by Kristen Pham
The expression on Cyrus’s face changed, and he pouted. “It must be nice to have a girl to talk to instead of just me. I bet you two have lots to talk about that I can’t even understand. Boys, clothes, whatever else girls talk about.”
“No one’s replacing you,” she promised. “You always have been, and always will be, my best friend. We have history.”
Cyrus smiled, satisfied with her response. Then Kanti’s shout interrupted their conversation.
“Look! I see it!”
Sure enough, shimmering in the distance like a mirage, the Roaming City rose before them. Valerie’s entire body tingled with anticipation—it was time to learn about her future. She hoped she would like what she saw.
Chapter 23
As they approached the Roaming City, Valerie could see a circle of tall, white pillars surrounding an oval pool that reflected the night sky. Beyond the pool, clusters of pale brown huts blended with the sand so well that, if it were not for their shadows, the dwellings would be invisible from a distance. The city was still except for a solitary figure who approached them rapidly. Whoever it was wore a long, dark robe that brushed the ground and a hood that hung low, concealing the face beneath it.
When the figure was a few yards away, a deep, haughty voice bellowed, “Who presumes to enter the Roaming City uninvited?”
Valerie was embarrassed. Were they not allowed to be here? But Cyrus stepped forward confidently and flashed his widest smile. “I’m Cyrus, and my friends are Valerie and Kanti. Valerie is here to receive her prophecy. May I ask who you are?”
The figure threw back his hood dramatically, revealing long, dark hair held back in a ponytail, and eyes that flashed with irritation. “I am the First Prophet of Ephesus,” he said in a ringing voice. He gave them a look, and when they just stared back, he said through gritted teeth, “I assume you have brought me a gift to honor me.”
“I’m sorry, but we —” Valerie began to stammer, but Kanti interrupted her.
“I don’t know who you think you are, but that’s not how it works. We’re not giving you anything.”
“Then you had better return to where you came from,” he said, struggling to keep his voice calm.
“You know that is not our way, Putrefus. These travelers have found us, so they have a right to be here,” said a light musical voice. A slight woman who stood no taller than Valerie’s waist stepped out of the shadows.
“Stay out of this,” Putrefus snarled.
The woman approached, smiling. “Excuse him. Since he was named First Prophet, the title has gone straight to his head.” Then she turned to face Putrefus, and Valerie saw that dark wings were folded against her back. “But even you cannot ignore the laws of this city or else you will answer for it. The Roaming City has allowed these travelers to enter, which means that their need for help is great, and their hearts are deserving. To deny them a prophecy would be punishable by banishment.”
“We’ll see about that,” he replied, and then stormed off in a huff. Kanti laughed outright at his tantrum.
“Kanti, get a grip. We’re guests here,” Cyrus admonished. Kanti made a face at him.
The woman swiveled back to face them with a bright smile. “Allow me to welcome you to the Roaming City properly. I’m Sibyl. You’ve picked a wonderful night to arrive. You will have the opportunity to witness an Illyrian immortality ceremony.”
“I’m sorry, but we can’t stay. I need to talk to one of the Oracles immediately to hear my prophecy. There is someone who’s depending on me, and I need to help him right away,” Valerie said urgently.
“I’m afraid that’s impossible. There will be no prophecies until dawn. We haven’t had an immortality ceremony here in fifty-nine years, and the entire city has taken the night off to witness it and celebrate. And there is another problem.”
“What’s that?” Valerie asked, worried.
“Well, if your need is as great as you say, you will want the most gifted Oracle to deliver your prophecy.”
“Yes, of course. Where can we find him or her?” Cyrus asked impatiently.
“You met him. Putrefus is First Prophet, and you may have some work ahead to convince him to help you.”
Without another word, Sibyl began making her way back toward the shadowed huts.
“Wait, won’t you help us?” Valerie called after her.
“I must assist with the preparations for the ceremony. I recommend you approach Putrefus tomorrow, and don’t be afraid to be particularly complimentary. Also, don’t wake him too early. He likes to sleep in after rituals, and he doesn’t prophesize as accurately when he’s irritable.”
