In the dead of night, the gray ocean of ash was as infinite as the black sky above. Staying off the roads ensured safety, but anyone who braved the monochrome plains risked certain death without proper navigation. The GPS had begun to falter as the car strayed further and further from the paved roads. Holder adjusted the rear view mirror to see that Belle had worsened since he first placed her in the backseat with Link. Audrey stared down at her wrist as the image of the map on her control band began to fade.

Audrey whispered to Holder, well aware that Link was listening to her thoughts. “We won't make it time if we keep going this way”

Holder gritted his teeth, “ We can’t use the roads, we’ll get stopped in this car as soon as someone spots us.”

Audrey leaned in closer and spoke in a more hushed voice. “You’re right. But I know a way to avoid being seen and get there faster.”

Holder raised an eyebrow without taking his attention away from the treacherous dunes before him.

“Let me drive, besides you haven't been able to rest since your fight in the arena.”

“I’m fine.” Holder protested. Link had been watching the exchange but turned away when Audrey placed her hands on her hips and began to glare at Holder. The young runaway wasn’t sure, but it seemed like they were both holding their breath until Holder let out a deep sigh before turning to face Audrey.

Holder nodded in agreement. “We can't stop in the dunes or we might sink. Just move when I move”. Audrey looked on nervously as Holder reduced speed and initiated auto-drive in the vehicle. Next he steered to a patch of semi-flat land and locked the steering wheel. Without a word he shifted into Audreys seat while Audrey quickly climbed over him and took control of the car. Link looked on from the backseat with his hands firmly over his mouth just under his bulging eyes.

With one swift turn the GPS signal was re-established and the runaways were back on the path to save Belle. The new driver initiated her plan; veering from dunes to the main roads to avoid detection while keeping pace. Brief moments of smooth terrain were immediately followed by the unsteady swashing of the tires through the dunes in a rhythmic fashion. A sigh of relief swept over Holder as he realized that she was right about his fatigue as well. The ride was bumpy, but Holder was too exhausted to notice as he sunk into the passenger seat. When he finally rested his eyes the world around him faded into a welcoming blackness as he passed the threshold into his unconscious mind.

A fire danced in the darkness. The single flickering flame illuminated the soft blackness with a cautious light. The flame froze in place on a man’s back; where it stayed, embroidered on his protective suit, which covered him entirely except for a dark visor over his face. A firm hand nudged Holder forward, he followed the embroidered flame and dared not look back. He only took his eyes off of the fire for one moment to look down. Staring back was a child, bound and leashed to the man with fire on his back. A thin line cut through the middle of the child and traced the leash held by the man. The line continued to grow and encircled the man. Massive jaws opened below, and swallowed him whole. The mouth  slurped up the leash with the child still bound. The leash grew shorter, the mouth came nearer. In a snap the child was swallowed by the monstrous jaws.

Holder is jolted awake by a hard bump in the road. Audrey had been driving non stop after they exchanged seats. “Almost there?” Holder questions the determined driver, wiping the sleep from his eyes. Audrey nods as she confirms with her GPS. 

 “We’ll be passing the Oasis soon.”Audrey turns her wrist to show Holder. Link slightly leans forward to see the GPS from the backseat. He was silent for the ride. Carefully cradling his mother's head in his lap to protect her from the bumpy road. Belle  was unconscious most of the ride and her condition was worsening by the hour. She could do little more than whimper in her weakened state. Link stared out the window, unable to bear the sight of his mother fading before him. The scenery passed by quickly, but a black tower stood as high as the sun; unmoving in the center of the ash desert.

“That’s what they call the Oasis” Holder had turned to check on the rest of his traveling companions. Asking about Belle was a mute point, so he turned his attention to the scenery outside.

“They say that tower fell out of the sky a long time ago. It’s how the four estates were built, and how we have the technology to go underground.”

“What's in there?” Link whispered without turning his head, now in awe of the structure.

“Everything”, Audrey added. Both of the Runaways turned their attention to their driver.

“The Oasis is the name of the tower, and the name of the city that was built around it, long before the estates were created in the desert of ash.” Audrey recited the phrase as if she were answering a test question.

“Who told you that?” Link was now in disbelief, having only heard of cities in stories from his mother.

Audrey smirked, “ I went to school there. In the city I mean. But I’m glad I don't live there anymore. The technology in the Oasis is second only to the cruelty of  the people who live there.”

Link turned to take one last look at the tower in the distance. A symbol of the past, the future and of every death that came as a result of the technology it brought. Right now, inside the tower of the Oasis stood one of the four of the most powerful people  known to reside outside of the city. 

