Yoyo stared dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open, completely astonished at the sight of a talking cat. This place was weird and seemingly getting weirder. At least the cat seemed to be friendly compared to the gate, and nothing about the orange-furred creature made him feel scared. Absorbed in the moment, Yoyo forgot any question had been asked of him, though he was very curious about what the cat might say next.

"Cat got your tongue?" said the creature, smirking as it walked on its two hind legs toward the middle of the group. "Surely, one of you must know how to talk. I'm speaking your language, am I not?"

"But you're a cat!" exclaimed James, apparently feeling the same as Yoyo about the situation.

The creature laughed, its white canines flanking a bright pink tongue. “Is that so surprising?”

“This is a first for me too,” said Tena, placing her hand on James’ shoulder. “A cat rules over a castle?”

Spinning around, the creature’s cerulean garments billowed out like the gown of a ballroom dancer. Then following the spin with a bow, she spoke eloquently, "My name is Kalirina Delaware Whippletuff, but you may call me Kali. And I am a feline, not simply a cat. A lady one at that.”

She stood straight and continued, “I am a Junior Registrar of the 2nd Regiment of Limberfoot Tutor. Everyone in this castle has a title and position, even the new arrivals such as yourself. But I am getting far ahead of myself. First, who do I have the pleasure of speaking with? Hmm?"

Tena introduced herself with a brief apology. James went next, and he wasn't short on words, going into an overly long explanation of how awesome it was to speak with a cat. Kali expressed disappointment at the classification, but she quickly moved on to ask about the others. Tena had the honor of introducing Harley and Chocolate who both were unable to do it themselves, and then it was Yoyo's turn.

For the first time he could ever remember, Yoyo didn't feel scared to introduce himself. And actually he felt excited, the confidence from his outburst lingering longer than he imagined it would. Standing tall and proud, he introduced himself to Kali.

"Johan is my name, but you may call me Yoyo," he said, imitating her style.

"Wonderful, just wonderful, " said Kali. "Today will be a day to remember. Normally new arrivals are solo, but together you are five! That’s certainly something to celebrate.”

Finally, it felt like things were going their way. The pleasant demeanor of Kali was a welcome change from the terrible encounter with the stirge, and especially the dread that Yoyo experienced nearly ever since. Plus, it seemed like Harley was minutes away from receiving the help she needed. He smiled, eagerly listening as Kali continued with her introduction.

“I am in charge of making you feel welcome, and as well completing a whole slew of other items that are mandatory for new arrivals. Too bad the intercom wasn’t working or we might already be into the offices by now. Let's see what went wrong with this thing…"

With far more grace than one would expect from a feline walking upright, Kali strolled over to the still-pulsating yellow pendant and picked it up with her paw. She held the crystal up close to her left eye and squeezed it using her claws, the whole time mumbling something unintelligible. The pulsating pendant changed from yellow to blue. Then tapping the crystal on its front with a pointed claw, the glow disappeared entirely.

"I can't say that I see anything wrong with it, per say," Kali said with a slight twitch of her whiskers. "It led you here, after all. The Diviners will have to examine it.”

"Diviners? Are they like mages? What is it supposed to do?" asked James.

"Not exactly. You’ll see. And the pendant is an invitation," replied Kali. She held the chain with her paw and dangled it in the air. "All prospects receive an invitation to Ezrazeit. You saw the message right?"

James looked at Yoyo, his brows furrowed and looking rather confused.

Yoyo shrugged—he didn't know what she was talking about either. There had been no message that he ever saw or heard. The color glowing within the pendant was the main reason why he thought it was magical, besides Harley telling him as such, though his sister never did say the true reason why.

Did Harley see a message and never tell anyone? One thing was certain. The brightness of the pendant had changed, the blue glow appearing to brighten in intensity as the days passed.

Was it a coincidence that the pendant brightened as they traveled closer to Ezrazeit? Or was the changing brightness the thing that was wrong with it?

If anyone knew, it was Kali, but Yoyo didn't feel qualified to ask the questions that needed clarifying. This whole thing seemed way over his head. The soothing feeling as he ran his fingers over the chain of the necklace was the principal feature that made him want to carry it. Other than that, he was clueless.

"We never saw any message besides the glowing blue color. But the pendant turned red just now, then purple, then yellow. Is that what you mean?” asked James.

“No…” Kali said, shaking her head.

James shrugged, continuing to guess. “My hands tingle when I touch it and it makes me feel good when I wear it. Is that the…?”

"Wait a minute," Kali interrupted, twirling the pendant around by the chain just to catch it and twirl it again. "You mean to tell me you've made the journey to Ezrazeit without any information? Without any message of the purpose or calling of this place? You there—Tena. Are you equally as clueless as them?"

Tena sheepishly nodded her head.

"Ho-ho-holy smokes, isn't that something?" remarked Kali. "That’s actually impressive. Not many neophytes can say they arrived here by circumstance. Either you're lying, which by the looks of your faces I don’t believe to be true, or you’re extremely lucky. Unfortunately, it also looks like I have a lot more explaining to do, though luckily I only have to do it once and not five freakin’ times. Phew.”

