Oasis: Zarah and Royalty

10: Like a curse

I enter the room and walk to the bed. The bed like before is already made and I just climb on top of it and settle in. I pick one of Doctor Martin's book on Oasis up from the lamp stand and glance over the writing on the cover. Oasis: More than you know I read out the cover and I nod in agreement. After everything I've seen today, I am a believer in Oasis being more than we think we know.

I open the first chapter and begin to read through.

Oasis has always been folklore passed down from generations to generation and so our children never believed of it's existence. One boy certainly did believe in the realness of this story, and this brought about his journey into the alternate universe called Oasis.

Now I remember why I never went back to this book after junior secondary school, it had this boring explanation technique that didn't captivate me. Maybe it was the fact that I didn't believe in what he was saying then and easily moved to dismiss it all as a poor work of one man's imagination.

I read on into the second chapter and the third, and on and it is a lot of information to take in and the more I read the more I see into what it all mean.

'One of the fascinating things about Oasis are its humans. Yes just like earth are called humans so are they, but most times they choose to refer to themselves as Oasisans. Oasis is an alternate universe, a much better one, where magic is the order of the day and little Chidi is about to discover that.' I read out loud.

The power Vixan has been exhibiting since I met him isn't something strange in Oasis, according to Doctor Martin, it was the order of the day there. Oasisians are gifted these magical powers once they are born, some powers are greater than the others and he moves further to explain why that is.

"Are you done reading?" Vixan asks and I drop the book to stare at him standing at the door.

"You know over here we knock first." I point out and when he doesn't move I say, "where did you go?"

He moves to the door and knock before returning and I can't help chuckling, causing him to smile as well and his perfect teeth comes into view.

He slowly walks away from the door, "I was outside," he answers simply.

My eyes travel down to his feet and I see him barefooted, but not raring anything on his feet to back up the fact that he's been outside and as I look back up at him I find him holding a red rose in his hand.

My eyes narrows for a moment wondering what the hell he's doing with a rose.

"Why are you holding a rose? How did you even pay for that? Did you beat the person selling it up or oblige them into giving it to you" I demand not trusting the man standing before me one bit.

"I did nothing of what you're accusing me of." He says defensively, his eyes flashing with a little look of hurt  "I wasn't going to buy them we use gold coin back at home. The nice woman outside selling them said give it to someone and also said you don't have to pay."

"Oh," I say with a paused lips, "I guess I owe you an apology, I'm sorry for jumping into conclusion."

His brow rises, "You're seem to be one with the gift of thinking the worse in people."

I wasn't before that started after Michael, "I'm sorry then, you got it for someone then?"

"What?" He asks, looking a little clueless.

I drop the book on the bed, "When you get a flower here, it assumed it's for someone else, someone that you like at least."

"I wanted to give them to you, do you want them?" He asks stretching his hand towards me.

I give him a weird laughter, "That's not how it works Vixan, flowers are meant for someone you like or at least care about. You don't ask them if they want it, you give it to them."

He steps forward, "Okay, here. These are for you Zarah." He stretches his hand out as he has it.

There's a way he says my name that causes tingle to spread over my body and like I have no other arguement I collect it from him, "Thank you." I sniff it before adding, "you know it's going to die soon if you don't water it right?"

"Not this one, it's going to stay alive as long as you live." He replies with almost certainty. I give him a weird look and on seeing me he adds, "I casted a spell on it." Which clarify my confusion, but I don't say any other thing; instead, I turn out the pen container onto the top of the nightstand and place the flower inside.

I get up from the bed and walk to the door that leads to the balcony outside and opening it, I step out. I am engulfed by the gentle breeze of the night and it gently dances over my face and I close my eyes and inhale the freshness of the night. I lean against the railing, and stare out, looking at the bright stars in the dark sky, illuminating the night and appreciate the beauty there of.

"Is your universe really in the sky?" I ask Vixan who is still inside after a moment of silent enjoyment of the comfort being out of the room feels.