Master Durwood was granted unrestricted access to the tower due to generous contributions made to the council of the Oasis. He stood within a private room, assigned only to his biometrics. The windowless cube was filled with artificial light that shined on the walls covered in maps and blueprints of his life’s ambition. “The Grid”, as others have taken to calling it, was an untapped network linked to the infinite energy supply of the planet’s core. Simple reconstruction would allow anyone within the energy network access to this resource, for a price of course. A soft knock at the door broke Durwoods concentration.  A muffled voice followed a second knock, “Lord Windhelm requests your audience at the summit shortly.”

“Understood!”, Durwood shot back immediately. He had almost forgotten why he made an unscheduled visit to the tower in the first place.The private room was locked as Durwood dashed down the hall to a wide platform; buttoning up his forest green vest as he walked. His matching slacks swished past each other with every hustled step. The attendant who had knocked earlier waited patiently on the platform before entering a sequence of numbers on a keypad. In an instant, Durwood was transported from level B14 to level A221. He barely had time to unroll the sleeves of his tan dress shirt and inspect  the rest of his attire. The attendant served as a silent guide as Durwood followed him to the meeting room.

The meeting room was designated as neutral ground for negotiation and for emergency summits. The masters of the estates joined their peers at the large square table in the center of the room. Durwood took the last remaining chair. Seated to his left was his ally William Windhelm III. To his right sat the woman who ran the Stillwater estate. Durwood squinted a glance in her direction. She resembled dough stuffed into the shape of a young woman, and wrapped in a luxurious blue dress adorned with silver and sapphires. She was sure to live up to her namesake as  “The Jewel of the Desert”; but was only addressed as such by those under her employ. Sitting across from Durwood was a man of advanced age, but of distinguished manner. The old man's blood red suit blended into the darkness of the dimly lit room; giving the illusion that the wearer was much larger than the loosely fitting clothes had revealed. The only light in the room was placed on the center of the table and was just  bright enough to illuminate the faces of those who sat at the square table. All else was shrouded in shadow. Despite the old man’s tailored clothes and perfect posture he could not hide the poor health indicated by his sunken eyes and dry pale skin. William cleared his throat, then stood up to address the room. His white suit glowed under the lukewarm light on the table.

“Master Arthur Durwood, of the Durwood Estate; good of you to join us. Doctor Kenneth Firebrand of the Firebrand Estate, Mistress Elizabeth Stillwater, of the Stillwater estate; welcome. I, Lord William Windhelm III of the Windhelm estate, officially commenced this 23rd summit at the behest of the Oasis Council.”

Windhelm took his seat promptly after the introduction. “Without further delay, I will reveal the reason for this gathering.” The heads of the estates began to shift in their seats as Windhelm spoke. Underhanded plots and schemes were often accented by secret dealings behind each other's backs. For the most part this was acceptable under their fragile alliance, but in some cases; a deal could be too egregious to ignore and required a summit for reconciliation. Everyone in attendance suspected that this summit could possibly expose their own shadowy affairs, as they nervously awaited Windhelms next words.

“ In my absence, my estate was attacked by a heavily armed and unknown assailant. The death toll is well into the hundreds with no confirmed survivors as of yet. This includes my son. The technology required to stage such an assault could only be attained by one of the people here at this table.”

Stillwater and Firebrand delivered quick glances at each other before returning to Windhelm's eyes. Durwood  never faltered as he fixed his most sincere stare towards his ally. The room was gripped in silence until Windhelm continued. “I want to go on record as saying that I suspect no one here. Such an unprovoked attack would provide no profit to any one at this summit. But hear this: I William Windhelm III solemnly swear to find who is responsible and will see to it that all parties are severely punished. I expect everyone’s  full cooperation in this investigation, at least under the realization that you too could be targeted.”

Stillwater raised a finger as she chimed in, “ are you sure this was an outside attack and not a revolt? We all know how bold the slaves become in our absence”

Windhelm was offended by the suggestion. “Sure? Absolutely. The killing was indiscriminate. No one escaped; and the only people not accounted for are my son and--”

“And who?” Durwood leaned into the light.

“One-Arm”, Windhelm muttered the name while avoiding Stillwater’s smirk.

“Who?” Firebrand questioned the table. Windhelm responded quickly to remind everyone of the slaves' origins.

“It was you who sold him to me, Firebrand.  But it was under the name Burner at the time.”

Firebrand lit up with the realization. “Ah yes Burner! Very powerful until he was injured during an underground expedition. Yes, he could very well be the culprit, his ability to ignite ferocious fires in an instant could claim countless lives indeed.” Firebrand sat back satisfied as if he had solved the investigation in mere moments.