“And no one could fix it?” Tyson asked.
Levi shook his head. “Oscurilina was powerful. When she was locked up, her anger managed to break through and collapsed the entire city. She did it because they betrayed her. The few survivors left the city, but not before placing the illusions and enchantments that hide it currently.”
Katie, Tyson, and Koran sat in silence while they absorbed what they had heard. While intrigued by the stories, Katie never believed in mythology of any kind. That is, until now. Something about this felt true like she already knew it in her core.
“That should be all,” said the Chancellor. He rose from his seat. “Starting tomorrow, I will personally see to Katie’s training. Our priority is to keep her and Koran safe, as they are both Palatinii. Tyson may join Koran in his training. He is from Earth, and as such, will not be required to fight in our war.”
“I want to,” Tyson butted in. “I’m going to.”
“Very well,” responded the Chancellor. “You and Koran will see Artemus. Katie will find me here tomorrow at sunrise.”
21
The Dolphin of Alaysia
The sound of chairs scraping the stone floor scratched at Katie’s ears as the rest of the council left their seats to perform their assigned duties. Katie, Tyson, and Koran stood up as well but were unsure as to where to go. Soon enough, the last ones in the room were the three of them, the Chancellor, Artemus and another man that Katie didn’t know the name of.
“Lawrence,” said Chancellor Levi. He was looking down at the table with his hands on it, his fingers rotating the pyramid object that was now closed. “Prepare our training grounds. Our time is frail and rapidly leaving us. I expect no delays.”
The other man named Lawrence nodded and left the room quickly. The Chancellor was direct. He wasn’t rude or impatient and had an aura of command that made others listen.
Artemus and the Chancellor exchanged a quick look before Artemus addressed the three of them.
“Take the rest of today to rest up. You may explore the city or make yourselves at home in our palace. Your rooms are home for the duration of your stay, and our kitchens will always have food for you,” offered Artemus.
Katie, still stunned from what she learned about the Celestials, said nothing. When Koran thanked Artemus and the Chancellor, Katie snapped back to the present and awkwardly expressed her thanks as they walked out.
Koran led them around a few corners and down every flight of stairs they came across. While there may have been a faster exit, Koran got them out of the palace’s walls in less than twenty minutes. Katie knew that if she had tried that they would still be lost inside.
“That place is really big,” Katie stated plainly. Tyson looked like he agreed but said nothing.
The afternoon sun shone brilliantly on the streets of Oasi. Many people went about their business, some rushing while others walked leisurely. Katie couldn’t help but look around and notice how it all seemed just so…perfect. Everything was clean, the city itself sparkled and there was a naturalness to how the city was built that permeated through it. She even noticed vehicles that looked like they were made of wood.
“How do those work?” Katie asked, pointing to a squeaky car that went by.
“They’re called autocrates. They are powered by the sun and controlled by the people sitting behind the steering mechanism,” Koran explained. “You have them on Earth, right? You call them auto-moh-beels.”
Tyson chuckled a bit. “That we do. But we just call them ‘cars’ for short.”
Koran looked slightly puzzled. “How is ‘car’ short for that?”
Tyson and Katie looked at each other.
“Well, we also call them motorcars,” answered Tyson. “Car is short for that I guess.”
The three of them did not discuss this further but continued their journey through the city. Occasionally Koran would point out a particular building and explain a brief history about it. He mentioned that it had been a while since he was last in the city and was only a child the last time. Koran said that he was with his little sister and his father the last time he was here.
For a moment, Katie felt a pang of guilt. While she knew she wasn’t responsible, Katie felt like she would not be able to stop blaming herself, if only slightly, because she knew that Cyrus had made her his top priority and had given that duty to Koran.
While Katie wandered off in her mind, Tyson asked careful questions about Koran’s sister, hoping that she was still alive. Koran said that as far as he knows, she was, but that it’s been a while since he was last with her.
Shops were clustered together the farther they got from the palace. These shops had a rustic feeling to them, though they were built out of the same rocky-marble material that most of the city’s buildings were made of. Katie watched as people talked to each other and helped out where they could. Katie could not help but smile. It looked like a simple and pleasant life.
They stopped by a small park located just off the edge of the river. It was covered in lush grass and flowers. A patch of mulch and foliage ran through the grass. The edge of the park was lined with tall trees and lamp posts.
Katie looked out across the river. She had not realized how large it was until now and that it curved around the entire city, separating it from the forest land across it. Oasi was practically an island and was well protected by its natural surroundings.
Half an hour went by. The three of them didn’t talk but shared the quiet moment together. Though they knew danger was approaching,