"Yes," I head his voice very close to me and I feel him getting even closer and my head turns to see if this is all just in my head, but I find him standing beside me, "we are not in the heavens, but Oasis is in the sky. Why did you ask?"

I turn away from him, nervous a little as I realise just how close he is, but not wanting to let it show. "It's written in Dr. Martin's book which I'm currently reading and it sounded crazy reading it and it still sounds crazy hearing it from you."

I can feel his eyes lingering on me as he speaks, "A lot of things in your universe sounds crazy too."

"Name one thing." I demand.

"Poverty, discrimination, hunger, racism these are just four, but there are more."

I roll my eyes already losing the battle before it even started. I asked for one and he gives four, way to go. "Okay, don't have to rub my face in it, but still it's human nature, we are full of greed which is one of the causes of poverty."

"I agree," he turns from me and places his hands on the railing like I have done. "But that's why conscience exists, to tell you what you're doing wrong."

He's right there, but sometimes the conscience can only do so much, "I almost lost the sense of what was right and wrong years ago. It's a constant battle humans make to keep the conscience alive, especially in the world we live in where people are cruel."

"I understand," he agrees and as I glance at him, I find him intensely staring at me once again, "It's nice to know you still try to be better." He trails off slowly, his eyes slowly dropping to my lips and I draw in a sharp breath as I see the red flicker in his eyes as he quickly look back into my eyes.

I immediately break my gaze and turn from him to stare out of the window, trying to brush the fact that we are so close away from my mind and shut the urge to kiss him down, "Do you miss home?"

He turns his gaze from me, "Yes, with every moment that passes by." He admits and there is honesty in his voice.

I place my hand on top of his in a comforting manner, "Me too." And when he gives me a confused look I add, "This might be my universe but it's not my home not as long as my parents and brother aren't here. I wish I could go back though to everything and appreciate it a little more." I state and wander into silence. I did my best for my parents but I wish I could have done more. If I knew this was going to happen, I would have definitely done more.

"Tell me about Oasis."

His eyes narrows as he stares at me, "Don't you have your Doctor's book to tell you everything?"

I chuckle and nod, "I do, but like you said earlier, you're here. You know more than he ever did. So tell me, I want to hear."

He stays quiet for a while before bargaining, "If I do tell you, I'll get to ask you a question or two."

That's a trade but it sounds like a plan.

"Okay sure." I answer eagerly.

"Well Oasis maybe another universe, but it isn't divided with borders of countries like your earth is, rather states and all the states are under one Kingdom, Oasis. Just like every Kingdom, the power starts from the king and then down to the nobles who are higher than the ordinary citizens so it is in Oasis. We have eighty states in general and each state as of last year had population of sixteen to thirty million humans each."

I am not very good at maths, but the number are very large which makes me cut him off to ask, "The number of the population of the state is much, how does the king handle them without going mad?"

"He doesn't. Oasis is divided into four, the North, East, West, and South and although we have eighty states, power is deligated between these divisions. We have ten local heads in a state and these local heads report to the two regional heads in the state and the regional heads then report to the state head, and the state heads report the problem they can't fix to the division heads. The division head fix almost all the problem in the kingdom unless the problem are those only the king can fix and then they are brought to him."

"There are always two head for the North, East, West, and South division to maintain transparency and it has always been. The division head are nobles with a highest rank in Oasis they are next in command after the king, the division heads helped write the law we follow in Oasis till today. Then we have the state head, and then the regional, and then the local heads." He recites as though reciting a dear memory verse and he doesn't notice that I have been looking at him for the past three minutes.

"Were you made to study that as a child?" I utter suddenly before I can come up with a better way of saying it.

"No, not as a child," he says then turns to me. "and do you understand now?"

