The travelers awoke to cheering and music just outside the cabin door. They leapt up and dashed to the windows to see what was happening. A crowd of the townsfolk had gathered, including a small band of musicians playing lyres and reeds. A few of them even worked together to carry a large and admittedly decent drawing of Bakura, at which Marik and Yami laughed.
Luria stepped out from the crowd with an older man wearing an ornate cap and tunic. "Good morning, hero and friends!" she called through the window. "Our governor has come to greet you and thank you."
The five companions rushed to get dressed so they could meet this governor and join the festivities.
"We thank you for your courageous deed," Governor Mehmet said. "We don't have much, but anything you ask of us here and now we will try to accommodate."
"How about some food?" Bakura asked immediately.
"Wonderful!" Mehmet snapped his fingers a couple of times, and Lyle and some other kids tugged at them toward the town center. They were seated outside under a large canopy and treated to a full breakfast. Mehmet sat with them, content to watch them eat and answer questions (mostly from Serenity) about each dish. The other townsfolk danced and gathered around them, delighting in listening to Bakura and Yami recount their harrowing tale. Marik noticed that with each retelling, the ghoul got larger and the number of rescued children increased.
"What brings you through town, anyway?" Mehmet asked.
"We're on our way to the Western Fiefdom," Joey replied. "We have...an appointment with the Sorcerer there."
Mehmet gaped at them "It's only fitting that a hero such as him," and he inclined his head toward Bakura, "would consort with the most powerful mages in the land."
Joey held back a laugh at Mehmet's open admiration of the so-called hero and used it to his advantage. "Yes, it's...something. Unfortunately, we, um, underestimated how much space we'd need in our carriage. We could sure use an escort to help us carry our stores."
Mehmet clapped. "Not to worry! I'll arrange for an additional carriage to help transport you to the Fiefdom. We'll leave as soon as you're ready."
A day and a half later, Marik was the first to notice the Fiefdom (it was ironic, even he thought so). Bakura had been too busy soaking up the adoration from the townsfolk traveling with them, and they too busy lavishing him with it, so when he gasped upon seeing the tan pillars of a large building on a hill, everyone else turned to look at what he saw.
"Ah, yes," Mehmet said, "that's the Delphine. The Oracle and her court rule from within. Since we're close enough to see it, we must be within her domain."
Marik hadn't noticed a significant difference in their surroundings, so he took the old man's word for it. Soon enough, though, the dirt underway became shiftier, resembling more tightly packed sand than roadway. The trees that were once abundant in the Betwixt grew thinner and lower to the ground, and the underbrush waned until there were only occasional tufts of grass. Once the transition from field to safari was complete, the carriage approached a wooden wall with a single door halfway open. A pair of robed figures stepped into the middle of the road, and one of them held up their hand to order the carriage to stop. The other came up to the side.
"Have you an appointment with the Western Fief?" the approaching figure asked, revealing itself to be a woman.
"We come only to deliver these heroes to the Lady," Mehmet said, gesturing toward Marik and Bakura. "they have business with the Fief."
"And what business would that be?" she asked, turning to stare at them directly.
Marik didn't know how to respond, so he let Bakura handle it. "We are on a quest on behalf of the Black Magician King. If you check with my servants in the wagon behind us, you will see our proof for yourself." The cloaked woman nodded and went to check, and Bakura snickered to himself. Moments later, the woman returned and signaled to her companion to let the caravan through.
Once they were through the gate, Mehmet directed the carriage to a small parking area. The group climbed out and joined with Joey and the others. "This is as far as we can take you," Mehmet said. "We'll rest up here before making the journey back. Best of luck, brave hero and friends."
"Thank you," the companions chorused, and Mehmet and the others departed.
Once they were gone, Joey smacked Bakura's arm. "Your servants? Really?"
"What? It was more believable," he replied with a smirk.
"Anyway, let's head for the Delphine," Joey continued. "The sooner we get the second item, the sooner we can head to the next domain."
