Oracle (Book I)

Walk of Stars

Constellations engraved the marble walls, ceiling, and floor of the corridor behind the door that Professor Skyla took them through. As they walked, Caprice looked closely and saw that the words naming the constellations were written in many different languages. Dozens of languages spiraled outward gave the star maps the look of something decorative yet wondrous that she could spend hours running her fingers over and memorizing. She could learn the tongues of others while learning their names for the stars in the heavens.

"This is the Astronomy Wing, obviously," said Skyla.

At the end of the hall was yet another set of doors. These doors were worn, heavily grooved, and graced with silver handles shaped like stars. Professor Skyla stopped and turned to them.

"I've asked Professor Oso to give you new students the best view. Now, it can be a little unnerving at first so kindly remember that the floor is still beneath you." Skyla shook back the sleeves of her sky blue robes and grasped the doors' handles. Opening them, she ushered the group inside. Caprice hesitated, seeing the darkness beyond the threshold. Her brother, barely a step behind her, did the same.

Gently, Bossa touched her arm.

"Nothing in there is going to hurt you," she said.

Bossa's eyes were a warm true brown but there was another striking color to her irises. Not hazel but red, a rich russet.

She sounded so kind. So sure. It calmed Caprice and she drew a deep breath and followed after Bossa.

In the dark, Caprice barely made out the walls of an amphitheater-style chamber. Red lining on the tops of curved rows of slanted seats and the edges of desktops that turned down for reclining glowed in the dark.

"Professor Oso," Skyla called to an unseen teacher, "if you would, please begin."

Something shifted in the dark. A pinprick of light lit there. Another, then another. Faster and faster they came, more and more.

Caprice gasped, her heart shuddering briefly in her chest.

Stars and cosmic dust shimmered to life. The perceivable walls melted into the dark and the starry distance stretched on into infinity. A comet shot a quicksilver trail over their heads and across the expanse; whether it moved slower or faster for their benefit, there was no way to know. Far off in the distance, the huge, glowing sphere radiating its power could only be a sun.

The teachers' robes glowed softly in the dimness. Sleeves flying, Skyla clapped her hands. "Its always so gratifying to see the reactions of new students."

"How extraordinary!" Karrigan gasped.

"Yes, more so, were you not afraid of the dark," said Alastair absently, transfixed. "How does it work?"

Earithean clasped her hands behind her back and coolly observed the stunning stellar array.

"A secret you shall learn as a student, Prospective Pupil Whitehare. How far does the eye of the Oracle observatorium see into the heavens, Pupil Bossa?"

By the light of the brilliants stars, Bossa frowned. Eyes shifting around, she cussed.

"Errr...a couple lightyears?"

"Six, Pupil Bossa. Six hundred lightyears."

"Yeah, yeah," Bossa muttered. "This isn't a lesson, you know."

Recognizing the word as a measurement of distance but unable to imagine how far a lightyear was, let alone six hundred of them, Caprice could only stare around while the Whitehares' chatter faded away; stare further and further, wondering where it all went. She stumbled close to her brother and grasped his sleeve.

"Thierry, the stars, see there. So close I can touch them." With her free hand she reached out as if she could actually touch them, even if it was only a spell of some kind that only showed them to her and allowed her to stand among them.

"I see, Preece, I see them," Thierry whispered. Lips parted, his awed gaze reflected the starry night.

"Please follow me," Skyla said. "If you can't handle heights, don't look down."

As they crossed the walk of stars, stepping between a row of desks, the invisible floor beneath their feet rippled as if every step was gently tread on the face of still waters.

"Thank you, Professor Oso, that will be all," Skyla called. She touched the space in front of her and the wall rippled into being, revealing another door. As she opened the door, a sliver of light broke the dark. "Do remember that this is actually a classroom and its much less interesting with the lights on. In any event, prepare your eyes. Its nice and sunny today."

"Yes, thank you, Professor Oso," Earithen said, inclining her chin to her right. Before Caprice stepped out of the door and into the bright light of day, a silver framed pair of glasses gleamed and a glowing, brown-gloved hand waved them farewell. She was just making out the lapels of embroidered robes when the door closed and, blinking into the daylight, she saw where they were.

They stood on the balcony of a high wall. Below fields, forests, and gardens covered the expanse of land. Birds soared high in the sky overhead. The brilliant, circular gardens--containing both the brightly riotous and meticulously cultivated-- bloomed amongst stretches of field, knots of trees, and dense forests.

"This is the Gestalt Plains," Earithen said. "It is also called The Wilds, and here students such as yourselves have the opportunity to observe and interact with other magical and preternatural beings." She pointed to the largest stretches of trees. "What is this, Pupil Bossa?"

"Onri's Forest."

"And that?" She indicated the circles of gardens dotting the huge southwest field between large areas of trees.

"The Perpetual Gardens," Bossa sighed.

"Correct. Hmph. At least your knowledge of the campus is better than your advanced spell work."'

Bossa's shoulders stiffened and raised.

She huffed, "You can't keep failing me on stuff I can't do! It's like marking a fish on how well it can fly."

With an arched brow, Professor Earithean coolly replied, "Yet nature has given the gold rainbow-spotted koi wings to traverse the skies."

"I'm not a rainbow-spotted koi! Gold or otherwise."

Amusement bubbled up inside Caprice. Biting back a smile, a glance at Thierry revealed that his eyes too began to glitter with a tentative mirth. She had never seen a gold rainbow-spotted koi before. Caprice had certainly never talked to a teacher that way before. Perhaps because she wasn't allowed to go to school. She thought happily, But it reminds me a little of me, Thierry, and Thackery ribbing each other...

Going left down the long set of stone stairs alongside the school lead them onto the grass. Walking further placed them in front of the entrance of a sunken tunnel-like gallery. Watery blue light shone inside and earthen columns carved out of the walls lined the way.

Thierry came to complete stop. He walked away from the tunnel and a little ways out into the field. There was a shore there, lapped at by deep sapphire waters.

"What...is...that?"