Cavally unfolded before them, and the group stopped, speechless. The reality was even more magnificent than the view from the sky.
"Whoa..." Angel breathed, his eyes raised. "Look at that mountain."
"That's Mount Mila," Léopold explained, used to the reaction. "No one knows where it ends. Water and flower petals fall from it without interruption."
"It's so beautiful," Yabal said, a wide smile on his face. "I love this city."
They started walking. As they crossed the damp, paved streets, Léopold explained how his city worked.
"Here, we have several types of houses," he began. "Those ones are the Misty Pavilion-Houses. They're made of black wood and white tiles."
The houses seemed to float, surrounded by curtains of mist created by the mini-waterfalls flowing all around. "It's mostly scholars, artists, and tourists who live there."
Further on, he showed them other structures. "And those are the Bridge-Houses. They're raised on large pillars to let the rivers pass underneath. They look like traditional homes, except they rest on the water running beneath them. Some are so close to the streams that the mist cools their walls."
"And finally," he said, pointing to a denser district, "the Quarter of a Thousand Streams. Houses with red straw roofs and dried earth walls. There are little wooden footbridges in front of each door to cross the streams. It's a soothing labyrinth where the streams wind peacefully."
"I'd been here once before," Yuga said thoughtfully, "but I didn't know there was a Dolphin Tree."
"It's hidden in a cave," Léopold replied.
The deeper they went into the city, the more a sense of unease settled in. Yuga was the first to notice.
"Hey, Yabal... did you notice?" he said in a low voice.
"Yeah," Yabal replied, his smile gone. "Something's off. The inhabitants... they're almost all... thin."
"This is it, we're here," Léopold said, stopping in front of a cavern entrance. "It's a long cave. The tree is at the very back."
"Léopold," Yuga insisted, "what's wrong with the people in this city?"
Yabal stopped short, forcing Léopold to turn around. "Léopold... the people of Cavally. They're all thin. And... I don't know, something's wrong with them. They look... sad."
Léopold tensed up. He looked away. "We're almost at the Dolphin Tree."
Yabal blocked his path. "Don't try to ignore us! What's wrong with the people here?!"
"You really want to know?" Léopold retorted, his voice rising. "It's none of your business!"
"What do you mean, 'none of our business'?!" Yabal snapped. "Do you hear yourself? We shouldn't hide things from each other if we're friends!"
"'Friends'?" Léopold scoffed, looking hurt. "Are we 'friends' already? And even if we were... why don't you ask Rhea what she's hiding, then?!"
The silence that followed was icy. Léopold pointed an accusing finger at Yabal.
"You said it yourself last night! If we're still hiding things, it's because we're not ready to say them! So don't force me!"
Yabal looked down, ashamed. Rhea, caught in the middle, felt her cheeks flush.
"Just drop it," Angel intervened, placing a hand on Yabal's shoulder. "We came for the Dolphin Tree. Let's go."
The tension followed them into the cave. The air was cool and damp. The only sound was the dripping of water, mixed with the muffled sound of their footsteps. The paths were dimly lit by blue and green glowing mushrooms. Small blue bubbles, like soap, floated in the air and burst silently on contact.
"The more bubbles there are, the closer we are," Léopold murmured.
They walked for several minutes when, rounding a bend, they came face-to-face with a Spart. Its robotic silhouette blocked the path.
"Identification," the metallic voice said. "Who are you and what are you doing here? Access is forbidden."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Léopold growled.
He didn't wait. He rushed the Spart and threw a powerful punch into its chest. The blow echoed, but the robotic armor absorbed it all. The Spart grabbed Léopold by the arm and threw him back. Angel and Yabal barely caught him.
"You shall not pass," the robot repeated.
Angel dashed forward, unleashing a flurry of fast punches, but the Spart felt nothing. Yabal followed, jumping and landing a spinning kick to the Spart's face.
This only angered it. The Spart retaliated. It grabbed Angel and drove a devastating knee into his stomach.
Angel's breath hitched. He spat out blood and collapsed, unable to move.
"Angel!" Yabal shouted.
Léopold, seeing his friend down, charged again, his fist crackling with electricity. At the same time, Yuga suddenly appeared behind the Spart as if he'd teleported and struck the robot in the back.
