Rebecca Newton and the Last Oracle

by Mario Routi

  The crowd grew eerily quiet, listening intently to what she was telling them.

  “The Oracle’s gift is to see the future and the present in any location and in any dimension, but all at the risk of the seer. My daughter, your dear Princess Leylah, has been granted the gift and it is our familial duty to make sure that we support her during this difficult transitional period.”

  Leylah was shocked and moved at the same time, suddenly aware of the enormous weight of responsibility that had settled on her young shoulders. Alexander wrapped a protective arm around her and she found herself silently crying, overwhelmed by conflicting emotions.

  Now the entire crowd was cheering for her but, in her heart, she was screaming. She felt herself smile without meaning to, but the tears just kept coming.

  “Now I would like to ask Leylah, Alexander and Larisa to approach the side of the stage. There are a few more announcements to be made before I say goodbye to you.”

  As they walked towards the stage, people kept stopping Leylah to encourage her and tell they would support her. Alexander and Larisa were ahead of her and she saw Larisa slip her arm through his and give it a squeeze. Leylah wished that she could catch up with them but she didn’t want to appear rude to any of her well-wishers.

  “So, what do you think we’ve been called up here for?” Larisa asked Alexander, looking up at him flirtatiously through her eyelashes.

  “Well, there’s only one thing that we’d be called up to the stage for at this point,” Alexander replied nonchalantly, “and I think you know what that is.”

  Larisa stretched up so her lips were close to his ear. “I still want to hear it from you.”

  “You’ll hear it when they announce it. That’s the point of an announcement,” Alexander replied coldly and Leylah couldn’t help smiling at the look on Larisa’s face.

  They came to a stop at the side of the stage and Leylah let out a sigh of relief as Alexander peeled Larisa off his arm. Felicia stood beside Rebecca and started to speak while Leiko and Turgoth positioned themselves at their wives’ sides.

  “Now, I know him as my son but you all know him as a wonderful example of what it is to be an Orizon,” Felicia said. “He has shown mercy in all the War Games and has years of experience sparring and a great thirst for knowledge. Alexander has also been to Earth several times and has proved himself to be a skilled fighter in the battle against the Sartani. I am proud to announce that Alexander will now become an Orizon Instructor, as decided by the leaders of Utopia. Please welcome Alexander - descendant of Hercules and son of Lord Leiko - to the stage.”

  As the crowd cheered for him, Alexander walked up to the centre of the stage and cleared his throat. “Thank you all for your wonderful support. I have known many of you for several years and I hope to get to know our new family members in the near future. I’m not very good at speeches, especially in a formal setting such as this, but I promise to perform the duties of an instructor to the best of my ability. I hope you all enjoy the years to come.”

  Felicia came back up to the front of the stage as the audience applauded. “Thank you, Alexander. And now, for our next announcement - General Nemesis, the leader of our Amazons, has chosen to promote to the level of instructor a woman who has exhibited skills beyond her years. Recently, she was forced to struggle with her emotions and is working to come to terms with her own aggression. While she may have made a few mistakes, she is an exemplary Amazon and is the perfect example of what the Amazons need in an instructor. Please welcome Larisa to the stage.”

  Larisa walked modestly to the centre of the stage. “Thank you everyone,” she said in a quiet, humble voice that Leylah had never heard her use before. “Our General, Nemesis, has done everything in her power to build our fighting spirits from the ground up. As you know, Amazons have a natural urge to fight a good fight and these years of peace have been difficult for us to adjust to but, of course, we understand there’s nothing better than peace.

  “However, we also know that a strategist’s mind requires mental challenges in order to stay sharp enough to overcome obstacles that would otherwise be impossible. A warrior must battle for his very life in order to push beyond his limits. As Lady Felicia mentioned, rage got the better of me and I feel ashamed of it. I would like to apologize to Princess Leylah for losing my temper. As I said, it’s because we are not currently fighting, but the need for war flows constantly through our veins and times come when we explode. Again, I am sorry and I promise that this will never happen again.

  “I remember when I had my first free spar combat in the training arena. General Nemesis taught me a very important lesson that day by giving me a sound beating without really damaging me, and so did King Turgoth. They both demonstrated their many years of experience, while I showed my years of inexperience, as Princess Leylah did during our combat. She obviously wasn’t ready to handle a fight against an Amazon, just as I hadn’t been ready to fight a trained Orizon such as our King. I have said too much, but I needed to unburden myself. Thank you all once again.” Larisa stepped down quickly, avoiding Leylah’s stare.

  “It is now time for you to hear some important news,” Lord Leiko announced. “We believe that the recent years of peace will soon come to an end. The Titans have been on the move. As you have all heard today, Princess Leylah has been endowed with a gift. Thanks to her, we now know that the Titans are planning a global and multi-dimensional offensive. The attack is going to be so large that it will envelop all that we know in the Land of the White Sun and on Earth.”

  The people of Utopia gasped in shock as Leiko continued. “Their leader, General Varta, is an unknown quantity - never before having been seen on Earth or in the Land of the White Sun. This is why we have chosen to tell you about this now. Many of us are not as ready for Lomani as we need to be. We must train and we must prepare because we are humanity’s only hope of surviving the fight to come!”

