"They sound the horns at dawn, midday and dusk. The citizens of Alevale used to rely on them to tell the time and structure their day but nowadays they have modern technology which can do that. But the tradition has stayed in place."
A stone pathway led away from the Gateway, heading down through the thick woodland. They were sheltered from the wind on the path but Oliver still did up his coat against the icy air. They dropped steeply down the side of the mountain then curved to the left in the direction of the city.
The three of them approached a watch-post where Oliver spotted a man who was smoking by a small fire. A long, thin, horn-like instrument jutted out over the precipice in front of him. It curved upwards and back towards the fire. The mouthpiece sat near to the man's head. He got to his feet and walked towards them through a cloud of smoke, revealing shoulder-length hair, a bristly beard and a pipe held in the corner of his mouth.
"Ah, Ely Fox, long time no see," the man said in a gruff voice, puffing away on his pipe.
"Good to see you again, Corwell. These are my grandchildren, Oliver and May. They just received their first keys," Ely said, standing up a little straighter.
"Congratulations," Corwell said. "Let's see those Locks then please, you two." He gestured to Oliver and May.
Oliver held his up and Corwell ran a palm over it. Red lightning reached out from his palm and touched his Lock. It turned green abruptly and Corwell dropped his hand. "Thank you, hold yours up please, May."
She did so and Corwell repeated the process.
"Great. You're all set," Corwell said, taking another puff on his pipe. "You're now registered here as key holders to Aleva, you can come and go through the Gateway between Aleva and Earth freely."
"Thanks," Oliver said, feeling enthused as he concealed the Lock beneath his clothes.
"Thank you, Corwell. We'll be going back through in a few days, no doubt," Ely said.
Corwell nodded and raised a hand in goodbye as they continued on down the pathway.
The wood descended into darkness as the sun set and tiny lights sprang to life along the edge of the path, illuminating the way.
"Does he live up here?" May asked, glancing back at the Gateway Keeper.
In answer, Ely grinned and pointed to the tree canopy above their heads. Oliver squinted up into the leaves, spying a wooden walkway strung from branch to branch. He turned his head, following the precarious trail amidst the boughs towards a large treehouse that was wedged between two enormous trunks.
The bridge creaked and wobbled as a creature hurried along it above them, heading down towards the end of the path where a woman was waiting.
Oliver had to double take; she was the image of his mum. Her long, blonde hair was only dissimilar to his mother's in how it curled rather than hung straight. She wore a red coat and her hands were tucked into the pockets.
A black shape dropped gracefully from the trees and trotted over to her, rubbing up against her legs. Oliver recognised Humphrey as they closed the space between them.
Ely rushed forward and pulled the woman into a hug. She was much taller than her father, his head barely reaching her chin. He released his daughter and tugged her towards the two of them.
"This is Laura. And Laura, these are Alison's children, Oliver and May."
She smiled warmly. "It's lovely to meet you. I'm so sorry to hear about your mum's disappearance. Have you had any news at all?" she asked, looking concerned.
Oliver shook his head, gazing into her blue eyes that were the exact shade of his mother's.
"No," May said quietly.
Laura lifted Humphrey into her arms and he purred loudly. Ely reached out a palm and sent the gold mist into his ears once more. Laura kissed the cat's head and returned him to the ground.
"Off you go," Ely instructed and Humphrey shot off towards the Gateway, his tail waving madly in the air as he ran.
"Did Humphrey tell you we were coming?" May asked in confusion.
Laura laughed. "Dad sent a message to me with him. He waited here with me, he's been playing in the trees."
"Aww," May said as she watched the cat go with adoring eyes.
"There'll be a train along in a minute, we'd better hurry," Laura said, turning back down the trail with a swish of her coat.
They followed her out onto a train platform made of white stone. The tracks, which sat several feet below the edge, were twice as wide as those on Earth and were an incandescent blue, bright enough to light the area.
The tracks veered sharply to the left around the mountainside in the direction of Alevale city. To the right, the tracks led away into a dark, circular tunnel that was cut into the mountain. The tunnel began to grow bright with two pinpoints of light, hovering above the ground and growing closer by the second.
The front of an immense train emerged and slowed to a stop in front of them in near silence. It was black as obsidian, towering two stories high and topped with vast storage containers.
The first floor was glazed with large windows that were bordered by red, velvet curtains; the floor below was busy with sofas and armchairs that were upholstered in blues and greens and arranged around small tables.