"So quick to leave?" Marik asked, a bit disappointed.
"Yeah, can't we stick around for a bit and check this place out?" Bakura asked, already looking around.
It wasn't until he caught the consternated look on Joey's face, like he was concentrating on not saying the wrong thing, that Marik realized how uncouth it was to ask for more time. The Black Magician King was suffering, and this ragtag group was his only hope. They shouldn't be wasting time, no matter how fascinating or new their destinations were.
That Joey didn't yell at or scold them made Marik respect him more. "We're on a time crunch, remember?" was all he said as calmly as he dared. He could have just as easily encouraged the two would-be tourists to break off from the group and do as they pleased, since none of them were particularly bound to each other by more than word. But maybe their impromptu pledges the night before were enough for the blond – so they'd be enough for him.
"You're right," Marik said. "Besides, with that reward, I'm sure we can visit all the domains as much as we want," he directed to Bakura to placate him a little. It seemed to work, and the group was on its way to the Delphine, passing narrow roads and clay houses and artisan carts along the way. At last, they saw large farm plots stretched out from the foot of the hill that the Delphine was on with various people in white tilling the land. In the middle of the fields was a path that led up a steep set of stairs toward the Delphine, and Marik gulped at the prospect of climbing them all.
Clearly, he wasn't the only one. "They don't have another way up?" Joey asked, dismayed.
A few breathless minutes later, the group made it to the top of the stairs and were greeted by yet another pair of robed figures. "Please don't tell us we have to go back down," Bakura groaned.
One of the figures, a tall man with a bald head except for a single braid at the back, stepped forward. "We were told of your arrival by our guard," the man said. "Right this way." And he turned to lead them through the archway.
The Delphine was a remarkable structure. It had no walls or doors, just a series of pillars occasionally broken up by archways leading to other rooms. The ceiling was supported only by these pillars and had a beautiful mosaic painted on it. Marik wondered how the Oracle could stay in such an open building. Wasn't she vulnerable to the elements, if not would-be threats? Or maybe there were some kind of defensive measures guests weren't aware of.
The man led the group through another archway at the end of the hallway and into a courtyard lined with bushes with plump gold flowers. Marik wanted to stay and inspect them, wondering if they were naturally that color or had been dyed or painted that way, but the man continued walking.
"The Oracle prophesied your arrival," he said over his shoulder, "though she was unsure of which companions would agree to come. It is reassuring that you are all here."
Marik exchanged a look with the rest of the group, imagining them without one or more of the others there. It also dawned on him that this Oracle didn't foresee anyone else joining their group, meaning this was it. He smiled to himself; this was a good group. (Besides, the wagon was getting cramped.)
"If the Oracle saw us coming, then why did we have to check in at the gate?" Yami asked.
"In addition to not sharing her visions with those outside the Delphine, the Oracle also takes extra precaution in confirming what she sees. If you didn't have the Black Magician King's artifact with you, you would not have been let in."
Marik's eyes widened as he wondered how much paranoia would lead a magic-wielder to doubt their own powers? His former master was confident in all that he could do, even, apparently, to imitate life. Marik had only seen this much fear and anxiety in the farmers just before they feverishly began hanging up bells to scare away what they thought were the grimgos.
"Since you seem to know who we are, what's your name?" Serenity asked.
"I am Odion," he returned with a smile to the girl.
"And what's your relation to the Oracle?" Yami asked.
"I am Lady Ishizu's Chief of the Guard. I help protect her and her advisor, as well as the rest of the Fiefdom."
"Important work," and Yami nodded gravely, most likely remembering his past life.