  The crowd gave a subdued cheer as Leiko moved to the side and King Turgoth stepped forward.

  “I’m glad that you now know what we know. We had hoped to gather more information so that we could better equip you against what is to come but, for now, all we can tell you is to prepare for the worst. In closing, our Princess Leylah has never been to Earth. Tomorrow, she will go down there for the very first time with her friends, Gregory and Anna. Now, many of us have been there and I thought it best if she were to take this opportunity to ask you for help on what she should do while on Earth so that she might successfully fit in. Leylah, if you would come up here please?”

  Leylah came forward onto the stage. “Um... I really wasn’t expecting this,” she said shyly.

  “Go ahead and ask them anything you want,” Turgoth encouraged her.

  The amphitheatre seemed so much larger from the stage than it did from the seats and she found herself dumbstruck. Bull’s hand rose up.

  “Yes, Bull?” Turgoth asked.

  “Leylah, do you know where you’ll be landing?”

  “I’m told that I will land near central London,” Leylah said, “but as for the exact location, I do not know.”

  An Orizon man in the crowd stood up. “London is often a wet place and sometimes it does not see the sun for more than a few hours during the day but it’s still wonderful. When you go down to the Earth, you will be provided with something called ‘pounds’ upon your arrival. This is the currency that is used in the United Kingdom. Use this money to purchase warm clothes and an umbrella. Your friends should be able to show you where to find everything you’ll need.”

  As he sat down, an Amazon woman stood up behind him. “You should also get a travel guide, which is like an Earth map for places to go and see. It’s a simplistic guide that uses a rose compass, so it should be easy for you to navigate.”

  “Thank you,” Leylah said. “And what do I do if the Sartani should appear?”

 
Bull stood up. “If the Sartani should appear, then you’ll kick their butts,” he said and everyone laughed. “The key thing to understand about the Sartani is that they are similar to hyenas and they usually travel in packs. Once they’ve caught your scent it’s nearly impossible to throw them off the trail. However, we have people here who are in constant contact with those on Earth through the special network that we have in Utopia. Their job is to make sure nothing goes wrong there.”

  “So I’ll be under constant surveillance?” Leylah wasn’t sure she liked the idea of her parents knowing everything she might choose to do on Earth once she got there.

  “If you retaliate without letting us in the Land of the White Sun know what’s happening,” Bull said, “then you run the risk of being killed on Earth without backup. While the Sartani are basically weaker than us, that doesn’t render them completely powerless. They could capture you and torture you for information or simply for revenge. Thus we need to watch over you, yes. While I agree that it may feel like your freedom is being curtailed, it is for your own good. But, my dear, if worst comes to worst, you just run!”

  The idea that Bull would ever advocate running stunned Leylah and Bull the Minotaur could see the look of shock on her face.

  “Don’t confuse running in order to retreat with running away,” he said. “Retreating is simply an element of distraction that allows you to survive while appropriate factors come into play to even out the odds.”

  Once again, Felicia walked up with arms extended towards the crowd. “Now, I didn’t want that to take up too much of your time. You are all more than welcome to talk to Leylah before she leaves. Thank you everyone for coming and I wish you all a good time ahead.”

  The crowd started to leave the amphitheatre and, while Leylah was walking off the stage, many more people came over to greet her, hug her, hold her hand, and wish her all the best.

  ***

  Larisa’s speech was still sinking in to Leylah’s consciousness and she felt she needed to make some sort of reciprocal gesture, even though she still didn’t trust the young Amazon an inch.

  “Hey, Larisa,” she called over as they all emerged from the stadium. “Would you like to come over to my house tonight? Just the two of us?”

  Larisa’s beautiful green eyes opened wide in surprise but she nodded her head. “Let me go home and change,” she said, “and I’ll come over later, okay?”

  Alexander overheard the exchange and didn’t hide his puzzlement once Larisa was out of sight. “Princess Leylah actually inviting someone to her house instead of having her parents abduct them? That’s unusual! ”

  Leylah felt her face reddening. She hadn’t realised he was within earshot. “It’s not like that...” she protested.”I just...”

  He waved her protests aside. “Leylah, there’s never been a time when you willingly invited someone over to your house. I guess this is a good development. Mind you, I would have preferred it if I had been the first one you invited.”

  Leylah turned an even deeper shade of red. “Alexander, you’re more than welcome at my house anytime... I mean, I didn’t want to...”

  He burst out laughing. “I’m just kidding, little Princess! Besides, I know you aren’t inviting her over to become friends.”

  “What?” She stared at him blankly.

  Alexander put a hand on her shoulder and whispered quietly in her ear. “You are the Oracle, not an Oracle. I know you are suspicious of Larisa’s behaviour and want to find out more. Even I find it hard to believe that there’s something wrong with her but, if there is, you’re the best person to figure it out. Your invitation is a strategic, intelligent move and not a sign of friendship. I’m warning you to be careful, though, because if I can see it, then odds are Larisa can see it too. Do you mind if I join you girls tonight?”

