NOVEL NEXT X1.5.1 - Escape!
X1.5 - THE HOLE
Escape!
"This way," said the two cats, leading the young travelers through the burning oasis.
Roa could hear the voices of the torch-bearing locals, shouting to burn everything down as they searched for them among the flames. Orzo and Couscous disappeared behind a large bush next to the stone walls.
"In here—quickly, before they see us," said the felines, their yellow eyes appearing among the leaves, glancing around in fear as they searched for the enemy.
The Jumpers crawled through a narrow, suffocating tunnel, their knees sinking into the sticky mud with each movement. At last, they shoved a rusted metal door open, emerging on the other side into the desolate expanse of the lifeless forest. The once-majestic tree at the center of the oasis toppled with a deafening crash, consumed by the inferno. Its fall sent a plume of glowing embers spiraling skyward, painting the air with fiery red and orange hues, sealing the fate of the green haven, once and for all. The flames cast eerie, flickering patterns on the immense domed ceiling of the Palace room, illuminating the figures of the four Shadows. The enemy hovered high up in the air, perfectly still, as the teacher's lifeless body dangled by the wrist, held firmly by one of the masked men.
"They got Vesper," Rosso pointed out, as they hid behind a dead tree.
"His granddaughter, Mattina, too. We must do something," said Roa anxiously.
"No," the cats responded in a sharp tone. "The master instructed us to leave. We stand no chance against four Shadows, considering that he could barely put up a fight."
With their pursuers' screams closing in, they plunged into the murky waters, vanishing beneath the surface. Navigating through the maze of wooden skeletons, they pushed forward until they emerged into yet another vast, towering chamber of the labyrinth.
"I think we lost them," said the boy, his eyes scanning the surrounding areas.
"In here," whispered Orzo, climbing inside a hole at the bottom of a large, dead tree hidden among a thick part of the forest.
Glancing back to make sure no one was on their trails, they crawled inside. A tight shaft gave way to a cozy space that smelled of wood and books. A couch, a desk, and a few cases adorned the humble room.
"We can rest here, for now. They do not know of this hiding spot—it is the master's secret study," explained Couscous, her yellow eyes clouded with sorrow, as she lowered her head.
"We can't just sit here—it's my fault they were taken! That winged Jumper betrayed us. He must pay, " the Sunflower placed his head in his hands, his eyes opened wide, darting around as his heart was filled with guilt.
"If you go after the teacher now, you will end up the same way he did—you will solve nothing," Couscous added.
The cats curled up in a corner, cuddling next to each other, but the boy continued to pester them, his persistence eventually forcing one of them to let out a long sigh.
"We strongly advise against it, but—there is an Exit you can take," said Couscous.
"Where is it? Where does it go?" asked Roa.
"It's right here, inside this room. Master Vesper built this shack around the portal to hide it from the enemy. It will take you several floors up the Palace Basements—to what the Shadows call Sector 77, known as Grayshroud by its inhabitants. The city is a harsh place on the brink of a revolt. The faceless ones, and their local pawns, rule it with an iron fist," Orzo explained, causing Roa's thoughts to drift, his mind racing as he pieced together a plan.
Nighttime came and the boy hung up his hammock, quickly falling asleep, exhausted from the day's commotion. Rosso took the tiny, uncomfortable couch, and the cats lay down in their little beds. In the middle of the night, they were awakened by the warm light and the gentle, pulling breeze of the portal, appearing in front of one of the bookcases with a flash. Still half asleep, Roa made eye contact with it by accident, causing the portal's large eye to open wide, as if in terror. A second later—it closed shut. The Exit vanished with another flash.
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"Do not worry—it will come back. You need time to rest from the training," said Couscous without even lifting her head, or opening her eyes.
"And time to think things through," added the second feline, yawning wide as he scooched over to find a more comfortable position.
The next day, as they ate some nuts to quell their hunger, the talking cats pointed to some loose papers and books.