Then, before anyone could respond, Sibyl disappeared, leaving the three alone again. “Looks like we’re stuck here for at least tonight,” Valerie sighed.
“Way to make a good impression, Kanti,” Cyrus hissed.
“Whatever, Ambassador. Why don’t you turn on that magical charm you’re always bragging about?” Kanti retorted.
“Relax, you two! Look on the bright side; we’ll catch a few zzz’s. We’re not going to be much help to anyone without some sleep.”
Kanti nodded reluctantly. “Let’s set up camp on the outskirts of the city. Then we’ll try to suck up to that snob, Putrefus, first thing tomorrow.”
“Tent!” Kanti called, and then, in a blink of an eye, a roll of canvas, pegs, and poles appeared on the ground beside them from their call box.
“I brought it for you, Val. I know you always wanted to go camping. So I brought an old-fashioned tent, like the kind you use on Earth,” Cyrus said with a grin.
“Should’ve packed the houseplant,” Kanti said. “It would have grown into three nice weatherproof canopy beds in three minutes. That would be much more comfy than sleeping on the ground.”
“Well, I think it’s really nice of you to remember,” Valerie said, before Cyrus could get annoyed by Kanti’s comment.
“Hey, where are the directions for this contraption? Did you pack them?” Kanti asked.
“You don’t need directions,” Cyrus said confidently. “You’ve got me.”
Thirty minutes later, Valerie, Cyrus, and Kanti were still struggling to set up the tent.
“Forget it. We’ll never get this up. Let’s sleep under the stars,” Kanti said, frustrated.
“I would’ve had it up by now, but there’s a pole missing. Not my fault,” Cyrus snapped back.
“Look,” Valerie said, pointing to the Conjurors trickling out of the huts to gather around the pool. It was just as diverse a group as Valerie had seen in Arden, but everyone wore long robes. “They must be here for the ceremony.”
A man with bushy, gray eyebrows made his way across the expanse of desert toward them. When he reached the group, he gave them a friendly smile. “Looks like you could use some help with that.”
“It’s no use,” Kanti said, throwing the pole she was holding onto the ground.
But the man only smiled and worked quietly on the tent, sliding the poles into the canvas sleeves expertly. In a matter of minutes, the tent was standing.
“See, I told you there wasn’t a missing pole!” Kanti said triumphantly.
Cyrus pointedly ignored her comment and turned to the man instead. “Hey, thanks! That was impressive.”
“Leo, at your service,” he replied.
“How did you get so good at setting up tents? I don’t know anyone who uses them on the Globe.”
Leo smiled and changed the subject. “You three must be here for a prophecy.”
“Yes. But we have to wait until dawn, after the ceremony,” Valerie said with anxiety in her voice. “I wonder what an Illyrian immortality ceremony is, anyway.”
“All of the Conjurors who live in the underwater city of Illyria are immortal. Every once in a while, they allow someone to join them and live forever. That person must enter Illyria through the Sacred Pool,” he said, pointing toward the pool of water by the pillars.
“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, he—or she—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 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.”
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.”
Every cell in Valerie’s body was responded 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 orb that Cyrus had created lit up Leo’s face softly. The Oracles who were crowding around the pool parted to make a path for him. 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 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 were suddenly light, as if she could walk on air. Everyone began to dance around the pool, and she was pulled into the swirling mass of Conjurors. With Kanti holding one hand and Cyrus holding the other, she 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 been 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.
Chapter 24
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 just 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 prophesying. She has instructed hundreds in her craft and in her code of honor. She tau
ght 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. “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 that 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 didn’t even try to hide their laughter.
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’re the most gifted member of the Oracle in the city.”
“You heard correctly,” he said.
Valerie saw Kanti trying to stifle her laughter, 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. The need is great, for, you see, there’s a boy in trouble and I have to save him. May I count on your compassion?”
