Leaves fell from the tree, and Katie’s eyes followed one as it fell to her feet. She felt water ripple around her feet. She was standing in a lake. She looked towards the other side of the lake and saw Tyson standing there. He waved, and she smiled. Then the water rose from the lake and crashed down on Tyson, sending him into a whirlpool that sunk him deeper and deeper until he drowned.
Katie’s eyes opened. There wasn’t a sudden jerk or jolt that woke her. There was not even a feeling of dread or upset. She simply woke and stared at the ceiling, the shadows once again just shadows. She got out of the bed and into the hallway. She knocked on both Tyson’s and Cyrus’ hotel rooms, and when there was no answer so she made her way downstairs.
In her rush, she almost knocked someone down the stairs. Something let out a squeak. Looking down, she saw him. He was short, a little less than four feet tall, and had pointed ears that looked like they had been squished downward. His nose was about three inches long and curved upwards.
“I’m so sorry!” Katie exclaimed. “I didn’t see you there!”
“Not your fault!” he spoke in a high-pitched voice that had a slight croak to it. “Is there anything I can get you, miss?”
“No, I’m alright, thanks,” Katie said, taken aback.
“Well then,” the small man said. “I’ll just be on my way.”
With that, the small man hopped up the stairs and out of sight.
Katie finished making her way down and found Cyrus and Tyson at a table in the corner of the main hall.
“Ah, Katie,” Cyrus said as she walked up. “It’s nice to see you. Are you all settled in? Not that we will be here for too long.”
“I am,” she said. “What were you guys talking about?”
Cyrus started to answer but Tyson jumped in. “I was asking him a lot of questions about life here.” Cyrus smiled.
“Yes, he was. And I hope I’ve answered most of them.”
“Eh, sort of,” Tyson laughed.
Cyrus turned his head to Katie. “Have a seat. We should go over a few things before we take off to see my old friend.”
Katie pulled a chair from another table and sat down.
“We should leave here by tomorrow morning,” Cyrus said. “But note that as we leave this town, our journey will become increasingly dangerous. The Viscar Mountains are one of the most dangerous places on this planet. Most are so scared of them, they don’t even mention them.”
“But we have to rescue my dad,” Katie said.
“That’s right,” Cyrus replied. “But let’s talk about you.”
“What about me?” she asked.
“You, as the daughter of John Dimes, by blood, are a Palatinii. And our job is to protect Narque and keep its strength and balance in place. Disaster is about to hit and the nature of this world will be tipped over into chaos.”
“That seems like a pretty big job,” Tyson said.
“It is,” Cyrus replied. “And Katie is to be on the front line of it.”
Katie looked struck. She knew that she had a big part in her world and she was ready to accept that but to hear someone other than her father telling her made it seem even more threatening, which in turn made it seem less real.
“You need to learn how to use your abilities,” Cyrus said.
“Who is supposed to teach me?”
“Well, you are, of course!” Cyrus replied.
“How am I supposed to teach myself something I don’t know,” Katie asked.
“The greatest artist and philosophers did it all the time,” Cyrus replied. “This is no different. Usually, you would know the source of your power, but they raised you outside of this world. I can’t blame your father for that though. He made the right choice.” Cyrus lowered his voice.
“What is the source of my power?” Katie asked.
“Mavern,” Cyrus answered. “The spirit and essence of the oceans.”
Katie touched her necklace and looked at the dolphin and spun it inside the ring. “This is Mavern,” she said.
Cyrus nodded. “That’s right.”
“Who is the source of your power?” Katie asked.
“Pailath. The first and last griffin of Narque,” Cyrus answered. “Like us, there are twelve sources of power. Each a basic element of life on Narque.”
“So are the spirits part of us? Or are we part of them?” Katie asked.
“No, not at all,” Cyrus answered. “We can only harness the power of them. We are not their reincarnations or part of them.”
“So how do you become one?” Tyson asked. “I mean, I’m just wondering how it happens.”
Cyrus sighed. “Sadly I don’t have this answer for you,” he said. “I only know that if you are born with the necklace around your neck, it means that they have chosen you. Why or how this is, I do not know.”
“If I die, then does someone else take my place?” Katie asked. “Yes and no,” Cyrus answered. “It is possible for more than one person to gather their power from the same essence while they are alive. It is rare, though. Also, if the spirit of the element doesn’t see anyone as worthy of their power, then none will be given. I should also tell you that you aren’t limited to the power which you harness from the spirit.”
“What do you mean?” Tyson asked.
“I can use light and manipulate it,” Cyrus said. “But if I wanted I could turn things into water, just like you.”
Katie looked surprised.
“I shouldn’t say that I could do it easily,” Cyrus corrected himself. “I could do it if I learned, but I am strongest with Pailath.”
“So how does Sabrina get her power?” Katie asked. “Is she also one of us?”
Cyrus sighed and looked down. “She gets her power from