With that, Kali made a clicking sound with her tongue, put the crystal pendant necklace into a pocket sewn into her robe, and then waved for everyone to follow her inside the open gate. The questions swirled inside Yoyo's head, both new and old. What was this world they had stumbled into? What was the message? What was Ezrazeit? Was this place their destination all along, or simply a happy accident? Did they have medicine here for Harley? And what would have happened if they walked through the previous entrances in the gate? Did it lead to the same place Kali was leading them now?

The entrance they were now walking through led into a majestic hall that was five stories tall and many times wider than any entrance hall he’d ever visited. The massive rectangular room reminded him of a luxurious hotel lobby, complete with marbled stone pillars, tiled floors, and golden handrails that caged in the balconies of the upper levels. Banners of blue with black borders hung the length of the walls from ceiling to floor. Of special note were the black granite statues of animals that Yoyo had never seen before—flying lions and snakes, three-headed dogs, reptiles with the features of men, and upright pigs that carried swords.

Dozens of other things were here too. They weren't exactly people, and in fact, Yoyo didn't know quite what they were. Human-like beings with pale skin and bright blue eyes carried out tasks akin to a functioning market. Some of them pushed carts, others operated shops or arranged containers on shelves, and plenty were just standing around doing what looked like nothing, laughing and emoting in conversation.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"It’s critical to get you registered," said Kali. "The walk is long, but we only have to do it once."

"Registered? I'm sorry, miss Kali, but I think you have the wrong impression," said Tena, one hand holding Chocolate's halter and her other holding onto Harley. "We came here to ask for help, not to stay.”

Kali nodded. "The girl, yes, I can see that, though I can't flag her for the infirmary without going through registration first—Ezrazeit policy mandates we follow a specific process. My hands are tied on that point. Don't worry though, we have resources to mend the sick. I've seen arrivals in far worse shape than her.”

"But she's suffering...I fear that she has blood poisoning," said Tena.

"Not just exhaustion? Hmm. Something beyond that, perhaps," Kali said, her nose sniffing as she walked up to Harley. "Blood poisoning… and I believe I smell something even more sinister. Did you happen to encounter any fairies on the way here?"

"Fairies!" exclaimed James. "Yes!"

"So I thought. A common occurrence, unfortunately. She’ll have to check the box for a Blood Mage consult on her forms. If she doesn’t wake up, then you’ll have to help her. As I stated before, the policy mandates registration and the infirmary ward is strictly for neophytes. There's no exception to the rule.”

James raised his arm with the makeshift splint as if wanted to ask a question.

“Your eyes are telling me you’re worried for your sister, is that right?” said Kali, quick to address the concern. “Despite the ominous name, a Blood Mage heals, not hurts. Blood is their specialty and they are quite good at cleansing the bad from it. And what happened to you, James? A tumble?”

“Happened last night,” replied James, lowering his arm. “I guess I fell on it.”

“A bone break isn’t a job for the mages. You’ll have to see the White Hats for that. Depending on how the bone looks, it could take a few days to mend it. But don’t worry, we take care of new neophytes. Trials are only permitted when you're deemed healthy. Oraculum is very strict about that. Now come, hurry, hurry—like I said, it’s a long walk.”

Turning left, Kali placed a paw on the center of an oak door, and led them through a series of stone corridors, each one longer in length than the last. Metal archways braced the stone overhead, their surfaces inlaid with intricate symbols and pictures. Yoyo assumed the symbols meant something to somebody, but since they were written in a language he couldn’t read, he could only guess the meaning from the pictures.

One archway depicted a sword-wielding warrior thrusting his weapon into a winged beast. On another, the image of a mountain split in two from the strike of a lightning bolt. A third archway contained the profile of an open gate, and through the gate walked a robed figure. Yoyo was left wondering about the Gatemaster and what might have happened if they entered the smaller openings prior to Kali’s arrival. Did the openings lead into the castle or did they lead someplace else? And had Kali said something about an intercom?

“Kali, can you explain how the gates work?” Yoyo asked when his curiosity had gotten the best of him.

“The Gatemasters, you mean?” replied Kali, her assumption correct. “They are a different breed than the rest of us. Important, no doubt, but also dangerous and disagreeable. Ebaneezer is the worst of the whole lot—nobody likes him. That’s why he was assigned to the front of Ezrazeit. Less damage that way.”

That was an explanation that led to many more questions in Yoyo’s mind. In fact, he was less sure of gates now than he was before. “The gates are living things, just like me?” he asked for clarification.

“Living yes, but not like you—they have no blood or brain. They are animated objects loyal to Oraculum that are omniscient of everything and everyone to pass in and out through Ezrazeit’s walls.”

“I told you they’re monsters!” Yoyo complained to James and Tena. He had been right and they hadn’t believed him. It wasn’t only his dread causing an illusion, although that no doubt influenced the appearance of this place. The fact that he stood up to a monster made his confidence soar.