Laura walked to the front of the train where five, manned ticket booths were embedded in the side though only one was open. She returned a moment later and passed them tickets that were made of the same blue metal as the tracks, glowing brightly in the darkness.
"This is a Traverser train. They transport people from Alevale City to as far away as Crome," Laura said, her gaze flitting between Oliver and May.
"That's about two days away from here. It's where they hold the challenge for the key to Glacio," Ely explained.
"What's the challenge here?" May asked. "I'm not sure I'd want to do another one."
Laura grinned, revealing a perfect set of teeth. "They're not all as bad as Earth to Aleva's. To get a
key to Glacio you have to compete in a race that's held every few months. I work at it as part of my job."
"What do you do?" Oliver asked curiously.
"I work for the government in the Gateway division. I regulate the importation of ambiculis gemstones from Glacio which are made into keys for the Gateways."
"That sounds interesting," May said.
"It isn't really. The best part is working at the Gateway challenge."
They had to scan their tickets at the train door to allow them access. Oliver held the rectangular piece of metal up to a blinking scanner and the doors hissed as they opened, allowing them access.
They made their way into one of the carriages on the bottom floor and occupied a couple of sofas by the window.
"How long 'til we get there?" Oliver asked.
"Not long, it only takes ten minutes from here," Laura replied.
The train pulled out of the station with a smooth grace. There was little sign that they were moving apart from a whirring noise and the feel of gliding.
Oliver rested his head against the window to look outside. He could just make out the towering shape of the mountain through the darkness as the train hugged its outline, veering left towards the city.
He caught Laura's eye. "When was the last time you saw Mum?" he asked.
"Oh, years ago. After it all came out about your father illegally marrying your mother, she was banned from seeing him and had to move to Earth-"
Oliver couldn't help cutting her off. "Wait. Illegally marrying her? What are you talking about?"
Laura threw an alarmed look at her father who gazed back with a guilty expression. "Don't you know any of this?" she asked, looking between Oliver and May.
"We literally found out about the other worlds earlier today. Mum kept everything from us," May said, sounding exasperated.
"Oh, wow. Well, where to begin?" Laura said in a daze.
"We'll begin after we've settled in. We're not discussing this right now," Ely said firmly.
"You're kidding, right?" Oliver said in disbelief. "We deserve the truth."
"And you'll have it. But I'd be much happier having this conversation in private where there aren't prying ears to hear us." He gestured to the other people on the Traverser who couldn't be paying them less attention if they tried. An old man woke himself up at the sound of his own snore then promptly fell back asleep.
Oliver huffed.
Laura nodded slowly in agreement. "Dad's right. This stuff should be heard in private."
"You can tell them what they need to hear," Ely said.
"We need to hear it all," Oliver insisted.
"Look, just, drop it for now will you?" Ely said, clearly frustrated.
Oliver pressed his cheek against the cool pane of glass, looking away from his grandfather. He had been sure Ely was done with keeping secrets from them but now realised he was wrong.
A bright mass of lights appeared in the distance, catching his eye. Some of them rose high up into the sky. The clouds parted above them and two moons were revealed: one small and one large, both were tinted a dusty yellow.
"Are you gonna be here for the race? The next one is in a couple of weeks," Laura asked Ely.
"We won't be here that long unfortunately, just a couple of days. I haven't watched one in years though, it's a shame."
"You never visit Aleva for more than a couple of days at a time, that's why. Is it because of Mum?" Laura asked, the corners of her mouth turning down.
"Of course not, it's nothing to do with that woman. You know I can't leave the Gateway for long periods of time. Do you see much of your mother?" Ely asked the question airily but Oliver sensed tension in his voice.
"Quite a bit. Larkin's just turned eighteen. He'll be competing in the coming race," Laura said.
"Hmm, wonderful," Ely said, sounding uninterested.
"Who's Larkin?" May asked.
"He's my half-brother," Laura said. "Mum had another kid after she remarried."
"So, he's like our half-uncle and he's only eighteen?" Oliver asked in surprise.
"Will we get to meet him?" May asked hopefully.
Laura smiled and opened her mouth to respond but Ely stepped in before she could.
"There won't be time," he said firmly.
May looked crestfallen. Oliver glared at Ely but he looked away, pretending to be occupied by the view outside the window as the train pulled into a station.
"Ready to go?" Ely asked as he stood up.
8
Forbidden
The station formed a glass tunnel around the train and a large sign greeted them as they moved through the crowd of people. Oliver cast his eyes over the words:
Welcome to Alevale, the City Between the Mountains.
