Into the Dark (The Conjurors)

by Kristen Pham

  “Sibyl said it’s been more than half a century since the last immortality ceremony. What does someone have to do to be allowed to join the Illyrians?” Kanti asked, curious.

  Leo looked a little uncomfortable. “Legend says that if a Conjuror performs one truly selfless act at great personal cost, they will be offered an opportunity to become immortal. But joining the Illyrians means leaving behind the rest of the world forever.”

  “They can never leave?” Valerie asked, intrigued. It reminded her of her own choice to leave Earth forever.

  “Illyria can only be entered once. If an Illyrian ever chooses to rejoin the world above the water, he will have no second chance at immortality. He will finish his life, and then die like everyone else.”

  Valerie looked into Leo’s kind eyes. “The ceremony is for you, isn’t it Leo?”

  “Yes.”

  “But won’t you miss your life on the Globe?”

  “My family is lost to me,” he said, and a shadow fell over his face. “I can’t go on with life as usual without them. I believe it’s my destiny to help the Illyrians with their work.”

  “As a keeper of the Akashic Records,” Valerie said with reverence.

  “Yes,” he said, sounding surprised by her knowledge. “At least I may finally find the answers I have been seeking for so long.”

  “I hope you do. And for what it’s worth, I think you’re doing the right thing. Sometimes you have to leave behind everything you’ve ever known in order to really start living.”

  “You are really very mature for one so young,” Leo said. Valerie blushed. Noticing her discomfort, he changed the subject. “There is one thing I’ll miss. All of the light! It will be very dark in that underwater world. I can always swim to the surface, of course, but I’ll miss waking up to the sunrise.”

  Valerie thought hard for a minute, and then her face lit up. “I have an idea! Cyrus, couldn’t you make Leo something to take with him? Something that would glow underwater so that he has a piece of light with him always? Cyrus made me this,” Valerie explained, taking her flower out of her pocket. “It always glows, night or day. Isn’t it the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?”

  Cyrus beamed with pride, and Leo said “Incredible. I didn’t know there was a lightweaver living on the Globe. What a wonderful gift!”

  Cyrus was already busy pulling starlight to his hands and shaping it. He concentrated, and his hands moved like lightning. Several minutes later, there was a flash. “There,” he said, and in his hands was a glowing orb that shone so brightly that it made Valerie squint. “That will stay lit for several months. Then bring it up to recharge it for a few hours. It will last a long time – maybe even forever.” Cyrus handed Leo the orb. “Look inside.”

  Leo stared, and Valerie and Kanti crowded closer to see it as well. Inside was a roaring, golden lion.

  “It’s a lion, since you’re Leo,” Cyrus explained.

  Leo looked up and blinked back tears. “Thank you, children. I don’t think you understand what this means to me.”

  At that moment, the high, sweet sound of singing filled the air. Valerie looked in the direction of the mournful music and saw that it was Sibyl, fluttering in the air with her wings spread wide. Though the song was in a language Valerie had never heard before, she somehow knew that it described all of the things that Leo would never experience living underwater among the immortals.

  “The farewell song, to make sure that I don’t take this decision lightly,” Leo murmured. “That’s my cue. I won’t forget you three.”

  Valerie felt as if every cell in her body was responding to the poignant beauty of the music. It made her think of everything she had ever yearned for but never had – a mother to hug her when she was sick, a father to pick her up from school and ask her about her day, a family that was tied to her by blood, who loved her no matter what.

  Meanwhile Leo walked solemnly toward the pool. The Conjurors who were crowding around it parted to make a path for him. The orb that Cyrus had created lit up Leo’s face softly. They joined Sibyl in song, and when Leo stepped into the water, the song reached a crescendo. A wave of emotion crashed over Valerie, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

  When Leo was waist deep, the singing grew softer. He took one last look around at everyone. Then he gazed at the stars for a long moment and disappeared beneath the water, leaving only a solitary ripple to mark the spot of his passing.