“It just looked like a normal gate to me,” said James.

Tena spoke up next, “Same for me. A stone archway above two doors with many rivets. The only time I saw something weird was when I held the pendant—then I saw Maibben instead of the gate, it was terrible!”

Kali cleared her throat. “Yes, it can be terrible for the uninitiated. The pendant is linked to Ezrazeit and most of that magical linkage originates within the gates. It’s also part of how the intercom system works. Unfortunately, your pendant is broken I think. Or at least malfunctioning. And the fact that you only have one is strange as well, so remind me to give each of you a new one. You’ll need it to pass in and out. There’s several gates, so don’t worry if Ebaneezer frightens you. Just go in and out the side or the back gate.”

That was some comfort to Yoyo. At least he wouldn’t have to pass through the front gate again if he didn’t want to. A little part of him wanted to go back and yell some more at the monster, though as he quickly squashed that thought, he couldn’t help but ask a follow-up question.

“Where do the openings lead if you don’t have a pendant?”

“For one, there’s no guarantee the Gatemasters will even talk to you without a pendant. The magical linkage incentives them to at least attempt to let you in or out—it’s written into the policy. They might entertain a neophyte without a pendant, but they’re not contractually obligated to. As for where they lead, typically it’s an illusion of an opening that leads to a nightmare, or something of the sort. Mental tricks you might call it. A trap for the weak-minded.”

Making much more sense now, Yoyo felt proud that he had recognized the Gatemaster’s trick. He had stopped something bad from happening using just his intuition and his words. That felt like a big accomplishment, especially since Harley wasn’t able to do much—it was only right that he stepped up to help.

As Kali led them onward, her tail swishing rhythmically behind her, Yoyo found himself mesmerized by the movement. The hypnotic swaying lulled his mind into a strange sort of trance. The corridors blurred together, an endless procession of metal archways, stone walls, and wooden doors continuing one after another. After it seemed like hours had passed, an exclamation from Kali snapped him out of it.

“I forgot to ask! Where are you coming from?!” she said with a roaring amount of interest.

“We live in Risanburg,” said James, “Do you know where that is?”

“Risanburg? Hmm… I…don’t know where that is,” said Kali, almost sounding disappointed that she didn’t recognize the name. Her paw stroked her whiskers as she continued ruminating in silence.

“To be honest, I haven’t the faintest idea myself,” Tena said sympathetically. “I’m from Pinecrest.”

“Pinecrest, okay! So actually not too far from here,” said Kali, smiling now. “Thanks for that—I would have looked like quite the fool if I couldn’t answer the most basic question of the registration process. We’re quickly approaching the office. Prepare your writing hands—we have a lot of forms to fill out.”

Yoyo frowned. He didn’t like the sound of that. Writing wasn’t his strong suit but he’d give it his best attempt. He glanced around to see if anyone else looked excited about the registration process, his eyes finding Harley first, her body still slumped against Chocolate's back. In the light of the corridor, her entire skin had a reddish hue, as if the fever was burning her insides. Yoyo blinked to make sure it wasn’t just an illusion of the light, but no matter how many blinks he did, the reddish color remained.

Turning to see if anyone else had noticed, Tena returned his look and nodded, her own expression concerned. James, on the other hand, seemed to vibrate with his usual excitement. His eyes were wide with wonder, seemingly happy to be absorbed in every detail of this place. He smiled at Yoyo as Chocolate suddenly bleated, the goat’s noise jolting him out of his smile. Kali turned serious, her whiskers twitching, and then she bent her ears in suspicion the way only a cat could look.

“The animal won’t be kicked out immediately but it’ll cause an issue soon enough. Out to the meadow it must go. No pets are allowed inside Ezrazeit.”

“But Chocolate isn’t a pet!” exclaimed Tena. “She’s practically my sister—I’ve known her so long. How can I prove it to you?”

“Not your pet, is it? It’s offensive, you know, to parade around a working animal and pretend like it’s an equal. Imagine how a Goatking feels about you keeping around a distant cousin just to rule as its master. You see how that could cause problems? The meadows are where all the animals must go.”

Yoyo felt unsure about that. He didn’t see any animals outside at all except for birds. There was something off about Kali’s explanation too, though he couldn’t place his finger on it. His only consolation was that they hadn’t seen the sides or back of the castle, so maybe there was a meadow where other animals roamed.

At the end of the corridor, Kali pushed open the doors as she had done countless times before, and the view was not of another corridor, but of a vast chamber with a marbled ceiling soaring high above their heads. The gold-colored walls were lined with wooden shelves, each one filled to the brim with countless books, journals, and scrolls. In the center of the chamber stood a cluster of desks, their surfaces covered in parchment and ink, and a group of furred-faced, robed figures were writing, reading, and filing paperwork.

Kali turned around, her canines exposed with a cat-like smile. "Welcome," she said, gesturing with her paw to the vast room filled with many other beings that looked much like her, "to the Administration Office."