The floor was made of white marble with twisted pillars that rose to the roof, holding it in place.
They let the crowd sweep them towards the exit and Oliver gazed up at the glass ceiling. The darkness outside caused the scene to be reflected on the pane and Oliver caught sight of himself as they moved.
The crowd was funnelled towards the exit, the walls growing closer together as they neared a marble arch. A booth sat in the centre of the arch stationed by two guards who were scanning tickets.
One by one, they shuffled up to the booth. Oliver stopped in front of a guard with a large moustache who held out a hand to take his ticket. Oliver passed it to him, watching as the man inserted the ticket into a handheld machine. Its blue glow died in an instant and the guard dropped the ticket through a slot in the desk in front of him.
The guard nodded at him and Oliver moved forward.
He took a deep breath of cold air as he exited the station, the fresh scent of nearby trees filling his nostrils. He looked around, wondering why he couldn't see a road or hear any traffic.
Laura gathered her red coat around her and ushered them towards a set of stairs. "This way," she said as she disappeared down them.
"Don't they have cars here?" Oliver asked.
"No, just wait and see," Ely replied and followed Laura out of sight.
Oliver shared a curious look with May before descending the staircase. They emerged in an area that reminded Oliver of an underground train station. In front of them was a raised bar on the floor that glowed blue, running the length of the station and disappearing at both ends through a tunnel. Intermittent, horizontal bars led away from the main track toward the crowd.
"Why do the tracks glow?" May asked as she gazed at them.
Laura looked amused as if she were enjoying explaining things. "It's Alevinum: a material that naturally holds electricity for years. It's used for all kinds of things but the tracks use it to power vehicles."
"Does a train run along these too?" May asked.
Before Laura could answer, a completely spherical, white object appeared on the track. Two people stepped forward and opened a circular door in the front of it before entering. There were porthole-like windows running around its edge that allowed Oliver a glimpse of the interior.
It held a circular seating area with a small, round table at its centre. He craned his neck to get a better look but the vehicle glided out of view before he had a chance to see more.
Several more of the vehicles appeared as the station became increasingly packed with people. The spheres varied in colours and sizes and, whilst some of the interiors looked luxurious, others were plain and basic.
Oliver turned to see Laura queuing for a panel on the wall close by. When she reached it, she pressed her palm flat to the screen until it read:
Laura Fox identified - payment confirmed
"My pod will be along in a moment," Laura said as she returned.
"Pod? Is that what they're called?" Oliver asked, excited about the prospect of riding in one.
"Yes, mine isn't the fanciest but it gets me around. Plus, it's cheaper to park a smaller pod," Laura muttered, wringing her hands.
May moved closer to the row of pods which were diverting off of
the main track towards the crowd. "Which one's yours?"
A small pod, that was slightly more egg-shaped than the others, glided to a halt in front of them and Laura pointed at it.
"This one. What do you think?” She eyed Oliver and May, biting her lip.
Her expression reminded Oliver of his mother once more and he found himself studying her features, trying to spot the differences between her and her sister.
"I love it!" May said and Oliver nodded his agreement, jolted out of his reverie.
Laura moved forward, pressed her palm to the door and a blue ripple appeared in the shape of her handprint. The print disappeared and a brief, ethereal noise sounded before the door opened.
Oliver climbed inside after the others, discovering that there was room for four people on a circular, cream sofa around the rim. The walls and floor had a smooth, wood-effect apart from the door which remained white on the inside too.
"Where would you like to go, Laura?" The image of a young, blonde man popped into existence on the white of the door seemingly projected on an invisible screen embedded within it.
May jumped visibly and Oliver laughed.
"Take me home, please. And put on the heating in here would you?" Laura instructed the image.
"Going home and initiating heating. Enjoy your trip," the man said, grinning a lopsided smile at her before disappearing.
Laura glanced at Oliver and May. "You can choose different personalities for each pod, even celebrities. This one is a presenter named Truvian Gold."
May nodded, a glint entering her eye. "He's really hot."
"I know, right?" Laura knocked shoulders with her and they giggled.
Oliver shared an uncomfortable look with Ely as the pod took off down the dark tunnel.
* * *
The pod whizzed along at break-neck speed, turning sharp corners until it finally stopped in another station. This one had numbers from one through to twenty printed along the walls next to mirrored doors. Above them was a sign that read:
Chance Street
"This is us," Laura said brightly, climbing out of the pod onto the platform.
Creeping Shadow (The Rise of Isaac, Book One) Page 8