  Then suddenly, cheers burst out from everyone at the pool, and from somewhere the sound of lively music filled the air. “Now, we celebrate! Celebrate the life Leo lived, and the life we all have yet to experience,” Sibyl shouted joyfully.

  The weight of farewell and loss that hung heavy in the air lifted. Like magic, the atmosphere changed wildly, and Valerie’s feet suddenly felt light, as if she could walk on air. Everyone began to dance around the pool, and Valerie felt herself pulled into the swirling mass of Conjurors. With Kanti holding one hand and Cyrus holding the other, Valerie let herself go, joining in the dancing and singing.

  Something about the dance was mesmerizing, and somehow, her feet seemed to remember the steps, and her voice knew the tune. The crowd moved as one, racing around the still pool. Valerie looked at Cyrus, and they both started laughing from sheer joy. She had never felt so full of life.

  The rest of the night was a whirlwind of spinning, singing, and feasting. When she finally collapsed inside the tent, she could still hear the music inside her head.

  The next morning, Valerie was shaken awake by Kanti. “We’ve overslept! Come on, guys, get up.”

  Cyrus rubbed his eyes and sat up. “Relax, we’re up.”

  “Relax? How could I have forgotten about Henry like that last night? It was like I was drugged or something. I wonder if they used some fairy spell.”

  “I don’t think so. It was a celebration of life,” Valerie said. She smiled at the memory. It was the first party she had ever gone to, and it made up for every birthday that she had never had the chance to celebrate.

  “Anyway, Putrefus sleeps in, remember?” Cyrus added.

  “I’m no better than my parents, forgetting what’s important to go to some party,” Kanti muttered angrily, her bushy eyebrows drawn so closely together that they almost met in the middle. Then, louder, she said, “Whatever, let’s get going.”

  “What’s with her?” Cyrus whispered to Valerie as they hurriedly packed their gear. She shrugged. She was starting to get used to Kanti’s mood swings.

  Outside, bright light beat down on the tent and rolled off the desert in waves. The Roaming City was full of movement. In the daylight, Valerie could see that all the robes worn by the members of the Oracle were different colors.

  Cyrus noticed Valerie examining them and explained, “The colors have to do with how experienced they are at prophesying. The white robes are for the newest apprentices, but other than that I don’t know what the colors mean.”

  Sibyl, wearing a silvery robe, fluttered over as they finished packing. “I’ll take you to Pythia’s Temple. Putrefus should be there by now. Maybe we can persuade him to deliver your prophesy with a little enticement. I brought you his favorite pastry. It might sweeten him up,” she said with a twinkle in her eye, handing a fluffy muffin to Valerie.

  “Thanks, Sibyl. That’s so thoughtful of you.”

  “And can we hurry? Not to be rude, but it’s so important,” Kanti said, apprehension written on her face.

  Sibyl led them through the streets of the Roaming City. It was very different from Silva, where every building was unique. Instead, all of the tan huts were indistinguishable from each other until they came to the door of one brown building that was several times wider and taller than all of the other huts.

  “This is the temple of the founder of the Oracle, Pythia. She is one of the most ancient creatures on the Globe, born when Conjurors still lived on Earth. She established this city as soon as she moved here in order to train others who possess a gift for prophesyin
g. She has instructed hundreds in her craft and in her code of honor. She taught us how to use our powers to give the worthy insight into the future, so Conjurors could shape their lives and this world in a positive way. She also created the code we live by, to help those in need and to resist using our powers for profit,” Sibyl said with deep respect. “Of course, some of us revere the code more than others.”

  Valerie had a pretty good idea who Sibyl was referring to. She had a feeling that Putrefus didn’t embrace the code with quite the same fervor that Sybil did.

  “Will we meet Pythia?” Cyrus asked.

  “That’s very unlikely. She rarely leaves her bed,” Sibyl replied, her eyes filled with grief. “Pythia is coming to the end of her days.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Valerie said, putting a gentle hand on Sibyl’s shoulder. Sibyl squeezed her hand and then led them into the temple.