"This is Master Vesper's collection. Some of these were copied long ago by other travelers who, supposedly, passed by the Library of Everything—one of the upper floors of the Palace; its location has been lost when the way up was sealed. Jumpers say that the Library holds the greatest collection of information in all of the worlds of the Innerverse. Some Free People, through various centuries and generations, gathered all that knowledge into a compendium: the Encyclopedia Infinita."
"Is this encyclopedia related to something called the Birthpalace Blueprints? A Jumper from my world gave us some of its pages once," explained Rosso.
"Correct. They are one of the three main sections of the encyclopedia. They deal with maps and instructions on how to move around. Information on Exits, worlds, Palace floors and rooms is usually collected in the Blueprints."
"What are the other two sections?" asked the boy, his index finger running over the titles of the books as he scanned them with his curious gaze.
"Detailed Details is the name of the next one. It focuses on the living beings that fill the places in the Blueprints. Kami, Shadows, locals, creatures, and Free Folk like us. You can find information on anything, ranging from races, to auric levels, and backstories. This part of the Encyclopedia also holds knowledge on items, Gifts, and more," explained Couscous as she tapped on one tome, grabbing Roa's attention.
"Interesting," said Rosso as he flipped through various pages, his eyes racing over the words, as his brow furrowed deeper with each turn.
"I believe the last section is called the Histories of the Innerverse—it focuses on the past," said Orzo.
"The pages of the Encyclopedia Infinita are scattered throughout many worlds throughout Free Society. However—do not trust everything you read. Jumpers sometimes make things up, or make mistakes when copying such information. Unless it's a book inside the Library of Everything—it is always a copy," warned Couscous.
"Of a copy, of a copy," added the other cat, as his paw pointed to a scribbled note on one hardcover that read 'copy 884?'.
The curious travelers spent the day analyzing the materials, learning of the structure of the Basements of the Palace, and the way to the Shadows' headquarters. Tracing his finger on a large map, the Sunflower tapped on the point where the map ended.
"This must be the place—the chokepoint—the top of the Basements. It looks like Grayshroud is somewhere near it. They might be holding the master and his granddaughter somewhere near that room," he said pointing to 'A.F.' written in big gray letters. "If that's their main base of operations, I'm sure someone there will also know what happened to Eralay—as well as how to get to Earth, probably. After all, the Shadows have a monopoly on knowledge, right? Which means that their leaders must know the juicier stuff," reasoned the boy.
"Sure—and you think they'll just hand it all to us—maybe even thank us for stopping by?" Rosso argued with his arms crossed.
"No—we definitely won't get a welcoming party. All I am saying is—let's check it out, see what the Compass says once there, and figure the rest out along the way."
Copying as much as they could, they rested, flipping through several books as they waited for the Exit to reappear.
"Look here—this one talks about the Dreamer," Roa buried his face in a big leather book.
"That legend again? What does it say?" asked Rosso rolling his eyes, yet still leaning in to glance at the worn-out tome.
"Perhaps the oldest legend among Jumpers, as old as Free Society itself, the Dreamer lives at the Tipofthetop of the Birth—palace." Roa tilted his head and paused before continuing to read. "Considered to be the most powerful being in all of the worlds, it resides within the Core, also known as World Zero. Aptly named, the Exit that leads to the Heart of Hearts is also numbered Exit Zero, for legend states that it was the first one to ever appear. Theories abound among Jumpers as to the nature of such a being, but a recurring theme includes the Dreamer's ability to grant any wish, realizing any dream, no matter how wild. After the way up the labyrinth closed, little to no information has trickled to the lower floors. This, of course, has given way to plenty of wild speculation among travelers," the boy read.
"So—just legends then. I can't believe people spend their lives chasing after such fairytales," said Rosso, shaking his head.
"I wonder why they refer to it as the Birthpalace," asked Roa, his nose deep in the book as his eyes moved left and right at great speed.
"It is a common name among Jumpers," explained Orzo. "It comes from a legend about some sacred springs called the Birth Waters—but we are not sure what that is about. None of us, including the master, have ever come across them during our travels through the Basements of the Palace. It's hard to find springs when the whole place is flooded."