The Oracle Sphere

by Travis Pond

  Seth spoke up and explained how Braon was actually deceiving them and working for Zummot trying to capture Seth. He told of how Eammon built a cage to capture him and how they transported Braon to the dungeon under the castle. When he was finished they all sat silent, pondering the sad situation that allowed their friend to deceive them.

  Sepi nodded her head and pondered the story. “Where is he now?”

  For a moment the table was quiet, each member looking at the other, neither of them wanting to finish the story. Finally it was Seth who spoke, “During the battle in the castle, some of Zummot’s soldiers made their way to the dungeon and freed all the prisoners.” Seth paused before continuing, “Braon was in the dungeons with them...so actually we don’t know exactly where he is.” Seth hung his head as if in defeat and sighed.

  Sepi nodded, “Now it makes sense. You see, in the days since the battle, I’ve been getting reports of a man, that was thought to be Braon, in Purromp. At first I didn’t understand, but now it’s clear.”

  Sepi looked directly at Tureis, their eyes locked. Sepi softened her face and allowed a small smile to turn the corners of her lips upward. She took several deep breaths. “Tureis. Did you ever find the answer to your question regarding Braon?”

  This had caught Tureis by surprise. He had been reading, trying to figure out the answer but to no avail. It wasn’t until this moment that he had his answer. It seemed to come into his mind as if he’d always known it. Now he finally understood.

  Tureis looked around the room at each person. All the eyes were on him. None of them knowing anything about his question, the question only he and Sepi knew. Now was the time to explain the deep dark secret about their friend, about Braon.

  Tureis took a deep breath and exhaled, “Yes. I think I found my answer.”

  “Would you please explain it to all of us?” asked Sepi.

  “First I should tell you the circumstances that led me to my question in the first place,” said Tureis. He began at the night they had helped Braon escape from the stocks and how Tureis had determined that Braon had set up the midnight horse ride on purpose, as a way to get out of the kingdom and back to Zummot. Tureis explained how that night he’d felt something in Braon and that somehow Braon had shut him out to a point that Tureis could never feel the Matya inside of Braon.

  “I thought about this time and time again, wondering how a person could just not have any Matya. It was when we finally trapped him that he let the secret out. For a brief moment I felt his Matya come to the surface and what I felt scared me, but it also confused me.”

  All around the table each person sat up, eyes wide, listening intently. “As I pondered what I felt with Braon and researched things in one of my books,” Tureis paused looking at Sepi, who just smiled. Sepi nodded her approval at the knowledge that Tureis was using the book she gave him. “Apparently if one is strong enough in the Matya, it is possible to shield your power and all your Matya, preventing anyone feeling it, essentially becoming invisible to all those around you with Matya.” Tureis paused, letting this knowledge make its way to the understanding of those in the room.

  “So what you’re saying is that Braon was hiding his Matya from everyone?” Ailish asked.

  “Essentially,” replied Tureis. “Not only that, but he was hiding something even from himself.” This last statement confused everyone, including Sepi.

  “What I felt in the forest that day we captured him,” continued Tureis, “Was an overwhelming amount of evil and it scared me how strong it felt. But underneath that I also felt a very bright place, a peaceful place, I felt good Matya as well.”

  “So what does this mean?” asked Seth.

  “It means that for a long time Braon has been evil and hiding it well,” answered Tureis. “All the while he’s been working in the castle, in the King’s Guard, he was secretly an agent for Zummot. He was hiding his evil Matya so no one in the castle would sense it and call him out. Everyone just thought his Matya was never awakened.”

  Everyone at the table let out a collective sigh and leaned back in their chairs. After a minute Tureis continued, “The part that I don’t even think Braon is aware of is that he still has loyalty to King Seathan and Thaven. I could feel it in his Matya. When we caught him and he let a little of the Matya surface, he felt sad for all he’d done to us and to Thaven. He truly saw us as his friends.”

  “But he did it anyway,” said Seth. “Why didn’t he just let us go? Why did he help us in the first place and protect us? Why didn’t he just capture us the first day and take us to King Hamish?”

  “The simple answer is that he’s conflicted,” answered Tureis. “He has some loyalty to us and King Seathan, but he has more loyalty to King Hamish. It took him a while and a lot of internal struggle, I would guess, to finally betray us.”

  After Tureis finished his explanation, Sepi stared at Tureis, amazed at his insight. After several minutes of silence, Sepi leaned forward again, her hands folded on the table. “The next question I know is in your minds involves this sword laying in front of us on the table.” Sepi reached out and touched her hand to the oracle sphere attached to the bottom of the sword. The sphere glowed blue at her touch.

  “This sword has a name,” Sepi continued. “Understanding it’s name helps to understand its purpose. It is called Graceblade.” Sepi moved her hand from the Oracle Sphere to the grip. Every time she touched the sword a blue light emanated from it.

  “As the name implies, this sword is a beacon for hope, justice, equity and power. Whoever controls this sword, essentially controls all the surrounding kingdoms in the realm. If this sword is used for righteousness and fairness and truth, and if the person who possesses Graceblade has a pure heart, there is no power that can overcome it.”