  The inside of the temple was as unassuming as the outside. The walls were bare, and the only decoration was a spiral staircase at the back of the room which swept up to the second floor. The temple was filled with a quiet bustle as the Conjurors in their many-colored robes went about their tasks. In the middle of the room were three concentric circles. At the center was a three-legged stool. Valerie noticed that no one stepped inside the circles.

  “No one can enter the rings unless they are delivering or receiving a prophecy,” Sybil explained. “The space inside the rings is holy.”

  “There he is,” Kanti said, nudging Valerie and distracting her from her examination of the room.

  Putrefus, wearing a deep purple robe, stood by a window talking to a small group of Conjurors wearing blue. Putrefus said something, and then the group looked over at Valerie, Kanti, and Cyrus and sneered.

  Valerie took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.” They walked over to Putrefus with Sibyl lingering behind them. “Good morning, Putrefus. I feel like we got off on the wrong foot. I’m Valerie. I heard that you are the most gifted member of the Oracle in the city.”

  “You heard correctly,” he said.

  Valerie saw Kanti start to roll her eyes, and she nudged her hard in the ribs. “I brought you breakfast. I heard this is your favorite,” Valerie said with a smile, handing him the muffin. “I would be so honored if you would deliver my prophecy. I have a great need. You see, there’s a boy in trouble and I have to save him. Please, help me.”

  “I already ate,” Putrefus said, tossing the muffin to one of his friends. “So if I help you, what’s in it for me?”

  Valerie turned to Cyrus, confused. “I thought we didn’t need an offering.”

  “You don’t!” Sibyl burst out indignantly. She had been hovering a few yards behind the group, but now she pushed herself forward so that she was standing inches away from Putrefus. “It is our duty and privilege to help those in need.”

  “I’m very busy. Why don’t you ask one of the lower level members of the Oracle to deliver your prophecy?” Putrefus said, turning away disdainfully.

  Before Valerie could react to Putrefus’ rejection, a sudden hush fell over the room. Everyone stopped what they were doing and fell to one knee with their hands over their hearts. To her surprise, even Putrefus grudgingly knelt.

  Valerie followed the gaze of everyone in the room, and saw an ancient woman in a red robe at the top of the staircase. Slowly, she descended, stair by stair. She moved as if each step took great effort, but when she reached the bottom, she spoke in a voice so booming that Valerie couldn’t fathom how it came out of her small frame.

  “She’s here!” The woman announced, looking in Valerie’s direction. “At last, I can deliver my final prophecy.” She wound her way through the kneeling group and stopped in front of Valerie. Up close, Valerie could see that her darkly tanned face was covered in dozens of deep wrinkles. Her pure white hair hung to her waist. “I have waited for you. Your need called to me across the universe, across the centuries. I was so afraid you would not make it to this place to hear your prophecy until after I was gone.”

  A murmur of astonishment rushed across the room. Valerie felt hypnotized as she stared into the woman’s wide blue eyes, the widest she had ever seen. Without asking, she knew that this was Pythia, and that after meeting the original Oracle, her life would never be the same.

  “Guess you weren’t too good to deliver Val’s prophecy after all. Turns out she was too good for you,” Kanti whispered to Putrefus. Putrefus grunted, but he didn’t reply.

  Pythia clasped Valerie’s hands in her own and pulled her gently inside of the circles in the middle of the room. Then she sat on the stool in the center, sighing with relief as she rested. Only then did she release Valerie’s hands.

  Valerie knelt before Pythia and looked up into her face. Pythia’s eyes darted around the room, as if she was watching a scene unfold before her eyes and she was trying to absorb every detail. Then, all of the frailty that Valerie had seen in her dropped away, and before her eyes was not an old woman, but a force of nature, the Oracle. She exuded power, and Valerie felt it humming inside of her more strongly than she had ever felt before, causing her entire body to tremble. Pythia now sat board-straight, and her voice echoed as she spoke.

  “Before your eyes two destinies unfurl.

  Both are full of adventure, love and loss.

  The path you choose impacts both of your worlds,

  But be forewarned, all choices have a cost.