Thrown off balance by the double impact, the Spart gripped the wall to stabilize itself. It opened its mechanical mouth and orbs of energy began to shoot out at the group.
"Take cover!" Yuga shouted.
Angel was still on the ground, trying to catch his breath. Yuga appeared right under the Spart's face and delivered a powerful uppercut that sent its head flying. Léopold seized the opportunity and sent a massive electrical discharge into the decapitated neck.
But the Spart was still alive. Deep inside the empty neck, an intense red light began to form.
"RUN!" Léopold screamed. "If that beam hits you, you'll disappear on the spot!"
Rhea grabbed Angel by the arm and forced him up. "Move, in a circle!" she shouted. "It's stuck to the wall, its head has a rotation limit, it can't reach us everywhere!"
They started running as the Spart tried to follow them. The Spart, still clinging to the wall, understood their plan and began to move to another wall. Just as it was about to move again, Bolt appeared in the cave and crushed the decapitated robot against the stone in a spray of metal.
"Whew..." Léopold panted, sweating. "Thanks, my friend."
The dragon shrank and landed on his shoulder.
Rhea was out of breath, still holding up Angel.
"That was too close," Yuga panted.
"Angel, are you okay?" Yabal asked, rushing over.
"I'm... fine," Angel said, still in shock and grimacing in pain. "Just a bit..."
Yabal put Angel's arm over his shoulder, and the exhausted group resumed their march toward the heart of the cavern.
They finally emerged into a larger chamber. The tree was there... and it was incredible.
It wasn't a normal tree. Its base was carved like a wooden dolphin, stretching diagonally from the floor toward the ceiling. On its back, a small but wide wooden throne bloomed into enormous branches. The leaves were long, blue, and undulated like waves, producing small, luminous blue water bubbles. The entire tree, which had to be ten meters high, glowed with a soft azure light.
"It's magnificent," Angel said.
"How can something like this even exist?" Rhea murmured.
"Seriously..." Yabal added.
"The inscriptions are on the dolphin's tail," Léopold said, guiding Rhea to the base of the tree.
As soon as she saw the symbols, her eyes began to change, turning black like a deep, starry night sky.
While she was deciphering, the three boys were catching their breath in a corner.
"Why do you think that Spart was here?" Angel asked.
"I don't know," Yabal replied, "but it means they've done something here. And what was that power you used, Yuga?"
"Ah ha!" Yuga said proudly. "I got the Teleportation DAN. I haven't developed it enough, so I can only move within a certain perimeter."
"You found a DAN?" Yabal asked, amazed.
"Yeah!"
"Guys!"
Rhea's voice made them turn. Her eyes were back to normal, but she was trembling with excitement.
"I finished deciphering the inscriptions. They... they tell the story of the Great Lunain Clan. The ancient inhabitants of Saturn's moon!"
"And?" Angel asked.
"I don't have confirmation," Rhea said, struggling to contain her emotion, "but it's possible I'm a descendant of this clan. If that's true..."
"Then you're linked to END?" Yabal asked.
"Maybe. I'm going to find the rest of the information in the government archives. According to what I read, the Saturn government archives have been around for thousands of years. We should be able to find the names of the last members of the Great Lunain Clan who arrived on this planet."
"Are you going to tell us the story?" Angel asked.
"Yes, yes, but not right now," she said, determined. "I have to go back to the Saturnine City. Immediately."
"I don't think you'll be able to get into the archives alone," Yuga said. "It's best if we both go. I'm a member of the Order of the Sky, that should help."
"Okay, sounds good."
Rhea pulled Yabal aside for a moment. "While I'm gone," she whispered in his ear, "stay here. Try to understand what's happening and help the people of Cavally."
"Got it," Yabal said, understanding the mission.
Rhea and Yuga didn't waste any time. "I'll tell you everything when I get back, I promise! I won't be long!"
Léopold, Angel, and Yabal were left alone in the cave, watching their friends disappear down the tunnel. They would have to wait, maybe for two days.
Angel, who was getting hungry, suggested they leave the cave. They went out and explored Cavally. Night fell, and they assumed Rhea and Yuga had probably reached the city. The three boys, having finished eating, decided to camp on the plains not far from Cavally.
They didn't know it yet, but that night, the three of them were on the verge of making a major discovery.