  “So…,” began Ailish. “If King Hamish would have succeeded in getting the sword…,” her question trailed off.

  “He was not chosen to possess it, but the power the sword contains could have been used for evil,” said Sepi. “King Hamish is very evil and his Matya could have used it to control all the surrounding kingdoms.”

  “And we are all grateful he didn’t succeed,” said King Seathan. At that statement everyone at the table looked at Tureis. Sensing all the eyes in the room on him, Tureis’ cheeks flushed and he bowed his head.

  “The next question is from Tureis,” said Sepi.

  Tureis looked up in surprise. He did have a question, but how did Sepi know? Tureis looked around the room, then he looked at Sepi and took a deep breath. He asked the simple question that had been on his mind from the day he held the sword, “Why am I still alive?” There was a collective exhale heard at the table as if everyone had been holding their breath, wanting to ask the question themselves.

  Sepi smiled and folded her hands in front of her. She looked directly at Tureis and asked, “Do you remember when you visited me and I gave you that sword?” Tureis nodded. “I said it was a powerful sword and that I’d felt you needed to have it. That sword was made by the same Oracle that made Graceblade. Your sword is sort of a sister to Graceblade and much of the same Matya is inside of it. As we sat and talked that first time, I could sense your pure heart and your loyalty to King Seathan and Seth. I pondered over those feelings for a time, and before you left, I gave you the sword.”

  Sepi paused and let her words sink in for a moment, then she continued, “However, even with the experience you’ve developed with your sword and the power it contains, it couldn’t have prepared you for the power of Graceblade.”

  Sepi took a deep breath and said in a low, almost hushed tone, “The real reason you were able to wield Graceblade and defeat King Hamish was because of your power. The power you possess with the Matya is something I’ve never seen. I’ve only heard of such power from history books or in stories told to children.”

  Tureis was confused, �
�I guess I don’t understand.”

  “Power in the Matya comes from two sources, pureness of heart and knowledge,” continued Sepi. “Your heart is the purest I’ve ever felt. Your thirst for knowledge, which is enormous, adds to your power. To put it plainly, if you wield Graceblade with a pure heart the sword isn’t strong enough to kill you.”

  The color drained from Tueris’ face. The thought that he was powerful with the Matya had never occurred to him. Surely she must be mistaken. He was just a young boy, with still so much to learn about the Matya, how could he have the power she proclaims he has? He sat and thought for a moment pondering her words. Tureis thought about what Sepi said, he remembered a saying his father had used many times, “Where much is given, much is expected.” As he sat there surrounded by his friends, he felt a heavy weight begin to settle on his shoulders.

  As days turned into weeks and then into months, the Kingdom of Thaven picked itself up and moved forward. Eammon was overseeing the repairs to the castle. The winch controlling the drawbridge had been rebuilt. Eammon added some extra gears and pulleys to speed up the raising and lowering process. Now the winch could be operated by a single person, making raising and lowering the bridge much easier. He also added some internal locks making sabotage much harder to accomplish. Eammon had become very valuable to King Seathan and was now his personal blacksmith and trusted advisor in all things mechanical.

  Ailish took the advice of Sepi and had focused on two of her gifts with the Matya; the gift of healing and her gift as a warrior. Ailish trained with Emron every day alongside the King’s Guard; becoming the first female warrior ever trained in the Guard. Her fighting skills were excellent, she learned faster than anyone she trained with. Her skills with weapons are unmatched with anyone, including Emron himself. At night, Ailish worked equally hard gaining knowledge with healing. And she had ample time to practice her art, as she injured many of the Guards during training.

  This journey and subsequent battle taught Seth and King Seathan many things. The relationship they had prior to this journey was good, but since the battle Seth and King Seathan have spent very few hours apart. Seth’s gift of strategy excels even his father’s, and together they are learning, hoping to increase their knowledge and the power they possess. As they’ve worked together, their love for each other has also increased.

  Tureis’ thirst for knowledge has reached epic proportions. If Tureis isn’t training with the Guard or visiting with Eammon, he can be found with his father in the vaults, sitting on the floor surrounded by piles of books, reading. Sepi visits the castle regularly, helping King Seathan and discussing new developments with regards to King Hamish. During her visits, Sepi always takes ample time to sit with Tureis, teaching and mentoring him, helping him to understand the Matya and all it can do.

  For in life, knowledge truly is power!

  - Epilogue -

  Tureis entered the familiar tower, walked over to the white couch in the center of the room and sat down. For the first time in months he was alone and he decided to take this time and simply enjoy the silence. Since the attack on the castle in Thaven, Tureis had spent nearly all his time working to repair the damage to the castle. Enjoying the silence around him, Tureis leaned back into the couch, closed his eyes, and meditated on the past events.

  When the message had showed up on his sphere it shocked him, to say the least. The message simply read, “Please come to the tower.” As he sat pondering the message and what led him to be here, a smile crossed his face. He didn’t know why he was here, but just to be here, feeling the Matya in the tower was worth the journey.