  “The cry for help across the universe

  Is your own brother’s frightened, desperate peal.

  Answer his call to save a life that’s cursed.

  A family divided now can heal.

  “When sister and brother their powers unite

  And loyal friends complete their family core

  Together they paint the Globe’s future bright

  At last these misfits are alone no more.

  “When blood calls blood your adventure will start

  At last you will fill the void in your heart.”

  As Valerie listened, her heart seemed to expand in her chest. Did this mean Henry was her brother? That she wasn’t alone in the universe, as she had always thought? Terror and joy clashed inside of her as Valerie realized that she had one family member left after all, but he was in terrible danger.

  But before she could process her emotions, she saw Pythia slump on her stool. She swayed, and Valerie leapt up and caught her before she crashed onto the floor. The hush in the temple disappeared in an uproar. The Conjurors rushed to the edge of the circle, but no one stepped inside the rings.

  “Help! Someone help her!” Valerie cried in horror. Then she looked down at Pythia’s face and said softly, “I’m so sorry.”

  “Do not fret, child,” she replied weakly, putting her hand on Valerie’s face. “I’m content. I foresaw what would happen if you never heard those words, and it was terrible. But I lived long enough to tell you, and the future of the Globe is in your hands now. I know you have it in you to follow the path that will save us all.”

  Valerie realized that Cyrus and Kanti had ventured inside the circle and were now beside her. Kanti, like Valerie, was crying. Sibyl sped through the crowd, fluttering through the air at a speed that Valerie wouldn’t have believed she was capable of. In seconds, Sibyl was by Pythia’s side.

  “Tell me what you need. Anything, and I will do it,” Sibyl said, her voice trembling.

  Valerie looked down at the woman in her arms. Her blue eyes looked peaceful, and she smiled softly. “There is nothing to be done, my Sibyl. It was you who foresaw my end. Is this not how you pictured it?”

  Sibyl gently took Pythia out of Valerie’s arms. She cradled her close. “This is how I saw it. With you in my arms,” she said, and tears spilled out of her eyes. “I can’t bear for you to go.”

  “I’ll be waiting for you when your time comes, precious one.”

  “I love you, Mother,” Sibyl replied.

  With a faint smile on her lips, Pythia’s eyes fluttered to a close. Sibyl released a mel
ancholy wail that echoed off the walls. It was heartbreaking. “Pythia has departed us forever,” she said to the room, and her cry of pain was echoed by dozens of other voices. “The circle is broken. Enter and help me to prepare her for the beyond.”

  The city was in chaos for the rest of the day as the members of the Oracle prepared for Pythia’s funeral. Valerie and her friends would have left, but Sibyl asked them to stay, saying that it was what her mother would have wanted.

  Valerie felt guilt lying heavy on her heart. Her tongue felt like lead, and she couldn’t bring herself to talk about what had happened, even with her friends. So they stayed in their tent most of the day, saying little to each other.

  As the sun began to set, the flap on their tent was pushed aside, and Azra pushed her head inside. With a sob, Valerie rushed over and wrapped her arms around her neck, weeping into her mane. “It’s my fault. My prophecy killed her. I took too much from her, and I drove her away, like I eventually drive everyone in my life away.”

  No, no, child, that is not true. It is like the room inside the Great Pyramid that crumbled behind you when you were launched into space. Pythia was waiting for you. If she hadn’t needed to deliver your prophecy, she would have died long ago.

  “How do you know?” Valerie said tearfully.

  I knew Pythia well. I know how hard she struggled to hold on to life when death was calling to her for her next adventure. You can’t take responsibility for nature taking its course. And though I will miss my friend, I am happy that she is at peace at last. And it was you who gave her that peace, Valerie. The weight on her heart that Valerie thought would never disappear seemed to ease slightly, and she felt her breathing calm. Say goodbye to her tonight, and when you do, let go of your guilt as well.

  “How did you know to come here?” Cyrus asked.

  I felt all of her power released into the universe. Chern bent space and created a door for me so that I could be here tonight to say goodbye.