  “What for?” she asked, genuinely puzzled.

  “To protect you if you manage to expose anything that would provoke her to attack you,” he said seriously.

  Leylah took a step back. “Do you really think she would do that, especially after what happened?”

  “Well, honestly, no. But I would prefer it if you had someone like Bull or myself close by when you talk to her. She seems to lose her self-control rather easily.”

  “She certainly does,” Leylah said, crossing her arms, “which makes me wonder why she was promoted to instructor if the Amazons were clearly aware of her tendency to lose her temper.”

  “The Amazons put their pride on the line when they nominated her to be an instructor nearly a year ago,” Alexander explained. “During this past year she’s performed flawlessly and has taken to her instructing classes with gusto. While what she did to you was out of order, the Amazons never go back on their choices, especially when their pride is involved. Larisa has been punished in their own way. She is not allowed to use a bow and arrow or ride a horse for a month.”

  “That’s not really such a big deal, considering...”

  “Not a big deal?” Alexander looked at her quizzically. “Do you like flying? How about mining? Or perhaps reading? Imagine all of those things denied to you for a month.”

  “So, she basically received a notice to stay in bed and do nothing for an entire month, including being an instructor?”

  “More or less, yes. We would never do that to an Orizon, would we? Having to do nothing for an entire month is virtually impossible for anyone.”

  Unsure of how she felt about this, Leylah changed the subject. “Well, it’s still early. Shall we go do something for a while before we head back to my house?”

  Alexander grabbed her hand. “I know the perfect place! Come on, let’s go to my special spot. I already have some picnic stuff there.”

  Without waiting for a reply, Alexander jumped on his horse, grabbed her arm and pulled her up. She wrapped her arms around his waist and nestled against his broad back as he galloped into the forest, ducking low to avoid the low hanging branches. When he came to a halt in a clearing Leylah could see nothing but a wide circle of grass covered with wildflowers. It was as if a rainbow had matarielized in front of her.

  “Isn’t it beautiful?” Alexander said, pleased to see the wonder in her eyes as she looked around.

  He jumped off the horse, taking her by surprise and toppling her onto the ground. She lay there for a second as she tried to absorb the pain without getting angry, but her annoyance exploded as Alexander poked her in the butt with what felt like a stick.

  “Leylah! Leylah! C’mon, don’t be such a baby. Leylah!”

  She sprang up and launched herself at him. Alexander was ready for her, turning her around in mid-air so that she landed amongst the flowers again, this time on her back. Before she could recover her balance, Leylah was screaming and squirming beneath the strong fingers that had gripped her round the waist.

  “Stop Alex! It’s too much... Hahahahaaa!”

  “Too much, Princess Grumpy?” Alexander teased. “Then have some more!”

  “No! No! Please, no more...” Leylah screamed, struggling in vain to break free.

  “Oh no!” Alexander laughed. “The gravity’s too strong. I can’t fight it anymore.”

  He toppled his body onto hers, pinning her down and making it hard for her to get enough breath for the laughter that still shook her entire body.

  “Alex! I can’t breathe,” she complained. “Get off!”

  He sighed and rolled off her, lying back in the flowers with his arms behind his head. They lay together in silence for a little while, looking up at the bright blue sky with its orange tints around the edges. The scent of the flowers relaxed her. After a few moments, he rolled over and propped his head on his elbow, looking down at her.

  “So, apparently, I’m your instructor now,” he said.

  “As if you could teach me anything,” Leylah faked a pout and
turned her head away.

  Alexander’s fingers brushed against her exposed neck as he reached for her chin and gently turned her face back to him. “I can teach you how to torture your friends!”

  Leylah shoved his fingers away. “Get those tentacles away from me!”

  Alexander smiled down at her indulgently. “I hope you have a good time on Earth. I don’t get to go down there much on vacation anymore, but make sure you stick with Gregory and Anna, otherwise you’ll probably get hit by a car on the first day.”

  Leylah laughed. “I doubt I could get hit by a metal can that travels at thirty miles an hour.”

  “Umm, you do realise they go around three times that speed now, right?”

  “I know. But I thought they have speed limits? Anyway, what I don’t understand, is who would want to go that fast?”

  Alexander let out a long sigh. “Humans... they’re not the best at making life or death decisions. Most of them drive cars like it’s the end of the world.”

  Leylah propped her head up to the same level as his and stared into his eyes. “Did you really bring me out here to talk about cars?”

  There was a long pause as Alexander looked back into her eyes. Leylah could hardly breathe as he leaned closer. Her heart felt like it was going to explode as his lips came within inches of hers. Her breathing became heavier and she started to feel heat taking over her body. Was he going to kiss her at last?

  “I brought you here because I wanted some company while I ate,” he said.

  Leylah wasn’t able to stop herself from looking disappointed and a slow grin spread across his handsome face.

  “You thought I was going to kiss you, didn’t you?” he laughed.

  Leylah punched him hard but he just laughed harder, falling on his back. She jumped on top of him, her hands pinning his arms down. He looked up at her as if waiting for her to say something.

  “Alex?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you like Larisa?”

  “Why would you care about Larisa?”