  For several minutes he meditated in silence. When the door opened, Tureis stood as Sepi entered. She smiled upon seeing him and walked straight over and gave him a hug. “Thank you for coming, Tureis,” she said. “Did you find it alright?”

  “Yes,” said Tureis. “The arrow was easy to find. But it seemed like I didn’t travel even half as far as last time before seeing it.”

  Sepi smiled, “That’s very observant. Not everyone gets invited back here, so they never realize the different routes possible to get here.”

  “Why is that?” asked Tureis.

  “Saxon is a very special city,” Sepi began. “It exists in the one place, but at the same time, it exists everyplace.”

  Tureis thought for a moment, “So it moves?”

  Sepi smiled, “Not exactly.” Tureis was confused. “Saxon exists in the same place at all times. When you find the arrow, you’re actually entering a portal to Saxon. That portal can be opened virtually anywhere.”

  “How is that possible?” asked Tureis.

  “A lot is possible with the Matya. That is why I asked you to come here today,” she said.

  Tureis turned to face Sepi more directly and leaned in, intent on hearing every word. Sepi turned as well and took his hands into hers, “I know I have said this before, that the Matya is very powerful within you. What I haven’t told you or anyone is that it’s more powerful with you than in anyone I’ve ever met. That includes myself and all the past Oracles I’ve ever known.”

  Tureis’ face reddened and he looked down. “Surely you just say that,” he said. “I’m just a normal person. I don’t feel special or powerful in any way.”

  Sepi nodded, “That is good. You must always remember you are just a normal person. But you have an extraordinary gift, one, that if you focus, can help and even save many people.”

  “Why would I need to save people?” Tureis asked.

  Sepi stood and walked to a window, briefly looking out. She returned and stood looking at Tureis, her face becoming serious. “What you did to stop King Hamish was wonderful, but King Hamish is not finished,” she said. “Power is what he wants and he will not stop until he has it. One day Tureis, you may be called upon to stop him once and for all.”

  Tureis moved uneasily in his seat. Somehow he seemed to know this. How or why he knew it, he wasn’t sure, but deep down inside of him he knew it. “How would I do that?” he asked.

  “Let me be your guide,” said Sepi. “I have visited the castle several times since the day you handled Graceblade and defeated King Hamish. We have sat and discussed your learning and experiences. I would like to mentor you more directly, to help guide you along as you learn and understand the depths of the Matya.”

  As Tureis thought about this there were many questions that entered his mind. However, beneath all the questions circling his mind he felt an inner peace. A peace with the understanding that he needed to do this. “I would like that very much,” he finally said.

  “Wonderful,” said Sepi, a smile beaming across her face. “I am anxious to get started. There is so much to learn.”

  “Where do we begin?” asked Tureis.

  “First, I will leave you here briefly,” she said as she patted his arm. “I will speak to Luram and he will prepare a place for you to stay.” Sepi stood and walked across the room. She stopped at the door and turned, returning to Tureis. “Did you happen to bring the book with you?” she asked.

  “Yes,” said Tureis. “I never go anywhere without it. It has helped me so much in the short time I’ve had it.” Tureis reached into his bag and removed the book he had received from the old woman in Kurith and presented it to her.

  She accepted the book and opened it, turning it’s pages. Then she closed the book and gave it back to Tureis. “Did you happen to bring the other book?” she asked.

  “Other book?” Tureis asked, somewhat puzzled at what book she was referring to.

  Sepi smiled, “Yes, the other book I left for you. The one you found in Freb.”

  “Freb?” Tureis asked searching his thoughts. Then it dawned on him and he instantly felt the guilt at the memory. He spoke softly, “The book from the store in Freb? The one that I sort of...accidentally...stole?”

 
“Yes that one,” said Sepi. “But you didn’t steal it. I placed it there for you. When you didn’t take it, I put it in your pocket so you wouldn’t leave it behind.”

  Tureis reached into his bag and removed the book titled “Objects,” and handed it to Sepi. “Are you really saying that I didn’t steal it?” Tureis asked.

  “Of course you didn’t,” said Sepi “That nice man in Freb agreed to put it on the table when you entered the store. When you didn’t take it and I placed it in your pocket, he would have let you take it. When you tried to remove the book from your pocket he was forced to chase you to prevent you from leaving the book behind.”

  “All this time…,” Tureis trailed off as he remembered the event.

  “What you did to pay him back was truly remarkable. Very few people would have done that,” said Sepi. “That integrity also adds to your power.”

  “I’ve read that book several times and it never had what I was looking for,” said Tureis.

  “What were you looking for?” asked Sepi.

  “I was looking for information about the Oracle Sphere,” said Tureis. “At the time I didn’t even know it’s name. I really wanted to know what it was and what it could do.”

  Sepi smiled, “That’s actually why I gave it to you.”

  “But I’ve read it cover to cover several times and it had nothing about the sphere in it,” said Tureis, a little frustrated that he may have missed something.

  “Did you use your sphere to read it?” asked Sepi with a devious smile.

  “I don’t understand,” said Tureis.

  “Remove your sphere and open to the first page,” said Sepi.