"No," I reply with a heavy sigh, "Yes I do understand that the king can never run mad from much responsibility because power is properly deligated on Oasis, but I feel like I'm in government class and I'm bored. Being a royal must be exhausting; I mean Megan Markle is having a hard time being a royal of a small portion on earth," I ramble on and my voice increases with every word I say "but here you are a royalty and ruling a whole universe. I can't even imagine nor do I want to try—"

He places his pointing finger to my lips, hushing me up with my unending babbling, "Take a breath."

I do just like he tells me and though my senses wants to lean in to the feel of his touch, I decide again it.

He withdraw his finger from my lips, before asking, "Tell me about yourself."

He looks away from me to the sky, "When I said you could ask questions I meant about Oasis, not me, I don't think I trust you that much yet." He says with an unbothered tone.

"Please" I drag out the plea like a needy little kid, "I'm curious and yes I know that kills the cat, but this will help me understand you more and also it's not like I'm capable of using what you tell me against you or anything like that, you can trust me on that. I will tell you about my childhood in return then."

"I don't remember much about my childhood it's all fuzzy and unclear." he says with a deep sigh, trying to dodge the question at all cost.

"Come on," I prod, pouting at him, "tell me what it was like growing up in a palace you are royalty after all."

"I was never always in the palace; my mother ran away with me when I was younger and until the day she died she never told me why she took me away from the palace. I never thought I was royalty even though I knew I was different from other kids while growing up; to me, I was just a boy born with special gifts and a little different from the rest. I didn't even know I was Royal until my father died. After my his death, I felt every bone in my body being pulled back to Phoenix the power city of Oasis which was thousands of leagues away from grand Flora the place my mother hid me for fifteen years and although there were a lot of obstacles on the way and I didn't know where or why I was going, I kept going."

"My uncle Toby was King and he welcome me into the palace and we buried my father together. He told me he had been king for fourteen years and told me my mother ran away after she gave birth to me without really saying why. He told me he and my father searched for me and after three years searching, they concluded that my mother and I were dead."

He told me he was happy I was back and that I was welcome to stay. I couldn't leave Phoenix even when I wanted to, I felt like there was a death to my own will and desire and all I wanted to do was be an obedient subject to my uncle. I was obliged to every of my uncle's command and I never asked why and I never questioned it. When I turned nineteen, he made me the head of the Royal Army and so I served until a few days ago."

I take a deep breath as if I have been the one doing all the talking. This is indeed a lot to take in. "Does that mean you've taken out all your orders without asking a single question for the many years you've been with the royals?"

"Warrior aren't in the place to ask their Lord questions." He says, sounding a little pissed off at me.

"You were more than just a warrior Vixan, you were the head of the army and of royal blood." I argue my point out before turning to look at him, "Did you never questions orders because you didn't feel like it or because you couldn't."

His eyes are pensive as his mouth opens but he snaps it close and I see him overcome by confusion, "I don't know, I think it was because I didn't have a choice but to follow every order given, my free will was close to dead."

"Did you learn anything about your father all the later years you spent at the palace then?"

His jaw clenches and I know it's taking a lot out of him to answer these questions. After a moment of silently looking into the sky he shakes his head, "No I didn't, this is actually the first time I'm talking about him and it feels strange, I didn't even ask to know his name." He admits, his voice raw with pain and sadness, "I guess King Toby became more like my father even though he had two children, Lox and Asa."

"So this Lord Lox that wants me dead is your cousin?"

He nods, "Yes he's the only son of Toby the now late king. The King died two months ago and just like it happens when I lost my father, I became obliged to the new heir of the throne, his son Lox."

"That feels like a curse!" I breath out, overwhelmed by everything he just told me, but when I see the pain in his face before he look away, I regret my uncensored words but before I can speak to clarify my words he speaks.

"Yeah, it does and I never saw it that way until now." He agrees, his eyes locking in mine and holding my gaze prisoner of his. "It must be because of you."

His replies leaves me speechless and for one who hasn't been lost for word since we met, he has me tongue tied now.