Odion stood aside and beckoned them inside a room. Although this one was also wall-less, it had golden and purple banners alternating between the pillars, with golden drapes running along the top. They blocked out the natural light, making the room significantly cooler than the rest of the Delphine. Torches hung from the pillars themselves, causing the shadows to dance with the flames. There was a long, ornate table in the center of the room, at the head of which sat a woman on a raised platform. She was veiled in white so that they could only see her eyes and arms, and she watched them approach silently. Just behind her right shoulder stood a boy around Joey's age. He was much less modestly dressed, with only his ash blond hair covering his shoulders, though the intensity of his gaze matched the Oracle's. But this wasn't what caught Marik's attention.
Marik had never been particularly bothered by his appearance before. When he was a Golem, all that mattered was abiding by his contract – performing the job for which he was created, completing the tasks his master assigned him, that sort of thing. But he was unbearably reminded of it now, staring at what could be his reflection. That the Oracle and this...boy didn't seem particularly bothered was even more unsettling.
"Welcome to my domain, travelers," the Lady said, her voice serene and sure. "I know you have traveled far to see me, so please, be seated."
The five companions did as told, and once they were all sitting, the boy behind Lady Ishizu sat, as well, at her right hand.
The Lady unveiled her face and spoke. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ishizu, Oracle of the Western Fiefdom. This is my chief advisor Malik."
Marik felt his friends' eyes slide to him. So even their names were similar? How bizarre.
"Should we introduce ourselves, or...?" Joey asked, looking to each of the others.
"If it pleases you," she said with a coy smile.
"Well, I'm Joey, an Acolyte of the Kingdom of Black."
"And I'm Serenity! An Otherworlder, apparently."
"I am Yami, a nomad of the Betwixt."
"Bakura, woodsman with the Farodin Company."
"And I'm –" Marik began, but he was interrupted.
"You used to be a Golem," Malik said.
It wasn't a question, but he still nodded. "My name is Marik."
"By chance, do you know of the mage Karan?"
Marik's eyes widened. "Of course, he was my master." How did this boy know Karan?
Malik and Ishizu exchanged an amused look. "Not long ago, Karan visited the Delphine to study with our arcane scholars," Lady Ishizu explained. "He...took a liking to Malik."
The ex-Golem was taken aback. He never knew that Karan had visited other lands, let alone any of the four domains, just that he had studied several schools of the arcane to develop his style. He certainly never knew of the existence of a boy who very likely inspired his own creation. He didn't know how to feel.
"In any case, you're liberated now," Malik said, pointing to the remainder of the contract scrawled across Marik's forehead, "which is no easy feat. Congratulations."
Luckily, Lady Ishizu spared Marik the need to respond (for he had no idea what he'd say). "Well, now that we're all familiar with one another, let's discuss the matter of why you're here. I saw that a shroud has befallen the Kingdom of Black, but I do not know the details."
"The King is suffering from an illness that no natural treatment can cure," Joey said, repeating the words Solomon told him to say. "We're seeking to gather the Sorcerers' artifacts to summon each of you to cure the King. We already have the Pendant." And he retrieved the King's artifact from its sack and held it up for all at the table to see. This was Marik's first time seeing it, and by the look on Bakura's face, he wasn't alone. It glittered in the firelight, almost inviting him to touch it.
Lady Ishizu was the only one unphased. "Very well," she said. "I see that your cause is a noble one, but I must ask a favor in return. Think of it as a test of your mettle."
"What is it?" Yami asked cautiously.
"Someone must investigate one of the lands in my domain, called the Aviary. They recently sent a summons request asking for help and I haven't been able to spare any guards to investigate."
She nodded to Malik, and he unfurled a map on the table that was large enough for the whole group to see. It outlined the entire domain, and he pointed to the westernmost point, a mountainous area at the edge of the domain's territory. "This is where the Aviary is."
"All right, we'll do it," Joey said.
"Good," Lady Ishizu replied. "Meet with the Aviary's leader and ask her about the meaning of her request. Report back to me when you've discovered what happened. Then, I will give you the Necklace." She gestured to the golden circlet around her throat, which gleamed as she did so.
"Come on, team," Joey said. "We have our orders."
